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VDE.REF
-------
Reference Manual for the VDE Editor:
version 1.62 (27 Oct 1991)
(c)1987-91, E. Meyer
================================ CONTENTS ==================================
1. SYNTAX. How to invoke VDE from the DOS command line.
2. COMMAND SUMMARY: MenuBar choices; command keystrokes.
3. VDE REFERENCE, alphabetically by topic:
Accessory files, Auto format, Auto indent, Auto number, Auto save,
Block commands, Deleting, Envelopes, Files, Find/replace, Foreign
characters, Graphics, Header, Hyphenation, Information, Inserting,
Justification, Line spacing, Margins, Matching files, Moving around,
Multiple files, Page preview, Pagination, Paragraph indent, Place markers,
Print styles/codes, Printer drivers, Printing, Proportional spacing,
Reformat, Ruler line, Run command/shell, Save/exit, Screen controls,
Screen size, Splitting files, Tabs, Time/date, Undelete, Upper/lower case,
Windows.
4. MACROS. Explanation and examples of:
Function keys, Key redefinition files, Macro definition and use, Macro
keys, Macro programming, Toggle control, Recording macros.
================================ 1. SYNTAX ================================
TO RUN VDE, you can just type "VDE", with no arguments; or, you may
specify a list of up to 8 filenames. Any filename may include a DOS
directory, and/or be followed by a mode option. Spaces or a comma may be used
to separate filenames. A key definition or printer driver file may also be
specified at the end of the command line, following a semicolon ";".
vde {filename} {/m} {{,} filename2 {/m}} {...} {;name.VD_} {;name.VD_}
EXAMPLES: vde vde article.doc/w;ws4.vdf
vde sample.fil vde b:myfile,myfile.bak
vde a:summary \wp\memo vde prog.doc/a prog.asm/n errors
"filename" - file to edit. If no name is given, you begin a new
(untitled) file. With multiple names, the previous item's directory
carries over to the next item, unless this begins with a new drive or root
"\". (In the example above, MYFILE.BAK is on drive B:.)
"/m" or " m" - optional choice of file modes: "m" can be "A"SCII,
"W"ordstar, WordStar "5", Word"P"erfect, "X"yWrite/NotaBene, "M"icrosoft
Word, or "U"nformatted document; or "C"-source or "N"ondocument. Normally
defaults to "/A". Must be separated from filename by space and/or slash.
";name.VD_" - optional utility file(s) to load, must have file type
.VDF, VDK, .VDP, .VDC, or .VDG. Files must reside in the specified,
current, or VDE directory. See ACCESSORY FILES.
=========================== 2. COMMAND SUMMARY =============================
Explanation of Keys: special IBM PC keys are indicated in [brackets],
including arrows [^,v,<,>] for the cursor keys. [+] and [-] refer to the
keypad +,- keys only. "Esc" indicates pressing the Escape key, [Esc]; "Esc1"
means [Esc],1. "Alt" indicates holding down the [Alt] key: "AltD" means
[Alt]+D. "^" indicates holding down the [Ctrl] key: "^K" means [Ctrl]+K.
Many commands use two-key sequences, like ^QR = [Ctrl]+Q,R. The prefix
(^Q) displays in the header, and can be canceled by pressing [Esc] or [Space].
If you have an "enhanced" or nonstandard keyboard, you may want to remap
the functions of the [Ctrl,Alt] keys; see CONTROL KEY (VKMAP).
If your keyboard lacks any of the IBM PC keys, equivalents are always
available (e.g., ^R for [PgUp]). If you have no [Alt] key, you can still
access the Alt-commands with a double-Esc prefix: Esc,Esc,X = AltX.
SPECIAL KEYS
[Enter] = Carriage Return (also CR, or ^M).
New line. In documents, marks a paragraph end.
[Tab] = Hard Tab mode: enter Tab. Variable Tab mode: move to next stop.
Shft[Tab] = backward variable Tab: move to previous stop.
[BkSp] = BackSpace (also BS or ^H). [May instead delete to left.]
[Del] = Delete character to left. [May instead delete at cursor.]
^[BkSp] = delete character to left. [May instead delete word to left.]
[Ins] = toggle Insert on and off. ^[Ins] = Word Insert on/off.
[^], [v], [>], [<] (arrow keys) = move cursor.
^[<],^[>] = move to start of previous (left), next (right) word.
^[^],^[v] = go to top, bottom of screen. (AT keyboard only)
[5] = make current line center of screen. (Keypad keys,
[-],[+] = scroll back, forward one line. NumLock off)
[Home],[End] = go to beginning, end of line. Repeat: prev/next line.
[May instead go to top/bottom of screen.]
^[Home],^[End] = move to top, end of file.
[PgUp],[PgDn] = page back, forward one screen.
^[PgUp],^[PgDn] = page both windows of split screen back, forward.
Shft[^],[v],[>],[<] \ (shifted arrow/keypad keys)
Shft[Home,End,PgUp,PgDn] / mark block
MENU-BAR MODE
Press [Esc] to call up the main menu bar; select a sub-menu by typing the
capitalized, highlighted letter, then select a command from it. The [Esc] key
can be used to return to the main menu, or (from the main menu) to return to
editing. For explanation of any selection, look up its command equivalent.
{Delete: del Line} ^Y {Misc: enter Time} AltT
to line Start} ^Q[Del] enter Date} AltD
to line End} ^QY file Info} ^KI
del to Char} ^QT about VDE} AltI
del Block} ^KY Escape} Esc
Undelete} ^U Command mode} Esc?
{moVe: Find} ^QF {Print: overstrike Char} ^PH
Replace} ^QA overstrike Line} ^PM
rEpeat f/r} ^L Formfeed} ^PL
Overview bar} AltO Tab} ^PI
place Set} ^PZ Graphic} AltG
place Go} ^QZ Driver} AltV
Print file} ^KP
{Text: margin L} ^OL {Block: Begin} ^KB
margin R} ^OR End} ^KK
Mrgn rel} ^OX Unmark} ^KH
Justify} ^OJ Copy} ^KC
Center} ^OC Move} ^KV
Flush} ^OF cuT} AltC
rEform} ^B Paste} AltP
auto Indent} ^OA Write} ^KW
auto fmT} ^OM Zoom} ^KZ
{stYle: Underline} ^PS {File: rEname work} ^KE
Bold} ^PB Dir} ^KF
Doublestrike} ^PD Read in} ^KR
Italic} ^PY Load new} ^KL
Subscript} ^PV Add file} AltL
suPerscript} ^PT Next file} AltN
Prev file} AltB
{Set: tab Set} ^OI
tab Clr} ^ON
Varitab} ^OV {Exit: Save to disk} ^KS
Double spc} ^OS eXit w/save} ^KX
Prop spc} ^OK Quit w/o save} ^KQ
Hyphens} ^OH Run DOS command} AltR
pg Length} ^OP
{sCreen: make Top} ^OE {User: Ruler} ^OT
Window} AltW ...}
Other win} AltF [This and the other four items
Header} ^OQ on the User bar are redefinable.]
Blank} ^OZ
Preview} ^OD
50/43 Ln} AltE
132 Col} AltA
COMMAND MODE
A concise HELP MENU is available in Command mode by pressing ^J or [F1].
Page through it with the [PgUp/Dn] or [^/v] keys, or press A,E,K,O,P,Q for
Alt, Esc, ^K, ^O, ^P, and ^Q commands.
I. CONTROL KEYS: single keystroke commands.
WordStar arrow-key diamond:
^E = up. ^D = right. ^F,^A = move to word right, left.
^X = down. ^S = left.
^W,^Z = scroll back, forward one line.
^R,^C = page back, forward one screen.
^G = delete character at cursor. ^Y = delete current line.
^T = delete word to right.
^U = undo last deletion (character, word, line, or block).
^V = toggle Insert mode on/off. ^N = insert CR (break line).
^] = toggle Word Insert on/off. ^_ = insert a space.
^P = insert special code:
^P- = soft hyphen ^PZ = place mark
^PB,D,S,Y,T,V,A,N,Q,W,E,R = print toggles and switches.
^^ = toggle case (upper/lower) of character at cursor.
^B = reformat paragraph. ^L = repeat last find/replace.
II. FILE AND BLOCK COMMANDS: first press ^K, then the key shown.
^KI = file/memory Information. ^KP = Print the text.
^KF = disk File browser. ^KR = Read a file into text.
^KL = Load new file(s) to edit. ^KJ = delete a disk file.
^KE = rEname current work. ^KS = Save to disk, and continue.
^KD = Done: save & load new file. ^KX = eXit: save & quit to DOS.
^KA = set Autosave interval. ^KQ = Quit to DOS, abandoning file.
^KB = mark start of a Block. ^KK = mark end of a block.
^KH = unmark the block. ^KY = Delete the marked block.
^KC = Copy block at cursor location. ^KV = moVe block to cursor location.
^KZ = Zoom into the marked block. ^KW = Write block to a disk file.
^K# = automatically number items in the block.
^K",',^ = uppercase ("), lowercase ('), or switch case (^) of block text.
III. QUICK COMMANDS: first press ^Q, then the key shown.
^QS,^QD = go to beginning, end of line.
^QE,^QX = go to top, bottom of screen.
^QR,^QC = go to top, end of file.
^QB,^QK = go to beginning, end of block.
^QL,^QN = go to last, next page. ^QI = go to specified page or line.
^QZ = go to next place marker.
^QP = go to Previous position in file (before last sizable move).
^QF = find a string. ^QA = find and replace a string.
^QY = delete from cursor to end of current line.
^Q[Del] = delete from cursor to beginning of current line.
^QT = delete up to specified character.
IV. ONSCREEN COMMANDS: first press ^O, then the key shown.
^OR,^OL = set Right, Left margin. ^OX = toggle Margin Release on/off.
^OC = Center text on line. ^OF = make line Flush right.
^OA = Auto indent on/off. ^OM = auto forMat on/off.
^OG = paraGraph indent.
^OK = proportional spacing on/off. ^OS = double Spacing on/off.
^OV = tab mode Variable/hard. ^OH = Hyphenation on/off.
^OI,^ON = set, clear tab stop(s).
^OP = set Page length (0 turns off pagination).
^OQ = header display on/off. ^OT = ruler line display on/off.
^OB = hard CR display on/off.
^OD = page preview (control codes hidden, pagebreaks displayed)
^OE = make current line top of screen.
^OW = split Window to show two different portions of the file.
^OZ = temporarily blank the entire screen.
V. ALT-KEY COMMANDS: press [Alt] and the key shown.
(Or [Esc] twice, then the key shown)
AltI = show VDE version Information.
AltL = Load an additional file. AltB = move Back to previous file.
AltW = split Window with 2 files. AltN = move forward to Next file.
AltF = move to other File in window.
AltC,P = Cut and Paste a block from one place or file to another.
AltM = Match up the two files on screen, showing differences.
AltX = eXit (^KX) from all files. AltQ = Quit (^KQ) from all files.
AltR = Run DOS command (or shell). AltS = Split up a large file.
AltT,D = enter the current system Time or Date in the file.
AltG = enter an IBM Graphics character into text.
AltE,A = EGA/VGA screen (43/50 lines), wide screen (132 columns).
AltO = move with Overview bar. AltV = change printer driVers.
AltU = Use (Load or Save) accessory file (key definitions, etc).
VI. ESC-KEY COMMANDS: first press [Esc], then the key shown.
(In MenuBar mode, access via {Misc:Escape}.)
Esc[<],[>] = scroll screen horizontally 32 columns.
Esc[^],[v] = scroll screen vertically 1/4 screen.
Esc[Tab] = variable tab forward (in hard tab mode).
Esc? = switch to MenuBar mode. (In macro mode: call up MenuBar.)
Esc[ = define a macro string of commands.
Esc" = record a macro from keystrokes.
Esc] = store macro on alphanumeric key for later recall.
Esc0...Z = use stored key. (In macro mode: jump label.)
Esc!,=,~,$ = jumps and loops, used in macro programming.
Esc* = universal toggle set.
Esc(),+,- = counter, used in macro programming.
Esc; = brief pause, during macro execution only.
Esc& = chain to another macro.
=========================== 3. VDE REFERENCE ===============================
ACCESSORY FILES (AltU) - AltU allows you to change many VDE settings by using
(loading and saving) specific types of data files.
.VDF/K files can be Loaded and Saved - see KEY DEFINITION FILES.
.VDG files can be Loaded and Saved - see GRAPHICS (CHARACTERS).
.VDP files can be Loaded - see PRINTER DRIVERS.
.VDC files can be Loaded - see CHARACTER WIDTHS.
Each of these may also be loaded with a semicolon on the command line (see
SYNTAX). Files must be in either the specified, current, or VDE directory
(specified with the SET command -- see DIRECTORIES).
AUTO FORMAT (^OM) - When on, continuously keeps the paragraph of text you are
working on properly formatted (margins and spacing), even as you add to or
delete from the line; format changes are implemented instantly. When off,
the manual ^B command can still be used (see REFORMAT). [Default status
can be chosen.]
Care must be taken in files with mixed formats, as the CURRENT
settings of margins and spacing are always used.
Note that with Auto Format on, certain keystrokes may have additional
(or no) effects, due to the instant reformatting afterward.
AUTO INDENT (^OA) - When on, wordwrap or the [Enter] key will cause the
cursor, upon moving to the next line, to indent to match any existing
indentation on that line (with insert OFF) or the previous line (with
insert ON). Thus any structured indentation you create is maintained.
Useful as a temporary (paragraph) indent, or for outlines, program source
code, etc. Works in all modes, including non-document. Note: Indentation
must be done with spaces or variable tabs, NOT with hard tabs.
AUTO NUMBER (^K#) - VDE can automatically number items in a list. Just type
a "#" character where each number in sequence should go, for example:
#. First item.
#. Second item...
You can then mark the list off as a block (see BLOCK COMMANDS), and use
the ^K# command: VDE will insert the numbers (1, 2, etc) in place of the
"#" markers. You will be asked for the starting number; the default is of
course 1. (Once this is done the markers are gone. For frequently
revised lists, leave the "#" markers in the file on disk; use ^K# just
before printing, and do not save afterward.) If auto format (^OM) is on,
text will be realigned to compensate for varying length numbers.
AUTO SAVE (^KA) - When on, VDE saves any changes you have made to disk
automatically, at regular intervals. This ensures that you don't lose too
much work if you make a mistake, have a power outage, etc. ^KA lets you
set the interval (1 to 255 minutes), or turn this feature off entirely
(0). Just press [Enter] to restore the default, normally 0. [This can be
changed with VINST.]
Notes: Auto save does not actually occur during intervals when the
keyboard is not in use, or while you are editing another file. It cannot
save untitled files.
BLOCK COMMANDS (^KB,^KK,^KH,^KZ,^KY,^KC,^KV,^KW; ^QB,^QK; ^KPB) - A BLOCK of
text is delimited by two markers, set by ^KB (beginning) and ^KK (end),
which remain in place until reset elsewhere or deleted.
Alternatively, you can mark a block by moving the cursor to the start
or end, holding down the Shift key, and using the PC arrow keys, [Home,
End], or [PgUp,Dn] to move the cursor to the other end of the block,
releasing the Shift key when finished.
^KH unmarks the block, removing any marker(s). The block operation
commands all require a block to be marked first:
^KY goes to and deletes the block (including markers). (If you want
to return the cursor to its position before the deletion, type ^QP.)
^KV moves the block (including markers) to the present cursor
location; ^KC simply copies it, leaving the original marked. Any place
markers present are not transferred. (The cursor cannot be IN the block.)
^KZ "zooms into" a block: the rest of the text is hidden, and the
block is temporarily treated as the entire file. This can simply isolate
one portion of a file for your attention; it can also be done to limit the
scope of many VDE commands (^QA, ^B, ^KI...) to that portion. Use ^KZ
again to zoom back out. In zoom mode: pagination is off; you can use
block operations, though any block markers within will disappear when
zooming back to the whole file; if you save (^KS), VDE will automatically
zoom back out of the block first.
^KW writes the block text to a disk file; you will be asked for the
filename (and optional mode). Normally this will overwrite any existing
file; however, you can choose instead to append the text at the end of the
file, by typing a "+" before the filename:
Write to file: GORT overwrites
+GORT appends
^QB, from wherever you are in the file, moves the cursor to the block
start; ^QK moves to the block end.
^KPB (^KP with B option) prints the block text only. (See PRINTING.)
DELETING (^G,[Del],^T,^Y; ^QY,^Q[Del],^QT) - ^G deletes the character at the
cursor. Normally, [Del] or ^[BkSp] deletes the one to the left, and
[BkSp] (^H) moves left without deleting. [Instead, [BkSp] may be instal-
led to delete to the left, and [Del] to delete at the cursor.]
^T deletes a word to the right (everything from the cursor to the
next word break.)
^Y deletes the entire current line. ^QY deletes just the part of the
line to the right of the cursor; ^Q[Del] deletes the part to the left.
^QT, followed by a character, deletes everything until the next
occurrence of that character. EXAMPLE: ^QT. (period) deletes to the end
of the sentence. Special case: ^QT^M ([Enter]) deletes to the next HARD
CR, the end of the paragraph.
Unintended deletions can be recovered (see UNDELETING).
ENVELOPES (^KPA) - VDE provides an easy way to print a single envelope to
accompany a letter, via the "A"ddress option of the print command:
1. Begin by moving the cursor to the address of the recipient, and
marking this as a block (see BLOCK COMMANDS):
{Chester Fludd
193 Lakota St "{}" = block markers
Norman, OK 73069}
2. Then use the print command (^KP), and at the options prompt, type
"A", followed by "1" or "2" to specify the envelope size: 1 for smaller
(letter) size envelopes, approx. 3-5/8 x 6-1/2"; 2 for larger (business)
size, 4-1/4 x 9-1/2".
3. Optionally, you may include a return address for the upper left
corner of the envelope: enter this in "double quotes", using a backslash
(\) to mark the beginning of a new line. Example:
Options: A2"Your name\Your street\Your city"
(You may find it convenient to set up envelope printing with your usual
return address as a macro key, if you will use it often. See MACROS.)
4. Load the envelope correctly in your printer, and press [Enter] to
print it. Then you can continue to edit or print the letter itself.
NOTES: Different printers handle envelope feeding in
various ways. VDE prints the address(es) in the
appropriate format; you have to ensure that they wind up on
the envelope. With some dot matrix or wheel printers, you
can feed in a single envelope, and manual positioning on
the platen may be sufficient. With other printers, a
separate tray is available for envelopes, and you will need
to install special codes to select the proper tray. Many
laser printers expect to feed envelopes sideways, so you
will need codes to print in a landscape font. [Any control
codes needed to prepare your printer for an envelope can be
added with VINST; see PRINTER INSTALLATION.]
Because of the way laser printers operate in landscape
mode, VDE ordinarily prints both size envelopes with their
RIGHT edge in the same place. This means that on other
printers, the LEFT edge of the smaller envelope must be
placed 3" (30 columns) in from the left margin. If this is
inconvenient, it can be overridden by specifying the left
margin option (e.g. "L0") AFTER the "A1" option.
FILES (^KL,^KR,^KJ,^KF) - ^KL loads new file(s) to edit, REPLACING the
current one. (If the file has been modified, you will be prompted to
confirm that you mean to abandon it; if you want to load file(s) in
ADDITION to the current one, use AltL instead.) You can enter any number
of filenames, with optional modes (see SYNTAX).
^KR reads in the contents of a single disk file, inserting the text
at the current cursor position.
^KJ deletes any disk file you specify. (If you need more complex
file utilities, remember that you can run any DOS command with AltR.)
All these commands prompt for specific filenames. If you are unsure,
or would rather see a directory first, you can call up the FILE BROWSER by
pressing [Enter] alone for *.*, or typing a filename with wildcards, like
*.LET. (Note: if you want to load an "untitled" file, press ^J or
^[Enter], instead of [Enter], at the ^KL prompt.)
The file browser can also be called up directly with ^KF. You may
specify a directory (or ".." for the parent directory) and/or filename
mask, and the contents will be alphabetically listed. (The default, if
you just press [Enter], is the directory shown, and all files *.*.) Files
display alphabetically in uppercase, then directories in lowercase. If
there are more items than will fit on screen, you will see "..." to
indicate this; the display will scroll as needed. [Note: display of .COM,
.EXE and other unreadable files can be suppressed.]
To remove the display, press [Esc] or [Space]. But while it is on
screen, you can move the cursor through the list with the arrow keys,
[PgUp,Dn], or [Home,End]; additionally, a letter "A..Z" may be typed to go
to the first file beginning with that letter. When the cursor is on the
selected item, you can press:
[Enter] to load this file in place of the current one (see ^KL);
^L to load it as an additional file (see AltL);
^R to read it into the current file (see ^KR);
[Del] to delete this file (be careful; deletion is immediate).
If the file you want to load/read requires a different file mode, you can
first press "/" and the correct mode letter (A,U,N,C,W,5,P,X,M, or space).
You may also select a directory, in which case you can press:
[Enter] to view its contents in turn;
[Del] to remove it (if empty).
FIND/REPLACE (^QF,^QA; ^L) - ^QF is the command to FIND a string. The search
normally proceeds from the cursor position forward, and is case (upper-
lower) sensitive. The character ^_ (Ctrl-underline) functions as a
wildcard: it will match any single character. The single code ^M (CR, or
[Enter]) indicates a "newline" in VDE. Some control codes can be entered
directly; some (like ^M) require the ^P prefix. Graphics characters can
be entered using AltG. Examples:
Find: ^MLABEL matches "LABEL" at start of line only;
Find: p^_^_ce matches "piece", "peice", etc.
^QA is the REPLACE command. It asks for a string to find, as above,
then what to change it to. Normally, the cursor will move to each
occurrence of the string, and you will be asked ("Chg?") whether to change
it; answer "Y"es or "N"o, or "*" to change all the rest without asking, or
press [Esc] to quit.
There are several options for find/replace:
"B" = search Backward through the file;
"U" = case insensitive search (ignore Upper/lower distinction);
"G" = search Globally (from start or end of file);
"A" = Align (reform) paragraphs again after each replacement;
"N" = No query: replace all instances without asking.
To skip the options prompt, finish entry of the find string (for ^QF) or
replace string (for ^QA) by typing ^J or ^[Enter] instead of [Enter].
Notes: "A"lign is assumed by default if auto format (^OM) is on.
(Be careful about mixed format files in this situation.) "N"o query is
assumed whenever ^QA is used in a macro. ["U"ppercase can be set as your
default, in which case pressing "U" means case sensitive.] There is no
option for "whole word only" -- begin and end with a space to do this.
^L instantly repeats the last find or replace operation; the "B",
"U", and "A" options remain as last specified.
FOREIGN CHARACTERS - Characters in the upper ASCII range (128-255), such as
the foreign letters and accents, can be entered directly into text using
either standard DOS method: one of the DOS KEYBxx keyboard map utilities,
or the [Alt] key and numeric keypad (with [NumLock] on, hold down [Alt]
while pressing 1,5,5 for character 155).
VDE treats these characters as "graphics": you are limited to a total
of 32 such codes at a time, and any that you have used may be found in the
menu brought up by the AltG command. See GRAPHICS.
GRAPHICS (AltG) - You can enter an IBM graphic (or foreign) character into
the file either directly from the keyboard, via [Alt] and the numeric
keypad, or with the AltG command. You will be presented with a menu of up
to 32 characters (labeled A-Z,1-6) to choose from; the default set
contains some useful box drawing parts, and has room free for other
characters that might be loaded. [It can also be modified with VINST.]
Any open menu entry can be defined on the spot. Type "=", then the
code (A-6) to change. You can then select the desired character from the
complete graphics set, by moving the cursor to it and pressing [Enter].
Alternatively, if you press [Esc], you may enter the extended ASCII code
in either hex (2 digits 80-FF) or decimal (3 digits 128-255) format.
Example: the Greek alpha can be entered either as "E0" hex or "224"
decimal. Once defined, the graphic can be entered into the file by
pressing its menu letter; its definition cannot be changed again during
the same editing session.
NOTE: In addition to the 128 graphics characters, the code ^Z (hex
1A, decimal 026) may only be entered as a graphic. (^PZ embeds not ^Z but
a place marker.) Furthermore, several codes in the range 00-1F,7F (000-
031,127) are reserved for internal use; though they can be entered with
^P, they will be represented as graphics.
CAUTION: If you load a file containing many graphics (or binary data
that will be interpreted as graphics), VDE will try to add each in turn to
its table. If the graphics table fills up, any further graphics will be
replaced by duplicates of graphic #6. You will see an error message, and
the file will become "untitled", to guard against saving to disk and
corrupting the file. If you frequently work with graphics characters you
will want to keep your default table relatively empty to avoid this.
Graphics are stored in disk files in accord with the current file
mode. Printing of graphics depends on whether your printer font is
installed [see PRINTER INSTALLATION] as IBM graphics (PC8) or Roman8, or
neither, in which case VDE will "emulate" them, choosing standard ASCII
character overstrikes that come as close as possible. This usually works
well, especially for the foreign language characters.
HEADER (^OQ) - The "header" at the top of the screen can be toggled on and
off with ^OQ. [The default can be set either way.] It provides useful
information, but can be removed if you prefer to edit with a screen
showing nothing but your text. It looks like this:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ VDE.DOC /A P 14 L 11 C 48 Ins vt hy AI DS J+ PS " ^K_
or (NP/BZ) (WIn) (AF) (MR)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
'+' = Multi-file flag. Present if other file(s) are being edited.
'VDE.DOC /A' = Current filename and mode. The full drive and path
information, along with other files being edited, can be displayed
with the ^KI command (see INFORMATION).
'P 14, etc' = Cursor position in file by page (in document modes), line,
column. If pagination is off (^OP0), you will see 'NP' instead of a
page number; in block zoom mode (^KZ) you will see 'BZ'.
'Ins','WIn' = Insert mode (^V) or Word Insert (^]) on.
'vt' = Variable Tab mode (^OV) on.
'hy' = Hyphenation (^OH) enabled. (Documents only)
'AI' = Auto Indent mode (^OA) on.
'AF' = Auto Format mode (^OM) on. (Documents only)
'DS' = Double spacing (^OS) on.
'J+/-' = Right Justification mode (^OJ) on. (Documents only)
'MR' = Margins released (^OX). (Documents only)
'PS' = Proportional spacing (^OK) on.
" = Double quote mark appears during macro recording (Esc").
'^K_' = Command key prefixes (and some prompts) display here.
HYPHENATION (^OH,^P-) - ^OH toggles hyphenation on and off. If off, midword
hyphens are not treated as wordbreaks. [The default can be changed.]
VDE can't hyphenate automatically, but it can recognize hyphens that
you type in the text, treating them as a legitimate place to break a line.
In addition to ordinary hyphens, "-", there are "soft hyphens" (SHs),
which you can enter by typing ^P- (^P,hyphen), and which display in a
different color. SHs indicate optional places to break a long word: they
will print as a hyphen when they fall at the end of the line (that is,
when actually in use to break a word), but do not print if they wind up in
mid-line. (Note: only WordStar (/W or /5) file modes store soft hyphens
as such; when saving to disk in other modes, as in printing, they either
become hyphens or disappear, as appropriate.)
INFORMATION (^KI,AltI) - ^KI displays an Information message telling you:
The full name (including directory) of the current file;
When it was last saved, and whether (Y/N) it has been changed since;
Any print toggles (^B,D,S etc) that seem to be mispaired;
A word count for document files (useful for professional writing);
The current size of the file in bytes or K (1K = 1024 bytes);
The number of bytes of memory used and free in this text segment;
The amount (in K) of memory free to edit further files;
The names of all other files being edited.
The AltI command displays the VDE version, date, and copyright. (An
uninstalled copy of VDE does this automatically on startup.)
INSERTING (^V,[Ins],^],^_,^N) - ^V or [Ins] toggles Insert mode on/off, and
^] toggles Word Insert. When both are OFF, VDE is in overwrite mode: any
text to the right of the cursor is replaced as you type. With Insert (^V)
ON, any existing text is instead carried to the right. With Word Insert
(^]) ON, you can type over the letters of a word, but anything you add at
the end of the word (when the next character is a space) is inserted
without overwriting; this is a handy feature for revising text. [The
default insert status can be changed.]
The ^_ and ^N commands (insert space, CR) are most useful in
Overwrite mode (avoiding the need to turn Insert on and back off).
JUSTIFICATION (^OJ) - ^OJ controls right justification mode, cycling between
three states:
ADD. ("J+" in header.) Text paragraphs will be
formatted with an even right margin, by inserting extra
spaces between words as necessary.
REMOVE. ("J-" in header.) Formatting will undo
justification by removing any extra spaces between words,
leaving an uneven right margin again.
OFF. Formatting does not change spacing of text;
right margin is left uneven.
Thus the Reform (^B) command can justify or de-justify text as desired.
Right-justified text should not be saved to disk in file mode /U
(which has no margin structure) or in modes /X, /M, or /P (because
XyWrite, MS Word, and WordPerfect will not recognize VDE's method of
justification).
Justification does not work with proportional spacing (^OK).
LINE SPACING (^OS) - ^OS toggles between single and double line spacing. In
double space mode, the following functions generate double carriage
returns: [Enter] (^M), Insert CR (^N), Reform (^B), Wordwrap. You can
easily mix single and double spacing; ^B can convert between the two.
Note: a single-spaced file can also be printed out double-spaced with
the "D" option of the ^KP command (see PRINTING).
MARGINS (^OR,^OL,^OX,^OC,^OF) - ^OR sets the Right margin, and enables text
formatting. At the prompt, enter the column number (up to 255), or just
press [Enter] for the current cursor column. (Note: in proportional mode
(^OK), the number is interpreted in 1/10" instead of characters.)
^OL similarly sets the Left margin column; the value must be less
than the right margin. (^OL is normally used for indenting selected
paragraphs. To leave blank space at the left of the page throughout when
PRINTING, see the "L" option of the ^KP command, or the left margin
setting in PRINTER INSTALLATION.)
"Wordwrap" is automatic in all document modes whenever the margins
are set: anything typed before the left margin will move up to it;
anything typed past the right margin will wrap over to the next line.
(See also REFORMAT and AUTO FORMAT.) Wordwrap and formatting are disabled
if the right margin is set to 1, or while margins are released (^OX).
(NOTE: Margins cannot be set in /N (nondocument) mode; a left margin
cannot be set in /X, /U, or /M mode.)
^OX toggles margin release, allowing you to type outside them.
^OC Centers the current line with respect to the margins; ^OF sets
the line Flush right. The cursor advances to the next line.
MATCHING FILES (AltM) - This command can locate small differences between two
largely similar files (perhaps an earlier and a later revision of your
work). You must first load these two files (AltL), then split the screen
between them (AltW), and position the cursor in corresponding places in
both files (for example, the top).
Then press AltM. Starting from these positions, VDE searches for any
difference between the files. If there is one, VDE will stop on those
lines, showing the disagreeing passages side by side. If you want to
continue, press AltM again. (If the difference was significant you may
first need to reposition one cursor to match the other.) If the cursor
winds up at the end of both files, they match.
Note: in document modes, AltM compares word by word, ignoring mere
formatting differences (margins, spacing etc). In /N mode, it is an exact
character by character comparison.
MOVING AROUND (Arrows; ^F,^A,^C,^R; ^QE,X,S,D; ^QR,C; ^QI,^QL,^QN,^QP; AltO) -
VDE supports two sets of Arrow keys, which function interchangeably: the
four arrow keys [^,v,<,>] on the IBM keyboard, and the WordStar "diamond"
^E,^X,^S,^D. These keys move the cursor one unit up, down, right, and
left respectively. There are many other movement commands as well:
^F or ^[>] moves right, to the start of the next word; ^A or ^[<]
moves left, to the start of the current (and then previous) word. ^C or
[PgDn] scrolls forward (down) one screen; ^R or [PgUp] scrolls backward
(up) one screen.
Preceded by ^Q, any arrow key moves more Quickly: thus ^QE, ^QX go
to the top or bottom of the screen; ^QS, ^QD to the left or right end of
the line. Similarly, ^QR and ^QC scroll all the way to the beginning or
end of the file, respectively.
^QI moves directly to a given page (for documents) or line (for non-
documents). In documents, ^QL and ^QN move to the start of the Last or
Next page, respectively.
^QP returns the cursor to its Previous position -- before the last
large movement occurred. (This means AltM,AltO,^B,^QR,^QC,^QF,^QZ,^QB,
^QK, and any other command that moves to the block location via ^QB.) ^QP
can be used again to cycle between these two positions in the file.
AltO displays an Overview bar at the top of the screen. The length
of the bar corresponds to the filesize, and the current position is marked
so you can see where you are. You can move the place marker left or right
with the arrow keys; the cursor remains in the original (current)
position. To move to the selected position, press [Enter]; press [Esc]
instead to cancel.
MULTIPLE FILES (AltL,AltB,AltN,AltX,AltQ,AltC,AltP) - VDE allows you to edit
up to 8 files simultaneously, if you have enough memory. This can be done
from the command line, by giving a list of several filenames.
Otherwise, to Load additional files, press AltL. You can enter any
number of filenames, with optional modes (see SYNTAX); for an untitled
file, press ^J or ^[Enter]. You can also access the file browser with
[Enter] or wildcards (see FILES). (You will get an error message if you
run out of memory, or are already editing the named file, or 8 files.)
Once multiple files are in use, AltB and AltN can be used to cycle
back and forth through the files being edited. If you Quit or Exit
(^KQ,^KX) from one file, you will be returned to the previous one.
For convenience, AltX exits ALL files immediately, saving any changes
made. AltQ quits ALL files immediately, without saving; if any of them
have been modified, you will be prompted (just once) to confirm this.
AltC Cuts a marked block of text, placing it in a buffer for later
recovery. (The original remains, unless you delete it with ^KY.) AltP
Pastes in the previously cut text at the cursor position, allowing block
copying and moving between files.)
It is possible to view two files on screen at once (see WINDOWS).
PAGE PREVIEW (^OD) - This command shows you a preview of the text as it would
print: with all non-printing codes (markers, ^P codes, etc) hidden, and
page breaks indicated by a row of dotted lines. This is handy for making
sure that text is aligned properly, and will help you avoid wasting time
and paper on unacceptable printouts. You can scroll through the file in
this mode with [PgUp,Dn] or ^R,^C; or move to the top or bottom, with
^[Home,End]. Press [Esc] to continue editing.
PAGINATION (^OP,^PL) - The ^OP command sets the page length. Enter a value 0
to 255 lines, or just press [Enter] to restore the default [normally 56].
When the value is nonzero, it determines the page and line shown in
the document header ("P xx L xx"), and all page functions in the Print
routine (pagination, headers, start/stop at page) are enabled. A formfeed
will be sent to eject each page. [VDE does not send a formfeed before
printing; install one in your printer initialization if you want.]
When the value is zero, pagination is off. The header will say "NP
L xxxx", showing you the absolute line number in the file; printing
occurs with no page breaks. (This is useful for printing small things
right after each other on the same sheet; or, in conjunction with the "*"
option, multiple copies of index cards, labels, etc.)
The ^PL command embeds a formfeed (^L) in the text, to begin a new
page; the best place to put it is at the beginning or end of a line.
PARAGRAPH INDENT (^OG) - Of course you can indent text simply by changing the
left margin (^OL), but there are times when you want only a temporary
indent. ^OG gives a "paragraph indent"; each time you use it, the left
margin is reset to the next tab stop over (see TABS). The indentation
lasts until you type the [Enter] at the end of the paragraph (or use the
^B or ^OL commands), at which time the original left margin is restored.
PLACE MARKERS (^PZ,^QZ) - You can set any number of temporary place markers
in the text with ^PZ (they display as a highlighted "Z"). The ^QZ command
moves the cursor to the next place marker in the file, cycling back to the
top of the file as needed. (Place markers are NOT saved to disk.)
PRINT STYLES/CODES (^P) - This command prefix is used to enter various
"codes" in the ASCII range 00-1F into the text, usually for purposes of
printer control. Most codes are entered in a standard fashion: ^PA embeds
^A, etc. Those with defined functions in VDE documents display as
highlighted letters ("A" etc); the rest (all, in non-documents) display as
graphics. It is possible to embed the code ^Z (hex 1A) in a file, but
only via AltG (see GRAPHICS), since ^PZ gives a place marker. (Use
caution; many programs treat the actual ^Z code as an end of file mark.)
Several other common control codes produce special effects:
^P^I - hard (ASCII) tab - printers respond variously to this
^L - formfeed - will cause a page break
^H - backspace - overstrike previous character
^M - carriage return - enter a CR without a LF to overstrike line
(do NOT hit [Enter] again after this, just continue typing)
The further codes below operate only in documents.
^P^G causes printing to pause, with "^PG" in the display, until you
press [Enter] to continue. This allows you to adjust the platen for
printing various forms. (Note: on many dot matrix printers, can only be
used at the start of a line.)
^PEsc or ^P[ can be used to embed the "Escape" code (hex 1B) in a
file if desired. But these are most commonly used for printer control,
and VDE offers a much simpler way of doing this. In place of complex
"escape sequences" for print styles (underlining, etc) in document files
VDE lets you enter a single marker, which will be translated into the
proper codes during printing. VDE supports a set of 13 codes for this
purpose: seven toggles, six switches. [See PRINTER INSTALLATION on how to
install the proper driver for your printer. Otherwise, only ^PS and ^PX
will work.] The conventional WordStar meanings of these codes are:
Toggles: ^P^B boldface Switches: ^P^Q (user def 1)
^D ("doublestrike") ^W (user 2)
^S underline ^E (user 3)
^Y italic ("ribbon") ^R (user 4)
^T superscript ^A alternate pitch
^V subscript ^N standard pitch
^X strikeout [has no installation]
But you can use them for anything you like. "Toggles" are good for
features like underlining that are turned on and off; enter them in pairs,
to mark the beginning and end of the desired text. "Switches" are better
for multi-valued parameters like character pitch; enter them once.
If toggles are not properly paired, you will find print effects
continuing throughout the rest of your document. To save time and effort,
use the ^KI command to check for this before printing. (If an "S" appears
under the "^Check" heading, there is an unpaired ^S somewhere.)
PRINTER DRIVERS (AltV,AltU) - Since many people use more than one kind of
printer, VDE accomodates two different printer drivers, a primary and an
alternate. Before printing a file, you can select which one is active
using AltV. [You can change both drivers with VINST.]
AltU gives you access to an unlimited number of further printer
drivers in the form of .VDP disk files; select "L"oad, then type the file
name. [See PRINTER INSTALLATION for instructions on how to create such
files.] The new driver will replace the previous primary.
PRINTING (^KP) - The ^KP command Prints the file from memory. You will be
asked for a set of "Options:", at which point you may enter one or more of
the following, in any order:
'...' sends a string of printer control commands before printing
begins. These must be entered in ASCII format: type in the ACTUAL
characters or control codes. If the command is "Esc A" (1B 41
hex), type "Esc","A". (For control codes, 01 = ^A, 02 = ^B, etc.
Some will require the ^P prefix: 00 (^@) = ^P@, etc. You may
find an ASCII table helpful; see PRINTER INSTALLATION.)
Tnn sets a TOP MARGIN skip of nn lines. [The default margins can
Lnn sets a LEFT MARGIN skip of nn columns. be set with VINST.]
D DOUBLESPACES the printout.
^ FILTERS control codes (like ^X) so they print out as text "^X".
*nn prints the entire job out nn TIMES (nn=1...255).
B prints only the currently marked BLOCK.
(FILENAME) redirects printer output to a disk file. All print
control codes will go into the file just as they would have been
sent to your printer. If you want to append the output to an
existing file, type a "+" before the name: (+FILENAME).
A ADDRESSES an envelope; see ENVELOPES.
N NUMBERS pages sequentially, at top right.
C numbers pages at bottom CENTER.
"..." uses the quoted string as a HEADER. The string will print at
the top right unless it begins with a "<" character, in which case
it prints at the left.
Note: you can include the current Filename, Time or Date in the
header simply by entering ^F, ^T, or ^D, respectively.
S SUPPRESSES the header/page number on the first page of output.
F prints FACING pages (header/number reversed on even pages).
O,E prints only Odd or Even pages (print one, then run the paper
back through and print the other, for double-sided printing).
P PAUSES for your keystroke before each page prints (sheet feed).
@nn begins printing AT page nn of the document.
#nn prints only (up to) a TOTAL of nn pages.
=nn RENUMBERS the printout to start at page nn.
(The paging options (T,N/C,"...",S,F,O/E,P,@,#,=) will NOT work if the
page length is set to 0 (^OP), or if 'B'lock print was chosen. 'C' cannot
be used together with 'N'.)
EXAMPLE 1: Options: "<STATUS REPORT: ^D" N F
will put a header like "STATUS REPORT: 10/19/90" at the top left of each
page, and the page number at the top right (vice versa on even pages).
EXAMPLE 2: Options: L12 #1
will print one page only, with an added left margin of 12. (Printing a
single page is a good check of page layout before going ahead to print a
long file. To continue at page two, of course, use Options: @2.)
EXAMPLE 3: Options: BD(+SCRATCH)
will append the print output of the current marked Block, double spaced,
to the disk file SCRATCH.
NOTES: The left margin setting (via "Lnn" or VINST) is in columns,
and its physical width will vary according to the font in use. If you
need a fixed margin, it is better to find your printer's Esc command for a
left margin setting in inches or dot columns, and add this to your printer
initialization string.
If you are in /W or /5 file mode, any WordStar dot commands in the
file (lines beginning with ".") will not be printed.
You can abort printing at any time by pressing [Esc].
PROPORTIONAL SPACING (^OK) - Normally VDE assumes a fixed pitch font: one
character equals one print column. Yet if your printer has a proportional
font, you can get VDE to use it, and to format text so that it will print
with more appropriate margins. With ^OK on, your printer will be put in
proportional mode when printing (^KP); and all wordwrap and reformatting
(^B,^OC,^OF) will take advantage of a table of varying character widths,
resulting in a better aligned printout.
In proportional mode, the right margin needs to be interpreted in
inches rather than characters, based on a conversion of 10 cpi, so that a
right margin (^OR) of 70 means 7.0". (Note: characters may well extend
beyond the 70th column.)
[See PRINTER INSTALLATION to install codes for proportional mode on
your printer, and CHARACTER WIDTHS to adjust the width table.]
REFORMAT ([Enter],^B;^OB) - In documents, pressing [Enter] creates a
permanent or "hard" Carriage Return marking the end of a paragraph. (This
is a CR without a preceding space; wordwrap creates a removable "soft CR",
preceded by a space. See TEXT FORMATTING.)
^B reformats the paragraph the cursor is in according to the
current margin settings and line spacing. (Thus ^B is used not only to
reshape a paragraph after editing, but also to change its format in
various ways: see MARGINS, JUSTIFICATION, LINE SPACING.) If the top line
is indented relative to the next one, VDE preserves that as paragraph
indentation. To reformat an entire file use the MACRO command (Esc[) to
repeat ^B. (See also AUTO FORMAT.)
^OB toggles display of hard CRs, which are normally marked by a left-
arrow character in document files, to distinguish them from soft ones. If
you find this distracting, it can be turned off.
RULER LINE (^OT) - To help you align text properly, ^OT displays a "ruler
line" above the text. Type ^OT again to remove it. A moving pointer
indicates the current column.
In each column you will see one of several symbols: the arrow "v" is
the cursor column; "L,R" designate the current margins; "." indicates
areas outside the current margins, "-" within them. Also, tab stops are
marked by either "!" (Variable) or ":" (Hard). Examples:
(/A mode) L-----!---!----------v--!--------------R........
(/N mode) :.......:.......:....v..:.......:.......:.......
RUN COMMAND/SHELL (AltR) - AltR lets you run DOS commands without leaving
VDE. An imitation DOS prompt is produced (e.g., "C:\WORK>"); you can copy
or rename files, or run any other program you like, and afterwards VDE
will prompt you to "Press [Esc]", which will return you to your undis-
turbed VDE editing session.
In addition, you may type "SHELL", which lets you out into what is
known as a Command Shell: you are actually back IN DOS, and can use any
number of commands or move around as you like; when through, you need to
type the DOS command EXIT to return to VDE.
Caution: don't load new memory-resident utilities from within the
AltR command; this fouls up the DOS memory allocation.
To use AltR, you must have enough free memory to load and run the
chosen program; and VDE must be able to find COMMAND.COM in order to
execute it, via the COMSPEC environment variable. Be sure either that
your AUTOEXEC.BAT file includes a line like
SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM
or that your CONFIG.SYS file includes a line like
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P
(In either case replace "C:\" with the appropriate directory.)
SAVE/EXIT (^KE,^KS,^KX,^KD,^KQ) - ^KE renames your work, allowing you to
change to a new filename (and/or new directory or file mode) before
saving. If you enter a new directory or file mode alone, that change will
be made, while the filename remains the same. (Note: If you want to make
your work "untitled", press ^J or ^[Enter], instead of [Enter], at the
prompt.)
^KS saves your work so far, writing the file to disk under the
filename in the header. (If it's "untitled", a new name will be
requested.) If the file has not been modified, you will be prompted to
confirm that you meant to save it again anyway.
For safety, a copy of the existing file is preserved as a BACKUP FILE
(with extension ".BAK") each time you save changes. [If you prefer not to
use BAK files, you can suppress their use with VINST.]
There are several different commands for finishing up:
^KX saves your work (if modified), and then EXITS to DOS.
^KD saves your work, then loads a new file to edit.
^KQ just QUITS, without saving to disk. If the file has been
modified, you will be prompted to confirm that you meant to do this!
SCREEN CONTROLS (^W,^Z; Esc[^,v,<,>]; ^OE,^OZ) - VDE provides a number of
commands to control the display screen:
^W and ^Z scroll the screen up and down a line at a time, without
moving the cursor in the text (unless necessary).
Preceded by [Esc], any arrow key also causes the screen to scroll:
up/down by 1/4 screen, or right/left 32 columns. Again, the cursor is not
moved unless necessary. (The screen cannot shift rightward past the end
of the current line.)
^OE makes the current line the top of the screen.
^OZ temporarily blanks the entire screen; good for avoiding CRT burn-
in, or just protecting work from prying eyes or fingers. Restore the
screen by pressing [Esc]. This is also useful if some other software
(like a resident utility) has messed up the screen: type ^OZ,Esc and VDE
will completely restore it.
SCREEN SIZE (AltA,AltE) - On IBM compatible systems, VDE automatically adapts
to any size text screen currently in use (minimum: 40 columns, 8 lines).
This means that (1) VDE will run on laptop/palmtop computers with small
displays, and (2) visually impaired users can use the DOS command MODE
CO40 to edit with a 40 column large-type screen. When running with fewer
than 80 columns, VDE omits toggle indicators from the header; also, some
menus remain in 80-column format, and can be scrolled horizontally by
pressing the right and left arrow keys while they are on screen.
On IBM EGA/VGA video systems, you can use your own software (like the
popular UltraVision program, or any utilities that may have come with your
video adapter card) to change the font or screen size (lines,columns)
before running VDE, or even while editing (via the AltR command). VDE
also offers two internal commands to vary screen size:
AltA changes the screen width, toggling between normal (80-column)
mode and wide (132-column) mode. It can be used alone, or in combination
with AltE. This command works ONLY with certain brands of video cards
which offer 132 column displays [see INSTALLATION to specify yours], or if
you are running UltraVision with a card that supports its 132 column mode.
AltE changes the screen length, varying the number of text lines
displayed. In its most basic form it simply toggles between normal 25-
line mode and a compressed mode of 43 (EGA) or 50 (VGA) lines. But when
possible (with VDEOPT.DAT present or under UltraVision), it displays a
prompt offering a wider range of sizes:
with VDEOPT.DAT VGA - 20,25,28,33,40,50,57 lines
EGA - 17,25,29,35,43,50 lines
with UltraVision VGA - 25,36,50,60/63 lines
EGA - 25,34,43,60 lines
You can enter a letter code A-G, or [Enter] for your default value [which
can be changed with VINST]. Larger text is easy on the eyes; smaller text
can pack a whole page of text into one screen. To make this range of
sizes available (without UltraVision), the VDEOPT.DAT file must be in the
current or VDE directory (set with the SET command -- see DIRECTORIES).
SPLITTING FILES (AltS) - If you encounter a text file that is too large for
VDE to load and edit, you can divide it into manageable chunks with the
Split command. You will be prompted for the name of the file to split;
VDE will divide it in pieces whose names have a number added at the end of
the file name. Example: BIG.DOC will split into BIG1.DOC, BIG2.DOC, etc,
each of which you can edit separately. After 9, the numbers continue with
letters A..Z. (The original file also remains on disk.)
If necessary, the files can later be reassembled into one with the
DOS COPY command, for example: COPY BIG1.DOC+BIG2.DOC BIG.DOC.
TABS ([Tab],Shft[Tab]; ^OV,^OI,^ON; ^PI,Esc[Tab]) - There are two Tab modes,
Variable and Hard; ^OV toggles between them. In Hard Tab mode the Tab key
produces an actual ^I (ASCII TAB) character. Hard Tabs display at fixed
intervals [normally 8 columns; optionally 4 or 16].
In Variable Tab mode (the default for documents), the Tab key moves
to the next tab stop set. The cursor moves over any existing text; spaces
are added at the end of a line if needed.
Up to eight tab stops may be set with ^OI, or cleared with ^ON; the
defaults are in columns 6, 15, 35, and 55. [These can be changed.] Both
commands prompt for a column number, or you can press [Enter] for the
cursor column. The Set command ^OI also accepts two options, both of
which replace all previous tab settings:
@nn Set tabs every "nn" columns
#n1,n2,... Set tabs to columns "n1,n2,..."
You can simply clear all variable tabs by typing "@" or "#" alone.
The Shft[Tab] command tabs backwards (left to the previous stop),
useful for moving around in tables, etc.
You can always get a Hard Tab with ^PI, or a Variable Tab with
Esc[Tab], no matter which tab mode you are in.
TIME/DATE (AltT,AltD) - VDE can read the DOS system clock and insert the
current time and date in your file automatically. Just press AltT for the
Time, or AltD for the Date. The string will appear at the current cursor
location, as though you had typed it in yourself: for example,
1:21 PM [or 13:21 -- VINST selects the format]
January 15, 1988 [or 1/15/88, 15 January 1988, 15.1.88]
UNDELETING (^U) - The undelete function can be used to recover accidentally
deleted text or overstruck characters. The lost text will be replaced at
the current cursor location. ^U may be used repeatedly to undo a sequence
of deletions, recovering each character, word, or line in order. (Once
all deleted text is restored, ^U does nothing.)
Exception: block deletions cannot be recovered sequentially, they
must be undeleted immediately (before any other deletion occurs).
Undeletion can also be used as a sort of quick-and-dirty block move.
For example, if the cursor is at the start of a word, the commands ^T^F^U
(which of course can be assigned to a macro key) will swap that word with
the one following it. Similarly, ^Y^X^U will swap two lines.
UPPER/LOWER CASE (^^; ^K",^K',^K^) - ^^ (Ctrl-caret or 6) reverses the case
of the character at the cursor, if it was a letter, and moves to the next.
The ^K^ (^K-caret) command reverses all text in a marked block (see
BLOCK COMMANDS); ^K" makes all text in the block uppercase, ^K' lowercase.
WINDOWS (^OW; AltW,AltF; ^[PgUp,PgDn]) - VDE can split the screen into two
windows, showing either two parts of the same file or two different files.
In either case, AltF moves the cursor back and forth between the two
windows. ^[PgUp] and ^[PgDn] scroll BOTH windows in synchronization.
^OW is used in a SINGLE file; it creates a window in the bottom half
of the screen, duplicating the current file text. You can move to a
different place in the file within this window, and continue editing, with
the original text still in view in the top window. (Note: any
modifications made to the file will not be reflected in the inactive
window until you return to it.) Type ^OW again to undo windowing.
AltW splits the screen Window between two DIFFERENT files being
edited, showing you both at once. Type AltW again to undo.
================================ 4. MACROS =================================
FUNCTION KEYS ([F1]...[F12]) - Up to 48 macros can be assigned to function
keys; they can then be recalled and used with one keystroke. Each IBM
function key can be used alone or with Shift, Ctrl, or Alt, to produce:
[F1]...[F10] = F01...F10 in VDE notation
Shift-[F1]...[F10] = F11...F20
Ctrl-[F1]...[F10] = F21...F30
Alt-[F1]...[F10] = F31...F40
And, if you have an Enhanced (101-key) AT keyboard, also:
[F11],[F12] = F41,F42 Ctrl-[F11],[F12] = F45,F46
Shift-[F11],[F12] = F43,F44 Alt-[F11],[F12] = F47,F48
VDE comes with [F1] set as a "Help" key (^J), but this can be changed.
Otherwise, function keys are defined (with the Esc[ or Esc] command,
or with VINST) and used exactly like macro keys. See MACRO KEYS.
KEY DEFINITION FILES (AltU) - These files save sets of macro key or function
key definitions, and should be given file types of ".VDK" and ".VDF",
respectively. You can load any key file, along with your text file(s) to
edit, from the command line (see SYNTAX).
AltU can be used while editing: it will ask whether you want to
"L"oad or "S"ave such a file, then prompt for the name of the file. The
filetype MUST be ".VDK" or ".VDF", and will determine whether MACRO or
FUNCTION keys are affected. If you load such a file, those definitions
will replace any previous ones. If you save, the current definitions will
be written to the file. [Key files can also be created or installed as
defaults in your copy of VDE, using VINST.]
MACRO DEFINITION AND USE (Esc[,Esc]) - To DEFINE a macro, type Esc[. You
will be asked for the macro definition; then, whether to Use or Store it.
(On storing, see MACRO and FUNCTION KEYS.) You may want to plan the macro
first with pen and paper. If you Use the macro, you need to decide
whether you want it to repeat (and if so how many times), and whether you
want to watch it happen or not.
VDE asks "Make Quiet, No-repeat, Both?" Reply "Q" for
Quiet (fast) operation, or press [Enter] for visible (slower)
execution. (The "N" option is intended for storing keys,
but can also be typed here to skip the next question.)
VDE asks "Repeat count?" Type the number of times to
execute (0-254), or just [Enter] for 1; or "*" to repeat
indefinitely.
Normally, you can see the results as the macro executes, and you can
abort it at any time by pressing [Esc]. If you choose to speed up macro
execution by specifying "Q"uiet mode, only the header will be updated as
the macro runs. (Don't do this if the macro concludes by requesting user
input -- the necessary prompts would not display!)
Macros will stop if an error occurs; the error message will be
visible, and can be cleared by pressing Esc. Many commands (like Find or
Reformat) are designed to generate errors at the end of the file so that
an indefinite ("*") macro containing them will halt there. Other indef-
inite macros may need to be aborted manually. (Exception: Esc$ can change
error handling. See MACRO PROGRAMMING.)
Once defined, a macro can be re-used with the Esc] command, which
again gives you the options to Use or Store the previously defined macro.
EXAMPLES: Note -- for clarity, macro examples will be given here as
they function, not as they are typed in; remember that you will need to
add ^P prefixes for certain control keys ([BkSp] (^H), [Enter] (^M), ^J, ^X,
^U, ^P). Keystrokes are often separated by spaces for clarity; the "_"
symbol is used to represent an actual space character typed.
1. Reformat an entire file: after Esc[, just enter
^B
Specify Quiet and indefinite repeat as options ("Q,*").
2. View a file by scrolling slowly through it:
Esc; ^Z (or ^C)
This pauses, then scrolls down. (Again, repeat with "*".)
3. Macros are quite powerful. Can you figure out what
this one does, if entered with indefinite repeat "*"?
^QR ^QF(^J ^G ^KB ^QF)^J ^G ^KK ^QC [Enter] ^KV
(It takes all phrases in parentheses out of a file, making
a list of them at the end of the file.)
TECHNICAL NOTE: Ordinarily macros are completely self-contained, and
NEVER request input from the keyboard while executing. There is one
exception: using AltR to run a program from a macro is tricky. Input
while in the program or shell must be typed by you. (VDE resumes control
only when the program ends.)
MACRO KEYS (Esc0...Z) - Both the Esc[ and Esc] commands also give the option
of Storing the macro definition to a key. Up to 36 of these can be stored
on keys 0...9,A...Z; they can then be called up with two key-strokes. (48
more can be stored on IBM function keys; see FUNCTION KEYS.) Example: if
stored to key 3, a macro can be reused simply by typing Esc3.
VDE asks "Make Quiet, No-repeat, Both?" Reply "Q" for a
key that executes in Quiet (fast) mode; "N" for a key that
runs once, without asking for a repeat count; or "B" for
both of these. Press [Enter] instead for a key that executes
just like the "use macro" option, visibly, asking for a
repeat count first.
VDE asks "Store to key?" Press the desired key: a
number 0...9 or letter A...Z for a Macro key (Esc0...Z), or
a Function key like [F3], Alt[F9], etc.
Again, don't choose "Q"uiet for a key that will request input from you.
There is a total of about 974 bytes available for all 36 keys, and a
128 byte limit for any one key. (VDE's own input line is of limited
width, but VINST can handle up to the full 128.) Trying to use an
undefined key results in an error. You can delete a key definition by
entering an empty macro string (Esc[, [Enter]) and storing it to the key.
Keys defined with Esc[ or ] last only during the current editing
session (VDE.COM itself is not modified). [VINST lets you install
definitions permanently; see DEFAULT MACRO KEYS.]
EXAMPLES: Keys are useful for storing a frequently repeated phrase;
"EscW" is much more convenient than "World Wide Widgets Ltd. (N.A.)". You
might also use several for sets of margins, like: ^OL 5 [Enter] ^OR 60
[Enter]. A key defined as ^QR ^N AltD ^OF would place the current date at
the top right of a letter. Many VDE users set up a macro key to produce a
personalized letterhead: for example, the macro
^N John Doe ^OC ^N 123 Main St ^OC ^N City, State ^OC
will insert that three-line address, neatly centered. You can add print
effects (bold, italic) to suit your taste. For a solid line separating
this from the body of the letter, try adding
^N ^PS ^OF ^E ^V ^PS ^V ^X
Macro keys can be used to create powerful new commands, for example:
^D ^A ^KB ^F ^KK will mark the current word as a block. And, similarly,
^QS ^KB ^X ^KK will mark the current line as a block.
Macro keys can also effectively change the way VDE commands behave.
For example, the Cut (AltC) command does not remove the cut text from the
file; but if you wish it did, you can set up a command that does: just
define EscC as a macro key consisting of AltC, ^KY.
MACRO PROGRAMMING (^F Esc; Esc0..Z Esc! Esc=,~ Esc$ Esc() Esc+,- Esc&) - VDE
has several commands that operate only within a macro definition, and give
you conditional control over the execution of a macro, allowing real
programming.
^F, entered as part of an input string, will be replaced by the
current filename when the macro executes. This can be useful to refer to
the current file when running compilers and file utilities. Thus, if you
define the macro
AltR compile ^PF /g /r1 [Enter],
the ^F embedded in the string will be expanded, so that the DOS command
executed by AltR will actually be something like
compile C:\PGM\MYPROG.C /g /r1.
Esc; (Esc-semicolon) gives a brief pause before macro execution
continues, presumably so the user can see what's happening on screen. Use
two or more to get a longer pause.
Esc0...Z, when placed IN a macro, function simply as local "labels"
0...Z. They have no effect, but can be "jumped" to by other commands.
Esc! followed by 0...Z is a "jump" instruction, causing macro
execution to resume with the command following that label. Example: Esc!2
jumps to label 2. As two special cases, Esc![ jumps to the beginning of
the macro, and Esc!] jumps to the end (exits).
Esc= and Esc~ perform tests on the character at the current cursor
position. There are two ways to use them:
(1) Followed by a character, then a label 0...Z (or
"[","]" for start or end), they are conditional jumps: they
jump IF the character does (or for "~", does NOT) match the
one specified. Example: Esc~^M2 jumps to label 2 if the
current character is NOT a CR.
(2) Followed by a character, then ">" or "<", they are
search loops. They will continue to move the cursor right
(or for "<", left) as long as the character at the cursor
does (or for "~", doesn't) match, or until the beginning or
end of the file. Example: Esc=_> moves right as long as the
current character is a space (so it stops on a NONspace).
If you program an endless loop, you will at some point have to abort
by pressing Esc.
Normally, a macro aborts when an error occurs. With Esc$ you can
instead specify a label where execution should continue. Thus, after the
command Esc$E, any command resulting in an error (like "not found") will
cause a jump to label E, ignoring the error.
Several commands allow the use of a counter variable. Esc() sets the
value: for example, Esc(0) initializes it to zero. The Esc+ command
simply increments the value; Esc-(minus) decrements the value, then jumps
if it is zero to a specified label. (In addition to a number, you may use
"[" or "]" for the start or end, or "@" to avoid jumping entirely.)
Example: Esc-] decrements the counter, jumping to the end (exiting) if it
reaches zero; Esc+@ simply increments it.
Esc&, followed by 0...Z, is used to "chain" to another macro key. In
this way you can build up strings longer than the 128-byte limit on any
one key. This is a "jump", not a "call"; there is no returning. Example:
Esc&M causes key M to execute. (You cannot chain to function keys.)
Don't make macro programs Quiet until you're sure they work.
EXAMPLES: 1. Here is a good macro program (best stored as a Quiet
key) to move the cursor to the start of the current sentence:
Esc~.1 ^S Esc1 Esc~.< ^D Esc=_2 Esc=^M2 ^S^S Esc!1
Esc2 ^D Esc=_2 Esc=^M2
You could explain this in programmer's pseudo-code as:
If not "." goto label1 ;move left if already on period
Move left
label1: While not "." move left ;move left to previous period
Move right ;move right to following character
If " " or ^M goto label2
Move left twice ;skip over a period if it's not
Goto label1 ; followed by a space or return
label2: Move right ;okay, now move right as long
If " " or ^M goto label2 ; as you see a space or return
(all done)
2. A macro to move to the start of the current paragraph:
^QS ^S^S Esc=_[ ^D^D
3. If you have some text that you can't reformat because every line
ends in HARD CRs, here is a macro that will "soften up" one paragraph's
worth, leaving just one HARD CR at the end:
^QS ^X Esc=_] Esc=^M] ^S ^V_^V ^D Esc![
4. A macro to match parentheses. Many programming languages use
nested sets of parentheses, for example "{}" in C. This program, when the
cursor is placed on an open bracket "{", will move ahead to find the
closed bracket "}" that matches it:
Esc~{] Esc(0) Esc1 Esc~{2 Esc+ Esc!3
Esc2 Esc~}3 Esc-]
Esc3 ^D Esc!1
TOGGLE CONTROL (Esc*) - "Toggle" commands can create difficulties when used
in macro and function keys: ^V, for example, toggles insert mode. But
when you plan a macro key, you don't necessarily know how Insert will be
set when the key is used! So if you use ^V in the macro, you don't know
whether you just turned it off or on; you might be overstriking or
inserting, and can't tell.
The Esc* command provides a solution, by letting you specify exactly
what state you want for each toggle. Esc* must be followed by a LETTER to
identify a toggle, UPPERcase to turn it ON or LOWERcase to turn it off.
(Insert and Justify each have a third state, as well.) For example, Esc*i
will set INSERT OFF, regardless of its previous state. The toggles are:
Autoindent (^OA) 'a'=off 'A'=on
Doublespace (^OS) 'd'=off 'D'=on
auto Format (^OM) 'f'=off 'F'=on
Hyphenation (^OH) 'h'=off 'H'=on
Insert (^V) 'i'=off 'I'=on 'W'=word
Justification (^OJ) 'j'=off 'J'=on 'R'=remove
Proportional (^OK) 'p'=off 'P'=on
Varitab (^OV) 'v'=off 'V'=on
Once you've used one of these you can revert to the usual commands (like
^V), if you prefer, because you WILL now know the toggle setting.
NOTE: Previous versions of VDE handled this problem
for Insert mode (alone) by turning insert OFF automatically
before running any macro. This is no longer the case.
RECORDING MACROS (Esc") - As an alternative to composing macros and using the
Esc[ command to type them in, you can simply record a macro as you go
about a task. Press Esc" to activate recording; type away; then press
Esc" again to conclude. You will then be asked whether to use or store
it, etc (see MACROS). No confusing ^P prefixes are needed, and you can
take advantage of the full 128-key macro length. While recording, a quote
mark (") will be visible in the upper right (prefix) area of the header,
if the header is displayed.
Note: Function and macro key commands themselves will not work while
macro recording is in progress.
====================================[end]=====================================
