name

Section: Misc. Reference Manual Pages (l)
Updated: 2 July 1992
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NAME

Easy-edit - Split-window editor with Help window

SYNOPSIS

easy-edit [ -e ][ -z ] file or

ee [ -e ][ -z ] file

DESCRIPTION

Easy-edit, or "ee", is a simple editor designed to be usable by persons with no experience who need to do quick editing for mail or other needs and do not wish to invest the time needed to learn traditional Unix editors. Ee splits the terminal screen into two windows, and editing window and a HELP window which lists editing commands. Thus all the reference information needed for editing is always available online, meaning that a complete novice should be able to invoke ee and begin editing immediately.

Using Easy-edit can be as simple as invoking it with a filename, typing in text (line-wraps are automatically inserted), and saving it with an ESC S command. More complex editing functions are performed with either control-keys (the control key pressed simultaneously with another key), or escape sequences (the ESC key followed by another key).

Once familiar with the editing commands, the ee user may switch to a more concise HELP window listing with the ESC V commands, or invoke ee with the -e option (ee -e filename) to get the concise help listing at the outset. The -z option allows ee to be started with no help window; the HELP window may still be restored with the ESC H command, however. A full-text manual may also be displayed. There are commands to shrink or eliminate the HELP window for experienced users who wish to have a larger editing display (the HELP window can always be restored with an ESC H).

Easy-edit is a major mode of GNU Emacs.

EXAMPLES

To edit the file "newfile":

ee newfile

To edit the file "oldfile", with the advanced HELP window listing:

ee -e oldfile

FILES

easy-edit: - The script which calls GNU emacs and loads the easy-edit configuration.
HELP-WINDOW: - The standard HELP window display
HELP-WINDOW-ADVANCED: - The advanced HELP display
HELP-MANUAL: - the manual display
easyedit.el: - The emacs lisp program which puts emacs in easy-edit mode.

WARNINGS

If for some reason the the easy-edit.el file cannot be loaded, or if there is a bug in this file, the user can be left in regular emacs with no indication as to how to exit, or even with the regular emacs keys unbound but the easy-edit keys not yet bound (and thus no way to exit). Usually in this case a ^Z will still suspend ee/emacs, allowing the process to then be killed.

AUTHOR

        Larry Broda
        Department of Psychology
        University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
        Champaign, Il

        GNU Emacs was written by
        primarily by Richard Stallman,
        Free Software Foundation
        675 Massachusetts Ave.
        Cambridge,  MA  02139

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