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1993-01-30
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Programmer's File Editor
Third Beta Release
ABSTRACT
--------
This is the third beta release of Programmer's File Editor, a programming-
oriented editor for Windows 3.1 and Windows/NT. It can be used at no charge
by any private individual or non-commercial organisation, and can be freely
distributed, provided that no charge is levied other than to cover reasonable
handling costs.
It is termed a 'beta release' only to indicate that not all the planned
features and facilities have yet been implemented, and that user feedback can
play a large part in shaping the final product. The code is fully functional,
and PFE is widely used by many people all over the world.
PFE includes the following features:
- The size of file it can handle is limited only by the total amount of
virtual memory available
- Essentially no limit on the number of lines a file can contain
- It can edit multiple files, the number being limited only by the
available system resources
- Files can be edited in multiple windows simultaneously
- Can read and write files in UNIX format using LF as line terminator, with
automatic format detection
- Most-recently-used list of files allows easy selection between sessions
- Line numbers can be shown in any edit window if required
- Any installed fixed-pitch screen font, including TrueType, can be used in
edit windows
- The most frequent operations can be performed from buttons on a tear-off
toolbar with active buttons
- Active status bar reports settings and allows easy alteration of common ones
- Text can be copied and moved by dragging and dropping
- Tabs can be inserted as TAB characters or spaces
- DOS commands, such as compilers, can be run with the output captured
in an edit window
- An application being developed can be quickly launched from a configurable
dialog
- Commonly-used text can be inserted in a simple operation from template
libraries
- Keys can be mapped to functions as required; two-key operation similar
to MicroEMACS is supported, but with a wider choice of prefix keys
- Multiple sets of key mappings can be stored, and selected as required from
a dialog or from the command line
- Commonly-used program development tools can be configured into a list
and started simply from a dialog
- Files can be printed either in total, by line range, or selected text only
- Automatic line indenting and removal of trailing spaces
- Automatic configuration of edit options depending on file type
- Automatic configuration of tab sizes depending on file type
- Automatic brace alignment when editing C source
- Text indent/undent operations
- Optional automatic text wrapping at configurable margin
- Can mail files to MAPI-compliant mailers like Microsoft Mail 3.0
- User-configurable help menu
- Allows Windows to be closed down and DOS to be rebooted from the system menu
- Uses standard MDI methods to be fully compatible with other Windows apps
- All operations are CUA compliant
- Windows can be tiled vertically to maximize width
- Windows/NT 32-bit executable version
Additionally, the editor can be controlled by another application across a
DDE client-server link.
NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR
---------------------
This beta version of PFE represents the third release to be made generally
available. PFE has been under development since October 1991, and on beta
release since July 1992. It's now heavily used by many people all over the
world; this third beta version has fixed many of the reported bugs and
incorporated many of the splendid suggestions sent in by them.
At this beta release not all the features planned are implemented. The change
log included in the distribution set gives a history of how PFE has changed
in the course of development, and lists most of the features that should be
complete for the full release. It also gives details of the known bugs that
still await fixing.
My original plans to have only three beta releases, and to have version 1
complete by the end of 1992 have proved hopelessly optimistic. There has been
much greater interest in PFE than I had ever anticipated: happily, I have
received far more excellent ideas, and (unhappily) far more bug reports than
I planned for. So the beta program will continue for some time yet, and
version 1 will probably not be finished until Q3 of 1993 (or even later!).
However, when it finally does appear, it will include the shared thoughts and
suggestions of very many real users. It should also be thoroughly battle-
tested and reliable!
I would very much appreciate hearing from you if you use PFE and find problems,
or if you can think of ways it could be improved - and even (or is that
'especially'?) if you just think it's great. Even if the facility you would
like to see appears to be of interest only to you, tell me about it - you'd be
surprised how many ideas in that class have a much wider appeal. I'll try to
fix every reported bug for version 1, but I can't promise to include every
suggested improvement. However, every idea goes into the wish list, and there's
always version 2, or 3, or....
You can contact me by e-mail at
alan@uk.ac.lancaster if you're on the UK JANET network
alan@lancaster.ac.uk if you're on the Internet
I will try to reply to all the mail I receive.
WHERE TO GET PFE
----------------
I post releases of PFE to three main archive sites:
- For the UK Higher Education sector, it's available in the HENSA/micros
archive on the uk.ac.hensa.micros system in the micros/ibmpc/win/b/b085
directory
- On the Internet, I place copies on two archives:
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil in directory pd:<msdos.windows3>
ftp.cica.indiana.edu in directory /pub/pc/win3/uploads initially;
then in /pub/pc/win3/programr
Currently, files take a very long time to move from the /pub/pc/win3/uploads
directory on CICA, so look there, and in any sub-directories of it, first
[At the time of writing, CICA is not accepting new uploads. If and when
they start to take new material again, I will upload this version of PFE]
On Usenet, I post an announcement of each release to the
comp.os.ms-windows.announce group, and send the distribution set to the
moderator of the comp.binaries.ms-windows group for posting.
Though I do not place it there myself, a copy should be available from
CompuServe in the "General Apps/Info" library of the WINADV forum within a few
days of each release.
If you have a favourite BBS or archive that does not yet have a copy, I would
very much appreciate your posting a copy there too.
CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS RELEASES
------------------------------
The file changes.txt that comes in the release set gives you a complete summary
of the changes made in PFE (as well as a list of what is planned, and of bugs
that remain unfixed). It's well worth looking at this file to see what new
features have been added.
Some alterations from the last release may affect the way you work:
- Key map files saved with earlier versions will not work with this one; you
will need to delete them and re-establish your key mappings
- As part of the re-organisation of the help file and the help menu, the menu
item Help|Windows_SDK has been removed. PFE now lets you add up to 5 help
files of your choice to the menu; consult the help file Commands section
under "Help Menu" for full details of how to add this customisation
- Find and Replace operations now use the common dialogs, which remain on the
screen until dismissed
NOTES ON THE WINDOWS/NT VERSION
-------------------------------
PFE32.EXE is a 32-bit i386 executable for running under the October 1992 beta
version of the Windows/NT Operating System.
*******************************************************************************
** IT IS AN ALPHA BUILD, AND HAS BEEN VERY LITTLE TESTED: PLEASE USE IT WITH **
** EXTREME CAUTION **
*******************************************************************************
Not all the functionality of the Windows/16 version is currently available
under Windows/NT:
- It is not possible to run DOS commands with output capture
- It may not be possible to select printer fonts - see below
- Setting screen fonts will probably require the "fix-font-bug=1" flag in the
[options] section of the initialisation file: see the help file for details
under the section on the "Options Screen Font Other" command and also see
below
The Windows/NT version has been used only on FAT-based file systems. IT IS
UNLIKELY THAT IT WILL WORK CORRECTLY ON HPFS AND NTFS FILE SYSTEMS; there is
still considerable porting work to be done in this area.
The Windows/NT version will look in your Windows/NT directory (normally c:\winnt)
for its initialisation file pfe.ini and default keymap file pfe.key. The same file
format is used, so you can safely copy your Windows 3 files there. PFE32 has
not been tested with its initialisation file mapped to the registry.
The help file is common to the Windows/16 and Windows/NT versions.
Font Selection
--------------
Despite using the 'fix-font-bug=1' option described above, you may still not be
able to select fonts for the screen or printer: this is due to what seems to be
a fault in the Windows/NT font manager that does not mark fixed-pitch fonts
correctly. If you can't select fonts from the dialogs, you will need to
configure them manually in the pfe.ini file in the Windows/NT directory.
To set the screen font, insert a line like this in the [general] section:
default-screen-font=Courier New,8,400,0
^ ^ ^
| | |
| | +--- 400=normal weight, 700=bold
| +--- size in points
+--- face name
Make sure that the font name you give is for a fixed pitch font; PFE will not
work correctly if it isn't.
To set a printer font, insert in the [printer-settings] section a line like
this for every printer you use:
HP Deskjet=0,Courier New,6,400,0,0,0,0,0,0
^ ^ ^ ^
| | | |
| | | +--- 400=normal weight, 700=bold
| | +--- size in points
| +--- face name
+------- printer name
Make sure that the font name you give is for a fixed pitch font; PFE will not
work correctly if it isn't.
--
Alan Phillips
February 1 1993