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VDE122.DOC ---------- Instructions for Video Display Editor: MSDOS Version VDE 1.22 (08/88) (c)1988, E. Meyer ============================================================================== VDE is a small, fast, powerful text editor offering: * dual file editing * block operations * subdirectory support * wordwrap and reformat * find and replace * full DOS utilities * margins, tabs, spacing * undelete functions * WordStar compatibility * many print features * macro programs * configurable options VDE is versatile: its pure ASCII mode and definable macros make it an ideal programmer's editor; its full formatting and printing features also make it an efficient word processor. VDE is fast: it is written in 8086 assembler; on IBM PCs, it writes directly to video RAM; it operates entirely in memory, with no disk access during editing. Speed is a factor that more cumbersome ("full-featured?") programs overlook. Example: finding a string near the end of a 60K nondocument file takes WordStar 4 about 20 seconds [8 MHz 8088]; VDE does it in half a second. This is like moving through air instead of molasses: you will find that you can do more of your work on screen, and less on paper. VDE is small: about 30k, with no additional files. It can be configured not to make backup files. It can work with as little as 128K RAM. This is ideal for portable computers with limited space. VDE requires MS/PCDOS version 2.x or higher, and a minimum of 128K RAM. It can be installed for either an IBM PC compatible, or a generic computer with an ANSI.SYS driver. It has many user configurable options. [See VINSTALL.DOC for details. Comments below in brackets "[]" point out various uses of VINSTALL.] There is also a Z80 CP/M version of VDE, for those who have a use for it. Primary distribution points for VDE, as of January 1988, are: (1) Glendale Littera QBBS (818)956-6164 (MSDOS and CP/M) (2) CompuServe SIG DL areas IBMSW (MSDOS) and CPMSIG (CP/M). The most recent release can always be found on these systems. =============================== USAGE POLICY =============================== **************************************************************** ***** The VDE editor and its documentation are ***** ***** (c)1988 E. Meyer, all rights reserved. ***** ***** They may not be circulated in any incomplete or ***** ***** modified form, nor sold for profit, without ***** ***** written permission of the author. ***** **************************************************************** No fee is required for the use, copying, or nonprofit distribution of VDE. Please do not request updates or manuals from the author. DISCLAIMER: You undertake to use VDE at your own risk. The author accepts no liability for any damages resulting from its use or misuse. Problem reports and suggestions are appreciated; include a self-addressed stamped return envelope for a reply if desired. Eric Meyer 401 12th Ave SE, #139 Norman, OK 73071 USA CompuServe [74415,1305] GEmail ERMEYER ================================ CONTENTS ================================== 1. INTRODUCTION: Using this manual; Installation; Command line syntax, examples; The VDE command set. 2. COMMAND SUMMARY: a complete brief listing of all commands: Ctrl, Esc, Alt, ^K (Block), ^Q (Quick), ^O (Onscreen). 3. BASIC COMMANDS, alphabetically by category: Deleting, File commands, Find/replace, Header, Information, Insert mode, Line spacing, Margins, Moving around, Place markers, Ruler line, Tabs, Time/date, Undelete, Upper/lowercase, Window/screen, Wordwrap/reformat. 4. ADVANCED COMMANDS, alphabetically by category: Auto indent, Block commands, Disk operations, Dual files, Graphics, Hyphenation, Pagination, Printer codes, Printing, Run command/shell, Splitting files. 5. MACRO AND FUNCTION KEYS: Explanation, with examples: Function keys, Macros, Macro keys, Macro programming. 6. GENERAL INFORMATION, alphabetically by category: Directories, Disk space, Error messages, File modes, IBM keyboard, Memory, Prompts, Wordstar compatibility. 7. VDE development history. ============================= 1. INTRODUCTION ============================== If you want to get a quick start with VDE, and are already familiar with the WordStar command set, you should be able to wade right in and edit files. But at some point you should read the whole manual through, to make sure you're not missing anything. (Many things are explained only once.) Hint: If you need more on-line help than the menus (^J) provide while learning to use VDE, it's an excellent idea to load VDE.DOC as a second file (Alt-F) while you work. Then just switch to it and search (^QF) for the help you need! If you have trouble with margins, try... Find string: /i/margin TO INSTALL VDE, use the VINSTALL configuration program; see the accompanying file VINST.DOC. Most of the installation consists of options; you will discover how you want everything set in the course of using VDE, so don't worry about going through all of it at first. The one important thing is the computer installation: you must specify whether you have a fully IBM compatible PC. An uninstalled copy of VDE will ask you this question each time you run it; once you've used VINSTALL, this ceases. TO RUN VDE, you can just type "VDE"; or, you may specify a filename; or two filenames, separated by a comma. Any filename may include a DOS subdir- ectory, and/or be followed by a mode option. SYNTAX: A>vde {filename} {/m} {, filename2 {/m}} "{}" = optional EXAMPLES: A>vde A>vde myfile,myfile.bak A>vde my.doc/w A>vde prog.doc/a, prog.asm/n A>vde b:work\prog.asm n "filename" - file to edit. Drive and directory may be specified. If no name is given, you begin an new (untitled) file. If two names are given, they must have a comma between them. "/m" or " m" - optional choice of file modes: "m" can be "W"ordstar document, "A"SCII document, or "N"ondocument. Normally defaults to "A". Must be separated from filename by a space and/or a slash. VDE can edit different types of files (see FILE MODES): nondocuments, such as program source code, or documents with formatted text. Further, for documents you can choose either pure ASCII or WordStar compatible format. If an existing file is too large to edit with VDE, divide it up (see SPLITTING FILES). VDE gives you a certain amount of information at the top of the screen (for details see HEADER, RULER). If you type ^J (or Esc-H), you can get a series of help menus for the various VDE commands. The menus, like all command prompts and error messages, appear temporarily in the top portion of the screen; press Esc or Space to remove them. The VDE command set uses simple one- or two-key combinations, easily found by the touch typist without distraction. Most commands are the same as in WordStar, the single most widely used word processor; if you have questions that this file can't answer, a WordStar manual may be a useful reference. But VDE is its own program, not a WordStar "clone"; there are significant differences. There is a set of Alt-key commands for VDE's additional functions, such as dual-file editing; and a set of Esc-key commands (and synonyms) that originated with the CP/M version of VDE. (Yes, VDE had macros long before WordStar 4's Shorthand.) =========================== 2. COMMAND SUMMARY ============================= Explanation of Keys: IBM PC special keys are indicated in [brackets]. "Esc" means the Escape key, [Esc]. "Alt-" indicates holding down the [Alt] key: "Alt-D" means [Alt]+D. The "^" character indicates holding down the [Ctrl] key: "^K" means [Ctrl]+K. Many commands require two-key sequences, eg ^QR = [Ctrl]+Q,R; whether you hold down [Ctrl] on the second key as well doesn't matter. The prefix (^Q) displays in the header, and can be canceled by pressing Esc or Space. Synonyms: If your keyboard lacks the IBM PC keys, synonyms are always available (eg, ^R for [PgUp]). If you have no [Alt] key, you can still access the Alt-commands with a double-Esc prefix: Esc,Esc,X = Alt-X. (CP/M VDE synonyms also allow use of the Esc- prefix in place of ^K-, of Esc-H for ^J, and of ^\ for ^L. This was because ^J,K,L were arrow keys on many CP/M computers.) I. CONTROL KEYS: single keystroke commands. ^J (Esc-H) = Display Help menu. CR [ENTER] = Carriage Return (^M). In documents, marks a paragraph end. BS [<--] = BackSpace (^H). [May also delete.] TAB = Hard Tab mode: Tab (^I). Variable Tab mode: move to next stop. Arrow keys: [^], [v], [>], [<] (IBM cursor keys). Or, WordStar: ^E up, ^X down, ^D right, ^S left. ^F or [^>] = move to start of next word right. ^A or [^<] = move to start of previous word (left). ^W or [-] = scroll back one line. ^Z or [+] = scroll forward one line. ^R or [PgUp] = scroll back one screen. ^C or [PgDn] = scroll forward one screen. [^PgUp] = scroll both files back (in split screen mode). [^PgDn] = scroll both files forward ("). ^G = delete character to the right of the cursor. [Del] = delete character to the left. [May instead delete right.] ^U = undelete a character. ^T = delete word to right of cursor. ^Y = delete current line. ^N = insert a carriage return (break line) at present position. ^V or [Ins] = toggle INSERT mode on and off. ^^ = toggle case (upper/lower) of character at cursor. ^P = insert following control code in text. Special cases: ^PH = overstrike; ^PI = hard tab; ^PL = page break (formfeed). ^B = reformat current paragraph. ^L (^\) = repeat find/replace (Repeats last ^QF or ^QA command.) II. FILE AND BLOCK COMMANDS: first hit ^K (or Esc), then the key shown. ^K I = display file/memory Information message. ^K F = list Files on disk. ^K E = Erase a disk file. ^K L = Load a new file to begin editing. ^K N = change the current file Name (affects Save, eXit). ^K S = Save the current file to disk, and continue editing. ^K D = Done. Save the file, then load a new one. ^K X = eXit. Save the file, then Quit to DOS. ^K Q = Quit to DOS, abandoning current file. ^K R = Read a disk file into text at cursor position. ^K P = Print the text (whole file or block). ^K B = mark the start of a Block. ^K K = mark the end of a block. ^K U = Unmark the block. ^K Y = Delete the marked block. ^K C = Copy the marked block at present cursor position. ^K V = moVe the text in the block to present position. ^K W = Write the marked block to a disk file. III. QUICK COMMANDS: first hit ^Q, then the key shown. ^Q S or ^Q[<] = go to start of line. ^Q D or ^Q[>] = go to end of line. ^Q E or [Home] = go to top of screen. ^Q X or [End] = go to bottom of screen. ^Q R or [^Home] = move to top of file. ^Q C or [^End] = move to end of file. ^Q B = move to block start marker. ^Q P = move to next place marker. ^Q I = move to specified page (document) or line (nondocument). ^Q F = find next occurrence of a string. ^Q A = find and replace a string. ^Q Y = delete from cursor to end of current line. ^Q [Del] = delete from cursor to beginning of current line. ^Q T = delete up to specified character. ^Q U = undelete a line. IV. ONSCREEN COMMANDS: first hit ^O, then the key shown. ^O E or ^O[^] = make current line top of screen. ^O R = set right margin (column 1 turns off wordwrap/formatting). ^O L = set left margin. ^O X = toggle Margin Release on/off. ^O C = center current line. ^O F = align current line flush with the right margin. ^O Q = toggle display of header. ^O T = toggle display of ruler line. ^O D = toggle display of hard CRs. ^O A = toggle Auto Indent on/off. ^O S = toggle Double Spacing on/off. ^O H = toggle hyphenation on/off. ^O V = toggle tab mode Hard/Variable. ^O I = set variable tab stop(s). ^O N = clear variable tab stop(s). ^O P = set page length (0 turns off pagination). ^O W = toggle single-file text windowing on/off. ^O Z = temporarily blank the entire screen. V. VDE ALT-KEY COMMANDS: press Alt and the key shown. (These commands also work with an Esc,Esc prefix instead) Alt-F = edit a second File simultaneously. Alt-W = split Window between two files. Alt-C = Copy a block from the second file. Alt-M = Match up the two files, showing differences. Alt-X = eXit (^KX) from both files. Alt-Q = Quit (^KQ) from both files. Alt-R = Run an MSDOS command (or SHELL). Alt-S = Split a huge file into pieces for editing. Alt-T = enter the current system Time in the file. Alt-D = enter the current system Date in the file. Alt-O = move through file with Overview bar. Alt-I = display VDE Information message. Alt-G = enter an IBM Graphics character into text. Alt-E = EGA screen mode. Toggles between 25 and 43/50 lines. Alt-A = ATI screen mode. Toggles between 80 and 132 columns. VI. VDE ESC-KEY COMMANDS: first hit Esc, then the key shown. Esc TAB = backwards (leftward) tab. Esc [<],[>] = shift screen horizontally 32 columns. Esc [^],[v] = shift screen vertically 1/4 screen. Esc M = execute a Macro string of commands. Esc # = store macro on numeric key for later recall. Esc 0..9 = use stored key. (In macro mode: jump label.) Esc !,=,~,+ = used in Macro programming (see MACROS). Esc ; = brief pause, during Macro execution only. ============================ 3. BASIC COMMANDS ============================= DELETING (^G,Del,^T,^Y; ^Q-Y,Del,T) - You can delete text one CHARACTER at a time: ^G deletes to the right of the cursor, and [Del] to the left. Note that the ordinary BS (^H) does not normally delete. [BS/DEL behavior can be changed with VINSTALL.] ^T deletes an entire WORD to the right (up to 255 characters). ^Y deletes the entire current LINE. ^QY deletes the part of the line to the right of the cursor; ^Q-Del deletes the part to the left. ^QT deletes UP TO the next occurrence of a specified character (up to 2048 characters). Example: "^QT." deletes to the end of the sentence. Special case: "^QT^M" deletes to the next HARD CR, the end of the paragraph. Accidentally deleted text can usually be recovered (see UNDELETE). FILE COMMANDS (^K-N,S,X,D,Q,L) - ^KN NAMES your work. This allows you to change the filename in the header before saving. (Accepts mode option; you can also specify a mode alone, eg "/W", to change the current mode.) ^KS SAVES your work: what's in memory is written to disk under the file name in the header. (You must have a file name; one will be requested if necessary.) If that file already existed, a backup (BAK) file may be preserved. If the file has not been modified, you will be prompted to confirm that you want to resave it anyway. There are several different commands for finishing up: ^KX saves your work and then EXITS to DOS. ^KQ just QUITS. If the file has been modified, you will be prompted to confirm that you want to abandon the changes. ^KD (DONE) saves your work, then loads a new file to edit. ^KL quits the current file and LOADS a new one to begin editing. FIND, REPLACE (^Q-F,A; ^L) - ^QF is the command to FIND a string. The search normally proceeds from the cursor position forward, and is case (upper/lower) sensitive. There are two options: "B" = search backwards; "I" = ignore case If used, the options must be enclosed in slashes (eg, "/bi/") before the search string. (If you want to search for a string beginning with a slash, use an (empty) option first.) In addition, a "_" [this can be reconfigured] functions as a wildcard: it will match any single character. Control codes, like ^M for newline, can be included (with the ^P prefix where needed). Examples: Find: ^MLABEL matches "LABEL" at start of line only; Find: 4__01 matches "42201", "47401", etc; Find: /i/wordstar matches "WORDSTAR", "WordStar" etc; Find: /ib/esc looks Backwards for "Esc", "esc", etc; Find: ///88 matches "/88". ^QA is the FIND/REPLACE command. It asks for a string to find, and what to change it to. (All options above apply to the search string only.) The cursor will be placed in succession on each occurrence of the string, starting at the cursor location [or, optionally, at the top of the file]. (You will see the prompt "Chg?" in the header.) To change it, press "Y"; anything else skips to the next. To change all further occurrences without being asked, press "*". Esc cancels at any time. (Note: if ^QA is used in a Macro, it will automatically assume "*" with no further input required.) ^L repeats the last ^QF or ^QA command. For ^QA, you will be asked whether you want to replace the found string. For both, direction and case options remain unchanged. HEADER (^OQ) - Normally VDE gives you a "header", or status line, at the top of the screen. If you like, you can toggle this display on and off with the ^OQ (Quiet) command. [It can also be suppressed by default.] Turning the header off lets you see more text, and can improve speed on slow terminals. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *C:VDE.DOC /A Pg 7 Ln 55 Cl 48 INS vt hy AI DS MR ^K_ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "*" = Dual file flag. If present, a second file is being edited. "C:VDE.DOC /A" = Current file name and mode. Any directory that was specified is the active default, although it does not display. "Pg 7, etc" = Current position in file by page (in document modes), line, column. If pagination (^OP) is off, you will see "Pg 0" (in "W,A" modes) or "OP" (in "N" mode). "INS" = Insert mode on. (^V) "vt" = Variable Tab mode on. (^OV) "hy" = Hyphenation enabled. (^OH) Doesn't display in "N" mode. "AI" = Auto Indent mode on. (^OA) "DS" = Double spacing. (^OS) "MR" = Margins released. (^OX) Doesn't display in "N" mode. "^K"... Key prefixes (and some prompts) display here. INFORMATION (^KI; Alt-I) - ^KI displays an Information message telling you: * whether (Y/N) the file has been changed since last saved; * a word count for documents (useful for professional writing); * the current size of the file in K (1K = 1024 bytes); * the number of bytes of text memory used and free; * the buffer size (used for block moves and disk I/O). For large files, all this may take a moment to calculate. Note that words are not counted in nondocuments. For further explanation, see MEMORY. Alt-I displays the VDE version, date, and usage policy. (An unin- stalled copy of VDE does this automatically on startup.) INSERT MODE (^V) - ^V toggles insertion on and off. If INSERT is OFF, any text to the right of the cursor is overwritten as you type. If INSERT is ON, what you type is inserted, and existing text moves to the right. LINE SPACING (^OS) - The ^OS command toggles between single and double line spacing. In double space mode, the following functions generate double carriage returns: CR (^M), Insert CR (^N), Reform (^B), Wordwrap. You can easily mix single and double spacing; the ^B command can convert between the two. Note: if you prefer to keep your actual file single spaced, you can still get a double-spaced printout by using the "D" option of the ^KP command (see PRINTING). MARGINS (^O-R,L,X,C,F) - ^OR sets the RIGHT margin, and enables wordwrap, reformatting, and centering. At the prompt "Column:" enter the column number (2-255), or just hit CR for the current cursor column. If the value entered conflicts with the current left margin, the left margin will be removed. There are two special values for the right margin: 1 = all formatting is disabled (as in "N"ondocument mode files). 0 = unlimited right margin: every paragraph becomes one line. ^OL sets the LEFT margin in an identical fashion; of course, the value must always be less than the current right margin, meaning it's best to set the right margin first. ^OX temporarily RELEASES the margins (resets them to 1), allowing you to type outside them. Use ^OX again to restore the margins. ^OC CENTERS the current line with respect to the margins, if set. ^OF sets the current line FLUSH right, if the right margin is set. See also RULER LINE. MOVING AROUND (Arrow keys; ^F,^A; ^Q-R,C,I; Alt-O) - VDE supports two sets of Arrow keys, which function interchangeably. The first is the actual IBM cursor keypad (the four arrow keys); the second is the WordStar "arrow key diamond" ^E,^X,^D,^S. These keys move the cursor up, down, right, and left respectively. Preceded by ^Q-, any arrow key moves more quickly: to the top or bottom of the screen, to the left or right end of the line. There are also two word movement commands: ^F moves right, to the start of the next word; ^A moves left, to the start of the last (or current) word. Both have a maximum movement of 255 characters. For quickly covering large distances, the commands ^QR and ^QC move all the way to the beginning and end of the file, respectively; ^QI moves directly to a given page (for documents) or line (for non-documents). Finally, the Alt-O command displays an "overview bar" at the top of the screen. Its extent shows the file size, and the current position is marked so you can see where you are in the file: C:MODERATE.FIL /A Pg 5 Ln 12 Cl 1 INS =========*================ You can move to any position in the file by moving the marker left or right, then hitting RETURN. (Press Esc instead to cancel.) If the file is too small, Alt-O does nothing. PLACE MARKERS (^PZ; ^QP) - You can set any number of temporary place markers in the text with ^PZ (they will appear as ^Z). The ^QP command moves the cursor to the next place marker in the file, cycling back to the top of the file if needed. (Place markers are NOT saved to disk.) 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: "[]" designate the current margins; "." indicates areas outside the current margins, "-" within them. Also, tab stops are marked by either "T" (Variable) or "I" (Hard). Examples: ("A" mode) [-----T-----T-----------T--------------]........ ("N" mode) I.......I.......I.......I.......I.......I....... TABS (TAB,Esc-TAB; ^O-V,I,N) - There are two Tab modes, Variable and Hard; the ^OV command toggles between them. In Hard Tab mode the Tab key produces an actual ^I (ASCII TAB); whether this overwrites any existing text depends on the INSERT toggle. Hard Tabs display by default at fixed intervals of 8 screen columns. [This is reconfigurable to 2, 4, 16, etc.] In Variable Tab mode, the Tab key moves the cursor to the next variable tab stop. Existing text is not overwritten; spaces are added at the end of a line as needed. Up to eight tab stops may be set with ^OI and cleared with ^ON; the defaults are in columns 5, 15, 35, and 55. [These are reconfigurable.] You can always get a Hard Tab by typing ^PI. The set/clear commands prompt for a column number, or you can hit RETURN for the cursor column. In addition, the Set command ^OI accepts two further options, both of which replace all earlier 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 Esc-TAB command is a backwards (left) tab, moving to the previous tab setting. This is useful for moving around in tables, etc. See also RULER LINE. TIME AND DATE (Alt-T,D) - If your MSDOS system maintains the system clock properly, VDE can read it and insert the current time and date in your file automatically. Just press Alt-T for the Time, or Alt-D 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 in 24-hour format] January 15, 1988 [or 15 January in European format] UNDELETE (^U, ^QU) - The undelete functions can be used (repeatedly if necessary) to recover a reasonable amount of text deleted either by overtyping, or with any of VDE's delete commands, IF the cursor has not yet been moved away. ^U undeletes one character; ^QU does a whole line. Restrictions: undelete only works with ^KY if the cursor was adjacent to the block deleted; and it may work imperfectly if leftward delete has been used several times in sequence. Further use after all deleted text is recovered will produce junk (usually duplicates of text above the cursor, which is sometimes useful). UPPER/LOWER CASE (^^) - The command ^^ (Ctrl-caret or Ctrl-6) changes the case of the character at the cursor, if it was a letter, and moves to the next. Useful for capitalizing a string of lowercase text, or vice versa. WINDOW AND SCREEN (^W,^Z; Esc-Arrows; ^O-E,W,Z; Alt-E,A) - VDE provides a number of commands to move and alter the display. The ^W and ^Z commands scroll the screen up and down a line at a time, without moving the cursor (unless necessary). Preceded by Esc-, any arrow key shifts the SCREEN rather than the cursor: the text as a whole moves up/down 1/4 screen, or right/left 32 columns, while the cursor stays put. (The cursor must be past column 32 to allow horizontal shifts.) Preceded by ^O-, either UP arrow key (eg, ^OE) makes the current text line the top of the screen. The ^OW command creates a Window in the bottom half of the screen, which retains a copy of the file text starting at the current line; editing continues normally in the top half of the screen. This lets you keep a passage in view while you do something else. Typing ^OW again removes the Window. (Notes: you can tell an ^OW window from an Alt-W window by the fact that the separator line contains only the filename, no other header information.) The ^OZ command temporarily "zaps" (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 resident utilities) has messed up the screen: type ^OZ,Esc and VDE will completely restore it. (Note: on non-IBM computers, windows may not be restored.) The Alt-E command lets you see more lines of text on screen, if you have an enhanced graphics adapter. It toggles between normal 25-line mode and a compressed mode of 43 (EGA) or 50 (VGA) lines. This command has no effect on systems without EGA/VGA. [Note: compressed fonts can be hard to read. You can choose a thin or fat font with VINSTALL.] The Alt-A command works ONLY with the ATI EGA Wonder video card; do not use it otherwise. (Many Kaypro PCs come with this card.) This toggles between normal 80-column mode and ATI 132-column mode. It can be used alone, or in combination with Alt-E to provide a 43x132 screen. WORDWRAP, REFORMAT (^B, ^OD) - WORDWRAP is automatic in Document modes ("W,A") whenever the right margin is set. Any text entered will be formatted while you type, to the current margin settings. The end of a paragraph is marked by a "HARD CR", which occurs when you press the RETURN key. (This is a CR immediately following a character of text.) In contrast, when wordwrap occurs you get a "SOFT CR" (which is actually a CR with a space before it). You can change a hard CR into a soft one, or vice versa, by deleting or adding a space at the end of the line. Hitting RETURN also hardens a soft CR. The distinction between hard and soft CRs is only important when reformatting. ^B REFORMATS from the line the cursor is on, to the end of the para- graph, 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 margins and line spacing.) Indentation can be tricky if you have a left margin set: if the current line is indented relative to the next one, VDE assumes that amount as your paragraph indentation. ^OD toggles DISPLAY OF HARD CRs. Hard CRs, otherwise invisible, are normally displayed as a "<" character in Document files. Some may find this distracting, so it can be changed. ========================== 4. ADVANCED COMMANDS =========================== AUTO INDENT MODE (^OA) - The ^OA command sets Auto Indent mode, useful for typing outlines, structured program source code, and other text with a varying left margin. When you hit RETURN in Auto Indent mode, the cursor will advance to: Any existing indentation on the line (if INSERT is OFF); or, The same indentation as the previous line (if INSERT is ON). Thus, once you set the indentation level (with Space, BS, etc), VDE will automatically maintain it. (Auto indent is for non-documents. It does not affect wordwrap.) BLOCK COMMANDS (^K-B,K,U,Y,C,V,W,PB; ^QB) - A Block of text is delimited by two markers [normally ^@] which remain in memory until reset or deleted. ^KB marks the beginning of the block; ^KK marks the end. Markers are inserted in the text; the two markers are identical. (Obviously, the topmost one in the file is the start.) ^KU unmarks the block, removing any marker(s) set. (Block markers can also be deleted individually like ordinary characters.) Markers are automatically removed as appropriate when ^KB/K are used again. The Block operation commands all require a Block to be marked: ^KY deletes the block (including markers). ^KV moves the Block text to the present cursor location, deleting the original; ^KC simply copies it, leaving the original. Neither block nor place markers are transferred. The cursor must not be IN the block. ^KW writes the block text to a disk file; you will be asked for the filename (and optional mode). Normally this will overwrite any pre- 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 ^KPB (^KP with B option) prints the block text only. (See PRINTING for further details.) The ^QB command, from wherever you are in the file, moves the cursor to the Block start. DISK OPERATIONS (^K-R,F,E) - ^KR READS in the contents of a disk file, inserting the text after the current cursor position. You will be asked for the name (and, optionally, mode) of the file. ^KF lists disk FILES: you may specify a directory and/or filename mask, and the files will be listed. (The default is the directory specified with the current file, and all files *.*.) Files display in uppercase; directories in lowercase. If there is not enough room to fit all the items on the screen, you will see "..." at the end to indicate that there were still more. Press Esc or Space to continue. ^KE will ERASE a single disk file, if you need more room on the disk. (No wildcards allowed.) If you need more complex file utilities than the ^KF/E commands provide, you can run any DOS command with Alt-R. DUAL FILES (Alt-F,C,W,M,X,Q) - VDE allows you to edit two different files simultaneously, if you have enough memory. This can be done from the command line, by giving two filenames separated by a comma. Otherwise, to begin editing a second file, you press Alt-F. Note the flag "*" appearing in column 1 of the header, by the name: this means that a second edit is in progress. If you Quit or Exit (^KQ,^KX) from one file, you will be returned to the other one, rather than to DOS. You can switch back and forth at will between the two files by typing Alt-F again. Caution: avoid editing two files with the same name; this can get confusing and unsafe. If you want to edit two copies of the same file, use ^KN to change the name (to "COPY", maybe) before using Alt-F. The Alt-W command splits the screen Window between the two files; you can edit both at once, as usual moving between them with Alt-F. Type Alt- W again to restore fullscreen editing. When the window is split, a pair of special commands can scroll through BOTH files at once: [^PgUp] and [^PgDn]. (You can distinguish this split screen from a single-file (^OW) Window by the presence of full header information below.) The Alt-C command can be used to copy a marked block directly from the other file into the present one. The text appears at the cursor position just as with ^KC or ^KV. (You will be asked whether or not you want to delete the original block after it is copied.) The Alt-M command is used to Match up the two files: starting from the current cursor positions, VDE searches for any difference between the two files. (It's important to position the two cursors carefully first.) If any are found, VDE will split the screen, showing you the disagreeing passages side by side! If the files match completely, VDE will report "Not Found". The Alt-X command exits BOTH files, saving, like ^KX. The Alt-Q command quits BOTH files, like ^KQ. GRAPHICS (Alt-G) - You can enter an IBM graphic character into a VDE file with the Alt-G command. You will be presented with a menu of up to 32 characters (A-Z,1-6) to choose from; the default set contains some nice box parts and other useful things, and has some room free for other characters that might be loaded. [The default set can be modified using VINSTALL.] If you type "=", you can change a menu entry. Type the code (A-5) to change, then type the extended character directly using the numeric keypad. (Example: a Greek alpha is 224; press and hold Alt, type 2-2-4, release Alt.) You can also type "-" to clear the whole set, if you need room to load a file with other graphics. VDE is limited to this displayed set of 32 of the possible 127 characters (ASCII 80-FE) at a time. There is no way to enter a character outside of this set from the keyboard. If you load a file containing other graphics characters, VDE will automatically try to add them to the current set. CAUTION: If there is no room, they will be replaced by a grey blob (graphic #6)! If you wish to leave the graphics set completely empty, or clear them with Alt-G-"-", they will simply adapt as a file is loaded. Graphics are sent to the screen as extended ASCII codes 80-FE. If you don't have an IBM compatible PC, they may not be distinguishable from ordinary characters. They are stored in disk files directly as extended ASCII codes. (Exception: in "W" mode, IBM graphics in disk files are handled compatibly with WordStar 4.) Printing of graphics depends on whether your printer is installed as an IBM graphics printer [see VINSTALL]. If so, they will print directly. If not, VDE will "emulate" them, choosing standard ASCII character combinations that come as close as possible. This usually works really well, especially for all the foreign characters -- try it out! It is also possible for a file to contain graphics in the ASCII 00-1F range, but many of these codes are used by VDE for other purposes, and cannot be interpreted as graphics. If a code has no reserved use, and is not installed as a print toggle or switch, it will function as a graphic. HYPHENATION (^OH) - VDE can't introduce hyphens, but it does recognize them in the text, treating them as a legitimate place to break a line. (So if you have a long word close to the margin, you can insert a hyphen where you'd like the word to be broken.) Similarly, VDE can't unhyphenate. If it is trying to reformat and finds a hyphen at the end of a line, it will pause to ask you what to do with it. You will see the prompt "Chg?" in the header, and can: Press "Y" to remove the hyphen and space, joining the word; "N" to leave the hyphen but still join the word; "Esc" to leave both the hyphen and space alone. Typically you would choose "Y" for "soft" hyphens that you introduced to break up a word ("intro-duction"); "N" for hard hyphens that are part of a word ("vis-a-vis"); and "Esc" for punctuation (dashes -- etc). After your choice, reformatting will proceed automatically. You can toggle hyphenation on and off with ^OH. If off, hyphens are not treated differently from any other text character. [The ^OH default can be changed with VINSTALL.] PAGINATION (^OP; ^PL) - The ^OP command sets the page length. Enter a value from 0 to 255, or just hit CR to restore the default value. [Normally 56.] When the value is nonzero, it determines the page and line shown in the document header ("Pg xx Ln xx"), and all page functions in the Print routine (pagination, headers, start/stop at page) are enabled. A formfeed will be sent after printing. (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 "Pg 0 Ln xxxx", showing you the absolute line number in the file. Also, 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, can print out multiple copies of index cards, labels, etc.) The ^PL command embeds a formfeed (^L) in the text. This code functions as a page break: you can type ^PL at the start of a line to begin a new page. In document ("A,W") file modes, this will be reflected in the header page/line count, use of ^QI and other page-related commands, etc; it does not affect line count in "N"on-documents, or when pagination is off (^OP 0). Moving around in a large file is a little quicker in "N" mode, or with pagination off (^OP 0), as pagebreaks don't need to be recalculated. This file (VDE.DOC) now contains several formfeeds, as an example. PRINTER CODES (^P) - Control codes for special effects in printing can be entered in the text with the ^P prefix. Thus pressing ^P^H (or ^PH) embeds a ^H, etc. Several standard codes are: ^H - backspace - overstrike previous character ^I - hard (ASCII) tab - printers respond variously to this ^L - formfeed (page break) (The Block marker, normally ^@, cannot be embedded; and ^Z is reserved for use as a place marker.) Control codes display on screen as capital letters, highlighted if possible. VDE assumes they are not characters, so they are not counted when reformatting text. You can only embed standard ASCII codes 00-1F with ^P. If the code has no reserved use, and is not installed as a print toggle or switch, it will display as a graphic character on an IBM compatible PC. IBM extended graphics characters (ASCII 80-FF) must be entered with Alt-G. How they print out depends on whether your printer is installed for IBM graphics. [See VINSTALL.] For greater convenience, you can also arrange to have a single ^P- code produce an entire string of bytes for commonly used effects. VDE supports a subset of WordStar's printer installation, up to 12 definable codes: six toggles, six switches. The Printer Installation in VINSTALL allows you to install the actual control sequences your printer needs. The conventional WordStar assignments are: Toggles: ^B boldface Switches: ^Q (user 1) ^D doublestrike ^W (user 2) ^S underline ^E (user 3) ^Y ribbon/italic ^R (user 4) ^T superscript ^A alternate pitch ^V subscript ^N standard pitch but you can make them do anything you like. "Toggles" are good for features like underline that are turned on and off. "Switches" are better for multi-valued parameters like character pitch. Example: your printer uses Esc-U-01 (and 00) to turn underlining on (and off). Rather than trying to embed those actual codes in your file, you can just type ^PS wherever you want ^PSunderlined text^PS, and install the ^S toggle for the appropriate codes [see VINSTALL.DOC]. 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: D DOUBLESPACES the printout. P PAUSES for your keystroke before each page (sheet feed). B prints only the currently marked BLOCK. Tnn sets the TOP MARGIN to nn lines. [The default margins can Lnn sets the LEFT MARGIN to nn columns. be set with VINSTALL.] ^ FILTERS control characters ^X to text "^X". *nn prints the job out nn TIMES (nn=1..255). @nn begins printing AT page nn. #nn prints only (up to) a TOTAL of nn pages. =nn begins page NUMBERING at nn. "..." uses the quoted string as a HEADER. The string, followed immediately by the page number, will print at the top right of each page near the margin. (Maximum length is 50 characters; an empty string, "", gives numbered pages with no header text.) The last four options (@,#,=,"") are NOT allowed if the page length (^OP) is set to 0, or if "B"lock print was chosen. Example 1: Options: L12P will print the file with a left margin of 12, pausing before each page until you press a key (other than Esc). Example 2: Options: @6#2=21"Instructions, page " will print pages 6 and 7, but numbered 21 and 22, with the header shown. Example 3: Options: BD^*2 will print out the current marked Block, double spaced, with control filtering, twice. NOTE: If you are in "W" file mode, any dot commands in the file (lines beginning with ".") will not be printed. You can abort printing at any time by pressing Esc. It is also possible to redirect 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; the file can be examined, or printed out later using COPY to PRN. At the "Options:" prompt, just type the filename, in (parentheses). Any pre-existing file will be overwritten; if you want to append to an existing file, type a "+" before the filename. Example 3: Options: B(+SCRATCH.FIL) will append the printer output from the current marked Block, to the disk file SCRATCH.FIL. RUN COMMAND, SHELL (Alt-R) - Typing Alt-R gives you a prompt "DOS>", from which you can run any command or program just as you would under MSDOS. You can copy and rename files, or run any other program you like, and afterwards return to your undisturbed VDE editing session by pressing Esc or Space. This is especially useful for programming: you can run your compiler without ever leaving the edit of the source file. VDE leaves no disk files open, so you can do anything you like with an Alt-R command. (Exception: don't load new memory-resident utilities.) In addition to standard DOS commands and programs, there is a special VDE command that can be typed at the DOS> prompt: SHELL. This lets you out into a full DOS Shell. You can use any number of commands, and generally move around in DOS as you like; to return to your undisturbed VDE editing session, type EXIT. Note: For the Alt-R command to work, you must have COMMAND.COM in the root directory of the default drive [or other drive specified with VINST], and enough free memory to load another copy of it and run the chosen program. SPLITTING FILES (Alt-S) - The upper size limit on files that VDE can edit is about 80K; if you try to edit a much larger file VDE will be unable to load it. However, if you encounter a larger file that you need to work with, VDE makes it easy to divide a file into manageable chunks with the Split command. Suppose you have a big file HUGE.DOC. Type Alt-S, then answer at the prompt: Split file, output name (w/#): HUGE.DOC, PIECE.# VDE will go through the file HUGE.DOC and write out a series of smaller files PIECE.1, PIECE.2 etc, which can then be edited. (You can tidy up the transitions between them with block moves, if you like.) Note that the output name must be separated from the input by a comma, and must contain one # sign, which will be replaced by a 1, 2, etc in order. (The above example could have used HUGE#.DOC, HUGE-#, etc.) Make sure you have enough disk space for the output files. ======================== 5. MACRO AND FUNCTION KEYS ======================== A "macro" is a string of VDE commands and/or text that, once defined, can be re-used automatically. A "function key" is a simple macro pre-assigned to one of the [F1]...[F10] keys. A "macro key" is a macro assigned to a key Esc- 0..9; these can be longer, and repeat automatically. "Macro programming" involves the use of special commands allowing a VDE macro to perform more complex operations including loops and conditional execution, much like a programming language. FUNCTION KEY - The [F1]...[F10] keys can perform any VDE function you like. [VINSTALL lets you define them; originally they do nothing.] A good choice might be a common command like ^PS, for underlining; or a set of margins, like ^OL5,CR,^OR60,CR. A key defined as: ^QR,^N,Esc,Esc,D,^OF would place the current date at the top right of a letter. (Note the use of Esc,Esc for Alt, required in function/macro keys.) Once defined, the function can be performed simply by pressing the [F] key. There are 40 keys in all, as each can be used with Shift, Ctrl, or Alt. Any key can be up to 32 bytes long; there is a total of 370 bytes available. MACRO (Esc-M) - When you are in the middle of doing something in VDE, and find that you need to do something many times, it may be less tedious to have it repeated automatically. If you type Esc-M you will be asked for the string to execute, then a "Repeat count". Usually you will simply type a number for the repeat count (0-254, or "*" for indefinite). You will see the results as the macro executes, and you can abort it at any time by pressing Esc. (If you are sure you know what you're doing, you can speed up Macro execution by specifying "Quiet" mode: type "Q" before the repeat count. Only the header will be updated as the Macro runs.) Macros also stop any time 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. VDE turns INSERT OFF before running a macro, so that the same sequence will always have the same effect. The INSERT status is restored when the macro terminates. In order to include any input line editing characters (BS, CR etc) in a macro, you must prefix them with ^P. (NOTE: To make them easier to read and understand, Macro listings will be given here as they function, not as they are typed in. ^P prefixes as needed are NOT shown. Key- strokes are separated by dashes or commas for clarity, and "Spc" means a space or blank.) Here are some sample macros: 1. View a file by scrolling slowly through it: Esc-;,^C This will pause, then scroll down. (Use a repeat count of "*".) 2. Enter a long graphics border for a box. (This can get tedious by hand.) Assuming graphic "Y" is the horizontal bar, Esc,Esc-G-Y will enter one character. (Note how Esc,Esc = Alt, in Macros.) You can get a line 40 characters long by giving a repeat count of "Q40" (the "Q"uiet option avoids unnecessarily displaying the menu). 3. Can you figure out what this one does? (Answer: .elif eht fo dne eht ta meht fo tsil a gnikam elif a fo tuo sesehtnerap ni stnemmoc ekat lliw tI) ^QR,^QF,(,CR,^G,^KB,^QF,),CR,^G,^KK,^QC,CR,^KV VDE Macros are very powerful tools, particularly given their program ability and storage on macro Keys. MACRO KEY (Esc-#,0..9) - Up to 10 Macros can be stored (0..9), by entering them with the Esc-M command, then using Esc-# to save them. They can then be recalled and used simply by typing Esc-number. Example: typing Esc-#-0 will store the last Macro used as Key 0, and it can be recalled and reused at any future time simply by typing Esc-0. Ordinarily, Keys operate just like the original Macro: they will ask for "Repeat count" when executed. If you want to suppress this (giving something more like a function key, that only executes once) you can type "N" (for No repeat) before storing the key number. Example: Esc-#-N- 0 stores a Macro in Key 0 as a no-repeat key sequence. If you also don't need to see the Key work, and want to make it faster, you can make it QUIET as well by typing "Q" instead (for Quiet) before the key number. Example: Esc-#-Q-0 stores to Key 0 as a quiet no-repeat key sequence. If the Macro (Esc-M) string is empty, using Esc-# will delete a Key definition. Using a defined Key brings its definition into the Macro buffer (whence it can be stored again if desired). Trying to use an undefined Key results in an error. There are 1012 bytes total available for all 10 keys, and a 128 byte limit for any one Key. (VDE's own input line will only accept 65 bytes, but VINSTALL can handle up to the full 128.) USAGE TIP: In order to re-use a Macro you've already typed in, without having to retype it, save it onto a Key, then recall it. Besides simply storing any Macro, these Keys are useful for storing a frequently repeated phrase; "Esc-6" is much more convenient than "^PYWorld Wide Widgets Inc. (N.A.)^PY". [VINSTALL allows you to install a default set of macro Keys. Thus VDE can be customized for any task, such as the formatting requirements of specialized writing or programming languages.] MACRO PROGRAMMING (Esc-0..9,!,=,~,+,;) - VDE has several commands which operate only in a Macro string, and give you conditional control over the execution of a macro, allowing real programming. Esc-0..9, when in a Macro, function simply as "labels" 0..9. They have no effect, but can be "jumped" to by other commands. Esc-! followed by 0..9 is a simple "jump" instruction, causing macro execution to resume with the command following the label Esc-0..9. Example: Esc!2 jumps to label 2. As two epecial cases, Esc-![ jumps to the beginning of the Macro, and Esc-!] jumps to the end (aborts). Esc-= and Esc-~, followed by a character and then a label 0..9 (or "[","]"), are conditional jumps: they jump to that label IF the character at the cursor position does (or for "~", doesn't) match that specified. Example: Esc~^M2 jumps to Esc-2 if the current character is NOT a CR. Esc-= and Esc-~, followed by a character and then ">" or "<", 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=Spc> moves right as long as the current character is a space. Esc-+, followed by 0..9, is used to "chain" to another macro key. In this way you can build up strings longer than the 65/128-byte limit on any one key. It does not "call" the key; there is no returning. Example: Esc+9 chains to key 9. Esc-; (semicolon) gives a brief pause, presumably so the user can see what's happening on screen. Macro programs are stored just like any other macro string (usually with "N"o repeat count). If you program in an endless loop, you will at some point have to abort by pressing Esc. Don't make macro programs "Q"uiet until you're sure they work. Example: 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~.<, Esc2, ^D, Esc=Spc2, Esc=^M2 You could write this out in programmer's pseudo-code as: If not "." goto label1 Move left ;move left if already on period label1: While not "." move left ;move left to previous period label2: Move right ;now move back right If " " goto label2 ; as long as you see a space If "^M" goto label2 ; or a Return (all done) ========================= 6. GENERAL INFORMATION =========================== DIRECTORIES - It is important to recognize that if (via ^KN, ^KL, or the DOS command line) you specify a directory as part of the current filename, that directory acts as the default for all VDE file I/O commands, extending or overriding the actual current DOS directory. The directory does not display in the header, but you can see it at the prompt for the ^KF file directory command. (If you are editing two files, each can have its separate local directory.) If, for example, you enter VDE as follows: C:\WORK>vde gort\myfil the file being edited is C:\WORK\GORT\MYFIL, and all VDE file operations are going to assume the default directory C:\WORK\GORT. So if you then want to edit MYFIL2, in the same directory, type ^KL,"MYFIL2"; or, if you want, "\WORK\GORT\MYFIL2", starting again from the root; but not "GORT\MYFIL2", because that would produce C:\WORK\GORT\GORT\MYFIL2. None of this affects DOS in any way; if you use the Alt-R command, the current directory is still C:\WORK, or whatever you change it to with CHDIR. If you try to edit a file in an invalid directory, you will find that you can edit the (empty!) file but will be unable to save it. Use ^KN to change to some valid directory and name. DISK SPACE - If you run out of disk space when writing a file, you can just insert another disk. (Always keep a blank FORMATTED disk around -- though you can run FORMAT with Alt-R, if necessary.) Alternatively, you can use the ^KF and ^KE commands to purge unneeded files. [If you have small disks, you can also install VDE not to preserve BAK files.] Let VDE's filesize limits encourage you to break work up into files of 64K or less; larger files make inefficient use of floppy disks. ERROR MESSAGES - Press Esc or Space to continue. "Error" alone means the command used just won't work in this situation. (Example: a block command was used with no block marked.) More specific errors are: "Out of Memory" - the file, block, or key string won't fit in RAM. "Invalid Key" - an illegal command key sequence was pressed. "I/O Error" - file not found, disk full, invalid drive, etc. "Cannot Reformat" - word too long, or margins invalid. "Not Found" - the object of a search was not found. "Syntax Error" - a macro programming command was misused. NOTE: On DOS 2.x systems, an attempt to access an empty disk drive or to print when the printer is not online can produce a critical error message directly from DOS, something like: "Device not ready; Ignore, Retry, or Abort?" If this should happen, correct the situation and press "R" for Retry. Pressing "I" usually has no effect. DO NOT PRESS "A", as this will exit from VDE, losing any text in memory. If after recovering from such an error, the message is still on screen, you can press ^OZ,Esc to redisplay your text. FILE MODES - VDE has three "file modes": "W"ordStar document, "A"SCII document, and "N"on-document. The basic difference is in the format of the disk files: In "W" mode, VDE reads and writes WordStar document compatible files. A VDE "W" file can be edited with WordStar in Document mode. VDE can edit actual WordStar documents directly; but note that any right justification will be lost. In "A" or "N" mode, VDE reads and writes text as standard ASCII characters, a universal format accepted by virtually all software. These two modes differ only in providing different sets of default options. "A" mode (like "W") is designed for word processing; "N" mode is for program- ming and other special applications. DEFAULTS FOR: Margins TABS HARD CR DISP. "A"SCII, "W"ordStar document ACTIVE variable [on] "N"on-document DISABLED hard off The file mode option can be specified along with the filename at any VDE file function prompt, allowing you to mix WordStar and ASCII disk files as needed. You can also change the current mode with the ^KN command by entering a new mode (eg, "/W") with or without a filename. The default mode (used when none is specified) is "A", but this can be changed. In addition, you can specify automatic filetype defaults to declare exceptions (for example, all ".ASM" files as "N" mode). [See VINSTALL.] NOTE ON FOREIGN ASCII FILES - If you edit an ASCII file created by other software, you may find the format different from what VDE expects. 1. HARD CRs. The file may be properly formatted but full of hard CRs, making it impossible to REformat. There are two easy ways to solve this problem: first, you can use ^QA to find "^M"s and selectively replace them with " ^M". Alternatively, the following Macro (best stored as a Quiet macro Key) does a good job of "softening up" a paragraph: ^QS,^X,Esc=Spc],Esc=^M],^S,^VSpc^V,^D,Esc![ 2. NO CRs. Some software stores every paragraph as one long line, with CRs only at the end. To read such files in VDE you may want to reformat (^B) to your usual margins. If you want to produce such a file yourself, set the right margin (^OR) to "0" and reformat (^B) before saving to disk. (See MARGINS.) IBM KEYBOARD - There are a number of special IBM keys outside the normal ASCII keyboard. VDE recognizes many of these as commands, but they cannot be entered into a string such as a macro definition. Some have a standard synonym (eg ^QE for [Home]) that must be used instead. For Alt-commands, use the double-Esc prefix (Esc,Esc,D = Alt-D). VDE has enough keyboard buffering for the fastest typist. However, if you lean on one key for some time you may manage to fill the buffer, and keystrokes may be lost. MEMORY - VDE edits each file in a 64K memory segment, if available. (1K = 1024 bytes.) If you check the usage of memory (^KI) you will find that VDE compresses text: a file typically occupies 20-25% less memory than its actual size. This is why the maximum file size is about 80K. If the text area gets very full (less than 1K free) VDE will become quite slow. VDE runs well with as little as 128K RAM available; with 256K, two maximal files can be edited along with a full-size I/O buffer, resulting in faster disk I/O and unlimited block move ability. Running a DOS command requires enough free memory (beyond VDE's usage) to load a copy of COMMAND.COM and any programs you intend to run under it. PROMPTS - First, VDE has several simple prompts requiring you to confirm an action by typing "Y" or "N": "Abandon changes?" - warns the file you want to Quit has been changed. "Unchanged! save anyway?" - reminds the file you want saved isn't changed. "Delete original?" - do you want to delete block copied from 2nd file. "Chg?" - do you want to change this instance of a string? Then, there are a few special purpose prompts: "Repeat count:" - enter (optional "Q" and) repeat count for Macro. "Key number:" - enter (optional "N/Q" and) key number for Key. "Rdy" - press any key to print next page (Esc quits). Finally, there are a variety of prompts for either numeric or string input, like "Column:" or "Find string:". You are expected to type in a string (up to 65 characters). During this process, IBM PC special keys (except Del) are not recognized. The following control keys operate: Correct mistake: BS (^H), ^S, or Del Erase entire entry: ^X Abort operation: ^U Note that to get any of these codes, or a CR, into the string itself, you must precede it with ^P (this includes ^P). Examples: to find a line beginning with a "*" (find "^M,*") type ^QF,^P-CR,*,CR. WORDSTAR COMPATIBILITY - In most respects VDE operates much like WordStar; one big difference is the absence of a "No-File" menu. You are always in edit mode; use ^KL to select a new file, or Alt-R to run DOS commands COPY, REN, etc. VDE lacks some WordStar commands, and has some of its own. Aside from these, there are the following differences in common commands: COMMON USE WORDSTAR 4 VDE VDE NOTES Hide block ^KH ^KU Actually unmarks block. Erase disk file ^KJ ^KE Set Place Mark ^K0..9 ^PZ Not individually numbered. Go to Place Mark ^Q0..9 ^QP Cyclic. Time, Date stamp Esc-!,@ Alt-T,D COMMON COMMAND WORDSTAR 4 USE VDE USE ^^ (^6) Soften hard CR Transpose upper/lowercase ^KN Column block mode Rename current work ^OD Display ^P codes Display hard CRs ^OF Ruler from text Flush right ^OP Preview mode Page length ^QU Repeat align Undelete line Note that VDE does not recognize WordStar "dot commands" in text, though in "W" mode it will avoid printing them. You can get a page break (Word- Star .PA) with the ^PL command. =============================== 7. HISTORY ================================= 1984-1987: Development of CP/M VDE through version 2.62. VDE 1.0 (12/87): First MSDOS release. IBM PC compatible version only. 1.01 (12/87): Faster; several bug fixes; minor changes to VINSTALL. 1.1 (01/88): Generic MSDOS ANSI.SYS support; EGA 43-line support; Dual-file editing; DOS Shell; Time/date stamps. 1.2 (03/88): New dual-file commands Alt-W,M,C,Q,X; Alt-R replaces Shell; Split file; ^KD; ^OQ,^QT,^QI; Graphics; [F]unction keys; backward find; word count; new print options. 1.21 (05/88): Auto indent; tab set enhancements; ^PL starts new page. 1.22 (08/88): Append to existing file; Print to file; Printer top, left margin; Alt-O,I,A; enhanced speed & appearance; VGA support. See the accompanying file VDExxx.UPD for a more detailed account of changes in the most recent release. ==============================================================================