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- T h e A u r o r a E d i t o r U s e r ' s G u i d e
- ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
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- The Aurora Editor User's Guide
-
- Version 1.20, January 1994
-
- Copyright (c) 1993-1994 Aurora Terra, Inc.
-
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
-
-
-
-
-
- Aurora Terra, Inc.
- P.O. Box 34275
- Bethesda, MD. 20827-0275 USA
- 301-468-2255 (Voice)
- 301-230-1214 (BBS 14,400 V.32bis)
-
-
-
- The Aurora Editor is Copyright (c) 1993-1994 by Aurora Terra, Inc.
- The Aurora Editor/386 is Copyright (c) 1993-1994 by Aurora Terra, Inc.
- The Aurora Macro Language is Copyright (c) 1993-1994 by Aurora Terra, Inc.
-
- No parts of The Aurora Editor software or this document may be copied
- in part or in whole, except as provided by the License in the
- following pages.
-
- This version of The Aurora Editor is NOT public domain or free
- software, but is distributed as "shareware" for evaluation purposes
- only. Please refer to the license information in the following pages.
-
- The Aurora Editor is a trademark of Aurora Terra, Inc.
- The Aurora Editor/386 is a trademark of Aurora Terra, Inc.
- The Aurora Macro Language is a trademark of Aurora Terra, Inc.
-
- Other product names found throughout this document are trademarks of
- various companies.
- License ii
-
-
- Copyright and Proprietary Rights
- ────────────────────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor software is owned by Aurora Terra, Inc. and is
- protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty
- provisions. The Aurora Editor software contains valuable trade secrets
- proprietary to Aurora Terra, Inc. You may not disassemble, decompile,
- reverse engineer, or create any derivative works of the software for
- any purpose other than making an adaptation to the software as a
- normal step in configuring it for your own personal use.
-
-
- License and Restrictions
- ────────────────────────
-
- Aurora Terra grants individuals a limited license to use the shareware
- version of The Aurora Editor for an evaluation period of up to 30 days
- in order to determine if it suits their needs. Any other use of The
- Aurora Editor, or use past the 30 day trial period requires the
- individual to purchase a license from Aurora Terra.
-
- The Aurora Editor is not "public domain" or "free" software. If you
- use it beyond the 30-day trial you MUST purchase a license.
-
- All users are granted a limited license to copy the shareware version
- of The Aurora Editor for the sole purpose of allowing others to try
- it, subject to the above as well as the following restrictions:
-
- - The Aurora Editor must be distributed in absolutely unmodified form
- in its entirety, including all file names, program code,
- documentation, and any related files. No other programs or files may
- be included. The files may be distributed in a compressed or library
- format.
-
- - The Aurora Editor may not be included in combination with any other
- software or hardware product as an enticement or for any other
- reason, without special permission from Aurora Terra.
-
- - No fee or payment may be charged or accepted for The Aurora Editor.
-
-
- Electronic bulletin board system operators (sysops) are encouraged
- post the shareware version of The Aurora Editor on their BBS for
- downloading by their users, but only if the above conditions are met
- and no special fee is charged to access The Aurora Editor files (a
- general fee may be charged to access the BBS).
-
- Special restrictions apply to Disk Vendors and Retailers. For further
- details, see VENDOR.DOC.
- Warranty iii
-
-
- Non-profit User Groups may distribute the shareware version of The
- Aurora Editor provided the above conditions are met. These User Groups
- may charge a nominal fee to cover the cost of the disk and copying of
- the software.
-
-
- Warranty Disclaimer
- ───────────────────
-
- Aurora Terra makes no warranty of any kind, either express or implied,
- including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and
- fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to this software and
- accompanying documentation.
-
- IN NO EVENT SHALL AURORA TERRA BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES RESULTING
- FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES
- FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS
- INFORMATION, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR OTHER FINANCIAL
- LOSS ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PROGRAM, EVEN
- IF AURORA TERRA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
-
-
- I-1 Ordering Information
- ─────────────────────────
-
- Purchasing a license for (or registering) The Aurora Editor, allows
- you to use the product beyond the 30-day trial period. With your
- registration, you will receive the complete licensed version of The
- Aurora Editor with all the latest enhancements.
-
- Registration also entitles you to free lifetime technical support,
- free and discounted upgrades, priority notification on major new
- updates and releases, and access to registered user area of the
- Aurora Support BBS at 301-230-1214 <8,N,1>.
-
- Registration costs just $44.95 plus $2 shipping ($4 overseas). For a
- printed bound manual, add $10.00 plus $2 extra shipping ($5 overseas).
- Maryland residents add 5% sales tax. Please register now, and help us
- continue to make high quality software available to you at a low cost.
-
- Discounts are available for BBS sysops, educational institutions,
- full-time students, US government agencies, and approved user groups.
- We also offer quantity discounts and site (multi-user) licensing.
- Please call or write for more information.
- Ordering iv
-
-
- For Checks, Money Orders, or Corporate Purchase Orders:
-
- Please Send Check, Money Order, or Corporate Purchase Order to:
- Aurora Terra, P.O. Box 34275, Bethesda, MD. 20827-0275. Checks must
- be drawn on a US bank and payable in US dollars.
-
-
- For Credit Card Orders only:
-
- You can order The Aurora Editor with VISA, MasterCard, AMEX, or
- Discover from Public (software) Library by calling 800-2424-PsL or
- 713-524-6394, or by FAX to 713-524-6398, or Compuserve Email to
- 71355,470. Please specify item #10917. You can also mail credit card
- orders to PsL at P.O. Box 35705, Houston, TX 77235-5705 USA.
-
-
- For questions about registration, product details, technical support,
- discounts, or other inquiries, call Aurora Terra at 301-468-2255, or
- write to: Aurora Terra, P.O. Box 34275, Bethesda, MD. 20827-0275, or
- Compuserve Email to: 71702,1025 (internet:71702.1025@compuserve.com).
- The Aurora Support BBS is also available 24hrs/day at 301-230-1214 at
- speeds up to 14,400 bps.
-
- You can use the following convenient order form if you wish:
- Order Form v
-
- +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | |
- | Aurora Terra, please send me: Item #10917 |
- | |
- | |
- | The Aurora Editor v1.20 ........................... $44.95 $______ |
- | |
- | Printed Bound Manual ................................. $10 $______ |
- | |
- | Shipping (US/Canada/Mexico) ......... $2 (with manual $4) |
- | (Overseas) ................. $4 (with manual $9) $______ |
- | |
- | Subtotal 1 $______ |
- | |
- | x Quantity ______ |
- | |
- | Subtotal 2 $______ |
- | |
- | Maryland residents please add 5% Sales Tax ............... $______ |
- | |
- | Disk Type: ( ) 5.25" ( ) 3.5" TOTAL $______ |
- | |
- +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | |
- | Name: _____________________________________________________________ |
- | |
- | Company (if company address): _____________________________________ |
- | |
- | Address: __________________________________________________________ |
- | |
- | __________________________________________________________ |
- | |
- | __________________________________________________________ |
- | |
- | Phone (day): __________________ Phone (Evening): ________________ |
- | |
- | |
- | Payment by: ( ) Check/Money Order ( ) PO#_______________ (attach) |
- | ( ) VISA ( ) MC ( ) AMEX ( ) DISCOVER |
- | |
- +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | |
- | For Credit Card FAX or EMail Orders only: |
- | |
- | Card #______________________________________ Exp. Date:__________ |
- | |
- | Cardholder name:_________________________________________________ |
- | |
- | Signature:_______________________________________________________ |
- | |
- | |
- | Prices are subject to change without notice. Call to confirm. |
- | |
- +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
-
-
- Table of Contents vi
-
-
- Table of Contents
- ─────────────────
-
- I-1. Ordering Information..........................................iii
- I-2. Acknowledgements.............................................viii
- I-3. Introduction...................................................ix
- I-4. Features........................................................x
- I-5. Hardware and Software Requirements.............................xi
- I-6. Installation..................................................xii
- I-7. The Documentation............................................xiii
-
- 1-1. Getting Started.................................................1
-
- 2-1. Windows.........................................................2
- 2-2. Learning to use the Windows.....................................3
- 2-3. Panning the Screen..............................................6
- 2-4. Window Styles...................................................6
- 2-4. Window Styles...................................................6
- 2-5. Video Modes.....................................................7
- 2-6. Prompts.........................................................7
-
- 3-1. Using the Menus................................................10
-
- 4-1. The Status Line................................................12
-
- 5-1. Creating and Loading Files.....................................13
- 5-2. Saving and Discarding Files....................................15
- 5-3. Other File Commands............................................18
-
- 6-1. Finding Your Way Around........................................20
- 6-2. Scrolling......................................................25
- 6-3. Modifying Text.................................................26
- 6-4. Undo and Redo..................................................31
-
- 7-1. OS Commands....................................................32
-
- 8-1. Using Marked Blocks............................................34
-
- 9-1. The Clipboard..................................................40
-
- 10-1. Folding Text..................................................42
-
- 11-1. Search and Replace............................................44
-
- 12-1. Printing......................................................50
-
- 13-1. Window Settings...............................................52
- 13-2. Global Settings...............................................55
- Table of Contents vii
-
-
- 14-1. Key Macros....................................................59
-
- 15-1. Other Commands................................................61
- 15-2. Miscellaneous Library Functions...............................62
-
- 16-1. The File Manager..............................................66
- 16-2. Creating a File Manager Window................................67
- 16-3. Changing the Directory Listing in a File Manager Window.......68
- 16-4. File Manager Commands.........................................68
- 16-5. Marking Files in the File Manager.............................71
- 16-6. File Manager Sorting..........................................73
-
- 17-1. Configuration.................................................73
- 17-2. Configuration - Video.........................................73
- 17-3. Configuration - Mouse.........................................74
- 17-4. Configuration - Word Processing...............................75
- 17-5. Configuration - Default File Extensions.......................76
- 17-6. Configuration - Open Options..................................77
- 17-7. Configuration - Save Options..................................79
- 17-8. Configuration - Editing Preferences...........................79
- 17-9. Configuration - Window Preferences............................86
- 17-10. Configuration - Print Settings...............................87
- 17-11. Configuration - Desktop Options..............................90
- 17-12. Configuration - Memory Options...............................91
- 17-13. Configuration - Other Options................................92
- 17-14. Configuration - Character Sets...............................93
- 17-15. Configuration - Text Translation.............................94
- 17-16. Configuration - Confirmations................................94
- 17-17. Configuration - Colors.......................................94
- 17-18. Configuration - Borders......................................95
-
- 18-1. Redefining the Keyboard.......................................97
- 18-2. Key Function Names............................................98
- 18-3. Defining Compound Keys.......................................100
- 18-4. Mouse Function Names.........................................101
- 18-5. Defining Menus...............................................101
- 18-6. The Tool Bar.................................................103
- 18-7. Text Translation.............................................105
-
- A-1. Command Line Options..........................................107
-
- B-2. Performance Tips..............................................108
-
- Acknowledgements viii
-
-
-
- I-2 Acknowledgements
- ─────────────────────
-
- Aurora has taken several years and thousands of hours to develop. Many
- have contributed to this effort, but the following people deserve
- special thanks:
-
- Stu Russell, for his endless patience and words of encouragement over
- the years.
-
- Guy Rouillier, for his valuable support, suggestions, and advice.
-
- Jerry Cain, an "Aurora Activist" and sysop of The Edge of Forever BBS,
- for his boundless enthusiasm and help in promoting this program.
-
- Introduction ix
-
-
- I-3 Introduction
- ─────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor is a powerful and beautiful general-purpose text
- editor for IBMPC and compatible computers. Although The Aurora Editor
- is primarily oriented toward editing text files, program source, and
- binary files, it can also be easily used for Word Processing and File
- Management tasks. The evaluation copy is fully functional.
-
- Many people who use computers spend a large portion of their time in a
- text editor. A text editor should be an attractive and fun place to
- be. It should be fast, flexible, and intuitive, with the power to
- provide almost any editing function needed. Limits should seldom be a
- concern. It should "feel good" to be there. The Aurora Editor was
- designed with all these goals in mind.
-
- The Aurora Editor is programmed in it's own macro language - "The
- Aurora Macro Language". The Aurora Macro Language is an object
- oriented, event-driven language that is very simple in syntax, yet
- powerful in function. Both the macro language compiler and interpreter
- are available as functions within the macro language itself. The
- Aurora Macro Language can provide great flexibility in configuring the
- editor to suit your needs.
-
- In its current form, The Aurora Editor is a very powerful and
- sophisticated product. But it doesn't end there. The Aurora Editor is
- an ongoing project and will continue to be enhanced in many important
- and exciting new ways. Registering now entitles you to free upgrades,
- and priority access to major releases.
-
-
- I-4 Features
- ─────────────
-
- These are just some of the outstanding features of The Aurora Editor:
-
- - High Performance! The screen, windows, file loading and saving, and
- searching are all very fast.
-
- - Superb text mode windowing! Fast, beautiful, and seamless. Combines
- the usability of graphical user interfaces with the speed of text
- mode. Many different window styles. Edit any number of files. Edit
- the same file in multiple windows, or different files in the same
- window. Includes a 64k x 64k Virtual Screen!
-
- - Edits multiple files of virtually any size. A very fast, huge ONE
- GIGABYTE paged virtual memory will satisfy even the most power
- hungry user. Automatically uses XMS and EMS memory for even faster
- editing of large files.
- Features x
-
-
- - A built-in sophisticated object-oriented macro language, "The Aurora
- Macro Language", allows unparalleled flexibility in extending and
- configuring the editor to your own preferences.
-
- - "The Aurora Editor/386", an even faster (and smaller) 386 version of
- The Aurora Editor, is provided for users with 386 or greater
- processors.
-
- - Full mouse support for moving and resizing windows, working with
- menus and dialog boxes, scrolling, marking text, etc.
-
- - Includes an integrated multi-instance programmable File Manager. You
- can perform most file management tasks without ever leaving the
- editor.
-
- - Unlimited multi-level Undo/Redo of almost all editing operations.
-
- - Nested Text Folding, a rare and useful feature.
-
- - Maximum line length of 16000.
-
- - Supports binary viewing and editing using any line length up to
- 16000.
-
- - Supports any 1 or 2 character line delimiters (CR, CRLF, LF, and
- more).
-
- - Executes DOS commands and programs from within the editor. The
- editor shrinks down to only 1.2K.
-
- - User-definable menus, tool bar, keyboard, window appearances, and
- editing preferences.
-
- - Tailored prompts. Includes Dialog boxes for first-time users, and
- single-line command prompts for experienced users.
-
- - User-definable Text Translation automatically expands abbreviations
- and corrects typos as you enter characters into your text.
-
- - Grep-type file scan
-
- - Unlimited Bookmarks
-
- - Compiler support for Microsoft C, Borland C, and Turbo Pascal. Jump
- instantly to compiler errors in your source code.
-
- - Prompt History
-
- - Automatically remembers previous windows positions, cursor positions,
- and desktop on exit. A real time saver.
-
- - A full set of Block commands
- Requirements xi
-
-
- - Unlimited number of Clipboards
-
- - Formatted Printing with Headers, Footers, Page Numbers and Line
- Numbers.
-
- - Online Help
-
- - Keyboard Macros
-
- - Word wrap, AutoIndent, and Paragraph Text Reflow
-
- - Multiple default file extensions
-
- - Many other features: multiple video modes, line-drawing, ascii
- chart, highlighting of modified lines, and much more!
-
-
- I-5 Hardware and Software Requirements
- ───────────────────────────────────────
-
- To use The Aurora Editor you will need an IBMPC or compatible computer
- with at least the following:
-
- - 512 kilobytes of memory
- - at least 600 kilobytes of hard disk space
- - a diskette drive
- - A color or monochrome monitor
- - DOS 3.1 or greater
- - The Aurora Editor v1.20
-
- A 286 or above processor is recommended.
-
-
-
- I-6 Installation
- ─────────────────
-
- Before using or installing The Aurora Editor, it is very important
- that you take a moment to backup all of the distributed files. If you
- do not backup, there will be no way to restore the original
- configuration files if you modify them.
-
- To install The Aurora Editor, just copy the files from the
- distribution diskette(s) to the drive and directory of your choice,
- and uncompress them if they are compressed. Add this directory to your
- DOS 'PATH' for easier access to The Aurora Editor.
-
- Installation xii
-
-
- The following files are distributed with The Aurora Editor:
-
- Executable Files:
- A.EXE - The Aurora Editor (Macro Language Interpreter/Compiler)
- A3.EXE - The Aurora Editor/386 (Macro Language Interpreter/Compiler)
- A.X - compiled macro code for The Aurora Editor
-
- Macro Source and Libraries:
- A.A - the main macro source file for The Aurora Editor
- ACFG.A - configuration settings (included by A.A)
- AKBD.A - keyboard and mouse definitions (included by A.A)
- AMEN.A - menu definitions (included by A.A)
- ATRN.A - text translation definition table & macros
- ALIB.X - compiled macro library code (included by A.A)
-
- Documentation:
- A.DOC - The Aurora Editor Users Guide (this document)
- AML.DOC - The Aurora Macro Language Guide
- AREF.DOC - The Aurora Editor Quick Reference
- READ.ME - New features and other information
-
-
- I-7 The Documentation
- ──────────────────────
-
- This is "The Aurora Editor Users Guide". It provides basic information
- on how to install, configure, and use The Aurora Editor. For complete
- documentation on The Aurora Macro Language, see "The Aurora Macro
- Language Guide" (AML.DOC).
-
- If you are viewing this document with The Aurora Editor, you can use
- the "Help" pull-down menu <F1> to jump quickly to any topic in the
- document. You can print this document using the DOS "print" command.
-
- Aurora is a highly configurable editor. Please note that most key and
- mouse definitions, menu definitions, and configuration settings used
- in this documentation are installation defaults. You can customize
- most of these definitions and settings to according to your own
- preferences.
-
- The File ALIB.X contains many compiled editor commands written in The
- Aurora Macro Language. These editor commands are referred to as
- "library functions", and can be used in the Keyboard Definitions file
- AKBD.A, the Menu Definitions file AMEN.A, the Text Translation
- definitions file ATRN.A, and the Macro Command prompt. All library
- functions are generally available for use within The Aurora Macro
- Language. This documentation explains each of these library functions
- as "editor commands".
- Documentation xiii
-
-
- Editor commands are generally listed in the following format
- throughout the User's Guide:
-
- - command "Menu Description" <key definition>
-
- For example, the command to display the "open" prompt is listed as:
-
- - askopen "Open.." <Alt-E>
-
- In some cases, command parameters may be included as part of the
- command. Some commands do not have default key assignments at
- installation time. For these commands, the "<key definition>" is
- omitted. Also, some commands are not (by default) on the menus. For
- these commands the "Menu Description" is omitted.
-
- Note that only "library" functions (editor commands) are documented
- here in The Aurora Editor User's Guide. Library functions are built up
- from lower-level macros and native functions in the Aurora Macro
- Language and are usually all that is required for most editing tasks.
- For documentation on macro language native functions, see "The Aurora
- Macro Language Guide".
- Getting Started 1
-
-
- 1-1 Getting Started
- ────────────────────
-
- To start The Aurora Editor, just type "A" at the DOS command prompt.
- If you have computer with a 386 or greater processor, you can start
- The Aurora Editor/386 by typing "A3" at the DOS command prompt.
-
- Note: If you prefer to start The Aurora Editor or The Aurora
- Editor/386 by other names, you can rename the files A.EXE and A3.EXE
- to whatever you wish (such as "E.EXE"). Make sure you keep the
- ".EXE" extension. Do not rename any other files distributed with The
- Aurora Editor. All distributed files must be in the same directory.
-
- If this is the first time you are using Aurora, a File Manager window
- will be displayed showing all files in the current directory. To edit
- a file, just use the cursor keys to position the highlighted bar over
- a file and then press <Enter>. An Edit window will be displayed
- showing the contents of the file.
-
- You can bypass the File Manager by entering a filename after the "A"
- or "A3" command at the DOS prompt. For example:
-
- C>a newfile.txt
-
- When the Edit window is displayed, you are ready to begin editing. You
- can now use the cursor movement keys, the <PgUp>, <PgDn>, <Home>, and
- <End> keys, and the mouse (if available) to move through the text. You
- can press <Esc> to activate the pull-down menu system and explore the
- features of The Aurora Editor.
-
- If you need on-line help at any time, just press <F1> to display the
- "Help" pull-down menu.
-
-
- Exiting The Aurora Editor
- ─────────────────────────
-
- To exit The Aurora Editor, keep pressing <Alt-Q> to close each window
- you have opened. You can also close each window by clicking the left
- mouse button on the "close" icon (≡) in the upper left corner of the
- window, or by selecting "Close" from the "File" pull-down menu. If you
- have not saved any changes, you will be prompted to save them.
-
- A quicker way to exit is to press <Alt-X>, or select "Close All" from
- the File pull-down menu. This will automatically close all windows.
- Again, you may be prompted to save any changes.
- Windows 2
-
-
- 2-1 Windows
- ────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor provides a beautiful, intuitive windowing
- environment that works well for both first-time and experienced users.
- Windows are used to edit files, operate the File Manager, and display
- prompts and dialog boxes. All windowing functions can be operated by
- using the menus, the mouse, or user-defined function keys.
-
- A window in The Aurora Editor looks and behaves much like an
- application window in Microsoft Windows, which allows for quick and
- easy operation by most first-time users. When you become more familiar
- with The Aurora Editor, you can even configure the window layout to
- your own preferences (see "Window Styles" 2-4). Each window has a
- "client area" (the main display area), and optional title bars, menus,
- tool bars, scroll bars, and borders. The following is a sample Edit
- window:
-
-
- Close Icon North Title Bar Status Line Tool Bar ─┐
- │ │ │ │
- │ North Title │ Menu Bar │ Min/Max/Restore Icons │
- │ │ │ │ │ │ │
- ▒▒▒│▒▒░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░░░│▒▒▒▒▒ │
- ▒▒ ≡ C:\DOC\NEWDOC.TXT ┴ * [20]│ C 12 L 153 of 321 └ ▒▒ │
- ▒▒ File Window Block Search Fold Edit Clip Print Set▒▒ │
- ░░ <≡> <?> <*> </> <-> <|> <o> <s> <F> <f> <r> ──────────┘
- ░░ ░░
- ░░ This is the Edit window client area ▒───┐
- ░░ ■░░ │
- ░░ ▒░░ │
- ░░ ░░ │
- ▒▒▒▒▒■▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ │
- ▒▒ ┬ │ ┌─ Aurora v1.20 ▒▒ │
- ▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░│░░░│░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒ │
- │ │ │ │ │ │
- Corner │ South Title Bar │ South Title │
- │ │ │
- Border Horz Scroll Bar Vert Scroll Bar
-
-
- For Edit windows, the file you are editing is displayed in the client
- area. File Manager windows are similar in appearance to Edit windows,
- but the client area displays a listing of files and directories (see
- "The File Manager" 16-1).
-
- The Aurora Editor will allow any number of overlapping Edit windows
- and File Manager windows to be arranged on top of each other in a
- "messy desk" style on your screen.
- Windows 3
-
-
- 2-2 Learning to use the Windows
- ────────────────────────────────
-
- Editor windows are easy to control with the mouse or the keyboard. You
- can also execute most window commands from the "Window" pull-down on
- the menu bar. The following are some important window commands:
-
- - to "activate" a window with the mouse:
-
- Using the mouse, you can click the left mouse button on any visible
- portion of a window to bring the window to the top and make it the
- current or "active" window.
-
- - wlis "List.." <Alt-W>
-
- This command displays a menu which lists all the Edit and File
- Manager windows in your current session. To bring one of the
- displayed windows to the top and make it the current window, use the
- cursor keys to position the highlighted bar over the window name and
- press <Enter>. You can also select the window from the list using
- the left mouse button.
-
- Note: the window list can also be displayed by double-clicking the
- left mouse button on the screen background.
-
- - quit %p "Close" <Alt-Q>
-
- This command closes the current window and removes it from the
- screen. If you are closing an Edit window and you have made changes
- which have not been saved, The Aurora Editor will prompt you to save
- them. You can also close a window by clicking the left mouse button
- on the "close" icon (≡) in the upper left corner of the window.
-
- If there is another window underneath the window you just closed,
- that window will become the "current" window, otherwise you will
- exit the editor.
-
- - wquit %p <Ctrl-K-Q>
-
- This command closes the current window. If the window is an Edit
- window and the "OneWindow" configuration setting is OFF, this
- command also closes the file in the window (see "Configuration -
- Editing Preferences" 17-8).
-
- - wnex "Next" <Ctrl-A>
-
- This command cycles through the windows in a forward direction. The
- bottom-most window is placed on top of the current window and
- becomes the current window.
- Windows 4
-
-
- - wpre "Prev"
-
- This command cycles through the windows in a reverse direction. The
- window underneath the current window becomes the current window, and
- the current window is moved underneath all other windows on the
- screen.
-
-
- Several commands can be used to move and resize windows:
-
- - to move or resize a window with the mouse:
-
- To move the window, position the mouse over the window's north or
- south title bar and press the left mouse button. Then drag the
- window to the new location and release the left mouse button.
-
- To resize the window, position the mouse over one of the window
- borders or corners and press the left mouse button. Then drag the
- border or corner to the new location and release the left mouse
- button.
-
- - wkey "Move/Size" <Ctrl-F5>
-
- This command allows you to move and resize the current window using
- the cursor keys. When this command is entered, the editor is placed
- in "move/resize" mode, and the border of the current window is
- highlighted to indicate that it is being moved or resized.
-
- To move the window, just press the cursor keys until the window has
- moved to the desired position, and then press <Enter> or <Esc> to
- stop.
-
- To resize the window, press the cursor keys while the <Shift> key is
- pressed down. You can resize the left and bottom borders of the
- window. Press <Enter> or <Esc> to stop.
-
- - wmax "Maximize" <Ctrl-Z>
-
- This command "maximizes" or resizes the current window to make it
- fill the entire screen so that the borders are not visible. You can
- also maximize a window with the mouse by clicking the left mouse
- button on the "maximize" icon () in the upper right corner of the
- window, or by double clicking on the north or south title bar.
-
- - wmin "Minimize"
-
- This command "minimizes" or resizes the current window so that only
- the title bar displaying the file or directory name is visible.
- Using the mouse, you can minimize a window by clicking the left
- mouse button on the "minimize" icon () in the upper right corner of
- the window.
- Windows 5
-
-
- - wres "Restore"
-
- This command restores the size of a previously minimized or
- maximized window. Using the mouse, you can restore the window by
- clicking the left mouse button on the "restore" icon () in the
- upper right corner of the window, or by double clicking on the north
- or south title bar.
-
-
- Several commands are available for arranging windows on the screen.
- These commands operate on all non-minimized windows in the current
- edit session.
-
- - wcasc "Cascade" <Shift-F5>
-
- This command will cascade all the windows on the screen.
-
- - wtileh "Tile Horz" <Shift-F4>
-
- This command will horizontally tile all the windows on the screen.
- The "TileNum" configuration setting affects the way windows are
- tiled (see "Configuration - Window Preferences" 17-9).
-
- - wtilev "Tile Vert" <Shift-F3>
-
- This command will vertically tile all the windows on the screen. The
- "TileNum" configuration setting affects the way windows are tiled
- (see "Configuration - Window Preferences" 17-9).
-
- There are three commands that allow you to edit the same file in more
- than one window. These commands work only in Edit windows:
-
- - wcopy "Copy" <Ctrl-C>
-
- This command copies the current Edit window and cascades it with the
- original. The new window will edit the same file in memory as the
- original window, and have the same size and cursor position.
-
- - wspl %h "Split Horz" <Alt-H>
-
- This command splits the current Edit window horizontally. The new
- window will edit the same file in memory as the original window.
-
- - wspl %v "Split Vert" <Alt-V>
-
- This command splits the current Edit window vertically. The new
- window will edit the same file in memory as the original window.
- Panning 6
-
-
- 2-3 Panning the Screen
- ───────────────────────
-
- The physical screen that you see when you use The Aurora Editor is
- only a small window into the "virtual" screen actually used by the
- editor, in the same way that an Edit window can be a small window into
- a much larger file. To The Aurora Editor, the actual screen size is
- 64k x 64k characters!
-
- When the editor is initially loaded, the physical screen is located at
- column 16000 and row 16000 of the virtual screen. You can adjust this
- mapping of the physical screen to the virtual screen by using the
- video "panning" commands:
-
- - to "pan" using the mouse:
-
- To pan the screen, position the mouse over the screen background and
- press the left mouse button. Then just drag the entire screen to the
- new location and release the left mouse button.
-
- - wkey %p "Pan" <Ctrl-F6>
-
- This command places the editor in "pan" mode, and allows you to pan
- through the virtual screen using the cursor keys, When you have
- panned to desired location, press <Enter> or <Esc> to stop.
-
-
- 2-4 Window Styles
- ──────────────────
-
- You can easily configure the appearance of Edit windows and File
- Manager windows to suit your own preferences (see the configuration
- settings for "Window Preferences" 17-9). You can control whether or
- not windows will have permanent Menu Bars, Tool Bars, Scroll Bars, and
- Title Bars. You can also configure the location of the window Title,
- Status Line, and Control Icons.
-
- The following command on the "Window" pulldown menu can be used to
- change Edit window styles within an edit session:
-
- - winsty "Style Toggle" <Ctrl-F7>
-
- This command toggles through about 13 "common" Edit window styles.
- When this command is entered, the styles of all open Edit windows
- are changed immediately. You can use the "setsav" command to save
- the current Edit window style ("Save Current Settings" on the "Set"
- pull-down menu).
-
- Note: this command only changes the style of Edit windows, not File
- Manager windows.
- Video Modes 7
-
-
- 2-5 Video Modes
- ────────────────
-
- The video mode used by The Aurora Editor can be changed during an
- editing session from the "Set" pulldown menu under the "Video Mode"
- submenu. You can choose from the following video modes:
-
- - 80 cols x 14 rows (vga only)
- - 80 cols x 21 rows (vga only)
- - 80 cols x 25 rows
- - 80 cols x 28 rows (vga only)
- - 80 cols x 43 rows (ega & vga only)
- - 80 cols x 50 rows (vga only)
-
- - 40 cols x 25 rows
-
-
- You can also use the following commands to change the video mode:
-
- - vfont %t "Video Toggle" <Ctrl-F1>
-
- This command toggles back and forth between the 80 x 25 video mode
- and the 80 x 50 video mode.
-
- - vfont [columns] [rows]
-
- This command sets the number of columns and rows displayed on the
- video screen. Acceptable values for [columns] are 40 and 80.
- Acceptable values for rows are: 12, 14, 21, 25, 28, 43, and 50.
-
-
- Using the "VidCols" and "VidRows" configuration settings, you can set
- the default video mode to use when the editor is initially loaded (see
- "Configuration - Video" 17-2).
-
- Note: The Aurora Editor will also work in other "special" video modes
- supported by your video card (such as 132 x 43). To use these modes,
- You must set "VidCols" and "VidRows" to zero, and then set the video
- mode before starting the editor (see the documentation for your video
- card). A special mouse driver may also be required to use the mouse
- properly in some of these modes.
-
-
- 2-6 Prompts
- ────────────
-
- A Prompt is a special type of window through which you can enter
- information requested by The Aurora Editor. Individual prompts can be
- Prompts 8
-
-
- tailored by the user to appear as dialog boxes, one-line boxes, or
- command line prompts. By default, all prompts are tailored to appear
- as one-line boxes at installation. More experienced users may prefer
- to tailor some or all editor prompts as command lines for their small
- size, and less experienced users may prefer dialog boxes (see the
- "Prompts" configuration setting in "Configuration - Editing
- Preferences" 17-8).
-
- The follow section describes the available prompt types:
-
-
- Dialog boxes:
-
- If a prompt window is tailored to appear as a dialog box, the window
- client area may contain edit fields, buttons, and check boxes. You
- can use the mouse or the <Tab> and <Shift-Tab> keys to move back and
- forth between the edit fields, buttons, and check boxes. Like Edit
- windows and File Manager windows, dialog boxes can be moved anywhere
- on the screen by using the mouse or keyboard.
-
- One-line boxes:
-
- If the prompt window is tailored to appear as a one-line box, it
- will occupy 3 lines on the screen (2 border lines and 1 command
- line), and will appear immediately above or below the current cursor
- position. You can use the mouse or the keyboard to move the one-line
- box anywhere on the screen. Pressing <Esc> or clicking the left
- mouse button on the prompt description will close the one-line box.
-
- Command lines:
-
- If the prompt window is tailored to appear as a command line, it
- will occupy only one line on the screen. It will be displayed
- immediately below (or above) the title bar displaying the file or
- directory name. The entire area within the window will be visible.
- Pressing <Esc> or clicking the left mouse button on the prompt
- description will close the command line prompt.
-
-
- The following command on the Edit window "Window" pull-down menu can
- be used to globally change the prompt type from within the editor:
-
- - wppt "Prompt Toggle"
-
- This command toggles the prompt type (for all prompts) between
- Dialog boxes, One-line boxes, and Command lines. The change is
- effective immediately. Note that this command changes all prompts.
- To tailor individual prompts, see the "Prompts" configuration
- setting ("Configuration - Editing Preferences" 17-8).
- Prompts 9
-
-
- Prompt history is available in some prompts. The following commands
- can be used to retrieve prompt history in any type of prompt:
-
- - wrtv %p <cursorup>
-
- This command retrieves the previous item in the prompt history.
-
- - wrtv %n <cursordown>
-
- This command retrieves the next item in the prompt history.
-
-
- You can also retrieve prompt history by clicking the left and right
- mouse buttons on the history tab () at the far right of the prompt.
-
- If the "SaveHis" configuration setting is ON, the prompt history for
- all prompts is saved in the file A.HIS when you exit the editor and
- restored when you re-enter (see "Configuration - Desktop Options"
- 17-11).
-
- Prompt history is available in following prompts:
-
- - File prompts (Open, Open and Insert, Open Binary, Rename, Save As,
- Block Save, Load Key Macros, Save Key Macros, Run Macro, Include
- Macro, Compile Macro)
-
- - Search Prompts (Find, Replace, Scan, Place Bookmark, Go to
- Bookmark)
-
- - OS Command and Capture prompts
-
- - Macro Command prompt
- Using the Menus 10
-
-
- 3-1 Using the Menus
- ────────────────────
-
- Both Edit windows and File Manager windows have an easy-to-use menu
- bar with "pull-down" menus. The pull-down menus allow easy access to
- many of The Aurora Editor's commands, and also show the key
- definitions for most editor commands. They can be especially helpful when
- exploring or learning to use the editor.
-
- This diagram illustrates the menu bar and a pull-down menu:
-
- ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
- │ File Window Block Search Fold Edit Clip Print Set Macro Help │
- └────────────────┬──┼───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────┤
- │ │ │ Print Ctrl-P │
- Menu Bar ───┘ │ Pull Down Menu ──────┤ Print Block Alt-P │
- Menu Bar Item ─┘ Menu Item ───────────┼─Print Formfeed │
- │ Print Settings.. │
- └────────────────────────┘
-
-
- The following commands allow you to access the menu bar and pull-down
- menus:
-
- - using the mouse:
-
- Click the left mouse button on a menu bar item to display it's
- pull-down menu. If you have configured the menu bar to be invisible
- (see the "EditStyle" and "FmgrStyle" configuration variables 17-9),
- you can click the right mouse button in the window client area to
- make the menu bar visible and display the most recently used
- pull-down menu.
-
- Once the pull-down menu is displayed, click the left mouse button on
- the desired menu item to remove the pull-down menu and execute the
- editor command for that item.
-
- - menb <Esc>, <F10>
-
- This command highlights the most recently selected menu bar item.
- You can then use the cursor left and right keys to change the
- highlighted item. Once you are on the menu bar, you can display any
- pull-down menu by typing in the menu bar item's highlighted
- character. When the desired menu bar item is highlighted, press
- <Enter> to display the pull-down menu. Pressing <Esc> will exit the
- menu bar.
-
- Using the Menus 11
-
-
- - men <Alt-F10>
-
- This command displays the most recently used pull-down menu. You can
- then use the cursor left and right keys to display the previous and
- next pull-down menu on the menu bar. Use the cursor up and down keys
- to move the highlight bar on the pull-down menu to the desired menu
- command and press <Enter> to execute it. You can also execute the
- menu command by typing in the highlighted character of the menu
- item, or by entering the function key (if any) associated with the
- menu item. Pressing <Esc> from the pull-down menu will return you to
- the menu bar.
-
- Four additional keys can be used within pull-down menus:
-
- - <Home> and <PgUp> move the cursor to the first menu item.
- - <End> and <PgDn> move the cursor to the last menu item.
-
- - men2 <Alt-T>, (and <Tab> on File Manager windows)
-
- This command highlights the first tool bar control on the Edit
- window tool bar (if present) or the first drive on the File Manager
- window drive menu bar. After this command is entered, you can use
- the <Tab>, <Shift-Tab>, <cursorleft>, and <cursorright> keys to move
- to other tool bar controls or drives. Pressing the <Enter> key will
- execute the tool bar control (or display the drive contents).
- Pressing <Esc> will remove the highlight and return the focus back
- to the Edit window or File Manager window.
-
- - menh <F1>
-
- This command displays the help menu.
-
-
- If you wish, you can customize the whole menu system according to your
- own preferences by changing existing pull-downs, adding new pull-
- downs, etc (see "Defining the Menus" 18-5). You can also customize the
- tool bar to execute your most often-used commands (see "The Tool Bar"
- 18-6).
-
- You can configure The Aurora Editor so that the menu bar is normally
- invisible and only displayed when the "menb" <Esc>,<F10> or "men"
- <Alt-F10> commands are entered, or when the right mouse button is
- pressed in the window client area. This will free up an extra line in
- the window for editing while still allowing you to use the menu system
- (see the "EditStyle" and "FmgrStyle" configuration settings 17-9).
-
- When you become more experienced with The Aurora Editor, you may
- prefer to use function keys to execute commands instead of selecting
- them from the menus. If you define your own functions keys, you will
- probably also want to change the menu pull-down definitions to show
- the new key assignments (see "Defining the Menus" 18-5).
- The Status Line 12
-
-
- 4-1 The Edit Window Status Line
- ────────────────────────────────
-
- By default, the Edit window status line is displayed in the north
- title bar at the upper right corner of the Edit window. Note that the
- location of the status line can be configured to be on the north or
- south title bar and can be right justified, left justified, or
- centered within the title bar (see the "EditStatus" configuration
- setting 17-9).
-
- The status line displays information about the file in an Edit window.
- The following is a sample status line:
-
- ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
- │ SVTWAMBDIR* [20] C 12 L 153 of 321 │
- └─┬┬┬┬┬┬┬┬┬┬┬──┬──────┬──────┬───────┬──┘
- │││││││││││ │ │ │ │
- │││││││││││ │ │ │ └─> total lines in the file
- │││││││││││ │ │ └───────> line number of the cursor
- │││││││││││ │ └────────────> column number of the cursor
- │││││││││││ └─────────────────> hex value of the char at the cursor
- ││││││││││└──────────────────> '*' indicates file is modified
- │││││││││└─────────────────> 'R' indicates Record Mode is ON
- ││││││││└────────────────> 'I' indicates Insert Mode is ON
- │││││││└───────────────> 'D' indicates Line Draw is ON
- ││││││└──────────────> 'B' indicates Backup is ON
- │││││└─────────────> 'M' indicates Match Character is ON
- ││││└────────────> 'A' indicates AutoIndent is ON
- │││└───────────> 'W' indicates Word Wrap is ON
- ││└──────────> 'T' indicates Text Translation is ON
- │└─────────> 'V' indicates Variable Tabs is ON
- └────────> 'S' indicates Smart Tabs is ON
-
-
- (For more information on Record Mode, Insert Mode, DrawMode, Backup,
- Match Character, AutoIndent, WordWrap, Text Translation, Variable
- Tabs, and Smart Tabs, see "Window Settings" 13-1).
- Creating and Loading Files 13
-
-
- 5-1 Creating and Loading Files
- ───────────────────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor can simultaneously edit almost any number of files,
- each of virtually any size (the virtual memory size of The Aurora
- Editor is 1 gigabyte). Each file can be displayed and edited in one or
- more windows.
-
- There are several commands to edit new or existing files:
-
- - from the command line:
-
- After entering "A" or "A3" on the DOS command line, enter any number
- of new or existing files. For example:
-
- C>a myfile.c new.doc *.h <Enter>
-
- For each file specified, an Edit window will be created. If the file
- exists, it will be loaded into the Edit window. If the specified
- name contains wildcards (* or ?), or specifies a drive or directory,
- then a File Manager window will be created which lists all files and
- directories that match the file specification.
-
- - from a File Manager window:
-
- You can select files to edit from the directory listing in a File
- Manager window. The File Manager also has other commands which allow
- you manipulate files on disk (see "The File Manager" 16-1).
-
- - newf "New" <Ctrl-N>
-
- This command creates a new Edit window with the filename "NEW.TXT".
- The new Edit window will contain one blank line.
-
- - askopen "Open.." <Alt-E>
-
- This command prompts you for a filename to open. You may enter a new
- or existing filename to create an Edit window for the filename, or
- you may enter a directory name or a wildcard specification to create
- a File Manager Window. If you press <Enter> at the prompt without
- entering anything, a File Manager window will be created for the
- current directory.
-
- You can specify "open options" after the filename or directory name
- by entering a "/" character and any of the following options:
- Creating and Loading Files 14
-
-
- i - include the file or directory listing after the cursor in the
- current window
-
- b - load the file in "binary" mode (see the "askopenb" command
- below). The binary line length can be specified after this
- option (if not specified, then the "BinaryLength"
- configuration setting is used). This option is ignored when
- entering a directory or wildcard specification.
-
- z - maximize the new window
-
- n - minimize the new window
-
- c - new windows are the same size as the topmost window and are
- cascaded to bottom and left of the topmost window.
-
- e - load the file into the current edit window without discarding
- the existing file in the edit window. This option is added
- automatically if the "OneWindow" configuration setting is ON
- (see "Configuration - Editing Preferences" 17-8).
-
- l - enter a line number after the "l" option to position the
- cursor at the specified line number
-
- Note: open options can also be specified when loading files from
- the DOS command line.
-
- For example, entering "c:\doc\test.dat/zb32" at the "askopen" prompt
- will the open the file "c:\doc\test.dat" in binary mode (with a line
- length of 32) and display it in a maximized window.
-
- Entering "c:\doc\test.dat/l689" opens "c:\doc\test.dat" and places
- the cursor on line number 689.
-
- Note that prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts"
- 2-6).
-
- - askopenb "Open Binary.."
-
- This command works like askopen, except that if a file is specified,
- it is opened in "binary" mode. When a file is opened in binary mode,
- no characters in the file are interpreted as end-of-line delimiters.
- The entire file is loaded "as is" into an Edit window. The length of
- each line is the same (except for the last line), and is determined
- by the "BinaryLength" configuration setting (see "Configuration -
- Open Options" 17-6).
-
- "Open options" can be specified in this prompt (see "askopen"
- above).
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
- Creating and Loading Files 15
-
-
- - openlast "Open Last" <Alt-Z>
-
- This command re-opens the last Edit window or File Manager window
- that you closed.
-
- - open [filename or directory] [open options]
-
- This command opens the filename or directory with the
- specified open options (see the "askopen" command above for a description
- of open options). No Prompts are displayed. For example:
-
- open "c:\config.sys" %bc.
-
- The command above loads the file "c:\config.sys" in binary mode in a
- cascaded window.
-
- - opena [filename]
-
- This command opens the specified configuration file for The Aurora
- Editor (ACFG.A, AKBD.A, AMEN.A, ATRN.A) without prompting. There is
- no need to specify a path or extension. For example:
-
- opena "akbd".
-
- The command above loads The Aurora Editor keyboard definition file.
-
-
- You can press the <Ctrl-Break> key to interrupt any of the above open
- commands in progress.
-
- Note that any files not loaded in binary mode will use the value of
- the "LineDlm" configuration setting as the line delimiter string. The
- default LineDlm setting is "0D0Ah" (carriage return and linefeed).
-
- If the "SaveWin" configuration setting is ON and the file you are
- opening was previously closed, The Aurora Editor will automatically
- restore the window size, position, settings, and cursor position
- exactly as they were before you closed the window (see "Configuration
- - Desktop Options" 17-11).
-
-
- 5-2 Saving and Discarding Files
- ────────────────────────────────
-
- Several commands are available for discarding files and saving files
- to disk:
-
- - save "Save" <F3>
-
- This command saves the file in the current Edit window to disk. If
- the file was loaded or created as a "binary" file, it will be saved
- "as is" with no line delimiter characters, otherwise each line will
- be appended with the value of the "LineDlm" configuration setting
- (see "Configuration - Open Options" 17-6).
- Saving and Discarding Files 16
-
-
- If the "Backup" setting is ON, any existing files with the same name
- on disk will be backed-up (see "Window Settings" 13-1).
-
- - asksaveas "Save As.."
-
- This command prompts you for a filename, and then saves the file in
- the current Edit window under that filename (just like the "save"
- command above).
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
- - save [filename]
-
- This command saves the file in the current Edit window under the
- specified filename, without prompting.
-
- - quit %p
-
- This command closes the current window and removes it from the
- screen. The file displayed in the window is also closed. If changes
- were made without saving, you will be prompted to save them.
-
- If the "SaveWin" configuration setting is ON, The Aurora Editor will
- save the window size, position, settings, and cursor position. When
- the file is edited again, the editor will automatically restore the
- window size, position, settings, and cursor position exactly as they
- were before you closed the window.
-
- - gquit %p "Close All" <Alt-X>
-
- This command closes all windows and files in the current edit
- session and exits the editor. If changes were made to any file
- without saving, you will be prompted to save them.
-
- If the "SaveHis" configuration setting is ON and the "BootOpt"
- configuration setting is "d" (desktop), The Aurora Editor will save
- the window size, position, settings, and cursor position for the
- windows in current edit session (i.e. the "desktop"). If you then
- re-enter the editor without specifying a filename after the "A" or
- "A3" command at the DOS prompt, the desktop will automatically be
- restored, with all windows present as they were when you left the
- editor.
-
- - quit %f
-
- This command saves the file in the current Edit window (like the
- "save" command above), and then closes the file and the window.
-
- - gquit %f "Save and Close All"
-
- This command saves the files in all open Edit windows and exits the
- editor.
- Saving and Discarding Files 17
-
-
- The effects of the following commands depend on the value of the
- "OneWindow" configuration setting (see "Configuration - Editing
- Preferences 17-8).
-
- - wquit %p <Ctrl-K-Q>
-
- If the configuration setting "OneWindow" is OFF, this command closes
- both the current window and the file displayed in the window
- (identical to the "quit %p" command above).
-
- If "OneWindow" is ON, this command closes the current window without
- closing the file displayed in the window.
-
- - fquit %p "Close" <Alt-Q>
-
- If the configuration setting "OneWindow" is OFF, this command closes
- both the current window and the file displayed in the window
- (identical to the "quit %p" command above).
-
- If "OneWindow" is ON, this command closes the file in an Edit window
- without closing the Edit window. The previous open file is displayed
- in the Edit window.
-
- - fquit %f "Save and Close" <Ctrl-X>
-
- If the configuration setting "OneWindow" is OFF, this command saves
- the file in the current Edit window, and then closes the file and
- the window (identical to the "quit %f" command above).
-
- If "OneWindow" is ON, this command saves and closes the file in an
- Edit window without closing the Edit window. The previous open file
- is displayed in the Edit window.
-
-
- The following commands allow you edit more than one file per window:
-
- - fnex "Next" <Ctrl-Del>
-
- This command cycles through all open files in a forward direction
- and displays them in the current Edit window.
-
- - fpre "Prev" <Ctrl-Ins>
-
- This command cycles through all open files in a reverse direction
- and displays them in the current Edit window.
-
- - flis "List.." <Alt-Hyphen>
-
- This command displays a menu which lists all the open files in your
- current edit session. To select a file for editing, use the cursor
- keys to position the highlighted bar over the window name and press
- <Enter>. You can also select a file from the list using the left
- mouse button.
- Other File Commands 18
-
-
- If you select a file from the list, the selected file replaces the
- existing file in the Edit window (without closing the existing
- file).
-
-
- 5-3 Other File Commands
- ────────────────────────
-
- Other useful "File" commands are also available:
-
-
- - askopenins "Open and Insert.." <Alt-I>
-
- This command prompts you for a filename, and then inserts the file
- after the cursor in the current Edit window. You can also enter a
- directory name, a name with wildcards (*, ?), or just <Enter> to
- select a filename from a File Manager window.
-
- "Open options" can be specified in this prompt (see the "askopen"
- command 5-1).
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
- - wrdlod CSetB <Ctrl-]>
-
- This command opens the filename at the cursor. "CSetB" is the
- character set used to define a filename for this command (see
- "Configuration - Character Sets" 17-14).
-
- - refresh
-
- This command refreshes the contents of the current window from disk.
-
- - askname "Rename" <Alt-N>
-
- This command prompts you for a filename, and then changes the name
- of the current Edit window to the filename you entered. Note that
- this command only renames the Edit window, not the file on disk (the
- File Manager can rename a file or directory on disk, see "The File
- Manager" 16-1).
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
- - name [filename]
-
- This command changes the name of the current Edit window to the
- specified filename, without prompting you for the filename.
-
- - fmgr "File Manager.." <F4>
-
- This command displays a File Manager window for the current
- directory.
- Other File Commands 19
-
-
- - about "About.."
-
- This command displays a dialog box showing the current version
- number of The Aurora Editor, and the current date and time.
-
- - hlp [major] [minor]
-
- This command displays The Aurora Editor User's Guide (this
- document), and positions the cursor at the section "[major] -
- [minor]". For example, "hlp 5 3" displays help on this section
- (see "Other File Commands").
-
- - qref <Shift-F1>
-
- This command displays The Aurora Editor Quick Reference (AREF.DOC)
- Finding Your Way Around 20
-
-
- 6-1 Finding Your Way Around
- ────────────────────────────
-
- Simple commands allow you to move the cursor in both Edit windows and
- File Manager windows:
-
- - left <cursorleft>
- - right <cursorright>
- - up <cursorup>
- - down <cursordown>
-
- Use the cursor commands (left, right, up, down) to move the cursor
- one line or one column at a time. If you attempt to move the cursor
- outside the window, the window will automatically scroll to display
- the new line or column.
-
- You can also move the cursor by clicking the left mouse button at
- new cursor location.
-
- - cptop <Ctrl-Home>
-
- This command moves the cursor to the line at the top of the window
- without scrolling or changing the cursor column.
-
- - cpbot <Ctrl-End>
-
- This command moves the cursor to the line at the bottom of the window
- without scrolling or changing the cursor column.
-
- - cmov @ 1 <Ctrl-PgUp>
-
- This command moves the cursor to line 1 of the file or directory
- listing without changing the column (scrolling if necessary).
-
- - cmov @ (qtexend) <Ctrl-PgDn>
-
- This command moves the cursor to the last line of the file or
- directory listing without changing the column (scrolling if
- necessary).
- Finding Your Way Around 21
-
-
- - cmov [x] [y] [options]
-
- This command moves the cursor to the location specified by [x], [y]
- in the current window. The following [options] many be specified:
-
- a - [x] and [y] specify absolute column and line positions
- r - [x] and [y] are relative to the current cursor position
-
- If no [options] are specified, the default is "a".
-
- - clast <Ctrl-Hyphen>
-
- This command moves the cursor to the previous cursor position,
- scrolling if necessary. This command can be useful for moving back
- and forth over large distances in an Edit window or File Manager
- window.
-
- - ladj @ -1 <Keypad-5>
-
- This command scrolls the text up or down so that the cursor is
- placed at the center of the window, without moving the cursor from
- the current line.
-
- - ladj @ 1 <Ctrl-F9>
- - ladj @ (qwinp @ %y1d) <Ctrl-F10>
-
- These commands scroll the text so that the cursor is placed at the
- top or bottom line of the window, without moving the cursor from the
- current line.
-
-
-
- The following commands move the cursor only in Edit windows:
-
- - chome <Home>
-
- This command moves the cursor to column one of the current line.
-
- - ceol <End>
-
- This command moves the cursor one column after the last non-blank
- character of the current line.
-
- - cwrd %l CSet <Ctrl-Left>
- - cwrd %r CSet <Ctrl-Right>
-
- These commands move the cursor to the first character of the
- previous or next word. The configuration setting "CSet" is the
- character set used to define a word for these commands (see
- "Configuration - Character Sets" 17-14).
- Finding Your Way Around 22
-
-
- - askbset "Place Bookmark.."
-
- This command allows you to place a location marker or "bookmark" at
- the cursor position in the current Edit window. You can return to
- the bookmark later using the "askbget" or "bget" commands (see
- below). Bookmarks are automatically destroyed when the Edit window
- (and all of it's copies) containing the bookmark are closed.
-
- This command will prompt you to enter the name of the bookmark. Note
- that bookmark names are global to all windows. The current cursor
- position, window size and placement, and cursor insert mode are
- saved with the bookmark. They are restored when you return to the
- bookmark using the "askbget" or "bget" commands.
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
- - bset "Quick Bookmark" <Ctrl-2>
-
- This command places a bookmark in the same way as the "askbset"
- command above, except that you will not prompted to enter a bookmark
- name. A bookmark name with the prefix "BOOK" is automatically
- generated by the editor.
-
- - bset [bookmark name]
-
- This command will place a bookmark at the cursor position using the
- specified bookmark name, without prompting.
-
- - askbget "Go to Bookmark.."
-
- This command prompts you to enter the name of a "bookmark" you have
- previously placed using the "askbset" or "bset" commands. The cursor
- will be moved to the "bookmark" cursor position, and the Edit window
- will be sized and placed as it was when the "askbset" or "bset"
- command was entered. If the bookmark is located in another Edit
- window, that window will become the current window before returning
- to the bookmark.
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
- - bget "Prev Bookmark" <Ctrl-6>
-
- This command goes to the previous bookmark without prompting.
- Entering this command repeatedly will cycle through all existing
- bookmarks in all windows.
-
- - bget [bookmark name]
-
- This command will go to the specified bookmark, without prompting.
- Finding Your Way Around 23
-
-
- - askglin "Go to Line.." <Ctrl-J>
-
- This command will prompt you for a line number, and then move the
- cursor directly to the line you specified, scrolling if necessary.
- The column position of the cursor is not changed.
-
- - glin [line number]
-
- This command will move the cursor to the specified line number,
- without prompting.
-
- - askgcol "Go to Column.."
-
- This command will prompt you for a column number, and then move the
- cursor directly to the column you specified, scrolling if necessary.
- The cursor line is not changed.
-
- - gcol [column number]
-
- This command will move the cursor to the specified column number,
- without prompting.
-
- - mloc @ %t "Go to Block Start" <Ctrl-B>
- - mloc @ %b "Go to Block End"
-
- These commands move the cursor to the top or bottom of the current
- marked block. If the marked block is in another Edit window, that
- window will be made the "current" window before executing these
- commands.
-
- - cfld "Go to Next Fold" <Alt-7>
- - cfld %r "Go to Prev Fold"
-
- These commands move the cursor to the next or previous "top-level"
- text fold in the current Edit window (see "Folding Text" 10-1).
-
- - ctab <Tab>
- - ctab %l <Shift-Tab>
-
- These commands move the cursor to the next or previous tab stop. The
- tab stop can be one of 3 types, depending on which Window Settings
- are currently set ON, and the current cursor position (see "Window
- Settings" 13-1):
- Finding Your Way Around 24
-
-
- - Interval Tabs
-
- Interval Tabs are the default when the "Variable Tabs" and "Smart
- Tabs" settings are turned OFF. The location of the tab stops are
- defined by the "TabWidth" configuration setting. For example,
- setting TabWidth to 8 will set tab stops at every 8th column
- position (1, 9, 17, 25, etc).
-
- - Variable Tabs
-
- Variable Tabs are used when the "Variable Tabs" setting is ON and
- the "Smart Tabs" setting is OFF. If Variable Tabs are set ON, the
- cursor will move to the next preset tab position you have
- specified in the "Tabs" configuration setting (see "Configuration
- - Word Processing" 17-4).
-
- - Smart Tabs
-
- If the "SmartTabs" configuration setting is set ON, the cursor is
- moved to the beginning of the next or previous word on the first
- non-blank line before the current line. This can be useful for
- aligning data with columns on the previous line.
-
-
- - finm "Find Matching Char" <Alt-F3>
-
- This command moves the cursor to the matching parenthesis (), brace
- {}, square bracket [], or angled bracket <> for the character at the
- cursor. If the character at the cursor is not one of these
- characters, then the cursor is moved to the next parenthesis, brace,
- or bracket, if one exists.
-
- This command can be very useful for balancing expressions in
- programming languages.
-
- - finc "Go to Compiler Error" <Alt-F7>
-
- This command can be used together with the "askoscap" <Alt-F8>
- command ("OS Capture.." on the "Macro" pulldown menu) to aid in
- running external compilers and locating compiler errors from within
- The Aurora Editor.
-
- Use the "askoscap" <Alt-F8> command ("OS Capture" on the "Macro"
- pull-down menu) to enter the command you use to compile or build
- your program. The "askoscap" command will run your compiler and
- return the compiler output in an Edit window.
- Finding Your Way Around 25
-
-
- You can then use the "finc" <Alt-F7> command to locate compiler
- errors. Just move cursor to the line containing the error
- description in the compiler output, and enter the "finc" <Alt-F7>
- command. The editor will automatically open the source file
- containing the error, and place the cursor on the line where the
- compiler error occurred.
-
- Note: the only Microsoft C, Borland C, and Turbo Pascal compilers
- are currently supported.
-
-
- 6-2 Scrolling
- ──────────────
-
- The following commands can be used to scroll through both Edit windows
- and File Manager windows:
-
- - using the mouse:
-
- Use the vertical scroll bar for scrolling up or down, and the
- horizontal scroll bar for scrolling left or right. To scroll by one
- page, click the left mouse button on the portion of the scroll bar
- between the scroll bar thumb and the scroll bar arrows. To scroll by
- one line or column, click the left mouse button on the scroll bar
- arrows.
-
- Scrolling will repeat until you release the left mouse button (see
- the "MouHold" and "MouDelay" configuration settings 17-3). You can
- also scroll by pressing the left mouse button on the scroll bar
- thumb, dragging it to the desired position, and then releasing the
- left mouse button.
-
- - scry (- (ypagsiz)) <PgUp>
- - scry (ypagsiz) <PgDn>
-
- These commands scroll the current window up or down by one page
- minus one line.
-
- - scry (- (/ (ypagsiz) 2))
- - scry (/ (ypagsiz) 2)
-
- These commands scroll the current window up or down by one-half
- page.
-
- - scry -1 <Ctrl-Up>
- - scry 1 <Ctrl-Down>
-
- These commands scroll the current window up or down by one line.
- Scrolling 26
-
- - scrx (- (xpagsiz)) <F7>
- - scrx (xpagsiz)) <F8>
-
- These commands scroll the current window left or right by one page
- minus one column.
-
-
- 6-3 Modifying Text
- ───────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor provides many easy-to-use commands for modifying the
- text in an Edit window:
-
- - cmtog <Ins>
-
- This command toggles the "insert mode" for the current Edit window.
- The insert mode is local to each Edit window. If the insert mode is
- ON, any characters entered will be inserted into the current line at
- the cursor. If insert mode is OFF, any characters entered will
- replace existing characters at cursor.
-
- Note that the insert mode can affect the operation of other
- commands, depending on the current configuration settings. See the
- section "Configuration - Editing Preferences" (17-8) and the
- configuration settings "EnterIns", "EnterOvl", "TabShift", and
- "BakOvl".
-
- - delch <Del>
-
- This command will delete the character at the cursor. The characters
- to the right of the cursor will be shifted left by one column.
-
- If the configuration setting "DelJoin" is ON and the cursor is
- beyond the end of the line, the next line will be joined to the
- current line at the cursor.
-
- - baksp <Backspace>
-
- This command moves the cursor left one column and deletes the
- character at the new cursor position. The characters to the right of
- the cursor are shifted left by one column.
-
- If the configuration setting "BakOvl" is set ON and the insert mode
- for the current window is OFF, the characters to the right of the
- cursor position will not be shifted.
-
- If the configuration setting "BakJoin" is set ON and the cursor is
- at column 1, then the current line will be joined to the end the
- previous line when executing this command.
- Modifying Text 27
-
-
- - leol %l <Alt-F6>
- - leol "Erase to End" <F6>
-
- These commands delete the characters from the current cursor
- position to the beginning or to the end of the line.
-
- - wrddel CSet "Delete Right Word" <Ctrl-T>
-
- This command deletes all characters from the cursor to the end of
- the word at the cursor. The configuration setting "CSet" is the
- character set used to define a word for this command (see
- "Configuration - Character Sets" 17-14).
-
- If the configuration setting "DelJoin" is ON and the cursor is at
- the end of the line, the next line will be joined to the current
- line at the cursor.
-
- - wrdcas [options] [char set].
-
- This command changes the case of the word at the cursor. The
- following [options] may be specified:
-
- l - change the word to lower case
- u - change the word to upper case
-
- Specifying both options "l" and "u" will toggle the case of each
- character in the word. If no [options] are specified, the default is
- "u".
-
- [char set] specifies the character set used to define a word for
- this command (see "Configuration - Character Sets" 17-14). If not
- specified, the default is "CSet".
-
- - lins %a "Insert Line" <Ctrl-Enter>
-
- This command inserts a new line after the line at the cursor.
-
- If "AutoIndent" is ON, the cursor is moved to the first non-blank
- column of the previous line. If the previous line is blank, then the
- cursor is moved to the first non-blank column of the next line. If
- the next line is also blank, the cursor column does not change.
-
- If the "AutoIndent" is OFF, the cursor is moved to column one.
-
- - lins %c
-
- This command is similar to the "lins %a" command above, except that
- the cursor column position is not changed.
- Modifying Text 28
-
-
- - ldel "Delete Line" <Ctrl-Backspace>
-
- This command deletes the line at the cursor. The text below the
- cursor is shifted up by one line.
-
- Note: entering the "mdel" <Alt-D> command will also delete the line
- at the cursor if no marked block currently exists and the "DelLine"
- configuration setting is ON (see "Using Marked Blocks" 8-1).
-
- - lspl "Split Line" <Alt-S>
-
- This command splits the line at the cursor. The text from the cursor
- to the end of the line will be moved to a new line inserted after
- the cursor. If "AutoIndent" is ON, the beginning of the new line
- will be aligned with the beginning of the original line, otherwise
- the new line is moved to column one.
-
- - ljoin "Join Line" <Alt-J>
-
- This command appends the line below the cursor to the line at the
- cursor. If the cursor is positioned on or before the end of the
- line, the line below the cursor is joined to the end of the current
- line. If the cursor is positioned after the end of the line, the
- line below the cursor is joined at the cursor position.
-
- - ldup "Duplicate Line" <Alt-4>
-
- This command duplicates the line at the cursor.
-
- Note: entering the "mcpy" <Alt-C> command will also duplicate the
- line at the cursor if no marked block currently exists and the
- "CopyLine" configuration setting is ON (see "Using Marked Blocks"
- 8-1).
-
- - lswp "Swap Lines" <Alt-5>
-
- This command swaps the line at the cursor with the following line.
-
- - lcen "Center Line" <Alt-6>
-
- This command centers the line at the cursor between the Left and
- Right margins.
-
- - lcom "Comment Line" <Alt-F1>
-
- This command "comments out" the line at the cursor by prefixing it
- with the string "//". If the line is already commented-out, then it
- is "un-commented" by removing the string "//". The cursor is moved
- to the next line without changing the column position.
- Modifying Text 29
-
-
- - lcom [string1] [string2].
-
- This command "comments out" the line at the cursor by enclosing it
- between the strings [string1] and [string2]. If the line is already
- commented-out, then it is "un-commented" by removing the enclosing
- strings [string1] and [string2]. The cursor is moved to the next
- line without changing the column position.
-
- - enteredit <Enter>
-
- The action taken when this command is entered depends on the insert
- mode for the current Edit window and the configuration settings
- "EnterOvl" and "EnterIns".
-
- "EnterOvl" defines the action to take when this command is entered
- and the cursor is in overlay mode. "EnterIns" defines the action to
- take when this command is entered and the cursor is in insert mode.
- You can choose one of the following values for both EnterOvl and
- EnterIns:
-
- i - inserts a new line
- s - splits the line at the cursor and moves the cursor to the
- beginning of the next line
- null - moves the cursor to the beginning of the next line
-
- - lit "Enter Literal.." <Ctrl-[>
-
- This command prompts you to enter a character "literally" into an
- Edit window. Any key entered is interpreted as a "type-able" key,
- not a function key.
-
- You can use this command to enter any ascii character into a file.
- At the literal prompt, hold down the <Alt> key, enter the ascii
- value of the character with the keypad keys, and then release the
- <Alt> key. Binary zeros can be entered by pressing <Shift-F1> at the
- literal prompt.
-
- - wasc "Ascii Chart.." <Alt-=>
-
- This command displays a menu which lists all 256 ascii characters
- and their decimal and hex values. You can select an ascii character
- from the menu and enter it into the current Edit window by pressing
- the <Enter> key over the character or by selecting it with the left
- mouse button. Pressing <Esc> cancels the ascii chart.
-
- Note: The ascii chart can also be used within an editor prompt.
- Modifying Text 30
-
-
- - txt [string]
-
- This command enters the string [string] at the cursor as if it had
- been typed in. If the cursor is in insert mode, the string is
- inserted into the text at the cursor, otherwise the string will
- overlay the text at the cursor.
-
- - stamp "Date/Time Stamp" <Ctrl-K-T>
-
- This command enters the current date and time at the cursor as if it
- had been typed in. If the cursor is in insert mode, the date and
- time are inserted into the text at the cursor, otherwise the date and
- time will overlay the text at the cursor. The date and time are
- entered in the following format: MM/DD/YY HH:MMmm. For example,
- "08/30/93 01:01am".
-
- - exptab TabWidth "Expand Tabs" <Ctrl-K-X>
-
- This command expands all the tab characters in the current Edit
- window. The tab width using during the expansion is determined by
- the "Tab Width" setting (see "Global Settings" 13-2). Acceptable
- values of "TabWidth" for this command are 1 through 64. Using a tab
- width of 1 converts tab characters (ascii 9) to spaces.
- Undo and Redo 31
-
-
- 6-4 Undo and Redo
- ──────────────────
-
- The undo and redo commands are a very advanced feature of The Aurora
- Editor. They allow you to backtrack and retrace modifications you made
- to the text in an Edit window. This can be an extremely valuable
- safeguard against accidental changes, or simply a convenient way for
- you to review your recent text changes.
-
- In general, all text changes, text folding, and block marking can be
- undone. Cursor movements and scrolling are also undone, but only when
- they are associated with text changes, text folding, and marking. Any
- change to the text in an Edit window can be undone, including block
- commands. Commands which can not be un-done are file saving commands,
- and commands which make changes directly to files via the File
- Manager.
-
- The following commands let you undo and redo changes to text:
-
- - undo "Undo" <Ctrl-U>
-
- This command will undo the last change you made to the text in the
- current Edit window. The text will be restored to its original state
- and the window and cursor will be positioned as they were before the
- change was made.
-
- Entering this command repeatedly will continue to undo text changes
- in the reverse order you made them. The configuration setting
- "UndoSize" determines the maximum number of changes which can be
- undone (see "Configuration - Editing Preferences" 17-8).
-
- - undo %r "Redo" <Ctrl-Y>
-
- This command will redo the last change that you have undone with the
- undo command in the current Edit window. Entering this command
- repeatedly will redo your text changes in the order you made them.
- Changes made with this command can also be undone with undo command.
-
-
- Note that both the undo and redo commands are "local" to the text in
- an Edit window. Entering either of these commands in one Edit window
- will only modify the text in another Edit window if the other Edit
- window is a copy of the original window.
- OS Commands 32
-
-
- 7-1 OS Commands
- ────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor has three commands which allow you execute almost
- any DOS command or program from with the editor and then return you to
- your editing session. They are available from the "Macro" pulldown
- menu.
-
- In order to leave the maximum amount of memory available for DOS
- programs, The Aurora Editor will shrink down to 1.2K by swapping
- itself out to XMS or EMS memory (if available), or to disk.
-
- The OS commands are:
-
- - osshell "OS Shell" <F9>
-
- This command passes control to the DOS program "COMMAND.COM", and
- allows you to enter commands just as if you were in a normal DOS
- session. When you are in the DOS session, enter the "EXIT" command
- to return to the editor where you left it.
-
- - askoscmd %ck "OS Command" <Alt-F9>
-
- This command will prompt you to enter a DOS command, execute it, and
- then return you to the editor where you left it (there is no need to
- type "EXIT").
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
- - askoscap "OS Capture" <Alt-F8>
-
- This command will prompt you to enter a DOS command, execute the
- command, and capture the output in a file. You will then be returned
- to the editor and the captured output will be displayed in an Edit
- window (there is no need to type "EXIT").
-
- This command is especially helpful when used with the "finc"
- <Alt-F7> command ("Go to Compiler Error" on the "Search" pull-down
- menu). You can use the "askoscap" command to capture the output from
- a compiler, and then use the "finc" <Alt-F7> command to locate
- compiler errors in your source code (see the "finc" command 6-1).
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
- OS Commands 33
-
- - os [DOS command] [options]
-
- This command executes the specified DOS command without prompting
- you for the command. You can specify any of the following options:
-
- c - clear the screen before executing the command
- k - display the prompt "Press any key to return" when done
-
- For example:
-
- os %dir %kc
-
- The command above clears the screen, executes the DOS "dir" command,
- and then prompts you to return to the editor.
-
- - oscap [DOS command] [options]
-
- This command executes the specified DOS command without prompting
- you for the command, and directs the output to a file. You can
- specify the "k" option (see the "os" command above).
-
-
- Note: You should not execute any DOS "terminate and stay resident"
- programs (such as the DOS "print" command) from within any of the above
- commands. "Terminate and stay resident" programs should be started
- before the editor is started.
- Using Marked Blocks 34
-
-
- 8-1 Using Marked Blocks
- ────────────────────────
-
- Marking blocks of text and executing block commands are essential
- features of many text editors. A block mark is an area of text in an
- Edit window which has been designated for a specific block command.
- Unlike the clipboard commands (see "The Clipboard" 9-1), block
- commands directly manipulate Edit window text.
-
- The Aurora Editor provides commands to define block marks by lines,
- columns, and characters (streams), and also provides a large set of
- block commands. There are block commands for copying, moving,
- deleting, overlaying, reflowing text, and more.
-
- Before you can use a block command, you must first create a block
- mark. The Aurora Editor has several different commands for creating
- block marks:
-
-
- - mset %l "Mark Line" <Alt-L>
-
- This command creates a new "line" mark or adjusts the size of an
- existing line mark. A line mark designates a group of one or more
- complete lines without specifying any column information. To mark a
- group of lines, just move the cursor to one end of the group of
- lines to be marked and enter this command, then move the cursor to
- the other end and enter this command again. The new line mark will
- be highlighted.
-
- To create a line mark using the mouse, double-click the left mouse
- button on one end of the group of lines to be marked, and with left
- mouse button still down, drag the mouse to the other end of the
- group of lines and then release the left mouse button.
-
- Note: A line mark can also be created by holding down the left
- <Shift> key and using the cursor keys to size the mark.
-
- - mset %r "Mark Column" <Alt-B>
-
- This command creates a new rectangular or "column" mark. It can also
- adjust the size of an existing column mark. A column mark designates
- rectangular area of text which spans one or more lines and one or
- more columns. To create a column mark, move the cursor to one corner
- of the desired rectangle and enter this command, then move the
- cursor to the opposite corner of the rectangle and enter this
- command again. The new column mark will be highlighted.
-
- To create a column mark using the mouse, press the left mouse button
- down at one end of the rectangle to be marked, and with left mouse
- button still down, drag the mouse to the opposite corner of the
- rectangle and release the left mouse button.
- Using Marked Blocks 35
-
-
- - mset %s "Mark Character" <Alt-A>
-
- This command creates a new stream or "character" mark. It can also
- adjust the size of an existing character mark. A character mark
- designates a continuous segment or "stream" of characters in the
- file. To create a character mark, move the cursor to the beginning
- of the character stream and enter this command, then move the cursor
- to the end of the character stream and enter this command again. The
- new character mark will be highlighted.
-
- Note: A character mark can also be created by holding down the right
- <Shift> key and using the cursor keys to size the mark.
-
- - mdes "Unmark" <Alt-U>
-
- This command will unmark the current marked block.
-
-
- Note: the "MouMrkS" and "MouMrkD" configuration settings (see
- "Configuration - Mouse" 17-3) determine the default type of block
- marks created by single-clicking and double-clicking the left mouse
- button and dragging the mouse. No matter what "MouMrkS" and "MouMrkD"
- are set to, you can still always create the desired line, column, or
- character mark by holding down the appropriate "shift" key when
- single-clicking or double-clicking the left mouse button and dragging
- the mouse:
-
- <Alt> - forces line marks
- <Ctrl> - forces column marks
- <Shift> - forces character (stream) marks
-
-
- There are some "short-cut" block marking commands for defining
- commonly used line and column marks, which can save you time:
-
- - mpgh %tb "Mark Paragraph" <Alt-3>
-
- This command creates a line mark which spans the "paragraph" in
- which the cursor is located. A paragraph is defined as a contiguous
- series of non-blank lines.
-
- - wrdmrk CSet "Mark Word" <Alt-1>
-
- This command creates a column mark which spans the "word" in which
- the cursor is located. The configuration setting "CSet" is the
- character set used to define a word for this command (see
- "Configuration - Character Sets" 17-14).
-
- - meol "Mark to EOL" <Alt-2>
-
- This command creates a column mark which spans the text from the
- current cursor position to the end of the line.
- Using Marked Blocks 36
-
-
- The following block commands can be used with all marked blocks
- created by the methods described above. Note that the effects of all
- these commands can be reversed with the "undo" <Ctrl-U> command.
-
- - mcpy "Copy" <Alt-C>
-
- This commands inserts a copy of the text in the current marked block
- after the cursor. The original marked block remains unchanged. You can
- copy a marked block within the same Edit window, or between different
- Edit windows.
-
- The configuration setting "MoveMark" determines whether or not the
- block mark highlight is moved to the location where the text was
- copied (see "Configuration Settings - Editing Preferences" 17-8).
-
- Note: this command can also be used to duplicate the line at the
- cursor if no marked block currently exists and the "CopyLine"
- configuration setting is ON.
-
- - mcpyp <Alt-C>
-
- This command is for use within an editor prompt. It copies the text
- in the current marked block to the cursor location within the
- prompt. Only column marks (or the first line of a stream mark) are
- copied. Line marks are ignored.
-
- - mmov "Move" <Alt-M>
-
- This command moves the text in the current marked block (and the
- marked block itself) after the cursor. The marked block may be in
- the current Edit window or in another Edit window.
-
- - mdel "Delete" <Alt-D>
-
- This command deletes the text in the current marked block, and the
- marked block itself. The marked block may be in the current Edit
- window, or in a another Edit window. Note that you can restore the
- marked block again with the "undo" <Ctrl-U> command.
-
- Note: this command can also be used to delete the line at the cursor
- if no marked block currently exists and the "DelLine" configuration
- setting is ON.
-
- - askmfill "Fill" <Ctrl-K-F>
-
- This command prompts you to enter a character, and then fills the
- marked block with the character you specified. If the marked block
- is a line mark, only the area between the left and right margins
- is filled.
- Using Marked Blocks 37
-
-
- - msave "Save.." <Ctrl-K-S>
- - msave %a
-
- These commands prompt you for a filename, and then save the current
- marked block in the file you specified. If option "a" is specified,
- the block is always appended to the file, otherwise you will be
- prompted to replace the file or append to the file (if it exists).
-
- If the file containing the marked block is a binary file, then no
- line delimiter is used when saving, otherwise each saved line in the
- block is appended with the current value of the line delimiter
- "LineDlm" configuration setting.
-
- Note: you cannot use the "undo" <Ctrl-U> command to reverse the
- effects of this command.
-
- - mcase %l "Lowercase"
- - mcase %u "Uppercase" <Ctrl-K-U>
-
- These commands will convert all characters in the current marked
- block to lower case or upper case.
-
- - mcase %ul
-
- This command will "flip" or toggle the case of all characters in the
- current marked block.
-
-
- The following block commands work only on line and column blocks:
-
- - mmov %o "Overlay" <Alt-O>
-
- This command overlays the text at the cursor with the text in the
- current marked block. The original marked block remains unchanged
- (if it does not overlap the destination). You can overlay a marked
- block within the same Edit window, or between different Edit
- windows.
-
- The configuration setting "MoveMark" determines whether or not the
- block mark highlight is moved to the location where the text was
- overlaid (see "Configuration Settings - Editing Preferences" 17-8).
-
- - mmov %of "Move Over" <Ctrl-M>
-
- This command moves the text in the current marked block over the
- text at the cursor. The original marked block is blanked-out (or
- partially blanked-out if it overlaps with new block at the cursor).
- You can use this command inside the same Edit window, or between
- different Edit windows.
-
- - mshf 1 "Indent" <Shift-F8>
- - mshf -1 "Unindent" <Shift-F7>
-
- These commands shift the text in the current marked block left or
- right one column. They are useful for indenting or unindenting areas
- of text.
- Using Marked Blocks 38
-
-
- - mjust %l "Left Justify"
- - mjust %c "Center" <Ctrl-K-C>
- - mjust %r "Right Justify"
-
- These commands left justify, center, and right justify the text in
- the current marked block. For line blocks, the current Left and
- Right margins are used. For column marks, the left and right edges
- of the mark are used as left and right margins. The centering
- command is useful for creating centered document titles.
-
- - mrfl %b "Reflow" <Alt-R>
-
- This useful command will "reflow" the text within the current marked
- block. If the marked block is a line mark, the marked text will be
- reflowed to fit between the Left and Right Margins. The reflowed
- text will always be left justified.
-
- If the marked block is a column mark, all the lines spanned by the
- column mark will still be reflowed as with line marks, but the left
- and right edges of the mark will be used as Left and Right margins.
-
- If the "AutoMark" configuration setting is set to "ptb" (paragraph
- top-to-bottom), you can the reflow a paragraph by simply placing the
- cursor within the paragraph and entering this command (see
- "Configuration - Editing Preferences" 17-8). In this case, the
- cursor position is used as the left margin, and the Right Margin
- setting is used as the right margin.
-
- - mrfl %br "Reflow RJust" <Alt-Y>
-
- This command will reflow text in the same way as the "mrfl %b"
- <Alt-R> command above, but the reflowed text will be both left AND
- right justified. The editor may insert spaces between some words in
- the text to pad the line out to the right margin.
-
- - msrt "Sort" <Ctrl-K-O>
-
- This command sorts the all the lines spanned by the current marked
- block. For line marks, the entire line is used as the sort key. For
- column marks, the area between the left and right edges of the mark
- is used as the sort key. Note that for column marks, all the lines
- spanned by the mark will still be sorted, not just the area within
- the mark.
-
- If Scroll Lock is ON when this command is executed, the sort is in
- descending order, otherwise the sort is in ascending order.
-
- If the cursor Insert Mode is ON when this command is executed, the
- sort is case-insensitive, otherwise the sort is case-sensitive.
-
- Using Marked Blocks 39
-
-
- - print %m "Print Block" <Alt-P>
-
- This command prints the text within the current marked block using
- the current printer settings (see "Configuration - Print Settings"
- 17-10).
- The Clipboard 40
-
-
- 9-1 The Clipboard
- ──────────────────
-
- Edit window text can be indirectly manipulated by using the clipboard
- commands. These commands allow you to move or copy the text within the
- current marked block into a temporary buffer known as a "clipboard",
- and then copy or overlay the clipboard text to a new location in the
- same Edit window, or even to a new location in a different Edit
- window. As with the block commands, you can use the "undo" <Ctrl-U>
- command to reverse the effects of clipboard commands.
-
- You can have any number of clipboards in an edit session. Each
- clipboard is identified by a unique name and is available to any Edit
- window. The default clipboard is named "clipboard", and is the
- "current" clipboard when The Aurora Editor is initially started.
-
- Note that if the "AutoMark" configuration setting (see "Configuration
- - Editing Preferences" 17-8) is set to "ptb" (paragraph), you can
- "Cut" or "Copy" a paragraph by simply placing the cursor within the
- paragraph and entering one of the "clpcpy" commands described below.
-
- The following clipboard commands operate on the "current" clipboard:
-
- - clpcpy %d "Cut" <Grey->
-
- This command erases the contents of the current clipboard and then
- moves the text within the current marked block to the clipboard. The
- current marked block is destroyed.
-
- - clpcpy %ad "Cut Append" <Ctrl-Grey->
-
- This command moves the text within the current marked block to the
- end of the current clipboard without erasing the contents of the
- clipboard. The current marked block is destroyed.
-
- This command is useful for gathering separate blocks of text and
- grouping them together in the clipboard.
-
- - clpcpy "Copy" <Grey+>
-
- This command erases the contents of the current clipboard and then
- copies the text within the current marked block into the clipboard.
- The current marked block and its contents are unchanged.
- The Clipboard 41
-
-
- - clpcpy %a "Copy Append" <Ctrl-Grey+>
-
- This command copies the text within the current marked block to the
- end of the current clipboard without erasing the contents of the
- clipboard. The current marked block and its contents are unchanged.
-
- This command is useful for copying separate blocks of text and
- grouping them together in the clipboard.
-
- - clppst "Paste" <Grey*>
-
- This command inserts the text from the current clipboard at the
- cursor position in the current Edit window. The contents of the
- clipboard are unchanged.
-
- - clppst %o "Paste Over" <Ctrl-Grey*>
-
- This command overlays the text from the current clipboard at the
- cursor position in the current Edit window. The contents of the
- clipboard are unchanged.
-
- - clpclr "Clear" <Ctrl-Grey/>
-
- This command erases the contents of the current clipboard.
-
-
- The following command changes the "current" clipboard:
-
- - askclp "Clipboard.."
-
- This command prompts you for a unique clipboard name and changes the
- "current" clipboard to the name you enter. The clipboard will be
- created if it does not exist. Entering any of the above clipboard
- commands will now refer to the new clipboard.
-
- At installation, the default clipboard name is "clipboard".
- Folding Text 42
-
-
- 10-1 Folding Text
- ──────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor allows you to "fold" multiple lines of text in an
- Edit window and make them appear as one line. This feature is useful
- for hiding lines of text that you do not wish to view, and may help to
- reduce unnecessary scrolling. If you wish to redisplay the folded
- text, it can be "unfolded" at any time. You can create any number of
- text folds of any size.
-
- A text fold is displayed in an Edit window as a single highlighted
- line indicating the number of lines in the fold. For example:
-
- ── 215 lines not displayed ─────────────────────────────────────
-
- In the example above, 215 lines of text appear as one folded line.
-
- Text folds can be "nested" by folding a group of lines which already
- contain other folds. Later when the outer fold is unfolded, the inner
- folds are redisplayed. This feature allows you to create a "hierarchy
- of folds". Fold hierarchies of any size can be created.
-
- Note that any lines contained within a text fold will be excluded from
- the search and replace commands (see "Search and Replace" 11-1).
-
- Several commands are available for folding and unfolding text. The
- effects of each of these commands can be reversed with the "undo"
- <Ctrl-U> and "undo %r" <Ctrl-Y> commands:
-
- - lfld %b "Fold Next Line" <Alt-8>
- - lfld %t "Fold Prev Line"
-
- These commands extend the fold at the cursor to the next or previous
- line. If there is no fold at the cursor, then a new "one-line" fold
- is created at the cursor.
-
- - mfld %f "Fold Block" <Alt-F>
-
- This command creates a new fold consisting of all the lines in the
- current marked block. Any "sub-folds" will be preserved.
-
- If the "AutoMark" configuration setting is set to "ptb" (paragraph),
- you can fold a paragraph by simply placing the cursor within the
- paragraph and entering this command (see "Configuration - Editing
- Preferences" 17-8).
- Folding Text 43
-
-
- - mfld %uaf "Fold Block Flat"
-
- This command is identical the "mfld %f" command above, except that
- all existing folds within the marked block are removed before the
- new fold is created. The new fold will not have any "sub-folds".
-
- - lfld %u "Unfold Line" <Alt-G>
-
- This command removes the fold at the cursor.
-
- - lfld %ua "Unfold Line Flat"
-
- This command removes the fold at the cursor, and also removes any
- "sub-folds" within the fold.
-
- - lfld %bs "Unfold Next Line" <Alt-9>
- - lfld %ts "Unfold Prev Line"
-
- These commands shrink the fold at the cursor so that the bottom or
- top line in the fold is displayed.
-
- - mfld %u "Unfold Block"
-
- This command removes any "top-level" folds contained within the
- current marked block. Folds contained within the top-level folds are
- preserved.
-
- - mfld %ua "Unfold Block Flat"
-
- This command removes all folds contained within the current marked
- block. All existing fold hierarchies within the marked block are
- removed.
-
- - mflda %ua "Unfold All" <Alt-0>
-
- This command removes all folds in the current Edit window. All
- existing fold hierarchies are removed.
- Search and Replace 44
-
-
- 11-1 Search and Replace
- ────────────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor provides commands for locating character strings
- within the current Edit window, or within files on disk:
-
- - askfind "Find.." <F5>, <Ctrl-F>
-
- This command prompts you for a character string to search for in
- the current Edit window. "Search options" can also be specified at
- the prompt. The following search options are available:
-
- i - Ignore case when searching for the string. For example, the
- search string "aurora" would find "Aurora" or "AURORA".
-
- w - Search for "whole words only". For example, the search string
- "at" would find " at " and "(at)", but not "ate" or "that". This
- option can be useful for locating variables in program source
- code.
-
- r - Reverse search. This option forces the search to proceed toward
- the top of the Edit window. If this option is not specified, the
- search proceeds toward the bottom of the Edit window.
-
- b - Marked block only. This option limits the search to the current
- marked block. The block may be a line mark or a column mark.
-
- g - Search globally starting from the beginning of the file (or the
- end of the file if used with the reverse search option). If this
- option is not selected, the search begins from the current
- cursor position. This option is ignored if the "Marked block
- only" option (b) is specified.
-
- If you have tailored the find prompt to appear as a dialog box, you
- can select these options from the "search options" group box. You
- can also configure which options default to "selected" when the
- dialog box is displayed (see the "SearchOpt" configuration setting
- 17-8).
-
- If you have tailored the find prompt to appear as a command line or
- one-line box, enter the search string at the prompt and press the
- <Enter> key. For example, to find the string "Aurora":
-
- (string/iwrbg) Find> Aurora <Enter>
- Search and Replace 45
-
-
- If you are entering search options, enter the slash character (/)
- after the search string and then enter the desired search options:
-
- (string/iwrbg) Find> Aurora/iwrb <Enter>
-
- After the <Enter> key pressed in the example above, the editor will
- search for the string "Aurora". The search will ignore case and will
- be restricted to the current marked block, starting at the bottom of
- the marked block and searching toward the top.
-
- If you need to include the slash character (/) in the search string,
- enter it twice. For example:
-
- (string/iwrbg) Find> Au//r//ora/iwrb <Enter>
-
- In the example above, the search string is now "Au/r/ora". Note that
- double slashes are only required in one-line boxes or command line
- prompts, not in dialog boxes.
-
- If you have tailored the find prompt to appear as a command line or
- one-line box, default search options will be added by the editor if
- you have not specified any search options in the prompt (see the
- "SearchOpt" configuration setting 17-8). To prevent default search
- options from being added, either specify your own options or just
- add a "/" to the end of the search string.
-
- Prompt history is available at the find prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
- Note that the Find, Replace, and Scan prompts all share the same
- prompt history.
-
-
- - askrpl "Replace.." <Ctrl-G>
-
- This command prompts you for a character string to search for in the
- current Edit window, and a character string to replace it with.
- "Search options" can also be specified. The search options are the
- same as the search options specified for the "askfind" command (see
- above).
-
- The following "replace option" may also be specified:
-
- a - Replaces all occurrences of the search string that are found.
- A message will tell you how many replacements were made.
-
- If the replace option "a" is not specified, then you will be
- prompted to verify each replacement. Each time the search string is
- found, the following prompt will appear on the window title bar:
-
- Replace (Yes/No/All/One/Reverse/Quit)?
- Search and Replace 46
-
-
- You can select one of the replace/verify options by entering the
- first character of the desired option:
-
- - y (Yes) Replace and continue searching
- - n (No) Do not replace and continue searching
- - a (All) Replace all remaining occurrences without prompting
- - o (One) Replace and do not continue searching
- - r (Reverse) Do not replace and change the search direction
- - q (Quit) Cancel the search
-
- Entering any other character or function key will cancel the search.
-
-
- Note that any string replacements made with this command can be
- reversed with the "undo" <Ctrl-U> and "undo %r" <Ctrl-Y> commands.
-
- If you have tailored the replace prompt to appear as a dialog box,
- you can select these options from the "replace options" group box.
- You can also configure which options default to "selected" when the
- dialog box is displayed (see the configuration settings "SearchOpt"
- and "ReplaceOpt" 17-8).
-
- If you have tailored the replace prompt to appear as a command line
- or one-line box, enter the search string at the prompt followed by
- the slash character (/), replace string, and another slash
- character. Then press the <Enter> key. For example:
-
- (string/repl/iwrbga) Repl> editor/Aurora/ <Enter>
-
- In the example above the editor will replace the first occurrence of
- the string "editor" with the string "Aurora". Note that the
- terminating slash is required.
-
- Search and replace options can be entered after the last slash (/)
- character. For example:
-
- (string/repl/iwrbga) Repl> editor/Aurora/irga <Enter>
-
- In the example above, the editor will replace all occurrences of the
- string "editor" (ignoring case) with the string "Aurora". The search
- will proceed from the bottom of the file to the top of the file and
- you will not be prompted for any replacement.
-
- If you need to include the slash character (/) in the search string
- or replace string, enter it twice. For example:
-
- (string/repl/iwrbga) Repl> edi//tor/Aur//ora/ <Enter>
- Search and Replace 47
-
-
- In the example above, the search string is "edi/tor" and the replace
- string is "Aur/ora". Note that double slashes are only required in
- one-line boxes or command line prompts, not in dialog boxes.
-
- If you would like to replace the search string with a "null" replace
- string, specify the "z" replace option without specifying a replace
- string. For example:
-
- (string/repl/iwrbga) Repl> xyz/za <Enter>
-
- In the example above, the editor will delete all occurrences of the
- string "xyz" from the cursor position to the end of the file.
-
- If you have tailored the replace prompt to appear as a command line
- or one-line box, and you have not specified any search or replace
- options, then the default search and replace options will be added
- by the editor (see the "SearchOpt" configuration setting 17-8). To
- prevent default options from being added, either specify your own
- options, or specify the "n" option ("no default").
-
- If you have tailored the Find prompt to appear as a command-line or
- one-line box prompt, you can also enter any replace command in the
- Find prompt. This allows you to enter both Find and Replace commands
- from only one prompt.
-
- Prompt history is available at the replace prompt (see "Prompts"
- 2-6). Note that the Find, Replace, and Scan prompts all share the
- same prompt history.
-
- - finl "Repeat Last Find/Repl" <Ctrl-L>
-
- This command will repeat the last find or replace command you
- entered, without prompting you for search or replace strings.
-
- - search [search string] [options]
-
- This command is used to perform the search and replace commands
- without prompting. The search string must be specified in the same
- way as it would be specified for the search and replace command line
- or one-line box prompts (see above). Specifying the "r" option adds
- the search string to the search prompt history. For example:
-
- search "abc/i" %r.
-
- The above command searches for the string "abc" (ignoring case) in
- the current Edit window, and adds the search string to the search
- prompt history.
- Search and Replace 48
-
-
- - askscan "Scan Files.." <Ctrl-S>
-
- This command allows you to scan a directory (or a group of files
- designated by a "wildcards") for a character string. You will be
- prompted for the directory or wildcard file specification, and for a
- search string and search options. The "Ignore Case" (i) and "Whole
- Words" (w) search options can be used with this command (see the
- "askfind" command above for a description of these search options).
-
- After the scan has completed, a File Manager window will be
- displayed showing all the files in which the search string was
- found. Position the cursor to the file you wish to edit and press
- <Enter> or double-click the left mouse button if you are using the
- mouse. The file will be loaded into an Edit window and the cursor
- will be positioned at the first occurrence of the matched search
- string. You can use the "finl" <Ctrl-L> command ("Repeat Last
- Find/Repl" - see above) to find other occurrences.
-
- If you have tailored the scan prompt to appear as a dialog box, you
- can select scan search options from the "search options" group box.
- You can also configure which search options default to "selected"
- when the dialog box is displayed (see the configuration setting
- "SearchOpt" 17-8).
-
- If you have tailored the scan prompt to appear as a command line or
- one-line box, enter search string at the scan prompt:
-
- (string/files/iw) Scan> Aurora <Enter>
-
- In the above example, the editor will search all files in the
- current directory for the string "Aurora". Consider the following
- example:
-
- (string/files/iw) Scan> Aurora/c:\doc\*.txt <Enter>
-
- In this example, the editor will search all files with the extension
- ".txt" in the directory "c:\doc" for the string "Aurora". Now
- consider the following example:
-
- (string/files/iw) Scan> Aurora/*.doc/i <Enter>
-
- In this example, the editor will search all files in the current
- directory with the extension .DOC for the string "Aurora",
- ignoring case during the search.
-
- As with the "askfind" command above, if you need to include the
- slash character (/) in the search string, enter it twice. Note that
- double slashes are only required in one-line boxes or command line
- versions of the scan prompt, not in dialog boxes.
- Search and Replace 49
-
-
- If you have tailored the scan prompt to appear as a command line or
- one-line box, default search options will be added by the editor if
- you have not specified any search options (see the "SearchOpt"
- configuration setting 17-8)
-
- Note that you can use the <Ctrl-Break> key to interrupt the
- execution of the "askscan" <Ctrl-S> command.
-
- Prompt history is available at the Scan prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
- Note that the Find, Replace, and Scan prompts all share the same
- prompt history.
- Printing 50
-
-
- 12-1 Printing
- ──────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor provides commands for printing the contents of the
- current window, or printing a marked block of text within an Edit
- window. Using the File Manager, you can mark groups of files for
- printing and print directory listings (see "The File Manager" 16-1).
-
- Print commands will use the current printer settings to format output
- to the printer (see "Configuration - Print Settings" 17-11). The
- following print commands are available:
-
- - print "Print" <Ctrl-P> (Edit window)
- - print %d "Print" <Ctrl-P> (File Manager window)
-
- These commands print the entire contents of an Edit window or File
- Manager window using the current printer settings. Printing can be
- aborted by pressing <Ctrl-Break>.
-
- - print %m "Print Block" <Alt-P>
-
- This command prints the current marked block using the current
- printer settings. The marked block need not reside in the current
- window. Printing can be aborted by pressing <Ctrl-Break>.
-
- - prtstr (byte 12) "Print Formfeed"
-
- This command ejects a page by sending a formfeed character (ascii
- 12) to the printer defined in the current printer settings. The
- "prtstr" command can be used to send any control character sequence
- to the printer. For example:
-
- prtstr (byte 13 10)
-
- The above command sends a carriage return (ascii 13) and linefeed
- (ascii 10) to the printer.
-
- - prtfil [filename]
-
- This command prints the contents of the specified filename, using
- the current printer settings. Printing can be aborted by pressing
- <Ctrl-Break>.
- Printing 51
-
-
- - askprtset "Print Settings.."
-
- This command displays a dialog box which allows you to change the
- current printer settings. You can change any of the following
- settings:
-
- - printer options, including header, footer, page numbers, line
- numbers, eject when done
- - printer output device or file
- - lines per page
- - line spacing
- - number of copies
- - printer initialization string
- - top, bottom, left, and right margins
-
- For more information on printer settings, see "Configuration -
- Print Settings" (17-10).
- Window Settings 52
-
-
- 13-1 Window Settings
- ─────────────────────
-
- For each Edit window in The Aurora Editor there are settings such as
- "Word Wrap" and "Line Draw" which can be switched ON or OFF during an
- edit session. You can switch these settings ON or OFF from the
- "Settings" pull-down menu, or you can define keys which toggle the
- settings.
-
- Each Edit window has it's own copy of these settings, so that changing
- a setting in one Edit window does not affect the settings of another
- Edit window. This feature can very convenient when you switch back and
- forth often between two or more Edit windows and you don't want to
- keep changing the settings every time you switch windows (for example,
- editing program source code in one window with "Word Wrap" OFF, and
- documentation in another window with "Word Wrap" ON).
-
- If the configuration setting "SaveWin" is ON, then window settings for
- each file you edit are "remembered" across edit sessions (see
- "Configuration - Desktop Options" 17-11). When you close an Edit
- window, these settings are saved along with the window sizes and
- cursor positions. The window settings are restored the next time the
- file is edited.
-
- The following section describes the settings associated with each Edit
- window. Each setting is listed in the following format:
-
- togglecommand "menu item" <key>
-
- The "togglecommand" is the command used to toggle the ON/OFF state of
- the setting. The "menu item" is the description of the setting as it
- appears on the "Set" pull-down menu. <key> is the default key used to
- toggle the setting (if any).
-
-
- - wmwrap "Word Wrap" <Ctrl-W>
-
- This setting is useful for word processing. It allows you to type
- freely without having to press <Enter> at the end of each line.
-
- If this setting is ON, and you are typing beyond the Right Margin, a
- new line is inserted after the current line, and the word you are
- currently typing (and any characters following it) are moved to the
- next line. If the "AutoIndent" Window Setting is ON, the beginning
- of the new line is aligned with the first non-blank character of the
- previous line, otherwise the new line begins at column 1. The cursor
- is placed in the same relative position in the word as it was on the
- previous line.
- Window Settings 53
-
-
- - wmautoi "AutoIndent"
-
- This setting is useful for word processing and general editing. It
- aligns the beginning of newly inserted lines with the previous line
- or next line, thus saving you keystrokes.
-
- If this setting is ON and a new line is inserted, the cursor is
- moved to the first non-blank column of the previous line. If the
- previous line is blank, then the cursor is moved to the first
- non-blank column of the next line. If the next line is also blank,
- the cursor column does not change.
-
- The AutoIndent setting can affect the following commands when a new
- line is inserted:
-
- - lins "Insert Line" <Ctrl-Enter>
- - lspl "Split Line" <Alt-S>
- - enteredit <Enter>
- - entering characters when "Word Wrap" is ON
-
- - wmvtab "Variable Tabs"
-
- This setting allows you use the preset tab positions specified in
- the "Tabs" configuration setting (see "Configuration - Word
- Processing" 17-4).
-
- If this setting is ON, and the "ctab" <Tab> command is entered, the
- cursor will move to the next column position specified in the "Tabs"
- configuration setting. Entering the "ctab %l" <Shift-Tab> command
- will do the same in reverse.
-
- If set ON, Variable Tabs will override regular "Interval" Tabs, but
- Variable Tabs can in turn be overridden by "Smart Tabs" (see below).
-
- - wmsmtab "Smart Tabs"
-
- Setting Smart Tabs ON can save you time when entering data in
- columns.
-
- If this setting is ON, and the "ctab" <Tab> command is entered, the
- cursor will move to the column of the next word on the nearest
- previous non-blank line. Entering the "ctab %l" <Shift-Tab> command
- will do the same in reverse.
-
- If set ON, "Smart Tabs" will override Variable Tabs and Interval
- Tabs.
- Window Settings 54
-
-
- - wmmat "Match Character"
-
- This setting can be useful for entering expressions in program
- source code. If this setting is ON and the characters (, [, or " are
- entered, The Aurora Editor will automatically enter the matching
- character ), ], or ".
-
- - wmbak "Backup"
-
- If this setting ON and the current file is saved with The Aurora
- Editor, the previous version of the file on disk will be saved in
- a backup file. The new backup file will replace any existing backup
- file.
-
- If a backup directory is defined with the configuration setting
- "BakDir" (see "Configuration - Save Options" 17-7), then the backup
- file will be saved in the specified backup directory, otherwise it
- will be saved with the extension defined with the "BakExt"
- configuration setting (the default is ".BAK") in the same directory
- as the file.
-
- - wmdraw "Line Draw" <Ctrl-D>
-
- This setting can be useful for creating boxes, charts, and other
- text mode drawings. When Line Draw is ON, the cursor keys can be
- used to draw lines using the text mode graphics characters.
-
- - sdraws [0/1/2/3/4] "Line Style"
-
- This setting is the line style used to draw lines with the cursor
- keys when Line Draw is ON. You can choose any of the following
- values:
-
- 0 - Single
- 1 - Double Horizontal
- 2 - Double Vertical
- 3 - Double
- 4 - Eraser
-
- - wmtran "Translate" <Alt-F4>
-
- This setting allows you to expand abbreviations and correct commonly
- misspelled words or typos as you enter characters into the text of
- an Edit window. You can also define macros that are executed
- whenever the name of the macro is entered as a word in your text.
-
- When Text Translation is ON, the editor will automatically check
- each "word" you type to see if it exists in a special user-defined
- translation lookup table in the file ATRN.A. If the word is found,
- it will be replaced with the substitution text that you have defined
- in the table (see "Text Translation" 18-7).
-
- Global Settings 55
-
-
- 13-2 Global Settings
- ─────────────────────
-
- There are many settings which are global to all windows. These
- settings are macro language variables located in the configuration
- file ACFG.A, and can be modified as configuration settings (see
- "Configuration" 17-1).
-
- However, some of these global settings can also be modified during an
- edit session from the "Set" pull-down menu. If you wish, you can also
- define keys which display the current values of these settings and
- prompt you to enter new values.
-
- The following section describes global settings which can be changed
- during an edit session from the "Set" pull-down menu. Each setting is
- listed in the following format:
-
- promptcommand "menu item" <key>
-
- The "promptcommand" is the command which displays the current value of
- the setting and prompts you to enter a new value. The "menu item" is
- the description of the setting as it appears on the "Set" pull-down
- menu. <key> is the default key used to display the prompt (if any):
-
- - asktabw "Tab Width.."
-
- The Tab Width specifies the distance between tab stops for "Interval
- Tabs". For example, a value of 8 would place tab stops at columns 1,
- 9, 17, 25, etc. The cursor can be moved to the tab stops by using the
- "ctab" <Tab> and "ctab %l" <Shift-Tab> commands when the "Variable
- Tabs" and "Smart Tabs" settings are OFF.
-
- The "TabWidth" setting is also used as the tab width for the
- "exptab" <Ctrl-K-X> command ("Expand Tabs" on the "Edit" pull-down
- menu).
-
- The default value of the Tab Width is determined by the
- configuration setting "TabWidth". The installation default is 8.
-
- - asktabv "Variable Tab Stops.."
-
- This setting is a string of explicitly specified tab stops which you
- can use to override the Interval Tabs specified by the "TabWith"
- setting above, when the "Variable Tabs" setting is ON (and the
- "Smart Tabs" setting is OFF). Unlike the tab stops specified with
- the "Tab Width" setting, Variable Tab Stops need not occur at
- regular intervals.
- Global Settings 56
-
-
- The default value of "Variable Tab Stops" is determined by the
- configuration setting "Tabs". The installation default is "4 8 16 24
- 50 72".
-
- - asklmrg "Left Margin.."
-
- The Left Margin setting is used as the default left margin for the
- following commands on the "Block" pull-down menus, when used with
- line marks:
-
- - lcen "Center Line"
- - mjust "Left Justify", "Right Justify", "Center"
- - askmfill "Fill"
- - mmov %of "Move Over"
- - mrfl "Reflow", "Reflow RJust"
-
- The default value of the Left Margin is determined by the
- configuration setting "LMargin". The installation default is 3.
-
- - askrmrg "Right Margin.."
-
- The Right Margin setting is used as the right margin for the "Word
- Wrap" Window Setting, and for the same block commands used with line
- marks described above in the Left Margin setting (see above).
-
- The default value of the Right Margin is determined by the
- configuration setting "RMargin". The installation default is 72.
-
- - askind "Paragraph Indent.."
-
- This setting determines the number of columns to indent a paragraph
- when using the "mrfl %b" commands ("Reflow" and "Reflow RJust" on
- the "Block" pull-down menu).
-
- The default value of Paragraph Indent is determined by the
- configuration setting "Indent". The installation default is 0.
-
- - askdefx "Default File Extensions.."
-
- This setting is a list of default file extensions to try when you
- attempt to open a file without specifying a file extension.
-
- The default value of "Default File Extensions" is determined by the
- configuration setting "DefExt" (see "Configuration - Default File
- Extensions 17-5). The installation default is "c h cpp doc txt a asm
- pas inc bat".
- Global Settings 57
-
-
- - askbin "Binary Line Length.."
-
- This setting is used to determine the length of each line in the
- file when the file is loaded in Binary Mode.
-
- The default value of the Binary Line Length is determined by the
- configuration setting "BinaryLength". The installation default is
- 64.
-
- - askdlm "Line Delimiter.."
-
- This setting is the end-of-line delimiter to be used when loading
- and saving files in non-binary mode. The Line Delimiter can be one
- or two bytes long. If the line delimiter is two bytes long, only the
- last byte is actually used as the line delimiter during file loading
- (however, if the first byte is found immediately before the second
- byte, it will be "blanked-out" along with the second byte during the
- loading process).
-
- The default value of the Line Delimiter is determined by the
- configuration setting "LineDlm". The installation default is "0D0Ah"
- (carriage return & linefeed).
-
-
- You can save and restore all the current global settings with the
- following commands:
-
- - setres "Restore Settings" <Alt-F2>
-
- Use the "setres" <Alt-F2> command whenever you wish to restore the
- default settings, or when you need to change the files containing
- the configuration settings (ACFG.A), keyboard and mouse definitions
- (AKBD.A), menu and tool bar definitions (AMEN.A), or text
- translation definitions (ATRN.A).
-
- This command actually re-compiles the macro language source file
- A.A, and re-generates the file A.X. The source file A.A includes the
- files ACFG.A, AMEN.A, ALIB.X, AKBD.A, and ATRN.A. The resulting
- compiled file A.X is interpreted by A.EXE and A3.EXE and contains
- all the compiled macro language code for The Aurora Editor.
-
- Note that if you have previously used the "setsav" command (see
- below) to save global settings, those settings will revert back to
- the defaults defined in ACFG.A after this command is entered.
- Global Settings 58
-
-
- - setsav "Save Current Settings"
-
- This command saves all the current settings, including the settings
- described above, printer settings, the current window style, prompt
- style, and the current video mode.
-
- Note: This command works the same as the setres <Alt-F2> command
- (see above), except that configuration settings are taken from the
- current edit session. The file ACFG.A is not included.
- Key Macros 59
-
-
- 14-1 Key Macros
- ────────────────
-
- A Key Macro is a "recorded" sequence of keystrokes which can be played
- back on demand. This feature can be very useful for situations where
- the same sequence of keystrokes are entered over and over again.
-
- The Aurora Editor will allow you to record and play key macros of
- virtually any length. Once they are recorded, you can assign them to a
- key of your choice, or just keep them in a temporary "scrap" area. You
- can save and load key macros that you have previously recorded. Also,
- The Aurora Editor can be configured to automatically load and save all
- your key macros when you enter and exit the editor (see the "SaveMac"
- configuration setting 17-11).
-
- The key macro commands are:
-
- - krec "Record Toggle" <Ctrl-R>
-
- This command will toggle the record mode ON and OFF. When the record
- mode is ON, all keystrokes you enter will be recorded until the
- record mode is turned OFF. After a key macro has been recorded, it
- resides in a temporary "scrap" buffer until it is assigned to a key
- or erased.
-
- If the record mode is turned ON and there is already a key macro in
- the scrap buffer, any new recorded keystrokes will be appended to
- the end of the macro in the scrap buffer. To record a completely new
- key macro, you should first delete any key macro in the scrap buffer
- with the "kdel" <Ctrl-I> command (see below).
-
- - kplay "Play" <Ctrl-E>
-
- This command will "play" the key macro in the scrap buffer.
-
- - kdel "Erase" <Ctrl-I>
-
- This command will erase the key macro in the scrap buffer.
-
- - kdel %a "Erase All"
-
- This command will erase ALL current key macros. This includes any
- key macros that were assigned to keys and the key macro in the
- scrap buffer.
- Key Macros 60
-
-
- - askkopen "Open.."
-
- This command will prompt you for a key macro file created by the
- "askksav" command, and then load the key macro file. If there are
- any conflicts between key assignments in the macro file and current
- key macro assignments, the key macros in the file will replace the
- current key macros.
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
- - kopen [filename]
-
- This command opens the key macros in the specified filename, without
- prompting you for the filename.
-
- - askksav "Save.."
-
- This command will prompt you for a filename, and then saves all the
- current key macros in the filename you entered. All macros will be
- saved, including any key macros that were assigned to keys and the
- key macro in the scrap buffer.
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
- - ksav [filename]
-
- This command saves all the current key macros in the specified
- filename, without prompting.
-
- - kcat "Assign to Key.."
-
- This command allows you to assign the key macro in the "scrap"
- buffer to the function key of your choice. You will be prompted to
- enter the function key. Note that you cannot assign a key macro to a
- "compound" function key, such as "<F1> <F2>".
-
- When the key macro in the scrap buffer has been assigned to a
- function key, it is removed from the scrap buffer.
- Other Commands 61
-
-
- 15-1 Other Commands
- ────────────────────
-
- Other macro commands are available from the "Macro" pull-down menu:
-
- - opena %acfg "Configuration.."
-
- This command opens the file ACFG.A which contains all the
- configuration settings for The Aurora Editor.
-
- - opena %akbd "Keys.."
-
- This command opens the file AKBD.A which contains the current
- keyboard and mouse definitions for The Aurora Editor.
-
- - opena %amen "Menus.."
-
- This command opens the file AMEN.A which contains the current menu
- and tool bar definitions for The Aurora Editor.
-
- - opena %atrn <Alt-F5>
-
- This command opens the file ATRN.A which contains the current text
- translation table definitions for The Aurora Editor.
-
- - askmcmd "Macro Command.." <Ctrl-V>
-
- This command prompts you for a macro language expression, and then
- evaluates it. For complete documentation on The Aurora Macro
- Language, see "The Aurora Macro Language Guide" (AML.DOC).
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
- - askmrun "Run Macro.."
-
- This command prompts you for the name of a macro language file, and
- then executes it. The macro language file may be a source file
- (extension ".A"), or a compiled file (extension ".X"). If no file
- extension is specified, then ".X" is tried first, followed by ".A".
- When the macro file is finished executing, all the macro code loaded
- from the file is discarded.
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
- - askminc "Include Macro.."
-
- This command is identical to the "askmrun" command above, except
- that when the macro file is finished executing, all the loaded macro
- code remains present in the editor.
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
- Other Commands 62
-
-
- - askmcom "Compile Macro.."
-
- This command prompts you for the name of a macro language source
- file, and then compiles it. If no file extension is specified, then
- ".A" is assumed. The compiled file is placed in the same directory
- as the source file, but has the extension ".X".
-
- Prompt history is available at this prompt (see "Prompts" 2-6).
-
-
- Other macro commands not available from the "Macro" pull-down are:
-
- - mcmd [macro expression]
-
- This command evaluates the specified macro expression, without
- prompting.
-
- - mrun [macro source or compiled filename]
-
- This command evaluates the specified macro source or compiled file,
- without prompting. When done, the macros are discarded.
-
- - minc [macro source or compiled filename]
-
- This command evaluates the specified macro source or compiled file,
- without prompting. When done, the macro code remains in the editor.
-
- - mcom [macro source filename]
-
- This command compiles the specified macro source file, without
- prompting you for the filename.
-
-
- 15-2 Miscellaneous Library Functions
- ─────────────────────────────────────
-
- The following commands are some additional library functions contained
- in ALIB.X for use with The Aurora Macro Language (see "The Aurora
- Macro Language Guide").
-
- - say [message] [options].
-
- Displays the string [message] on the window title bar. The following
- options may be specified:
-
- b - a short beep is sounded
- k - the user is prompted to enter a character. The character
- entered is returned.
- Other Commands 63
-
-
- - mbox [title] [message] [options].
-
- Displays the message [message] in a dialog box with an "Ok" button.
- The dialog box will have the window title [title]. If the option
- "b" is specified, a short beep is sounded.
-
- - ask [prompt] [title] [width].
-
- Prompts the user for a string using the prompt description [prompt].
- This function returns the string entered at the prompt, or null if
- the prompt was cancelled.
-
- If user-defined prompts are configured to appear as dialog boxes
- (see "Configuration - Editing Preferences" 17-8), then [title] and
- [width] specify the dialog box title and width. If the width is not
- specified, the default width is 44.
-
- - askbox [title] [options] [item 1] [item 2] [item 3] ...
-
- Displays a menu box with the title [title]. One of the following
- [options] can be specified:
-
- o - displays an "Ok/Cancel" menu box
- y - displays a "Yes/No/Cancel" menu box
- i - displays a menu box with the lines [item 1], [item 2], etc.
- To highlight a character in a menu item, prefix it with an
- ampersand (&) character.
-
- If no options are specified, the default is "i".
-
- This function returns the menu item selected (without the first
- character - the first character is usually blank), or null if the
- menu box was cancelled by pressing <Esc> or clicking on the menu box
- "close" (≡) icon.
-
- - keyx [key prefix].
-
- Creates a new compound key prefix. Compound key prefixes can greatly
- increase the number of available function keys (see "Defining
- Compound Keys" 18-3).
-
- - askkrep <Ctrl-Q-Q>
-
- Repeats the last key command entered. The user is prompted for the
- number of repetitions.
-
- - moubegmrk [x] [y] [options].
-
- This command allows you to create a marked block from within a mouse
- event handler function. [x] and [y] are virtual x and y coordinates
- which specify the starting point of the marked block on the screen
- ([x] and [y] are passed to the mouse event handler function by the
- editor).
- Other Commands 64
-
-
- [options] specifies the type of mark to be created and can be one of
- the following:
-
- l - line mark
- r - column mark
- s - stream mark
-
- - moumovmrk [x] [y].
-
- This command extends the marked block created with the "moubegmrk"
- command above to virtual coordinates [x] and [y] ([x] and [y] are
- passed to the mouse event handler by the editor).
-
- - mouendmrk [x] [y].
-
- This command extends the marked block created with the "moubegmrk"
- command above to virtual coordinates [x] and [y], and completes the
- mouse marking process ([x] and [y] are passed to the mouse event
- handler by the editor).
-
- - dn.
-
- Returns the filename or directory name at the cursor in a File
- Manager window.
-
- - winsizt [left] [top] [right] [bottom] [reps] [options].
-
- Resizes the current window to coordinates [left], [top], [right],
- [bottom]. Unlike the native function "winsiz", this function adjusts
- the title bar controls (see "The Aurora Macro Language Guide"). The
- following [options] may be specified:
-
- r - coordinates are relative to the current size
- a - coordinates are absolute (relative the "origin" - see below)
- s - scrolls the window to keep the cursor visible, if necessary
-
- If option "a" is specified, the following options may also be
- specified:
-
- d - origin is at the top left corner of the screen
- z - origin is at the virtual coordinates 0, 0
-
- If option "r" is specified, [reps] specifies the number of sizing
- repetitions (the default is 1). If no options are specified, option
- "r" is assumed.
-
- Other Commands 65
-
- - qwrd [char set].
-
- Returns the word at the cursor. [char set] is the character set used
- to define a word (see "Configuration - Character Sets" 17-14).
-
- - qwinmin.
-
- Returns "1" if the current window is minimized, otherwise it returns
- null.
-
- - qwinmax.
-
- Returns "1" if the current window is maximized, otherwise it returns
- null.
-
- - qtimdat
-
- Returns a string consisting of the current date and time, in the
- following format: MM/DD/YY HH:MMmm. For example, "08/30/93
- 01:01am".
- The File Manager 66
-
-
- 16-1 The File Manager
- ──────────────────────
-
- The File Manager is a very useful feature of The Aurora Editor. You
- can use it to display a list of files in a directory and select one
- for editing. You can also use it to select several files from a
- directory and perform file management functions with the selected
- files, such as Copy, Print, Run, and others - all without leaving the
- editor.
-
- Any number of File Manager windows can be open at one time. Each File
- Manager window is independent of any other windows. For example, you
- could have one File Manager window showing a directory on drive C and
- another File Manager window showing a different directory on drive D.
-
- File Manager windows look and behave much like Edit windows in many
- respects. They are similar in appearance to Edit windows except that
- they display a directory listing instead of file text. They also have
- a drive menu bar immediately below the main menu bar, where you can
- select disk drives (network disk drives are highlighted). Note that
- File Manager window borders, title bars, title bar controls, menus,
- and scroll bars all work the same as they do for Edit windows.
-
- The following is an example of a File Manager window:
-
-
- Close Icon North Title Bar
- │ │
- │ North Title │ Menu Bar Min/Max/Restore Icons
- │ │ │ │ │
- ▒▒▒│▒▒░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│▒▒▒▒▒
- ▒▒ ≡ C:\DOC\*.* ┴ │ └ ▒▒
- ▒▒ File Window Mark Command Sort Print Macro Help ▒▒
- ░░ <> <A> <B> <C> <D> <E> ░░
- ░░ ..\ ░░
- ░░ SUBDIR2\ 92-11-02 11:54:06pm A ▒───┐
- ░░ DEMO1 .BAK 31092 93-03-01 4:11:14am A ■░░ │
- ░░ DEMO1 .C 31317 93-03-01 4:15:10am A ▒░░ │
- ░░ HELLO .TXT 2030 93-01-25 7:33:54pm A ░░ │
- ▒▒■▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ │
- ▒▒ 2,114,732 bytes in 114 files ┬ │ ┌─ Aurora v1.20 ▒▒ │
- ▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│░░░░│░░░│░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒ │
- │ │ │ │ │ │ │
- Corner │ │ South Title Bar │ South Title │
- │ │ │ │
- South Title Border Horz Scroll Bar Vert Scroll Bar
- The File Manager 67
-
-
- For each file, the File Manager displays:
-
- - the filename and extension
- - the file size (in bytes or k)
- - the date and time the file was last modified (or created)
- - the file attributes (A=archive, H=hidden, R=readonly, S=system)
-
- The "south title" of the File Manager window also displays the total
- number of files in the listing, and the total size (in bytes or k) of
- all the files.
-
-
- 16-2 Creating a File Manager Window
- ────────────────────────────────────
-
- There are several ways to create a new File Manager window:
-
- - After entering "A" or "A3" on the DOS command line, enter the
- name of a directory or a filename with "wildcard" characters (*, ?).
-
- Examples:
- a *.* <Enter> - displays a listing of the current directory
- a . <Enter> - displays a listing of the current directory
- a c:\sys <Enter> - displays a listing of the "c:\sys" directory
- a c:\sys\a*.* <Enter> - displays a listing of the "c:\sys" directory
- of all filenames beginning with 'a'
- a hello.txt . <Enter> - creates an Edit window for "hello.txt"
- and a File Manager window listing the
- current directory
-
- - Enter the "askopen" <Alt-E> command ("Open.." from the "File" menu)
- to bring up the Open prompt, and then enter the name of a directory,
- or a filename with "wildcard" characters (see previous examples). If
- you press <Enter> from the Open prompt without entering a name, The
- Aurora Editor will create a File Manager window for the current
- directory.
-
- - Enter the "fmgr" <F4> command ("File Manager.." from the "File"
- menu) in the current Edit window to create a File Manager window for
- the current directory.
-
- - From an Edit window, position the mouse on the title bar and press
- the right mouse button to create a File Manager window for the
- current directory.
- The File Manager 68
-
-
- 16-3 Changing the Directory Listing in a File Manager Window
- ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- It is not always necessary to create a new File Manager window for
- each directory you wish to display. You can use a single File Manager
- window to display any drive or directory on your computer.
-
- To change the drive displayed in a File Manager window using the
- mouse, click the left mouse button on the desired drive letter on the
- drive menu. Using the keyboard, press the <Tab> key repeatedly until
- the desired drive letter is highlighted and then press <Enter>, or
- press the <Tab> key and then enter the drive letter.
-
- To change the directory displayed in the File Manager window, position
- the cursor to the desired directory and press <Enter>. To display the
- directory using the mouse, position the mouse cursor to the directory
- and double-click the left mouse button.
-
- To display the parent directory using the keyboard:
-
- - enter the "fpar" <Ctrl-Backspace> command, or:
- - position the cursor to the "..\" directory and press <Enter>, or:
- - use the <Tab> key to select the "" icon on the drive menu and
- then press <Enter>
-
- To display the parent directory using the mouse:
-
- - click the left mouse button on the "" icon on the drive menu, or
- - double-click the left mouse button on the "..\" directory
-
-
- 16-4 File Manager Commands
- ───────────────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor allows many commands such as Open, Move, Copy, etc,
- to performed on files displayed in a File Manager window. You can
- execute these commands by selecting them from the File Manager
- "Command" pulldown menu, or by positioning the cursor next to the file
- or directory and typing in the one-character "command code" for the
- command you wish to enter. The "command code" is just the highlighted
- character for the command on the "Command" pulldown menu. If you have
- previously "marked" any files (see "Marking Files in the File Manager
- 16-5" below), then the command you selected will be performed on all
- the marked files in the File Manager window.
-
- The following section lists the File Manager commands. The one
- character "command codes" are shown in angled brackets:
- The File Manager 69
-
-
- - fopen "Open" <e>, <o>, <z>, <Enter>, <Ctrl-Enter>
-
- This command opens the file and displays it in an Edit window. You
- can also open the file by double clicking the left mouse button over
- the file. If you open the file by entering the "z" command code, the
- new Edit window will be maximized.
-
- Note that the <Enter> key will only open the file at the cursor,
- even if multiple files are marked (see "Marking Files in the File
- Manager" 16-5). This can be useful for viewing files while marking
- them.
-
- Pressing <Ctrl-Enter> will open the file AND close the File Manager
- window. The Aurora Editor can be configured so that the File Manager
- window is always closed whenever a file is opened from it (see the
- "FmgrQuit" setting in "Configuration - Open Options" 17-6).
-
- If the left or right <Shift> key is pressed down when a file is
- opened from the File Manager, the new Edit window will be tiled
- (vertically) with all existing windows.
-
- If multiple files are marked for opening, the "e" and "z" command
- codes will load them all into one window. The "o" command code will
- load each file into a separate window.
-
- - fopen %b "Open Binary" <b>, <y>
-
- This command opens the file in binary mode. The "Binary Line Length"
- setting is used as the line length (see "Global Settings" 13-2). The
- <y> command code will load all marked files into only one window,
- whereas <b> will create a separate window for each file.
-
- - fopenk "Open Key Macro" <k>
-
- This command opens a key macro file. The file must be a valid key
- macro file. If any conflict exists between old and new key macro
- assignments, the new key assignments will replace the old key
- assignments.
-
- - fmov "Move.." <m>
-
- This command moves the file to another filename, directory, or
- drive. You will be prompted for the new name. You can specify a
- fully qualified filename, or just a drive or directory.
- Directories cannot be moved in version 1.20.
-
- - fcpy "Copy.." <c>
-
- This command copies the file to another filename, directory, or
- drive. You will be prompted for the new name. You can specify a
- fully qualified filename, or just a drive or directory.
- Directories cannot be copied in version 1.20.
- The File Manager 70
-
-
- - fdel "Delete" <d>, <Del>
-
- This command deletes the file. The Aurora Editor can be configured
- to delete files with or without user confirmation (see the "ConDel"
- setting in "Configuration - Confirmations" 17-16). Empty Directories
- can also be deleted. Directories containing files or other
- directories cannot be deleted in version 1.20.
-
- - fren "Rename.." <n>
-
- This command changes the name of the file. You will be prompted for
- the new name. This command can also be used to change directory
- names.
-
- Note: the "Rename" command will ignore any marked files and only
- works on the file or directory at the cursor (see "Marking Files in
- the File Manager" 16-5).
-
- - frun %c "Run" <r>
-
- This command executes the file. The file must have a .COM, .EXE,
- or .BAT extension.
-
- - fprt "Print" <p>
-
- This command prints the file using the current printer settings (see
- "Configuration - Print Settings" 17-10). The contents of a directory
- can also be printed with this command.
-
- - fatt "Attributes.." <a>
-
- This command prompts you to change the attributes of a file.
- Directory attributes can also be changed.
-
- - ftch "Touch" <t>
-
- This command changes the file's date and time to the current date
- and time. Directories cannot be "touched".
-
-
- Other functions available on the File Manager "Command" menu are:
-
- - fcred "Create Directory.."
-
- This command prompts you for a directory name and creates a new
- directory.
- The File Manager 71
-
-
- - askscan "Scan.." <Ctrl-S>
-
- This command allows you to scan a directory or a "wildcard" file
- specification for a character string (see "Search and Replace"
- 11-1).
-
-
- 16-5 Marking Files in the File Manager
- ───────────────────────────────────────
-
- Marking files is a convenient way to execute a single File Manager
- command on many files in a File Manager window. For example, you can
- mark a number of files and then copy them all to another directory
- with only one copy command, instead of copying each file individually.
-
- To execute a File Manager command on marked files, simply mark the
- files with any of the commands listed below and then enter the desired
- command. The File Manager will automatically detect the presence of
- marked files and execute the command on the marked files instead of
- the file at the cursor. Marked files are indicated by a "" character
- to the left of the filename.
-
- You can use the following commands to mark and unmark files:
-
- - fmtog "Mark Toggle" <Space Bar>
-
- This command will toggle the current "marked state" of the file or
- directory at the cursor. If the file is already marked, it will be
- unmarked, otherwise it will be marked.
-
- Holding the <Shift> key down while using the <cursorup> and
- <cursordown> keys will also toggle the marked state of the file or
- directory at the cursor. This can be useful for marking or unmarking
- a series of contiguous files or directories.
-
- - using the mouse
-
- Hold the <Shift> key down while clicking the left mouse button over
- the file or directory at the cursor. This will toggle the marked
- state of the file or directory. With the left mouse button and
- <Shift> keys still pressed down, drag the mouse to toggle the marked
- state of series of contiguous files or directories.
-
- - fmrk "Mark All" <Alt-M>
-
- This command will mark all the files in the current File Manager
- window. Directories will not be marked.
- The File Manager 72
-
-
- - fumrk "Unmark All" <Alt-U>
-
- This command will unmark any marked files and directories in the
- current File Manager window.
-
-
- 16-6 File Manager Sorting
- ──────────────────────────
-
- The order of the files listed in the File Manager can be changed by
- selecting the desired sort order from the File Manager "Sort"
- pull-down menu. The configuration setting "FmgrSrt" determines the
- default sort order when a File Manager window is created (see
- "Configuration - Open Options" 17-6).
-
- You can sort File Manager windows by entering the "fsrt" command with
- the appropriate parameter:
-
- - fsrt %n "Name" <Alt-N>
-
- This command sorts the File Manager window by filename.
-
- - fsrt %s "Size" <Alt-S>
-
- This command sorts the File Manager window by file size in
- descending order.
-
- - fsrt %d "Date-Time" <Alt-D>
-
- This command sorts the File Manager window by file date and time in
- descending order.
-
- - fsrt %o "OS Default" <Alt-O>
-
- This command lists the File Manager window contents in the DOS
- default order.
- Configuration 73
-
-
- 17-1 Configuration
- ───────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor is a highly configurable editor. There are
- configuration settings for video, mouse, window appearances, editing
- preferences, printing, desktop, and much more.
-
- Configuration settings are stored in the file ACFG.A as macro language
- variables. You can quickly edit this file by entering the "opena
- %acfg" command or by selecting the "Configuration.." menu item from
- the "Macro" pulldown menu.
-
- To change the value of a specific configuration setting, just locate
- the configuration setting in the file ACFG.A and use The Aurora Editor
- to type in the new value. Then save it <F3>, and enter the "setres"
- <Alt-F2> command ("Restore Settings" on the "Set" pull-down menu). You
- must exit and re-enter the editor for the new configuration setting to
- take effect.
-
- The following sections describe each of the configuration settings.
- Acceptable values for each configuration setting are shown in
- parentheses after the variable. Multiple values are separated by a
- slash ('/'), and value ranges are indicated with a hyphen ('-'). For
- configuration settings where "y/n" (Yes or No) can be specified,
- specifying "null" (blank) is equivalent to specifying "n".
-
-
- 17-2 Configuration - Video
- ───────────────────────────
-
- - VidCols (0/40/80)
-
- The number of video columns. If zero is specified, The Aurora Editor
- uses the current DOS default value. The installation default is 0.
-
- - VidRows (0/12/14/21/25/28/43/50)
-
- The number of video rows. If zero is specified, The Aurora Editor
- uses the current DOS default value. The installation default is 0.
-
- - VidStr
-
- Specifies the string used to fill the video background. The string
- may be 0-50 chars long. You can use this setting to create
- interesting background patterns. The installation default is "░".
-
- If "VidStr" is null or not specified, The Aurora Editor will not
- change the screen background. The background will be whatever is on
- the screen when the editor is started.
-
- - VidSav (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the DOS screen should be captured and
- restored when entering and exiting the editor (registered version
- only). The installation default is "y"
- Configuration 74
-
-
- 17-3 Configuration - Mouse
- ───────────────────────────
-
- - Mouse (y/n)
-
- Enables or disables mouse support. A text mode mouse driver
- (MOUSE.COM, MOUSE.SYS, etc) must have been previously installed. A
- special mouse driver may be required to operate the editor in a
- video modes with 132 or more columns. The installation default is
- "y".
-
- - MouReverse (y/n)
-
- Reverses the left and right mouse buttons. This can be useful for
- left-handed mouse users. The installation default is "n".
-
- - MouSenX (0-64)
-
- Mouse sensitivity on the x-axis. The installation default is 5 (the
- mouse driver default is 8).
-
- - MouSenY (0-64)
-
- Mouse sensitivity on the y-axis. The installation default is 12 (the
- mouse driver default is 16).
-
- - MouDst (0-128)
-
- Mouse speed doubling threshold. The installation default is 50 (the
- mouse driver default is 64).
-
- - MouseDouble (0-1000)
-
- The double click sensitivity. This setting specifies a time interval
- in milliseconds below which two consecutive mouse button clicks are
- considered to be a "double-click". The installation default value is
- 300.
-
- - MouHold (0-1000)
-
- Specifies the amount of time in milliseconds that a mouse button can
- be held down on a scroll bar before repeating the scrolling
- operation. The installation default is 300.
-
- - MouDelay (0-1000)
-
- Adjusts the scrolling speed when using the mouse. A value of zero is
- no delay, 1000 is a one second delay. Using a value of zero on
- faster computers may cause the mouse to scroll too fast (8, 16, 24,
- or 32 are recommended if zero is too fast). The installation default
- is zero.
- Configuration 75
-
-
- - MouMrkS (l/r/s)
-
- Determines the default type of block mark created by single-clicking
- the left mouse button, dragging the mouse, and releasing the left
- mouse button. You can specify one of the following options:
-
- l - line marks
- r - column or rectangular marks
- s - character or "stream" marks
-
- Note: you can override the default mouse marking type by pressing
- the <Alt>, <Ctrl>, or <Shift> keys when marking with the mouse (see
- "Using Marked Blocks" 8-1).
-
- - MouMrkD (l/r/s)
-
- Determines the type of block mark created by double-clicking the
- left mouse button, dragging the mouse, and releasing the left mouse
- button. See "MouMrkS" above for a description of valid options.
-
-
- 17-4 Configuration - Word Processing
- ─────────────────────────────────────
-
- - TabWidth (0-15999)
-
- Specifies the number of columns between tab stops for Interval Tabs.
- The installation default is "8" (for a description of the TabWidth
- setting see "Global Settings" 13-2).
-
- - Tabs
-
- Specifies the column positions to use for tabbing with the "ctab"
- <Tab>, <Shift-Tab> command when "Variable Tabs" is set ON (for a
- description of the Variable Tabs setting see "Window Settings"
- 13-1).
-
- The installation default is "4 8 16 24 50 72".
-
- - VarTabs (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the Variable Tabs setting should default to
- "ON" for new Edit windows. The installation default is "n" (for a
- description of the Variable Tabs setting, see "Window Settings"
- 13-1).
-
- If "SaveWin" is ON, Edit windows will remember the Variable Tabs
- setting when they are closed and restore it when they are re-opened.
- Configuration 76
-
-
- - SmartTabs (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the Smart Tabs setting should default to
- "ON" for new Edit windows. The installation default is "n" (for a
- description of the Smart Tabs setting, see "Window Settings" 13-1).
-
- If "SaveWin" is ON, Edit windows will remember the Smart Tabs
- setting when they are closed and restore it when they are re-opened.
-
- - WordWrap (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the Word Wrap setting should default to
- "ON" for new Edit windows. The installation default is "n" (for a
- description of the Word Wrap setting, see "Window Settings" 13-1).
-
- If "SaveWin" is ON, Edit windows will remember the Word Wrap setting
- when they are closed and restore it when they are re-opened.
-
- - LMargin (1-16000)
-
- Specifies the default left margin for Edit windows. The installation
- default is 3 (for a description of the Left Margin setting, see
- "Global Settings" 13-2).
-
- - RMargin (1-16000)
-
- Specifies the default right margin for Edit windows. The
- installation default is 72 (for a description of the Right Margin
- setting, see "Global Settings" 13-2).
-
- - Indent (0-15999)
-
- Specifies the amount of columns to indent a paragraph when reflowing
- a marked block. The installation default is zero (for a description
- of the Paragraph Indent setting, see "Global Settings" 13-2).
-
-
- 17-5 Configuration - Default File Extensions
- ─────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- Default file extensions allow you to open a file at an Open prompt
- without specifying a file extension. For example, if you frequently
- edit the file "MYFILE.C" from a directory of all ".C" files, and ".C"
- is one of your default file extensions, you need only enter the string
- "MYFILE" at the Open prompt to open "MYFILE.C".
- Configuration 77
-
-
- You can specify any number of default file extensions. Just set the
- configuration setting "DefExt" to a list of the default extensions you
- wish to use, separated by one or more spaces. The default extensions
- are "tried" in the order they are listed. For example:
-
- DefExt @"c h txt"
-
- Using the above example: if you specify a name with no extension at an
- Open prompt, the editor will first try to open the file with the
- extension ".c", then the extension ".h", and finally the extension
- ".txt".
-
- The following are the default file extensions at installation: "c h
- cpp doc txt a asm pas inc bat".
-
-
- 17-6 Configuration - Open Options
- ──────────────────────────────────
-
- - OpenOpt (z/f/c/n/e)
-
- Sets the default size and placement of Edit and File Manager windows
- on the screen (and whether or not new windows are created). You can
- use one of the following values:
-
- z - new windows are always maximized
- f - new windows are always "full screen" (like maximized, but the
- window borders are visible)
- c - new windows are the same size as the topmost window and are
- cascaded to bottom and left of the topmost window
- n - new windows are minimized
- e - a new window is not created when opening files. The file is
- loaded into the current Edit window. This option is added
- automatically if the "OneWindow" configuration setting is ON
- (see "Configuration - Editing Preferences" 17-8).
-
- The installation default is 'f'.
-
- Note: If The Aurora Editor is configured to remember previous window
- sizes and positions, "OpenOpt" applies only to new Edit and File
- Manager windows which are not "remembered" from previous sessions
- (see the "SaveWin" configuration setting 17-11).
-
- - LineDlm
-
- Specifies a line delimiter string of one or two bytes for opening
- files in non-binary mode. The line delimiter string can be set
- dynamically during an edit session (see the "Line Delimiter" setting
- 13-2). The installation default is "0D0Ah" (carriage return and
- linefeed).
- Configuration 78
-
-
- - BinaryLength (1-16000)
-
- Specifies the line length to use when opening files in binary mode.
- The binary line length can also be set dynamically during an edit
- session (see the "Binary Line Length" setting 13-2). The
- installation default is 64.
-
- - TruncLength (0-16000)
-
- The length at which lines are truncated when opening files. A value
- of zero indicates that the maximum line length (16000) should be
- used. The installation default is zero.
-
- - FmgrOpt (d/f/h/k)
-
- Specifies options for displaying File Manager windows. You can use
- any combination of the following values:
-
- d - display subdirectories
- f - display directories first when sorting by name
- h - show hidden and system files
- k - show file sizes and totals in 1K increments
-
- The installation default is "dhf".
-
- - FmgrSrt (n/s/d)
-
- Specifies the default sort order for File Manager windows. You can
- use one of the following values:
-
- n - sort by name in ascending order
- s - sort by size in descending order
- d - sort by date and time in descending order
- (null) - no sort (OS default order)
-
- The installation default is "n".
-
- - FmgrQuit (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the File Manager window is to be
- automatically closed whenever a file is opened from it. The
- installation default is "n".
-
- Note: entering the "fopen %q" <Ctrl-Enter> command from a File
- Manager window will also open the file at cursor AND close the File
- Manger window.
- Configuration 79
-
-
- 17-7 Configuration - Save Options
- ──────────────────────────────────
-
- - Backup (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not a file should be backed-up when it is
- saved. The backup location is determined by the "BakDir" setting
- (see below). The installation default is "y".
-
- - BakDir
-
- Specifies the path where backup copies of a file are to be placed
- when saving the file (the "Backup" setting must be set to "y"). If
- "BakDir" is null, then the backup copy is placed in the same
- directory as the original file, but with the extension defined by
- the "BakExt" configuration setting (see below). The installation
- default for BakDir is null.
-
- - BakExt
-
- Specifies the backup file extension to use when the "BakDir"
- configuration setting is null (see above). The installation default
- is "BAK".
-
- - SaveEOF (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not a Ctrl-Z (end-of-file) character is to be
- appended to the end of the file when saving. The installation
- default is "n".
-
- - AutoSave (0-2147483)
-
- Specifies the number of seconds between automatic saves for the
- current Edit window. A value of zero disables Autosave. The
- installation default is zero.
-
- Note: Automatic saves will occur only if the file has been modified
- since the last save.
-
-
- 17-8 Configuration - Editing Preferences
- ─────────────────────────────────────────
-
- - UndoSize (0-2147483647)
-
- Sets the limit on the number of editing changes that can be undone
- with the Undo and Redo commands. The installation default is 300.
- Configuration 80
-
-
- - HistSize (0-1000)
-
- Sets the limit on the number of previously entered prompt strings or
- "history" which can be retrieved for each prompt (see "Prompts"
- 2-6). The installation default is 50.
-
- If the configuration setting "SaveWin" is ON, the HistSize setting
- also determines the maximum number of Edit and File Manager windows
- that will remember their positions and sizes.
-
- Note: if the "SaveHis" configuration setting is ON, and HistSize is
- set to very large values, it can lengthen the initial time to load
- the editor and the time to exit the editor. Don't set HistSize much
- higher than you really need.
-
- - ClipName
-
- Specifies the default clipboard name. The installation default is
- "clipboard".
-
- - Insert (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the cursor will default to insert or
- overlay mode for new Edit windows and prompts. The installation
- default is "n".
-
- If "SaveWin" is ON, Edit windows will remember the insert mode when
- they are closed and restore it when they are re-opened.
-
- - EnterIns (i/s/null)
-
- Specifies what action to take in an Edit window when insert mode is
- ON and the "enteredit" <Enter> command is entered. You can choose
- one of the following values:
-
- s - splits the current line at the cursor and moves the cursor to
- the beginning of the next line
- i - inserts a new line and moves the cursor to the beginning of
- the new line.
- null - moves the cursor the beginning of the next line
-
- The installation default is OFF.
-
- - EnterOvl (i/s/null)
-
- Specifies what action to take in an Edit window when insert mode is
- OFF and the <Enter> key is pressed (See "EnterIns" above for a
- description of the valid values for this setting). The installation
- default is OFF.
- Configuration 81
-
-
- - TabShift (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not text is to be shifted left or right with
- the cursor when insert mode is ON and the "ctab" commands <Tab>,
- <Shift-Tab> are is entered. The installation default is "y".
-
- - AutoIndent (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the AutoIndent setting should default to ON
- for new Edit windows (see the "AutoIndent Setting" 13-1). The
- installation default is "y".
-
- If "SaveWin" is ON, Edit windows will remember the autoindent
- setting when they are closed and restore it when they are re-opened.
-
- - CopyLine (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the "mcpy" command <Alt-C> ("Copy" on the
- "Block" pull-down menu) should repeat the current line if no marked
- block exists. The installation default is "y".
-
- - DelLine (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the "mdel" command <Alt-D> ("Delete" on the
- "Block" pull-down menu) should delete the current line if no marked
- block exists. The installation default is "n".
-
- - AutoMark (p/l)
-
- Specifies the default mark that some block commands should use when
- no marked block exists. This can be especially useful for block
- commands like "mrfl %b" <Alt-R> ("Reflow" on the "Block" pull-down
- menu). For example, if AutoMark is set to "ptb", you can reflow a
- paragraph simply by placing the cursor in the paragraph and pressing
- <Alt-R>, without marking and unmarking a block.
-
- You can choose any one of the following values for AutoMark:
-
- p - mark the paragraph at the cursor
- l - mark the line at the cursor
- null - disable AutoMark
-
- If "p" is specified, one or both of the following values must also
- be specified:
-
- t - extend the mark from the cursor to the top of the paragraph
- b - extend the mark from the cursor to the bottom of the paragraph
- Configuration 82
-
-
- Commands that use the AutoMark setting are:
-
- - mshf "Shift Left", "Shift Right"
- - askmfill "Fill"
- - mrfl "Reflow", "Reflow Rjust"
- - mcase "Uppercase", "Lowercase", "Flipcase"
- - msrt "Sort"
- - mjust "Left Justify", "Right Justify", "Center"
- - mfld "Fold Block", "Fold Block Flat"
- - clpcpy clipboard "Cut", "Cut Append", "Copy", "Copy Append"
-
- The installation default for AutoMark is "ptb".
-
- - MoveMark (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the marked block is to be relocated along
- with the text during a block copy or overlay. The installation
- default is "y".
-
- - DrawMark (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not a marked block can be resized with the
- cursor keys after the mark is created. DrawMark applies only to the
- "mset" command (Mark Character, Mark Column, and Mark Line), not to
- "wrdmrk" (Mark Word), "meol" (Mark to EOL), or "mpgh" (Mark
- Paragraph). The installation default is "y".
-
- - CurHigh (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the Edit window cursor line should be
- highlighted. The installation default is "y".
-
- - RepEnd (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not consecutively entered "ceol" <End> and
- "chome" <Home> commands should be repeated on the next or previous
- line. The installation default is "n".
-
- - DelJoin (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the "delch" <Del> and "wrddel" <Ctrl-T>
- commands should join lines when the cursor is at the end of a line.
- The installation default is "y".
-
- - BakJoin (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the "baksp" <BackSpace> command should join
- the current line with the previous line when the cursor is at column
- one. The installation default is "y".
- Configuration 83
-
-
- - BakOvl (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the "baksp" <BackSpace> command should
- overlay columns with blank spaces when insert mode is ON, instead of
- shifting text to the left. The installation default is "n".
-
- - LineStyle (0/1/2/3/4)
-
- Specifies the default Line Style to be used when Line Draw is ON.
- You can choose one of the following values:
-
- 0 - single line
- 1 - double horizontal line
- 2 - double vertical line
- 3 - double line
- 4 - erase
-
- The installation default is 0.
-
- - FastCursor (0-5)
-
- Specifies the amount of extra lines or columns to scroll when
- attempting to move the cursor beyond the edge of the screen. The
- installation default is 0.
-
- - MatchChar (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the Match Character setting should default
- to ON for new Edit windows (see the "Match Character Setting" 12.1).
- The installation default is "n".
-
- If "SaveWin" is ON, Edit windows will remember the Match Character
- setting when they are closed and restore it when they are re-opened.
-
- - MultCopy (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not The Aurora Editor will allow you to edit
- more than one copy of the same file (or display more than one File
- Manager window with the same directory listing) at the same time.
- The installation default is "n".
-
- - OneWindow (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not some editor commands will favor a
- many-to-one "file to window" ratio over a one-to-one "file to
- window" ratio. If this option is "y", the editor will behave in the
- following ways:
-
- - new files will be loaded into the current Edit window
- - the "fquit" <Alt-Q> command closes the file, not the window
- - the "wquit" <Ctrl-K-Q> command closes the window, not the file
-
- The installation default is "n" (see also "Saving and Discarding
- Files" 5-2).
- Configuration 84
-
-
- - CurOT (0-99)
-
- Specifies the top of the visible cursor in overlay mode (on a scale
- of 0-99 with 0 at the top). The installation default is 80.
-
- - CurOB (0-99)
-
- Specifies the bottom of the visible cursor in overlay mode. The
- installation default is 90.
-
- - CurIT (0-99)
-
- Specifies the top of the visible cursor in insert mode. The
- installation default is 50.
-
- - CurIB (0-99)
-
- Specifies the bottom of the visible cursor in insert mode. The
- installation default is 90.
-
- - SearchOpt (i/r/b/g/w)
-
- Specifies the default search options for the find, replace, and scan
- dialog boxes and prompts. The following options may be specified:
-
- i - ignore case
- r - search in reverse
- b - marked block only
- g - global search
- w - whole words only
-
- The installation default is "i" (ignore case). See the section
- "Search and Replace" (11-1) for a detailed description of search
- options.
-
- - ReplaceOpt (a)
-
- Specifies the default replace options for the replace dialog box or
- prompt. The following option may be specified:
-
- a - replace all occurrences without prompting
-
- See the section "Search and Replace" (11-1) for a detailed
- description of replace options. The installation default is null
- (verify replacement).
-
- - SearchWrap (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the "finl" <Ctrl-L> (repeat last
- find/replace) command should wrap to the top or bottom of the file
- when the search string is not found. The installation default is
- "n".
- Configuration 85
-
-
- - EOTLine
-
- This setting specifies the string to be used as the "End-of-Text"
- line on Edit windows. If NULL is specified, the default End-of-Text
- Line is:
-
- "≡≡≡≡≡≡ End of Text ≡≡≡≡≡≡".
-
- The installation default is null.
-
- - ExitOpen (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the Open promt is to be displayed when
- closing the last window in an edit session. If "n" is specified,
- closing the last window will return you to DOS. The installation
- default is "n".
-
- Note: the open prompt is not displayed when exiting the editor via
- the "gquit %p" <Alt-X> or "gquit %f" commands.
-
- - Prompts
-
- This setting is a 20 character string with "switches" at each
- character position that allow you to individually tailor most editor
- prompts. Each character position or "switch" in the string
- corresponds to a specific editor prompt and may be one of the
- following values:
-
- 0 - (command line prompt) The prompt occupies only one line and
- is displayed at the top or bottom of the window.
-
- 1 - (one-line box) The prompt occupies 3 lines (2 borders and 1
- command line) and is displayed immediately above or below the
- current cursor position.
-
- 2 - (dialog box) The prompt is a dialog box.
-
- The following table shows the Prompt string positions and the
- associated prompts:
-
- 1 - open 11 - macro command
- 2 - open and insert 12 - key macro open
- 3 - rename 13 - key macro save
- 4 - save as 14 - place & go to bookmark
- 5 - os command 15 - block fill
- 6 - save block 16 - open binary
- 7 - find
- 8 - replace 18 - global settings
- 9 - go to line & column 19 - user defined prompts
- 10 - scan files 20 - file mgr command prompts
- Configuration 86
-
-
- For example, the prompt string "01111102111111111111" will set the
- "Open" and "Find" prompts to be command line prompts, the "Replace"
- prompt to be a full dialog box, and all other prompts to be one-line
- boxes.
-
- The installation default is "11111111111111111111" (all one-line
- boxes).
-
-
- 17-9 Configuration - Window Preferences
- ────────────────────────────────────────
-
- - EditStyle (n/s/m/h/v/1)
-
- Specifies the window features to be displayed for Edit windows. You
- can specify any of the following options:
-
- n - north title bar
- s - south title bar
- m - menu bar
- h - horizontal scroll bar
- v - vertical scroll bar
- 1 - tool bar
-
- The installation default is "nsmhv".
-
- - EditTitle (n/s/l/c/r)
-
- Specifies the location of the Edit window title. You can specify one
- of the following:
-
- n - north title bar
- s - south title bar
-
- You can also specify one of the following:
-
- l - left justified
- c - centered
- r - right justified
-
- The installation default is "nl".
-
- - EditStatus (n/s/l/c/r)
-
- Specifies the location of the Edit window status line. (See
- "EditTitle" above for valid options). The installation default is
- "nr".
- Configuration 87
-
-
- - EditCtls (n/s)
-
- Specifies which Edit window title bar is to contain the title bar
- controls. You can specify one of the following:
-
- n - north title bar
- s - south title bar
-
- The installation default is "n".
-
- - FmgrStyle (n/s/m/h/v)
-
- Specifies the window features to be displayed for File Manager
- windows (see "EditStyle" above for valid options). The installation
- default is "nsmhv".
-
- - FmgrTitle (n/s/l/c/r)
-
- Specifies the location of the File Manager window title. (See
- "EditTitle" above for valid options). The installation default is
- "nl".
-
- - FmgrStatus (n/s/l/c/r)
-
- Specifies the location of the File Manager window status line. (See
- "EditTitle" above for valid options). The installation default is
- "sl".
-
- - FmgrCtls (n/s)
-
- Specifies which File Manager window title bar is to contain the
- title bar controls (See "EditCtls" above for valid options). The
- installation default is "n".
-
- - BoxStyle (f/i/o/0/1/2/3/4/5/6)
-
- Specifies the border style for one-line box prompt windows. You can
- specify one of the following:
-
- f - flat
- i - inward 3D effect
- o - outward 3D effect
-
- You can also specify a border type from 0 to 6:
- Configuration 88
-
- 0 - blank
- 1 - single line
- 2 - double horizontal
- 3 - double vertical
- 4 - double line
- 5 - solid
- 6 - blank
-
- The installation default is "i1".
-
- - DlgStyle (f/i/o/0/1/2/3/4/5/6)
-
- Specifies the border style for dialog box prompt windows. See
- "BoxStyle" above for valid options. The installation default is
- "i1".
-
- - TileNum (1-5)
-
- This option is used to configure the window "Tiling" commands. It
- specifies the maximum number of tiles which can exist on the screen
- before they are split in both horizontal and vertical directions.
- The installation default is 3.
-
-
- 17-10 Configuration - Print Settings
- ─────────────────────────────────────
-
- Print settings are available for controlling the format of printed
- output. These settings can be changed during an edit session using the
- "askprtset" command (see "Printing" 12-1). The Print Settings are:
-
- - PrtDev (PRN/LPT1/LPT2/LPT3/LPT4/COM1/COM2 or filename)
-
- Specifies the printer device to be used for printing. If a filename
- is specified, all printer output will be routed to the file. The
- installation default is "PRN".
-
- - PrtPag (0-65535)
-
- Specifies the "Lines per Page" of printed output. This includes the
- Top and Bottom Margins (if any). After the specified lines per page
- have been printed, a formfeed character (ascii 12) will be sent to
- the printer and a new page will be started.
-
- If PrtPag is zero, printing will be continuous (no formfeed
- characters will be sent to the printer). The current printer
- settings for Top Margin, Bottom Margin, Header, Footer, and Page
- number will be ignored. If you already have special printer control
- characters embedded in your text, it is probably best to set PrtPag
- to zero.
-
- The installation default for PrtPag is 0.
- Configuration 89
-
- - PrtSpace (0-65535)
-
- This setting determines the number of lines to advance after
- printing each line of output. A value of 1 generates single-spaced
- output, 2 generates double-spaced output, and so on. The
- installation default for PrtSpace is 1.
-
- - PrtCop (0-65535)
-
- This setting determines the number of copies to print. The
- installation default is 1.
-
- - PrtIni
-
- Specifies a printer-specific control string to be sent to the
- printer before each print command. The installation default is null.
-
- - PrtTop (0-65535)
-
- Specifies the number of blank lines to precede the printed output at
- the top of each page. This value is included in the PrtPag ("Lines
- per Page") setting. The installation default is zero.
-
- This setting is ignored if PrtPag ("Lines per Page") is set to zero.
-
- - PrtBot (0-65535)
-
- Specifies the number of blank lines to follow the printed output at
- the end of each page. This value is included in the PrtPag ("Lines
- per Page") setting. The installation default is zero.
-
- This setting is ignored if PrtPag ("Lines per Page") is set to zero.
-
- - PrtLeft (0-255)
-
- Specifies the number of blank columns to precede the printed output
- on each line. The installation default is zero.
-
- - PrtRight (0-65535)
-
- Specifies the column position at which to truncate each printed
- line. This column position is relative to column zero of the printed
- output, NOT the file being printed. If zero is specified, lines are
- not truncated. The installation default is zero.
-
- - PrtOpt (h/f/p/l/e/s)
-
- This setting allows you specify additional default print options.
- You can specify any of the following options:
- Configuration 90
-
-
- h - prints a "header" at the top of each page. The header is a
- left justified string consisting of the filename being printed
- and the current date and time. The header uses 2 or 3 lines of
- the printed output (the header line, an optional separator
- line, and a blank line). This option is ignored if PrtPag
- ("Lines per Page") is set to zero.
-
- f - prints a "footer" at the bottom of each page. The footer is a
- left justified string consisting of the filename being printed
- and the current date and time. The footer uses 2 or 3 lines of
- the printed output (a blank line, an optional separator line,
- and the footer line). This option is ignored if PrtPag ("Lines
- per Page") is set to zero.
-
- p - prints a right-justified page number on the header and footer
- lines. If neither a header or footer was specified, a blank
- header line is assumed. This option is ignored if PrtPag
- ("Lines per Page") is set to zero.
-
- l - prints the line number (in the file) at the beginning of each
- line.
-
- e - sends a formfeed character to the printer when printing is
- completed.
-
- s - prints a separator line after the header line and before the
- footer line.
-
- The installation default is "hpes".
-
-
- 17-11 Configuration - Desktop Options
- ──────────────────────────────────────
-
- - SaveWin (y/n)
-
- For Edit windows and File Manager windows, this setting specifies
- whether or not window sizes, positions, settings, and cursor
- positions should be remembered when the window is closed and
- restored when the window is re-opened. The installation default is
- "y".
-
- The "HistSize" setting determines the maximum number of windows that
- will remember their sizes, positions, etc. When a new Edit window or
- File Manager window is opened which is not a "remembered" window,
- the least-recently remembered window is "forgotten" and the new
- window becomes one of the "remembered" windows. The number of
- "remembered" windows does not exceed HistSize.
- Configuration 91
-
- - SaveHis (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not prompt history and window sizes, positions,
- etc should be saved in the file A.HIS when exiting the editor and
- reloaded when re-entering the editor. The installation default is
- "y".
-
- - SaveMac (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not all resident key macros should be saved in
- the file "A.MAC" when exiting the editor and reloaded when
- re-entering. The installation default is "n".
-
- - BootOpt (d/f/o)
-
- Determines what action to take when the editor is loaded without
- specifying a filename or directory after the "A" or "A3" command.
- One of the following options may be specified:
-
- d - restores the previous desktop layout. The "SaveHis"
- configuration setting must also be set to "y" (see above).
- f - opens a File Manager window for the current directory
- o - displays an Open prompt
-
- The installation default is "d".
-
-
- 17-12 Configuration - Memory Options
- ─────────────────────────────────────
-
- - MaxXMS (-1 - 67108)
- - MaxEMS (-1 - 32767)
-
- These configuration settings specify the maximum amount of Extended
- Memory "XMS" and Expanded Memory "EMS" (in kilobytes) which The
- Aurora Editor may use when conventional memory (below 640k) is
- exhausted. If the amount specified is "-1", or is more than what is
- available, then the maximum available amount will be used. If zero
- is specified, then the usage of XMS and/or EMS memory will be
- disabled. The installation default is -1 (available maximum) for
- both "MaxXMS" and "MaxEMS".
-
- XMS and EMS memory are not required by The Aurora Editor, but they
- can speed up some editing operations when you are working with
- single or multiple files which are larger than the amount of
- available conventional memory. In memory intensive situations, The
- Aurora Editor will first try to use XMS memory, then EMS memory, and
- then swap to disk if XMS or EMS are not available.
- Configuration 92
-
-
- Note that it can be useful to restrict the amount of XMS or EMS
- memory used by The Aurora Editor to less than the available maximum.
- The editor will use only as much XMS and EMS as it needs. However if
- you are editing large files and executing programs from within the
- editor that use XMS or EMS (or that use DOS extenders which use XMS
- or EMS), these programs may not run correctly if The Aurora Editor
- has already allocated all available XMS or EMS.
-
- To allow The Aurora Editor to use XMS or EMS memory, you must also
- have previously installed an XMS-compatible or EMS-compatible
- driver, such as QEMM-386 from Quarterdeck Office Systems or 386MAX
- from Qualitas, Inc. If you have DOS 5.0 or higher, you can use the
- XMS driver HIMEM.SYS and the EMS driver EMM386.EXE. Note that in
- order to use EMS memory, you must have at least a full contiguous
- 64k page frame available. Check your EMS driver documentation for
- details on how to configure the page frame.
-
- When the XMS and EMS drivers are installed, you can display the
- amount of available XMS and EMS memory from DOS by using the DOS
- "MEM" command (DOS 5.0 or greater).
-
- - SwapFile1
-
- Specifies the swapfile name to be used for the primary swapfile. The
- installation default is "c:\aurora@1.swp".
-
-
- - SwapFile2
-
- Specifies the swapfile name to be used for the secondary swapfile.
- The secondary swapfile should always be on a different drive than
- the primary swapfile. The secondary swapfile will only be used if
- there is not enough space on the drive containing the primary
- swapfile. The installation default is "d:\aurora@2.swp".
-
-
- 17-13 Configuration - Other Options
- ────────────────────────────────────
-
- - KeyEnh (y/n)
-
- Enables or disables checking for the enhanced keyboard. This option
- must be set to "y" to use the enhanced keyboard keys (F11, F12, grey
- cursor keys, etc). The installation default is "y".
-
- - KeyPad (y/n)
-
- Enables or disables use of the grey keypad keys (*,-,+,Enter) as
- function keys (this option should be disabled if you are using the
- editor for keypad data entry). The installation default is "y".
- Configuration 93
-
- - KeyTrim (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the keyboard buffer should be "trimmed" to
- prevent it from filling up on very slow machines. Turning this
- setting ON may cause some TSR's that fill the keyboard buffer to
- work incorrectly. The installation default is "n".
-
- - Sound (y/n)
-
- Enables or disables sound. The installation default is "y".
-
- - SoundF
-
- Specifies the sound frequency in hertz for beep messages. The
- installation default is 200.
-
-
- 17-14 Configuration - Character Sets
- ─────────────────────────────────────
-
- Character sets are used to define a "word" for some editor commands.
- Characters sets are defined by creating a string containing all the
- characters in the character set. Character "ranges" can be abbreviated
- by using hyphens (-) (A-Z, 0-9, etc).
-
- The default character sets are:
-
- - CSetA
-
- The definition of a "word" for commands operating on normal text.
- The installation default is "a-zA-Z0-9_".
-
- - CSetB
-
- The definition of a "word" for commands operating on file names. The
- installation default is "a-zA-Z0-9_()\-./\\@{}~:^!#$%&`'".
-
- - CSet
-
- The "default" character set. The installation default is "CSetA"
-
-
- The following commands use character sets:
-
- - wrddel CSet "Delete Word" <Ctrl-T>
- - wrdmrk CSet "Mark Word" <Alt-1>
- - cwrd %l CSet (find left word) <Ctrl-Left>
- - cwrd %r CSet (find right word) <Ctrl-Right>
- - wrdlod CSetB (load file at the cursor) <Ctrl-]>
- - all search & replace commands using the "Whole Words"
- search option (uses "CSet")
- Configuration 94
-
-
- 17-15 Configuration - Text Translation
- ───────────────────────────────────────
-
- See Text Translation (18-7) for a detailed description of text
- translation.
-
- - TextTran (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not the Text Translation setting should default
- to "ON" for new Edit windows. The installation default is "n".
-
- If "SaveWin" is ON, Edit windows will remember the Text Translation
- setting when they are closed and restore it when they are re-opened.
-
- - TranObj
-
- Specifies the name of the macro language object to be used for Text
- Translation. This variable can be changed dynamically through the
- macro language. The installation default is "trn".
-
- - TranCSet
-
- Specifies the character set used to define a word for Text
- Translation. Character "ranges" can be abbreviated by using hyphens
- (A-Z, 0-9, etc). This variable can be changed dynamically through
- the macro language. The installation default is @"a-zA-Z0-9_;"
-
-
- 17-16 Configuration - Confirmations
- ────────────────────────────────────
-
- - ConDel (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not you wish to be prompted when files are
- deleted. The installation default is "y".
-
- - ConRpl (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not you wish to be prompted when files are
- replaced. The installation default is "y".
-
- - ConTch (y/n)
-
- Specifies whether or not you wish to be prompted when files are
- touched. The installation default is "y".
-
-
- 17-17 Configuration - Colors
- ─────────────────────────────
-
- Colors attributes can be changed by setting the "coXXXX" configuration
- settings to the desired color attributes. You can change the color
- attributes for the screen background, Edit windows, File Manager
- windows, prompts, dialog boxes, and the screen border.
- Configuration 95
-
-
- See the comments in the configuration file ACFG.A for a description of
- each of color setting.
-
- Color attributes for any desired color can be obtained by selecting a
- foreground number and a background number from the following tables,
- and adding them together:
-
- Foreground: Background:
-
- 0 black 8 dark gray 0 black 128 dark gray
- 1 blue 9 light blue 16 blue 144 light blue
- 2 green 10 light green 32 green 160 light green
- 3 cyan 11 light cyan 48 cyan 176 light cyan
- 4 red 12 light red 64 red 192 light red
- 5 magenta 13 light magenta 80 magenta 208 light magenta
- 6 brown 14 yellow 96 brown 224 yellow
- 7 gray 15 white 112 gray 240 white
-
- For example, the color attribute for a white foreground on a blue
- background is 31 (15 + 16).
-
-
- 17-18 Configuration - Borders
- ──────────────────────────────
-
- - Shadow (0-5)
-
- Specifies the thickness of the "shadow" on the right and bottom
- window borders. Specifying a thickness greater than one may provide
- better 3-D contrast in "denser" video modes. The installation
- default is 1.
-
- - BorT
-
- Specifies the border type to use for Edit windows and File Manager
- windows. You can choose one of the following border types:
-
- 0 - expanded borders
- 1 - single line
- 2 - double horizontal
- 3 - double vertical
- 4 - double line
- 5 - solid
- 6 - blank
-
- If "expanded" is specified, you can further configure the border
- appearance with the BorX, BorY, and BorO configuration settings
- (see below). The installation default is 0 ("expanded").
- Configuration 96
-
-
- - BorX (0-10)
-
- Specifies the left and right border thickness for "expanded"
- borders. The installation default is 1.
-
- - BorY (0-10)
-
- Specifies the top and bottom border thickness for "expanded"
- borders. The installation default is 1.
-
- - BorO (0-10)
-
- Specifies the amount of overlap on the "expanded" border corners.
- The installation default is 2.
- Redefining the Keyboard 97
-
-
- 18-1 Redefining the Keyboard
- ─────────────────────────────
-
- Note: In reading through the following sections on redefining the
- keyboard, mouse, and menus, it may be helpful to refer to the "Aurora
- Editor Macro Language Guide" (AML.DOC).
-
- Key definitions and user macro code are stored in the file AKBD.A. You
- can quickly edit this file by entering the "opena %akbd" command or by
- selecting the "Keys.." item from the "Macro" pulldown menu.
-
- The key definitions in AKBD.A are actually source code written in The
- Aurora Macro Language. They are compiled and included into A.X when
- the "setres" <Alt-F2> command ("Restore Settings" on the "Set"
- pull-down menu) is entered.
-
- A key definition is really just a function defined within an Aurora
- Macro Language "event object" in the file AKBD.A. There are event
- objects for Edit windows, File Manager windows, Prompt windows, etc.
- For example:
-
- obj edit (
- fun k_f9 (osshell).
- fun k_a_q (quit %p).
- ).
-
- The above code defines two keys in the event object "edit" (which is
- active only for Edit windows). The <F9> key is defined to shell out
- to DOS, and the <Alt-Q> key is defined to close the current window.
-
- To change an existing key definition, simply locate the key definition
- in the file AKBD.A and use The Aurora Editor to change the function
- name (the "key name") or the function body (the "key definition")
- according to your preferences. The function name must be a key
- function name recognized by The Aurora Editor (see below). Then save
- AKBD.A <F3>, and enter the "setres" <Alt-F2> command ("Restore
- Settings" on the "Set" pull-down menu). You must exit and re-enter the
- editor for the new key definition to take effect.
-
- To add a new key definition, first decide in what types of windows you
- would like the key you are defining to be active, and then determine
- the right "event object" for those window types. You can choose from
- the following event objects:
-
- edit - Edit windows only
- fmgr - File Manager windows only
- edit-fmgr - Edit windows and File Manager windows
- prompt - prompts and edit fields, Edit windows
- win - movable or sizable windows
- mon - all windows
- Redefining the Keyboard 98
-
-
- After you have determined the appropriate event object, locate the
- definition for the event object in AKBD.A and enter the new key
- definition function in the event object body. You must use a key
- function name which The Aurora Editor recognizes. For example:
-
-
- obj edit ( // the "edit" event object
- . // event object body
- .
- fun k_f4 (file). // new key definition
- . // key func name <F4>
- .
- ).
-
- After you have entered the new key definition, save AKBD.A <F3>, and
- enter the "setres" <Alt-F2> command ("Restore Settings" on the "Set"
- pulldown menu). You must exit and re-enter the editor for the new key
- definition to take effect.
-
- Mouse event handlers can also be redefined in the same way as keyboard
- definitions. As with key definitions, mouse function names must be
- recognized by The Aurora Editor (see "Mouse Function Names" 18-4).
-
- If you change keyboard definitions, you will probably also want to
- change any menu definitions which show the old key definitions. You
- may also want to update The Aurora Editor Quick Reference (AREF.DOC).
-
-
- 18-2 Key Function Names
- ────────────────────────
-
- When defining a key function, you must use a key name recognized by
- The Aurora Editor. By convention, key names are always in lower case
- and begin with "k_". <Ctrl> key names begin with "k_c_", <Alt> key
- names begin with "k_a_", and <Shift> key names begin with "k_s_".
-
- To use the enhanced keyboard function keys (f11, f12, etc), the
- "KeyEnh" configuration setting must be set to "y" (see "Configuration
- - Other Options" 17-13).
-
- The following key names are recognized by The Aurora Editor (enhanced
- keyboard keys are prefixed with an asterisk "*"):
- Key Function Names 99
-
-
- Standard/Shift Keys Control Keys Alt Keys
- ─────────────────── ──────────── ────────
-
- k_f1 - k_f10 k_c_f1 - k_c_f10 k_a_f1 - k_a_f10
- *k_f11 - k_f12 *k_c_f11 - k_c_f12 *k_a_f11 - k_a_f12
- k_s_f1 - k_s_f10
- *k_s_f11 - k_s_f12
- k_c_a - k_c_z k_a_a - k_a_z
- k_a_0 - k_a_9
- k_backspace k_c_backspace *k_a_backspace
- k_tab *k_c_tab *k_a_tab
- k_s_tab
- k_enter k_c_enter *k_a_enter
- k_esc *k_a_esc
- k_left k_c_left *k_a_left
- k_right k_c_right *k_a_right
- k_up *k_c_up *k_a_up
- k_down *k_c_down *k_a_down
- k_home k_c_home *k_a_home
- k_end k_c_end *k_a_end
- k_pgdn k_c_pgup *k_a_pgup
- k_pgup k_c_pgdn *k_a_pgdn
- k_ins *k_c_ins *k_a_ins
- k_del *k_c_del *k_a_del
- *k_pad5 *k_c_pad5
- k_s_pad5
- k_c_\ *k_a_\
- k_c_[
- k_c_] *k_a_]
- k_c_2
- k_c_6
- k_c_- k_a_-
- k_c_prtsc
- k_a_=
- *k_a_[
- *k_a_`
- *k_a_'
- *k_a_;
- *k_a_/
- *k_a_period
- *k_a_comma
- *k_c_grey/ *k_a_grey/
- k_grey* *k_c_grey* *k_a_grey*
- k_grey- *k_c_grey- *k_a_grey-
- k_grey+ *k_c_grey+ *k_a_grey+
- *k_greyenter *k_c_greyenter *k_a_greyenter
-
- k_chr (non-function keys)
- Defining Compound Keys 100
-
-
- 18-3 Defining Compound Keys
- ────────────────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor also allows you to define "compound keys". A
- Compound key is a combination of keys that act like one function key.
- Using compound keys can greatly expand the number of available
- function keys, or help to make The Aurora Editor behave like another
- editor or word processor.
-
- To form a compound key name, just concatenate all the composite key
- names (discarding the "k_" prefix), and separate them with the "+"
- character. Then attach the "k_" prefix to the beginning of the
- compound key.
-
- For example, "k_f1+f2" is the compound key name for <F1> and <F2>.
- "k_c_d+a_s+f3" is a compound key name composed of the 3 function keys:
- <Ctrl-D>, <Alt-S>, and <F3>. Compound keys names may also have a
- non-function key as the last key. For example, "k_c_d+k" is a valid
- compound key.
-
- To define compound keys, first define all keys in the compound key
- series (except for the last) as compound key "prefixes". This is done
- using the "keyx" function. For example:
-
- obj edit (
- .
- .
- fun k_c_d (keyx "k_c_d"). // define prefix "<Ctrl-D>"
- fun k_c_d+f1 (save). // "<Ctrl-D>,<F1>" saves the file
- .
- .
- fun k_c_d+f2 (keyx "k_c_d+f2"). // define prefix "<Ctrl-D>,<F2>"
- fun k_c_d+f2+a (quit %p). // "<Ctrl-D>,<F2>,<A>" quits the file
- .
- .
- ).
-
- Note that when a function key is defined as a compound key prefix, it
- can no longer be used as a "normal" function key for another function.
-
- Compound keys have one restriction: you cannot assign a key macro to a
- compound key.
-
- The following compound key prefixes are defined in AKBD.A at
- installation time:
-
- - k_c_k <Ctrl K>
- - k_c_o <Ctrl O>
- - k_c_q <Ctrl Q>
- Mouse Function Names 101
-
-
- 18-4 Mouse Function Names
- ──────────────────────────
-
- You can configure the way Aurora Editor handles the mouse by creating
- your own "mouse event handler" functions. You can change existing
- mouse definitions and add new definitions just as you would for the
- keyboard (see "Redefining the Keyboard" 18-1).
-
- When defining a mouse handler function, you must use a mouse function
- name recognized by The Aurora Editor. By convention, mouse function
- names are always in lower case and begin with "m_". Mouse left button
- function names begin with "m_l_", mouse right button function names
- begin with "m_r_", and mouse center button function names begin with
- "m_c_".
-
- A mouse function name will have the suffix "_client" if the mouse
- event originated in a window client area, "_border" if it originated
- on a window border, or "_bkgnd" if it originated on the video
- background.
-
- The following mouse function names are recognized by The Aurora
- Editor:
-
- m_move_client m_move_border m_move_bkgnd
-
- m_l_down_client m_l_down_border m_l_down_bkgnd
- m_l_up_client m_l_up_border m_l_up_bkgnd
- m_l_dbclick_client m_l_dbclick_border m_l_dbclick_bkgnd
-
- m_c_down_client m_c_down_border m_c_down_bkgnd
- m_c_up_client m_c_up_border m_c_up_bkgnd
- m_c_dbclick_client m_c_dbclick_border m_c_dbclick_bkgnd
-
- m_r_down_client m_r_down_border m_r_down_bkgnd
- m_r_up_client m_r_up_border m_r_up_bkgnd
- m_r_dbclick_client m_r_dbclick_border m_r_dbclick_bkgnd
-
-
- 18-5 Defining Menus
- ────────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor has a fully configurable menu system. It's easy to
- redefine the menu bars and pull-down menus according to your own
- preferences for both Edit windows and File Manager windows. You can
- also redefine the Edit window tool bar to your own preferences.
-
- Menu definition macros are stored in the file AMEN.A. You can edit
- this file by entering the "opena %amen" command or selecting the
- "Menus.." item from the "Macro" pulldown menu.
- Defining Menus 102
-
-
- The Menu definitions in AMEN.A are actually source code written in The
- Aurora Macro Language. They are compiled and included into A.X when
- the "setres" <Alt-F2> command ("Restore Settings" on the "Set"
- pull-down menu) is entered.
-
- The following function definition in AMEN.A sets the menu bar for all
- Edit windows:
-
- fun EditMen (
- winmen @ @ %&File %&Window %&Block %&Search %F&old %&Edit
- %&Clip %&Print %Se&t %M&acro %&Help.
- .
- .
- ).
-
- In the above function definition, the menu bar items are the "winmen"
- arguments "%&File" "%&Window", "%&Block", etc. Spaces must separate
- the menu bar items, and each menu bar item must be preceded by a "%"
- character, or enclosed in double quotes. Each menu bar item may also
- contain one ampersand (&) character which indicates that the character
- which follows is to be highlighted when displayed. To add or remove a
- menu bar item, just modify the "winmen" statement according to your
- preferences.
-
- To define a pull-down menu, use the "texmen" function. For example,
- consider the following menu-pulldown definition which creates the
- "Print" pulldown menu for all Edit windows:
-
- texmen %editPrint
- " &Print Alt-P|print"
- " Print &Block Ctrl-P|print %m"
- " Print &Formfeed|prtstr (byte 12)"
- " Print &Settings..|askprtset".
-
- The first argument to the function texmen ("editPrint" in the example
- above) must be the name of the associated menu bar item prefixed by
- either "edit" for Edit windows or "fmgr" for File Manager windows.
- After the first argument, all arguments to "texmen" define a line on
- the pull-down menu. These arguments have the following format:
-
- "display string | macro"
-
- The display string may contain one ampersand (&) character to indicate
- which character is to be highlighted. For example, in the Print
- pull-down menu example above, the last pull down menu item definition
- is:
-
- " Print &Settings..|askprtset"
- Defining Menus 103
-
-
- For this menu item, the display string is " Print Settings.." with the
- "S" highlighted. The macro is "askprtset", which is executed whenever
- the menu item is selected.
-
- To create a "separator line" on a menu, specify "─" as an argument to
- the "texmen" function.
-
- You can use the "mens" command to create "sub-menus". For example,
- consider the following argument to the texmen function:
-
- " Mar&k.. |mens %editMark"
-
- This argument will create the menu item " Mar&k.. " and
- associate it with the command "mens %editMark". When this menu item is
- selected, the menu "editMark" is displayed. "editMark" must be the
- name of another pull-down menu created with the "texmen" function.
-
- You can modify any menu bar or pull-down definition you wish, except
- for the first eight lines of the Edit window "Set" pulldown. The
- Aurora Editor expects these eight menu items to remain the same.
-
- When you have completed your changes to the file AMEN.A, save it <F3>,
- and enter the "setres" <Alt-F2> command ("Restore Settings" on the
- "Set" pulldown menu). You must exit and re-enter the editor for the
- new menu definitions to take effect.
-
-
- 18-6 The Tool Bar
- ──────────────────
-
- Each Edit window in The Aurora Editor has an optional "Tool Bar" which
- can be displayed or hidden on demand using the following command from
- the "Window" pull-down menu:
-
- - wtool "Tool Bar" <Ctrl-F8>
-
- This command displays (or hides) the tool bar on the current Edit
- window. The tool bar is located underneath the Edit window menu and
- contains user-definable "controls" which allow easy access to
- commonly-used commands.
- The ToolBar 104
-
-
- The default tool bar controls are:
-
- <≡> - close the tool bar
- <?> - tool bar help
- <*> - display a File Manager window
- </> - copy the current window
- <─> - split the current window horizontally
- <|> - split the current window vertically
- <o> - display the "Open" prompt
- <s> - save the file in the current Edit window
- <F> - display the "Find" prompt
- <f> - execute the last "Find" or "Replace" command
- <r> - reflow a block
- <«> - undo the last change
- <»> - redo the last change
- <>> - fold a block
- <<> - unfold a block
-
-
- The tool bar layout is defined in the file AMEN.A. You can edit this
- file by entering the "opena %amen" command or selecting the "Menus.."
- item from the "Macro" pulldown menu.
-
- The following function definition in AMEN.A sets the tool bar for all
- Edit windows:
-
- fun EditMen (
- .
- .
- winmen @ 1 %<&&≡> %<&&?> %<&&*> %<&&/> %<&&─> %<&&|> %<&&o> %<&&s>
- %<&&F> %<&&f> %<&&r> %<&&«> %<&&»> %<&&>> %<&&<>.
- ).
-
- In the function definition above, the tool bar controls are the
- "winmen" arguments "%<&&≡>", "%<&&?>", etc. Spaces must separate the
- tool bar controls and each tool bar control must be preceded by the
- "%" character, or enclosed in double quotes. Each menu bar item may
- also contain two back-to-back ampersand (&&) characters which
- indicates that the character which follows is to be highlighted (with
- the title bar control color) when displayed . To add, change, or
- remove a tool bar control, just modify the "winmen" statement
- according to your preferences.
-
- When you define a new tool bar control, you must also define what
- macro command the tool bar control executes. This is done by adding a
- tool bar control function to the "edit" object in the file AKBD.A, in
- the same way that a key definition would be added (see "Defining the
- Keyboard 18-1). For example:
- The ToolBar 105
-
-
- obj edit (
-
- // tool bar
- fun <*> (fmgr). // displays the File Manager
- fun <o> (askopen). // displays the Open prompt
- .
- .
- ).
-
- When you have completed your changes to the file AMEN.A, save it <F3>,
- and enter the "setres" <Alt-F2> command ("Restore Settings" on the
- "Set" pulldown menu). You must exit and re-enter the editor for the
- new menu definitions to take effect.
-
-
- 18-7 Text Translation
- ──────────────────────
-
- Text Translation allows you to expand abbreviations and correct
- commonly misspelled words or typos as you enter characters into the
- text of an Edit window. You define the words and substitution text in
- a translation table. You can also define macros that are executed
- whenever the name of the macro is entered as a word in your text.
-
- Text translation definitions are stored in ATRN.A and are actually
- source code written in The Aurora Macro Language. You can edit ATRN.A
- by entered the "opena %atrn" <Alt-F5> command. They are compiled and
- included into A.X when the "setres" <Alt-F2> command ("Restore
- Settings" on the "Set" pull-down menu) is entered.
-
- Text translation can be turned ON and OFF for each Edit window via the
- "Translate" toggle on the "Set" pull-down menu. When text translation
- is ON, a "T" appears on the Edit window status line.
-
- When Text Translation is ON, the editor will automatically check each
- "word" you type to see if it exists in a special user-defined
- translation lookup table in the file ATRN.A. If the word is found, it
- will be replaced with the substitution text that you have defined in
- the table. Table lookups are case-sensitive. Consider the following
- example of a translation table in ATRN.A:
-
- // translation table object
- obj trn (
-
- set
-
- // word: replace with:
-
- "adn" "and" ,
- "teh" "the" ,
- "asap" "as soon as possible" ,
- "i*" "I" ,
- .
- ).
- Text Translation 106
-
-
- Using the sample table above, if you typed "teh" as a word in an Edit
- window, it would be replaced immediately with "the". The word "adn"
- would be replaced with "and", and the word "asap" would be replaced
- with "as soon as possible".
-
- In the examples above, the translations for "teh", "adn", and "asap"
- are performed as soon as the last character of the word is entered.
- This can be a problem if the word being translated is also found at
- the beginning of other words.
-
- To prevent translation from occurring until a word delimiter character
- is entered, define the word with the suffix "*". Using the sample
- table above, if Text Translation is ON and you enter the word "i", no
- translation will occur until you enter a word delimiter character
- after "i" (such as a space, a comma, a period, or the <Enter> key).
-
- The translation table can also contain macro language function
- definitions. These macros will be called when Text Translation is ON
- and the macro name is entered as a word in your text. For example:
-
- // translation table object
- obj trn (
- .
- .
- .
- fun bip (beep 800 100).
- fun bop* (beep 100 100).
- ).
-
- Using the sample table above, if Text Translation is ON, and you enter
- the word "bip", you'll hear a high beep. If you enter the word "bop"
- followed by a space, you'll hear a low beep (for complete
- documentation on The Aurora Macro Language, see "The Aurora Macro
- Language Guide" in AML.DOC)
-
- The following configuration settings are associated with Text
- Translation (see "Configuration Settings" 17-15).
-
- TextTran - text translation ON/OFF default
- TranObj - current text translation object
- TranCSet - character set defining a word for translation lookup
-
- When you have completed your changes to the file ATRN.A, save it <F3>,
- and enter the "setres" <Alt-F2> command ("Restore Settings" on the
- "Set" pulldown menu). You must exit and re-enter the editor for the
- new translation definitions to take effect.
-
-
- Command Line Options 107
-
-
- A-1 Command Line Options
- ─────────────────────────
-
- Command Line Options can be specified when loading The Aurora Editor
- at the DOS prompt. After the "A" or "A3" command, enter a hyphen (-)
- followed by the option and any option parameters. The following
- options are available:
-
- c - forces the editor to use color attributes
-
- m - forces the editor to use monochrome attributes
-
- e - executes the macro following the "e" option. The macro is
- executed after any text or macro files are loaded (see the -x
- option below). For example:
-
- a mydoc.txt -ek_a_e
-
- In the above example, the macro "k_a_e" is executed after
- "mydoc.txt" is loaded. If more than one -e option is specified,
- only the last specified macro is executed.
-
- x - executes the macro filename following the "x" option (there is
- no space between the "x" and the filename). If you specify
- multiple "x" options on the same command line, they are executed
- in the order they are entered. Note that if the "x" option is
- specified, the default macro file A.X is not automatically
- executed. For example:
-
- C>a -m -xD:\A.X -xD:\TEST.X DOC1.TXT *.TXT
-
- In the above example, The Aurora Editor is invoked with
- monochrome attributes and the macro files D:\A.X and D:\TEST.X
- are executed. An Edit window is created for DOC1.TXT and a File
- Manager Window is created for *.TXT.
-
- Performance Tips 108
-
-
- B-1 Performance Tips
- ─────────────────────
-
- The Aurora Editor is high performance software. However, the following
- tips may help you get the utmost in performance:
-
- - Use the maximum available conventional memory
-
- Configure DOS so that the maximum amount of "conventional" memory
- (below 1 megabyte) is available. This will decrease the likelihood
- that the editor will use slower XMS/EMS, or swap to disk.
-
- - Use a Disk Cache Program
-
- Using a disk caching program such as SMARTDRV can greatly increase
- overall editor performance. This includes initial loading of the
- editor, saving and loading of files, executing DOS programs from
- within the editor, and general virtual memory performance when XMS
- and EMS are not available.
-
- - Use XMS or EMS memory if available
-
- Using XMS and/or EMS memory can greatly increase performance when
- editing large files, and when executing DOS programs from within the
- editor (see "Configuration - Memory Options" 17-12). Many users may
- find XMS memory easier to use, since an XMS driver is already
- installed on many computers (in the form of HIMEM.SYS).
-
- When comparing XMS and EMS performance within The Aurora Editor
- (using the QEMM-386 memory manager), XMS is almost twice as fast as
- EMS when loading large files. EMS memory is nearly 30% faster than
- XMS when searching though large files.
-
- - Turn off "SaveMac" and "SaveHis"
-
- Turning off these two configuration settings can reduce the amount
- of time it takes to enter and exit the editor. Note that turning off
- "SaveHis" will prevent the editor from remembering window positions
- and sizes, cursor positions, etc. across edit sessions.
-
-