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- Programmer's File Editor
- ------------------------
-
- Welcome to Programmer's File Editor. This file is the place to start looking at
- the program: if you've not seen PFE before there's a synopsis of its main
- features; and if you've used earlier versions there's some essential
- information on major changes.
-
- Below you'll find
-
- 1. ABSTRACT
- A brief list of PFE's main features
- 2. USING AND DISTRIBUTING PFE
- The terms on which you can use it and pass it on
- 3. CONTACTING THE AUTHOR
- How to pass on your criticisms, suggestions, bug reports
- and maybe even praise
- 4. WHERE TO GET PFE
- Places to look for PFE on the Internet and elsewhere
- 5. UPGRADING FROM 0.05.007 AND EARLIER
- Important information if you're currently using the previous
- release
- 6. OTHER FILES YOU SHOULD LOOK AT
- The other important text files in this release
- 7. THE FILES YOU SHOULD GET
- What should be in your distribution set
- 8. INSTALLING PFE
- How to install everything
- 9. WHICH VERSION SHOULD YOU USE?
- How to pick the most appropriate version
-
- ---
-
- Alan Phillips ( A.Phillips@lancaster.ac.uk )
- March 1995
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- 1. ABSTRACT
- -----------
-
- This is the 0.06.001 release of Programmer's File Editor, a large-capacity
- multi-file programming oriented editor for Windows 3.1x, Windows NT on Intel
- and PowerPC platforms, and Windows 95
-
- PFE includes the following features:
-
- - The size of file it can handle is limited only by the total amount of
- virtual memory available
- - No arbitrary limit on the number of lines a file can contain
- - It can edit multiple files, the number being limited only by the
- available system resources
- - Accepts files dropped from File Manager or other drag-drop server
- - Allows multiple edit windows showing the same file
- - Multi-level undo facility
- - Can read and write files in UNIX format using LF as line terminator, with
- automatic format detection
- - Can run multiple instances if desired
- - Backup copies can be maintained of existing files when saving
- - Most-recently-used list of files allows easy selection between sessions
- - Line numbers can be shown in any edit window if required
- - Any installed fixed-pitch screen font, including TrueType, can be used in
- edit windows
- - The most frequent operations can be performed from active buttons on a
- tear-off toolbar
- - Active status bar reports settings and allows easy alteration of common ones
- - Text can be copied and moved by dragging and dropping
- - Tabs can be inserted as TAB characters or spaces
- - DOS commands, such as compilers, can be run with the output captured
- in an edit window
- - An application being developed can be quickly launched from a configurable
- dialog
- - Commonly-used text can be inserted in a simple operation from template
- libraries
- - Fully-remappable keyboard, including two-key operation similar to MicroEMACS
- and mapping of Alt keys to functions
- - Multiple sets of key mappings can be stored, and selected as required from
- a dialog or from the command line
- - Keystrokes and menu commands can be recorded in a replayable keyboard macro
- - Commonly-used program development tools can be configured into a list
- and started simply from a dialog
- - Files can be printed either in total, by line range, or selected text only
- - Automatic line indenting and removal of trailing spaces
- - Automatic configuration of edit options depending on file type
- - Automatic configuration of tab sizes depending on file type
- - Automatic brace alignment when editing C source
- - Text indent/undent operations
- - Optional automatic text wrapping at configurable margin
- - Can mail files to MAPI-compliant mailers like Microsoft Mail
- - User-configurable help menu
- - Comprehensive help file with help buttons on all dialogs and F1 help
- available for system messages
- - Mouse help available on screen and menu items
- - Double click on right button starts help engine for help on keywords
- in edit windows
- - Allows Windows to be closed down and the system rebooted from the system menu
- - Uses standard MDI methods to be fully compatible with other Windows apps
- - All operations are TWI compliant
- - Windows can be tiled vertically to maximize width
- - Window text, window background, workspace, toolbar and status bar colours
- fully configurable
-
- Additionally, the editor can be controlled by another application across a
- DDE client-server link.
-
-
- 2. USING AND DISTRIBUTING PFE
- -----------------------------
-
- PFE may be used in any way, for any purpose, at no cost. In may be distributed
- by any means, provided that the original files as supplied by the author remain
- intact and no charge is made other than for reasonable distribution costs.
-
- You do not need to register to use PFE or buy a licence.
-
- PFE may be placed on any archive or BBS system
-
- PFE may not be distributed as an essential component of any commercial product
- without a prior license agreement with the author
-
-
-
- 3. CONTACTING THE AUTHOR
- ------------------------
-
- I would very much appreciate hearing from you if you use PFE and find problems,
- or if you can think of ways it could be improved - and even (or is that
- 'especially'?) if you just think it's great. Even if the facility you would
- like to see appears to be of interest only to you, tell me about it - you'd be
- surprised how many ideas in that class have a much wider appeal.
-
- You can contact me by e-mail at
-
- A.Phillips@lancaster.ac.uk
-
- I will try to reply to all the mail I receive, but it may take a week or so if
- I'm very busy.
-
- Please DON'T mail me on CompuServe - you may find an account there with my name
- on it, but it's owned by my employers and I don't visit it often. I don't
- respond to mail I find there not related to work, sorry. If YOU are on
- CompuServe it's easy to mail me on the Internet - just address the mail to
-
- >internet:A.Phillips@lancaster.ac.uk
-
- However, this may cost you a little more than mail to other CompuServe users
-
-
- 4. WHERE TO GET PFE
- -------------------
-
- PFE is distributed in three ZIP files. The names they have when they
- leave me are
-
- pfe0601.zip The 16-bit edition for Windows 3.1x
- pfe0601i.zip The 32-bit edition for Windows 95 and Windows NT
- on Intel platforms
- pfe0601p.zip The 32-bit edition for Windows NT on PowerPC
- platforms
-
- [Note that the characters after 'pfe' are digits zero-six-zero-one]
-
- I post PFE to three main archive sites:
-
- - For the UK Higher Education sector, it's available in the HENSA/micros
- archive on the micros.hensa.ac.uk system; use Internet ftp, Gopher or
- WWW to find it
-
- - On the Internet, I place copies on two archives:
-
- oak.oakland.edu (SimTel)
- ftp.cica.indiana.edu
-
- On Usenet, I post an announcement of each release to the
- comp.os.ms-windows.announce, comp.os.ms-windows.utilities and comp.editors
- groups, and send the distribution set to the moderator of the comp.binaries.ms-windows
- group for posting.
-
- Though I do not place it there myself, copies should be available from
- CompuServe in the WINSHARE forum within a few days of each release. The
- filenames there will be
-
- pfe61.zip The 16-bit edition for Windows 3.1x
- pfe61i.zip The 32-bit edition for Windows 95 and Windows NT
- on Intel platforms
- pfe61p.zip The 32-bit edition for Windows NT on PowerPC
- platforms
-
- If you have a favourite BBS or archive that does not yet have a copy, I would
- very much appreciate your posting a copy there too.
-
-
-
- 5. UPGRADING FROM 0.05.007 AND EARLIER
- --------------------------------------
-
- The release of PFE prior to this one was 0.05.007. If you are using this,
- you'll find that your keymap (.key) files and template (.tpl) files will
- continue to work. Keymap files prodiced with earlier releases than 0.05.007
- won't be recognised.
-
- However, there have been many changes to the initialisation file (pfe.ini or
- pfe32.ini depending on the edition you use).
-
- The first major change is that you no longer ever need to edit it to change
- options. Now there's an Options Preferences command that does it all - and
- you'll find that there are lots more options to choose from too.
-
- The second major change involves the filters you define for the file open
- dialogs. Your existing ones will not be recognised, so please use Options
- Preferences to redefine them.
-
- Thirdly, the way the various Windows "managers" (like File Manager and
- Print Manager) are handled from the Execute menu has changed, allowing you
- to start a full command line with arguments. Your existing definitions will
- not be used; again, please use Options Preferences to set up what you want.
-
- Finally, the system of associating file and window modes with file extensions
- has been completely redesigned. The modes you can set now include window and
- text colours; and instead of mapping a single extension to a set of modes, you
- now build "mode groups" containing wildcarded filename patterns, each of which
- has a set of modes associated with it. Again your old mode settings won't be
- recognised, so you'll need to use Options Preferences to use the new system.
-
- If you wish, you can remove the [fileopen-filters], [modes] and [managers]
- sections from your initialisation file.
-
- One other change to note is that the default extension used for making backup
- files has changed from ".&&&" to ".$$$". You can also customise it with the
- Options Preferences command
-
-
-
- 6. OTHER FILES YOU SHOULD LOOK AT
- ---------------------------------
-
- The distribution set contains several other text files of important
- information.
-
- For the answers to some of the common questions that users have, see FAQ.TXT.
- Looking in here can save you a lot of worry and experimentation, and save you
- from posting your question to newsgroups and mailing lists.
-
- The CHANGES.TXT file tells you what's changed from earlier releases. If you
- find something unexpected going on, look in here too - it could be a feature
- rather than a bug.
-
- The PROBLEMS.TXT file tells you about any major problems that were discovered
- too late to be addressed in this release, and what you can do if you hit them.
-
-
- 7. THE FILES YOU SHOULD GET
- ---------------------------
-
- There are a small number of files in the PFE distribution. You should find the
- following items:
-
- 16-bit Edition:
-
- pfe.exe The editor itself
- pfe.hlp The help file
- $pfedos.exe A helper module, needed to run commands and
- capture output
- $pfedos.pif The PIF file for this module
- readme.txt This file
- changes.txt Changes from previous releases
- faq.txt Frequently Asked Questions
- problems.txt Information on late-breaking problems
-
- 32-bit Edition (Intel):
-
- pfe32.exe The editor itself
- pfe32.dbg Debugging symbols
- pfe.hlp The help file
- $pfeds32.exe A helper module, needed to run commands and
- capture output
- readme.txt This file
- changes.txt Changes from previous releases
- faq.txt Frequently Asked Questions
- problems.txt Information on late-breaking problems
-
- 32-bit Edition (PowerPC):
-
- pfe32.exe The editor itself
- pfe.hlp The help file
- $pfeds32.exe A helper module, needed to run commands and
- capture output
- readme.txt This file
- changes.txt Changes from previous releases
- faq.txt Frequently Asked Questions
- problems.txt Information on late-breaking problems
-
- The help file pfe.hlp is identical for the 16-bit and 32-bit editions.
-
-
-
- 8. INSTALLING PFE
- -----------------
-
- There is no setup program for PFE, as it doesn't really need one. Installation
- is done by simply copying the supplied files:
-
- 16-bit Edition:
-
- Copy pfe.exe, pfe.hlp, $pfedos.exe and $pfedos.pif to a suitable directory.
- This need not be on your path; but it's important that all the files are
- in the _same_ directory
-
- 32-bit Edition:
-
- Copy pfe32.exe, pfe.hlp, $pfeds32.exe to a suitable directory. This need not
- be on your path; but it's important that all the files are in the _same_
- directory. If you have the Intel version you might like to copy pfe32.dbg into
- this directory also; in the event of a program fault your Dr Watson logs will
- contain a symbolic trace, which will make problem diagnosis easier if you're
- able to mail the details to me.
-
-
- It's a good idea to keep the 16-bit and 32-bit editions in the same place; then
- you will need only one copy of the help file.
-
- After you've installed PFE, the best thing to do is start it up, then use the
- Options Preferences command to explore the customisation options and set it up
- to run as you prefer.
-
-
-
- 9. WHICH VERSION SHOULD YOU USE?
- --------------------------------
-
- The Windows, Windows NT and Windows 95 operating systems allow you a lot of
- flexibility in what versions of programs you can run. The pros and cons of
- the various combinations are these:
-
-
- System Edition Comments
- ------ ------- --------
-
- Windows 3.1x 16-bit RECOMMENDED. All facilities will be available,
- and this combination is tested in development
- 32-bit Intel Will run if you have Win32s 1.20. You will not
- be able to run commands and capture output, and
- you may find the program crashes when you try
- to setup your printer. 3D dialog effects are
- not available. This combination is not tested in
- development
-
- Windows NT 3.1 32-bit Intel Will not run
- (Intel) 16-bit Intel Will run (see Windows NT 3.5) but you should
- really upgrade to Windows NT 3.5
-
- Windows NT 3.5 32-bit Intel RECOMMENDED. All facilities will be available,
- (Intel) and this combination is tested in development
- 16-bit Will run, but you will not be able to run
- commands and capture output. This combination
- is not tested in development
-
- Windows NT 3.5 32-bit PowerPC RECOMMENDED. This is the only version that will
- (PowerPC) run in this environment; there is no choice. This
- combination is not tested in development.
-
- Windows 95 32-bit Intel RECOMMENDED. All facilities are available, but
- at this release integration with the Windows 95
- look and feel is not complete. This combination
- is tested in development on Beta M7
- 16-bit Intel Should run, but you will not be able to run
- commands and capture output. This combination
- is not tested in development
-
-
-