TVX Reference Manual
This is the Reference Manual for TVX, a public domain screen
editor written in C by Dr. Bruce E. Wampler. (Current address: Dr.
Bruce E. Wampler, University of New Mexico, Department of Computer
Science, Farris Engineering Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131). Any
comments, bug reports, or suggestions should be sent to that address.
This manual contains the formal descriptions for each editor command.
An appendix gives some notes for installing TVX on various systems.
The name TVX is derived from "TV" editor for any terminal ("X").
*** GETTING STARTED ***
To edit a file using TVX, enter the following command line:
tvx filename -switch1 -switch2 ...
The file name specified is the file to be edited, and must obey
the conventions used by the local operating system (the MS-DOS version
requires DOS version 2.0, and supports pathnames). If the file is a
new file (does not exist), TVX will ask if you really want to create
it. Answer y or n. If you gave an incorrect name, you may give the
correct name, but the switches entered on the original start line will
remain in effect. Control-C can be used at this point to abort.
TVX has several switches which control certain operating
characteristics. Each switch begins with a minus (-), and is
separated from the file name and other switches by a blank in the
standard UNIX/C convention. Some switches may be negated by using a
'nox' form. Thus, '-b' will cause a .bak file to be generated, while
a '-nob' causes the .bak file to be deleted on exit from the editor.
This capability is indicated by []'s. As many switches as necessary
or desired can be used at one time in any order. A ':' may be used
instead of a '=' for '-c' and '-o'. The various switches supported
include:
-c=filename -- read a configuration file. If only -c is
specified, TVX will look for A:CONFIG.TVX on CP/M and for
/bin/CONFIG.TVX on MS-DOS. The -c switch is not supported
on all implementations.
-[no]b -- generate a .BAK version of the original (the usual
default). The -nob option means no .BAK file is generated.
This mode of operation follows the normal Unix convention of
not keeping past generations of a file.
-[no]i -- auto indent mode enabled.
-[no]l -- generate BACKUP.LOG file
-o=filename -- send edited output to filename. The output file
can also be changed at any time during the editing session
with the ':o' command.
-r -- read only - file can be read in only
-s -- big save buffer - leaves more buffer for save file
-t -- tty mode - puts TVX into tty mode, not using the screen.
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See the special appendix on tty mode.
-w -- word processing mode - sets autowrap on, margin to 65.
-z -- -z means use Control-Z to mark end of file, -noz means
don't use. This switch is used only on MS-DOS
implementations.
-# -- entering a number from 3 up to the number of lines on the
screen will create a smaller TVX editing window. This is
most useful for slower baud rates. A -7 makes a nice, small
window showing 7 lines.
TVX is mostly a programmer's editor, and can can edit any
standard text line file. On Unix systems, it is an alternative to
standard editors such as ed or vi. On MS-DOS, TVX can also be used to
edit standard BASIC programs. BASIC programs must be saved using the
",A" switch from Microsoft BASIC. When editing BASIC files, care must
be taken to preserve the BASIC statement line numbers. On CP/M, TVX
can be used as a totally compatible alternative to ED. Because of
memory limitations, the CP/M version contains a subset of the commands
available on the regular version.
*** General Comments ***
TVX functions almost identically for all versions. All commands
are normally the same, although it is possible to create custom
versions with a different command set. Control codes on are normally
entered by pressing the CTRL key and the letter key at the same time.
On most versions, the character delete key is BACKSPACE. This
character delete keys is the one normally used by the respective
operating systems. It is up to the local implementation to notify the
user of any variance from these conventions.
Once the file has been read in, the screen will be cleared, and
the first screenful of the file printed on the screen and the cursor
positioned over the first character of the file. If a new file is
being created, the message "buffer empty" will be displayed, and the
cursor positioned in the upper left corner. TVX is then ready to
accept commands from the keyboard. TVX works on the principle that
what you see is what you get. Most commands also take an optional
numeric count. The default count is always one. Commands that allow
a count value are preceded by the letter 'n' in the following
descriptions. Whenever a command produces output or an error message,
it appears on the bottom line of the screen.
The BACKSPACE key (Control-H on some terminals) is used to edit
input text. When TVX is accepting commands, BACKSPACE will cause the
character immediately before the cursor to be deleted.
The text from the file which is being edited is held in a buffer
in main memory. If a file is particularly large, it may not entirely
fit into main memory. The CP/M version of TVX allows slightly over
20,000 characters in the buffer (950 lines). The MS-DOS versions will
allow up to almost 64K characters depending on the memory available.
Unix versions will usually allow 120,000 characters and 5000 lines in
one buffer. If the entire file will not fit into the buffer at once,
then only part of it is read in at a time. The buffer size limit in
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no way restricts the total size of a file that can be edited by TVX.
To make editing large files easier, some commands apply to the entire
file and cause automatic cross buffer manipulation.
Because of the internal organization of the text within the
buffer, TVX may occasionally "compact" the tiny fragments of unused
buffer space generated as a part of normal editing. When this
happens, a message is displayed, and input keystrokes are remembered
but not echoed until the compaction process is complete. The process
may take several seconds.
While the normal screen is only 80 columns wide, TVX has been
written to support a "virtual" screen width of 240 columns. As you
move the cursor right on a line that is longer than 80 columns, the
screen will automatically scroll to the left in increments of 16
columns. Note that on terminals that cannot disable auto wrap around
for column 80, when you are making changes to a line that is longer
that 80 columns, the line will wrap around to the next display line so
that the entire line is visible. The wrap will disappear when you use
the 'd' or 'u' commands, or rewrite the screen with the 'v' command.
Most versions will not wrap long lines.
A key to success when using TVX is to remember that there are two
modes of operation. The normal mode is command mode. In this mode,
all keystrokes are interpreted as commands. When you want to enter
text, you must enter insert mode with the 'I' command. While in
insert mode, all keystrokes entered will be inserted into the file and
displayed on the screen. You must exit from insert mode with the
escape key. When you enter insert mode, the message "### Insert Mode
###" will be displayed on the last line of the display. Also, on many
terminals, TVX will change the cursor character between command and
insert mode.
TVX uses two techniques for protecting the original file from
editing mistakes. First, each time a file is edited, a new version is
created, and the previous version retained in its original form as a
backup. This file will change the original file extension to '.BAK'
on CP/M and MS-DOS systems, and '.B' on Unix. A more complete
description of TVX file handling is included in an appendix. Also, as
you edit your file, TVX has the capability to write all commands
entered during the session to a log file when that capability is
enabled. In the event of a major editing mistake, it is possible to
edit that log file to remove the command errors, and then apply that
"command" file to the previous version of the edited file to get back
to the state right before the mistake. This feature also allows files
of TVX commands to be defined by the user and executed in one step.
The last section of the Reference Manual explains how to use the
command file feature.
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*** Summary of TVX Commands ***
Notes: An n preceding a command means optional numeric
argument may be supplied. If omitted n will default to 1,
and n can be zero or negative if appropriate. '$'
represents the escape key, and is used as a terminator for
insert, find, and loops. Control commands are indicated
with '^'. For example, '^K' represents Control-K, and is
usually entered by simultaneously holding down the CTRL key
and the K key.
nA - Append to Save Buffer
The 'A' command is used to append lines of text to the end of the
save buffer, even if other commands have been used since the last 'A'
or 'S' command. The append command works exactly like the 'S' command
otherwise.
B - Buffer beginning
A 'B' causes the cursor to be moved to the beginning of the
current buffer.
^B - Beginning of file
The '^B' (Control-B) command is used to position the cursor to
the absolute beginning of the file. The '^B' command will always
write out the rest of the file, then re-read the first buffer full.
This command has the side effect of making a new backup version of the
file. It should be noted that any text saved in the save buffer will
be preserved during this operation, so that the 'S' save command can
be used to move text from the end to the beginning of a multi-buffer
file. The search pattern and repeat loops are retained as well. Note
the '^B' file beginning is similar in concept to 'B' buffer
beginning.
nC - Change
'C' can be used to change characters. Entering 'nC' is exactly
equivalent to entering 'nKI'. The command will cause 'n' characters
to be killed, and insert mode to be entered. The escape must be used
to terminate the insert as usual.
nD - Down
'D' moves the cursor down n lines. The cursor is placed at the
beginning of the new line. For convenience, the ENTER key performs
the identical function.
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n^D - Down in column
Control-D ('^D') is similar to 'D', except the cursor remains in
the original column. Columns are defined as characters from the
beginning of the line, so if a line has tab characters in it, the
cursor may appear to move out of column on the screen.
E - End of the buffer
'E' causes the cursor to be placed at the end of the current text
buffer.
n^E - Edit repeat buffer n
When making repeat loops, it is easy to make a mistake. The ^E
command allows any of the repeat buffers to be edited, and then the ^R
command can save the corrected repeat buffer back. If you give a
value 0 for n, the currently selected buffer is used. If n is from 1
to the maximum number of repeat buffers, then that repeat buffer will
be selected for editing.
The ^E command will insert the contents of the selected repeat
buffer into the current text buffer. The repeat buffer will be
inserted above the current text line. The repeat buffer will start
with a sequence of '#n:<', where n will be replaced by the repeat
buffer being edited. The '#n:' identifies which buffer you are
editing, and is used by the ^R store repeat buffer command to identify
the buffer to save to. Escapes will be represented by '^[' instead of
the '$' used when entering a repeat buffer initially. A '>^[^['
identifies the end of the repeat loop.
It is possible to make as many changes as needed to the repeat
loop. Escapes can be added by using '27i'. If you want to save the
loop in a different buffer, you can change the number after the '#'.
It is also important to maintain the '#n:<' start and '>^[^[' ending
sequences. Also, loops are limited to a maximum of 100 characters.
You can have carriage returns within the body of a loop, too. If you
want to create a new buffer, you can use ^E on an empty repeat buffer
to get the required '#n:<>^[^[' loop sequence.
After you have edited the repeat buffer, it can be saved
with the '^R' command. You must place the cursor anywhere on the
first line of the repeat buffer before using '^R'. When you press ^R,
the buffer will be saved in the buffer indicated right after the '#'.
Thus, unlike ^E, the ^R command accepts no n value.
nF - Find text pattern
'F' is used to find a text pattern. When 'F' is entered, the
message 'Find?' is echoed on the bottom line. You then enter the
pattern to find, terminated with the escape key (echoed as $). When
the count 'n' is positive (which is the default), find searches the
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current buffer from the current position forward. If 'n' is negative,
then a backwards search is performed starting with the previous line.
(Use '^F' to search across buffers). Normally, 'F' ignores the case
of the letters in the pattern. If the ':F' parameter is set with 0,
then 'F' command will match only the exact case. See the ':' set
parameter command for details of the ':F' parameter. If the pattern
is not found, "Not found" will be printed and the cursor remain at its
original location. If the pattern is found, then the cursor will be
placed immediately following the pattern. The pattern may be at most
100 characters long. If the pattern is only an escape, then the
previous pattern will be used again (same as ';').
TVX supports extensive wild card matching. The ':M' set
parameter controls whether or not wild card matching is turned on.
Normally, it is. The wild card matching in TVX is based on the
concept of 'sets of special characters'. TVX predefines 6 sets of
characters, and allows the user to define one additional set. When a
special control character is included as part of the find pattern,
then any character in the specified set will match the pattern. The
predefined sets are:
^A - Alphanumeric characters: a-z, 0-9
^D - Digits: 0-9
^L - Letters: a-z
^O - Other characters: all characters except a-z, 0-9
^P - Punctuation: '.', ',', '!', '?'
^X - Any character: any printable character
^U - User character: any character in user set, set by ':U'
Any of the sets may be specified by entering the proper control
character in the find pattern: Control-A for the ^A set. Thus,
entering a find pattern of '^L^D' would match any letter followed by
any digit. Since it may be desirable to match a sequence of one of
the character sets, two prefix characters are supported. A '^W'
before one of the above sets will match a 'word' of that set. Thus,
'^W^L' will match any word, and '^N^D' will match any number. The
find pattern 'st^W^L' would match words starting with 'st'. The '^N'
prefix is used to make a 'word' of characters NOT included in the
given set. Thus, '^N^L' will match a 'word' of characters NOT
including the letters a-z. A match 'word' consists of any sequence of
characters (at least one character long) found in the given set, up to
the first character not in the set. End of lines also terminate all
wild card patterns. The only real way to adequately understand TVX
wild cards is to use them in practice.
^F- Find across buffers
'^F' (Control-F) is the same as Find, except the search will
cross buffer boundaries. Whenever a buffer is searched without
finding the pattern, the next buffer will be read in. The screen will
not change until the pattern is found or the file is exhausted. If
the pattern is not found anywhere, then the entire file will have been
written out, and there will be an empty buffer. The '^B' command may
be used at that point to get back to the beginning of the file.
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G - Get saved text
'G' is used with 'S' and '^Y' to move text around. 'G' causes
the text in the save buffer to be inserted before the current cursor
position. The saved text remains in the save buffer. There must be
at least one line of text in the main buffer before 'G' will get the
text from the save buffer.
^G - Get killed line (unkill)
The '^G' (Control-G) unkill command can be used to "unkill" one
line, which will be the last line killed with '^K'. If the last
command was 10^K (kill 10 lines), then '^G' will retrieve only the
last line killed. The "unkilled" line will be inserted right before
the current cursor position. It is also possible to move single lines
around the text buffer using '^K' and '^G' - but be cautious. Any
other '^K' command will reset the last killed line. '^G' can also be
used to retrieve the entire line involved in a "'" (single quote) or
'"' (double quote) command.
nH - Half page
'H' is similar to the 'P' Page command. It causes the cursor to
move down a half screenful. This will be typically be 12 lines. A
negative count (e.g. -h) moves up a half screen.
nI - Insert
'I' causes the editor leave command mode and enter insert mode.
Following the 'I', all text typed in is inserted into the file until a
terminating escape is typed. Inserted text is echoed on the screen as
it is inserted. If any value other than the default value 1 is
supplied for n, then only one character is inserted, and it will have
the ascii value of n. This is the method used to enter characters that
cannot normally be entered in insert mode, such as escape or
characters not on the keyboard. The message "### Insert Mode ###" is
displayed on the bottom line when insert mode is entered (except when
inserting on the very last line of the file). Many versions of TVX
will change the shape of the cursor when insert mode is entered.
J - Jump back
The 'J' command will cause a "jump" back to the line of the
previous cursor position. Suppose the cursor was positioned somewhere
in the middle of the file. If the 'E' end command was entered, the
cursor would move to the end of the current buffer. If the 'J'
command was then used, the cursor would return to the original line.
It makes it convenient to flip back and forth between two points in
the file. It is also useful if a large cursor movement command is
accidentally entered (like when you thought you were in insert mode).
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nK - Kill Character forward
The 'K' command kills or deletes characters in a forward
direction. '1K' would delete the character the cursor is positioned
over, and '5K' would delete the next 5 characters.
n^K - Kill lines
'^K' (Control-K) is used to kill an entire line. n=1 kills the
current line, negative n kills previous lines, while positive n kills
following lines.
nL - Left
'L' moves the cursor n characters to the left.
M - Memory and Status
The 'M' command is used to display certain status information.
The name of the file currently being edited (where the output will go)
is displayed, followed by the version of TVX. The number of free
characters currently available in the buffer is then given (this does
not include characters that are free but not compacted yet), followed
by the number of the last line of the file. Finally, the currently
selected repeat loop buffer and maximum number of repeat buffers
allowed is shown.
nN - Note current location
This command notes the current line location. Values of 1 to 9
are allowed for n. After entering '3n' for example, you can then move
around the buffer, and later use '3^n' to return to the noted
location. This command really remembers the current line, relative to
the current buffer beginning. Thus if you edit out lines before the
noted location, you will not return to the same line.
n^N - Go back to noted location
This command is used to go back to a noted location.
nO - Open line for insert
The 'O' command will cause n blank lines to be inserted, and the
cursor positioned at the beginning of the first new line. Following
the 'O' command, insert mode is automatically entered. The 'O'
command is a convenient method for inserting new lines.
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^O - Operating System call
Some versions of TVX (MS-DOS and Unix, for example), will allow
an operating system command to be executed from inside of the editor.
For example, it might be useful to get a directory listing. On
MS-DOS, after entering the ^O, the normal 'dir' command is entered.
After the directory is shown by the operating system, pressing any key
will return to the edited file.
This command has one particularly valuable application - editing
other files. For example, you may want to add part of another file to
the file you are currently editing. Use the '^O' command to edit the
other file, and create a temporary file with the part you want to
add. Then you can use the '^Y' yank command to read in the file. For
example: Use '^O' to get enter operating system command prompt. Then
enter something like 'tvx otherfile -o=tempfile'. You will get a new
copy of tvx with the otherfile being edited. Edit it to get the part
you want. When you exit that copy of tvx, the part you want to add
will be in tempfile. You can now yank it into the current file.
nP - Page
The 'P' commands is the same as '25D' on 24 line terminals, and
effectively causes a new screenful to be written. It is a convenient
method for scanning through the file. The n count argument specifies
the number of 'pages' to scroll. Negative values for n causes reverse
scrolling.
^P - Print Screen
If '^P' (Control-P) is entered, and a printer is on line, the
entire contents of the screen will be sent to the printer. Several
consecutive sequences of "P^PP^P..." (or a repeat loop: "10
$$")
can be used to print longer portions of the file. This command will
not normally work on time shared systems such as Unix.
nR - Right
'R' causes the cursor to move n characters to the right. For
convenience, the space bar is equivalent to 'R'.
^R - Restore repeat buffer
The '^R' command will save an edited repeat buffer and delete the
edited buffer from the text. See '^E' for a complete summary of
editing repeat buffers.
nS - Save text
Besides the normal text buffer, TVX has a separate "save"
buffer. This buffer can be used to move blocks of text from one part
of the file to another. A simple 'S' command will save the current
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line in the save buffer, and move the cursor down one line. On the
screen, 'S' appears to have the same behavior as 'D'. If n is
supplied, then n lines will be saved. 'S' can also be used
sequentially. If no other commands intervene, consecutive 'S'
commands will continue adding lines to the save buffer. If any other
commands are entered between consecutive 'S' commands, the previous
contents of the save buffer will be lost, and replaced with the new
line. The 'A' command can be used to append lines to the current save
buffer without losing the previous contents.
The '/' command can be used with 'S' and 'G' to move text. Use
'S' to save the text to be moved, immediately delete the saved text
with '/', then insert it at the new place with 'G'. The last line of
the file is can be saved in the save buffer only once, and an error
message will be printed if you attempt to save the last line a second
time.
nT - Tidy text
The 'T' tidy command is specifically designed to improve the
appearance of strictly text files. When entering letters and
documents, is it usually desirable to have the lines filled to the
right margin. However, after editing, it is common to find a jumble
of uneven, difficult to read source lines. The 'T' tidy command will
fill source text using the same right margin currently set for
auto-wrap.
Tidy performs essentially the same operation as a word processor
fill function. Word are combined on one line until the auto-wrap
margin is passed. The 'n' count refers to the total number of
resulting lines, not the number of original lines. Specifying a large
'n' will tidy large sections of a document. The tidy command
recognizes lines beginning with blanks,tabs, or a period and blank
lines as special. It will not fill those lines, thus preserving
paragraphs, tables and NROFF-like dot commands.
One interesting capability of tidy is to put one word per source
line. Set the auto-wrap margin to 2, then use the tidy command. The
result will put one word per line.
^T - TERMINATE - ABORT EDIT SESSION
The '^T' (Control-T) command aborts directly to the operating
system. The original file is left untouched, and no backup file is
created. This is a fairly dangerous command in that all editing
performed will be lost (unless the '^B' file beginning command was
used). You will be asked to confirm the '^T' command with a Y or N.
If the '^T' is performed accidentally, the backup log file can be
applied to the current version of the file after the '^T' has been
edited out of the log file (no backup file will have been created
after the '^T'). The '^T' command is most useful when you decide you
don't want to make any changes and want to exit from TVX quickly.
Exiting with the '^T' command is similar to using the 'R' read only
switch at the beginning.
If you have used the '^B' command, a work file copy of the
original will have been written out containing all the edits performed
before the '^B'. When you use '^T' and this work file has been saved,
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a message informing you of its existence will be printed. You can
then either use that file, or delete it at the operating system
level.
nU - Up
The 'U' command moves the cursor up n lines, positioning the
cursor at the beginning of the line.
n^U - Up in column
The '^U' (Control-U) is the opposite of '^D', and moves the
cursor up in column.
nV - Verify the screen
In regular screen editing mode, the 'V' command causes the screen
to be rewritten. This is sometimes necessary to get a true version of
the screen after error messages have been written or when editing
lines longer than 80 columns. On terminals without reverse screen
scroll, the 'V' command forces the cursor to the home display line
(usually line 16). In screen mode, 'V' ignores any n.
In tty mode, the 'V' command is used to type lines from the file
on the terminal. A negative n will type out lines preceding the
current line. An n of 1 types the current line, with the current
cursor position indicated by '/'. An n greater than 1 types the
current line, plus the following n-1 lines. A command '-12v12v' would
type 24 lines on the terminal: 12 before, the current line, and 11
following.
n^W - Write out buffer, read next one
The '^W' (Control-W) command is used to explicitly go from one
buffer to the next. By default, when n is >= 0, the entire current
buffer is written to the new version of the file being edited, and the
next buffer full of the original file (if any) is read in. If a
negative n is supplied (any negative value, most easily -^W), then
only the part of the buffer up to (but not including) the current line
is written. Then as much more of the file as possible is read to the
end of the current buffer. Thus, a negative n is useful when a file
won't fit, and the split point is at an awkward place. It is also
useful when a '^Y' yanked file won't fit.
^X - eXit
'^X' (Control-X) causes the remainder of the file to be written
out, and the editor exited. The entire file will be written, no
matter where the cursor happens to be positioned when the '^X' command
is entered. This is the normal conclusion of an editing session. All
work files are deleted, the original file renamed to the back up file,
and the newly edited file renamed to the original name. See the
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appendix on tvx file handling conventions for more details.
n^Y - Yank text to/from external file (file merge)
A '^Y' (Control-Y) with a positive n is similar to 'S' save, but
the text saved in the save buffer is read in from an external file
instead of from the current buffer. When '^Y' is entered, the save
buffer is cleared, the buffer compactor invoked, and then the user is
prompted for the name of the file to read. TVX then will read as much
of the external file into the save buffer as it can. The 'G' command
can then be used to insert the save buffer text into the current file
at the desired location. If there is not enough room in the save
buffer to hold the entire file, then only part of the file is read and
a diagnostic message printed. The '-S' switch can be used when TVX is
first invoked to reserve a large save buffer for merging larger
files. You can also use the '-^W' command to write out the front part
of the file, and then 'G' to get the saved file. (Note: '^Y' may not
be used from within a log command file. See section on backup log
file.)
A negative n (e.g., '-^Y') can also be used with the yank
command. If the n is negative, then the contents of the save buffer
will be written to a new file. After '-^Y' is entered, you will be
prompted for the name of the output file, and then the contents of the
save buffer will be written to that file.
nBACKSPACE - Delete previous character
The BACKSPACE key will delete the previous character on the
screen. It is also used for editing input keystrokes for Insert,
Find, and repeat loops.
n; - Find again
The ';' (semicolon) command causes the previous pattern to be
searched for again. This is more convenient that entering 'F$'
again. The 'n' has the same meaning, positive searches forwards,
negative backwards.
/ - delete last thing
The '/' (slash) command is useful when used with 'F' (find), 'S'
(save), 'G' (get), 'TAB' (word right), and '{' (word left). It causes
the last pattern used to be deleted. Thus "Fxxx$/Iyyzz$" will delete
the pattern 'xxx' and insert 'yyzz'. When used after an 'S', it
causes the just saved lines to be deleted from the text buffer (but
not the save buffer). After the G, it causes the text just inserted
from the save buffer to be deleted from the text buffer. After a
'TAB' or '{', '/' will delete the word or words just skipped over.
Slash must be used immediately following an 'S', 'G', 'TAB', '{', 'F',
'^F', or ';' command. This command knows how to take wild card
matches into account.
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= - delete last thing and enter insert mode
The '=' (equals) command is the same as the '/' command, except
insert mode is automatically, thus achieving the effect of '/I'
command sequence.
' - Delete previous part of line (single quote)
The "'" command will delete all the characters in the current
line before the cursor.
" - Delete rest of line (double quote)
The '"' command will delete from the cursor forward to the end of
the line. The "end of line" mark will remain. Note that the single
quote has one tick, representing the "first" part of the line, while
the double quote has two ticks, representing the "second" part of the
line.
, - beginning of line (comma)
The ',' command will move the cursor to the beginning of the
current line.
. - end of line (period)
The '.' command will move the cursor to the end of the current
line.
* - Insert last pattern found
The last pattern found with the find command (up to 100
characters) is saved in an internal buffer. The '*' command will
insert that pattern into the text at the current cursor location. If
the last find pattern included wild card characters, the pattern saved
will be the actual text matched, and not the wild cards themselves.
You must be back in command mode to use this command.
nTAB, n{ - Skip over words
The 'TAB' (TAB key, CTRL-I) and '{' commands skip over words. A
word is any contiguous set of alphabetic characters (a-z) or digits
(0-9). 'TAB' moves forwards, while '{' moves backwards. The 'n'
count may be used to skip over several words at once, and a negative
count reverses the direction of the move. Note that '{' is usually
aliased to '[' since these are often reversed case on different
terminals.
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n< - begin repeat loop
TVX has three different repeat loop buffers which allow an
arbitrary sequence of commands to be repeatedly executed. When n< is
typed, the editor echoes 'Repeat: n<' at the bottom of the screen.
The user then types in any series of commands to be repeated n times.
The repeat command is terminated with a matching '>' and a double
escape (echoed as $$). Repeat loops may not be nested. The repeat
loop has two typical useful functions: one is to replace multiple
occurrences of a string with another (e.g., "10$$"), a
second is to save a complicated sequence of commands to be repeated as
necessary with the '&' command (i.e., a macro facility). Each repeat
loop may have up to 100 characters.
When a repeat loop is entered from the keyboard, it is saved in
one of three repeat loop buffers, each identified by an integer
value. The repeat buffer which is currently in use can be set with
the 'n:R' command. Buffer 1 will be used by default. The number of
repeat buffers available and the currently active one can be
determined by using the 'M' command. The availability of three repeat
buffers allows the definition of 'edit macros'. Commonly used
sequences of editor commands can be saved in a given repeat buffer,
then selected with 'n:R' and executed with the '&' command.
For example, "3:R$$" would select repeat buffer 3 and
enter the repeat command into it (and execute the command once).
Other "macros" could be entered in other buffers, and then the given
example used again by "3:R&". A count 'n' of 0 can be used to enter a
macro without executing it. The indirect command file facility ('@'
command) can also be used to define and load commonly used macros.
The results of using one repeat buffer from within another is not
guaranteed, and should be tried only at your own risk.
The '#' command has been provided to simplify the above
sequence. Entering '23#4' for example, is exactly the same as
entering '4:r23&'. The n value is a count, and the single digit after
the '#' is the repeat buffer to use.
>$$ - End of repeat loop
The repeat loop is terminated by a '>' and a double escape.
Note: '$$' represents escape.
n& - execute repeat loop
The '&' command executes the commands in the currently selected
repeat buffer n times.
n#k - execute repeat loop k
This command is an easy to execute a specified repeat buffer.
The n is a count and the k is a single digit repeat buffer number.
This command is exactly equivalent to 'k:rn&'. Repeat buffer k
becomes the current buffer after '#' is executed.
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? - Help
The '?' command causes help screens do be displayed. There are
two help screens. The first includes a summary of transitory values:
a summary of settable ':' parameters, the contents of the repeat and
find buffers, as well as buffer space left. On 16 or bit processors,
if the space left is greater than 32,000 characters, then 30,000+x
will be shown, where the total is 30,000 plus x. The first screen also
shows the last 16 commands you have entered. This may be useful if
you entered "commands" while you thought you were in insert mode to
see what your keystrokes might have done. The second screen of help
summarizes the command set.
@ - Invoke command file
Causes prompt for command file name. Commands in that file are
then read in and executed. See description of backup command files
below for details.
n:P - Set special parameters
The ':' (colon) command is used to set several TVX
characteristics. The value n entered before the ':' is the value to
set the parameter to, and the character P that follows the ':' defines
the parameter to set. Valid parameters include:
n:A - set autoindent. A value of 1 turns on autoindent, 0 off.
Autoindent is useful for programmers. When autoindent is on, each
new line started while in insert mode will be indented to the same
leading tab/blank space as the previous line. Use blanks or tabs
to add indentation, and backspace to backup over indentation.
n:D - set home "display" line to n. The display line is the line the
cursor homes to after a verify command. (Default home display
line: 16 on 24 line terminals, 9 on 16 line terminals.)
n:E - Expand tab value. The default value for ':E' is 8, which causes
the tab character (^I) to be expanded to multiples of 8 columns.
This is the standard used on most systems. Setting ':E' to 0 will
cause tabs to be displayed as '^I' instead. Other values are
possible, but less useful.
n:F - Find case mode: n <= 0 sets find mode to search for exact case
of pattern, n > 0 (default) set search mode to ignore upper/lower
case.
n:M - Match wild cards. (default=1). If on, then matching of the TVX
wild card sets is enabled. If off, then the wild card control
characters will match the actual control characters in the file.
:o - set output file name. When ':o' is entered, you will be prompted
for the name of the edited output file. This overrides the '-o'
command line switch, and can be used to change your mind about the
name of the edited file. If the output file name is different than
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the input file name, the input file will not be renamed to the
backup file name.
n:R - select repeat buffer n. (default=1). Repeat buffer n becomes
the current repeat buffer executed with the '&' command. The 'm'
status command will show how many repeat buffers are available for
a given implementation.
n:S - scroll lines: This parameter sets how many lines the cursor will
move before the screen scrolls. The exact effect of the scroll
parameter depends on the terminal characteristics. On terminals
that allow a blank line to be inserted at the top, ':S' sets how
many lines cursor will move above and below home display line
before scrolling. Default is 0. Changing the scroll value to 4
would let the cursor move up and down 4 lines from the home display
line before actually scrolling the screen. Some users might find
this update mode more pleasant to use. This will be almost
essential on heavily loaded time shared systems. For terminals
that do not allow a blank line to be inserted at the top (no
reverse scroll), 'n:S' sets how many lines cursor will move above
the home display line before the screen is rewritten. Default is
14, which causes the cursor to move nearly all the way to the top
before rewriting the screen.
n:T - tty mode. A 0 is screen mode, a 1 is tty mode.
n:V - virtual window lines. The 'n:V' will set the virtual window to
n lines. N must be between 3 and the number of hardware lines on
the terminal. A smaller virtual window is extremely useful on busy
time shared systems, or when TVX is used over a telephone line at a
relatively slow baud rate. Typically, a virtual window of 7 or 9
is big enough to show a reasonable part of the file, yet small
enough to reduce the overhead of screen update at slow speeds. A
window of 3 or 5 can even be used if needed. Note that the virtual
window can be set at start up time by using the '-#' switch. The
virtual window will use the top n physical lines of the display.
Error messages and prompts will still be displayed on the bottom
physical line. Scanning up with 'u' will cause the lines to be
scrolled onto the unused part of the screen, and gives a true
picture of the file showing more lines than the window size.
n:W - set auto wrap width. The ':W' parameter sets the column number
used for auto wrap mode. When the auto wrap is set to a value
greater that 1, TVX will automatically insert an end of line when
the user types the first blank after the given column. Normally,
the user must manually hit the RETURN key to force an end of line.
The auto wrap mode allows continuous entry of text without worrying
about the right margin. A good value to use for ':W' is 10 columns
less than the screen width (70 on 80 columns screens).
An invalid parameter value or name causes an error message.
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*** BACKUP LOG FILE FEATURE ***
TVX has a backup log file feature. When the feature is enabled,
all commands entered in any given session are saved on a file called
"BACKUP.LOG" on the currently logged drive on CP/M and the current
directory on MS-DOS and Unix systems. If for some reason you destroy
your file during an editing session (like accidentally entering
"100^K" instead of "100K"), you won't have to manually re-edit the
backup version of the file. (By default, the log file is disabled.)
The 'B' invocation time switch will respectively disable or enable the
log file feature.)
The "BACKUP.LOG" (the CP/M convention will be used in this
description) file contains all the commands you entered in the last
session. Most commands will appear in the log file as you entered
them: R, U, D, etc. However, all control characters, backspace, and
the atsign are encoded in the log file to make them appear as
printable characters. The atsign '@' is used as an encoding
character. So, for example, tabs appear as '@I', escapes as '@[',
RETURNs as '@M', and so on. Control-A would appear as '@A'. The '@'
itself would appear as '@@'. Backspace appears as '@H'. These escape
sequences may be split across the end of a line in the log file. The
end of line marks in the log file are not part of the command stream
and are ignored.
The procedure for using the "BACKUP.LOG" file to restore your
file is as follows. When you realize you have made a mistake, enter
the '^X' exit command. Copy "BACKUP.LOG" to a temporary working
file. Now edit that temporary version of the log file to remove the
mistakes, which should be near the end of the file.
Once the log file has been edited to remove the bad commands, you
should then re-edit the original file (the one without the mistakes).
The latest version of the file will be the one with the mistakes, and
should usually be killed. Start TVX and read in the file. Then enter
the '@' command and supply the name of the "repaired" log file. All
the commands in that log file will be applied to the original file.
You should be careful to start the '@' command when the cursor is at a
specific place such as the beginning of the file. After the '@'
command is finished, your file will be in the same shape it was before
the mistake.
For example, suppose you are editing a file called "MYFILE0.TXT"
and that you accidentally kill 100 lines. When you realize your
mistake, you enter '^X' to exit. Then you should copy or rename the
BACKUP.LOG file to a new temporary file - say FIX.LOG. The current
version of the file you were editing is the bad file and should be
deleted. On CP/M and MS-DOS versions, you would rename MYFILE0.BAK to
be MYFILE0.TXT again. Then, edit FIX.LOG to remove the command that
killed 100 lines and the quit command ("100@K@X"). Exit again, and
re-edit MYFILE0.TXT. If you then enter the '@' command, and respond
with FIX.LOG as the name of the command file, your file will be
brought back to the state it was in right before the '100^K'.
There are two cases that require special attention when using the
backup log file. If you used a '^B' command during the session with
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the mistake, all the edit commands before the last '^B' as well as the
'^B' should be removed from the log file before applying it to the
previous version since '^B' created a backup copy of the file. This
means that all the editing commands entered before the '^B' will
already be saved, and thus should not be restored. Failure to take
this into account will result in a randomly edited file!!!
The other case involves the '^Y' yank external file command. The
external file read as a part of the '^Y' command is read using the
same I/O channel as the backup log file input, and thus both cannot be
used at the same time. If the backup log file contains any '^Y'
commands (displayed in the log file as '@Y'), you must remove them.
Obviously, this will alter the order of the commands in the file, and
you will need to use a special procedure. Suppose, for example, that
the backup log file contained one '^Y' command. Make two copies of
the backup log file. Edit the first, and remove all commands
following the '^Y' command, including the '^Y' command. Then edit the
other copy, and remove all commands before the '^Y', including the
'^Y'. Then, edit the backup copy of the original file. First, apply
the first backup log file. This will get you to the point right
before the '^Y'. Then without changing the cursor position, manually
enter the '^Y' command and file name. Finally, apply the second copy
of the backup log file.
It is also possible to write log command files of your own to
carry out specific commands. This allows the creation of "macros"
that can be executed as needed. When creating log files of your own,
you should remember that control characters and backspaces must appear
as encoded characters. The '@' is the encoding character. Control
characters will appear as '@' followed by the appropriate letter: '^I'
= '@I', enter = '@M', etc. An '@' itself is '@@', and backspace is
'@H', although you should never need a backspace in your own files
(use -K).
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*** USER CUSTOMIZATION of TVX ***
A program called TVCONFIG is also provided with most versions of
TVX. It allows you to customize TVX to a great extent. The program
generates a file called CONFIG.TVX. When TVX is started with a
command line of the form: 'TVX filename -c=config.tvx", the values
defined in CONFIG.TVX will be used instead of the defaults. (Warning:
TVCONFIG is may not be implemented for all systems. Specifically, the
default Unix distribution does not provide TVCONFIG capabilities.)
TVCONFIG is mostly self explanatory. It allows you to change the
following:
1. Commands. All of the approximately 50 commands can be redefined.
There are some restrictions: all commands must be a single letter, and
case is ignored. The '@', ESCAPE, and '<>' commands cannot be
changed. Commands cannot be a number, including a '-'.
2. Synonyms. You may define some synonyms, such as space for right,
or RETURN for down. You cannot duplicate previously defined
commands.
3. Function Keys. Up to 50 function keys may be defined to be
equivalent to any command (in fact any letter or character). When a
function key is pressed, TVX will translate it to the character you
specify. If your function keys use an ESCAPE as a prefix character,
you will have to redefine a function key to be ESCAPE!
4. Parameters. You may change the default for any of the ':'
parameters.
After you have built a suitable working version of CONFIG.TVX,
another program called TVPATCH has been provided (for MS-DOS systems
only) to allow TVX.EXE (or TVX.COM) to be permanently patched with the
options set by TVCONFIG. This means you won't have keep track of the
CONFIG.TVX file any more, and won't need the '-c' switch.
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*** Error Messages ***
*** Abort, are you sure?
This message is displayed after the "abort" command has been
entered. A reply of y or Y will cause the session to be terminated.
*** Bad O= switch
An incorrect format was specified for the O= switch.
*** Bad @ name
An invalid file name was specified. Re-enter.
*** Bad command: x
The command is not a valid TVX command.
*** Bad file name
An invalid file name was specified. Re-enter.
*** Bad output file: filename
An invalid output file was specified.
*** Bad par (val | name)
An invalid value or parameter name was specified.
*** Bad switch
An invalid switch was specified. Re-enter file name and
switches.
*** buffer empty
Information message. Displayed after a new file has been
created, or when the write buffer command is executed and the text
buffer is empty.
*** Can't create new name
TVX was unable to create a new name for the output file. Free
some disk space, rename the file, try again.
*** Can't insert that
There are three values that TVX uses internally, and thus are not
valid as user inserted characters in the text buffer.
*** Compacting buffer
Information message. Displayed when TVX is compacting the
buffer. The compaction process may take several seconds.
*** Compacting done
Information. The compaction is complete.
*** Compactor lost: quit now!
An internal error has been discovered. Exit TVX immediately, and
preserve the backup copy. Try the session again.
*** Create? (y/n)
The file name specified does not exist. A y answer will cause
the file to be created. A n answer will allow the file name to be
respecified.
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*** Error reopening
Something has gone wrong with the 'File beginning' command.
Exit, and try editing the file again. Be careful since an empty file
may have been created.
*** File only part read
There was not enough room in the save buffer to hold the entire
external file specified in the 'merge' command. Try re-editing using
the 's' big buffer switch.
*** lines filled
TVX has run out of room to add more lines. Use the 'write
buffer' or 'file beginning' command to get more space for new lines.
*** no get room
There is not enough room in the text buffer to insert all the
text in the save buffer. Use the 'file begin' or 'write buffer'
commands, and try again. The '-^W' command is often useful.
*** no more lines for insert
See "lines filled".
*** no nesting
TVX does not allow nested repeat loops: "<<..>>".
*** no save room
There is not enough room left to save any more text in the save
buffer. Try saving smaller blocks, or use the 'file begin' command to
get more space.
*** No! buffer empty
Many TVX commands are not allowed on an empty buffer. Sometimes,
just inserting a blank line will allow the desired command to be
used.
*** No: read only
'File beginning' command invalid when the 'r' read only switch
was used.
*** not found
The current find pattern was not found.
*** Not last line!
TVX will allow you to save the last line of the file only once.
*** reading file...
Displayed while TVX is reading in the file.
*** rename fails
Something has gone wrong with the 'File beginning' or 'quit'
commands. On timeshared systems, this may mean you didn't have write
capability for the file. The work file will probably be retained, and
can be manually renamed or copied using standard operating system
commands.
*** search fails
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A cross-buffer search has failed to find pattern.
*** writing buffer
Displayed when the buffer is being written out.
*** writing partial buffer
Partial buffer only, as caused by the '-^W' command.
*** Yank filename:
Enter the name of the file you want to read into the save
buffer.
*** 100 chars only
At most, 100 characters are allowed in each find pattern and each
repeat loop.
*** <> not complete
The repeat loop has terminated before the specified number times
have been executed. This is usually what you wanted, and can be
caused by failing to find a pattern, or reaching the end of the
buffer. An invalid command or other error will also cause a repeat
loop to terminate.
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*** TTY MODE ***
Normally, TVX is used as a full screen editor. It will work on
dumb crt terminals or on hard copy terminals, however. The alternate
mode of operation is called tty mode. Tty mode is also useful for
terminals hooked up with slow baud rates. Almost all TVX commands are
supported in tty mode. The main difference is that the editor no
longer operates in a what you see is what you get mode.
When TVX is first started in tty mode (either by the -t command
line switch, or using 1:t), it will display a 'tvx>' prompt. The
normal mnemonic commands are then entered on the input line. The
input line is terminated by a (which is not sent as a
command). Each letter on the input line will be interpreted as a TVX
command. Thus, entering a line: 'dddr' would move the cursor 3 lines
down and one character right. The result of the commands will not be
displayed however.
The 'V' verify command operates specially for tty mode, and is
used to type out lines of the file. The normal procedure, then is to
enter commands on the command input line, then enter appropriate 'V'
commands to display relevant lines of the buffer.
As long as normal TVX commands are entered, the command line
prompt is 'tvx>', and the terminating sends commands to TVX
to execute. In insert, find, and repeat, the prompt will change to
'+'. All text entered, including 's is entered into the text,
the find pattern, or the repeat loop buffer. An Escape ends the
command, and an additional sends the line to TVX.
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*** INSTALLATION OF TVX ***
If you have the C source code of TVX, this section has some notes
you should find useful if you recompile the code to customize TVX for
your system. It should also be helpful if you are installing TVX on a
new system. If you are just a user, then you can ignore this
section.
*** General Comments ***
TVX has been designed to be portable. It has had versions
running under CP/M-80, MS-DOS, RT-11, RSX-11, VMS, and Unix BSD 4.2.
The heart of TVX portability is the terminal driver. For dedicated
systems, the control codes used by a specific terminal are hard wired
into a C global variables and a terminal specific version is
compiled. It has been customary to give a unique name to each
different version such as TVV for a VT-52 version, TVT for a televideo
version, etc. The Unix version of TVX has been written to take
advantage of the TERMCAP library usually provided, and is thus
terminal independent.
Since terminals differ widely, TVX tries to update the screen as
best as possible using the control codes available. The minimum set
of control sequences required by TVX include direct x-y cursor
positioning, and erase from cursor to the end of the current line.
Almost all terminals have at least these two controls. The only known
terminal widely available that does not have both of these is the
ADM-3a. Thus, TVX will NOT work on ADM-3a's. Another desirable
control sequence is the ability to insert a blank line at the top of
the screen (reverse scroll). This allows TVX to scroll rather than
jump from one screen to the next. However, TVX will perform
adequately even on terminals with only x-y and erase to end of line.
*** Source Files Supplied ***
The following files are included in most distributions:
TVX_1.C - main part of code (part 1)
TVX_2.C - main part of code (part 2)
These two files are mostly os and terminal independent.
TVX_LEX.C - defaults, some os dependent stuff in here. Major
changes in defaults can be fixed by recompiling this file.
TVX_IO.C - almost all I/O, including screen, confined to this file.
TVX_LIB.C - misc library routines needed by TVX.
TVX_IBM.C - IBM-PC specific code, specifically the screen driver
(TVX_IBM.ASM - hand optimized version of TVX_IBM.C)
TVX_UNIX.C - contains unix specific code, including termcap driver
TVX_DEFS.IC - #define's for version, os, terminal, defaults
TVX_GLBL.IC - global data structures
TVX_TERM.IC - definitions for various terminals and systems
TVCONFIG.C - used to build CONFIG.TVX file for -c switch
TVPATCH.C - MS-DOS versions only - used to permanently apply
config settings to TVX.EXE.
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TVX_MAKE.BAT - MS-DOS Batch file to build TVX using cii c-86.
TVX_MAKE.UNX - Unix Makefile to make on unix.
TVX_REF.DOC - This file, preformatted for printing on a "standard"
printer - 80 columns by 66 lines.
*** Screen Driver and Control Sequences ***
The actual codes used by TVX to update the screen are global
variables in the 'tvx_glbl.ic' file. Using the '#ifdef EXTERN' trick
described in that file, the screen variables (plus most other relevant
global variables) are included as external references. The actual
definitions for a given terminal are included in a file called
'tvx_term.ic'. Several sample definitions are included in the
distribution code. A description of each relevant variable follows:
** X-Y Cursor Addressing
int addx - amount to add to internal x position get terminal's x
value. Terminals typically encode x-y as a single printable
character, thus requiring the addition of a blank to make x-y
printable. Since TVX uses a 1,1 origin, this value will commonly be
31.
int addy - same as addx, but for y position.
char cxychr - true (1) if convert xy binary representation to ascii
string.
char cxy1st - 'l' if line coordinate first, 'c' if column first.
char cxybeg[8], char cxymid[8], char cxyend[8] - The x-y cursor
control sequence usually takes one of two forms: or
. The x and y may be reversed. These
three arrays are used to send the proper control sequence for xy
positioning.
*** Other control sequences
char cversn[12] - a version string to identify terminal.
char cerrbg[8], char cerred[8] - sequences sent when an error message
sent to terminal's last line. Note that cerrbe is sent BEFORE the
cursor is moved to the last line, and cerred is sent before the cursor
is returned to the original position. Some terminals give problems if
a highlight sequence is sent before a cursor positioning sequence. A
bell is usually safe for most versions.
char ctopb[8] - This sequence should insert a blank line when the
cursor is at the top left corner. It is often called reverse line
feed. A command to insert a line usually performs the same function,
but some terminals don't have both.
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char cinit[20], char cendit[20] - these sequences are sent to
initialize and reset the terminal.
char cbotb[8] - this sequence scrolls the screen up one line when the
cursor is on the last line. Line feed works for any terminal
encountered to date.
char celin[8] - Erase from cursor to end of line. This sequence is
required for operation of TVX.
char cescr[8] - Erase from cursor to end of screen. If the terminal
doesn't have this, it is simulated using multiple celins.
char ccsrcm[8], char ccsrin[8] - These are used to change the cursor
from command mode to insert mode. Many terminals do not support a
method of changing the cursor shape. These have been also been used
to change the screen from normal to reverse video an back.
char ciline[8] - Insert a blank line. A blank line is inserted on the
line the cursor is on. If available, it can be used for ctopb, too.
char ckline[8] - Kill a line. The line the cursor is on is deleted,
and the following text scrolled up.
char cundlb[8], cundle[8] - TVX has the capability to optionally
support bold and underline for some text processors. For example, a
^U can be used to toggle underscore. This is only useful for a text
formatter that can recognize such a sequence.
char cboldb[8], char cbolde[8] - Similar to undlb, but boldface.
*** Default settings
int ddline - default display line. This sets which line is the
default home display line. For scrolling versions (dscrl != 0), right
in the middle is a good place. For fixed cursor line versions,
something below the middle seems better (like 16 for 24 line
screens).
int dscrl - default scroll lines. If this is non-zero, the cursor
will move up and down lines on the screen with cursor movement
commands. This requires a bit less screen update overhead, and is
better for slower time shared systems. If it is zero, the cursor will
remain fixed on ddline, and text will scroll on and off the screen as
needed. Both these are resettable with the : command.
int dxcase - default search case. 0 means find is case insensitive, 1
means find must match exact case.
int usecz - MS-DOS versions only. If 1, TVX will put a Control-Z end
of file mark in the file (this is CP/M compatible). If 0, TVX uses
MS-DOS end of file conventions.
int autoin - TRUE (1) if auto indent, FALSE (0) otherwise.
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int logdef - Create backup log file by default? 0->no, 1-> yes.
char wildch - The character used as a wild card in finds.
char delkey - the delete character key, usually backspace.
int tvhardlines - number of physical lines on screen.
int tvlins - number of lines on virtual screen. Initially should be
same value as tvhardlines.
int tvcols - number of columns on screen. If the terminal wraps new
text to the next line rather than discarding characters after the last
column, then tvcols must be set to 1 less than the true width of the
terminal.
int isibmpc - TRUE (1) if this version uses the custom IBM-PC screen
driver. FALSE (0) if uses regular terminal output code.
char synofr[20], char synoto[20] - These are used to map commands.
The synofr contains commands to be aliased to the corresponding
command in the synoto table. For example, the '[' and '{' keys are
often reversed on some terminals. Making '[' in synofr a synonym to
'{' in synoto will make the two commands the same.
char funkey - If the terminal has function keys, they can be supported
by TVX by setting this variable to the first code sent by the function
key, usually ESCAPE. TVX supports only two code sequences for
function keys.
char funchar[50] - this is the second code sent by a function key.
char funcmd[50] - this is the equivalent command a given function key
will be mapped to. Similar to synofr and synoto.
*** #define options
The file 'tvx_defs.ic' has many #define statements that can be
used to customize TVX for particular installations. Ideally, the
source for TVX should be maintained as one set, and differences
between versions handled by #defines. Most #defines are explained in
the source code, but a few deserve a few extra comments, and are
summarized below.
#define VERSION " - TVX (7/1/85) - " - This defines the version of
TVX. Any time a modification is made, the VERSION define should be
updated.
#define VB - whether or not to create backup log version or not. This
does NOT imply the file "backup.log" will be used automatically (see
variable logdef), simply that the code is included.
#define ULBD - If defined, TVX supports underline, bold in ^U, ^B
format.
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#define BACKUPNAME - This defines the name of the backup log file, if
used.
#define BUFFLIMIT - This defines how much space is saved in the text
buffer when reading in a file. This determines how much space is
reserved for saving text with the 'S' command, and how much is left
over for new inserts. Smaller values allow more text from the file to
be read, larger values allow more text to be saved. The '-s' switch
at runtime increases this value.
#define FILEREAD, #define FILEWRITE - These define the string used for
file mode in the fopen() calls. Unix and MS-DOS versions are not
typically exactly compatible, as most MS-DOS C's allow a different
mode to handle the CR/LF problem.
#define FNAMESIZE - maximum length of file names.
#define INT16 - If #defined, then the normal C int is 16 bits long.
This changes the way memory status is displayed.
#define LINELIMIT - Like BUFFLIMIT, only number of lines. #define
MAXBUFF - Defines maximum number of characters allocated to text
buffer. Malloc() is used to get the space from the runtime system.
It is possible less than MAXBUFF will be available. The maximum
allowed for any given system must be less than the maximum value
represented by an unsigned int. If MAXBUFF is very large, there get
to be a noticeable initialization delay.
#define MAXLINE - This determines the maximum number of lines
allocated per buffer. It is related to MAXBUFF.
#define REPEATBUFS - defines how many repeat buffers are allocated.
If space is a problem, allocate fewer repeat buffers.
#define USELF - This symbol should be defined if the terminal needs a
line feed character after each carriage return. Almost always true.
#define FILELF - This symbol is defined if text files use a CR/LF
combination. It causes a NEWLINE/LF to be written to files.
#define NEWLINE - This defines the actual character used as a new line
in files. On CR/LF systems, it should be a CR (13). On systems like
Unix with a single new line separator, it should be that character
(LF).
#define USECTRLZ - defined if the code for handling a Control-Z and
end of file mark should be used.
#define NEEDTVLIB - define this if the standard C library provided
doesn't have the routine in TVX_LIB.
#define HELP - Define this if help should be supported. The help
routine uses significant space, which can be saved if help isn't
compiled in.
#define CONFIGFILE - define this if support for the '-c' switch is
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desired.
**** MS-DOS Notes ***
TVX can be built as a generic MS-DOS version and as an IBM-PC
specific version. The MS-DOS version uses the standard DOS character
output routines. Thus, it could use the ANSI.SYS driver, but it would
run very slowly then. The IBM-PC version has a custom screen driver
that calls the ROM BIOS directly, and is very fast. A special hand
optimized version of the driver is also included in the source (valid
for cii c-86 only!). The definitions for and IBMPC included in
"tvx_term.ic" also define the keypad keys to work in a predictable
manner.
*** Unix Notes ***
The usual Unix version will be the TERMCAP version. That version
works very well, but is not in all cases optimal for a given
terminal. It might be desirable to build a specific version for the
terminal you use most often. Most notably, the TERMCAP version does
not know about cursor shapes or other control sequences to distinguish
command mode from insert mode. Also, it sets tvcols to one less than
the true value to avoid wrapping problems. The termcap version also
only sends a bell for the error message.
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*** TVX File Usage ***
TVX uses four logical files: the original file, the destination
file, a work file, and the source file. The original file and the
destination file are not touched until a normal exit from TVX.
The source file is the current copy of the file providing text to
be entered. When TVX is first started, the source file and the
original file are the same. The work file is used to hold the edited
output file.
When the '^B' file beginning command is issued, the remainder of
the source input file is written to the work output file. The work
file then becomes the new source file, and a new work file is
created. Thus, it is possible to have four copies of a file around:
The .BAK backup copy of the original file, the original copy of the
file, the copy of the source file, and the (partially written) work
file. Under normal operation, there will only be two copies: the
source file (which is really the original file) and the possibly
partially written work file. Only by using the '^B' commands can 3
copies of the file exist.
When you issue the normal '^X' exit command, the following
actions take place: Any old .BAK files are deleted. The original file
is renamed to be the new .BAK version. If the source file is
different than the original file, it will be deleted. The work file
is then renamed to be the destination file. If you don't have write
access to the directory with the original file, then the original file
and the work file will not be renamed. A message to that effect will
be printed. The normal operating system copy and rename commands can
be used to recover the work file, which contains the edits made to
date.
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*** Quick Reference Summary ***
TVX Commands (n => count allowed)
nA Append lines B Buffer beginning
^B File beginning nC Change chars
nD Down line n^D Down column
E Buffer end n^E Edit repeat buffer
nF Find pattern ^F Find across buffs
G Get save buffer ^G Unkill last line
nH Half page nI Insert (till $)
J Jump back nK Kill character
n^K Kill line nL Left
M Memory status nN Note location
n^N Reset location nO Open blank line
^O Operating system nP Page
^P Print screen nR Right
^R Restore edited buffer nS Save lines
nT Tidy (fill text) ^T Abort session
nU Up n^U Up column
V Verify n^W Write buff
^X Exit, end session n^Y Yank to(-n)/from(+n) file
nBS Delete prev. char. n; Find again
/ Delete last thing = Change last thing
' Del to line beginning " Delete to line end
, Line beginning . Line end
nTAB Word right n{ Word left
n<>$$ Repeat loop n& Repeat again
n#k Execute repeat buffer k n times
? Help @ Invoke cmd file
* Insert pattern found last
$ Escape - end insert, find, repeat
n:p Set parameter p
Possible parameters:
A - Autoindent (1=y,0=n) D - display line
E - Expand tabs to n spaces F - find case (0=exact,1=any)
M - Match wild cards O - set output file name
S - scroll window R - repeat buffer to use
T - tty mode U - define user wild card set
V - virtual window W - autowrap width
Usage: tvx filename [-b -i -l -o=f -r -s -t -w -# {-z -c=f}]
-[no]b : backup file -[no]i : autoindent
-[no]l : make command log file -t : tty mode
-o=outputfile -r : read only
-s : big save buff -[no]w : word processing mode
-# : set virtual window lines to #
On MS-DOS versions:
-[no]z : use control-z for end of file
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-c=configfile -c : use /bin/config.tvx
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*** INDEX ***
TVX Reference Manual
abort - 10
append - 4, 10
auto wrap - 16
autoindent - 15
backspace - 2, 12, 17, 18
backup file - 3, 4, 10, 17
beginning of file - 4, 6, 17
buffer - 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11
buffer beginning - 4
change - 4
commands - 2, 4
cursor - 2
cursor character - 3
default source settings - 26
define options - 27
delete last thing - 12
delete line front - 13
delete line tail - 13
delete previous character - 12
down - 4, 10
down in column - 4
end buffer - 5
end session - 11
Error Messages - 20
escape - 3, 4, 5, 7, 17
exit - 11
external file - 12
find - 5, 6, 12, 15
find case - 15
get - 6
get killed line - 7
half page - 7
home display line - 15
insert - 7, 8
Insert find pattern - 13
Installation - 24
Installation - MS-DOS - 29
Installation - Unix - 29
invoke command file - 15
jump - 7
kill characters - 7
kill lines - 8
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left - 8
line beginning - 13
line end - 13
log file - 3, 12, 15, 17
memory - 8
mode - 3, 4, 7, 8, 12
note - 8
open line - 8
operating system - 8
other control sequences - 25
output file - 15
page - 7, 9
parameters - 15
print - 9
Quick Reference Summary - 31
quit - 4
repeat buffer - 9
repeat loop - 5, 13, 16
right - 9
save buffer - 4, 7, 9, 12
scroll lines - 16
search - 5
skip over words - 13
source code - 24
starting up - 1
status - 8
switches - 1
tab expansion - 15
terminate - 10
tidy - 10
tty mode - 16, 23
TVX File Usage - 30
unkill - 7
up - 11
up in column - 11
user customization - 19
verify - 11
virtual window - 16
wild card - 6, 15
word - 13
write buffer - 11
X-Y Cursor Addressing - 25
yank external file - 12
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