From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!ucbvax!ARPAVAX:C70:editor-people Newsgroups: fa.editor-p Title: Minimal Extenable Editor. Article-I.D.: ucb.1799 Posted: Thu Aug 19 12:33:42 1982 Received: Sat Aug 21 04:55:10 1982 >From JAY@USC-ECLC Thu Aug 19 00:57:27 1982 Just what would be needed in the minimal extensible editor? (Not the mathematical minimum since that is a turring machine) Certainly the folowing is needed: 1) The ability to define/redefine commands. Which means some sort of extension language including: 1.1) WHILE .. DO .. 1.2) IF .. THEN .. ELSE .. (The ELSE is of course optional) 1.3) Variables: Local, and Global (This implies include simple math functions, assignment, and comparison) 1.4) The ability to call other commands and editor primitives. 1.5) Input Output commands. 1.5) An interactive debugger? (it would be painfull to use this language to develope a ~REAL~ editor without it) 1.6) Other looping constructs? Perhaps a case type statement. 2) Some means to connect commands to keys, and some way to disconnect them. 3) Due to the size limitations of most machines, a way to load libraies of functions and to "Unload" them (ie. get them out of core). 4) Editing primitives. Including: 4.1) Movement - both relative and abolute. 4.2) Insertion 4.3) Delteion 4.4) Searching 4.5) Multiple buffers 4.5.1) Creation of 4.5.2) Deletion of 4.5.3) Selection of 5) Display package? Should this be at a low level and thus fast, or should it be written in the extension language and thus easily modified? I would appreciate comments-suggestions-extensions to the above. j' -------