Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!ho95e!wcs From: wcs@ho95e.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sources.wanted,comp.editors Subject: Re: wanted: very simple screen editor Message-ID: <1876@ho95e.ATT.COM> Date: Fri, 20-Nov-87 01:43:35 EST Article-I.D.: ho95e.1876 Posted: Fri Nov 20 01:43:35 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 21-Nov-87 18:30:27 EST References: <296@ginger.UUCP> <6698@brl-smoke.ARPA> Reply-To: wcs@ho95e.UUCP (46133-Bill.Stewart,2G218,x0705,) Organization: AT&T Bell Labs 46133, Holmdel, NJ Lines: 25 Xref: utgpu comp.sources.wanted:2486 comp.editors:19 In article <296@ginger.UUCP> mhb@ukfca1.UUCP () writes: :-Does anyone know of a VERY VERY SIMPLE screen editor for dumb terminals. :-What I want is something which a totally naive computer user can learn in :-5 minutes. All it needs to do is :- - move the cursor around the screen, scrolling the text (arrow keys?) :- - insert text (by typing it) :- - delete text (using delete key?) :-It should not spring any surprises when wrong keys are pressed (ie. vi, :-emacs, etc. are not considered at all suitable). Several people have suggested using emacs with most keys bound to something innocuous like ring-bell. You can do the same with vi, just about as easily. A modeless editor is a bit more appropriate here, but if you use vi 3.9 with the showmode option on, it's pretty safe. The user needs arrow keys, enter/leave insert mode, delete char/word/line, and ZZ to save files (so they don't need :). You *could* even :map most of the other keys to autoinsert, if you wanted to :-)! I normally use vi; I've gotten used to orthogonal commands sets, and it's too painful to tolerate emacs's different-looking-letters-for-similar-commands syntax in spite of the benefits of modelessness, c-mode, nroff-mode, windows, buffers, etc. I wish somebody did a "MacWrite" for dumb terminals. -- # Thanks; # Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs 2G218, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs