README for mini editor e3 release 2.41
(c) GPL 2000-03 Albrecht Kleine
mailto:kleine@ak.sax.de
1. OVERVIEW
===========
e3 is a micro text editor with an executable code size between
3800 and 34000 bytes, depending on used assembler options,
platform and self compressor.
Except for 'syntax highlighting', the e3 binary supports all of the basic
functions one expects plus built in arithmetic calculations. If you have
installed the stream editor 'sed' you can use these tools as sub-processes,
getting the full power of regular expressions.
e3 can use Wordstar-, EMACS-, Pico, Nedit or vi-like key bindings,
whichever the user chooses.
Also the user can calculate arithmetics inside the text.
e3's assembler version is available on x86- Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD,
OpenBSD, BeOS, QNX, Win9x, Atheos, and in a 16 bit version (e3-16)
for DOS and ELKS (==Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset).
Also available is an (alpha level) 32 bit native code assembler version
for StrongARM ("Advanced Risc Machine") CPUs.
There is also a GNU-C-written version for non-i386-Unix
and non-ARM-Linux platforms (e3.c) using Wordstar keybindings only.
This README doesn't further mention e3.c. (Just make it!)
e3 is designed to be INDEPENDENT OF LIBC OR ANY OTHER library,
except on the QNX and Win32 operating systems.
It's been tested using the terminal console, but Xterm, Eterm,
kvt, rxvt, vt220 and vt100 should work too.
e3.asm it's been tested under several x86 OS:
* Linux kernels 2.0, 2.2, 2.4
* FreeBSD 2.2, 3.1, 4.4, 5.0
* OpenBSD 2.9
* NetBSD 1.51
* BeOS 5PE
* Win98
* QNX RTP 6.1
* Atheos 0.3.7
e3-16.asm it's been tested under:
* FreeDOS kernel 1.1.24
* ELKS pre 0.1 (vt52 emulation)
e3.s is tested under:
* ARM-linux kernel 2.4 (QT embedded console)
2a. BUILD on Linux/FreeBSD/BeOS/QNX/Atheos
==========================================
A. For assembling of e3 you need NASM assembler v0.98 or v0.98.08
B. Unless you build a debug version ("make debug") Makefile will call
a compressor for executables, but in Linux only and only if you
have defined either gzexe or upx in Makefile.
UPX comes from http://wildsau.idv.uni-linz.ac.at/mfx/upx.html .
C. If you don't like the default OS or destination (LINUX , /usr/local/ )
then edit Makefile (other possible OS are FreeBSD or BEOS or QNX
or ATHEOS).
D. e3 is expecting "sed" at /bin/sed, or "ex" at /usr/bin/ex; otherwise change
SEDPATH in e3.asm. By default /bin/sed is used, but you can
use /usr/bin/ex instead, if you edit Makefile as appropriate.
(NOT available for BeOS,QNX,Atheos)
E. Build e3 via typing 'make' (or 'gmake' on FreeBSD) for building:
e3 : the default Wordstar-like version,
e3ws : ditto Wordstar,
e3em : the Emacs-like version,
e3pi : the Pico-like version,
e3vi : the vi-like version.
e3ne : the Nedit-like version.
(e3?? are symbolic links to e3. In fact only one executable is built.)
F. Optional: type 'make install' or
move or copy e3 and its symlinks wherever you want.
G. Optional: some more editable options are on top of e3.h:
for example, if you don't like WS mode, choice an other default mode
by setting DEFAULT_MODE to one of EM, NE, PI or VI .
Also you could activate error beeping in vi mode by uncommenting
the BEEP_IN_VI line.
2b. BUILD on Win9x / ME / DOS
=============================
A. For assembling of e3 you need NASM assembler v0.98,
and ALINK (Anthony's Linker) and Win32 Import Library (win32.lib)
Both are available for free on the net:
http://www.octium.net/nasm/
http://alink.home.dhs.org/
B. Type 'make' , i.e. run make.bat, and move e3.exe, e3-16.com
and e3*.bat wherever you want.
C. Optional: some more editable options are on top of e3.h:
for example, if you don't like WS mode, choice an other default mode
by setting DEFAULT_MODE to one of EM, NE, PI or VI . In this
case you would not need to call one of the batches to run
your favourite mode.
2c. BUILD on NetBSD,OpenBSD
===========================
Here are 2 Makefile for BSD-make included. Also you need NASM.
In general you don't need to change that files.
2d. BUILD for ELKS
==================
This is done usual on 32 bit x86 Linux systems either
by typing "make elks" or changing to elks/ and typing "make".
You need to have installed the ld86 linker (part of dev86 suite).
2e. BUILD for ARM Linux
=======================
Simply type "make armlinux" on your x86 box.
You will need the ARM linux toolchain, at least
arm-linux-as: GNU assembler 2.11.2
arm-linux-ld: GNU ld 2.11.2
Fetch it via:
ftp://ftp.armlinux.org/pub/toolchain
Or adjust 'Makefile' and build e3arm on the destination ARM box.
3. RELEASE NOTES
================
This is a "must have" update release for the FreeBSD people.
Users of other OS can simply ignore this release.
4. BASIC USAGE
==============
* All versions of e3 accept a filename as argument; see the man page.
* There is a status and input line, where you can enter filenames,
find-texts, line numbers etc. In the lower right corner you will find
a code like "WS" showing the selected editor mode and a help
pointer (EXCEPT vi).
* e3 changes the appearance of the cursor (to reverse) depending on
insert/overwrite mode (on Linux text console only).
* For details on key bindings read each e3xx's initial page or
type Alt-H during edit (for vi use ESC:h).
* On some computers (BeOS, QNX etc.) Alt-key combinations won't work:
press <ESC> followed by the key, e.g. press ESC and H instead of Alt-H.
* e3 shows a dot for characters below ASCII 20h and between 80h and 9Fh
(except win9x).
* At the end of an edit cycle, e3 asks you something like "SAVE? Ynl". Press
"n" to NOT save, "l" for SAVE and LOAD new, any other for SAVE and EXIT.
5. ARITHMETICS
==============
You can do some simple arithmetic calculations inside your text.
For example:
1234+56*78=
place cursor here^ and press one of:
^KN for WSTAR mode
^QC for PICO mode
^X^N for EMACS mode
# for VI command mode
^K for NEDIT mode
This should insert the result of 5602 into text.
Use values -999999999999.999999 ... -0.000001, 0, 0.000001 up to
999999999999.999999 and operators +-*/ and ( ) .
Some more examples:
2+4*8=34
2/3*3=2
-4*-3--5*-4=-8
4-3--4-3=2
-5*-(13+-2*(3+4))+2=-3
(7*(((((6+2+(((((1)))))))))))=63
(13120-9972)/9972=0.315684
100000000+0.000001=100000000.000001
10000000000+1=10000000001
1+1*2*3*4*5*6*7*8*9*10=3628801
7.627891*2.643189=20.161958
10000000000/8=1250000000
100000000000+1.00001=99999997953.00001 <--loss of precision!
8/0= <--not possible. You know.
100000000*100000000= <--overflow
Some specials:
12*p=37.699112 <--p is PI 3.14.....
r+20=57.699112 <--r is result of last calculation
This arithmetic calculator is the smallest and simplest I could write.
It takes only some hundred byte in the executable because it does NOT use
precise BCD arithmetics, but built in x87-coprocessor features. So please
do NOT expect very high precision.
6. MIXED HINTS
==============
* The emacs-mode version has currently a kill buffer but no kill ring,
so be careful about that. I'm sure, inside 10000 byte you won't
expect a complete Emacs key set, but IMHO you get the most important part.
* The Pico mode is both: extended and incomplete compared to some Pico options,
new are some ^J (delete) and ^Q (quick_move) keys.
* The win9x version does no accept any filename on the command line if this
filename contains blank spaces.
* The size of files you edit is currently limited to the maximum of either
100k or twice the file's size if you start with a file on command line, i.e.,
for example, starting e3 with a 2MB_sized_file gives you another 2 MB space
for inserts.
* You can choose inside the edit session (w/o leaving e3) between the
different edit modes, for example:
-start e3em <filename>
---> now using Emacs style keys.
-type altX
-type e3vi
---> welcome in the land of vi!
-type <ESC>;
-type e3ws
---> you are entering Wordstar emulation sector!
....etc....
This VERY hot keys are ^KM (for WS), ^QM (for Pico), altX (for Emacs),
^E (for Nedit) and <ESC>; (for vi-mode).
Note: on some computers press ESC X instead of altX.
* Everytime if e3vi does not recognize a vi-mode ex command, e3vi will pipe
the whole editor text buffer through /bin/sed or /bin/ex. I.e. you can use
pure sed or ex commands like:
1,6 s/foo/bar/
2,$ d
8,$ w filecopy
/remove_me/d
***TAKE CARE***: "sed" or "ex" won't know your current cursor position in e3!
What call to subprogram (either ex or sed) is compiled in
you can find in helptext:
"pipe buffer through /bin/sed"
vs.
"pipe buffer through /bin/ex"
You should know this because the syntax is not equal:
s/./\./ <--sed syntax
1,$ s/./\./g <-- ex syntax
Also you should know what "sed" version you have installed,
because sed 2.x and sed 3.x are quite different.
You can use this new buffer pipe features also from WS-, Pico- and Emacs modes
by pressing ^KP (Wordstar), or ^JP (Pico), or ^X^P (Emacs).
* There is no predefined UNDO level count. You can expect to UNDO at least
one last insert-, delete-, overwrite- or sed_pipe-operation, but in most
cases there are lots of UNDO stages available. e3 has a fixed size undo buffer
and will use an external helper file if some deleted data is bigger sized
than the undo buffer. This buffer is organized as a ring, overwriting
older UNDO information if neccessary. So one never can say exactly
how many UNDO operations are possible.
For using the UNDO press one of:
^U for WSTAR mode
^QU for PICO mode
^_ for EMACS mode
u for VI command mode
^U for NEDIT mode
7. FILES
========
Makefile - (edit destination path and OS if desired)
e3.asm
e3-16.asm
e3.h - NASM source code
e3.man - man page (copied by default to /usr/local/man/man1)
e3.html - man page, HTML version
README - you are reading this
ChangeLog - version history
COPYING.GPL
COPYRIGHT - please read before using e3!
test/* - partial test suite
e3c/* - C stuff for non x86 systems, e.g. Alpha
contrib/* - useful things, e.g. e3.spec (== spec for building RPMs)
doswin9x/* - specials for DOS, Win9x and its derivates
elks/* - specials for ELKS
binaries/* - binaries separated for operating systems
8. THANKS
=========
Konstantin Boldyshev <konst at voshod.com>
Mark Zealey <mark at itsolve.co.uk>
Urs Rau <urs.rau at uk.om.org>
Terry Loveall <loveall at qwest.net>
David Douthitt <n9ubh at callsign.net>
Björn De Meyer <bjorn.demeyer at pandora.be>
Matthias Kopfermann <kopfermann at trio-hittfeld.de>
Tim Wegner <twegner at swbell.net>
Michele Andreoli <m.andreoli at tin.it>
Aaron Lehmann <aaronl at vitelus.com>
Zas <lmonin at metaconcept.com>
Sergei Viznyuk <sviznyuk at hotmail.com>
Philippe Corbes <philippe.corbes at laposte.net>
Charles Steinkuehler <charles at steinkuehler.net>
Adrian Bunk <bunk at fs.tum.de>
Joseph <joseph at randomnetworks.com>
9. TM note
==========
Some names are trademarks of their owners:
Linux BSD BeOS QNX Unix WordStar Unox DOS Win Alpha BSE Atheos ELKS ARM BEIN .. etc.
