C70:editor-people (06/19/82)
>From KLOTZ@MIT-OZ Sat Jun 19 04:32:37 1982
Most microcomputer editors that use writeover mode as the default exit
insert mode too frequently for me.
For example, in Scripsit you can insert one character, one line, or one
block. I don't think there is an easy provision (like your ^F) to toggle
insert mode. Editing in the middle of a paragraph is cumbersome, since
you like your ^F) to toggle
insert mode. Editing in the middle of a paragraph is cumbersome, since
you have to create space and then write over it. EasyWriter is similar,
except it has bugs a redisplay bug that lets you write over the next
paragraph without knowing it.
I believe that WRITE is probably reasonable in this respect. WordStar
is, too. What I despise is an editor that leaves insert mode
when you press return, or that doesn't allow you all editing
commands when the editor is in insert mode.
I'm going to try binding M-X OverWrite Mode to the backspace key in
EMACS, and see if it fits well into the way I edit. It probably doesn't,
but that's a matter of personal preference. Again, what distracts
me is having to exit insert mode to do editing of what I just typed,C70:editor-people (06/19/82)
>From KLOTZ@MIT-OZ Sat Jun 19 04:32:37 1982
Most microcomputer editors that use writeover mode as the default exit
insert mode too frequently for me.
For example, in Scripsit you can insert one character, one line, or one
block. I don't think there is an easy provision (like your ^F) to toggle
insert mode. Editing in the middle of a paragraph is cumbersome, since
you have to create space and then write over it. EasyWriter is similar,
except it has bugs a redisplay bug that lets you write over the next
paragraph without knowing it.
I believe that WRITE is probably reasonable in this respect. WordStar
is, too. What I despise is an editor that leaves insert mode
when you press return, or that doesn't allow you all editing
commands when the editor is in insert mode.
I'm going to try binding M-X OverWrite Mode to the backspace key in
EMACS, and see if it fits well into the way I edit. It probably doesn't,
but that's a matter of personal preference. Again, what distracts
me is having to exit insert mode to do editing of what I just typed,
or having to re-enter insert mode to add more than some arbitrary
amount of text.
Leigh.
-------C70:editor-people (06/20/82)
>From POURNE@MIT-MC Sun Jun 20 00:51:11 1982
WRITE is even more interesting: it has ^F as a toggle between
insert and writeover; also ^G which opens a hole in the text
(everything to the right of the cursor drops down a line to stay
there until you hit ^G again to close it up).
While in ^F mode, you have all the usual commands.
You can also get to ^F mode automagically; just type
past the end of a line and you're in it (so you cannot write
over the line below unless you wanted to).C70:editor-people (07/03/82)
>From POURNE@MIT-MC Sat Jul 3 01:26:12 1982
Write has both INSERT character mode toggled by ^F, and
Open Whitespace toggled by ^G. It will also go into "open
whitespace" each time you reach the end of a line of already
entered text--ie you are typing over old until you come to the
end of the line, at whch point a NEWLINE of whitespace is
generated.
I find this very natural to use; and since for me the
primary quality of an editor is that it be utterly transparent,
I like this mode. I have experimented with the Emacs "normally
in insert" mode, and I don't much care for it, expecially since
you have to rejustify the paragraph at the end of the edit ops.
My college room mate is down for a visit, and his wife
is attending a school on how to use a VAX text editor. I admit
I know little about a VAX. However, the sales lady for the vAx
editor they are training Judy (my former reoom mate's wife) on
was over for a drink after classes today, and although she was
very defensive about their editor, she was unable to tell me any
feature that their editor has that my 8085 WRITE does not have;
except, of course, some of the VERY rapid disk ops to hard
diwsks; but then Iwasn't really showing her my 8085, I was
showing her WRITE on Ezekial, who is a 55K 2mH z-80 vintage
1975, and whose disk ops are VERY slow.
I am still waiting to see a "big machine" editor that
does more for a creative writer than the editors available on
the 8085 can do.
I suppose I may as well cease these comments; I don't
really care whether I win converts or not. But I am amazed at
how much better many MICRO editors are than those available to
BIG machines. (Walt Bilofsky tells me he has noticed the same
things.)