[comp.sys.apollo] What is an integrated editor

barnett@vdsvax.steinmetz.UUCP (Bruce G Barnett) (06/23/87)

In article <8706222144.AA03493@hi-csc.uucp> slocum@hi-csc.UUCP (Brett Slocum) writes:

>The strength the [Apollo's ] DM has over Emacs is that it is integrated
>into the environment and Emacs is not; the DM can be used
>anywhere on the Apollo screen -- Emacs cannot (yes, I know,
>you can run a shell from inside Emacs.  But you still can't
>touch the command window).

>(BTW, SUNs do not have an integrated editor like
>either the DM or Emacs. Just the history substitutions of 'csh',
>and the 'again'-like mousing/scrolling/picking method).

	I would like clarification on this. I would say that Sun DOES
have an integrated editor, but perhaps I don't understand your terms.

	Sun's Text Subwindow facility is a means to provide a uniform
mouse-based editing facility for any application. The textedit program
is one application.

Please give more examples. (I have also included newsgroup comp.windows.misc)

	This is not a flame. I am just trying to understand what you
consider integrated, having been away from Apollos for a few years.

#cut here if you don't wish to read about Sun's Text facility
--
Sun's Text facility is a mouse based editor that supports
the following functions:

	get/put/delete (like cut/paste/delete)
	undo
	again - (allows for mouse based macros)
	search
	scrollbar (10 methods of scrolling)
	primary and secondary selections, (along with the shelf)
		allowing two different applications to easily exchange text
	mouse ahead
	character/word/line mode of selection
	separation of insertion point (caret) with mouse cursor (i.e.
		input goes to caret. caret changes with mouse clicks)
	Keyboard commands for common operations

Commands: (where appropriate)
	Load
	Save
	Split View - gives two or more views to same file, so you can
		look at one portion and edit at another location.
	Show line number - go to line number
	What line number - shows what number the current line is
	Get from file
	Caret (insertion point) to top of visible window
	Set directory
	Find (4 ways)
Options:
	pending deletes on selection
	Long lines: wrapped OR clipped
	auto indent
	Filtering selections through programs (for ALLCAPS, C formatting)
	Click-to-type  (keyboard input may either go to the window
		where the mouse is automatically, or else you click
		the mouse before typing, to change the focus.)

This `text facility' is integrated into several tools such as:

	cmdtool - shell
	textedit - editing
	dbxtool - debugging (and editing source)
	mailtool - reading/writing mail messages

	The selection service can be easily integrated into any other
application including non-Text Subwindow applications, like editors,
etc.  So it is easy to select some portion of the screen, and run a
spelling checker on it, or a C formating program. 

	It's not perfect, but it is more powerful than most people think.


-- 
Bruce G. Barnett  (barnett@ge-crd.ARPA) (barnett@steinmetz.UUCP)
-- 
"The difference between a Buddha and an ordinary man is that one knows
the difference and the other does not."