[comp.editors] A simple editor for novice users

craign@telxon.UUCP (Craig Nirosky ) (06/25/91)

A simple full-screen editor for novice users (often for use with Elm Mail)
is a fairly common request on the Net.  I have attempted to meet that
need; I have just posted the source code to alt.sources.

I wrote the tt editor in C with the ATT curses package.  I call it
the tt editor since it is designed for touch typists - the user never
needs to touch either the CTRL or ESC keys.

Features and Constraints:

   - The commands are displayed on the screen so that the user does not
     not need to remember any commands.

   - The user does not need to have an understanding of the concept of
     newline characters.

   - Unlike vi and emacs, the cursor may be moved past the end of line.

   - The cursor's line and column numbers are always displayed.  The
     editor can scroll sideways.

   - Like vi, it is a modal editor.  (I realize that novice users do
     not like modal editors.  I just hope the other features compensate
     for this.)

   - The editor cannot edit files containing control characters other
     than tabs and newlines.

   - The editor cannot edit files containing more than 5000 lines nor
     files containing any line more than 1000 characters long.
     (easily modified)

   - I have been able to compile the code on a Pyramid, a Sequent and a Sun.

 ...!uunet!telxon!craign                        Craig Nirosky      
                                                Telxon Corporation
 Nothing found in Nature tastes                 Akron, OH  44313   
 as good as an Oreo cookie.                     (216) 666-4300 x4251
-- 
 ...!uunet!telxon!craign                        Craig Nirosky      
                                                Telxon Corporation
 Nothing found in Nature tastes                 Akron, OH  44313   
 as good as an Oreo cookie.                     (216) 666-4300 x4251