3 acme, win, awd \- interactive text windows
39 manages windows of text that may be edited interactively or by external programs.
40 The interactive interface uses the keyboard and mouse; external programs
41 use a set of files served by
43 these are discussed in
55 option, the state of the entire system is loaded
58 which should have been created by a
64 Plain files display as text; directories display as columnated lists of the
65 names of their components, as in
66 .B "ls -p directory|mc
67 except that the names of subdirectories have a slash appended.
72 option sets the main font, usually variable-pitch (alternate, usually fixed-pitch);
74 .B /lib/font/bit/lucidasans/euro.8.font
75 .RB ( \&.../lucm/unicode.9.font ).
76 Tab intervals are set to the width of 4 (or the value of
78 numeral zeros in the appropriate font.
82 windows are in two parts: a one-line
86 The body typically contains an image of a file, as in
92 The tag contains a number of
93 blank-separated words, followed by a vertical bar character, followed by anything.
94 The first word is the name of the window, typically the name of the associated
95 file or directory, and the other words are commands available in that window.
96 Any text may be added after the bar; examples are strings to search for or
97 commands to execute in that window.
98 Changes to the text left of the bar will be ignored,
99 unless the result is to change the name of the
102 If a window holds a directory, the name (first word of the tag) will end with
105 Each window has a scroll bar to the left of the body.
106 The scroll bar behaves much as in
110 except that scrolling occurs when the button is pressed, rather than released,
112 as long as the mouse button is held down in the scroll bar.
113 For example, to scroll slowly through a file,
114 hold button 3 down near the top of the scroll bar. Moving the mouse
115 down the scroll bar speeds up the rate of scrolling.
118 windows are arranged in columns. By default, it creates two columns when starting;
119 this can be overridden with the
122 Placement is automatic but may be adjusted
125 in the upper left corner of each window and column.
126 Pressing and holding any mouse button in the box drags
127 the associated window or column.
129 clicking in the layout box grows the window in place: button 1
130 grows it a little, button 2 grows it as much as it can, still leaving all other
131 tags in that column visible, and button 3 takes over the column completely,
132 temporarily hiding other windows in the column.
135 if any of them needs attention.)
136 The layout box in a window is normally white; when it is black in the center,
137 it records that the file is `dirty':
139 believes it is modified from its original
142 Tags exist at the top of each column and across the whole display.
144 pre-loads them with useful commands.
145 Also, the tag across the top maintains a list of executing long-running commands.
147 The behavior of typed text is similar to that in
149 except that the characters are delivered to the tag or body under the mouse; there is no
151 (The experimental option
153 causes typing to go to the most recently clicked-at or made window.)
154 The usual backspacing conventions apply.
159 the ESC key selects the text typed since the last mouse action,
160 a feature particularly useful when executing commands.
161 A side effect is that typing ESC with text already selected is identical
167 Most text, including the names of windows, may be edited uniformly.
168 The only exception is that the command names to the
169 left of the bar in a tag are maintained automatically; changes to them are repaired
172 .SS "Directory context
173 Each window's tag names a directory: explicitly if the window
174 holds a directory; implicitly if it holds a regular file
179 This directory provides a
181 for interpreting file names in that window.
182 For example, the string
188 will be interpreted as the file name
190 The directory is defined purely textually, so it can be a non-existent
191 directory or a real directory associated with a non-existent file
193 .BR /adm/not-a-file ).
194 File names beginning with a slash
195 are assumed to be absolute file names.
197 Windows whose names begin with
201 conventionally hold diagnostics and other data
202 not directly associated with files.
205 receives all diagnostics produced by
208 Diagnostics from commands run by
210 appear in a window named
211 .IB directory /+Errors
214 is identified by the context of the command.
215 These error windows are created when needed.
217 Mouse button 1 selects text just as in
221 including the usual double-clicking conventions.
224 action similar to selecting text with button 1,
225 button 2 indicates text to execute as a command.
226 If the indicated text has multiple white-space-separated words,
227 the first is the command name and the second and subsequent
229 If button 2 is `clicked'\(emindicates a null string\(em\c
232 the indicated text to find a command to run:
233 if the click is within button-1-selected text,
235 takes that selection as the command;
236 otherwise it takes the largest string of valid file name characters containing the click.
237 Valid file name characters are alphanumerics and
243 This behavior is similar to double-clicking with button 1 but,
244 because a null command is meaningless, only a single click is required.
246 Some commands, all by convention starting with a capital letter, are
248 that are executed directly by
252 Delete most recently selected text and place in snarf buffer.
255 Delete window. If window is dirty, instead print a warning; a second
260 Delete column and all its windows, after checking that windows are not dirty.
263 Delete window without checking for dirtiness.
268 to the file name, if specified, or
273 Treat the argument as a text editing command in the style of
277 language is implemented except for the commands
285 command is slightly different: it includes the file name and
286 gives only the line address unless the command is explicitly
288 The `current window' for the command is the body of the window in which the
293 command would be typed in a tag; longer commands may be prepared in a
294 scratch window and executed, with
296 itself in the current window, using the 2-1 chord described below.
301 after checking that windows are not dirty.
304 With no arguments, change the font of the associated window from fixed-spaced to
305 proportional-spaced or
308 Given a file name argument, change the font of the window to that stored in the named file.
309 If the file name argument is prefixed by
312 also set the default proportional-spaced (fixed-spaced) font for future use to that font.
313 Other existing windows are unaffected.
316 Load file into window, replacing previous contents (after checking for dirtiness as in
318 With no argument, use the existing file name of the window.
319 Given an argument, use that file but do not change the window's file name.
322 Print window ID number
326 When opening `include' files
331 searches in directories
336 adds its arguments to a supplementary list of include directories, analogous to
339 option to the compilers.
340 This list is per-window and is inherited when windows are created by actions in that window, so
342 is most usefully applied to a directory containing relevant source.
345 prints the supplementary list.
346 This command is largely superseded by plumbing
355 commands named as arguments.
360 this prefix causes a command to be run in
362 file name space and environment variable group.
363 On Unix this is impossible.
365 is recognized as a prefix, but has no effect on the command being executed.
368 .\" When prefixed to a command
370 .\" command in the same file name space and environment variable group as
372 .\" The environment of the command
373 .\" is restricted but is sufficient to run
380 .\" and to set environment variables such as
387 .BR $home/acme.dump )
393 Search in body for occurrence of literal text indicated by the argument or,
394 if none is given, by the selected text in the body.
397 Make new window. With arguments, load the named files into windows.
403 Replace most recently selected text with contents of snarf buffer.
406 Write window to the named file.
407 With no argument, write to the file named in the tag of the window.
410 Write all dirty windows whose names indicate existing regular files.
417 Append selected text or snarf buffer to end of body; used mainly with
421 Place selected text in snarf buffer.
424 Arrange the windows in the column from top to bottom in lexicographical
425 order based on their names.
428 Set the width of tab stops for this window to the value of the argument, in units of widths of the zero
430 With no arguments, it prints the current value.
433 Undo last textual change or set of changes.
436 Create a copy of the window containing most recently selected text.
438 A common place to store text for commands is in the tag; in fact
440 maintains a set of commands appropriate to the state of the window
441 to the left of the bar in the tag.
443 If the text indicated with button 2 is not a recognized built-in, it is executed as
444 a shell command. For example, indicating
449 and error outputs of commands are sent to the error window associated with
450 the directory from which the command was run, which will be created if
452 For example, in a window
456 will produce the output
458 in a (possibly newly-created) window labeled
460 in a window containing
461 .B /usr/local/plan9/src/cmd/sam/sam.c
467 .BR /usr/local/plan9/src/cmd/sam ,
468 producing output in a window labeled
469 .BR /usr/local/plan9/src/cmd/sam/+Errors .
470 The environment of such commands contains the variable
472 with value set to the filename of the window in which the command is run.
474 Pointing at text with button 3 instructs
476 to locate or acquire the file, string, etc. described by the indicated text and
478 This description follows the actions taken when
479 button 3 is released after sweeping out some text.
482 refers to the text of the original sweep or, if it was null, the result of
483 applying the same expansion rules that apply to button 2 actions.
485 If the text names an existing window,
487 moves the mouse cursor to the selected text in the body of that window.
488 If the text names an existing file with no associated window,
490 loads the file into a new window and moves the mouse there.
491 If the text is a file name contained in angle brackets,
493 loads the indicated include file from the directory appropriate to the
494 suffix of the file name of the window holding the text.
497 command adds directories to the standard list.)
499 If the text begins with a colon, it is taken to be an address, in
502 within the body of the window containing the text.
503 The address is evaluated, the resulting text highlighted, and the mouse moved to it.
514 (There is an easier way to locate literal text; see below.)
516 If the text is a file name followed by a colon and an address,
518 loads the file and evaluates the address. For example, clicking button 3 anywhere
524 27, and put the mouse at the beginning of the line. The rules about Error
525 files, directories, and so on all combine to make this an efficient way to
526 investigate errors from compilers, etc.
528 If the text is not an address or file, it is taken to
529 be literal text, which is then searched for in the body of the window
530 in which button 3 was clicked. If a match is found, it is selected and the mouse is
531 moved there. Thus, to search for occurrences of a word in a file,
532 just click button 3 on the word. Because of the rule of using the
533 selection as the button 3 action, subsequent clicks will find subsequent
534 occurrences without moving the mouse.
536 In all these actions, the mouse motion is not done if the text is a null string
537 within a non-null selected string in the tag, so that (for example) complex regular expressions
538 may be selected and applied repeatedly to the
539 body by just clicking button 3 over them.
540 .SS "Chords of mouse buttons
541 Several operations are bound to multiple-button actions.
542 After selecting text, with button 1 still down, pressing button 2
545 and button 3 executes
547 After clicking one button, the other undoes
548 the first; thus (while holding down button 1) 2 followed by 3 is a
550 that leaves the file undirtied;
551 3 followed by 2 is a no-op.
552 These actions also apply to text selected by double-clicking because
553 the double-click expansion is made when the second
554 click starts, not when it ends.
556 Commands may be given extra arguments by a mouse chord with buttons 2 and 1.
557 While holding down button 2 on text to be executed as a command, clicking button 1
558 appends the text last pointed to by button 1 as a distinct final argument.
559 For example, to search for literal
563 with button 2 or instead point at
565 with button 1 in any window, release button 1,
568 clicking button 1 while 2 is held down.
570 When an external command (e.g.
572 is executed this way, the extra argument is passed as expected and an
575 is created that holds, in the form interpreted by button 3,
576 the fully-qualified address of the extra argument.
577 .SS "Support programs
585 in it, turning the window into something analogous to an
591 2 is similar to using
595 loads the tag line of its window with the directory in which it's running, suffixed
600 intended to be executed by a
604 windows. An example definition is
606 fn cd { builtin cd $1 && awd $sysname }
608 .SS "Applications and guide files
611 live several subdirectories, each corresponding to a program or
612 set of related programs that employ
615 Each subdirectory includes source, binaries, and a
617 file for further information.
620 a text file holding sample commands to invoke the programs.
621 The idea is to find an example in the guide that best matches
622 the job at hand, edit it to suit, and execute it.
624 Whenever a command is executed by
626 the default search path includes the directory of the window containing
627 the command and its subdirectory
629 The program directories in
631 contain appropriately labeled subdirectories of binaries,
633 in the guide files will be found automatically when run.
636 binds the directories
639 .B /acme/bin/$cputype
642 when it starts; this is where
657 also where state is written if
659 dies or is killed unexpectedly, e.g. by deleting its window.
662 template files for applications
665 informal documentation for applications
668 source for applications
671 MIPS-specific binaries for applications
673 .B /usr/local/plan9/src/cmd/acme
675 .B /usr/local/plan9/src/cmd/9term/win.c
677 .B /usr/local/plan9/bin/awd
683 Acme: A User Interface for Programmers.
690 the recreation of windows under control of external programs
693 is just to rerun the command; information may be lost.
