3 acme, win, awd \- interactive text windows
43 manages windows of text that may be edited interactively or by external programs.
44 The interactive interface uses the keyboard and mouse; external programs
45 use a set of files served by
47 these are discussed in
59 option, the state of the entire system is loaded
62 which should have been created by a
68 Plain files display as text; directories display as columnated lists of the
69 names of their components, as in
70 .B "ls -p directory|mc
71 except that the names of subdirectories have a slash appended.
76 option sets the main font, usually variable-pitch (alternate, usually fixed-pitch);
78 .B \*9/font/lucsans/euro.8.font
79 .RB ( \&.../lucm/unicode.9.font ).
80 Tab intervals are set to the width of 4 (or the value of
82 numeral zeros in the appropriate font.
96 windows are in two parts: a one-line
100 The body typically contains an image of a file, as in
106 The tag contains a number of
107 blank-separated words, followed by a vertical bar character, followed by anything.
108 The first word is the name of the window, typically the name of the associated
109 file or directory, and the other words are commands available in that window.
110 Any text may be added after the bar; examples are strings to search for or
111 commands to execute in that window.
112 Changes to the text left of the bar will be ignored,
113 unless the result is to change the name of the
116 If a window holds a directory, the name (first word of the tag) will end with
119 Each window has a scroll bar to the left of the body.
120 The scroll bar behaves much as in
124 except that scrolling occurs when the button is pressed, rather than released,
126 as long as the mouse button is held down in the scroll bar.
127 For example, to scroll slowly through a file,
128 hold button 3 down near the top of the scroll bar. Moving the mouse
129 down the scroll bar speeds up the rate of scrolling.
130 (The experimental option
132 reverses the scrolling behavior of buttons 1 and 3, to behave
137 windows are arranged in columns. By default, it creates two columns when starting;
138 this can be overridden with the
141 Placement is automatic but may be adjusted
144 in the upper left corner of each window and column.
145 Pressing and holding any mouse button in the box drags
146 the associated window or column.
148 clicking in the layout box grows the window in place: button 1
149 grows it a little, button 2 grows it as much as it can, still leaving all other
150 tags in that column visible, and button 3 takes over the column completely,
151 temporarily hiding other windows in the column.
154 if any of them needs attention.)
155 The layout box in a window is normally white; when it is black in the center,
156 it records that the file is `dirty':
158 believes it is modified from its original
161 Tags exist at the top of each column and across the whole display.
163 pre-loads them with useful commands.
164 Also, the tag across the top maintains a list of executing long-running commands.
166 The behavior of typed text is similar to that in
168 except that the characters are delivered to the tag or body under the mouse; there is no
170 (The experimental option
172 causes typing to go to the most recently clicked-at or made window.)
173 The usual backspacing conventions apply.
178 the ESC key selects the text typed since the last mouse action,
179 a feature particularly useful when executing commands.
180 A side effect is that typing ESC with text already selected is identical
186 Most text, including the names of windows, may be edited uniformly.
187 The only exception is that the command names to the
188 left of the bar in a tag are maintained automatically; changes to them are repaired
192 When a window is in autoindent mode
195 command below) and a newline character is typed,
197 copies leading white space on the current line to the new line,
201 removes all trailing end-of-line white space before writing the file.
204 causes each window to start in
206 .SS "Directory context
207 Each window's tag names a directory: explicitly if the window
208 holds a directory; implicitly if it holds a regular file
213 This directory provides a
215 for interpreting file names in that window.
216 For example, the string
222 will be interpreted as the file name
224 The directory is defined purely textually, so it can be a non-existent
225 directory or a real directory associated with a non-existent file
227 .BR /adm/not-a-file ).
228 File names beginning with a slash
229 are assumed to be absolute file names.
231 Windows whose names begin with
235 conventionally hold diagnostics and other data
236 not directly associated with files.
239 receives all diagnostics produced by
242 Diagnostics from commands run by
244 appear in a window named
245 .IB directory /+Errors
248 is identified by the context of the command.
249 These error windows are created when needed.
251 Mouse button 1 selects text just as in
255 including the usual double-clicking conventions.
258 action similar to selecting text with button 1,
259 button 2 indicates text to execute as a command.
260 If the indicated text has multiple white-space-separated words,
261 the first is the command name and the second and subsequent
263 If button 2 is `clicked'\(emindicates a null string\(em\c
266 the indicated text to find a command to run:
267 if the click is within button-1-selected text,
269 takes that selection as the command;
270 otherwise it takes the largest string of valid file name characters containing the click.
271 Valid file name characters are alphanumerics and
277 This behavior is similar to double-clicking with button 1 but,
278 because a null command is meaningless, only a single click is required.
280 Some commands, all by convention starting with a capital letter, are
282 that are executed directly by
286 Delete most recently selected text and place in snarf buffer.
289 Delete window. If window is dirty, instead print a warning; a second
294 Delete column and all its windows, after checking that windows are not dirty.
297 Delete window without checking for dirtiness.
302 to the file name, if specified, or
307 Treat the argument as a text editing command in the style of
311 language is implemented except for the commands
319 command is slightly different: it includes the file name and
320 gives only the line address unless the command is explicitly
322 The `current window' for the command is the body of the window in which the
327 command would be typed in a tag; longer commands may be prepared in a
328 scratch window and executed, with
330 itself in the current window, using the 2-1 chord described below.
335 after checking that windows are not dirty.
338 With no arguments, change the font of the associated window from fixed-spaced to
339 proportional-spaced or
342 Given a file name argument, change the font of the window to that stored in the named file.
343 If the file name argument is prefixed by
346 also set the default proportional-spaced (fixed-spaced) font for future use to that font.
347 Other existing windows are unaffected.
350 Load file into window, replacing previous contents (after checking for dirtiness as in
352 With no argument, use the existing file name of the window.
353 Given an argument, use that file but do not change the window's file name.
356 Print window ID number
360 When opening `include' files
365 searches in directories
370 adds its arguments to a supplementary list of include directories, analogous to
373 option to the compilers.
374 This list is per-window and is inherited when windows are created by actions in that window, so
376 is most usefully applied to a directory containing relevant source.
379 prints the supplementary list.
380 This command is largely superseded by plumbing
385 Set the autoindent mode according to the argument:
389 set the mode for the current window;
393 set the mode for all existing and future windows.
400 commands named as arguments.
406 .BR $HOME/acme.dump )
414 this prefix causes a command to be run in
416 file name space and environment variable group.
417 On Unix this is impossible.
419 is recognized as a prefix, but has no effect on the command being executed.
422 .\" When prefixed to a command
424 .\" command in the same file name space and environment variable group as
426 .\" The environment of the command
427 .\" is restricted but is sufficient to run
434 .\" and to set environment variables such as
438 Search in body for occurrence of literal text indicated by the argument or,
439 if none is given, by the selected text in the body.
442 Make new window. With arguments, load the named files into windows.
448 Replace most recently selected text with contents of snarf buffer.
451 Write window to the named file.
452 With no argument, write to the file named in the tag of the window.
455 Write all dirty windows whose names indicate existing regular files.
462 Append selected text or snarf buffer to end of body; used mainly with
466 Place selected text in snarf buffer.
469 Arrange the windows in the column from top to bottom in lexicographical
470 order based on their names.
473 Set the width of tab stops for this window to the value of the argument, in units of widths of the zero
475 With no arguments, it prints the current value.
478 Undo last textual change or set of changes.
481 Create a copy of the window containing most recently selected text.
484 If a regular shell command is preceded by a
489 character, the selected text in the body of the window is affected by the
490 I/O from the command.
493 character causes the selection to be replaced by the standard output
496 causes the selection to be sent as standard input to the command; and
498 does both at once, `piping' the selection through the command and
499 replacing it with the output.
501 A common place to store text for commands is in the tag; in fact
503 maintains a set of commands appropriate to the state of the window
504 to the left of the bar in the tag.
506 If the text indicated with button 2 is not a recognized built-in, it is executed as
507 a shell command. For example, indicating
512 and error outputs of commands are sent to the error window associated with
513 the directory from which the command was run, which will be created if
515 For example, in a window
519 will produce the output
521 in a (possibly newly-created) window labeled
523 in a window containing
524 .B /home/rob/sam/sam.c
531 producing output in a window labeled
532 .BR /home/rob/sam/+Errors .
533 The environment of such commands contains the variable
537 with value set to the filename of the window in which the command is run,
540 set to the window's id number
544 The environment variable
546 determines which shell is used to execute such commands; the
548 shell is used by default.
550 Pointing at text with button 3 instructs
552 to locate or acquire the file, string, etc. described by the indicated text and
554 This description follows the actions taken when
555 button 3 is released after sweeping out some text.
558 refers to the text of the original sweep or, if it was null, the result of
559 applying the same expansion rules that apply to button 2 actions.
561 If the text names an existing window,
563 moves the mouse cursor to the selected text in the body of that window.
564 If the text names an existing file with no associated window,
566 loads the file into a new window and moves the mouse there.
567 If the text is a file name contained in angle brackets,
569 loads the indicated include file from the directory appropriate to the
570 suffix of the file name of the window holding the text.
573 command adds directories to the standard list.)
575 If the text begins with a colon, it is taken to be an address, in
578 within the body of the window containing the text.
579 The address is evaluated, the resulting text highlighted, and the mouse moved to it.
590 (There is an easier way to locate literal text; see below.)
592 If the text is a file name followed by a colon and an address,
594 loads the file and evaluates the address. For example, clicking button 3 anywhere
600 27, and put the mouse at the beginning of the line. The rules about Error
601 files, directories, and so on all combine to make this an efficient way to
602 investigate errors from compilers, etc.
604 If the text is not an address or file, it is taken to
605 be literal text, which is then searched for in the body of the window
606 in which button 3 was clicked. If a match is found, it is selected and the mouse is
607 moved there. Thus, to search for occurrences of a word in a file,
608 just click button 3 on the word. Because of the rule of using the
609 selection as the button 3 action, subsequent clicks will find subsequent
610 occurrences without moving the mouse.
612 In all these actions, the mouse motion is not done if the text is a null string
613 within a non-null selected string in the tag, so that (for example) complex regular expressions
614 may be selected and applied repeatedly to the
615 body by just clicking button 3 over them.
616 .SS "Chords of mouse buttons
617 Several operations are bound to multiple-button actions.
618 After selecting text, with button 1 still down, pressing button 2
621 and button 3 executes
623 After clicking one button, the other undoes
624 the first; thus (while holding down button 1) 2 followed by 3 is a
626 that leaves the file undirtied;
627 3 followed by 2 is a no-op.
628 These actions also apply to text selected by double-clicking because
629 the double-click expansion is made when the second
630 click starts, not when it ends.
632 Commands may be given extra arguments by a mouse chord with buttons 2 and 1.
633 While holding down button 2 on text to be executed as a command, clicking button 1
634 appends the text last pointed to by button 1 as a distinct final argument.
635 For example, to search for literal
639 with button 2 or instead point at
641 with button 1 in any window, release button 1,
644 clicking button 1 while 2 is held down.
646 When an external command (e.g.
648 is executed this way, the extra argument is passed as expected and an
651 is created that holds, in the form interpreted by button 3,
652 the fully-qualified address of the extra argument.
653 .SS "Simulated buttons
654 For systems without a three-button mouse, the keyboard modifier
655 keys can be used to modify the effect of the main mouse button.
656 On Unix systems, the Control key changes the main button to button 2,
657 and the Alt key changes it to button 3.
658 On Mac systems, the Option key changes the main button to button 2,
659 and the Command key changes it to button 3.
660 Pressing the key after the button is held down adds the button to form
661 a chord, so that for example on Macs selecting text with the trackpad
662 button and then typing Option without letting go of the button will
663 cause a 1-2 chord, cutting the selection.
664 On Mac systems, the usual keyboard shortcuts
665 Command-C, -V, -X, and -Z invoke
666 copy, paste, cut, and undo,
667 and Command-Shift-Z invokes redo,
668 as in other programs.
669 Especially on Mac laptops, these keyboard shortcuts are
670 typically much less awkward than the equivalent chords.
671 .SS "Support programs
679 in it, turning the window into something analogous to an
685 2 is similar to using
688 windows follow the same scrolling heuristic as in
690 the window scrolls on output only if the window is displaying the end of the buffer.
693 loads the tag line of its window with the directory in which it's running, suffixed
698 intended to be executed by a
702 windows. An example definition is
704 fn cd { builtin cd $1 && awd $sysname }
706 .SS "Applications and guide files
709 live several subdirectories, each corresponding to a program or
710 set of related programs that employ
713 Each subdirectory includes source, binaries, and a
715 file for further information.
718 a text file holding sample commands to invoke the programs.
719 The idea is to find an example in the guide that best matches
720 the job at hand, edit it to suit, and execute it.
722 Whenever a command is executed by
724 the default search path includes the directory of the window containing
725 the command and its subdirectory
727 The program directories in
729 contain appropriately labeled subdirectories of binaries,
731 in the guide files will be found automatically when run.
734 binds the directories
737 .B /acme/bin/$cputype
740 when it starts; this is where
755 also where state is written if
757 dies or is killed unexpectedly, e.g. by deleting its window.
760 template files for applications
763 informal documentation for applications
766 source for applications
769 MIPS-specific binaries for applications
773 .B \*9/src/cmd/9term/win.c
781 Acme: A User Interface for Programmers.
788 the recreation of windows under control of external programs
791 is just to rerun the command; information may be lost.
