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.
116 (The experimental option
118 reverses the scrolling behavior of buttons 1 and 3, to behave
123 windows are arranged in columns. By default, it creates two columns when starting;
124 this can be overridden with the
127 Placement is automatic but may be adjusted
130 in the upper left corner of each window and column.
131 Pressing and holding any mouse button in the box drags
132 the associated window or column.
134 clicking in the layout box grows the window in place: button 1
135 grows it a little, button 2 grows it as much as it can, still leaving all other
136 tags in that column visible, and button 3 takes over the column completely,
137 temporarily hiding other windows in the column.
140 if any of them needs attention.)
141 The layout box in a window is normally white; when it is black in the center,
142 it records that the file is `dirty':
144 believes it is modified from its original
147 Tags exist at the top of each column and across the whole display.
149 pre-loads them with useful commands.
150 Also, the tag across the top maintains a list of executing long-running commands.
152 The behavior of typed text is similar to that in
154 except that the characters are delivered to the tag or body under the mouse; there is no
156 (The experimental option
158 causes typing to go to the most recently clicked-at or made window.)
159 The usual backspacing conventions apply.
164 the ESC key selects the text typed since the last mouse action,
165 a feature particularly useful when executing commands.
166 A side effect is that typing ESC with text already selected is identical
172 Most text, including the names of windows, may be edited uniformly.
173 The only exception is that the command names to the
174 left of the bar in a tag are maintained automatically; changes to them are repaired
177 .SS "Directory context
178 Each window's tag names a directory: explicitly if the window
179 holds a directory; implicitly if it holds a regular file
184 This directory provides a
186 for interpreting file names in that window.
187 For example, the string
193 will be interpreted as the file name
195 The directory is defined purely textually, so it can be a non-existent
196 directory or a real directory associated with a non-existent file
198 .BR /adm/not-a-file ).
199 File names beginning with a slash
200 are assumed to be absolute file names.
202 Windows whose names begin with
206 conventionally hold diagnostics and other data
207 not directly associated with files.
210 receives all diagnostics produced by
213 Diagnostics from commands run by
215 appear in a window named
216 .IB directory /+Errors
219 is identified by the context of the command.
220 These error windows are created when needed.
222 Mouse button 1 selects text just as in
226 including the usual double-clicking conventions.
229 action similar to selecting text with button 1,
230 button 2 indicates text to execute as a command.
231 If the indicated text has multiple white-space-separated words,
232 the first is the command name and the second and subsequent
234 If button 2 is `clicked'\(emindicates a null string\(em\c
237 the indicated text to find a command to run:
238 if the click is within button-1-selected text,
240 takes that selection as the command;
241 otherwise it takes the largest string of valid file name characters containing the click.
242 Valid file name characters are alphanumerics and
248 This behavior is similar to double-clicking with button 1 but,
249 because a null command is meaningless, only a single click is required.
251 Some commands, all by convention starting with a capital letter, are
253 that are executed directly by
257 Delete most recently selected text and place in snarf buffer.
260 Delete window. If window is dirty, instead print a warning; a second
265 Delete column and all its windows, after checking that windows are not dirty.
268 Delete window without checking for dirtiness.
273 to the file name, if specified, or
278 Treat the argument as a text editing command in the style of
282 language is implemented except for the commands
290 command is slightly different: it includes the file name and
291 gives only the line address unless the command is explicitly
293 The `current window' for the command is the body of the window in which the
298 command would be typed in a tag; longer commands may be prepared in a
299 scratch window and executed, with
301 itself in the current window, using the 2-1 chord described below.
306 after checking that windows are not dirty.
309 With no arguments, change the font of the associated window from fixed-spaced to
310 proportional-spaced or
313 Given a file name argument, change the font of the window to that stored in the named file.
314 If the file name argument is prefixed by
317 also set the default proportional-spaced (fixed-spaced) font for future use to that font.
318 Other existing windows are unaffected.
321 Load file into window, replacing previous contents (after checking for dirtiness as in
323 With no argument, use the existing file name of the window.
324 Given an argument, use that file but do not change the window's file name.
327 Print window ID number
331 When opening `include' files
336 searches in directories
341 adds its arguments to a supplementary list of include directories, analogous to
344 option to the compilers.
345 This list is per-window and is inherited when windows are created by actions in that window, so
347 is most usefully applied to a directory containing relevant source.
350 prints the supplementary list.
351 This command is largely superseded by plumbing
360 commands named as arguments.
365 this prefix causes a command to be run in
367 file name space and environment variable group.
368 On Unix this is impossible.
370 is recognized as a prefix, but has no effect on the command being executed.
373 .\" When prefixed to a command
375 .\" command in the same file name space and environment variable group as
377 .\" The environment of the command
378 .\" is restricted but is sufficient to run
385 .\" and to set environment variables such as
392 .BR $home/acme.dump )
398 Search in body for occurrence of literal text indicated by the argument or,
399 if none is given, by the selected text in the body.
402 Make new window. With arguments, load the named files into windows.
408 Replace most recently selected text with contents of snarf buffer.
411 Write window to the named file.
412 With no argument, write to the file named in the tag of the window.
415 Write all dirty windows whose names indicate existing regular files.
422 Append selected text or snarf buffer to end of body; used mainly with
426 Place selected text in snarf buffer.
429 Arrange the windows in the column from top to bottom in lexicographical
430 order based on their names.
433 Set the width of tab stops for this window to the value of the argument, in units of widths of the zero
435 With no arguments, it prints the current value.
438 Undo last textual change or set of changes.
441 Create a copy of the window containing most recently selected text.
443 A common place to store text for commands is in the tag; in fact
445 maintains a set of commands appropriate to the state of the window
446 to the left of the bar in the tag.
448 If the text indicated with button 2 is not a recognized built-in, it is executed as
449 a shell command. For example, indicating
454 and error outputs of commands are sent to the error window associated with
455 the directory from which the command was run, which will be created if
457 For example, in a window
461 will produce the output
463 in a (possibly newly-created) window labeled
465 in a window containing
466 .B \*9/src/cmd/sam/sam.c
472 .BR \*9/src/cmd/sam ,
473 producing output in a window labeled
474 .BR \*9/src/cmd/sam/+Errors .
475 The environment of such commands contains the variable
477 with value set to the filename of the window in which the command is run.
479 Pointing at text with button 3 instructs
481 to locate or acquire the file, string, etc. described by the indicated text and
483 This description follows the actions taken when
484 button 3 is released after sweeping out some text.
487 refers to the text of the original sweep or, if it was null, the result of
488 applying the same expansion rules that apply to button 2 actions.
490 If the text names an existing window,
492 moves the mouse cursor to the selected text in the body of that window.
493 If the text names an existing file with no associated window,
495 loads the file into a new window and moves the mouse there.
496 If the text is a file name contained in angle brackets,
498 loads the indicated include file from the directory appropriate to the
499 suffix of the file name of the window holding the text.
502 command adds directories to the standard list.)
504 If the text begins with a colon, it is taken to be an address, in
507 within the body of the window containing the text.
508 The address is evaluated, the resulting text highlighted, and the mouse moved to it.
519 (There is an easier way to locate literal text; see below.)
521 If the text is a file name followed by a colon and an address,
523 loads the file and evaluates the address. For example, clicking button 3 anywhere
529 27, and put the mouse at the beginning of the line. The rules about Error
530 files, directories, and so on all combine to make this an efficient way to
531 investigate errors from compilers, etc.
533 If the text is not an address or file, it is taken to
534 be literal text, which is then searched for in the body of the window
535 in which button 3 was clicked. If a match is found, it is selected and the mouse is
536 moved there. Thus, to search for occurrences of a word in a file,
537 just click button 3 on the word. Because of the rule of using the
538 selection as the button 3 action, subsequent clicks will find subsequent
539 occurrences without moving the mouse.
541 In all these actions, the mouse motion is not done if the text is a null string
542 within a non-null selected string in the tag, so that (for example) complex regular expressions
543 may be selected and applied repeatedly to the
544 body by just clicking button 3 over them.
545 .SS "Chords of mouse buttons
546 Several operations are bound to multiple-button actions.
547 After selecting text, with button 1 still down, pressing button 2
550 and button 3 executes
552 After clicking one button, the other undoes
553 the first; thus (while holding down button 1) 2 followed by 3 is a
555 that leaves the file undirtied;
556 3 followed by 2 is a no-op.
557 These actions also apply to text selected by double-clicking because
558 the double-click expansion is made when the second
559 click starts, not when it ends.
561 Commands may be given extra arguments by a mouse chord with buttons 2 and 1.
562 While holding down button 2 on text to be executed as a command, clicking button 1
563 appends the text last pointed to by button 1 as a distinct final argument.
564 For example, to search for literal
568 with button 2 or instead point at
570 with button 1 in any window, release button 1,
573 clicking button 1 while 2 is held down.
575 When an external command (e.g.
577 is executed this way, the extra argument is passed as expected and an
580 is created that holds, in the form interpreted by button 3,
581 the fully-qualified address of the extra argument.
582 .SS "Support programs
590 in it, turning the window into something analogous to an
596 2 is similar to using
600 loads the tag line of its window with the directory in which it's running, suffixed
605 intended to be executed by a
609 windows. An example definition is
611 fn cd { builtin cd $1 && awd $sysname }
613 .SS "Applications and guide files
616 live several subdirectories, each corresponding to a program or
617 set of related programs that employ
620 Each subdirectory includes source, binaries, and a
622 file for further information.
625 a text file holding sample commands to invoke the programs.
626 The idea is to find an example in the guide that best matches
627 the job at hand, edit it to suit, and execute it.
629 Whenever a command is executed by
631 the default search path includes the directory of the window containing
632 the command and its subdirectory
634 The program directories in
636 contain appropriately labeled subdirectories of binaries,
638 in the guide files will be found automatically when run.
641 binds the directories
644 .B /acme/bin/$cputype
647 when it starts; this is where
662 also where state is written if
664 dies or is killed unexpectedly, e.g. by deleting its window.
667 template files for applications
670 informal documentation for applications
673 source for applications
676 MIPS-specific binaries for applications
680 .B \*9/src/cmd/9term/win.c
688 Acme: A User Interface for Programmers.
695 the recreation of windows under control of external programs
698 is just to rerun the command; information may be lost.
