me(1)

NAME

me - MicroEmacs '99 text editor

SYNOPSIS

me [options] [files ...]

me [@startupFile] [-b] [-c] [-d] [-h] [-i] [-llineNo] [-mcommand] [-n] [-0file] [-p] [-r] [-sstring] [-vvariable=string] [-x] files...

DESCRIPTION

MicroEmacs '99 is a cut down version of the EMACS text editor, based on Danial Lawrences MicroEmacs. MicroEmacs '99 is a tool for creating and changing documents, programs, and other text files. It is both relatively easy for the novice to use, but also very powerful in the hands of an expert. MicroEmacs '99 can be extensively customized for the needs of the individual user.

MicroEmacs '99 allows multiple files to be edited at the same time. The screen may be split into different windows and screens, and text may be moved freely from one window on any screen to the next. Depending on the type of file being edited, MicroEmacs '99 can change how it behaves to make editing simple. Editing standard text files, program files and word processing documents are all possible at the same time.

There are extensive capabilities to make word processing and editing easier. These include commands for string searching and replacing, paragraph reformatting and deleting, automatic word wrapping, word move and deletes, easy case controlling, and automatic word counts.

For complex and repetitive editing tasks editing macros can be written. These macros allow the user a great degree of flexibility in determining how MicroEmacs '99 behaves. Also, any and all the commands can be used by any key stroke by changing, or rebinding, what commands various keys invoke.

Special features are also available to perform a diverse set of operations such as file encryption, automatic backup file generation, entabbing and detabbing lines, executing operating system commands and filtering of text through other programs.

The command line options to MicroEmacs '99 are defined as follows:-

@startFile


Initialize MicroEmacs '99 using startFile[.emf]. The default when omitted is me.emf. See start-up(3) and Command Line Filters for more information.

-b


Load next file as a binary file (binary editor mode).

-c


Continuation mode. Load MicroEmacs '99 last edit session, restoring the buffers to their previous loaded state and position. Note that history mode must be enabled. The -c option is generally used with windowing interfaces (X-Windows/Microsoft Windows) as the shortcut icon invocation.

-d


Enable debug mode (for macro files).

-h


Show the help page (does not start the editor).

-i


MS-DOS versions of MicroEmacs '99 only. Insert the contents of the current screen into the *scratch* buffer

-llineNo


Go to line lineNo in the next given file. Typically used with utilities such a more(1) where an external editor may be invoked from other viewer.

-mcommand


Sends a client-server command to an existing MicroEmacs session. The command takes the form "C:<client>:<command>" i.e. to write "Hello World" on the message line then a client may issue the command:-

; launch server 
me & 
; send message 
me -m "C:ME:ml-write \"Hello world\" 

Note that the <command> is a MicroEmacs macro command, the escape sequences must be adhered to. The client-server interface is typically used to load a file, this may be performed as follows:-

me -m "C:myutility:find-file \"/path/foo.bar\"" 

The absolute path is specified in this type of transaction as the current working directory of the active MicroEmacs session is unknown. The -m option de-iconize's the existing editor session and bring it to the foreground.

-n


UNIX X-Windows environments only and MicroSoft Windows NT console versions. Execute MicroEmacs '99 using termcap rather than X-Windows for UNIX; typically used within an xterm shell to fire up MicroEmacs '99 for a quick edit. For Microsoft Windows, a console window is started as opposed to a GUI window.

-o<file>


Use already running version of MicroEmacs '99 to load the <file>, if it exists, otherwise start a new editor session. This uses the client-server interface to push the new file into the existing editor session. Refer to the Client-Server Interface for details.

-p


Pipe stdin into buffer *stdin*, when saved output to stdout, following is a simple example which changes 'a's to 'b's:

        define-macro start-up 
            find-buffer "*stdin*" 
            beginning-of-buffer 
            replace-string "a" "b" 
            save-buffer 
            quick-exit 
        !emacro 

This can be used in the following manner:

        me "@testpipe.emf" < foo.a > foo.b 

-r


Read-only, all buffers will be in view mode

-sstring


Search for string "string" in the current buffer. e.g. me -sfoo bar starts MicroEmacs '99, loads file bar and initiates a search for foo. The cursor is left at the end of the string if located, otherwise at the top of the buffer.

-vvariable=string


Assign the MicroEmacs '99 variable with string. The assignment is performed before the buffers are loaded. Typically used to change the start-up characteristics of the startup file(s).

-x


UNIX environments. Disable the capture of signals. MicroEmacs '99 by default captures an handles all illicit signal interrupts. The option is enabled when debugging the source code allowing exception conditions to be trapped within the debugger.

ENVIRONMENT

The following environment variables are used by MicroEmacs '99.

DISPLAY


UNIX environments running X-Windows only. The identity of the X-Windows server. Typically set to unix:0.0, refer to the X-Windows documentation for details of this environment variable.

MENAME and LOGNAME


The identity of the user, $MENAME takes precedence over $LOGNAME. $LOGNAME variable is generally defined within UNIX as part of the login script. The variables are used to determine which start-up configuration to use in the initialization of MicroEmacs '99 ($MENAME.erf).

Non-UNIX platforms usually need to explicitly set the $MENAME environment variable to identify the aforementioned files. for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows this is typically performed in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

PATH


The $PATH environment variable is used on most operating systems as a search path for executable files. This $PATH environment variable must be defined with MicroEmacs '99 on the search path. Under UNIX this is set in the .login, .cshrc or .profile file i.e.

export PATH $PATH:/usr/name/me

Within MS-DOS or Microsoft Windows environments it is defined in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. e.g.

set PATH=%PATH%;c:\me

MicroEmacs '99 utilizes information in the $PATH environment variable to locate the start-up files, dictionaries etc.

TERM


The terminal identification sting. In UNIX environments the environment variable $TERM is set to "vt...", in this case it is assumed that the machine is a server, and the host cannot support X (see command line option -n).

In MS-DOS the environment variable is usually set to define the graphics adapter mode. %TERM is assigned a string, understood by the me.emf start-up file, to set the graphics mode. Predefined strings include:-

E80x50


Initiates an 80 column by 50 line screen.

E80x25


Initiates an 80 column by 25 line screen.

userDefined


A user defined string to set an explicit graphics card mode. The operation is dependent upon the support offered by the graphics adapter.

MEPATH


MicroEmacs '99 uses the environment variable $MEPATH as the directory(s) used to search for the macro files (see emf(8)). Within the UNIX $MEPATH is a semi-colon separated list of directories which are used to search for the MicroEmacs '99 macro files. The path is searched from left to right. The environment variable is typically defined in the in the .login, .cshrc or .profile file i.e.

export MEPATH /usr/name/me/macros:/usr/local/microemacs

The default when omitted is /usr/local/microemacs.

Within MS-DOS or Microsoft Windows environments it is defined in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. e.g.

set MEPATH=c:\me\username;\me\macros

There is no default location in these environments. For Microsoft Windows environments refer to me32.ini(8) for a method of setting up the $MEPATH from the windows configuration file.

INFOPATH


MicroEmacs '99 uses the environment variable $INFOPATH as the directory(s) used to search for GNU Info files. Within the UNIX $INFOPATH is a semi-colon separated list of directories which are used to search for the MicroEmacs '99 macro files. The path is searched from left to right. The environment variable is typically defined in the in the .login, .cshrc or .profile file i.e.

export INFOPATH /usr/local/info:$HOME/info

The default when omitted is /usr/local/info.

Within MS-DOS or Microsoft Windows environments it is defined in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. e.g.

set MEPATH=c:\usr\local\info

There is no default location in these environments. For Microsoft Windows environments refer to me32.ini(8) for a method of setting up the $INFOPATH from the windows configuration file.

FILES

All of the macro files and dictionaries are located in the MicroEmacs home directory. The standard file extensions that are utilized are:-

.eaf


MicroEmacs '99 abbreviation file, defines completion definitions for buffer dependent text expansion.

.edf


A MicroEmacs '99 spelling dictionary. <language>.edf provide language specific dictionaries; $LOGNAME.edf is personal spelling dictionary.

.ehf


MicroEmacs '99 help file information. On-line help information for emacs, the main file is me.ehf.

.emf


A MicroEmacs '99 macro file. The following classes of macro file exist:

me.emf


The default startup file.

<platform>.emf


A platform specify startup file, these include UNIX generic (unixterm.emf), UNIX specific (irix.emf, hpux.emf, unixwr1.emf, linux.emf, sunos.emf etc), Microsoft Windows (win32.emf), MS-DOS (dos.emf).

hkxxxxxx.emf


Buffer context specific hook files to initialize a buffer with macros and highlighting appropriate to the contents of the file type. e.g. 'C' language editing (hkc.emf), N/Troff typesetting (hknroff.emf), UNIX Manual page display (hkman.emf), Makefiles (hkmake.emf), etc.

.erf


Registry files, used to retain personal information, users history in the file etc.

.etf


Template files used to seed new files. Typically contains standard header information, copyright notices etc. that are placed at the head of files. The 'C' programming language is called c.etf

MICROSOFT WINDOWS

Microsoft Windows environments should refer to me32.ini(8) for a method of setting up the environment variables without editing the AUTOEXEC.BAT configuration file.

SEE ALSO

emf(8), erf(8), emacs(1) [GNU], more(1), vi(1).
Client-Server Interface.
Command Line Filters.

(c) Copyright JASSPA 1999
Last Modified: 1999/07/05
Generated On: 1999/12/01