Jump to content

KEDIT

From Alfawiki
XEDIT
Company typeSoftware
IndustryComputer software, Text editing
Founded1980
FounderXavier de Lamberterie
ProductsXEDIT visual editor

XEDIT serves as a visual editor tailored for VM/CMS systems, operating primarily on block mode IBM 3270 terminals, while also accommodating line-mode terminals. Compared to contemporary PC and Unix editors, it adopts a more line-focused approach, incorporating automatic line numbering and commands that manipulate groups of lines. Commands such as ALL (which conceals lines that do not match a given pattern) and COL (which hides columns outside a specified range) facilitate selective editing by lines and columns, allowing precise modifications within designated text regions.

A command line interface is included for executing arbitrary editor commands. Due to the characteristics of IBM 3270 terminals—which transmit data only upon specific key activations like program function keys—XEDIT offers less real-time interactivity than many PC or Unix editors, resulting in limitations such as the absence of continuous spell-checking features.

Typical screen layout

<syntaxhighlight lang="text" line> 

MOHICANS SCRIPT A1 V 132 Trunc=132 Size=10 Line=10 Col=1 Alt=10

XEDIT: ===== Last of the Mohicans ===== .sp ===== It was a feature peculiar to the colonial wars of North America, ===== that the toils and dangers of the wilderness were to be encountered ===== before the adverse hosts could meet. ===== A wide and apparently an impervious boundary of forests severed ===== the possessions of the hostile provinces of France and England. ===== The hardy colonist, and the trained European who fought at his ===== side, frequently expended months in struggling against the rapids ===== of the streams, or in effecting the rugged passes of the mountains |...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7... ===== * * * End of File * * * ====> 

                                                        X E D I T 1 File

</syntaxhighlight>

Key components displayed on-screen include:

  • The topmost line presents file metadata: filename (MOHICANS), file type (SCRIPT), file mode (A1), record format (V indicating Variable), record length (132), truncation threshold, total number of lines, current cursor position (line and column), and count of modifications.
  • Each text line begins with equal signs (=====), which provide space for line numbers or prefix commands that act upon line blocks.
  • A ruler line marks tab stop positions.
  • An end-of-file indicator is shown following the final line in the file.
  • The command input area (====>) accepts both XEDIT-specific commands and system-level instructions or macros.
  • IBM 3270 terminals do not support mouse input but include 12 or 24 program function keys (PFKs) along with assist keys that can be assigned to XEDIT commands or macros.
  • Users can customize the interface by repositioning or hiding elements such as the command prompt, tab markers, or prefix lines; toggling between equal signs and numeric line indicators; expanding tab characters; filtering displayed lines or columns; showing or hiding top-of-file/bottom-of-file markers; enabling shadow lines; adjusting color schemes; defining multiple screen layouts; and selecting display modes including hexadecimal or plain text.

This adaptable interface is designed to optimize editing efficiency within enterprise VM/CMS settings.

Macro language

XEDIT supports macros written in Rexx, ooRexx, EXEC 2, or EXEC. The editor exposes most internal variables to the macro environment, allowing scripts to access and alter settings that govern its behavior.

KEXX

KEDIT 5 for DOS and OS/2 integrates support for an external Rexx interpreter, either the native OS/2 Rexx or Quercus Rexx; in the DOS environment, Quercus Rexx replaces Mansfield Rexx. Additionally, it features its own limited KEXX subset. The Windows version, KEDITW 1.6.1, exclusively utilizes an internal KEXX 5.62 variant of Rexx. Macros are saved using the .kml file extension.

History

XEDIT was developed by IBM employee Xavier de Lamberterie and made its debut in 1980. It evolved from EDIT SP (System Product), which itself drew inspiration from the EDIT editor for CMS and IBM's EDGAR. XEDIT retained numerous EDGAR commands, including SOS (Screen Output Simulation), and supported EXEC 2, a precursor to the Rexx scripting language.

PC and Unix adaptations

As IBM 3270 terminals were gradually supplanted by PCs and Unix systems, there was demand for editors that emulated XEDIT’s functionality. This led to several similar editors being created by different developers:

KEDIT

Developed by Mansfield Software Group, Inc., KEDIT was the earliest XEDIT emulator, initially released in 1983 with a significant DOS update (version 3.53) arriving in 1985. By 1990, KEDIT 4.0 had added OS/2 compatibility along with the ALL command feature.

The final DOS/OS2 release was KEDIT 5.0p4; meanwhile, KeditW for Windows advanced to version 1.6.1 as of December 2012. Previous Windows versions included 1.5 service level 3 (January 1998) and version 1.6 (December 2007).

Version 1.6 of KEDIT provides syntax highlighting capabilities for programming languages such as C#, COBOL, FORTRAN, HTML, Java, Pascal, and xBase, with language definitions stored in files using the .kld format.

KEDIT incorporates a built-in Rexx subset known as KEXX. Notably, Mansfield Software introduced the first non-IBM Rexx implementation called "Personal Rexx" back in 1985.

The December 2012 update (v1.6.1) brought Windows 8 support and extended maintenance through mid-2015 at minimum. These are 32-bit editions that also operate on 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Vista but do not natively support Unicode. As of December 2022, Kedit remains compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11, with Mansfield continuing to offer email support until at least June 2024.

SEDIT

Released initially in 1989, SEDIT is a text editor available on both Windows and Unix platforms that supports S/REXX, a Rexx variant introduced in 1994.

THE (The Hessling Editor)

The Hessling Editor (THE), which debuted in August 1991, is an open source text editor distributed under the GPL-2.0-or-later license.[1] It operates across various platforms including QNX, OS/2, DOS, BeOS, Amiga, Windows versions from 95 through XP, as well as most POSIX-compliant Unix systems, supporting both console-based and native X11 environments.[1] THE traces its heritage to IBM Mainframe VM/CMS editor XEDIT and includes REXX scripting capabilities,[2] incorporating features inspired by KEDIT.[3] Written primarily in C with PDCurses utilized on certain platforms,[4] THE depends on an external REXX interpreter like Regina to enable macro support.[4]

Mark Hessling introduced THE at the REXX conference held in La Jolla, California in 1993, emphasizing its cross-platform design.[4]

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named THE-sf
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Ubuntu
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Cookbook
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named LaJolla
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=KEDIT&oldid=28163"