EVE (text editor)

EVE (short for Extensible Versatile Editor) is a flexible text editor that is part of the VMS operating system. EVE is implemented by using the Text Processing Utility (TPU).

The Emacs editor features a good EVE emulation (as an add-on).

Editor Control

As the EVE editor was designed to control from a VT100 terminal, many keyboard conventions from personal computers do not work.

Key Meaning
Exit the editor
F10 exit; saves the file and quits the editor
Ctrl-Z exit; saves the file and quits the editor
Ctrl-Y abort; terminates the editor without saving the file
Command line
- (num.) recall; recall the EVE command line (empty); enter Help to get the list of EVE commands
Ctrl-B recall}; recall the EVE command line (with previous command); use Ctrl-U to clear it
Text deleting
Backspace erases the character to the left of the cursor
Ctrl-U erase start of line; deletes everything to the left of the cursor to the start of the line
Ctrl-X erase start of line; deletes everything to the left of the cursor to the start of the line
Ctrl-J erase word; deletes the word under the cursor
7 (num.) Select; starts text selection
8 (num.) Remove; removes the text from the place where Select was used previously
9 (num.) Insert here; inserts the text removed by the Remove
End Select; starts text selection
Delete Remove; removes the text from the place where Select was used previously
Insert Insert here; inserts the text removed by the Remove
Mode changes
F11 change direction; changes direction of the F12 and of the searching (notice the state line indicating Forward or Reverse)
* (num.) change direction; changes direction of the F12 and of the searching (notice the state line indicating Forward or Reverse)
Ctrl-A change mode; switches between character insertion and overstrike (notice the state line indicating Insert or Overstrike)
Movements
← cursor left
→ cursor right
↑ cursor up
↓ cursor down
1 (num.) cursor left
3 (num.) cursor right
5 (num.) cursor up
2 (num.) cursor down
Ctrl-E end of line; put the cursor after the last character on the line
Ctrl-H start of line; put the cursor to the line start
F12 next/previous line; direction can be changed with the F11 key
Text insertion
Ctrl-V inserts a control character
Ctrl-I tab; inserts horizontal tabelator
Ctrl-L insert page break; inserts the FF (form feed) character on a new line
Ctrl-M return; inserts end of line
More commands
Ctrl-S freezes the screen output
Ctrl-Q releases the screen output (the opposite of the Ctrl-S)
Ctrl-T write the status in the form of machine::user 09:15:19 TPU CPU=00:00:00.67 PF=2524 IO=7447 MEM=628 to the status line
Ctrl-W refresh; refreshes the screen
Ctrl-R remember
NumLock calls the Find command - enter a string to be find in the command line; the search direction is based on the direction set by the F11 key
Help
/ (num.) displays the numeric keypad keys help
Help enter the Help command in the command line to get the list of EVE commands

Key Function Definitions

Interactive Key Definitions

To assign a command or function to a key or key combination, use the following procedure:

  1. Enter the EVE command line (using the - key on the numeric keypad or Ctrl-B Ctrl-U)
  2. Enter the Define Key command - as almost everywhere in OpenVMS the text is case insensitive and it is possible to use abbreaviations, so entering de k will do
  3. When the EVE command: prompt occurs, enter the name of the command
  4. When the Press the key you want to define: prompt occurs, press the key or key combination which is to call the given command

Key Definitions in a File

EVE upon its start interprets the EVE$INIT.EVE file in the user's home directory. When the SYS$LOGIN:EVE$INIT.EVE file contains

DEFINE KEY= Ctrl/F   Find
DEFINE KEY= F3       Find Next
DEFINE KEY= F1       Help
DEFINE KEY= F2       Do

the Ctrl-F key would call string search function, the F3 key repeating of the last search, the F1 key would display the list of EVE commands and the F2 key would call the EVE command line.

External links