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Favourite text (programmers) editor on the TI-99/4a


retroclouds

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What is your favorite text editor on the TI-99/4a and what features does make it stand out the most?

Also what feature would one appreciate most in 2018 ? For me it would be 80 columns and SAMS

 

<< Fred Kaal's EDIT80 >> is my personal favorite.

 

While it does not support the SAMS card, it does have 80 columns, works flawlessly with the F18A and plays well with TIPI.

 

Editing BATCH FILES for 4A/DOS is a snap with this program as it does not include the tabular and column information (what I used to unknowingly call garbage) at the end of the files which broke 4A/DOS text files. It's small, and easy to use. Since Fred released it, I no longer mess with TI-Writer, BA-Writer or have a need for the E/A editor.

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ok, here is what I have in mind for a 21st century text progs' editor on the TI-99/4a:

 

* Support for SAMs

* f18a support (80x24, 80x30)

* split-screen support, panes (e.g. editing/viewing 2 files at once)

* open-file dialog with possibility to select file from list

* command-line option for running #EA5 directly from inside the editor

* cartridge based

* config options

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Going to throw something out there for people to consider. Seems like Funnelweb's source may have been released, and if so, probably the easiest for any TI-99/4A development to use that program.

 

However, Peter Muys wrote an editor for the Geneve 9640 for MDOS mode. While file access was using the Geneve's XOP's, the video access was through your normal direct video writes. Just change port addresses, and modify the routine for scanning the keyboard, and you are well on your way to converting the program.

 

I know the program can handle some pretty large text files. What I do not recall is if handling those files if it uses paged memory. If so, the basis for mapped memory may already be in place to allow modifications for the SAMS, etc. to be easier.

 

Anyways, just throwing it out there should anyone have an itch.

 

Beery

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What is your favorite text editor on the TI-99/4a and what features does make it stand out the most?

Also what feature would one appreciate most in 2018 ? For me it would be 80 columns and SAMS

I used TI-Writer, Funlweb, and MyWord into the 90s to do programming, schoolwork and writing.

 

I used Clint Pulley's QDE the most at the end for coding under MDOS.

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<< Fred Kaal's EDIT80 >> is my personal favorite.

 

While it does support the SAMS card, it does have 80 columns, works flawlessly with the F18A and plays well with TIPI.

 

Editing BATCH FILES for 4A/DOS is a snap with this program as it does not include the tabular and column information (what I used to unknowingly call garbage) at the end of the files which broke 4A/DOS text files. It's small, and easy to use. Since Fred released it, I no longer mess with TI-Writer, BA-Writer or have a need for the E/A editor.

Just to be correct: EDIT80 is the Editor (version 3.0) of the Editor/Assembler module which doesn't need the module with some features added/changed, like:

  • Added: Upper and lower case character set.
  • Added: Menu option Load: Load file.
  • Added: Menu option Save: Save file.
  • Added: Menu option Purge: Purge file.
  • Added: Menu option eXit: Exit the editor.
  • Changed: Menu option Show (line) into Goto (line), used the character S for Save file.
  • Removed: Menu option Tab (edit tabs) ... can't save this anyway.
  • Added: Hollow cursor when in insert mode.
  • Changed: Number of menu lines to 4 (was originally 2).
  • Added: Error messages (if any) on line 3 of the menu.
  • Changed: Maximum file name length from 20 to 40 characters so that files can be loaded from and saved in a sub directory.

This editor can be loaded like any other E/A option 5 program and is just a bit below 8Kb in size and loads into the LOMEM (>2000) area.

 

 

Fred ;-)

Edited by F.G. Kaal
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PrEditor by far. 80 columns with the F18A, great features like copy and paste, block select, toggle states for line and character inserts, merging of files... Discovered a complete copy with manual in the free bin at one of the Chicago Faires a few years back and have never looked back again! No SAMS support unfortunately, which limits the size of the source files.

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ok, here is what I have in mind for a 21st century text progs' editor on the TI-99/4a:

 

* Support for SAMs

* f18a support (80x24, 80x30)

* split-screen support, panes (e.g. editing/viewing 2 files at once)

* open-file dialog with possibility to select file from list

* command-line option for running #EA5 directly from inside the editor

* cartridge based

* config options

 

Is this something you are working on? It would be totally awesome!!!

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  • 2 years later...

Now that my icy99 FPGA core is gaining increasing functionality, and it works with TIPI, I am starting to discover the world of TI-99/4A software outside the domain of cartridges. So here goes a stupid question: How does one use @F.G. Kaal's editor? This is really a beginner's question for sure. I have so far mostly created programs for the TI-99/4A using xas99.py cross assembler on a PC/Mac/Linux box.

 

Examples: how do you save? how do you load text? Etc.

 

I assume that key mappings are like editor assembler. So FCTN+9 is an esc command and seems to get me into a command mode? (I launched EDIT40 with TIPI, i.e. from TI Basic call tipi("DSK1.EDIT40") so no editor assembler involved here. I looked at Fred's web site, but I didn't find documentation about basic editor usage. I also loaded the assembler source code, but understanding usage with that seems to require a fair amount of reading of the source.

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Never mind, I restarted the editor in 80 column mode, and I can see the commands which were not visible in 40 column mode. Didn't realize that in the command mode (or whatever it is called) the command save and load are there, just need to be entered in upper case as single character commands. Makes sense. And the 80 column mode works on the icy99, so all good!

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In 40 column mode the tab key (fctn-7) can be used to show the remainder of the commands. I have not put any documentation of the editor on my website because it is still the editor of the editor/assembler module. Documentation is in the Editor/Assembler manual. What is documented on my website is the extra function keys I haver added.

 

Fred ;-)

Edited by F.G. Kaal
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