ELLE(1x)

ELLE (ELLE Looks Like Emacs) is an Emacs clone for ELLE is not full Emacs but it has about 80 commands and is quite fast.

  Key bindings

Mined only has a small number of commands. All of them are either of the form CTRL-x or are on the numeric keypad. Emacs, in contrast, has so many commands, that not only are all the CTRL-x commands used up, but so are all the ESC x (escape followed by x; escape is not a shift character, like CTRL). Even this is not enough, so CTRL-X is used as a prefix for additional commands. Thus CTRL-X CTRL-L is a command, and so is CTRL-X K. Note that what is conventionally written as CTRL-X K really means CTRL-X k. In some contexts it is traditional to write CTRL-X as ^X. Please note that they mean the same thing.

As a result, many Emacs commands need three or four key strokes to execute. Some people think 3-4 key strokes is too many. For this reason, Emacs and ELLE allow users to assign their own key bindings. In ELLE this is done with user profiles. A user profile is a file listing which function is invoked by which key stroke. The user profile is then compiled by a program called ellec into binary form. When ELLE starts up it checks to see if a file .ellepro.b1 exists in $HOME. If it does, this file is read in and overrides the default bindings.

A user profile that simulates the mined commands fairly well is provided. Its installation is described later. If you have never used Emacs, it is suggested that you use the mined profile. If you normally use Emacs, then do not install the mined profile. You can also make your own using ellec. There is no Mock Lisp.

ELLE has a character-oriented view of the world, not a line oriented view, like ed. It does not have magic characters for searching. However, you can use line feed in search patterns. For example, to find a line consisting of the three characters foo all by themselves on a line, using the mined bindings (see below), use the pattern: CTRL-\ CTRL-J f o o CTRL-\ CTRL-J. The CTRL- means to interpret the next character literally, in this case it is CTRL-J, which is line feed. You can also search for patterns involving multiple lines. For example, to find a line ending in an x followed by a line beginning with a y, use as pattern: x CTRL- CTRL-J y.

  Mined Key Bindings

These are the key bindings if the binary user profile, .ellepro.b1, is installed in $HOME. The ESCAPE key followed by a number followed by a command causes that command to be executed number times. This applies both to control characters and insertable characters. CTRL-X refers to a control character. ESC x refers to an escape character followed by x. In other words, ^X is a synonym for CTRL-X. ^X Y refers to CTRL-X followed by y. To abort the current command and go back to the main loop of the editor, type CTRL-G, rather than CTRL-\.

Only a few commands are of the form CTRL-X Y. All of these are also bound to CTRL-X CTRL-Y, so you can hold down CTRL and then hit X Y, or release control after the X, as you prefer.

The key bindings that are not listed should not be used. Some of them actually do things. For example, the ANSI escape codes ESC [ x are bound to ^X Y for a variety of y.

Some commands work on regions. A region is defined as the text between the most recently set mark and the cursor.

  Mined Commands

If the mined profile, .ellepro.b1 is installed in your home directory, the following commands will work.

CURSOR MOTION
arrows    Move the cursor in the indicated direction
CTRL-A    Move cursor to start of current line
CTRL-Z    Move cursor to end of current line
CTRL-F    Move cursor forward word
CTRL-B    Move cursor backward to start of previous word

SCREEN MOTION
Home key    Move to first character of the file
End key    Move to last character of the file
PgUp key    Scroll window up 22 lines (closer to start of the file)
PgDn key    Scroll window down 22 lines (closer to end of the file)
CTRL-U    Scroll window up 1 line
CTRL-D    Scroll window down 1 line
ESC ,    Move to top of screen
CTRL-_    Move to bottom of screen

MODIFYING TEXT
DEL key    Delete the character under the cursor
Backsp    Delete the character to left of the cursor
CTRL-N    Delete the next word
CTRL-P    Delete the previous word
CTRL-T    Delete tail of line (all characters from cursor to end of line)
CTRL-O    Open up the line (insert line feed and back up)
ESC G    Get and insert a file at the cursor position (CTRL-G in mined)

REGIONS
CTRL-^    Set mark at current position for use with CTRL-C and CTRL-K
CTRL-C    Copy the text between the mark and the cursor into the buffer
CTRL-K    Delete text between mark and cursor; also copy it to the buffer
CTRL-Y    Yank contents of the buffer out and insert it at the cursor

MISCELLANEOUS
numeric +    Search forward (prompts for expression)
numeric -    Search backward (prompts for expression)
CTRL-]    ESC n CTRL-[ goes to line n (slightly different syntax than mined)
CTRL-R    Global replace pattern with string (from cursor to end)
CTRL-L    Replace pattern with string within the current line only
CTRL-W    Write the edited file back to the disk
CTRL-S    Fork off a shell (use CTRL-D to get back to the editor)
CTRL-G    Abort whatever the editor was doing and wait for command (CTRL-
CTRL-E    Redraw screen with cursor line positioned in the middle
CTRL-V    Visit (edit) a new file
CTRL-Q    Write buffer to a file
ESC X    Exit the editor

  Non-Mined Commands

CURSOR MOTION
ESC P    Forward paragraph (a paragraph is a line beginning with a dot)
ESC ]    Backward paragraph
ESC .    Indent this line as much as the previous one

MODIFYING TEXT
CTRL-\    Insert the next character (used for inserting control characters)
ESC T    Transpose characters
ESC W    Transpose words
ESC =    Delete white space (horizontal space)
ESC |    Delete blank lines (vertical space)

REGIONS
ESC M    Mark current paragraph
ESC ^    Exchange cursor and mark
ESC Y    Yank back the next-to-the-last kill (CTRL-Y yanks the last one)
ESC A    Append next kill to kill buffer

KEYBOARD MACROS
ESC /    Start Keyboard Macro
ESC \    End Keyboard Macro
ESC *    View Keyboard Macro (the PrtSc key on the numeric pad is also a *)
ESC E    Execute Keyboard Macro

WINDOW MANAGEMENT
^X 1    Enter one window mode
^X 2    Enter two window mode
^X L    Make the current window larger
^X P    Make the window more petit/petite (Yes, Virginia, they are English)
^X N    Next window
^X W    New window

BUFFER MANAGEMENT
numeric 5    Display the list of current files and buffers
ESC B    Select a buffer
ESC S    Select an existing buffer
ESC N    Mark a buffer as NOT modified (even if it really is)

UPPER AND LOW CASE MANIPULATION
ESC I    Set first character of word to upper case
ESC C    Capitalize current word
ESC O    Make current word ordinary (i.e., lower case)
ESC U    Set entire region between mark and cursor to upper case
ESC L    Set entire region between mark and cursor to lower case

MISCELLANEOUS
ESC F    Find file and read it into its own buffer
ESC Z    Incremental search
ESC Q    Like CTRL-R, but queries at each occurrence (type ? for options)
ESC R    Reset the user profile from a file
ESC H    Help (ELLE prompts for the 1 or 2 character command to describe)
ESC ;    Insert a comment in a C program (generates /* */ for you)
^X X    Exit the editor (same as ESC X and CTRL-X CTRL-X)

The major differences between ELLE with the mined profile and mined itself are:

1. The definition of a word is different for forward and backward word
2. The mark is set with CTRL-^ instead of CTRL-@
3. Use CTRL-G to abort a command instead of CTRL-\
4. Use CTRL- to literally insert the next character, instead of ALT
5. CTRL-E adjusts the window to put the cursor in the middle of it
6. To get and insert a file, use ESC G instead of CTRL-G
7. To go to line n, type ESC n CTRL-[ instead of CTRL-[ n
8. You exit with CTRL-X CTRL-X and then answer the question with y.
9. There are many new commands, windows, larger files, etc.

  Emacs Key Bindings

If you do not have the mined profile installed, you get the standard Emacs key bindings. These are listed below. Commands not listed are not implemented.

CURSOR MOVEMENT
CTRL-F    Forward one character.
CTRL-B    Backward one character.
CTRL-H    Same as CTRL-B: move backward one character.
ESC F    Forward one word.
ESC B    Backward one word.
CTRL-A    Beginning of current line.
CTRL-E    End of current line.
CTRL-N    Next line (goes to the next line).
CTRL-P    Previous line (goes to the previous line).
CTRL-V    Beginning of next screenful.
ESC V    Beginning of previous screenful.
ESC ]~    Forward Paragraph.
ESC [~    Backward Paragraph.
ESC <    Beginning of whole buffer.
ESC >    End of whole buffer.

DELETING
CTRL-D    Deletes forward one character (the one the cursor is under).
DELETE    Deletes backward one character (the one to left of cursor).
ESC D    Kills forward one word.
ESC DEL    Kills backward one word.
CTRL-K    Kills the rest of the line (to the right of the cursor).
ESC \    Deletes spaces around the cursor.
^X CTRL-O    Deletes blank lines around the cursor.

CASE CHANGE
ESC C    Capitalizes word : first letter becomes uppercase; rest lower
ESC L    Makes the whole next word lowercase.
ESC U    Makes the whole next word uppercase.
^X CTRL-L    Makes whole region lowercase.
^X CTRL-U    Makes whole region uppercase.

SEARCHING (If no string is given, previous string is used)
CTRL-S    Incremental Search forward; prompts I-search:
CTRL-R    Reverse Incremental Search; prompts R-search:
During an incremental search, the following characters have special effects:
normal     -    Begin searching immediately.
^G    -    Cancel I-search, return to start.
DEL    -    Erase last char, return to last match.
^S, ^R    -    Repeat search (or change direction).
ESC or CR    -    Exit I-search at current point.

ESC %    Query Replace. Interactive replace. Type ? to see options.
^X %    Replace String.    Like Query Replace, but not interactive

MARKING AREAS
CTRL-^    Set mark
^X CTRL-X    Exchange cursor and mark.
ESC H    Mark Paragraph. Sets mark and cursor to surround a para.
CTRL-W    Wipe-out -- kills a region:
ESC W    Copy region. Like CTRL-W then CTRL-Y but modifies buffer
CTRL-Y    Yanks-back (un-kills) whatever you have most recently killed.
ESC Y    Yanks-back (un-kills) the next most recently killed text.
ESC CTRL-W    Append Next Kill. Accumulates stuff from several kills

FILLING TEXT
ESC Q    Fill the paragraph to the size of the Fill Column.
ESC G    Fill the region.
^X F    Set Fill Column. ESC Q will use this line size.
^X .    Set Fill Prefix. Asks for prefix string
^X T    Toggles Auto Fill Mode.

WINDOWS
^X 2    Make two windows (split screen).
^X 1    Make one window (delete window) (make one screen).
^X O    Go to Other window.
^X ^    Grow window: makes current window bigger.

BUFFERS
^X CTRL-F    Find a file and make a buffer for it.
^X B    Select Buffer: goes to specified buffer or makes new one
^X CTRL-B    Show the names of the buffers used in this editing session.
^X K    Kill Buffer.
ESC tilde    Say buffer is not modified.
^X CTRL-M    Toggle EOL mode (per-buffer flag).

KEYBOARD MACRO
^X (    Start collecting a keyboard macro.
^X )    Stop collecting.
^X E    Execute the collected macro.
^X *    Display the collected macro.

FILES
^X CTRL-I    Insert a file where cursor is.
^X CTRL-R    Read a new file into current buffer.
^X CTRL-V    Same as ^X ^R above (reads a file).
^X CTRL-W    Write buffer out to new file name.
^X CTRL-S    Save file: write out buffer to its file name.
^X CTRL-E    Write region out to new file name.

MISCELLANEOUS
^X CTRL-Z    Exit from ELLE.
^X !    Escape to shell (CTRL-D to return)
CTRL-O    Open up line
LINEFEED    Same as typing RETURN and TAB.
CTRL-T    Transposes characters.
ESC T    Transposes words.
CTRL-U    Makes the next command happen four times.
CTRL-U number    Makes the next command happen number times.
ESC number    Same as CTRL-U number.
CTRL-L    Refreshes screen.
CTRL-U CTRL-L    Refresh only the line cursor is on.
CTRL-U n CTRL-L Change window so the cursor is on line n
CTRL-Q    Quote: insert the next character no matter what it is.
CTRL-G    Quit: use to avoid answering a question.
ESC ;    Inserts comment (for writing C programs).
ESC I    Inserts indentation equal to previous line.
ESC M    Move to end of this line's indentation.
CTRL-_    Describe a command (if the command database is online)

UNUSED CONTROLS
CTRL-C    Not used.
CTRL-Z    Not used.
CTRL-]    Not used.

  ELLE profile

It is possible to create your own user profile. The mechanism is different from Emacs, since ELLE does not have Mock Lisp. Proceed as follows. Modify .ellepro.e to suit your taste. Install .ellepro.e in your home directory. Type: Check to see if .ellepro.b1 has been created. If it has, you are ready to go.

  Author

ELLE was written by Ken Harrenstien of SRI (klh@sri.com).