C and C++ SoftBench User's Guide

Using SoftBench Editors
Editing with SoftBench XEmacs Editor
Chapter 4122
Editing with SoftBench XEmacs Editor
SoftBench XEmacs is an advanced GUI editor with features that go
beyond a typical text editor or vi. SoftBench XEmacs is built on GNU
XEmacs . In addition to having pulldown menus and a toolbar, SoftBench
XEmacs is self–documenting, customizable, and extensible.
Self–documenting means that any time you type Control–H to find out
what your options are, you can also type a special character string to find
out what a command does. In addition, you can find commands relevant
to a particular topic. Customizable means you can change the definitions
of SoftBench XEmacs commands to suit your individual needs.
Extensible means you can go beyond simple customization and write
entirely new commands using the Lisp programming language.
Before starting SoftBench XEmacs, you should be familiar with how
SoftBench XEmacs uses buffers, files, windows, and frames.
• Buffers–A buffer holds characters in a region of memory. As the basic
editing unit, one buffer corresponds to one piece of text being edited.
You can have multiple buffers but you can edit only one buffer at any
one time.
• Files–SoftBench XEmacs edits a file by reading it into a buffer,
editing that buffer, and writing the buffer contents back to the file. To
save your work permanently you must write it to a file.
• Windows–You can open multiple windows with multiple buffers and
edit them by selecting the corresponding buffer. When you start
SoftBench XEmacs, it automatically opens a window for you. From
there you can open multiple files in separate buffers. Each buffer can
be displayed in a separate window, or displayed on the main window
by using the buffer menu.
• Frames–A frame, in the terminology of GNU XEmacs is an X-window
complete with menus, toolbars, a message area, and one or more
windows.
SoftBench XEmacs documentation consists primarily of online help. You
can obtain additional GNU XEmacs user and reference material on the
Web at:
http://www.xemacs.org