# Command: edlin

      EDLIN is a small line editor.

## Syntax:

      edlin [[drive][path]file]
            drive  The drive letter, e.g. C:
            path   The directory, e.g. \example\
            file   The file, e.g. test.txt.

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## Options:

      A dollar sign in the following lists represents a string of characters.
      They may be enclosed in either single or double quotes and may contain
      the following escape sequences:

      \a              alert
      \b              backspace
      \e              escape
      \f              formfeed
      \t              horizontal tab
      \v              vertical tab
      \"              double quote
      \'              single quote
      \.              period
      \\              backslash
      \xXX            where X is a hex digit (0-9, a-f, A-F) - hexadecimal
                      constant
      \dddd           where d is a decimal digit (0-9) - decimal constant
      \OOO            where O is an octal digit (0-7) - octal constant
      \^C             control character

      In the following command lists, brackets [ ] represent optional
      constructs. The # symbol represents a line number, which is either a
      string of digits, a period (.) representing the current line, a dollar
      sign ($) representing the last line in the file, or a line number added
      or subtracted from another line number, so that
        .,.+1p
      prints the current line and the succeeding line.
      Edlin has the following internal commands (used while running edlin):

      #               edit a single line
      a               append
      [#],[#],#,[#]c  copy a range of lines
      [#][,#]d        delete a block of lines
      efilename       exit (save and quit)
      [#]i            insert mode
      [#][,#]l        list lines
      [#],[#],#m      move block
      [#][,#]p        page
      q               quit
      [#][,#][?]r$,$  replace string
      [#][,#][?]s$    search for substring
      [#]tfilename    transfer file
      [#]wfilename    write file

      # - EDIT A SINGLE LINE
      The edline program outputs the single line indicated by the number, and
      the next inputted line replaces the outputted line in the file.

      a - APPEND
      This command is equivalent to $+1i .

      [#],[#],#,[#]c - COPY A RANGE OF LINES
      This command copies a block of consecutive lines to another location in
      the buffer. The parameters are:
        * The first line you want to copy (default = current line)
        * The last line you want to copy (default = current line)
        * The line before which you want to insert the block of lines
        * The number of times you want to copy the block (default = 1)
      After edlin copies lines, you may use the l (list) command to see the
      correctly renumbered lines.

      [#][,#]d - DELETE A BLOCK OF LINES
      This command deletes a block of consecutive lines. The parameters are
      the first and last line of the block to be deleted.
      If you omit the second parameter, it deletes only the line specified in
      the first parameter. If you omit the first parameter, it deletes the
      block from the current line to the line specified in the second parameter
      (be sure to include the comma). Omitting both parameters causes the
      current line to be deleted.

      eFilename - SAVE AND QUIT
      This command is equivalent to:
        w filename  followed by: q

      [#]i - INSERT MODE
      This command enters insert mode. Its parameter is the line number before
      which you want to insert lines. While inserting, escape sequences such as
      those above are legal to type in. To exit insert mode, type a period (.)
      on an otherwise blank line (if you need a line with just a period,
      escape it).
      After exiting insert mode, the line after the inserted text becomes the
      current line unless the insertion was appended to the end of the text,
      in which case the last line of the text becomes the new current line.

      [#][,#]l - LIST LINES
      This command lists lines of text on the screen. If you omit the first
      parameter, the command starts showing text beginning with 11 lines of
      text before the current line. Omitting the second parameter shows a
      page of text beginning with the line specified in the first parameter.
      Omitting both shows one page of text starting at 11 lines before the
      current line. In all cases, if the number of lines is larger than the
      number of lines in a page, the program will prompt after each page of
      lines.

      [#],[#],#m - MOVE BLOCK
      This command moves a block of text to the line before the number
      specified in the third parameter. It is similar to copying, then
      deleting the original block.

      [#][,#]p - PAGE
      This is similar to l except that the default page starts with the
      current line instead of 11 lines before.

      q - QUIT
      Close file being edited losing all changes and exit EDLIN.

      [#][,#][?]r$,$ - REPLACE STRING
      This command replaces all occurrences of the first string with the
      second between the two lines specified. An omitted first parameter
      starts the replacing at the line after the current line; an omitted
      second parameter stops the replacing at the last line of the file.
      The question mark sends a confirmation message before replacement.

      [#][,#][?]s$ - SEARCH FOR SUBSTRING
      This command searches for the first line containing the substring
      specified. Omitting the first parameter causes the search to start on
      the current line; omitting the second causes the search to stop at
      the end of the file. The question mark causes the search to send a
      confirmation message. Saying no to the confirmation message continues
      the search; saying yes ends it. The current line will be reset to the
      line where the search ended if it was successful.

      [#]tFilename - TRANSFER FILE
      This command causes the contents of the file to be inserted before the
      line number specified. If the line number is omitted, the default is the
      current line.

      [#]wFilename - WRITE FILE
      This command causes the first number of lines specified by the parameter
      to be written to the file specified. If the parameter is omitted, it will
      write all the lines in the buffer to the file.

#### [Main menu] [top] [Syntax] (Options) [Comments] [Examples] [See also] [File]

## Comments:

      EDLIN is a small line editor, written for FreeDOS as a functional
      clone of the old MS-DOS program EDLIN. It's main purpose is to create
      BATCH FILES and small programs. It differs from MS EDLIN in that first,
      it's free software, and second, the user interface is slightly
      different in a few places. The reason for the difference is so that
      the user does not have to type in control characters mandated by
      EDLIN's syntax.
      EDLIN supports NLS (national language support).

#### [Main menu] [top] [Syntax] [Options] (Comments) [Examples] [See also] [File]

## Examples:

      edlin c:\config.sys  Opens the file config.sys for editing.
      edlin                If no file is specified, edline begins with a
                           blank document.
      I want to enter and save four sentences, one below the other.

      This is sentence four.
      This is sentence three.
      This is sentence three.
      This is sentence one.

      (from edlin's * prompt, with an empty buffer...)

      i
      This is sentence four.
      This is sentence three.
      This is sentence three.
      This is sentence one.
      .

      Now I want to save these four sentences in a .txt file at C:\test.txt

      wc:\test.txt

      Then I find out that the third sentence is wrong (correct: This is
      sentence two). How to correct and to save it?

      3rthree,two
      wc:\test1.txt

      Then I want to add a fifth sentence at the beginning (This is sentence
      five). How to add it?

      1i
      This is sentence five.
      .
      wc:\test2.txt

      I want to see if everything is correct.

      l

      I want to exit.

      q

#### [Main menu] [top] [Syntax] [Options] [Comments] (Examples) [See also] [File]

## See also:

      Batch-Files
      edit
      freemacs
      ospedit

#### [Main menu] [top] [Syntax] [Options] [Comments] [Examples] (See also) [File]

## File:

      Please read this command's lsm file also.
      You will find the updated version (internet) here and
      the version described in this manual page here.
      The lsm file contains information about the name of the programmer,
      the download site, and some other command related information.

#### [Main menu] [top] [Syntax] [Options] [Comments] [Examples] [See also] (File)

      Copyright © 2003 Gregory Pietsch, updated 2007 by W. Spiegl.

      This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
      See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.