Text Editing Features of Color 64
BBS Operation - Text Editing Features
The Text Editor for Color 64 (both stand-alone and internal BBS versions) have helpful shortcuts to make your life easy in your day-to-day work with the files and mail content. The table below lists the miscellaneous features available while editing or entering text:
| Function | Key | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Lowercase | CTRL-L | Places an internal code in the text forcing display to transition to lower-case |
| Uppercase | CTRL-U | Same as above, but forces uppercase instead |
| Delete | ← | The left arrow symbol works as a 'recorded delete' in the message editor. Instead of deleting text from memory, this character will print a standard Commodore Graphics delete character. This has the effect of pulling text to the left when the cursor is positioned left of the text. |
| Word Delete | CTRL-W | This can be used when entering a line of input, it will delete the word you are currently on, as well as any trailing spaces after it. |
| Line Delete | CTRL-X | This will delete all the text you have typed so far on a single line. |
| Line Reprint | CTRL-V | This will re-print everything you have typed so far after printing a carriage return. This is not really something you would use in local mode but is advantageous for remote users who are experiencing any line noise resulting in garbage characters on their screen. This will verify what the BBS captured in keystrokes. |
| Center | CTRL-C | Centers the text you have just typed (before hitting the RETURN key). Centering the text will strip out all inserts and recorded deletes. You will still need to add a carriage return after centering a line. Centering will not function if input does not begin at the far-left column of the screen. |
| Dynamic Delete | DEL | Characters are deleted "by type" when you use the DEL key. This means, for example, that if you delete a CRSR-UP then the cursor will move down. Or if you were to delete a color character, then the color you were using previously will be activated. This is helpful for accurately editing your text. |
| Message Editor Memory | N/A | The text editor works in a way to account for not only the number of free lines, but it accounts for free memory as well. A function allows the message editor to keep constant track of the free memory available. If the memory runs out, then the same thing occurs as if the number of available lines was used up. This means you do not have to worry about the maximum number of lines that was chosen in SETUP, so you could set it to 200 lines if you wished. You can choose what the minimum amount of free memory is from SETUP. |
| MCI Toggle | Editor Menu - ! | An option appears at the line editor prompt to allow you to turn MCI commands on or off when viewing lines of the message being edited. This is convenient for when many commands have been used, and you wish to edit or remove them. |
| Message Separator Function | /@ | This is a helpful command that you can use while editing a mail message. It will put a message divider character (a CTRL/N on a line by itself) at that point in your message. The message divider is used by private mail and network routines to separate individual messages. Any caller who has access to the "Edit Any Message" parameter in SETUP can use this command. If a caller attempts to type a CTRL/N on a line all by itself, the ML input routine will automatically change it into two (and therefore will not corrupt a private message or node message). The /@ command is the only way this character can be added (if you delete a line with the character in it, you will have to use the Insert command and retype the /@ command). You should only use this command if you are familiar with the format of private and Network messages. |
Next Section: Message Header Customization