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.
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.
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).
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
See also:
Batch-Files
edit
freemacs
ospedit
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.
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.