DEC-10-UTECA-A-D Introduction to TECO Jun75

This document, "Introduction to TECO (Text Editor and Corrector)" for the DECsystem-10 (Version 23, from Digital Equipment Corporation), serves as a user guide to the powerful, character-oriented text editor TECO. It enables advanced DECsystem-10 users to edit any ASCII text, including programs, memoranda, and specifications, without requiring line numbers.

The guide primarily focuses on the basic functionalities of TECO, outlining the general operating procedure for creating new files or editing existing ones. The typical workflow involves initializing TECO, reading a "page" (a segment of text) into an editing buffer, modifying the text using commands, outputting the edited page, and repeating the process.

Key command categories and concepts covered include:

• Initialization: Commands like MAKE filename.ext (for new files) and TECO filename.ext (for editing existing files, automatically creating a .BAK backup).
• Input Commands: Y (yank) to clear the buffer and read a new page, and A (append) to add a new page without clearing the current buffer.
• Buffer Pointer Positioning: Commands such as J (move to buffer beginning), ZJ (move to buffer end), nC (move forward n characters), nR (move backward n characters), and nL (move forward n lines).
• Text Type-Out: T (type a line), nT (type n lines), 0T (type from line start to pointer), and HT (type entire buffer) for examining text.
• Deletion Commands: D (delete character), nD (delete n characters), nK (delete n lines), and HK (delete entire buffer).
• Insertion Commands: Itext$ (insert specified text at the buffer pointer, terminated by an altmode).
• Output Commands: P (output buffer and read next page), nP (output multiple pages), PW (output buffer without clearing), and EF (close the output file).
• Search Commands: Sstring$ (search for a string in the current buffer) and Nstring$ (search across multiple pages, including reading new ones).
• Special Exit Commands: EX (output remaining file, close, return to monitor) and EG (similar to EX, but then re-executes the last monitor command). Users can also abort a job with ^C^C (Control C twice).

TECO commands are typically one or two letters, often preceded by numeric arguments or followed by alphanumeric arguments (terminated by an altmode $). Command strings are executed upon typing two consecutive altmodes ($$). The document also details error correction using the rubout key and provides a comprehensive list of TECO error messages. It advises new users to master the basic commands before attempting more advanced features, which are detailed in the full TECO manual.