DECsystem10 TECO Text Editor and Corrector Program Programmer's Reference Manual

This document is a comprehensive reference manual for advanced users of TECO (Text Editor and Corrector Program) on DECsystem-10 systems. It details TECO's powerful capabilities for editing any ASCII text, including program source code (FORTRAN, COBOL, MACRO-10) and other formatted documents.

The manual covers fundamental concepts such as data files, the complete ASCII character set, data formatting (lines and pages), the editing buffer and its pointer, and the general syntax for command strings, including alphanumeric and numeric arguments, and Q-registers for data storage. It provides an exhaustive description of TECO's commands, categorized into:

• Initialization and File Selection: Commands to start TECO, create or edit files, and manage input/output devices, including magnetic tapes and disk/DECtape files with line-sequence numbering.
• Editing Operations: Commands for positioning the buffer pointer, typing out text with various formatting options (including case flagging), and character- or line-oriented deletion and insertion. Special attention is given to case control during insertion.
• Search and Replace: Detailed commands for searching for character strings, with modifiers for case control and match modes, and options for replacing text.
• Advanced Programming Aids: Iteration and flow control commands (e.g., angle brackets for loops, semicolons for conditional exits, command string tags, unconditional branches, and conditional execution) for creating complex editing macros.
• System Interaction: Commands for managing core memory expansion, numeric typeout, special numeric values, and exiting TECO.

Additionally, the manual provides practical techniques through examples, demonstrating how to create, execute, and edit FORTRAN programs, rearrange files, and split/merge files. It also addresses user errors, explaining how to correct typing mistakes with erasing commands (Rubout, Control-G, Control-U) and how to interpret and obtain more information from TECO's error messages. Appendices summarize all commands, list ASCII characters with their decimal/octal values, and provide a comprehensive list of TECO error messages. TECO is a character-oriented editor, capable of operating on-line or through command files, and is designed for flexibility and extensive programmed editing.