The Hessling Editor
Encyclopedia
The Hessling Editor is one of the older open source text editor
projects (started in 1990, first released in August 1992 according to its history file). For more than ten years it has been written and maintained by Mark Hessling, who along with being the original author of THE is also a maintainer of Regina, an open source REXX
interpreter that has been ported to most Unix platforms.
THE is a text editor
modeled on the VM/CMS editor XEDIT
, adding the best features of Mansfield Software's Kedit. Among the key features of the editor:
Folding is controlled by the "all" command. It permits to display and work on only those lines in a file that contain a given pattern. For example, the command: all /string/ will display only the lines that include "string"; any global changes you make on this slice (for example replace string command) will be reflected in the file. (In most cases this is a more convenient way to make global changes in the file.) In order to restore visibility of all lines you need to enter: all (without a target string).
Similar to XEDIT
, THE uses IBM
s REXX
as its macro language, which makes THE highly configurable and versatile. This provides the ability to create powerful extensions to the editor and/or customize it to specialized needs. For example, you could create edit commands that would allow you to manipulate columns of text (e.g. copy/move or insert/delete a column of text within a file). With REXX, you can also integrate OS commands or external functions into an edit session. Since version 3.0, THE also has user-configurable syntax highlighting.
THE is free software
, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License
.
It is available for many operating systems: most or all POSIX
Unix
platforms (as a program for text-mode or native X11
); QNX
, OS/2
, DOS
, BeOS
, Amiga
, Windows
95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP.
Text editor
A text editor is a type of program used for editing plain text files.Text editors are often provided with operating systems or software development packages, and can be used to change configuration files and programming language source code....
projects (started in 1990, first released in August 1992 according to its history file). For more than ten years it has been written and maintained by Mark Hessling, who along with being the original author of THE is also a maintainer of Regina, an open source REXX
REXX
REXX is an interpreted programming language that was developed at IBM. It is a structured high-level programming language that was designed to be both easy to learn and easy to read...
interpreter that has been ported to most Unix platforms.
THE is a text editor
Text editor
A text editor is a type of program used for editing plain text files.Text editors are often provided with operating systems or software development packages, and can be used to change configuration files and programming language source code....
modeled on the VM/CMS editor XEDIT
XEDIT
XEDIT is a visual editor for VM/CMS using block mode IBM 3270 terminals.It is much more line-oriented than modern PC and Unix editors. For example, it supports automatic line numbers, and many of the commands operate on blocks of lines. One of the features is a command line which allows the user to...
, adding the best features of Mansfield Software's Kedit. Among the key features of the editor:
- availability of folding which can be controlled in various sophisticated ways (keyword based, indent based, etc.).
- the use of REXX as macro language.
Folding is controlled by the "all" command. It permits to display and work on only those lines in a file that contain a given pattern. For example, the command: all /string/ will display only the lines that include "string"; any global changes you make on this slice (for example replace string command) will be reflected in the file. (In most cases this is a more convenient way to make global changes in the file.) In order to restore visibility of all lines you need to enter: all (without a target string).
Similar to XEDIT
XEDIT
XEDIT is a visual editor for VM/CMS using block mode IBM 3270 terminals.It is much more line-oriented than modern PC and Unix editors. For example, it supports automatic line numbers, and many of the commands operate on blocks of lines. One of the features is a command line which allows the user to...
, THE uses IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
s REXX
REXX
REXX is an interpreted programming language that was developed at IBM. It is a structured high-level programming language that was designed to be both easy to learn and easy to read...
as its macro language, which makes THE highly configurable and versatile. This provides the ability to create powerful extensions to the editor and/or customize it to specialized needs. For example, you could create edit commands that would allow you to manipulate columns of text (e.g. copy/move or insert/delete a column of text within a file). With REXX, you can also integrate OS commands or external functions into an edit session. Since version 3.0, THE also has user-configurable syntax highlighting.
THE is free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
.
It is available for many operating systems: most or all POSIX
POSIX
POSIX , an acronym for "Portable Operating System Interface", is a family of standards specified by the IEEE for maintaining compatibility between operating systems...
Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
platforms (as a program for text-mode or native X11
X Window System
The X window system is a computer software system and network protocol that provides a basis for graphical user interfaces and rich input device capability for networked computers...
); QNX
QNX
QNX is a commercial Unix-like real-time operating system, aimed primarily at the embedded systems market. The product was originally developed by Canadian company, QNX Software Systems, which was later acquired by Canadian BlackBerry-producer Research In Motion.-Description:As a microkernel-based...
, OS/2
OS/2
OS/2 is a computer operating system, initially created by Microsoft and IBM, then later developed by IBM exclusively. The name stands for "Operating System/2," because it was introduced as part of the same generation change release as IBM's "Personal System/2 " line of second-generation personal...
, DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
, BeOS
BeOS
BeOS is an operating system for personal computers which began development by Be Inc. in 1991. It was first written to run on BeBox hardware. BeOS was optimized for digital media work and was written to take advantage of modern hardware facilities such as symmetric multiprocessing by utilizing...
, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP.