Joe Tutorial

'Joe' is an easy-to-use text editor geared toward PC users. It uses the WordStar / Turbo Pascal command keys, which most PC users are familiar with, along with its own additions to create an editor which is both easy enough for novices and powerful enough for seasoned experts.

Although 'joe' is the default editor when a new account is issued, the popular UNIX editors 'vi' and 'emacs' are also available on the system for those who would rather use them. Refer to the menu documentation for instructions on how to use the menu to change editors.

Keep in mind that joe is a plain ASCII text editor, not a full word processor. Formatting issues such as changing fonts and margins or inserting graphics are best left to page layout packages such as LaTeX.

Below is a brief tutorial on some of the most commonly used features of joe. For a complete list of commands, consult the help pages, read man page by typing `man joe' at the Unix shell prompt, or read the file /usr/local/lib/joerc.

STARTING JOE: Joe can be started from the menu. Alternatively, from the Unix shell, type `joe <filenames>', where `<filenames>' is a space-separated list of all files you want to edit.
ONLINE HELP: To access online help from within joe, type `<Ctrl>K' (both keys together) followed by the `R' key (this is often written `^K R'). Along the bottom of the screen will be a list of possible help screens. Use the arrow keys to highlight your choice and hit <Return>, or type the first letter of your choice. The appropriate help window will be displayed at the top of the screen. You may continue editing the file in the remaining portion of the screen. To close the help window, type `^K R' again.
MOVING: Movement by a single line or character is accomplished by pressing the arrow keys. Hitting `^U' will scroll upwards one screen, and hitting `^V' will scroll downwards one screen. Hitting `^K L' will allow you to jump to a specific line number within the file.
SEARCHING: To search for a certain text string, type `^K F'. You will first be prompted for the string for which to search, and then any other search options (such as case insensitivity, search direction, etc.). To repeat the most recent search, type `^L'.
BLOCK OPERATIONS: To delete a single character, type <Backspace> or <Del>. To delete an entire line, type `^Y'. Joe also supports block editing. To mark the beginning of a block, type `^K B'. To mark the end, type `^K K'. To delete a selected block, type `^K Y'. To move the block to the current cursor location, type `^K M'. To copy the block to the current cursor location, leaving the original block where it is, type `^K C'.
UNDO / REDO: Joe remembers all changes made to the file and allows you to undo or redo any changes you make. To undo the most recent change, type `<Ctrl>-<Shift>-_' (control-underline). To redo an undone change, type `<Ctrl>-<Shift>-^' (control-caret).
EXITING JOE: To exit joe and save changes to the current file, type `^K X'. To exit joe without saving any changes, type `^C'. If any changes were made, you will be asked if you're sure you want to quit before joe actually exits.

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Last updated 4/04/96