EVE (introduced as the Extensible VAX Editor,[1] [2] [3] later[4] as the Extensible Versatile Editor[5]) is a flexible text editor that is part of the VMS operating system.[6] EVE is implemented by using the Text Processing Utility (TPU).[7]
The Emacs editor features an EVE emulation (as an add-on).[8]
EVE is invoked via: $ EDIT/TPU filename[9]
Since the EVE editor was designed for use from a VT100 or VT220 terminal,[10] many keyboard conventions introduced for personal computers do not work.
| Key | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Exit the editor | ||
F10 | exit; saves the file and quits the editor[11] | |
Ctrl-Z | exit; saves the file and quits the editor | |
Ctrl-Y | abort; terminates the editor without saving the file | |
| Command line | ||
- (num.) | recall; recall the EVE command line (empty); enter Help to get the list of EVE commands | |
Ctrl-B | recall; recall the EVE command line (with previous command); use Ctrl-U to clear it | |
| Text deleting | ||
Backspace | erases the character to the left of the cursor | |
Ctrl-U | erase start of line; deletes everything to the left of the cursor to the start of the line | |
Ctrl-X | erase start of line; deletes everything to the left of the cursor to the start of the line | |
Ctrl-J | erase word; deletes the word under the cursor | |
7 (num.) | Select; starts text selection | |
8 (num.) | Remove; removes the text from the place where Select was used previously | |
9 (num.) | Insert here; inserts the text removed by the Remove | |
End | Select; starts text selection | |
Delete | Remove; removes the text from the place where Select was used previously | |
Insert | Insert here; inserts the text removed by the Remove | |
| Mode changes | ||
F11 | change direction; changes direction of the F12 and of the searching (notice the state line indicating Forward or Reverse) | |
* (num.) | change direction; changes direction of the F12 and of the searching (notice the state line indicating Forward or Reverse) | |
Ctrl-A | change mode; switches between character insertion and overstrike (notice the state line indicating Insert or Overstrike) | |
| Movements | ||
← | cursor left | |
→ | cursor right | |
↑ | cursor up | |
↓ | cursor down | |
1 (num.) | cursor left | |
3 (num.) | cursor right | |
5 (num.) | cursor up | |
2 (num.) | cursor down | |
Ctrl-E | end of line; put the cursor after the last character on the line | |
Ctrl-H | start of line; put the cursor to the line start | |
F12 | next/previous line; direction can be changed with the F11 key | |
| Text insertion | ||
Ctrl-V | inserts a control character | |
Ctrl-I | tab; inserts horizontal tabelator | |
Ctrl-L | insert page break; inserts the FF (form feed) character on a new line | |
Ctrl-M | return; inserts end of line | |
| More commands | ||
Ctrl-S | freezes the screen output | |
Ctrl-Q | releases the screen output (the opposite of the Ctrl-S) | |
Ctrl-T | write the status in the form of machine::user 09:15:19 TPU CPU=00:00:00.67 PF=2524 IO=7447 MEM=628 to the status line | |
Ctrl-W | refresh; refreshes the screen | |
Ctrl-R | remember | |
NumLock | calls the Find command—enter a string to be found in the command line; the search direction is based on the direction set by the F11 key | |
| Help | ||
/ (num.) | displays the numeric keypad keys help | |
Help | enter the Help command in the command line to get the list of EVE commands | |
To assign a command or function to a key or key combination, use the following procedure:
- key on the numeric keypad or Ctrl-B Ctrl-U)Define Key command—as almost everywhere in OpenVMS the text is case insensitive and it is possible to use abbreviations, so entering de k will doEVE command: prompt occurs, enter the name of the commandPress the key you want to define: prompt occurs, press the key or key combination which is to call the given commandEVE upon its start interprets the EVE$INIT.EVE file in the user's current or home directory.[12] When the SYS$LOGIN:EVE$INIT.EVE file contains
DEFINE KEY= Ctrl/F Find DEFINE KEY= F3 Find Next DEFINE KEY= F1 Help DEFINE KEY= F2 Do
the Ctrl-F key would call string search function, the F3 key repeating of the last search, the F1 key would display the list of EVE commands and the F2 key would call the EVE command line.
Automatic journaling facilitates recovering "all or most" of one's editing.[1]
The TWO WINDOWS command allows editing more than one file at a time[1] (split screen).[1]