A

A is a text editor inspired by the Sam and Acme text editors for the Plan 9 operating system.

binary

• Latest Binaries
  • https://github.com/as/a/releases/tag/v0.7.3
• Written in Go (no dependencies)
  • Native
  • Multi-Platform
  • Graphical (http://github.com/as/frame)
  • Not CGo
  • Not a port/transpilation
• Resembles Acme and Sam text editors.
  • Mouse chording
  • Text is executable
  • Standard UNIX keyboard shortcuts
  • Implements the Edit command language
  • Plumbing
• Graphics
  • Frame implementation stores bytes and works with '\0'
  • UTF-8 rendering support
  • Structure highlighting
  • Image support (TBD)
• Files
  • Optimized for editing huge binary files.

note

This repository is still in the alpha stage, and frequently changes. The program comes with no warranty expressed or implied.

install or build

Binary releases for linux, windows, and darwin are available for v0.6.7+. You can install from source on these systems by running:

go get -u -t github.com/as/a

If you want to install a prior version (v0.5.5, for example, which uses the original exp/shiny)

go get github.com/as/a
go get github.com/golang/vgo
cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/as/a
git checkout v0.5.5-release 
vgo build

You can also build the latest with vgo, but vgo is not necessary for that

git checkout master
vgo build

usage

a [file ...]

differences and issues

• Compare to the true Acme https://github.com/as/a/wiki/Alterations

• issues

https://github.com/as/a/issues

hints

To reshape the windows and columns, click on the invisible 10x10px sizer that I haven't rendered yet with the left mouse button. Hold the button down and move the window to the location. Release the button.

edit

• 80% of the sam command language is implemented.

Edit ,x,the standard editor is any editor,x,any editor,c,ed,

commands

• Currently only in CWD
• Put [go build] in the tag
• Double click inside [
• Middle click to execute

look

• Right click on a string
• If its a file, it will open it
• If win32, it will also move the mouse
• if you highlight a valid mode in the guru tag, right clicking in a go source file will run guru on that selection

mouse

1 Select text/sweep
1-2 Snarf (cut)
1-3 Paste
2 Execute select
3 Look select

keyboard

^U  Delete from cursor to start of line.
^W  Delete word before the cursor.
^H  Delete character before the cursor.
^A  Move cursor to start of the line.
^E  Move cursor to end of the line.
^+  Increase font size
^-  Decrease font size
^i  Run goimports (in a tag ending in .go)

extras

• Looking (right click) in the main tag finds the result in all open windows

future

• Fixing the bugs
• Cleaning the code up
• Live multi-client editing
• Go specific ast/compiler stuff
• Better CMD exec
• File system interface to shiny events

see also

History of good text editors

• The Acme User Interface for Programmers (Rob Pike)
• A Tutorial for the Sam Command Language (Rob Pike)
• Plan 9
• Inferno
• Acme SAC