joe
Edit text files
TLDR
Open a new file in JOE
Open a specific file
Open a specific file, positioning the cursor at the specified line
Open a specific file in read-only mode
SYNOPSIS
joe [options] [filename...]
PARAMETERS
-asis
Don't use 'smart' terminal, just use ascii.
-baud n
Set baud rate to n.
-beep
Beep when an error occurs.
-columns n
Set screen columns to n.
-csmode
Use character scrolling mode.
-dospace
Do DOS linefeeds.
-echo
Echo all input.
-force
Force terminal mode.
-help
Show help screen and exit.
-keepup
Keep cursor up.
-lightoff
Turn off light pen support.
-nonews
Suppress news banner.
-noxonxoff
Disable XON/XOFF flow control.
-ouch
Beep when saving changes.
-pg n
Set the number of pages to n.
-quiet
Suppress startup messages.
-rows n
Set screen rows to n.
-shiftclick
Use Shift+Click for mouse actions.
-specify
Force specifying file names.
-swap
Use swap file.
-term term
Set terminal type to term.
-topofile
Start at top of file.
-wordbreak
Break words when scrolling.
DESCRIPTION
joe (Joe's Own Editor) is a terminal-based text editor designed to be easy to learn and use, especially for those familiar with WordStar or Turbo Pascal editors. It's a full-screen editor offering features like syntax highlighting, multiple windows, and support for regular expressions. Joe is highly configurable and aims to provide a comfortable and efficient editing experience for a wide range of users.
It's popular for its simplicity and lightweight nature, making it suitable for editing files on systems with limited resources. Joe supports various encodings, including UTF-8, and can handle large files. While not as feature-rich as some other editors like Vim or Emacs, joe offers a good balance of functionality and ease of use.
CAVEATS
Configuration files are crucial for customizing joe's behavior. Incorrect configurations can lead to unexpected behavior.
Joe's features are limited compared to more advanced editors. Large files may cause performance issues on older systems.
CONFIGURATION FILES
Joe uses configuration files (typically .joerc) to customize its behavior. These files can be used to set keybindings, color schemes, and other editor settings.
KEYBINDINGS
Joe uses WordStar-like keybindings by default, making it easy for users familiar with that editor to adapt. Keybindings can be customized in the configuration files.
HISTORY
Joe has been around for a long time and has a long history with several forks and implementations. It has been a popular choice, especially when available system resources were small.