LinuxCommandLibrary

joe

Edit text files

TLDR

Open a new file in JOE

$ joe
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Open a specific file
$ joe [path/to/file]
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Open a specific file, positioning the cursor at the specified line
$ joe +[line] [path/to/file]
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Open a specific file in read-only mode
$ joe -rdonly [path/to/file]
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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.

SEE ALSO

nano(1), vi(1), emacs(1)

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