Date   : Tue, 20 Jan 1987 10:49:42 cst
From   : Brown <jdb@ncsc.arpa>
Subject: Re: Alternatives to ed in CP/M-86

You might try one of the following from SIMTEL20:

Directory  PD:<CPM.VDOEDIT>

       VDE233.LBR.1            BINARY   53632  ECDCH
       VDO25B.LBR.1            BINARY   57600  07FBH

Both are screen-oriented editors.  I have used vde for about 2 weeks(!)
so I am still learning.  Haven't tried VDO yet but they seem similar
(started from the same root).  VDE has a wordstar 'flavor', commands
are ESC-x, CONTROL-x, ^Qx, and ^Ox. It also has macro capabilities
which can have 1-255 repeat counts (but I haven't figured out how to
save/reload the macros).  It comes with an install program to set up
for various terminals.  If you are lucky, yours already has a configuration
file set up, otherwise you can roll your own.  My only complaints are
that screen update is slow (on my C128, but then everything is) and
the command codes are non-intuitive (even if I can remember the
letter, I get the 'ESC/CONTROL/^Q/^O' part wrong but that will come).
If you have a memory mapped vidio that meets the requirements, there
is a VDM version that should run much faster.

They aren't the best editors in the world, but they beat the heck
outta ED and the price is right.

David Brown
jdb@ncsc