^$ ^# ^+ MicroEMACS 3.12 for MS-Windows
Index
Introduction
Keyboard
Procedures
Modes of Operation
Macro Language
Start-up
Memory Usage
MS-Windows Specifics
Glossary
History
Support
Copyright

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Introduction
MicroEMACS is a tool for creating and changing documents, programs, and other text files. It is both relatively easy for the novice to use, but also very powerful in the hands of an expert. MicroEMACS can be extensively customized for the needs of the individual user.
MicroEMACS allows several files to be edited at the same time. The display can be split into different windows and screens, and text may be moved freely from one window on any screen to the next. Depending on the type of file being edited, MicroEMACS can change how it behaves to make editing simple. Editing standard text files, program files and word processing documents are all possible at the same time.
There are extensive capabilities to make word processing and editing easier. These include commands for string searching and replacing, paragraph reformatting and deleting, automatic word wrapping, word move and deletes, easy case controlling, and automatic word counts.
For complex and repetitive editing tasks editing macros can be written. These macros allow the user a great degree of flexibility in determining how MicroEMACS behaves. Also, any and all the commands can be used by any keystroke by changing, or rebinding, what commands various keys invoke.
Special features are also available to perform a diverse set of operations such as file encryption, automatic backup file generation, entabbing and detabbing lines, executing operating system commands and filtering of text through other programs (like SORT to allow sorting text).

^$ ^# ^+ ^K History
EMACS was originally a text editor written by Richard Stallman at MIT in the early 1970s for Digital Equipment computers. Various versions, rewrites and clones have made an appearance since.
This version of MicroEMACS is derived from code written by David G. Conroy in 1985. Later modifications were performed by Steve Wilhite and George Jones. In December of 1985 Daniel Lawrence picked up the then current source (version 2.0) and made extensive modifications and additions to it over the course of the next six years.
In November 1990, Pierre Perret produced a port of MicroEMACS 3.10e to the Microsoft Windows 3.0 environment (BETA version 0.6a which never enjoyed a full release). The first public version, 1.0, based on MicroEMACS 3.11c, was released in April 1992.
Update 1.1 included bug fixes, port to Windows NT, support of scroll bars and drag and drop mechanism. It was the first release to include a complete help file.
The new version 3.12 of MicroEMACS incorporates the port of the editor to MS-Windows, adding many new features, among which the capabilities to highlight regions of text and handle mouse movements in the macro language.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Support
Updates and support for the current version are available. Commercial support and usage and resale licences are also available.
For questions regarding the official MicroEMACS editor, contact Daniel Lawrence. For technical questions specific to the port of MicroEMACS to the Microsoft Windows environment, contact Pierre Perret.
The home BBS of MicroEMACS is "The Programmer's Room".

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Bulletin Board System
The latest executables, sources and documentations can be obtained from:
The Programmer's Room
	Opus 201/10
	300/1200/2400 and 9600 bps (US Robotics HST)
	(317) 742-5533  no parity  8 data bits  no stop bits

^$ ^# ^+ ^K The current MicroEMACS author can be contacted by writing to:
	USMAIL:	Daniel Lawrence
	 	617 New York Street
	 	Lafayette, IN 47901
	Internet:	mdbs!dan@dynamo.ecn.purdue.edu
The Programmer's Room BBS:
	 	Daniel Lawrence

^$ ^# ^+ ^K The author of the port of MicroEMACS to the Microsoft Windows environment can be contacted by writing to:
	USMAIL:	Pierre Perret
	 	4326 W Michigan Ave
	 	Glendale, AZ 85308
	Internet:	P.Perret@az05.bull.com
	CompuServe:	73757,2337
The Programmer's Room BBS:
	 	Pierre Perret

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Copyright
MicroEMACS is Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993 by Daniel M. Lawrence. MicroEMACS 3.12 can be copied and distributed freely for any non-commercial purposes. Commercial users may use MicroEMACS 3.12 in house. Shareware distributors may redistribute MicroEMACS 3.12 for media costs only. MicroEMACS 3.12 can only be incorporated into commercial software or resold with the permission of the current author.
This help file was authored by Pierre Perret.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Keyboard
All the MicroEMACS documentation talks about commands and the keystrokes needed to use them. Each MicroEMACS command has a name, and most of them are bound to a sequence of keys. Some of them are bound to mouse actions. The following commands are useful when looking for a binding:
	M-?	apropos	looks up commands
	 	describe-bindings	lists all the bindings
	^X?	describe-key	displays the command bound to a keystroke
In this help file, when a command is mentioned, its default key binding is often shown. Note that these bindings can be modified, in particular by the start-up file.
Keystrokes for commands include one of several prefixes, and a command character. Command keystrokes look like these:
	^A	hold down Ctrl, press 'A'
	M-A	press the meta key, release it and press 'A'
	^XA	hold down Ctrl, press 'X', release, press 'A'
	^X^A	hold down Ctrl, press 'X', release, hold Ctrl, press 'A'
	A-C	hold down Alt, press 'C'
	S-FN1	hold down Shift, press function key F1
	FN^1	hold down Ctrl, press function key F1
Under Microsoft Windows, key bindings are displayed in front of menu items, using a CUA type syntax instead of the above-mentioned one. Though this may seem inconsistent, it looks more familiar to inexperienced users and is far less cryptic when it comes to special keys (Ins, Del, Arrows...).

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Procedures
The Basics:
Getting at Files
Searching and Replacing
Cutting and Pasting
Using the Mouse
Using Menus
Customizing Command Keys
Issuing Commands by Name
The Outside World
Juggling:
Buffers
Regions
Paragraphs
Words
Screens
Windows
Setting Colors
Setting the Font
Advanced topics:
Case Control
Controlling Tabs
Repetitive Tasks
Narrowing Your Scope
Creating New Commands
Customizing Menus

^$ ^# ^+ ^K The Basics
MicroEMACS is a very powerful tool to use for editing text files. It has many commands, options and features to let you do just about anything you can imagine with text. But don't let this apparent complexity keep you from using it.... MicroEMACS can also be very simple.
To start editing text, all the keys you really need to know are the arrow keys. These keys let you move around in your file.
MicroEMACS also works by using control keys. Here are a few basic commands:
	^P	Move upward
	^B	Move backward
	^F	Move forward
	^N	Move downward
	^X^S	Save your file
	^X^C	Exit MicroEMACS
A hat sign "^" before a key means to hold the Ctrl key down and press the next character. For example, to exit MicroEMACS, hold down the Ctrl key and strike X and then C.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Getting at Files
The way you edit a file within MicroEMACS is by first reading it into a buffer, altering it and then saving it. Therefore, the most commonly used commands to access files are:
	^X^F	find-file	to read a file from disk for editing
	^X^S	save-file	to save an edited file to disk
Other read commands are:
	^X^I	insert-file	to insert at the point
	^X^R	read-file	to replace the whole buffer contents
	^X^V	view-file	to read for viewing, preventing any alterations
To save a buffer to another file than the one MicroEMACS would normally access, use:
	^X^W	write-file	to overwrite the file's previous contents
	^X^A	append-file	to append to the end of the file

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Searching and Replacing
Commands for searching for and replacing strings come in a number of different flavors. The simplest command is:
	^S	search-forward
Following that, you can search for yet another occurrence of the same string by using:
	A-S	hunt-forward
You can also search towards the beginning of the file instead of towards the end by using:
	^R	search-reverse
	A-R	hunt-backward
To replace strings, use:
	M-R	replace-string	to replace all occurrences
	M-^R	query-replace-string	to get queried for each replacement
MicroEMACS also supports incremental searching:
	^XS	incremental-search	towards the beginning
	^XR	reverse-incremental-search	towards the end

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Cutting and Pasting
MicroEMACS allows you to manipulate text by blocks of any size. You can copy or move text within MicroEMACS through the kill buffer.
Under Microsoft Windows, you can also exchange text with other Windows applications via the clipboard, using the cut-region, clip-region and insert-clip commands.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Moving Text
To move text from one place to another:
1.	Move to the beginning of the text you want to move.
2.	Set the mark there with the set-mark (M- ) command.
3.	Move the point to the end of the text.
4.	Use the kill-region (^W) command to delete the region you just defined. The text will be saved in the kill buffer.
5.	Move the point to the place you want the text to appear.
6.	Use the yank (^Y) command to copy the text from the kill buffer to the current point.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 to insert more copies of the same text.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Copying Text
To copy text from one place to another:
1.	Move to the beginning of the text you want to copy.
2.	Set the mark there with the set-mark (M- ) command.
3.	Move the point to the end of the text.
4.	Use the copy-region (M-W) command to copy the region to the kill buffer.
5.	Move the point to the place you want the text to appear.
6.	Use the yank (^Y) command to copy the text from the kill buffer to the current point.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 to insert more copies of the same text.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Using the Mouse
MicroEMACS can use the mouse to perform many basic editing tasks. Unless mouse behavior has been altered by a macro, you can perform the following actions:
Copying a Region
Killing a Region
Moving a Mode Line
Pasting Text
Repositioning the Point
Scrolling Text Inside a Window

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Repositioning the Point with the Mouse
Move the mouse to where you want the point to be, and click once with the left mouse button and release. The point will move there, making any screen or window active to do so.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Scrolling Text Inside a Window with the Mouse
Position the mouse on the text to drag, press the left button, move the mouse to where to display the text (horizontally or vertically), and release the mouse button.
If you are using the CUA.CMD page (which is usually the case under Microsoft Windows), the above action is performed by pressing the right mouse button instead of the left one.
Note that if you drag diagonally and the $diagflag variable is set to FALSE (the default value), the text will move only in the vertical direction.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Moving a Mode Line with the Mouse
Position the mouse on a mode line (except the bottom one which cannot be moved), press the left button, move to another position and release the button. The mode line will move, resizing the windows which are above and below. 
If you are using the CUA.CMD page (which is usually the case under Microsoft Windows), the above action is performed by pressing the right mouse button instead of the left one.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Copying a Region with the Mouse
Position the mouse at the beginning of the text to be copied, press the right button, move the mouse to the other end of the text, release the button. This actually makes the selected text the current region and then copies it into the kill buffer.
If you are using the CUA.CMD page (which is usually the case under Microsoft Windows), the above action is performed by pressing the Shift key and the right mouse button together instead of just the right mouse button.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Killing a Region with the Mouse
After copying a region, without moving the mouse, click the right mouse button once. The text will be deleted, but it will still be kept in the kill buffer. 
If you are using the CUA.CMD page (which is usually the case under Microsoft Windows), the above action is performed by pressing the Shift key and the right mouse button together instead of just the right mouse button.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Pasting Text with the Mouse
Move anywhere away from the place the mouse was last clicked, and click the right button once. The last text placed in the kill buffer will be inserted there.
If you are using the CUA.CMD page (which is usually the case under Microsoft Windows), the above action is performed by pressing the Shift key and the right mouse button together instead of just the right mouse button.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Using menus
Under Microsoft Windows, MicroEMACS sports an extensive menu system. Menu items can point to a pop-up menu or directly invoke a command or a macro. A few menu items are not linked to any MicroEMACS commands or macro (for instance, the "About..." item in the "Help" menu).
The text of each menu item can contain the following hints:
	Items that lead to the apparition of a dialog box are followed by an ellipsis "...".
	Items that require the user to type additional information in the message line are followed by a colon ":".
	Items that require a numeric argument are preceded by an equal sign "=".
	Items that are equivalent to a key binding have the corresponding key sequence displayed on the right side of the menu.
The MicroEMACS menus can be modified by macros to add/remove menus or menu items. The initial menus on the menu bar are:
File
Edit
Search
Execute
Miscellaneous
Screen
Help

^$ ^# ^+ File menu
This menu contains the following items:
Open...	invokes the find-file command. If the MDI.CMD page is loaded, this menu item is modified and bound to the open-file macro
View...	invokes the view-file command
Insert...	invokes the insert-file command
Read over...	invokes the read-file command
Rename...	invokes the change-file-name command
Save	invokes the save-file command
Save as...	invokes the write-file command
Append...	invokes the append-file command
Encryption key :	invokes the set-encryption-key command
Buffer	submenu
Window	submenu
Mode...	brings up a dialog box to change the modes of operation for the current buffer.
Global mode...	brings up a dialog box to change the global modes of operation.
Save + exit	invokes the quick-exit command
Exit	invokes the exit-emacs command

^$ ^# ^+ Buffer submenu
This menu is accessed via the File menu. It contains the following items:
Next	invokes the next-buffer command
Select :	invokes the select-buffer command
Unmark	invokes the unmark-buffer command
Rename :	invokes the name-buffer command
Delete :	invokes the delete-buffer command
Narrow to region	invokes the narrow-to-region command
Widen from region	invokes the widen-from-region command
List	invokes the list-buffers command

^$ ^# ^+ Window submenu
This menu is accessed via the File menu. It contains the following items:
Split	invokes the split-current-window command
Delete	invokes the delete-window command
Delete others	invokes the delete-other-windows command
Next	invokes the next-window command
Previous	invokes the previous-window command
Scroll	submenu
Size	submenu

^$ ^# ^+ Window Scroll submenu
This menu is accessed via the Window submenu of the File menu. It contains the following items:
= Up	invokes the move-window-up command
= Down	invokes the move-window-down command
= Next up	invokes the scroll-next-up command
= Next down	invokes the scroll-next-down command

^$ ^# ^+ Window Size submenu
This menu is accessed via the Window submenu of the File menu. It contains the following items:
= Grow	invokes the grow-window command
= Shrink	invokes the shrink-window command
= Height	invokes the resize-window command

^$ ^# ^+ Edit menu
This menu contains the following items:
Clipboard	submenu
Mark	submenu
Yank	invokes the yank command
Region	submenu
Paragraph	submenu
Line	submenu
Word	submenu
Delete blank lines	invokes the delete-blank-lines command
Transpose characters	invokes the transpose-characters command
Tab	invokes the handle-tab command
Quote	invokes the quote-character command
= Fill column	invokes the set-fill-column command. The emacs.rc page modifies this menu item slightly so that it prompts you for the fill column value.
If the CUA.CMD page is loaded, the menu is modified by the addition of the following item (before "Region"):
Selection	submenu

^$ ^# ^+ Clipboard submenu
This menu is accessed via the Edit menu. It contains the following items:
Cut region	invokes the cut-region command
Copy region	invokes the clip-region command
Paste	invokes the insert-clip command
If the CUA.CMD page is loaded, the menu is modified and, instead, contains the following items:
Cut	deletes and copies to the clipboard the text contained in the current selection
Copy	copies (without deleting) to the clipboard the text contained in the selection
Paste	inserts the text from the clipboard at the point

^$ ^# ^+ Mark submenu
This menu is accessed via the Edit menu. It contains the following items:
Set	invokes the set-mark command
Remove	invokes the remove-mark command
Exchange	invokes the exchange-point-and-mark command

^$ ^# ^+ Selection submenu
This menu is accessed via the Edit menu when the CUA.CMD page is loaded. It contains the following items:
Upper case	converts all the selected text to upper case
Lower case	converts all the selected text to lower case
Count words	displays on the message line the number of words, characters and lines that compose the selected text
Flip	exchanges the point with the other end of the selection
Select region	makes the current region the current selection

^$ ^# ^+ Region submenu
This menu is accessed via the Edit menu. It contains the following items:
Kill	invokes the kill-region command
Copy	invokes the copy-region command
Upper case	invokes the case-region-upper command
Lower case	invokes the case-region-lower command
Entab	invokes the entab-region command
Detab	invokes the detab-region command
Trim	invokes the trim-region command
Indent	invokes the indent-region command
Undent	invokes the undent-region command
Count words	invokes the count-words command

^$ ^# ^+ Edit Paragraph submenu
This menu is accessed via the Edit menu. It contains the following items:
Kill	invokes the kill-paragraph command
Fill	invokes the fill-paragraph command

^$ ^# ^+ Edit Line submenu
This menu is accessed via the Edit menu. It contains the following items:
Kill to end	invokes the kill-to-end-of-line command
Open	invokes the open-line command

^$ ^# ^+ Edit Word submenu
This menu contains the following items:
Kill next	invokes the delete-next-word command
Kill previous	invokes the delete-previous-word command
Capitalize	invokes the case-word-capitalize command
Lower case	invokes the case-word-lower command
Upper case	invokes the case-word-upper command

^$ ^# ^+ Search menu
This menu contains the following items:
Search forward :	invokes the search-forward command
Search backward :	invokes the search-reverse command
Hunt forward	invokes the hunt-forward command
Hunt backward	invokes the hunt-backward command
Incremental search :	invokes the incremental-search command
Reverse incremental :	invokes the reverse-incremental-search command
Replace :	invokes the replace-string command
Query replace :	invokes the query-replace-string command
Goto	submenu
Page	submenu
Paragraph	submenu
Line	submenu
Word	submenu

^$ ^# ^+ Goto submenu
This menu is accessed via the Search menu. It contains the following items:
Mark	invokes the goto-mark command
Line	invokes the goto-line command
Matching fence	invokes the goto-matching-fence command
Beginning of file	invokes the beginning-of-file command
End of file	invokes the end-of-file command

^$ ^# ^+ Page submenu
This menu is accessed via the Search menu. It contains the following items:
Next	invokes the next-page command
Previous	invokes the previous-page command

^$ ^# ^+ Search Paragraph submenu
This menu is accessed via the Search menu. It contains the following items:
Next	invokes the next-paragraph command
Previous	invokes the previous-paragraph command

^$ ^# ^+ Search Line submenu
This menu is accessed via the Search menu. It contains the following items:
Next	invokes the next-line command
Previous	invokes the previous-line command
Beginning of	invokes the beginning-of-line command
End of	invokes the end-of-line command

^$ ^# ^+ Search Word submenu
This menu is accessed via the Search menu. It contains the following items:
Next	invokes the next-word command
Previous	invokes the previous-word command
End of	invokes the end-of-word command

^$ ^# ^+ Execute menu
This menu contains the following items:
Windows program :	invokes the execute-program command
Shell program :	invokes the shell-command command
Pipe-in :	invokes the pipe-command command
Filter :	invokes the filter-buffer command
Shell	invokes the i-shell command
EMACS command	submenu
Keyboard macro	submenu
Abort command	invokes the abort-command command
If the DEV.CMD page is loaded, the menu is modified by the addition of the following item:
Make	invokes the run-makefile macro.

^$ ^# ^+ EMACS command submenu
This menu is accessed via the Execute menu. It contains the following items:
Named command :	invokes the execute-named-command command
Command line :	invokes the execute-command-line command
Procedure :	invokes the execute-procedure command
Buffer :	invokes the execute-buffer command
File...	invokes the execute-file command

^$ ^# ^+ Keyboard macro submenu
This menu is accessed via the Execute menu. It contains the following items:
Play	invokes the execute-macro command
Start recording	invokes the begin-macro command
End recording	invokes the end-macro command

^$ ^# ^+ Miscellaneous menu
This menu contains the following items:
Key bindings	submenu
Menu bindings	submenu
Variable	submenu
Show position	invokes the buffer-position command

^$ ^# ^+ Key bindings submenu
This menu is accessed via the Miscellaneous menu. It contains the following items:
Bind to Command	invokes the bind-to-key command
Bind to Macro	invokes the macro-to-key command
Unbind	invokes the unbind-key command
Describe key	invokes the describe-key command
List	invokes the describe-bindings command

^$ ^# ^+ Menu bindings submenu
This menu is accessed via the Miscellaneous menu. It contains the following items:
Bind to Command	invokes the bind-to-menu command
Bind to Macro	invokes the macro-to-menu command
Unbind	invokes the unbind-menu command

^$ ^# ^+ Variable submenu
This menu is accessed via the Miscellaneous menu. It contains the following items:
Set	invokes the set command
Display	invokes the display command
List	invokes the describe-variables command

^$ ^# ^+ Screen menu
This menu contains the following items:
Cascade	invokes the cascade-screens command
Tile	submenu
Arrange Icons	causes iconized screens to be rearranged at the bottom left of the MicroEMACS frame window.
Open	invokes the find-screen command
Rename	invokes the rename-screen command
Size	submenu
Font...	brings up a dialog box to change the font used by MicroEMACS
If the MDI.CMD page is loaded, the menu is modified by the addition of the following items:
Rebuild	rebuilds the set of screens, to have a screen associated with each editing buffer
Kill	deletes the current screen and release the corresponding buffer.
Additional items are added dynamically at the end of the "Screen" menu, listing the available screens. This allows quick switching between those screens.

^$ ^# ^+ Tile submenu
This menu is accessed via the Screen menu. It contains the following items:
Horizontally	causes all non-iconic screens to be rearranged in a tiling scheme, side by side if possible
Vertically	causes all non-iconic screens to be rearranged in a tiling scheme, on top of each other if possible

^$ ^# ^+ Screen Size submenu
This menu is accessed via the Screen menu. It contains the following items:
= Height	invokes the change-screen-size command
= Width	invokes the change-screen-width command
Normalize	causes the current screens to be resized so that it is as small as possible while retaining the same height and width in characters.
If the MDI.CMD page is loaded, the menu is modified by the replacement of "= Height" and "= Width" by the following item:
Set:	prompts you for the width and height of the screen, supplying the current values as defaults.

^$ ^# ^+ Help menu
This menu contains the following items:
Index	brings up this help file, on the main index.
Keyboard	brings up this help file, on the keyboard topic
Commands	brings up this help file, on the commands topic
Procedures	brings up this help file, on the procedures topic
List	submenu
Apropos :	invokes the apropos command
Describe key :	invokes the describe-key command
Display variable :	invokes the display command
About...	brings up a dialog box giving some information about MicroEMACS and the people involved in its making.
If the DEV.CMD page is loaded, the menu is modified by the addition of items (before "List") that invoke the Windows help engine for, respectively, Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1 or Win32 Software Development Kits or for Turbo C++. Each of those attempt to select a help topic based on the word currently at the point. You can eliminate the undesired items among these by editing the macro-to-menu commands in the DEV.CMD file.

^$ ^# ^+ List submenu
This menu is accessed via the Help menu. It contains the following items:
Key bindings	invokes the describe-bindings command
Functions	invokes the describe-functions command
Variables	invokes the describe-variables command
Buffers	invokes the list-buffers command

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Customizing Command Keys
MicroEMACS lets you decide what keys activate what command or macro through the use of: 
	M-K	bind-to-key
	^X^K	macro-to-key
	M-^K	unbind-key
These commands can be used to permanently change your key bindings by placing them in your start up file. For example, if you have one of those nasty keyboards with a tilde "~" in the upper left corner, where the Escape key should be, and you want the tilde to become the meta key, add this line to emacs.rc: 
bind-to-key   meta-prefix   ~
You can use this to make MicroEMACS feel similar to another editor by changing what keys activate which commands. 
The unbind-key command is useful if you have a function key you keep tripping over, or if you are trying to make MicroEMACS look like a much more minimalist editor. 
You can get a list of all the key bindings that MicroEMACS uses by using the describe-bindings command. Just do M-X and type:
describe-bindings

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Issuing Commands
Commands within MicroEMACS have descriptive names which you can use to invoke them, or bind them to a keystroke or a menu. To invoke one of these commands by name, you can use: 
	M-X	execute-named-command
You can supply numeric arguments to a such a command by prefixing it. You can also use a command line invocation.
To get a list of all the commands in your current MicroEMACS, do M-X and type: 
describe-bindings
The describe-bindings command will display a paged list of all legal commands and the keystrokes to use to invoke them. 

^$ ^# ^K Interactive Numeric Arguments
Some commands take a number as an argument. For example, to move to a particular line within a file, you use the goto-line (M-G) command. To go to a particular line, precede the command with a number by striking the meta key, typing a number, and then the keys bound to the command. To go to the 123rd line of a file, use: 
Meta 123   Meta g
If a command does not need a numeric argument, it is usually taken as a repeat count. This also works when typing any character. To make a line of 50 dashes type: 
Meta 50   -

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Command Lines
execute-command-line (M-^X) lets you type in a full command line. MicroEMACS macros are made from sequences of these command lines. A command line has three parts: 
Numeric argument   Command   Arguments
The numeric argument is optional and has the same effect as an interactive numeric argument prefixing an interactive invocation of the same command.
Arguments following the command are not always required. If needed arguments have been omitted, the user will be prompted for them on the message line.
To insert the string "<*><*><*>" at the point, do M-^X and then: 
3   insert-string   "<*>"
or to set the current fill column to 64, do M-^X and then: 
64   set-fill-column

^$ ^# ^+ ^K The Outside World
The following commands let you interact with the Operating System or with other applications:
	^X^C	exit-emacs	terminates MicroEMACS
	M-Z	quick-exit	same as above, but saves all changed buffers first
	^X!	shell-command	executes a program within an Operating System "shell"
	^X$	execute-program	launches another application
	^X@	pipe-command	pipes a program's output into a buffer
	^X#	filter-buffer	filters a buffer through a program
	^XC	i-shell	opens an Operating System "shell"

^$ ^# ^K Synchronizing With Another Program
When the pipe-command or the filter-buffer commands are used under Microsoft Windows, MicroEMACS creates a DOS box (or "shell box" under Windows NT) and waits for it to terminate.Also, if the execute-program or the shell-command command is invoked with a numeric argument, MicroEMACS waits for the launched application to terminate.
You can cancel the wait by pressing the Esc key or clicking on the "Cancel" button. Note that doing so does not terminate the other program.
For synchronization to work with a DOS box, the DOSExec profile must be set properly. Under Windows NT, shell boxes can be parametrized by setting the Shell and the ShellExecOption profiles.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Buffers
A buffer is where MicroEMACS stores text. Normally that text is read from a file, and is visible in an editing window. But text stored in buffers can also be MicroEMACS macros, temporary storage for macros, or lists of screens, files, buffers, variables, commands or bindings created by MicroEMACS commands. Commands that deal with buffers include: 	
	^XB	select-buffer
	^XK	delete-buffer
	^X^B	list-buffers
	^XX	next-buffer

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Regions
Regions are used in MicroEMACS to specify what text is acted on by many commands. A region is defined as all the text between the point, and the last placed mark. To define a region:
1.	Move the point to the beginning of the text you want to effect
2.	Use the set-mark (M- ) command to position the mark at the current point
3.	Move the point to the end of the text you want to affect
At this time, the text between the mark and the point is the current region which will be affected by many commands. Regions can be defined backwards as well as forwards, and can include the entire buffer, or as little as one character.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Paragraphs
MicroEMACS defines a paragraph as any group of lines of text surrounded by blank lines. A line starting with one of the characters in the $paralead variable is considered the first line of a paragraph. Also, if line starts with one of the characters in the $fmtlead variable, the following line is considered to be the beginning of a paragraph.
Commands that deal with paragraphs include:
	M-N	next-paragraph
	M-P	previous-paragraph
	M-^W	kill-paragraph
	M-Q	fill-paragraph

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Words
Words are defined, by default, as a string of characters consisting of alphabetic, numeral and the underscore "_" character. You can change this by setting the $wchars variable to a list of all the characters you want considered as part of a word. 
The commands that deal with words include: 
	M-F	next-word
	M-B	previous-word
	M-D	delete-next-word
	M-^H	delete-previous-word
	M-^C	count-words

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Screens
A screen is a collection of windows which are displayed together. On some non-graphically oriented systems, only one screen is displayed at a time. Under other graphical oriented operating systems like Microsoft Windows, X-Windows, the Macintosh or the Amiga, each screen may be displayed in an operating system "window". Notice that the MicroEMACS usage of the word window is different from the meaning used in these graphical systems:
MicroEMACS	Operating System  
Window	Pane
Screen	Window
Each screen has its own set of windows. Switching from one screen to another (for instance by clicking on that screen) will preserve the window setup, the colors and the buffers being displayed.
When MicroEMACS starts up, it displays a single screen named "MAIN". Extra screens can be created by the command:
	A-F	find-screen

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Windows
MicroEMACS uses windows to display and allow you to edit the contents of buffers. A single screen will show one or more windows, separated by a mode line which describes the contents of the window above it.
You can scroll text vertically and horizontally within a window by using the arrow keys or the page-up, page-down, home and end keys. Note that if a line of text extends beyond the boundary of a window, a dollar "$" sign is displayed instead of the last visible character.
Here are some window-related commands: 
	^X2	split-current-window
	^X1	delete-other-windows
	^X0	delete-window
	^XO	next-window
	^XP	previous-window
Notice that the MicroEMACS usage of the word window is different from the meaning used in graphical systems:
MicroEMACS	Operating System
Window	Pane
Screen	Window

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Setting Colors
On systems which are capable of displaying colors, the mode commands can be used to set the background and foreground character colors. Using add-mode (^XM) or delete-mode (^X^M) and typing a lowercase color will set the background color in the current window. An uppercase color will set the foreground color in the current window.
In a similar manner, add-global-mode (M-M) and delete-global-mode (M-^M) will set the background or foreground colors of future windows.
Colors that MicroEMACS knows about are: white, gray (dark grey), grey (light grey), cyan, lcyan (light cyan), magenta, lmagenta (light magenta), yellow, lyellow (light yellow), blue, lblue (light blue), red, lred (light red), green, lgreen (light green) and black. If the computer you are running on does not have enough colors, MicroEMACS will attempt to guess at what color to use when you ask for one which is not there (systems with only 8 colors support: white, cyan, magenta, yellow, blue, red, green and black).
Under Microsoft Windows, the whole 16 colors above are available if the display system supports them (depending on the value of the Colors profile). In that case, Mode lines are displayed as black characters on a light grey background. The message line and desktop colors can be modified through the Windows "control panel" as "window text", "window background" and "application workspace". The value of the $deskcolor variable is always irrelevant.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Setting the Font
Under Microsoft Windows, the font used by MicroEMACS to display text within the screens and the message line can be selected by using the Font... item in the Screen menu. This brings up a dialog box in which you can select:
The character set	"ANSI" is the usual default within Windows application. "OEM" is useful when displaying files that contain pseudo-graphics characters.
The face name	You can chose any of the available fixed-pitch faces.
The size of the font	You can either chose one of the font heights listed or type one if you have scalable fonts. All heights are expressed in pixels.
The font weight	Normal unless you check the "Bold" box.
A sample of the selected font is shown, specifying its height and width. The maximum screen size is calculated as the number of columns and rows (including mode lines) that would be displayed in a maximized screen when the MicroEMACS frame is maximized.
Pressing the Enter key or the OK button effects the change of font in MicroEMACS. Pressing the Alt+S keys or the Save button has the same effect, but also saves the font selection in the profiles so that next time MicroEMACS is started, it uses that font. Pressing the Escape key or the Cancel button returns to MicroEMACS without changing the font.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Case Control
The following commands let you change the case of the word at or following the point:
	M-C	case-word-capitalize
	M-L	case-word-lower
	M-U	case-word-upper
Setting a mark, moving to the other end of the region and using one of these commands will change the case of all the words in the selected region:
	^X^L	case-region-lower
	^X^U	case-region-upper

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Controlling Tabs
By default, MicroEMACS sets the default tab stops every eighth column. This behavior can be changed (usually within the start-up file).
The behavior of the handle-tab (^I or Tab key) command depends on the numeric argument that is supplied to it:
	With no argument, handle-tab inserts space characters or a single tab character to get to the next tab stop, depending on its configuration...
	With an non-zero argument n, tabs stops are reset to every n^th column and handle-tab is reconfigured to insert space characters in sufficient number to get to the next tab stop. This also sets the $softtab variable to n.
	With an argument of zero, handle-tab is reconfigured so that it inserts true tab characters (its default behavior) and the tab stop interval is reset to its default value of 8.
The distance which a true tab character moves the cursor is reflected by the value of the $hardtab variable. Initially set to 8, this determines how far each tab stop is placed from the previous one.
Tab characters can be globally replaced by the appropriate number of spaces by the detab-region (^X^D) command. The reverse, entab-region (^X^E) changes multiple spaces to tab characters.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Repetitive Tasks
To perform any repetitive task, where you have a list of things that need to be changed, for instance one per line, follow these steps: 
1)	Position the point to the beginning of the line to change
2)	Invoke begin-macro (^X()to start recording
3)	make the change, staying on that line
4)	move to the beginning of the next line
5)	Invoke end-macro (^X)) to stop recording
Do execute-macro (^XE) once to test your change on the next line. If it is satisfactory, count how many lines need to yet be changed, strike the meta key followed by that number and ^XE. This causes your change to be made on all the lines.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Narrowing Your Scope
Many times you will want to do something to a part of the text when the command works on all the text. Also it is helpful to see or edit just a portion of the text. 
This kind of editing can be performed by narrowing the buffer and later restoring the invisible portions, using the following commands:
	^X<	narrow-to-region
	^X>	widen-from-region

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Creating New Commands
MicroEMACS lets you create your own macros to perform any editing tasks, simple or complex. These macros are written in the MicroEMACS macro language. Macros can be invoked by other macros and they can be bound to keystrokes by the macro-to-key (^X^K) command.
For examples of macros, look at the .CMD files supplied with MicroEMACS for Windows. In that package, EMACS.RC is the file which is executed automatically whenever MicroEMACS is started. and all the ???.CMD files contain the code for each page.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Customizing Menus
MicroEMACS menus can be modified by the following commands (usually employed in the start-up file):
	 	bind-to-menu	creates a menu item bound to a command
	 	macro-to-menu	creates a menu item bound to a macro
	 	unbind-menu	deletes a menu item
With these three commands, menus are specified by using the MicroEMACS menu name syntax.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Menu Name Syntax
Menu names used by the bind-to-menu, macro-to-menu and unbind-menu commands follow a common syntax. A menu name is composed of menu item names separated by right brackets:
>item1>item2>item3
When a menu name begins by a right bracket ">", it means that the menu item immediately following this right bracket is located within the menu bar. A menu name can also be specified as:
item1>item2
In this case item1 is located within the last accessed menu. One or more left brackets "<" can appear before the first item, meaning it is located as many levels up in the menu hierarchy:
<<item1>item2
Notes:	The tilde character "~" cannot be used to escape the meaning of the brackets ("<" or ">") and ampersand "&" characters within menu names. The brackets simply cannot be escaped. The ampersand can be escaped (i.e. considered as a real ampersand instead of indicating the underscoring of a character) by using two consecutive ampersands: "&&".
	It is good practice to enclose menu names in double quotes. This is necessary when there are embedded spaces within a name. Also, when a menu name begins by an ampersand, MicroEMACS may misinterpret it as a function name.
See the examples for a more practical explanation...

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Menu Item Syntax
Menu item names are used as parts of menu names. They specify a single menu item within a given popup menu or within the menu bar. A menu item name can be formed of an item text and/or an item index:
item text@item index
or:
item text
or:
@item index
The item text specifies the text of the item that appears within the menu, using an ampersand "&" as a prefix for the underlined character. Note that the key binding description, if any, is automatically generated by MicroEMACS and should not be part of the item text.
The item index is a decimal number that specifies the index of the item within the menu. Indexes start at zero.
If the specified item is being created:
	The item text is mandatory.
	Separators (horizontal lines between parts of a popup menu) are specified by the item text being a single dash "-". Note that either bind-to-menu or macro-to-menu can be used for this, since the bound command or macro is irrelevant (although it has to be a valid one).
	The item index can be used to specify the position where the new item will be placed
	If the item index is not specified, the new item is placed at the end of the menu or just after the item that was used in a previous menu binding command.
If the specified item already exists:
	If the item is not a separator, only one of item text or item index is needed (but both can be specified).
	If the item is a separator, the item index should be specified but not the  item text.
See the examples for a more practical explanation...

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Menu Examples
bind-to-menu  forward-character  ">&Search>&Character@15>&Next"
bind-to-menu  nop                "-"
bind-to-menu  backward-character  "&Previous"
This creates a new popup menu named "Character" under the "Search" menu, containing the two items "Next" and "Previous", with a separator (for the sake of the demonstration) between the two.
unbind-menu    ">&Search>&Character>@1"
removes the above-created separator.
macro-to-menu  load-c-page    ">Code &page@4>&Load>&C"
macro-to-menu  load-cpp-page  "C&++"
macro-to-menu  load-p-page    "&Pascal"
macro-to-menu  remove-c-page  "<&Remove>&C"
macro-to-menu  remove-cpp-page   "C&++"
macro-to-menu  remove-p-page  "&Pascal"
bind-to-menu   nop            "<-"
macro-to-menu  remove-all-pages  "Remove &all"
This (assuming the specified macros actually exist) creates a new menu "Code page", located between the "Execute" and the "Miscellaneous" menus in the menu bar. This new menu contains the "Load", "Remove" and "Remove all" items, the later being preceded by a separator. Both the "Load" and "Remove" items actually lead to sub-menus that both contain "C", "C++" and "Pascal".

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Drag and Drop
Under MS-Windows 3.1 and above, MicroEMACS supports a "drag and drop" file-selection mechanism. If you select one or more files in the Windows File Manager and drag them with the mouse, dropping them over MicroEMACS generates a pseudo mouse action: MS! that can be used by binding it to a macro.
For instance, the following command causes a macro named "drop-files" to be invoked every time a group of files is dropped on MicroEMACS:
macro-to-key  drop-files  MS!
The macro that handles the drag and drop mechanism acquires the necessary information from a buffer named "Dropped files":
The first line of that buffer contains the name of the screen on which the drop occurred. It is empty if the files were not dropped on any specific screen (for instance if they were dropped on the message line).
The second and following lines contain the list of dropped files, one pathname per line.
In addition, the $xpos and $ypos variables are set to the text coordinates where the drop occurred (or to the value 255 if the files were not dropped on any specific screen).
The MDI.CMD page contains a sample macro that handles drag and drop.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Modes of Operation
Modes determine how MicroEMACS will treat text. Modes affect the contents of a buffer. Global modes determine the modes of newly created buffers.
	^XM	add-mode	Adds a mode to the current buffer
	^X^M	delete-mode	Removes a mode from the current buffer
	M-M	add-global-mode	Adds a global mode
	M-^M	delete-global-mode	Removes a global mode
MicroEMACS's modes are:
ASAVE	Automatically Save
CMODE	Editing C programs
CRYPT	Encryption
EXACT	Character Case during Searches
MAGIC	Regular Expression Pattern Matching
OVER	Overstrike Mode
REP	Replace Mode
VIEW	No Changes Permitted
WRAP	Wrap entered text

^$ ^# ^+ ^K ASAVE Mode
When this mode is on, MicroEMACS automatically saves the contents of your current buffer to disk every time you have typed 256 characters. The buffer is saved to the file named on the mode line of the buffer. This mode assures you that you will loose very little text should your computer crash while you are editing. Be sure you are willing to have your original file replaced automatically before you add this mode.
The frequency of saving can be altered by changing the contents of the $asave variable.Use the set (^XA) command like this:
^XA $asave 2048
to tell MicroEMACS to automatically save the current buffer after 2048 characters are typed.
Note:	the $acount variable contains the count down to the next auto-save.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K CMODE Mode
This mode is specifically for editing programs written in the C language. When CMODE is active, MicroEMACS will try to anticipate what indentation is needed when the newline (^M or Enter key) command is used. It will always bring a pound sign "#" with only leading white space back to the left margin. It will also attempt to flash the cursor over the proper opening fence character matching any closing fence character (one of ")}]") that is typed (the duration of this flashing can be controlled by setting the $tpause variable).
Note that the standard start-up files for MicroEMACS install a macro which checks any file being read into MicroEMACS and sets CMODE if the file ends with a .c or .h extension.
Related command:
	M-^F	goto-matching-fence

^$ ^# ^+ ^K CRYPT Mode
For files of a sensitive nature, MicroEMACS can encrypt text as it is written or read. The encryption algorithm is a Beaufort Cipher with a variant key. This is reasonably difficult to decrypt.
When you write out text, if CRYPT mode is active and there is no encryption key, MicroEMACS will ask:
Encryption String:
Type in a word or phrase of at least five and up to 128 characters for the encryption to use. If you look at the file which is then written out, all the printable characters have been scrambled.To read such a file later, you can use the -k switch when calling up MicroEMACS:
emacs -k filename
and you will be asked the encryption key before the file is read.
You can modify the encryption key by using the set-encryption-key (M-E) command.
Note: previous versions of MicroEMACS used a defective encryption method. For compatibility, you can chose to use the older algorithm by setting the $oldcrypt variable to TRUE.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K EXACT Mode
Normally, when using search or replace commands, MicroEMACS ignores the case of letters for comparisons. With EXACT mode set, the case of the characters must be the same for a match to occur.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K MAGIC Mode
Normally, MicroEMACS uses the string you type in response to a search or replace command as the string to find.  When magic mode is enabled, MicroEMACS considers the string you type as a pattern or template to use in finding a string to match.  Many characters in this template have special meaning:
.	any single character, except newline.
[set]	any single character from the bracketed set.
^	beginning of a line.
$	end of a line.
\	the next character has no special meaning, take the next character literally (unless it is a parenthesis)
?	the preceding character (or "." or [set]) is optional.
*	the preceding character (or "." or [set]) matches zero to many times.
+	the preceding character (or "." or [set]) matches one to many times.
\(group\)	define a group for the replacement string, or for the &group function.
Some characters in the replacement string can have special meanings:
&	insert all of the text matched by the search.
\	the next character has no special meaning (but see groups below...)
\1 to \9	insert the text defined by the n^th group in the search string.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K OVER Mode
MicroEMACS is normally in what many other editors consider "insert" mode. This means when you strike a character, MicroEMACS makes room for that character in the current line, inserting it between the existing characters. In OVER mode, MicroEMACS instead overwrites characters, replacing the existing character under the point with the character you type. OVER mode will maintain the position of text lined up using tabs while replacing existing text.
Be wary of editing Japanese KANJI characters while in this mode: it is possible to overwrite the first byte of the character, leaving the second byte meaningless and alone. REP mode is more appropriate for such files.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K WRAP Mode
This mode causes the point and the previous word to jump down to the next line when you type a space and are beyond the current fill column. This is normally set to column 72, allowing you to enter text non-stop on a standard screen without bothering to use the return key.
To change the column that text is wrapped past, use the set (^XA) command to change the value of the $fillcol variable, like this:
^XA $fillcol new_value
MicroEMACS will then be set to wrap words past column new_value.
The $wraphook variable contains the command or macro used to perform word wrapping. By default, it is the wrap-word command.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K VIEW Mode
When in VIEW mode, no command which would change the text is allowed. If you attempt any such command, or try to type in any text, MicroEMACS responds with:
[Key Illegal in View Mode]
This mode is very useful when you want to just look at some existing text, as it will prevent you from changing that text. Also MicroEMACS will not attempt a file lock if a file is read in VIEW mode, allowing you to view files which you don't have write access to, or other people have locked. To launch MicroEMACS and read a file in VIEW mode, use the -v switch:
emacs -v filename

^$ ^# ^+ ^K REP Mode
MicroEMACS is normally in what many other editors consider "insert" mode. This means when you strike a character, MicroEMACS makes room for that character in the current line, inserting it between the existing characters. In REP mode, MicroEMACS instead replaces the existing character under the point with the character you type. REP mode will not maintain the position of text which takes up multiple columns using tabs since it will replace a single tab character with the typed character which will not take up the same space on screen. For this purpose, the OVER mode is more appropriate
However, Japanese KANJI characters will correctly replace and be replaced in this mode as the two bytes will be considered together when either style character is used.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Start-up
There are different things that can be specified on the MicroEMACS command line to control the way the editor operates. These can be switches, which are a dash "-" followed by a letter, and possible other parameters, or a start-up file specifier, which is an at sign "@" followed by a file name that overrides the default "EMACS.RC".
Under Microsoft Windows, MicroEMACS also uses some profiles from the WIN.INI file.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Start-up File
When MicroEMACS starts executing, it looks for a start-up file which it will execute as a macro before it reads in any other file. This start-up macro usually redefines some bindings (for instance to use function keys) and loads various useful macros.
The name of the start-up file can be specified on the MicroEMACS command line. By default, it is: EMACS.RC.
Unless the pathname of the start-up file is fully qualified, MicroEMACS searches for the file along the path.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Command Line Switches
The command line used to launch MicroEMACS looks like this:
EMACS.EXE   switches    files to edit
The following switches can be specified:
@file	This causes the named file to be executed instead of the standard EMACS.RC file before MicroEMACS reads in any other files. More than one of these can be placed on the command line, and they will be executed in the order that they appear.
-C	The following source files on the command line can be changed (as opposed to being in VIEW mode). This is mainly used to cancel the effects of the -v switch used previously in the same command line. 
-E	This flag causes emacs to automatically run the start-up file "error.cmd" instead of emacs.rc. This can be used by compilers for error processing.
-Gnum or +num	Upon entering MicroEMACS, position the cursor at the num line of the first file.
-Ivar  value	Initialize a MicroEMACS variable with value.
-Kkey	This tells MicroEMACS to place the source files in CRYPT mode and read it in using key as the encryption key. If no key is listed after the -K switch, you will be prompted for a key, and it will not be echoed as it is typed.
-R	This places MicroEMACS in "restricted mode" where any commands allowing the user to read or write any files other than the ones listed on the command line are disabled. Also all commands allowing the user access to the operating system are disabled. This makes MicroEMACS a "safe" environment for use within other applications and especially used as a remote editor for an electronic Bulletin Board System (BBS).
-Sstring	After MicroEMACS is started, it automatically searches for string in the first source file.
-V	This tells MicroEMACS that all the following files on the command line should be in VIEW mode to prevent any changes being made to them. 

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Profiles
Profiles are entries in the WIN.INI file and are used only under Microsoft Windows. MicroEMACS uses a few profiles, all placed under the "[MicroEMACS]" section, to define the initial window size, the initial font and the path names of some files.
The following profiles can be modified by editing the WIN.INI file:
Colors	number of colors supported by the display.
DOSExec	path name of a PIF file for pipe-command, filter-buffer and i-shell
DOSBox	path name of a PIF file for shell-command
HelpFile	path name of this help file
InitialSize	keywords: "maximize", "minimize" or "optimize"
Shell	path name of the shell executable under Windows NT.
ShellExecOption	command execution option for the shell under Windows NT.
TimeSlice	number of milliseconds of processing before yielding to other applications
The font-related profiles (FontName, FontWeight, FontWidth, FontHeight and CharSet) are updated by MicroEMACS itself when a font selection is saved. 

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Colors Profile
The Colors profile is used to force MicroEMACS to run in either color or monochrome mode. In color mode, the mode lines display back text over a light grey background and editable text is displayed as white on black (these colors can be customized). In monochrome mode, MicroEMACS uses the colors specified by the system (configurable through the Windows Control Panel), using highlighted text for the mode lines.
The value associated to the colors profile is the number of colors supported by the system, or zero (to allow MicroEMACS to automatically determine the proper value). Monochrome mode is assumed for values 1 and 2. Values greater than 2 put MicroEMACS in color mode.
If this profile does not appear in the [MicroEMACS] section of the WIN.INI file, the default value is 0.
Setting this profile is particularly useful on monochrome displays that allow multiple shades of gray (in particular, laptop screens), as MicroEMACS mistakenly believes these to be actual color displays.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K DOSExec Profile
The DOSExec profile specifies the path name of a PIF file used by the pipe-command, filter-buffer and i-shell commands under MS Windows 3.x. This profile is also used when the shell-command command is invoked with a numeric argument.
If this profile does not appear in the [MicroEMACS] section of the WIN.INI file, the file "DOSEXEC.PIF" is searched along the path. This is appropriate if, for instance, that file is located in the directory where the MicroEMACS executable resides.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K DOSBox Profile
The DOSBox profile specifies the path name of a PIF file used when the shell-command is invoked without a numeric argument under MS Windows 3.x.
If this profile does not appear in the [MicroEMACS] section of the WIN.INI file, the file "DOSBOX.PIF" is searched along the path. This is appropriate if, for instance, that file is located in the directory where the MicroEMACS executable resides.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K HelpFile Profile
The HelpFile profile specifies the path name of the Help file for MicroEMACS. It allows proper function of the menu items that call-up this Help file.
The default value is the file "MEWIN.HLP" within the directory where the MicroEMACS executable resides.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K InitialSize Profile
The InitialSize profile specifies options for the sizing of the initial MicroEMACS frame window. It can be one of the following keywords:
maximize	the frame window fills the whole display
icon or minimize	MicroEMACS starts as an icon
optimize	the frame window fills the whole display, except a single row of icons at the bottom.
If the InitialSize profile is not used, the initial size of the MicroEMACS frame window is decided by the operating system.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Shell and ShellExecOption Profiles
The Shell profile specifies the path name of the shell executable used by the pipe-command, filter-buffer, i-shell and shell-command commands under Windows NT. If this profile does not appear in the [MicroEMACS] section of the WIN.INI file, the default path name is "CMD.EXE". This is appropriate if that file is located in a directory that appears in the system path.
The ShellExecOption profile specifies the string to be inserted between the string specified by the Shell profile and the actual command to be executed (for pipe-command, filter-buffer and shell-command). If this profile does not appear in the [MicroEMACS] section of the WIN.INI file, the default is " /c ". This is appropriate for "CMD.EXE".

^$ ^# ^+ ^K TimeSlice Profile
Under Microsoft Windows 3.x, when MicroEMACS performs a long operation (reading or writing a large file, searching text, moving large chunks of text to/from the kill buffer or clipboard, killing a buffer, etc...), it allows other applications to run concurrently with itself.
The TimeSlice profile specifies how often MicroEMACS should relinquish the processor: when a long operation is in process, MicroEMACS does not yield to other applications until the number of milliseconds thus specified has elapsed.
The default value is 100 milliseconds.
Notes:	Under Windows NT, the preemptive multitasking nature of the operating system alleviates the need for MicroEMACS to voluntarily yield to other applications. The TimeSlice profile is still used to determine how often input (like a command to exit the editor) is checked.
	If the animated grinder (replacing the hourglass mouse cursor) is enabled, the TimeSlice profile also determines the time interval between each change of the cursor image.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K Memory Usage
The only limit to the number of buffers is the memory of your computer. All the buffers, text, screens and windows use memory for storage.
Under Microsoft Windows, the accessible storage can be rather large, depending on the amount of extended memory installed on you system. If you are running in Windows 3.x 386-enhanced mode, MicroEMACS is able to use virtual memory, allowing you to edit very large files.
Under MSDOS, the AMIGA, the Atari ST, the HP150 and other microcomputers you can estimate the memory used by adding up the size of all the files you want to edit simultaneously, multiply by 1.4, and add 170K for the size of MicroEMACS. This results in the amount of free memory needed to edit these files. On an MSDOS machine with 574K of conventional memory available, you can edit files totaling about 288K in size. If you are using the DOS-extended version of MicroEMACS, the memory available for editing is determined by the amount of extended memory installed in your computer, up to 16 Megabytes.
On UNIX, Windows NT and other systems with large virtual memory there is almost no limit to the number and size of files you edit.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K MS-Windows Specifics
The port of MicroEMACS to the Microsoft Windows environment exhibits a few particularities not encountered with other versions of the editor:
	All the standard commands are available. Additional commands are available: they allow access to the clipboard, menu customization, invocation of the help engine and control of screens as MDI (Multiple Document Interface) windows.
	In interactive mode, the file access commands use a dialog box instead of the message line prompt.
	It is possible to drag files from the Windows File Manager onto MicroEMACS, providing a macro has been set-up to handle them.
	MDI windows (aka screens) and the MicroEMACS frame window can be resized by dragging their border with the mouse or using the sizing buttons.
	Text can be scrolled into view by using the scroll bars located at the right and bottom of each screen.
	When MicroEMACS is running a macro, waiting for user input on the message line, or reading/writing a file, it is possible to input menu or other mouse commands, but only a subset of features is available. In particular, resizing is disabled and most menu options are grayed.
	It is possible to terminate MicroEMACS at any time, using the "Close" (Alt+F4) item of the upper-left corner menu box. If there are modified buffers, or a file write operation is in progress, a confirmation is requested.
	The amount of memory available for buffers is limited only by the actual (conventional and extended) memory available, including virtual memory when running Windows NT or Windows 3.x in 386-enhanced mode.
	MicroEMACS can synchronize with other applications it launches.
MicroEMACS runs as a well-behaved Windows application, sharing the processor with other applications, even when a lengthy operation is in process.
Under Windows 3.x, MicroEMACS is a protected mode-only application: it does not support real mode, and runs only under standard or 386-enhanced mode.
The following page are distributed with MicroEMACS for Windows and loaded by the emacs.rc start-up file supplied in the distribution package:
CUA.CMD	Common User Access macros
DEV.CMD	example macro for software development
MDI.CMD	macros to map files to MDI windows
In addition, if a page named CUSTOM.CMD (to be supplied by the user) is found in the path, it is loaded after the three above.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K CUA.CMD
This page is distributed with MicroEMACS for Windows and loaded by the emacs.rc start-up file. It contains a number of macros and rebinds many keys, in order make MicroEMACS more similar to other Windows applications that use the Common User Access standard.
To that end, a set of clipboard-related macros are supplied and you can select a piece of text by dragging the mouse across it while holding the left button held down or by moving around with the arrows or page keys while holding the Shift key down. That selection can then be deleted by pressing the Delete key, copied to the clipboard with the Ctrl+Insert keys, cut with Shift+Delete and pasted from the clipboard with Shift+Insert
Additionally, the following general purpose macros that work on the selection are supplied:
	A-U	CUA-case-upper	converts all the selected text to upper case
	A-L	CUA-case-lower	converts all the selected text to lower case
	A-W	CUA-count-words	displays on the message line the number of words, characters and lines that compose the selected text
	A-=	CUA-flip-selection	exchanges the point with the other end of the selection
	A-^M	CUA-select-region	(Alt+Enter) makes the current region the current selection

^$ ^# ^+ ^K DEV.CMD
This sample page is distributed with MicroEMACS for Windows and loaded by the emacs.rc start-up file. It contains a few of macros that demonstrate how some features of the macro language can be used to facilitate software development:
The run-makefile macro is added to the Execute menu. It spawns a shell to run the command specified by the %make user variable and synchronizes with it. When the make process is finished, its output is displayed in a buffer named "Results".
A series of macros are added to the Help menu. They search a specific help file for a topic matching the word under the point.

^$ ^# ^+ ^K MDI.CMD
This page is distributed with MicroEMACS for Windows and loaded by the emacs.rc start-up file. It contains macros that make it easier to associate each buffer with a separate screen (i.e. an MDI window). To that end:
The open-file macro replaces the find-file command in the File menu and in key bindings (^X^F). Instead of reusing the current screen, it creates a new screen to house each newly opened file.
The rebuild-screens macro, invoked from the Screen menu, associates a screen to each buffer.
The kill-screen macro (A-K) deletes a screen and the associated buffer.
MDI.CMD also contains the drop-files macro that handles drag and drop actions by invoking the open-file macro for each dropped file.

^$ ^# ^K Sorry, no help available on this topic
You have attempted to get Help for a term that the Help system does not recognize.
Here are some other ways to find Help for individual terms:
Help Search
1)	Choose the Search button (Alt+S) from the top of this Help window (just below the menu bar).
2)	In the Help Search dialog box, under Search For, type in the term you want Help for. If the term is indexed in the Help, you will go to that term in the upper list box. If the term is not indexed, you will go to the closest lexical match instead.
3)	Press Enter or choose the dialog's Search button. You will see a list of 1 or more Help topics in the Topics Found
Alternatively, within the Help Search list box, scroll through the list to find a specific topic, then press Enter or choose the Go To button to jump to that Help topic.
Help Index
1)	Use the Index button (Alt+I) and then choose the category that best fits your query. 
2)	Then traverse Help links through the topics until you find what you are looking for. If it is documented in the Help system, you should be able to find it within 4 or 5 topics.