pico(1)								       pico(1)

Name
       pico - simple text editor in the style of the Pine Composer

Syntax
       pico [-f] [+n] [-nn] [-t] [-v] [-w] [-z] [file]

Description
       Pico  is	 a simple, display-oriented text editor based on the Pine mes‐
       sage system composer.  As with Pine, commands are displayed at the bot‐
       tom  of the screen, and context-sensitive help is provided.  As charac‐
       ters are typed they are immediately inserted into  the  text.   Editing
       commands	 are entered using control-key combinations.  As a work-around
       for communications programs that swallow	 certain  control  characters,
       you can emulate a control key by pressing ESCAPE twice, followed by the
       desired control character, e.g. "ESC ESC	 c"  would  be	equivalent  to
       entering	 a ctrl-c.  The editor has five basic features: paragraph jus‐
       tification, searching, block cut/paste, a spelling checker, and a  file
       browser.

       Paragraph  justification (or filling) takes place in the paragraph that
       contains the cursor, or, if the cursor is between lines, in  the	 para‐
       graph  immediately  below.  Paragraphs are delimited by blank lines, or
       by lines beginning with a space or tab.	Unjustification	 can  be  done
       immediately after justification using the control-U key combination.

       String searches are not sensitive to case.  A search begins at the cur‐
       rent cursor position and wraps around the end of the  text.   The  most
       recent search string is offered as the default in subsequent searches.

       Blocks of text can be moved, copied or deleted with creative use of the
       command for mark (ctrl-underscore), delete (ctrl-k) and undelete (ctrl-
       u).   The  delete  command  will remove text between the "mark" and the
       current cursor position,	 and  place  it	 in  the  "cut"	 buffer.   The
       undelete command effects a "paste" at the current cursor position.

       The  spell  checker examines all words in the text.  It then offers, in
       turn, each misspelled word for correction while highlighting it in  the
       text.   Spell  checking	can  be cancelled at any time.	Alternatively,
       pico will substitute for the default spell checking routine  a  routine
       defined	by  the	 SPELL	environment variable.  The replacement routine
       should read standard input and write standard output.

       The file browser is offered as an option in the "Read File" and	"Write
       Out" command prompts.  It is intended to help in searching for specific
       files and navigating directory hierarchies.  Filenames with  sizes  and
       names of directories in the current working directory are presented for
       selection.  The current working directory is displayed on the top  line
       of the display while the list of available commands takes up the bottom
       two.  Several basic file manipulation functions	are  supported:	  file
       renaming, copying, and deletion.

       More specific help is available in pico's online help.

Options
       -f     Use  function  keys for commands.	 This option supported only in
	      conjunction with UW Enhanced NCSA telnet.

       +n     Causes pico to be started with the cursor located n  lines  into
	      the file. (Note: no space between "+" sign and number)

       -nn    The -nn option enables new mail notification.  The n argument is
	      optional, and specifies how often, in seconds, your  mailbox  is
	      checked  for  new	 mail.	For example, -n60 causes pico to check
	      for new mail once every minute.  The  default  interval  is  180
	      seconds,	while  the  minimum  allowed  is  30.  (Note: no space
	      between "n" and the number)

       -t     Enable "tool" mode.  Intended for when pico is used as the  edi‐
	      tor within other tools (e.g., Elm, Pnews).  Pico will not prompt
	      for save on exit, and will not  rename  the  buffer  during  the
	      "Write Out" command.

       -v     View the file only, disallowing any editing.

       -w     Disable word wrap (thus allow editing of long lines).

       -z     Enable ^Z suspension of pico.

       Lastly,	when a running pico is disconnected (i.e., receives a SIGHUP),
       pico will save the current work if  needed  before  exiting.   Work  is
       saved under the current filename with ".save" appended.	If the current
       work is unnamed, it is saved under the filename "pico.save".

Bugs
       The manner in which lines longer than the display width	are  dealt  is
       not  immediately	 obvious.   Lines that continue beyond the edge of the
       display are indicated by a '$' character at the end of the line.	  Long
       lines are scrolled horizontally as the cursor moves through them.

Files
       pico.save	Unnamed interrupted work saved here.
       *.save		Interrupted work on a named file is saved here.

Authors
       Michael Seibel, mikes@cac.washington.edu
       Laurence Lundblade, lgl@cac.washington.edu
       Pico was originally derived from MicroEmacs 3.6, by Dave G. Conroy.
       Pico is a trademark of the University of Washington.
       Copyright 1989-1994 by the University of Washington.

See Also
       pine(1)
       Source distribution (part of the Pine Message System):
	  ftp://ftp.cac.washington.edu/mail/pine.tar.Z

				  Version 2.4			       pico(1)

Vote for polarhome