[Info-vax] Editors, was: Re: VT keyboard replacement

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 11/19/2021 3:38 PM, alanfe... at gmail.com wrote:
> On Friday, November 19, 2021 at 9:56:41 AM UTC-5, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>> On 11/19/2021 7:11 AM, alanfe... at gmail.com wrote:
>>> Depends on your tasks and whether you keep getting "Compile aborted
>>> on line 1" when you make a change dozens of lines down. I had to
>>> struggle to get EVE to work at all every time I wanted to use it at a
>>> remote lab. That is not what I would call productive! But EDT always
>>> worked no matter where I was. It's like Stereo Review (or some other
>>> stereo mag) once said: you can always tell the difference between the
>>> sound quality of a working amp vs. that of a broken one! EVE was
>>> always a pain at remote labs just to get it to run at all. THAT IS
>>> NOT WHAT I WOULD CALL PRODUCTIVE!!!
>> I am little confused by this.
>>
>> First compilation of TPU code is not part of normal editing. It is
>> part of developing TPU code. I don't consider TPU development
>> difficult, but obviously other may have a different experience.
> 
> Perhaps not. But isn't customization important?

It is.

But note that EVE got 3 levels of customization:
1) EVE init file
2) TPU command file
3) TPU section file

The first is equivalent to EDT init file.

But only the last 2 compiles.

>> Second EVE has been the default editor on VMS for a couple of decades
>> and I suspect that over 50% of VMS editing is done using EVE
>> And we have not been swamped with reports of EVE not working or being
>> difficult to get working. So I will assume that in most contexts then
>> EVE just work out of the box.
> 
> Well, my experience with EVE is mostly from the late 1980s in
> graduate school. It was a continual PITA. Default or not, EDT worked
> at remote labs and to get EVE to work AT ALL was a royal PITA. Maybe
> 30-some years things are better.
Weird.

With standard VMS and standard section file and a suitable
VT terminal then it should work. Even a botched init or
command file should just result in it not being run.

Arne