AEDIT

AEDIT was one of the first text editors I learned to use. On one hand it is old, obsolete, crude and ugly, and I hardly ever use it any more. On the other hand, I still keep a copy around because from time to time it still comes in handy. It can do things no word processor can even imagine. Matter of fact, it can do things no one should even think about trying.

There are two keys to it's remarkable utility:

1. It handles all 8-bit character codes the same, whether they are printable or not.
2. It has a macro facility that let's you record and play macros easily.

It has its' drawbacks. It runs in DOS box so you get white characters on a black background. It only supports an 80 by 25 character screen, and only fixed pitch fonts at that.

The part that makes it dangerous is that it can perform rudimentary math operations. Combine this with the macro facility you can write programs that can do wonderous things. Don't do it, though. That way leads the path of eternal fire and torment. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. There have been cases were I have written semi-complex macros to perform some text formatting operation, but it is an area fraught with pitfalls.

For manipulating text files, it is simply unbeatable. Like extracting all the links out of an html file.

Here's some links to get you started (or more likely to jog my memory some time in the future):

• Sepp's AEDIT page. Original executable and source.
• Text Editors Org. Review and screen shot.
• 165 Page PDF, also from Sepp in the Netherlands.
• 371 Page PDF from Radisys, forest neighbors.