Insert and Overwrite mode

Let us begin by examining the symbols on the right end of the status/command line.

You will see a string of letters and symbols, all of which function as indicators of the various status options of the editor.

The first letter on the left of the string is either an `I' or an `O' indicating that the editor is in `insert' or `overstrike' mode respectively. This option is exercised with an `Alt-I' and an `Alt-O' command.

• Press Alt-O and then Alt-I

Watch the command line while doing this and you will see the `I' change to an `O' and then back to an `I'. (We will see in the next section what effect this has on entering text.)

A status character that should also be mentioned is the eighth character from the left starting with the character for the insert/overstrike mode. This character is always a single digit from 0 to 9 that indicates which buffer is the current one. Presently you should a `1' in this position. Stedi has 8 buffers numbered from 1 to 8 for text editing, and two yank buffers numbered 9 and 0 for cut and paste operations. You can switch to a desired buffer with the Alt-# command where # is a number between 0 and 9 inclusive. For example,

• Press Alt-8

The `1' should have changed to an `8'. If you have used the <Help> facility explained earlier you should find the help file still in this buffer. Note also that the character just before the `8' in the status bar has changed to a `V'. This stands for `View rights only' and means that if you make changes in the help file and try to save it, stedi won't let you. This feature is explained more fully in the chapter on Reading, Writing and Printing later in the manual. Now return to the `Hello World' program:

• Press Alt-1

We next give a brief summary of all the status characters, from left to right starting with the `I' indicator. (For full details see the section on `The status bar and editor options' elsewhere in this manual.) Possible status character settings are shown on the next page.

Symbol	Description of mode	Toggle Command
I/O	Insert or	Alt-I and
	Overwrite mode	Alt-O
	(I = insert mode)
	(O = overwrite mode)
A/U/R/P	Atari/Unix/Raw/	Alt-A, Alt-U,
	Printer mode	Alt-R and Alt-P
$\infty$/$\gg$/$\ll$	Search/Replace mode	Alt-D, Alt-E
/>/<	> = forward
	< = reverse
	$\gg$ = forward multiple
	$\ll$ = reverse multiple
	$\infty$ = circular
N/S	Case Sensitivity	Alt-N and Alt-S
	N = Not Sensitive
	S = Sensitive
Y/y	Yank buffer in use:	Alt-Y
	Y,y = buffer 9,0
/C	Caps lock	<Caps Lock> key
V/B/b/$\dagger$	View only mode	Alt-V, Ctrl-V
	Backup options	Alt-B
	B = backup made
	b = invisible
	backup made
	$\dagger$ = no backup made.
1/2/.../0	Buffer in use (1-0	Each of the 10 al-
	where 0 stands for	lowed buffers is
	10)	switched to by the
		command Alt-#
		where # is a number
${}^{\cdot}$	`Dirty Bit' visible
	if file was altered