Short intro to SPFlite

If you program in an IBM mainframe shop, chances are that you'll use the ISPF editor.
SPFlite ie pretty similar (it's modeled after ISPF) so there's almost no transition.
If you're new, there's stuff to learn, but it's worth it. Check the summary at the end.
SPFlite is a line editor, and that makes a difference.
With Notepad, if you push Delete, and you're slow, you can delete the whole document.
With a line editor, like SPFlite, you only delete what's on that line.
To delete more lines, there is a different command.

• By default, the enter-key performs the newline function
• The right ctrl key is the enter key (because that's how it was on IBM terminals)
  The other keys are pretty normal.
  
  
• To start a new document, click "new" on the left, right under the command line.
• You'll want to save it. Enter SAVEAS on the command line,
  and specify the file name (.txt or ??) in the box that comes up.
• You can also rename files. "R" on the left and specify the new name.
• As you're going, you want to SAVE occasionally, so you don't lose what you've done.
• To work on an existing document, go to the directory, and click on it.
• If you just want to look at it, but not be able to change it, "B" on the left, and enter.
  
  
• ---- To summerize, to start, you can ----
• select file from the directory or 'new' and you should save it.
  
  
• On the screen, there are line numbers in cols 1-6, and you can't use col-7.
• File records start in col-8, which is labeled col-1 across the top of the page
• There are commands that go in the command line at the top.
• And there are line commands that go in cols 1-6.
  
  
• ---- Line commands, go in cols 1-6 ----
  
  
• i -- insert a blank line (so you can enter some data)
• r -- replicate this line
• c -- copy this line,
• a -- after this line, or
• b -- before this line
• m -- move this line (b - before or a - after, as above)
• d -- delete this line
• x -- exclude this line (so you can't see it, and some commands will ignore it)
• c -- copy this line,
• o -- over this line (merge the 2 lines into one)
• i9 - insert 9 blank lines (so you can enter several lines of data)
• r4 - replicate this line 4 times
• c9 - copy 9 lines, (b before, a after, o9 over the next 9 lines)
• m7 - move 7 lines, (b - before or a-after or o7 over, as above)
• d11 - delete 11 lines
• x13 - exclude 13 lines
• cc - copy this,
• cc - range of lines (either b or a as above)
• rr - replicate this,
• rr - range of lines
• dd - delete this,
• dd - range of lines
• d/ - delete everything from here to the end of the file.
• cc - copy this,
• cc - range of lines
• oo - over this,
• oo - range of lines
  
  
• ---- To summerize, with line commands, you can ----
• i/c/m/r/d/x/paste -- insert, copy, move, replace, delete, exclude, paste, lines
• b/a/o -------------- before, after, or over, whereever you'd like them.
• So it's a long list, but the summary isn't all that bad, really.
  
  
• ---- Command line commands, go on the command line at the top ----
• f 'string' --- find that string
• c 'string' 'what ever' --- change the string
• c all 'string' 'bean' --- change all occurrences of string to bean
• x all -- exclude the entire file
• d all (x/nx) -- delete all excluded or non excluded records.
• f all 'string' --- find all occurences of string
• c all 'string' 'rope' nx --- change all occurrances that are not excluded
• sort ---- sort the file
• sort d -- descending
• sort nx -- sort records that are not excluded.
• sort 11 -- sort on col-11
• undo ----- undo last change (can be done half a dozen times)
• redo ----- put it back again
• cut all -- cut all records to clip board.
• cc ---- specify a,
• cc ---- range of records to,
• cut ---- cut the specified range of records to the clip board.
• paste -- (if the file is blank, paste the clipboard to the file OR...
• paste b/a (in the seq cols) -- before or after the line with the b/a
  
  
• ---- To summerize, on the command line, you can ----
• f/c/x/cut/paste/d -- find, change, exclude, cut, paste, sort, delete lines
• all/nx/x, and b/a -- all, not excluded, excluded, and before or after.
• Again, it's a long list, but the summary isn't all that bad.
  
  
• ---- more line commands ----
  
  
• tabs ---- set tabs to indent lines easily * * * * *
• bnds < > --- set bounds, and commands will only look within those bounds

spflite.com is the website, and you can download it from there.
Yes, there is a lot to learn. I've used SPFlite. and Notepad, and Notepad++.
I only use SPFlite. It just works too well.
The download is free. You get the whole, fully functional program.
George does ask for a donation, it's the honor system. (But worth it.)