nano/doc/texinfo/nano.texi

\input texinfo  @c -*-texinfo-*-
@c %**start of header
@setfilename nano.info
@settitle nano Command Manual
@c %**end of header

@c This file has the new style title page commands.
@c Run 'makeinfo' rather than 'texinfo-format-buffer'.
@smallbook
@set EDITION 0.1
@set VERSION 1.3.12
@set UPDATED 01 May 2006

@dircategory Editors
@direntry
* nano: (nano).                 Small and friendly text editor.
@end direntry

@c tex
@c \overfullrule=0pt
@c end tex

@titlepage
@title GNU @code{nano}
@subtitle a small and friendly text editor.
@subtitle version 1.3.10

@author Chris Allegretta
@page

This manual documents GNU @code{nano}, a small and friendly text
editor.

This manual is part of the GNU @code{nano} distribution.@*
@sp4
Copyright (C) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 by Chris
Allegretta.

This is free documentation, see the latest version of the GNU General
Public License for copying conditions.  There is NO warranty.

You may contact the author by
e-mail: @email{chrisa@@asty.org}@*
@end titlepage

@node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)

This manual documents GNU @code{nano}, a small and friendly text
editor.

@menu
* Introduction::
* Editor Basics::
* Online Help::
* Feature Toggles::
* Nanorc Files::
* The File Browser::
* Pico Compatibility::
* Building and Configure Options::
@end menu

@node Introduction, Editor Basics, Top, Top
@chapter Introduction

GNU @code{nano} is a small and friendly text editor.  Besides basic text
editing, @code{nano} offers many extra features like an interactive
search and replace, go to line number, auto-indentation, feature
toggles, internationalization support, and filename tab completion.

@menu
* Overview::
* Command Line Options::
@end menu

@node Overview, Command Line Options, Introduction, Introduction
@section Overview

The original goal for @code{nano} was a complete bug-for-bug compatible
emulation of Pico, but @code{nano}'s current goal is to be as compatible
as possible while offering a superset of Pico's functionality.  See
@xref{Pico Compatibility}, for more info.

The usual way to invoke @code{nano} is:

@quotation
@code{nano [OPTION]@dots{} [FILE]}
@end quotation

But it is also possible to edit several files in a row.  Additionally,
the cursor can be put on a desired line number by adding this number
with a plus sign before any file name, and even in a desired column
by adding it with a comma.  So the complete synopsis is:

@quotation
@code{nano [OPTION]@dots{} [[+LINE] [FILE]]@dots{}}

@code{nano [OPTION]@dots{} [[+LINE,COLUMN] [FILE]]@dots{}}
@end quotation

Email bug reports to @email{nano@@nano-editor.org}.

@node Command Line Options, , Overview, Introduction
@section Command Line Options

@code{nano} takes the following options from the command line:

@table @code
@item +LINE[,COLUMN]
Start at line number LINE and column number COLUMN instead of the
default of line 1, column 1.

@item -?
Same as @code{-h, --help}.

@item -A, --smarthome
Make the Home key smarter.  When Home is pressed anywhere but at the
very beginning of non-whitespace characters on a line, the cursor will
jump to that beginning (either forwards or backwards).  If the cursor is
already at that position, it will jump to the true beginning of the
line.

@item -B, --backup
When saving a file, back up the previous version of it to the current
filename suffixed with a ~.

@item -C, --backupdir=[dir]
Set the directory where @code{nano} puts unique backup files if file
backups are enabled.

@item -D, --boldtext
Use bold text instead of reverse video text.

@item -E, --tabstospaces
Convert typed tabs to spaces.

@item -F, --multibuffer
Enable multiple file buffers, if available.

@item -I, --ignorercfiles
Don't look at SYSCONFDIR/nanorc or ~/.nanorc, if nanorc support is
available.

@item -K, --rebindkeypad
Interpret the numeric keypad keys so that they all work properly.  You
should only need to use this option if they don't, as mouse support
won't work properly with this option enabled.

@item -L, --nonewlines
Don't add newlines to the ends of files.

@item -N, --noconvert
Don't convert files from DOS/Mac format.

@item -Q [str], --quotestr [str]
Set the quoting string for justifying.  The default value is

@quotation
@code{^([ \t]*[|>:@}#])+}
@end quotation

if extended regular expression support is available, or "> " otherwise.
Note that @code{\t} above stands for a literal Tab character.

@item -R, --restricted
Restricted mode: don't read or write to any file not specified on the
command line; read any nanorc files; allow suspending; allow a file to
be appended to, prepended to, or saved under a different name if it
already has one; or use backup files or spell checking.  Also accessible
by invoking @code{nano} with any name beginning with 'r' (e.g. "rnano").

@item -S, --smooth
Enable smooth scrolling.  Text will scroll line-by-line, instead of the
usual chunk-by-chunk behavior.

@item -T [num], --tabsize=[#cols]
Set the displayed tab length to #cols columns.  The value of #cols must
be greater than 0.  The default value is 8.

@item -U, --quickblank
Do quick statusbar blanking.  Statusbar messages will disappear after 1
keystroke instead of 25.  Note that -c cancels this out.

@item -V, --version
Show the current version number and exit.

@item -W, --wordbounds
Detect word boundaries more accurately by treating punctuation
characters as part of a word.

@item -Y, --syntax=[str]
Specify a specific syntax highlighting from the nanorc to use, if
available.  See @xref{Nanorc Files}, for more info.

@item -c, --const
Constantly display the cursor position and line number on the statusbar.
Note that this cancels out -U.

@item -d, --rebinddelete
Interpret the Delete key differently so that both Backspace and Delete
work properly.  You should only need to use this option if Backspace
acts like Delete on your system.

@item -h, --help
Show a summary of command line options and exit.

@item -i, --autoindent
Automatically indent new lines to the same number of spaces and tabs as
the previous line.

@item -k, --cut
Cut from the current cursor position to the end of the current line.

@item -l, --nofollow
When writing files, if the given file is a symbolic link, it is removed
and a new file is created.

@item -m, --mouse
Enables the use of the mouse to select text (currently only useful for
running under the X Window System).

@item -o [dir], --operatingdir=[dir]
Set operating directory.  Makes @code{nano} set up something similar to
a chroot.

@item -p, --preserve
Preserve the ^Q (XON) and ^S (XOFF) sequences so data being sent to the
editor can be can be stopped and started.

@item -r [#cols], --fill=[#cols].
Wrap lines at column #cols.  If this value is 0 or less, wrapping will
occur at the width of the screen less #cols, allowing it to vary along
with the width of the screen if the screen is resized.  The default
value is -8.

@item -s [prog], --speller=[prog]
Invoke [prog] as the spell checker.  By default, @code{nano} uses the
command specified in the SPELL environment variable, or, if SPELL is not
set, its own interactive spell checker that requires the @code{spell}
program to be installed on your system.

@item -t, --tempfile
Don't ask whether or not to save the current contents of the file when
exiting, assume yes.  This is most useful when using @code{nano} as the
composer of a mailer program.

@anchor{Expert Mode}
@item -x, --nohelp
Expert Mode: don't show the Shortcut Lists at the bottom of the screen.
This affects the location of the statusbar as well, as in Expert Mode it
is located at the very bottom of the editor.

Note: When accessing the help system, Expert Mode is temporarily
disabled to display the help system navigation keys.

@item -v, --view
Don't allow the contents of the file to be altered.  Note that this
option should NOT be used in place of correct file permissions to
implement a read-only file.

@item -w, --nowrap
Don't wrap long lines at any length.  This option overrides any value
for -r.

@item -z, --suspend
Enable @code{nano}'s suspend ability using the system's suspend
keystroke (usually ^Z).

@item -a, -b, -e, -f, -g, -j
Ignored, for compatibility with Pico.
@end table

@node Editor Basics, Online Help, Introduction, Top
@chapter Editor Basics
@menu
* Entering Text::
* Special Functions::
* The Titlebar::
* The Statusbar::
* Shortcut Lists::
@end menu

@node Entering Text, Special Functions, Editor Basics, Editor Basics
@section Entering Text

All key sequences in @code{nano} are entered using the keyboard.
@code{nano} is a "modeless" editor.  All keys, with the exception of
Control and Meta key sequences, will enter text into the file being
edited.

@node Special Functions, The Titlebar, Entering Text, Editor Basics
@section Special Functions

Special functions use the Control (Ctrl) key, displayed in the help and
shortcut lists as ^; the Meta key, displayed as M; or the Escape (Esc)
key.

@itemize @bullet
@item
Control key sequences are entered by holding down the Ctrl key and
pressing the desired key, or by pressing the Esc key twice and pressing
the desired key.
@item
Pressing Esc twice and then typing a three-digit number from 000 to 255
will enter the character with the corresponding value.
@item
Meta key sequences are entered by holding down the Meta key (normally
the Alt key) and pressing the desired key, or by pressing the Esc key
once and pressing the desired key.  Certain operating systems "swallow"
the Alt key so that it never reaches the application; if your operating
system does this, you should use the Esc key to generate Meta key
sequences.
@end itemize

@node The Titlebar, The Statusbar, Special Functions, Editor Basics
@section The Titlebar

The titlebar is the line displayed at the top of the editor.  There are
three sections: left, center and right.  The section on the left
displays the version of @code{nano} being used.  The center section
displays the current file name, or "New Buffer" if the file has not yet
been named.  The section on the right will display "Modified" if the
file has been modified since it was last saved or opened.

Special modes: When @code{nano} is in "File browser" mode, the center
section will display the current directory instead of the filename.  See
@xref{The File Browser}, for more info.

@node The Statusbar, Shortcut Lists, The Titlebar, Editor Basics
@section The Statusbar

The statusbar is the third line from the bottom of the screen, or the
bottom line in Expert Mode.  See @xref{Expert Mode}, for more info.  It
shows important and informational messages.  Any error messages that
occur from using the editor will appear on the statusbar.  Any questions
that are asked of the user will be asked on the statusbar, and any user
input (search strings, file names, etc.) will be input on the statusbar.

@node Shortcut Lists, , The Statusbar, Editor Basics
@section Shortcut Lists

The Shortcut Lists are the two lines at the bottom of the screen which
show some of the more commonly used functions in the editor.

@node Online Help, Feature Toggles, Editor Basics, Top
@chapter Online Help

The online help system in @code{nano} is available by pressing ^G.
It is fairly self explanatory, documenting the various parts of the
editor and available keystrokes.  Navigation is via the ^Y (Page Up)
and ^V (Page Down) keys.  ^X exits the help system.


@node Feature Toggles, Nanorc Files, Online Help, Top
@chapter Feature Toggles

Toggles allow you to change certain aspects of the editor that would
normally be done via command line options.  They are invoked via Meta
key sequences.  See @xref{Special Functions}, for more info.  The
following global toggles are available:

@table @code

@item Backup Files Toggle (Meta-B)
toggles the -B (@code{--backup}) command line option.

@item Constant Cursor Position Display Toggle (Meta-C)
toggles the -c (@code{--const}) command line option.

@item Multiple File Buffers Toggle (Meta-F)
toggles the -F (@code{--multibuffer}) command line option.

@item Smart Home Key Toggle (Meta-H)
toggles the -A (@code{--smarthome}) command line option.

@item Auto Indent Toggle (Meta-I)
toggles the -i (@code{--autoindent}) command line option.

@item Cut To End Toggle (Meta-K)
toggles the -k (@code{--cut}) command line option.

@item Long Line Wrapping Toggle (Meta-L)
toggles the -w (@code{--nowrap}) command line option.

@item Mouse Support Toggle (Meta-M)
toggles the -m (@code{--mouse}) command line option.

@item No Conversion From DOS/Mac Format Toggle (Meta-N)
toggles the -N (@code{--noconvert}) command line option.

@item More Space For Editing Toggle (Meta-O)
toggles the -O (@code{--morespace}) command line option.

@item Whitespace Display Toggle (Meta-P)
toggles whitespace display mode if you have a "whitespace" option in
your nanorc.  See @xref{Nanorc Files}, for more info.

@item Tabs to Spaces Toggle (Meta-Q)
toggles the -E (@code{--tabstospaces}) command line option.

@item Smooth Scrolling Toggle (Meta-S)
toggles the -S (@code{--smooth}) command line option.

@item Expert/No Help Toggle (Meta-X)
toggles the -x (@code{--nohelp}) command line option.

@item Color Syntax Highlighting Toggle (Meta-Y)
toggles color syntax highlighting if you have color syntaxes in your
nanorc.  See @xref{Nanorc Files}, for more info.

@item Suspend Toggle (Meta-Z)
toggles the -z (@code{--suspend}) command line option.

@end table


@node Nanorc Files, The File Browser, Feature Toggles, Top
@chapter Nanorc Files

The nanorc files contain the default settings for @code{nano}.  They
should not be in DOS or Mac format.  During startup, @code{nano} will
first read its system-wide settings from SYSCONFDIR/nanorc, and then
user-specific settings from ~/.nanorc.

A nanorc file accepts a series of "set" and "unset" commands, which can
be used to configure @code{nano} on startup without using the command
line options.  Additionally, the "syntax", "color", and "icolor"
keywords are used to define syntax highlighting rules for different text
patterns.  @code{nano} will read one command per line.

Options in nanorc files take precedence over @code{nano}'s defaults, and
command line options override nanorc settings.  Options are also unset
by default, except for those that take arguments.

Quotes inside string parameters don't have to be escaped with
backslashes.  The last double quote in the string will be treated as its
end.  For example, for the "brackets" option,

@quotation
@code{""')>]@}"}
@end quotation

will match @code{"}, @code{'}, @code{)}, @code{>}, @code{]}, and
@code{@}}.

The supported commands and arguments are:

@table @code

@item set/unset autoindent
Use auto-indentation.

@item set/unset backup
Create backup files in "filename~".

@item set backupdir "directory"
Set the directory where @code{nano} puts unique backup files if file
backups are enabled.

@item set/unset backwards
Do backwards searches by default.

@item set/unset boldtext
Use bold text instead of reverse video text.

@item set brackets "string"
Set the characters treated as closing brackets.  They cannot contain
blank characters.  Only closing punctuation, optionally followed by
closing brackets, can end sentences.  The default value is

@quotation
@code{""')>]@}"}
@end quotation

@item set/unset casesensitive
Do case sensitive searches by default.

@item set/unset const
Constantly display the cursor position in the status bar.

@item set/unset cut
Use cut to end of line by default, instead of cutting the whole line.

@item set fill "n"
Wrap lines at column number "n".  If "n" is 0 or less, the maximum line
length will be the screen width less "n" columns.  The default value is
-8.

@item set/unset historylog
Enable ~/.nano_history for saving and reading search/replace strings.

@item set matchbrackets "string"
Set the opening and closing brackets that can be found by bracket
searches.  They cannot contain blank characters.  The former set must
come before the latter set, and both must be in the same order.  The
default value is

@quotation
@code{"(<[@{)>]@}"}
@end quotation

@item set/unset morespace
Allow use of the blank line below the titlebar as extra editing space.

@item set/unset mouse
Enable mouse support, so that mouse clicks can be used to place the
cursor, set the mark (with a double click), or execute shortcuts.

@item set/unset multibuffer
Allow inserting files into their own buffers.

@item set/unset noconvert
Don't convert files from DOS/Mac format.

@item set/unset nofollow
Don't follow symlinks when writing files.

@item set/unset nohelp
Don't display the help lists at the bottom of the screen.

@item set/unset nonewlines
Don't add newlines to the ends of files.

@item set/unset nowrap
Don't wrap text at all.

@item set operatingdir "directory"
@code{nano} will only read and write files inside "directory" and its
subdirectories.  Also, the current directory is changed to here, so
files are inserted from this directory.  By default, the operating
directory feature is turned off.

@item set/unset preserve
Preserve the XON and XOFF keys (^Q and ^S).

@item set punct "string"
Set the characters treated as closing punctuation.  They cannot contain
blank characters.  Only closing punctuation, optionally followed by
closing brackets, can end sentences.  The default value is @code{"!.?"}.

@item set/unset quickblank
Do quick statusbar blanking.  Statusbar messages will disappear after 1
keystroke instead of 25.

@item set quotestr "string"
The email-quote string, used to justify email-quoted paragraphs.  This
is an extended regular expression if your system supports them,
otherwise a literal string.  The default value is

@quotation
@code{"^([ \\t]*[#:>\\|@}])+"}
@end quotation

if you have extended regular expression support, or "> " otherwise.
Note that '\\t' stands for a literal Tab character.

@item set/unset rebinddelete
Interpret the Delete key differently so that both Backspace and Delete
work properly.  You should only need to use this option if Backspace
acts like Delete on your system.

@item set/unset rebindkeypad
Interpret the numeric keypad keys so that they all work properly.  You
should only need to use this option if they don't, as mouse support
won't work properly with this option enabled.

@item set/unset regexp
Do extended regular expression searches by default.

@item set/unset smarthome
Make the Home key smarter.  When Home is pressed anywhere but at the
very beginning of non-whitespace characters on a line, the cursor will
jump to that beginning (either forwards or backwards).  If the cursor is
already at that position, it will jump to the true beginning of the
line.

@item set/unset smooth
Use smooth scrolling by default.

@item set speller "spellprog"
Use spelling checker "spellprog" instead of the built-in one, which
calls "spell".

@item set/unset suspend
Allow @code{nano} to be suspended.

@item set tabsize "n"
Use a tab size of "n" columns.  The value of "n" must be greater than 0.
The default value is 8.  

@item set/unset tabstospaces
Convert typed tabs to spaces.

@item set/unset tempfile
Save automatically on exit, don't prompt.

@item set/unset view
Disallow file modification.

@item set whitespace "string"
Set the two characters used to display the first characters of tabs and
spaces.  They must be single-column characters.

@item set/unset wordbounds
Detect word boundaries more accurately by treating punctuation
characters as part of a word.

@item syntax "str" ["fileregex" @dots{} ]
Defines a syntax named "str" which can be activated via the -Y/--syntax
command line option, or will be automatically activated if the current
filename matches the extended regular expression "fileregex".  All
following "color" and "icolor" statements will apply to "syntax" until a
new syntax is defined.

The "none" syntax is reserved; specifying it on the command line is the
same as not having a syntax at all.  The "default" syntax is special: it
takes no "fileregex", and applies to files that don't match any other
syntax's "fileregex".

@item color fgcolor,bgcolor "regex" @dots{}
For the currently defined syntax, display all expressions matching the
extended regular expression "regex" with foreground color "fgcolor" and
background color "bgcolor", at least one of which must be specified.
Legal colors for foreground and background color are: white, black, red,
blue, green, yellow, magenta, and cyan.  You may use the prefix "bright"
to force a stronger color highlight for the foreground.  If your
terminal supports transparency, not specifying a "bgcolor" tells "nano"
to attempt to use a transparent background.

@item icolor fgcolor,bgcolor "regex" @dots{}
Same as above, except that the expression matching is case insensitive.

@item color fgcolor,bgcolor start="sr" end="er"
Display expressions which start with the extended regular expression
"sr" and end with the extended regular expression "er" with foreground
color "fgcolor" and background color "bgcolor", at least one of which
must be specified.  This allows syntax highlighting to span multiple
lines.  Note that all subsequent instances of "sr" after an initial "sr"
is found will be highlighted until the first instance of "er".

@item icolor fgcolor,bgcolor start="sr" end="er"
Same as above, except that the expression matching is case insensitive.

@item include "syntaxfile"
Read in self-contained color syntaxes from "syntaxfile".  Note that
"syntaxfile" can only contain "syntax", "color", and "icolor" commands.

@end table


@node The File Browser, Pico Compatibility, Nanorc Files, Top
@chapter The File Browser

When reading or writing files, pressing ^T will invoke the file browser.
Here, one can navigate directories in a graphical manner in order to
find the desired file.

Basic movement in the file browser is accomplished with the arrow keys,
page up, and page down.  More advanced movement is accomplished by
searching via ^W (or 'w') and changing directories via ^_ (or 'g').  The
behavior of the Enter (or 's') key varies by what is currently selected.
If the currently selected object is a directory, the file browser will
enter and display the contents of the directory.  If the object is a
file, this filename and path are copied to the statusbar, and the file
browser exits.

@node Pico Compatibility, Building and Configure Options, The File Browser, Top
@chapter Pico Compatibility

@code{nano} attempts to emulate Pico as closely as possible, but there
are certain differences between the editors:

@table @code
@item Search and Replace History
As of version 1.1.99pre1 of @code{nano}, text entered as search or
replace strings will be stored and can be accessed with the up/down
arrow keys.  Previously, @code{nano} offered a more consistent, but
incompatible with Pico, method for entering search and replace strings.
In the old method, previous entries would be displayed by default as
editable text in front of the cursor, as opposed to being bracketed and
uneditable as it is in Pico.  The old behavior could be made compatible
with Pico via the @code{-p} option, but recent versions of Pico use the
@code{-p} option to preserve the XON and XOFF sequences within the
editor.  Since, with the new method, search and replace strings can
still be edited by simply hitting the up arrow key once, the old method
was removed completely.


@item Writing, Appending, or Prepending Selected Text to Files
Text selected using the marking key (^^) can be written out, appended,
or prepended to a new or existing file using the WriteOut key (^O).

@item Toggles
Many options which alter the functionality of the program can be
"toggled" on or off using Meta key sequences, meaning the program does
not have to be restarted to turn a particular feature of the editor on
or off.  Please see the internal help function (^G) for a list of what
functions can be toggled for a particular version of @code{nano}.  See
@xref{Feature Toggles}, for more info.

@item Cursor Position Display
The output of the "Display Cursor Position" in @code{nano} displays
the given column position, as well as the row and total character
position of the cursor.

@item Interactive Replace and Spell Checker
It is worth noting that @code{nano}'s replace function is interactive,
i.e, it does not stop after one search string is found and automatically
replace it.  The @code{nano} implementation will pause at each search
string found and query whether to replace this instance or not.  The
internal spell checker operates similarly.  Note that there is no way to
force these functions to behave in the Pico fashion.  As of version
1.1.99pre1, misspelled words are sorted and trimmed for uniqueness in
the internal spell checker such that the words 'apple' and 'Apple' will
be prompted for correction separately.
@end table

@node Building and Configure Options, , Pico Compatibility, Top
@chapter Building and Configure Options

Building @code{nano} from source is fairly straightforward if you are
familiar with compiling programs with autoconf support:

@itemize @bullet
@item tar xvfz nano-x.y.z.tar.gz (where x.y.z is the version of
@code{nano})
@item cd nano-x.y.z/
@item ./configure
@item make
@item make install
@end itemize

The possible options to @code{./configure} are:

@table @code

@item --disable-browser
Disable the mini file browser when reading or writing files.

@item --disable-help
Disable the help function.  Doing this makes the binary much smaller,
but makes it difficult for new users to learn more than very basic
things about using the editor.

@item --disable-justify
Disable the justify and unjustify functions.

@item --disable-mouse
Disable all mouse functionality.  This also disables the -m command line
option, which enables the mouse functionality.

@item --disable-operatingdir
Disable setting the operating directory.  This also disables the -o
command line option, which sets the operating directory.

@item --disable-speller
Disable use of the spell checker.  This also disables the -s command
line option, which allows specifying an alternate spell checker.

@item --disable-tabcomp
Disable the tab completion code when reading or writing files.

@item --disable-wrapping
Disable all long line wrapping.  This also eliminates the -w command
line option, which enables long line wrapping.

@item --enable-tiny
This option disables all the above.  It also disables some of the larger
internals of the editor, like the marking code and the cut to line code.
It also disables the function toggles.

@item --enable-debug
Enable support for runtime debug output.  This can get pretty messy, so
chances are you only want this feature to work on the nano source.

@item --enable-extra
Enable extra features.  At the moment, this is just easter egg-type
stuff.

@item --enable-color
Enable support for syntax coloring of files using the nanorc file.  This
enables nanorc support as well.

@item --enable-multibuffer
Enable support for opening multiple files at a time and switching
between them on the fly.

@item --enable-nanorc
Enable support for reading the nanorc file at startup.  You can store
custom settings in the nanorc file rather than having to pass command
line options to get desired behavior.  See @xref{Nanorc Files}, for
more info.

@item --enable-all
Shortcut for enabling the above four features (extra, color,
multibuffer, and nanorc).

@item --disable-nls
Disables Native Language support.  This will disable use of the
available GNU @code{nano} translations.

@item --disable-wrapping-as-root
Disable long line wrapping by default when nano is run as root.

@item --enable-utf8
Enable support for reading and writing Unicode files.  This will require
either the wide version of ncurses, or a UTF-8-enabled version of Slang.

@item --disable-utf8
Disable support for reading and writing Unicode files.

@item --with-slang
Compiling @code{nano} with Slang is supported, and will make the binary
notably smaller than if compiled with ncurses or other curses libraries.

@end table

@contents
@bye