nano/UPGRADE

nano upgrading information
==========================

Visible changes since 2.0
-------------------------
* Editor Features
  - The ability to rebind (reassign) keys using the nanorc.
  - The ability to read standard input like a pager ("nano -").
  - Color syntax highlighting can be set by the first line of a file.
  - The ability to silence nanorc error messages (-q).
  - Undo/redo operations (-u).
  - Soft wrapping of text (-$).

* File Handling
  - Better handling of backup files: if nano can't write a backup file,
    it won't try to write the original file afterward.
  - Emergency savefiles retain ownerships and permissions when possible.
  - Performance improvements in color syntax highlighting.

Visible changes since 1.2
-------------------------
* Editor Features
  - Support for UTF-8.
  - Moving to a specified line and column of a file, instead of just a
    line (+LINE,COLUMN).
  - Smart home key (-A).
  - Creation of unique backup files in a specified directory (-C <dir>).
  - Insertion of spaces instead of a tab when Tab is pressed (-E).
  - The long option for -K is now --rebindkeypad.
  - Regular expression searching can now be toggled when nano is built
    with --enable-tiny, so -R now means something else (see below).
  - Restricted mode that provides more security than -o (-R).
  - Blanking of the statusbar after 1 keystroke instead of 25 (-U).
  - Word searches can optionally skip over punctuation (-W).
  - Workaround for Delete's acting like Backspace (-d).
  - Many more options are supported in the nanorc.
  - Improvements to color syntax highlighting support: case insensitive
    matching, the ability to include color syntaxes in separate files,
    the ability to specify background colors without foreground colors,
    etc.
  - Insertion of single-byte characters via Esc Esc <000-255>.
  - Insertion of all characters via "Verbatim Input" mode.
  - Workaround for the "NumLock glitch".
  - Meta-W now repeats the last search.  Wrapping is now toggled via
    Meta-L.
  - Replacing and spell checking only selected text.
  - Indenting lines with one keystroke.
  - Copying text into the cutbuffer without cutting it.
  - Scrolling the text up and down single lines without moving the
    cursor.
  - PageUp and PageDown work more smoothly when using -S.
  - Scrolling the help text up and down single lines.
  - Cutting all text from the current position to the end of the file
    with one keystroke.
  - Justifying the entire file with one keystroke.
  - Justifying without removing spaces from the ends of lines.
  - Unjustifying after justifying and immediately resizing.
  - Going to the first or last line of the current paragraph.
  - Going to the first or last line of the file without having to go to
    the "Search" prompt.
  - Searching for filenames in the file browser.
  - Displaying spaces and tabs differently to make it easier to tell
    them apart.
  - Many more functions available at the statusbar prompt: moving to the
    next or previous word, searching for matching brackets, "Verbatim
    Input" mode, etc.
  - The glibc 2.2.3 crashes involving extended regular expressions are
    no longer worked around, as they can break anything using extended
    regular expressions, and glibc 2.2.3 is old.  You should upgrade to
    at least glibc 2.2.4.

* File Handling
  - Automatic adding of newlines to the ends of files without them can
    now be disabled (-L).
  - Converting from and to DOS/Mac file format is now toggled only at
    the "Write File" prompt, via Meta-D and Meta-M, and the default file
    format to save in is now set depending on what format the file was
    originally in.  -D now makes nano use bold text instead of reverse
    video text, and Meta-D at the edit window now does a
    word/line/character count.  -O now makes the unused second line of
    the screen part of the edit window, and Meta-O at the edit window
    now toggles this behavior.
  - Converting files that contain a mix of DOS and Mac format lines.
  - Automatic switching on of -N with binary files has been removed, as
    it causes problems with UTF-8 support.

Visible changes since 1.0
-------------------------
* Editor Features
  - Complete Pico compatibility (--pico has been removed, and -p means
    something else, see below).
  - nanorc support (see nanorc.sample included in sources).
  - Smooth scrolling (-S).
  - Support for searching for matching braces, brackets, etc.
  - Help for all editor features.
  - Color syntax highlighting support.
  - Quote string support, useful for mail agents, etc. (-Q).
  - Insertion of output of external commands.
  - Optional enabling of XON and XOFF control characters (-p).
  - Tons of bugfixes/enhancements for already existing features.

* File Handling
  - Overwriting and appending or prepending to files.
  - Writing marked text to separate files.
  - Multiple file buffers (-F).
  - Converting from and to DOS/Mac file format (-D/-M, -N to disable).
  - Better control character handling.
  - Creation of backup files (-B).
  - Search/replace history (-H).

See the nano manual for detailed information on each feature.