Linux editor with VMS EDT like direction mode.

Question

VMS editor EDT allows one to use the keypad to control most of ones editing commands. One of the rather nice features is that the direction of operation can be set to "up" or "down". This then effects commands like "move to next character" and "move to start of line". Another feature is that there are "character", "word" and "line" buffers that one can cut, copy and paste to/from.

I am looking for a Linux editor that has these features?

This is not a request for an EDT editor for Linux. I am "willing" to learn a new editor if it has these features.

Answer 1

Vim seems to provide all those features. There are plenty of good tutorials for it on the web, but the easiest way to familiarise yourself with the editor is to install it and then run the vimtutor program supplied.

H - Left
J - Down
K - Up
L - Right

4L - 4 characters right
4W - 4 words right

0 - Start of line
$ - End of line
gg- Start of file
GG- End of file
100gg - Line 100

Answer 2

You want emacs.

Emacs has an EDT emulation mode (M-x edt-emulation-mode). This will set up emacs to use the edt keymappings.

Before you can use it, run "emacs -q -l edt-mapper". This will let you set up what keys on YOUR keyboard map to the various VT keys(gold, do, etc.).

It works quite well, and you have the extra functionality of emacs, plus the edt keys you're used to.

EDIT: I should look at dates, this was asked ages ago...but the information is still good.