--- name: "e3" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "e3" version: "2.82-7" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/e3" --- # e3(1) A mini text editor ## NAME E3 - A mini text editor ## SYNOPSIS **e3\[ws\|em\|pi\|vi\|ne\]** \[*filename\]* ## DESCRIPTION *e3 is a complete mini application written fully in assembler,* *with a code size less than 10000 byte. There is a status & input line,* *where you can enter filenames, blocknames, find-texts and line numbers.* *The editor commands are similary the families of Wordstar-like* *or Emacs or Pico or vi or Nedit editors.* *For online help press ESC:h in vi mode, else Alt-H.* *This man page describes Wordstar key bindings only.* ## KEYBOARD COMMANDS FOR WS - **^A** **Go word left** - **^C** **Go page down** - **^D** **Go right** - **^E** **Go up** - **^F** **Go word right** - **^G** **Delete current character** - **^H** **Delete left character** - **^I** **Tabulator** - **^J** **Get online help** - **^KB** **Set block start marker** - **^KC** **Copy current block** - **^KD** **Save file and load a new one** - **^KK** **Set block end marker** - **^KQ** **Abort editing and exit. Confirm with Y or y that your changes are lost.** - **^KR** **Insert a file as a new block** - **^KS** **Save file and continue editing** - **^KV** **Move current block inside file** - **^KW** **Save a block into a file** - **^KX** **Save file and exit** - **^KY** **Delete text a block** - **^KZ** **Suspend (simple ^Z in other editor modes)** - **^L** **Repeat last ^QF or ^QA** - **^M** **Enter new line** - **^QA** **Search & Replace (a prompt appears). For options compare ^QF.** - **^QB** **Go to block begin** - **^QC** **Go to end of file** - **^QD** **Go to end of line** - **^QE** **Go to top of screen: 1st columne, 1st line** - **^QF** **Find a text string (a prompt appears). Valid options are** *C***ase sensitive and** *B***ackward.** **You could abort via pressing ^U . This options are equal to** *e3em***,** *e3pi***,** *e3ne***,** **but their abort keys are ^G and ^C.** - **^QG** **Delete character under cursor** - **^QG** **Delete character left of cursor** - **^QH,^Q(Del)** **Delete up to line begin** - **^QI** **Go to line number (prompt appears)** - **^QK** **Go to block end** - **^QR** **Go to file begin** - **^QS** **Go to line begin** - **^QV** **Go to last postion of find** - **^QW** **Go to previous word** - **^QX** **Go to bottom of window (last line, end of line)** - **^QY** **Delete to line end** - **^QZ** **Go to next word** - **^R** **Go page up** - **^S** **Go left** - **^T** **Delete to next word** - **^U** **Undo the last operation. Also abort input in status line (this is used for ^QI,^QF,^KR,^KW etc.)** - **^V** **Toggle insert mode** - **^W** **Scroll up** - **^X** **Go down** - **^Y** **Delete current line** - **^Z** **Scroll down** ## UNDO OPERATION DETAILS *e3* **has an UNDO mode starting in v2.2. There is no predefined** **UNDO level count. You can expect to UNDO at least** *one* **last insert-,** **delete-, overwrite- or sed\_pipe-operation, but in most cases there** **are** *lots* **of UNDO stages available. e3 has a fixed size undo buffer** **and will use an external helper file if some deleted data is bigger** **sized than the undo buffer. This buffer is organized as a ring,** **overwriting older UNDO information if neccessary. So one never can** **say exactly how many UNDO operations are possible.** **For using the UNDO press one of:** - **^U** **in Wordstar mode** - **^QU** **in Pico mode** - **^\_** **in Emacs mode** - **u** **in vi command mode** - **^U** **in Nedit mode** ## BUILT IN CALCULATOR *e3* **has an arithmetic calculator built in for some simple** **arithmetic calculations inside your text. Place cursor at** **begin of the task i.e. something like: -3.002\*-(2--3)=** **and press one of:** - **^KN** **in Wordstar mode** - **^QC** **in Pico mode** - **^X^N** **in Emacs mode** - **#** **in vi command mode** - **^K** **in Nedit mode** **This will insert the result into text.** **Use the values between -999999999999.999999 ... 999999999999.999999** **with up to 6 decimal digits and the operators +-\*/ and parenthesis ( ).** **Also available are p for constant PI and r for accessing the result** **of last calculation** ## RUNTIME MODE SWITCHING **You can switch to other editor mode by pressing one of:** - **^KM** **in Wordstar mode** - **^QM** **in Pico mode** - **altX** **in Emacs mode** - **\;** **in vi command mode** - **^E** **in Nedit mode** **e3 will set a prompt** *SET MODE* **. Now enter one of e3ws, e3em, e3pi, e3vi, e3ne** **for setting** *Wordstar***-like or** *Emacs* **or** *Pico* **or** *vi* **or** *Nedit* **style.** ## OPTIONS **e3 accepts a filename for text editing. Switch the editor mode** **depending of the binary name, one of** *e3ws***,** *e3em***,** *e3pi***,** *e3vi***,** *e3ne* ## FILES - **e3** **is an assembled executable for Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, BeOS(tm), QNX(tm).** *e3ws***,** *e3em***,** *e3pi***,** *e3vi***,** *e3ne* **are symbolic links to e3.** - **e3.exe** **is an assembled executable for 32 bit Win versions like 95/98/ME/etc.** - **e3c** **is a 'C' compiled executable for some other platforms, optional built,** **supporting WS key bindings only.** - **e3arm** **is a new experimental (alpha code quality) assembled executable for ARM Linux,** **optional built (identical e3, but no arithmetics and no UNDO available).** - **e3.hlp** **help text file (for e3c only)** - **e3.res** **error message text file (for e3c only)** - **e3-16** *e3-16***,** *e3-16.com***,** *e3-16e.exe* **are special bonus files for 16 bit operating systems** **ELKS (==Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset) and DOS,** **supporting WS key bindings only.** ## COPYRIGHT **e3 is Copyright (c) 2000,01,02,03 Albrecht Kleine** **This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify** **it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by** **the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or** **(at your option) any later version.** **This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,** **but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of** **MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the** **GNU General Public License for more details.** **You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License** **along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software** **Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.** ## BUGS **There probably are some, but I don't know what they are yet.**