| README for Rterm.exe |
| ==================== |
| |
| Rterm.exe can be used in three distinct modes: |
| |
| 1) Interactively in an MSDOS / Commands window. |
| 2) In batch mode by redirecting its input from a file or pipe. |
| 3) As a no-echo process for ESS mode in NTEmacs with flag --ess. |
| |
| Its purpose is to provide something similar to the main Unix interface |
| for R, including a batch capability. The command-line arguments are |
| the same as those for RGui.exe and are documented in `An Introduction |
| to R' in the section `Invoking R under Windows' (--mdi and --sdi are |
| accepted but do nothing). Batch use is covered in the rw-FAQ Q2.10. |
| |
| In interactive use the interpreter can be interrupted by Ctrl-C or |
| Ctrl-Break. Input is interpreted as-is except for the keys |
| interpreted by getline (see below) and that special characters |
| can be entered by Alt+numerical-key-pad sequences of up to 3 characters, |
| so Alt+123 and Alt+72 give {H, for example. |
| |
| Command-line editing and history in interactive use |
| --------------------------------------------------- |
| |
| Input editing handles a single line and so scrolls long lines left and |
| right on the same line. Until the user presses the RETURN key they |
| can use Emacs-style line editing commands and can traverse the history |
| of lines previously typed. |
| |
| Entering printable keys generally inserts new text into the buffer (unless |
| in overwrite mode, see below). Other special keys can be used to modify |
| the text in the buffer. In the description of the keys below, ^n means |
| Control-n, or holding the CONTROL key down while pressing "n". Errors |
| will ring the terminal bell. A 'word' is delimited by spaces. |
| |
| left/right, ^F/^B : Move cursor forward/backward one character. |
| up/down, ^P/^N : Move to previous/next item on history list. |
| Home, ^A : Move cursor to beginning of the line. |
| End, ^E : Move cursor to end of the line. |
| ESC-F : Move cursor forward one word. |
| ESC-B : Move cursor backward one word. |
| ^D, DEL : Delete the character under the cursor. |
| ^H : Delete the character to the left of the cursor. |
| ^K : Kill from the cursor to the end of line. |
| ^L : Redraw current line. |
| ^O : Toggle overwrite/insert mode. Initially in insert mode. Text |
| added in overwrite mode (including yanks) overwrite |
| existing text, while insert mode does not overwrite. |
| ^R/^S : Perform incremental reverse/forward search for string on |
| the history list. Typing normal characters adds to the current |
| search string and searches for a match. Typing ^R/^S marks |
| the start of a new search, and moves on to the next match. |
| Typing ^H or DEL deletes the last character from the search |
| string, and searches from the starting location of the last search. |
| Therefore, repeated DEL's appear to unwind to the match nearest |
| the point at which the last ^R or ^S was typed. If DEL is |
| repeated until the search string is empty the search location |
| begins from the start of the history list. Typing ESC or |
| any other editing character accepts the current match and |
| loads it into the buffer, terminating the search. |
| ^T : Transpose the characters under and to the left of the cursor. |
| ^U : Deletes the entire line |
| ^W : Deletes the previous word |
| ^Y : Yank previously killed text back at current location. Note that |
| this will overwrite or insert, depending on the current mode. |
| TAB : Within quotes, completes the current word as a file name, |
| otherwise as an R object name. Completion is does as far as |
| can be done unambiguously. A second press shows alternative |
| completions. However, if environment variable R_COMPLETION is |
| set to FALSE, this advances to the next tab stop (set at every |
| 8th column). |
| NL, CR : returns current buffer to the program. |
| |