pico(1)                                                   pico(1)

Name
       pico  -  simple  text editor in the style of the Pine Com-
       poser

Syntax
       pico [ options ] [ file ]

Description
       Pico is a simple, display-oriented text  editor  based  on
       the  Pine message system composer.  As with Pine, commands
       are displayed at the bottom of the  screen,  and  context-
       sensitive  help is provided.  As characters are typed they
       are immediately inserted into the text.

       Editing commands are entered  using  control-key  combina-
       tions.   As a work-around for communications programs that
       swallow certain control characters, you can emulate a con-
       trol key by pressing ESCAPE twice, followed by the desired
       control character, e.g. "ESC ESC c" would be equivalent to
       entering  a  ctrl-c.   The editor has five basic features:
       paragraph justification,  searching,  block  cut/paste,  a
       spelling checker, and a file browser.

       Paragraph  justification  (or  filling) takes place in the
       paragraph that contains the cursor, or, if the  cursor  is
       between  lines, in the paragraph immediately below.  Para-
       graphs are delimited by blank lines, or by lines beginning
       with  a space or tab.  Unjustification can be done immedi-
       ately after justification using the control-U key combina-
       tion.

       String  searches  are  not  sensitive  to  case.  A search
       begins at the current cursor position and wraps around the
       end of the text.  The most recent search string is offered
       as the default in subsequent searches.

       Blocks of text can be moved, copied or deleted  with  cre-
       ative  use of the command for mark (ctrl-^), delete (ctrl-
       k) and undelete (ctrl-u).  The delete command will  remove
       text  between  the "mark" and the current cursor position,
       and place it in the "cut" buffer.   The  undelete  command
       effects a "paste" at the current cursor position.

       The spell checker examines all words in the text.  It then
       offers, in turn, each misspelled word for correction while
       highlighting  it  in the text.  Spell checking can be can-
       celled at any time.  Alternatively, pico  will  substitute
       for  the  default spell checking routine a routine defined
       by the SPELL environment variable.  The  replacement  rou-
       tine should read standard input and write standard output.

       The file browser is offered as  an  option  in  the  "Read
       File"  and "Write Out" command prompts.  It is intended to
       help in searching for specific files and navigating direc-
       tory  hierarchies.   Filenames  with  sizes  and  names of
       directories in the current working directory are presented
       for selection.  The current working directory is displayed
       on the top line of the display while the list of available
       commands  takes  up  the  bottom  two.  Several basic file
       manipulation  functions  are  supported:   file  renaming,
       copying, and deletion.

       More specific help is available in pico's online help.

Options
       +n     Causes pico to be started with the cursor located n
              lines into the file. (Note: no  space  between  "+"
              sign and number)

       -b     Enable  the  option  to  Replace text matches found
              using the "Where is" command.

       -d     Rebind the "delete" key so the character the cursor
              is  on  is  rubbed out rather than the character to
              its left.

       -e     Enable file name completion.

       -f     Use function keys for commands.  This  option  sup-
              ported  only  in  conjunction with UW Enhanced NCSA
              telnet.

       -h     List valid command line options.

       -j     Enable "Goto" command in the  file  browser.   This
              enables  the  command  to permit explicitly telling
              pilot which directory to visit.

       -g     Enable "Show Cursor" mode in file  browser.   Cause
              cursor  to  be positioned before the current selec-
              tion rather than placed at the lower  left  of  the
              display.

       -k     Causes "Cut Text" command to remove characters from
              the cursor position to the end of the  line  rather
              than remove the entire line.

       -m     Enable  mouse  functionality.  This only works when
              pico is run from within an X Window System  "xterm"
              window.

       -nn    The  -nn option enables new mail notification.  The
              n argument is optional, and specifies how often, in
              seconds, your mailbox is checked for new mail.  For
              example, -n60 causes pico to  check  for  new  mail
              once  every  minute.   The  default interval is 180
              seconds, while the minimum allowed is 30. (Note: no
              space between "n" and the number)

       -o dir Sets  operating  directory.  Only files within this
              directory  are  accessible.   Likewise,  the   file
              browser  is limited to the specified directory sub-
              tree.

       -rn    Sets column used to limit the  "Justify"  command's
              right margin

       -s speller
              Specify  an  alternate  program  spell  to use when
              spell checking.

       -t     Enable "tool" mode.  Intended for when pico is used
              as  the  editor  within  other  tools  (e.g.,  Elm,
              Pnews).  Pico will not prompt for save on exit, and
              will  not  rename the buffer during the "Write Out"
              command.

       -v     View the file only, disallowing any editing.

       -w     Disable word  wrap  (thus  allow  editing  of  long
              lines).

       -x     Disable keymenu at the bottom of the screen.

       -z     Enable ^Z suspension of pico.

       -q     Termcap  or  terminfo  definition  for input escape
              sequences  are  used  in  preference  to  sequences
              defined  by default.  This option is only available
              if pico was compiled with the  TERMCAP_WINS  define
              turned on.

       Lastly,   when  a  running  pico  is  disconnected  (i.e.,
       receives a SIGHUP), pico will save  the  current  work  if
       needed  before  exiting.   Work is saved under the current
       filename with ".save" appended.  If the  current  work  is
       unnamed, it is saved under the filename "pico.save".

Bugs
       The  manner  in  which lines longer than the display width
       are dealt is not immediately obvious.  Lines that continue
       beyond  the  edge  of  the  display are indicated by a '$'
       character at the end of the line.  Long lines are scrolled
       horizontally as the cursor moves through them.

Files
       pico.save        Unnamed interrupted work saved here.
       *.save           Interrupted work on a named file is saved here.

Authors
       Michael Seibel <mikes@cac.washington.edu>
       Laurence Lundblade <lgl@cac.washington.edu>
       Pico  was  originally derived from MicroEmacs 3.6, by Dave
       G. Conroy.
       Pico is a trademark of the University of Washington.
       Copyright 1989-1999 by the University of Washington.

See Also
       pine(1)
       Source distribution (part of the Pine Message System):
          ftp://ftp.cac.washington.edu/mail/pine.tar.Z

       $Date: 1999/02/04 18:40:44 $

                           Version 3.5                          1