From 9a4c384afa64b016a4efca41ce30c7d2191f4429 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Benno Schulenberg <bensberg@justemail.net> Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2017 20:31:04 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] docs: reword the main paragraph of the man page Mention some things that really set nano apart from Pico. Plus some other small tweaks here and there. --- doc/nano.1 | 32 ++++++++++++++++---------------- doc/nanorc.5 | 19 ++++++++++--------- 2 files changed, 26 insertions(+), 25 deletions(-) diff --git a/doc/nano.1 b/doc/nano.1 index 45a48160..a2212565 100644 --- a/doc/nano.1 +++ b/doc/nano.1 @@ -27,15 +27,14 @@ nano \- Nano's ANOther editor, an enhanced free Pico clone .RI [ options "] [[+" line [, column "]]\ " file "]..." .SH DESCRIPTION -\fBnano\fP is a small, free and friendly editor which aims to replace -Pico, the default editor included in the non-free Pine package. On -top of copying Pico's look and feel, \fBnano\fP also implements some -missing (or disabled by default) features in Pico, such as "search and -replace" and "go to line and column number". +\fBnano\fP is a small and friendly editor. It copies the look and feel +of Pico, but is free software, and implements several features that Pico +lacks, such as: opening multiple files, scrolling per line, undo/redo, +syntax coloring, line numbering, and soft-wrapping overlong lines. -When opening a file, the cursor can be put on a specific line by adding -the line number with a plus sign (\fB+\fR) before the filename, and even -in a specific column by adding it with a comma. +When giving filename on the command line, the cursor can be put on a +specific line by adding the line number with a plus sign (\fB+\fR) before +the filename, and even in a specific column by adding it with a comma. If the first file specified is a dash (\fB\-\fR), \fBnano\fR will read data from standard input. @@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ Since nano-2.7.0, text can also be selected by holding Shift and moving the cursor with the arrow keys. Holding down the Alt key too will increase the stride. .PP -The two lines at the bottom of the screen show the most important commands; +The two lines at the bottom of the screen show some important commands; the built-in help (\fB^G\fR) lists all the available ones. The default key bindings can be changed via the .nanorc file -- see .BR nanorc (5). @@ -80,7 +79,7 @@ filename suffixed with a tilde (\fB~\fP). .TP .BR \-C\ \fIdirectory\fR ", " \-\-backupdir= \fIdirectory Make and keep not just one backup file, but make and keep a uniquely -numbered one every time a file is saved -- when backups are enabled. +numbered one every time a file is saved -- when backups are enabled (\fB\-B\fR). The uniquely numbered files are stored in the specified \fIdirectory\fR. .TP .BR \-D ", " \-\-boldtext @@ -90,10 +89,10 @@ Use bold text instead of reverse video text. Convert typed tabs to spaces. .TP .BR \-F ", " \-\-multibuffer -Enable multiple file buffers (if support for them has been compiled in). +Read a file into a new buffer by default. .TP .BR \-G ", " \-\-locking -Enable vim-style file locking when editing files. +Use vim-style file locking when editing files. .TP .BR \-H ", " \-\-historylog Log search and replace strings to \fI~/.nano/search_history\fP, so they can be @@ -137,7 +136,7 @@ This restricted mode is also accessible by invoking \fBnano\fP with any name beginning with 'r' (e.g. "rnano"). .TP .BR \-S ", " \-\-smooth -Enable smooth scrolling. Text will scroll line-by-line, instead of the +Use smooth scrolling: text will scroll line-by-line, instead of the usual chunk-by-chunk behavior. .TP .BR \-T\ \fInumber\fR ", " \-\-tabsize= \fInumber @@ -145,7 +144,7 @@ Set the size (width) of a tab to \fInumber\fP columns. The value of \fInumber\fP must be greater than 0. The default value is 8. .TP .BR \-U ", " \-\-quickblank -Do quick statusbar blanking. Statusbar messages will disappear after 1 +Do quick statusbar blanking: statusbar messages will disappear after 1 keystroke instead of 25. Note that \fB\-c\fP overrides this. .TP .BR \-V ", " \-\-version @@ -165,7 +164,8 @@ Specify the name of the syntax highlighting to use from among the ones defined in the \fInanorc\fP files. .TP .BR \-c ", " \-\-constantshow -Constantly show the cursor position. Note that this overrides \fB\-U\fP. +Constantly show the cursor position on the statusbar. +Note that this overrides \fB\-U\fP. .TP .BR \-d ", " \-\-rebinddelete Interpret the Delete key differently so that both Backspace and Delete @@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ Please report any other bugs that you encounter via: \fIhttps://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?group=nano\fR. .SH HOMEPAGE -https://nano-editor.org/ +\fIhttps://nano-editor.org/\fR .SH SEE ALSO .BR nanorc (5) diff --git a/doc/nanorc.5 b/doc/nanorc.5 index 88e210f0..c4e6a19d 100644 --- a/doc/nanorc.5 +++ b/doc/nanorc.5 @@ -289,14 +289,14 @@ good fit for a small editor like \fBnano\fR. A separate syntax can be defined for each kind of file via the following commands: .TP -.BR syntax " ""\fIstr\fR"" [""\fIfileregex\fR"" ...]" -Defines a syntax named \fIstr\fP which can be activated via the +.BR syntax " ""\fIname\fR"" [""\fIfileregex\fR"" ...]" +Defines a syntax named \fIname\fP which can be activated via the .BR \-Y / \-\-syntax command-line option, or will be automatically activated if the current filename matches the extended regular expression \fIfileregex\fP. All subsequent \fBcolor\fR, \fBicolor\fR, \fBheader\fR and other such statements will apply to this -\fIstr\fP syntax until a new \fBsyntax\fR command is encountered. +\fIname\fP syntax until a new \fBsyntax\fR command is encountered. The \fBnone\fP syntax is reserved; specifying it on the command line is the same as not having a syntax at all. The \fBdefault\fP syntax is @@ -365,13 +365,14 @@ Read in self-contained color syntaxes from \fIsyntaxfile\fP. Note that \fIsyntaxfile\fP may contain only the above commands, from \fBsyntax\fP to \fBicolor\fP. .TP -.BI extendsyntax " str directive " \fR[ "arg " \fR...] -Extend the syntax previously defined as \fIstr\fP to include -new information. This allows you to add a new \fBcolor\fP, \fBicolor\fP, -\fBheader\fP, \fBmagic\fP, \fBcomment\fP, \fBlinter\fP, or \fBformatter\fP directive -to an already defined syntax -- useful when you want to +.BI extendsyntax " name directive " \fR[ "arg " \fR...] +Extend the syntax previously defined as \fIname\fP to include +new information. This allows adding a new \fBcolor\fP, \fBicolor\fP, +\fBheader\fP, \fBmagic\fP, \fBcomment\fP, \fBlinter\fP, or \fBformatter\fP +directive to an already defined syntax -- useful when you want to slightly improve a syntax defined in one of the system-installed -files (which are normally not writable) +files (which are normally not writable). + .SH REBINDING KEYS Key bindings can be changed via the following two commands: .TP -- GitLab