FREEMACS MINI-HOWTO

		      Jim Hall, <jhall1@isd.net>
		  Version 1.0 - updated 01 Nov 1998


WHAT IS FREEMACS?
-----------------

It is an editor, similar to GNU Emacs.  Freemacs will run on all
versions of DOS, on systems as old as an XT.  Freemacs is implemented
entirely as a MINT language processor, just as GNU Emacs is a LISP
processor.

The current version of Freemacs as of this writing is 1.6G.


DOCUMENTATION
-------------

Freemacs 1.6G is just a re-packaged 1.6D release with some copyright
statements made clearer.  Since 1.6D didn't have any documentation,
neither does 1.6G.  You might try downloading the 1.6A release from a
simtel mirror (like ftp://oak.oakland.edu/put/simtelnet/msdos/freemacs/
emacs16a.zip, I think) and grab the documentation from there.


ENVIRONMENT
-----------

You need to set the EMACS variable under DOS.  THis should be set to
something like:

  EMACS=C:\EMACS\

(Yes, you need the trailing backslash).

You will also need to have C:\EMACS in your PATH variable (you don't
need a trailing backslash here.)

To run Freemacs, just type:

  EMACS

You can also specify a file at the command line, like this:

  EMACS FILE.TXT



KEYSTROKES
----------

Once you are in Freemacs, use these keys:

  C-x C-s      Save the file ("C-x" means to press Control-x)
  C-x C-x      Save and exit Freemacs
  C-x C-f      Open a new file

  C-a          Jump to the beginning of the line
  C-e          Jump to the end of the line

  C-@          Set the mark
  C-w          Wipe the text between the mark and where the cursor is
now (also copies the text to the "clipboard").
  C-y          Yank back any text that was copied to the "clipboard".

  M-q          Justify the paragraph ("M-q" means to press Escape, then
press q - or, you could instead type Alt-q.  The "M" stands for "Meta")

  M-u          Uppercase the word
  M-c          Capitalize the first letter of a word
  M-l          Lowercase a word

There are a bunch more, but I don't want to type all of them here.  :)


Let's say you're in an empty file called FOO.FTN (a Fortran file) and
you want to use fortran-mode.  Just type this:

  M-x fortran-mode

Now, at the beginning of the line, hit the Tab key.  You'll jump to the
first instruction column.  Now type your instruction.

At the beginning of a new line, type a line label (a number).  You'll
see the numbers line up in the label columns.  You'll also be able to
start typing your instructions starting in the correct instruction
column.

At the beginning of a new line, type a "C" character, and then hit Tab. 
(Been a while since I wrote Fortran, so let's hope I get this right.) 
You should be in a comment, and fortran-mode will automatically put your
comment text at the start of the instruction columns.  You can also use
a "*" character to start a comment.

Also try these to experiment:

  M-x fortran-column-ruler
  M-x fortran-split-line

(I think I remember those right.  Try typing "M-x fortran-" then hit the
Tab key once or twice.  You should see a list of all the fortran-mode
meta commands pop up.)