Set your editor preferences by checking the check boxes. What you set here affects both the Source editor and the Command window.

Dialog box options

 

Editor speed setting

Use this dropdown listbox to select either the dBASE Plus or BRIEF editor. There are minor differences—some keyboard shortcut mappings, for example—but in most major respects the two editors offer similar functionality. Default settings are chosen for you, but you can change these.

Reset

Revert editor preferences to default settings.

Auto indent

When you press Enter, the new line is indented to match the indent in the previous line. If Auto Indent is off (unchecked), the cursor moves to the left margin when you press Enter.

Backspace outdents

If checked, lets you skip over indenting by pressing the Backspace key.

Optimal fill

If checked, converts groups of spaces to tabs when you load a file. If unchecked, spaces are preserved.

Use tab character

Toggles the use of tab and the equivalent number of spaces.

Cursor through tabs

Determines what happens when an arrow key is pressed at a tab mark. If checked, the arrow key takes you through the tab one character at a time. If unchecked, the arrow keys move the insertion point across the whole tab. When you press the right or left arrow keys and you're at the beginning or end of a tab, this setting determines whether the arrow key moves you through the tab space by space or whether you skip to the end of the tab.

Smart tab

Determines whether the tab key positions the insertion point to the starting column position of the previous line when you press Tab and you are to the left of that point.

BRIEF cursor shapes

When checked, gives you the BRIEF style (horizontal) cursor shape. When unchecked, gives you a vertical cursor.

Group undo

If checked, all preceding editor commands and actions of the same type that have been executed since the last time you pressed Enter are undone when you choose Edit|Undo. If Group Undo is unchecked, then only the last keystroke or command is undone.

Keep undo after save

Normally, when a file is saved, the undo cache is cleared. That is, any edits you made before the save cannot be undone. This option lets you override that behavior, allowing you to undo your most recent actions even after saving a file.

Persistent blocks

If columnar mode is on and this option is checked, a highlighted block of text remains highlighted until you select a new block. If the option unchecked, or if columnar mode is off, a highlighted block is automatically deselected when you click an area outside of the block . As noted, the Persistent Blocks option is only available when columnar mode is on. To toggle columnar mode on or off, press Alt+C.

Overwrite blocks

Replaces a marked block of text with whatever is typed. If Persistent Blocks is also on, then typed text is added rather than substituted for the marked text.

Cursor beyond EOF

If checked, lets you place your cursor anywhere on the page. If unchecked, the cursor cannot be placed beyond the last entered line.

Use syntax highlighting

Determines whether syntax highlighting and formatting settings are applied to files with a DBF source file extension. Untitled files edited in the Source editor and text typed into the Command window all assume syntax highlighting when this option is checked. Existing files with non-DBF source extensions do not use syntax highlighting.

Visible right margin

Adds a vertical line in the editor window to mark the position of the right margin. To change the position of the marker, use the Right Margin spinbox. Default is 80 points from the left.

Interpret text as

Changes the way you view your text or program. The actual code points in your program do not change; the only things that change are the way you view the program and the way keystrokes are interpreted. DOS Text uses the OEM or ASCII character set. Windows Text applies the ANSI character set.

Mouse speed

Drag the pointer to increase or decrease the speed with which the pointer moves over text.

Line length

Specify the maximum line length in the text and program editors as well as the Command window. The setting is applied to new edit windows or a reopened Command window; it does not apply to the current window or any open editing windows). If you type beyond this line length or paste data into the window that contains any line that exceeds the maximum, an error message appears.

Tab size

Specify the tab width. This setting is applied immediately to all edit windows, including the Command window.

Block indent

Specify the indent of code blocks.

Undo limit

Specify maximum number of bytes in the temporary cache that contains all current data available for Undo operations in any edit window.

In each page of the dialog box, click the Apply button to apply the new setting in the current page without closing the dialog box. Click OK to apply the changes in all pages and close the dialog box.

How to get there: From the Source editor, choose Properties|Source editor Properties. Or from the Command window, choose Properties|Command Window Properties.