Edlin
| Original author(s) | Tim Paterson |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
| Initial release | 1980 |
| Operating system | DOS, MS-DOS, OS/2, Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Line editor |
| Website | Edlin |
Edlin is a line editor, and the only text editor provided with early versions of MS-DOS. Although superseded in MS-DOS 5.0 and later by the full-screen edit command, and by Notepad in Microsoft Windows, it continues to be included in the 32-bit versions of current Microsoft operating systems.
Edlin was created by Tim Paterson in two weeks in 1980, for Seattle Computer Products's 86-DOS (QDOS) based on the CP/M line editor ED.
Microsoft acquired 86-DOS and sold it as MS-DOS, so Edlin was included in v1.0–v5.0 of MS-DOS, after which the only editor included was the new full-screen MS-DOS Editor in v6.0–v8.0.
Early Windows versions ran on top of the later versions of MS-DOS, so Edlin was typically not available.
However, Edlin is included in the 32-bit versions of Windows NT and its derivatives—up to and including Windows 10—because the NTVDM's DOS support in those operating systems is based on MS-DOS version 5.0. However, unlike most other external DOS commands, it has not been transformed into a native Win32 program. It also does not support long filenames, which were not added to MS-DOS and MS-Windows until long after Edlin was written.
There are only a few commands. The short list can be found by entering a ? at the edlin prompt.
When a file is open, typing L lists the contents (e.g., 1,6L lists lines 1 through 6). Each line is displayed with a line number in front of it.
The currently selected line has a *. To replace the contents of any line, the line number is entered and any text entered replaces the original. While editing a line pressing Ctrl-C cancels any changes. The * marker remains on that line.
Entering I (optionally preceded with a line number) inserts one or more lines before the * line or the line given. When finished entering lines, Ctrl-C returns to the edlin command prompt.
...
Wikipedia