1.49.8 Get methods

editor <-column: index=[int] -> column=0..

Determine the column for index. Interprets editor<-tab_stops. When set, the editor<-caret is moved as close as possible to the indicated column. See also editor->align.

editor <-contains: -> visual

Fails (hiding the internal structure of the editor for the visual hierarchy).

editor <-convert: view -> editor

Convert a view object into its view<-editor. Improves the transparency between class editor and class view.

editor <-dabbrev_candidates: mode={user0,user1,user2,user3}, target=char_array -> chain*

Helper called by editor->dabbrev_expand. The mode argument describes the stage of the expansion:

• user0 is called first.
  • Next, standard dynamic abbreviation is used, first looking

  towards the start of the buffer and then to the end.

• Then, user1, user2 and user3 are tried.

This method should return a list if candidates, each starting with target.

editor <-height: -> character=int

Inherits description from: editor-size

editor <-indentation: index=[int], skip=[regex] -> column=int

Column for first non-blank character of line holding index. The default index is editor<-caret. If regex is specified, regex->match is executed from the start of the line and the column for the end of the match is returned. If the regex does not match at all, 0 is returned.

This method is commonly used in combination with editor->align for language dependent automatic indentation and alignment.

editor <-key_binding: key=name|event_id -> action=name|code

Inherits description from: editor->key_binding

editor <-start: [int] -> int

editor <-view: -> int

editor <-length: -> int

The methods editor<-length, editor<-start and editor<-view are used by the related scroll_bar object to determine the visible part of the text. The method editor->scroll_vertical is called from the editor<-scroll_bar.

editor <-line: index=[int] -> line=string

New string with text of the line holding index. When omitted, the line holding the editor<-caret is returned.

editor <-line_number: index=[int] -> line=int

1-based line-number of index. If index is omitted, editor<-caret is used as default. The line-numbers returned refers to the physical line number. In other words, the returned number is the number of LF (Line-Feed) characters from the start of the buffer to index plus one.

This numbering is conventionally used by programming languages.

editor <-margin_width: -> pixels=int

Inherits description from: editor-margin

editor <-master: -> editor|view

Return the view object if graphical<-device yields an instance of class view. Otherwise return the editor itself. Used when the editor executes a code object. See editor<-error_message and editor<-modified_message.

See also visual<-master.

editor <-read_line: -> line=string

As editor<-line, moves caret to next line. Fails after reading the last line of text. When reading the whole buffer in this fashion, don't forget to set editor->caret: 0 before starting. See also file<-read_line.

editor <-selection: -> point

Returns a new point object whose device<-x is the start of the selection and device<-y is the end of the selection (not including: 50,51 represents a selection holding one characters). The device<-x is guaranteed to be smaller than device<-y.

The selection is determined by the editor<-mark and editor<-caret.

editor <-selection_end: -> int

Index for end of selection. This message is a backward compatible method for editor<-caret. See also editor<-mark and editor<-selection.

editor <-selection_start: -> int

Index for start of selection. This is a backward compatibility method for editor<-mark. See also editor<-caret and editor<-selection.

Inherits description from: editor-selection_end

editor <-size: -> characters=size

Inherits description from: editor-size

editor <-tab_stops: -> vector*

Inherits description from: editor->tab_stops

See also

editor->tab_stops

editor <-width: -> characters=int

Inherits description from: editor-size

editor <-wrap: -> {none,character,word}

How to display handle long lines. The default is character, breaking long-lines at the character level. If none is used, text exceeding the left-margin is simply discarded. Finally, word makes the editor break lines at the start of a word. See also text_image->wrap.

editor->wrap chooses between the two views on a text-file realised by class editor. The default mode is intended for editing source code or other traditional line-based text documents, generally using a fixed-width font object. Using‘editor->wrap: word’, the editor treats the file as a sequence of paragraphs separated by newlines. The latter is the common view for most modern GUIs for textareas.

In addition to wrapping, a number of commands are influenced by editor<-wrap to use screen-lines rather then physical lines if editor<-wrap = word. This is only the case if the method is not passed a numerical argument.

• editor->end_of_line, editor->beginning_of_line
• editor->kill_line
• editor->cursor_up, editor->cursor_down
• editor->scroll_vertical (handling the scroll_bar object).