Executing Commands

Each user action executes a command. The window from which a command is invoked (i.e., the window containing the mouse pointer) is an implicit argument of the invoked command. Commands that require explicit arguments pop up dialog boxes, which are described in Dialog Boxes. A special sort of command, known as a transform, is described in Transformational Editing.

One way to invoke a command is to select it from a pull-down menu.

Another way to invoke a command is to type its name in the command pane. Strike Tab (or click Select in the command pane) to change focus to the command pane. Then type the name (or a unique prefix thereof) and strike Enter. See execute-command for further details.

Actually, the most common way of invoking a command is just typing. For example, striking Backspace invokes command delete-previous-character.

Using the mouse also invokes commands. For example, pointing the mouse within the object pane of a window and pressing Select invokes select-start.

Editor macros allow a sequence of commands to be captured as a ``macro''. Thereafter, executing the macro executes the command sequence as one operation.

Commands can be invoked from editor scripts, which can also be used to define new commands. See Editor Scripts for further details.

The following commands control execution of commands:

• execute-command
• multiply
• repeat-command

See also Dialog Boxes.