🚀 go-pugleaf

levin@world.std.com (Levin F Magruder) writes:

> Brief is on sale from Borland now.  I'd still rather not spend
> the $99, but if it's as good as its reputed to be, I guess
> I'd take the plunge.  
> 
> My main criteria is that it can automatically handle braces, etc.
> (You'd think that would be simple enough, but I've never been
> pleased with the way any editor does it...) and have a quick to
> learn and flexible macro language.  And work under Desqview.
> 
> Those of you who use brief, does it meet these criteria?  Other
> suggestions are welcome, bearing in mind that I begrudge even
> $99 expense.  I am not a professional programmer, I write little
> filters and things like that.

It meets all of the above, is exceeding powerful and wonderfully
flexible.  I've used it for ~4 years & wouldn't think of programming
with any other editor if given the choice...

> An example of how I write follows.  I think it's pretty standard
> and auto formatting should be able to indulge my preferences...

[code deleted...]

Almost, here's your sample code entered with Brief's "smart indenting":

int proc(char *arg)
{
        char localc ;
	char *cp ;

	while(*cp !=arg)
		{
		dothis(*cp) ;
		getanother(cp) ;
		eflag = estat (*cp) ;
		}

	return(something) ;
}

This has always done me quite well, so I've left it as-is.  If you don't
like it, it's also customizable by editing and recompiling a macro file.

> I would like to be able to make it autoexpand ); to ) ; and
> }\n to }\n\n if the first non-white char after } \n is not }.

Brief supports regular expression translates (search/replace) that can
be quite complex.

Hope this helps you make up your mind.  If you have further questions,
I'll be happy to answer them e-mail.

Jon

=============================================================================
		   Jon Freivald ( jaflrn!jaf@uunet.UU.NET )
	 Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it.
=============================================================================