TSE 2.5 for DOS: Anyone remember it?

[Clueless in Seattle]

I dug out an old laptop which has TSE 2.5e for MS-DOS on it.

About ten years ago I created a bunch of complex macros with it and I
think it would be fun to try to play around with them as a kind of
trip down memory lane.

Are there any old timers in this group who remember that version and
who would be willing to coach me on how to get my complicated old
system up and running again?

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

[Rick C. Hodgin]

I still use TSE 2.8 (I think) for DOS on an intermittent, yet regular basis.  I had macros setup for 132x25 through 132x80 screen column modes, along with turning upper-colors from blinking into brightness, and my standard host of regular editing macros.

Today, I would love an editor which is a cross between TSE and Notepad++.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

[Clueless in Seattle]

On May 24, 5:18 pm, "Rick C. Hodgin" <foxmuldrs...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I still use TSE 2.8 (I think) for DOS on an intermittent, yet regular
> basis.  I had macros setup for 132x25 through 132x80 screen column modes,
> along with turning upper-colors from blinking into brightness, and my
> standard host of regular editing macros.

Hi Rick!

That's great news!

I'm going to try to spend a little bit of time each day with TSE to
try to relearn how my old macros worked. I'm making slow but steady
progress, and so far it's been a lot of fun. I'm afraid at my age
(nearly seventy) my memory is failing so I can't recall much about all
the work I put into those macros.

Some of them are really complicated and call series of DOS batch
files.

I incorporated some of them directly into my own modified version of
TSE but I've long since lost my notes on that project (if I ever kept
any notes in the first place) so I'm fumbling around trying to figure
out how to access them. Sort of like trying to solve a crossword
puzzle.

It's nice to know there's someone out there I can turn to for advice
when I get stumped.

[Michael Boyd]

Hello,

Since 1988, when I found TSE on a bulletin board, I have made TSE do
anything.


Michael Boyd

[Rick C. Hodgin]

TSE was 8+ hours of my life every day for 15 years. It was QEdit before that. I switched to Linux at one point and have really missed it. Still find myself sometimes trying to use twokeys in other editors. ^Q_f for find. ^K_s for save. And some singles, ^T to select word right, ^Y to delete line. Et cetera. :-)

Miss TSE in Linux.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

[Rick C. Hodgin]

For me it was QEdit (TSE) in May, 1987. I downloaded from a bulletin board (BBS) at 1200 baud, and fell in love. My company had been teaching me TED, a horrid mainframe text editor ported to MS-DOS. Slow, page editor, clunky command interface. They all loved it. Truly floored me.

QEdit was superior in every way. And everybody quickly migrated once they saw me using it. The ability to scroll and not just move page up/down at a time blew them away. :-) Never mind the on-the-fly macros, or horizontal or vertical windows. Just amazing.

Sammy created a masterpiece. Wish he would release it as free software. The world sure could use it.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

-------- Original Message --------
From: Michael Boyd <michae...@verizon.net>
Sent: Thu, May 24, 2012 10:22 PM
To: sem...@googlegroups.com
CC:
Subject: Re: [TSE] Re: TSE 2.5 for DOS: Anyone remember it?

>Hello,
>
>Since 1988, when I found TSE on a bulletin board, I have made TSE do
>anything.
>
>
>Michael Boyd
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----

>From: "Clueless in Seattle" <spamless.in....@gmail.com>
>To: "SemWare TSE Pro text editor" <sem...@googlegroups.com>

>Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 9:39 PM

[Fred H Olson]

On Thu, 24 May 2012, Rick C. Hodgin wrote:

> TSE was 8+ hours of my life every day for 15 years. It was QEdit
>before that. I switched to Linux at one point and have really missed
>it.
>

> Miss TSE in Linux.

I have been using TSE for many years. I used TSE 2.5 (MSDOS)
even after I started using Linux 10+ years ago.
(under emulation with dosemu) Now I use the beta version of TSE
for Linux. It's not perfect; but pretty good. Some macros that
used MS Windows system calls have not been converted for example. I
have one complex macro that I wrote to archive a bunch of Mailman
mailing list stuff that I have not converted to run in TSE-Linux so I
go back to the emulated dos version once a month.

There is a seperate mailng list for TSE-Linux:
https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/tse-linux

Fred

--
Fred H. Olson Minneapolis,MN 55411 USA (near north Mpls)
Email: fholson at cohousing.org 612-588-9532
My Link Pg: http://fholson.cohousing.org My org:
Communications for Justice -- Free, superior listserv's w/o ads

[William W. Viergever]

don't know if it was 87 or 88, but i, too, started back about then

can't really remember if it was still QEdit or TES Jr., but i used it under OS/2

kinda sounds like Sg. Pepper: it was 20 years ago today .... :^)


--------------------------------------------------------------
William W. Viergever
Viergever & Associates
Health Data Analysis / Systems Design & Development
2920 Arden Way Suite N
Sacramento, CA 95825
wil...@viergever.net
www.viergever.net
 (916) 483-8398
--------------------------------------------------------------

[Larry]

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TotDl6v86ak

And, here's what you sing when you are stuck on a macro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhxffPNXFLc
(That The Fleetwoods "Come Softly To Me", which is what we all want when we
try to make SAL do something new.:))

[William W. Viergever]

LIKE

--------------------------------------------------------------
William W. Viergever
Viergever & Associates
Health Data Analysis / Systems Design & Development
2920 Arden Way Suite N
Sacramento, CA 95825
wil...@viergever.net
www.viergever.net
 (916) 483-8398
--------------------------------------------------------------


-----Original Message-----
From: sem...@googlegroups.com [mailto:sem...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Larry
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 4:44 PM
To: sem...@googlegroups.com

[Rick C. Hodgin]

I love hearing old TSE stories. :-)

My favorite major add-on TSE feature was DLL support. Opened the universe to TSE. My favorite native feature was on-the-fly macros plus SAL abilities. my second favorite was column marking and copy / paste / fill operations. Also line drawing mode. So many others.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

-------- Original Message --------
From: William W. Viergever <wil...@viergever.net>
Sent: Fri, May 25, 2012 05:22 PM
To: sem...@googlegroups.com
CC:

Subject: RE: [TSE] Re: TSE 2.5 for DOS: Anyone remember it?

>don't know if it was 87 or 88, but i, too, started back about then
>
>can't really remember if it was still QEdit or TES Jr., but i used it under OS/2
>
>kinda sounds like Sg. Pepper: it was 20 years ago today .... :^)
>
>

>--------------------------------------------------------------
>William W. Viergever
>Viergever & Associates
>Health Data Analysis / Systems Design & Development
>2920 Arden Way Suite N
>Sacramento, CA 95825
>wil...@viergever.net
>www.viergever.net
> (916) 483-8398
>--------------------------------------------------------------
>
>-----Original Message-----

>From: sem...@googlegroups.com [mailto:sem...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Rick C. Hodgin

>Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 7:45 PM
>To: sem...@googlegroups.com
>Subject: Re: [TSE] Re: TSE 2.5 for DOS: Anyone remember it?
>

>For me it was QEdit (TSE) in May, 1987. I downloaded from a bulletin board (BBS) at 1200 baud, and fell in love. My company had been teaching me TED, a horrid mainframe text editor ported to MS-DOS. Slow, page editor, clunky command interface. They all loved it. Truly floored me.
>
>QEdit was superior in every way. And everybody quickly migrated once they saw me using it. The ability to scroll and not just move page up/down at a time blew them away. :-) Never mind the on-the-fly macros, or horizontal or vertical windows. Just amazing.
>
>Sammy created a masterpiece. Wish he would release it as free software. The world sure could use it.
>
>Best regards,
>Rick C. Hodgin
>
>-------- Original Message --------
> From: Michael Boyd <michae...@verizon.net>
> Sent: Thu, May 24, 2012 10:22 PM
> To: sem...@googlegroups.com
> CC:

> Subject: Re: [TSE] Re: TSE 2.5 for DOS: Anyone remember it?
>

[bullt...@gmail.com]

One of my favorite features were the on-the-fly macros, as well. Still hooked on them.

That plus line blocks. When moving source code around, most of the time, I move whole lines. Even today, partial-line blocks are still a pain in the neck.

Oh, and to be able to use Wordstar keystrokes, as well, was a nice side benefit. For that day and time, at least. Actually, I still use ^T (delete word) and ^Y (delete line) all the time. Plus I still have ^R and ^C , ^E ^S ^D ^X (the pre gamer WASD), ^A and ^F defined.

While I have purchased the other editors, I **ALWAYS** come back to TSE, usually after only a few minutes. Mostly because they're missing these features or the ability to program them.

One feature NONE of the others have is most excellent support from the author!

Cheerios!

Dan

[Clueless in Seattle]

It's great reading all the post from you old timers who still have a
soft spot in your heart for the DOS version of TSE.

I started with WordStar in CP/M, then when I belatedly started using a
PC, I used QEdit, VDE and finally TSE. Once I found TSE I never
looked back.

The only two features I remember wishing it had were 1) Long filenames
and 2) Outlining.

I'm wondering if one of the newer DOS operating systems might support
long filenames and still be able to run TSE.

I'm also wonder if I could create TSE macros in TSE 2.5 that would
allow hiding and showing the text under the headings in an outline
structure.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. First I have to figure out how to
get my old TSE to work on the old hand-me-down laptop I have it
running on now. This particular laptop doesn't have the right CTRL &
ALT keys, so I'm having trouble using all my old familiar keyboard
commands. And the keyboard remapper I used to use won't work on the
current machine. The laptop I used back in the 90s died and I had to
copy the contents of it's HD to this one that a kind stranger gave to
me.

So I'm going to have to either find a way to remap the keyboard, or
find another laptop to run it on.

[bullt...@gmail.com]

Even since the old QEdit days, I have remapped my keyboards to put the left
Ctrl key to the left of the "A" where it was intended to be. Even used to
have a Northgate keyboard that had a switch built in to do just that.

I use TradeKeys, a PC Magazine utility, to make the registry changes but
I'm sure you can search the 'Net for these changes. Works perfectly, even
during login.

And frustrates others that use my computer.

Now to move the " above the 2 ...

----- Original Message -----
From: Clueless in Seattle <spamless.in....@gmail.com>
To: SemWare TSE Pro text editor <sem...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 18:51:43 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [TSE] Re: TSE 2.5 for DOS: Anyone remember it?

[knud van eeden]

1. Upgrading from TSE v2.5 to TSE V4.4

If applicable, then as a workaround with many advantages and improvements it could maybe be considered upgrading from v2.5 to the latest version of TSE v4.4

TSE v4.4 works great out of the box on of course 32 bits and similarly 64 bits machines e.g. running Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and 7.

https://semware.com/html/ordering/online_orderpro44g.html

---

2. TSE trial version

Optionally and if applicable download e.g. a TSE v4.4 trial version.

http://www.semware.com/html/demos.php

---

3. Recompiling the TSE v2.5 macros to TSE v4.4 macros

Most TSE v2.5 macros should run as is on TSE v4.4, or after only minor changes, but will have to be recompiled once.

---

3.1 Recompile the TSE macro manually

E.g. Load the TSE v2.5 file with extension .s in TSE 4.4, 

     press <ESCAPE>, then 'M'acro, then 'C'ompile.

---

3.2 Recompile the TSE macros automatically

E.g. Also batch (that is e.g. a whole directory full of .s files at the time) 

compiling of all the TSE v2.5. macros is possible by running the program sc32.exe

located in the TSE v4.4 directory

  sc32.exe c:\BACKUP_OF_YOUR_DIRECTORY_WITH_TSE_MACROS\*.s

will automatically recompile them for v.4.4 and show the warnings or errors

of the .s files that do not compile out of the box. Only that (smaller) 

subset of TSE macros could be looked into then and further improved manually.

See e.g. also

http://goo.gl/Xddex

---

3.3 Note: 

Optionally I could maybe have a quick look at the v2.5 .s files 

and or optionally maybe advise about it, 

E.g. 

-Zip the whole v2.5 directory in a .zip file. 

-Otherwise zip only the .s files 

-And send it to me. 

-It can then e.g. maybe be adapted to run on the v4.4 version, if not too much effort.

===

4. Long filenames 

(e.g. "This is my long filename.txt") as opposed to the short filename (Thisism~.txt)

TSE v4.4 supports long filenames (with or without spaces) out of the box.

(e.g. put a one double quote " at the front of the long filename with spaces in the file open dialog box to load such file,

E.g. type 

 "This is my long filename.txt

(so no closing double quote " is necessary)

Also of course the short filename 8.3 notation is supported, so backwards compatibility.

See e.g. also

http://goo.gl/vsQYX

===

5. Folding (Outlining)

Outlining could at least be manually approximated using some TSE macro.

See e.g. also

http://goo.gl/Nw3wG

---

with friendly greetings,

Knud van Eeden

IT specialist

---

> From: Clueless in Seattle 

[Clueless in Seattle]

Thanks to all of you for all your comments and suggestions.

I've been under the weather the last few days. I'm disabled by chronic illness and have frequent spells that last for days at a time when all I'm able to do is get myself up from bed to feed myself and then fall back into bed. 

I'm doing better now, thanks to an adjustment of my meds, and lots and lots of rest over the last few days, so I'd like to try to pick up where we left off.  I'm thinking that it might make sense to start a new thread, but I'll try here first.

1.  From what you guys have posted, it looks like I'm probably going to have to upgrade to TSE 4.4.  Does that mean that I'll have to run it under Windows?  I hate Windows because it's so squirrelly and is always doing stuff to my computer behind my back and under the table.  Drives me nuts!
 
2.  So, is there a way to run TSE in a DOS-like environment that would be under my control, the way MS-DOS was under my control.   For example, will current versions of TSE run under FreeDOS or any of the DOS replacement operating systems?  Or is there a way to run Windows so that all of its background monkey business is turned off or disabled. 

I plan to run my resurrected TSE on a machine that will not be connected to the internet or my local network.  I want it completely free from interference from any outside shenanigans. 
 
3.  I used to Run TSE 2.5 under DOSSHELL and had the computer configured so that DOSSHELL did all of its monkey business on a RAM disk, instead of on the hard drive.  That way it couldn't mess up my computer.  I'd like to try to set up Windows to work in the same way.

Any ideas on how to get a stable DOS-like Windows environment in which I could run the latest version of TSE?

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

BTW, on top of the physical limitations imposed on my by my illness, I also suffer from worsening cognitive impairment so it's getting to be harder and harder for me to learn new things and to remember much of anything anymore.  So, the simpler the better is now my motto.

[knud van eeden]

From: Clueless in Seattle 

---

> 1.  From what you guys have posted, it looks like I'm probably going to have to upgrade to TSE 4.4.  Does that mean that I'll have to run it 

> under Windows?  

There are 2 versions of TSE in this case g32.exe which runs under windows

and e32.exe console version which should possibly run in a DOS like 32 bits environment.

But it requires Win32 compatible DOS environments.

---

> 2.  So, is there a way to run TSE in a DOS-like environment that would be under my control, the way MS-DOS was under my control.   For 

> example, will current versions of TSE run under FreeDOS or any of the DOS replacement operating systems?  

No, e.g. if you run e32.exe on FreeDos 1.1 it will show 'This program must be run under Win32'. I have tested this just now.

So no way TSE v4.x is ever going to work on FreeDos.

---

> Or is there a way to run Windows so that all of its background monkey business is turned off or disabled.  

This is by design not possible. That is the way the current modern operating systems work. Some processes will have to run in the background,

though most could be switched off (e.g. using msconfig).

---

> I plan to run my resurrected TSE on a machine that will not be connected to the internet or my local network.  I want it completely free from 

>  interference from any outside shenanigans.  

The current TSE is designed and supported on Microsoft Windows 32 and also 64 bits operating systems, and runs as a beta on e.g. Linux.

---

 
3.  I used to Run TSE 2.5 under DOSSHELL and had the computer configured so that DOSSHELL did all of its monkey business on a RAM disk, instead of on the hard drive.  That way it couldn't mess up my computer.  I'd like to try to set up Windows to work in the same way.

Maybe running Windows + a DOS shell like TakeCommand.

---

> Any ideas on how to get a stable DOS-like Windows environment in which I could run the latest version of TSE?

1. Maybe the Linux way. But this will require a rather steep learning curve, or at least some learning and searching on e.g. Google about how to do things.

2. E.g. using Linux Knoppix to boot from CD, and running Wine with TSE beta Linux. But this will probably all be tested and not easy out of the box. And quite a lot of learning, checking and testing how to will be necessary.

3. E.g. using Linux Ubuntu, running Wine + TSE beta Linux. Also quite a lot of learning, checking and testing how to will be necessary.

4. Also FreeDos is not that easy. You must e.g. install network, DHCP, do a transfer files from your PC to FreeDOS using FTP, giving all kind of commands, knowing IP addresses and how to test network connections. It is a bit like the (early) Linux way, it works but you must have a lot of detailed knowledge or do much searching for how to. But TSE does thus not run on FreeDos.

5. So all together I would say rather complicated or at least not for most probably. 

6. Microsoft Windows 7 is designed to be easy. You start it supply password and user name. 

What I then do is start a DOS box using TakeCommand ( see http://www.jpsoft.com ). 

I then type 't.bat' to start TSE. 

From then on I work in TSE and start most of the (Windows) programs from there.

You have browsers to connect to the Internet and download and upload stuff. 

7. If all that is what is wanted, I would advise to keep using the old TSE v2.5 computer and see how far you can that running or get that repaired, as that probably (still) should work as it is installed and designed, and then not change anything with regard to environment anymore. 

And removing any network cable do disconnect from the Internet when the downloading and such other stuff has been done.

If all that is feasible and or possible still.

[knud van eeden]

> Or is there a way to run Windows so that all of its background monkey business is turned off or disabled.  

Here you see my personal working environment.

You only see 2 icons, TSE and JPSoft Take Command, a DOS shell.

TSE is worked in full screen on the left on a 30 inch monitor.

Dos and Windows commands are given, usually via aliases, e.g. 't' to start TSE, 'i' to start Internet Explorer, 'exp' to start Explorer, ..., in the Take Command DOS shell, or I give that same alias commands via a list in TSE.

Everything else (e.g. icons on the desktop) is hidden, and you only see the Microsoft Windows background further.

===

See 

Computer: Editor: Text: TSE: Microsoft: Windows: Minimal: Could you give some example of running TSE in a minimal Microsoft Windows environment?

http://goo.gl/uxu60

===

[Clueless in Seattle]

Thanks, Knud,

I appreciate all the detailed info you're providing me.

I'm limited by physical and mental disabilities so it takes me a long
time to process information these days. I'm only able to work at my
computers for a few minutes at a time before I either become too
physically tired to continue or too mentally exhausted to understand
what I'm reading.

So I have to go back day after day to the same messages to try to
understand them.

I'm still working on this thread. So don't think I'm ignoring you or
that I'm not grateful for your generous sharing of your expertise.

[Clueless in Seattle]

OK, I'm back. I had to take a few days off to rest up. But I've set
a goal of working for one hour on this project three mornings our of
the next six, i.e. one hour every other day. Wish me luck!

I think I should probably start a new thread for my next question, but
I'll probably come back to this one to follow up on your advice and
suggestions.

[Rick C. Hodgin]

Great luck (better than "good luck," right?)!! :-)

-------- Original Message --------
From: Clueless in Seattle <spamless.in....@gmail.com>
Sent: Mon, Jul 2, 2012 01:49 PM
To: SemWare TSE Pro text editor <sem...@googlegroups.com>
CC:
Subject: [TSE] Re: TSE 2.5 for DOS: Anyone remember it?