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PHAEDRA - Text Editor for OS/2, eComStation and ArcaOS
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DESCRIPTION
-----------------
Phaedra is a lightweight text editor for OS/2 and compatible systems. It
features a native Presentation Manager (PM) "notebook"-like interface,
allowing you to edit multiple text files in a single window using tabs.
Built entirely with native OS/2 controls and VisPro/REXX, it provides a
fast and deeply system-integrated editing experience. 

MAIN FEATURES
-----------------
* Multi-Document Interface: Edit multiple files simultaneously in tabs.
* Text Operations: Convert selected text to upper/lower case, or easily 
  comment out selected text (e.g., in REXX files).
* Shortcuts: Quickly insert timestamps or user-defined text blocks.
* Drag & Drop Customization: Drop fonts and colors directly from the OS/2 
  system palettes. Configure default settings or customize each tab 
  individually (e.g., to create a modern "Dark Mode" look with a dark 
  background and light text).
* Extended Attributes (EAs): If your file system supports EAs, Phaedra 
  automatically saves and restores your specific fonts, colors, and the 
  last cursor position for each file.
* Smart File Attributes: Automatically switches the editor to "read-only" 
  when opening write-protected files (can be manually overridden to force 
  an overwrite).
* Textblocks, see below.

Textblocks
-----------------
Phaedra allows you to insert frequently used text snippets using keyboard 
shortcuts ("CTRL+F1" through "CTRL+F12"). 

To create or edit a textblock:
1. Select the text in your document that you want to save as a snippet.
2. Go to the "Range" menu and choose "Create Textblock".
3. Select the desired Shortcut ("CTRL+F1" to "CTRL+F12").
4. Enter a descriptive name for the menu entry (max. 30 characters).
5. Click "Save".

The textblock is now saved and immediately available in the "Edit" menu. 
You can insert it at the current cursor position either by clicking the 
menu entry (edit>insert>textblock>...)or by pressing the assigned 
"CTRL+Fn" shortcut.



SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
-----------------
* Operating System: OS/2 Warp 4, eComStation or ArcaOS
* Runtime: VisPro/REXX Runtime Libraries (freely available)


NOTES & LIMITATIONS
-------------------
* Syntax Highlighting: Currently neither implemented nor planned.
* Printing: Not supported in the current version (might be added in the 
  future).
* Source Code: Phaedra was developed in VisproRexx. The source code is 
  available on request.


Troubleshooting
-------------------
If the program does not start anymore, e.g., after a crash, try running 
"killqueue.cmd". This deletes the queue used for IPC, which might still be 
active. This should normally not be necessary, but the program is still in 
the preview stage.


INSTALLATION & UNINSTALLATION
-----------------------------
1. Extract the archive to a directory of your choice (e.g., X:\APPS\PHAEDRA).
2. Run the included `install.cmd` script. This will automatically create a 
   Workplace Shell (WPS) program object for Phaedra on your Desktop.
3. Start the program via the new Desktop icon, or directly via PHAEDRA.EXE.

To cleanly remove the WPS object and deregister the application from your 
system before deleting the Phaedra directory, simply run `uninstall.cmd`.

Frank Wochatz, September 2026
mail@subsys.de



