This is my Micro. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

• Introduction
• Custom key bindings
• External tools
• Installation

Micro is a terminal based code editor ... more of this on the official web site.

Features listed include:

• Easy to use and install.
• No dependencies or external files are needed — just a single binary.
• Multiple cursors.
• Common key bindings
• Syntax highlighting
• Copy and paste with the system clipboard.
• Regex search and replace
• Small and simple.
• Easily configurable.

Difficulties:

• Your terminal, your problem: key bindings are dependent upon your terminal sending the key codes to Micro. Most terminals have limitations and will not recognise common key chords (e.g. Windows Console, via cmd.exe, won't distinguish between Ctrl+Alpha and Ctrl+Alt+Alpha).
• Features not implemented: Code Folding, Modal Editing, Spell checking, Replace newline characters
• Lua chunks fail as a whole: Each separate Lua file is parsed as a unit, failure will invalidate all the functions defined in that file.

I have chosen to customise Micro, far away from the defaults:

• Launch Micro using a batch file, to set title and use a local home directory (not ~/.config/micro ).
• Custom key bindings that click in my mind, but don't all work directly with the windows console.
• Autohotkey to translate some key chords so they are recognised by both the windows console and Micro.
• External tools, some of which are Windows only.

These customisations are only possible thanks to the giants who's shoulders I have stood upon! I have tried to acknowledge the sources of code in my script - please let me know if I have missed you out.

Before presenting my changes, a word about plugins - I feel there is a valid case against plugins:

• I don't like it when plugins overwrite my keyboard shortcuts.
• I don't want to install/learn git.
• I don't want to load any code I don't understand.
• All my Lua is in one file - init.lua.

Each file in this repository is annotated and should explain what is happening.

The directory structure is important so my script can find files when necessary

editor
|   micro.bat
|   micro.exe
|   micro.ahk
|
+---confMicro
|   |   bindings.json
|   |   init.lua
|   |   lua.lua
|   |   settings.json
|   |
|   +---colorschemes - only additions or modifications
|   |       gmh.micro
|   |       gmh_blue.micro
|   |       gmh_light.micro
|   |
|   +---favorites
|   |       commands.txt
|   |       files.txt
|   |       lua.txt
|   |       recent.txt
|   |       recent.txt.tmp
|   |       shell.txt
|   |       textfilter.txt
|   |
|   +---help  - only additions or modifications
|   |       actions.md
|   |       bat.md
|   |       bookmark.md
|   |       defaults.md
|   |       fzf.md
|   |       keys.md
|   |       linter.md
|   |       loc.md
|   |       lsp.md
|   |       lua.md
|   |       regex.md
|   |       replace.md
|   |
|   +---history
|   |       cd.fzf
|   |       cmd.fzf
|   |       com.fzf
|   |       find.fzf
|   |       findinfiles.fzf
|   |       fzf.fzf
|   |       goto.fzf
|   |       help.fzf
|   |       ins.fzf
|   |       key.fzf
|   |       lines.fzf
|   |       lines.lua
|   |       lua.fzf
|   |       open.fzf
|   |       ref.fzf
|   |       shell.fzf
|   |       snip.fzf
|   |       tem.fzf
|   |       textfilter.fzf
|   |       zback.fzf
|   |
|   +---syntax - only additions or modifications
|   |       bat.yaml
|   |       html.yaml
|   |       Readme.txt
|   |       sqlite.yaml
|   |       text.yaml
|   |
|   \---zBackup

For Windows many of these key bindings will not work without Autohotkey, which translates them into alternatives recognised by both the console and Micro.

In my trials of many editors, there are some editing actions and shortcuts I find useful - so I have adopted them. In my selections you can see traces of CUA, WordStar and even Vim.

There are some instances where a clickable dialog box can be very useful (uses extrnal tools from https://www.robvanderwoude.com/dialogboxes.php).

TODO Micro won't fold yet!

Fuzzy finder is a fantastic piece of software. There is enough power to replace almost all user interface widgets. I have implemented many functions with unmodified fzf.exe, using helpers such as bat.exe, findstr.exe and grep.exe.

It is helpful to use a different colour scheme for the fzf screens to aid in context switching. When fzf is active it has it's own keybindings.

• TBC - default bindings

Fzf has its own syntax to control filtering:

• ^ matches pattern at the beginning (START)
• $ matches pattern at the end (END)
• ' literal search pattern (EXACT)
• ! exclude search pattern (NOT)
• | alternate search pattern (OR)
• Space for multiple patterns (AND)

Terms are separated by spaces - not sure braces work.

A searchable list of keybindings, this is great method to increase discoverability:

Powerful editors have command lines, this list includes annotations about the commands, merged with the command history:

This allows fzf searching of the current file, and then navigates to the selected position (you can also search for a line number).

Keeping a log of editing locations during a session, allows easy backtracking.

Entering a target string filters the current file, then additional plain text searching is done using FZF.

Switching between open buffers needs to be as painless as possible. This list includes open windows, recent files and favourites:

This is one area where FZF shines. Using the current buffer path as proxy for the project domain, let the file finding begin:

This works best for locally stored versions sharing similar filenames. e.g. .\zBackup\2023_09_23_67465_Filename.ext

I like to keep local copies of the runtime help files, add my own MarkDown files, and use cheatsheets:

I use this for locally stored versions sharing similar filenames. e.g. .\zBackup\2023_09_23_67465_Filename.ext

Insert file/filename from project:

Select complete words from the current open buffer, can help avoid typos in variable names:

A list of useful annotated one liners, by file type:

From a selection of template files.

From a selection of snippets.

This list includes saved shell commands:

This lists saved textfilter commands:

Lua commands may be entered in a command line, or replaced in the text.

These are the external tools I use from Micro:

• AutohotkeyU64.exe Version 1.1.33.00 (https://www.autohotkey.com/download/1.1/AutoHotkey_1.1.31.00.zip)
• awk.exe in your path (https://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/gawk.htm)
• bat.exe in your path (https://github.com/sharkdp/bat)
• cat.exe in your path (http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/coreutils.htm)
• ctags.exe in your path (https://github.com/universal-ctags/ctags-win32/releases)
• fzf.exe in your path (https://github.com/junegunn/fzf/releases)
• GetPlainText.exe in your path (http://clipdiary.com/getplaintext/)
• GrepWin.exe in your path, I'm using Version 1.6.1.519 (https://tools.stefankueng.com/grepWin_cmd.html)
• msgbox.exe in your path (http://claudiosoft.online.fr/msgbox.html)
• openfilebox.exe in your path (https://www.robvanderwoude.com/dialogboxes.php#OpenFileBox)
• SaveFileBox.exe in your path (https://www.robvanderwoude.com/dialogboxes.php#SaveFileBox)
• shelexec.exe in your path (http://www.naughter.com/shelexec.html)
• TextDiff.exe in your path (http://www.angusj.com/delphi/textdiff.html
• tr.exe in your path (http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/coreutils.htm)
• Hunspell.exe in a set location, with dictionaries in a set location. (https://sourceforge.net/projects/ezwinports/files/hunspell-1.3.2-3-w32-bin.zip

I keep the spellchecker (with dictionaries) local to Micro, along with any text files for insertion (Templates,Snippets,Lines of code):

editor
|   micro.bat
|   micro.exe
|   micro.ahk
|           
+---confMicro - As above
|   |   ... 
|                  
+---hunspell
|       en_GB.aff
|       en_GB.dic
|       en_GB.usr
|       en_med_glut.dic
|       en_US.aff
|       en_US.dic
|       es_ES.aff
|       es_ES.dic
|       hunspell.bat
|       hunspell.exe
|       hunspell.txt
|       Hunspellx.txt
|       Hunspellx64.dll
|       Hunspellx86.dll
|       libhunspell-1.3-0.dll
|       libiconv-2.dll
|       libintl-8.dll
|       libncurses5.dll
|       libreadline6.dll
|       MadDict.en_GB
|       temp.txt
|       user.dic
|       USER_DICT.aff
|       USER_DICT.dic
|       
+---insertions
|       api
|       api.bat
|       api.html
|       api.lua
|       api.md
|       api.mmd
|       api.sqlite
|       api.txt
|       
+---snippets
|   |   
|   +---html
|   |       image.htm
|   |       table.htm
|   |       
|   +---md
|   |       toc.md
|   |       
|   \---mmd
|           table.mmd
|           toc.md
|           
\---templates
        default.bat
        default.cpp
        default.css
        default.ico
        default.java
        default.js
        default.jsp
        default.md
        default.php
        default.pl
        default.py
        default.rb
        default.sqlite
        default.tex
        default.vbs
        default.wsf
        default.xml

Additionally, above my editor folder I have a help folder full of files, including a download from micro-cheat.

Just download the repository to a folder of your choice. I am in the process of removing any absolute paths from my script.

I am not a git user, so all the files have been dragged and dropped into the repository. Happy to discuss the contents, no idea how to accept pull requests!

Kind Regards Gavin Holt