# Help for Textpads
(These were earlier called TextViews )
Textpads allow display of multiline textual information and provide for basic search, and vim-like navigation keys.
Some textpads are extended to display multiple buffers such as the help screens. Textpads may display text that has ANSI escape codes such as unix `man` pages, or the output of commands such as `ri` or `dooby` or any other unix command that outputs colored output.
There is a second format that provides a lot more control than ANSI, which is a `tmux` like format. This is used in the `status_line`.
Finally, there is a (new) help format, much like markdown (very restricted, though). This page is formatted using the help format.
Following are some styles it provides:
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strong using __ as in __strong__. end
-
strong using double asterisks that is ** : **strong text with spaces**. end
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emphasis using single asterisk * as in emphasis. end. Emphasis *taking spaces in* between with single asterisk.
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emphasis using single _ as in thisisemphsized, will not take _
inside.
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code using tilde as in `do_process_now` or `@bgcolor` and `$fgcolor`.
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underline using bar as in |underlined|, this depends on TERM setting. xterm shows underlines, most others do not.
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Link as in [[list]] (double brackets in source, but single in display).
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key using angular brackets as in <KEY_BACKSPACE>.
A block follows in white and bold (start with a single > on previous line, and end with a single < char after block: >
I think most of these need to be fixed so they don't start capturing if surrounded by spaces. A lookahead and lookbehind is required other wise they can wreak havoc.
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Textpads do not provide row selection, but do allow mapping of the <ENTER> key and provide the `word_under_cursor` to the calling block as part of the action event. For instance, on this (or other) help pages, pressing the <TAB> key will take the cursor to the next link (if there is one). Pressing <ENTER> on the link will open the linked help file. This is the link to the [[index]] or main help page.