The author of this informal introduction to techniques associated with text editing wastes no time in getting specific. Half of the book’s second page is devoted to the C code for an input routine. By the end of the first chapter’s ten pages, four versions of the code have been presented. Fortunately, this pace does not set the tone for the rest of the book. Subsequent chapters deal with broader themes of interest far beyond the confines of designing text editors. One chapter is devoted to characterizing the spectrum of light to heavy users of computers; another chapter deals with user interface hardware.

The author presents a model for text editing that comprises three parts: a command processor, an internal sub-editor, and a redisplay module. The chapter devoted to command set design is applicable to many other kinds of applications. It presents principles of good command set design, such as uniformity and extensibility. The last chapter is devoted to Emacs-type editors. Appendices give a concise introduction to C, Emacs implementations and availability, and the Emacs and TECO command sets.

The book should certainly be of interest to designers of text editors; it will be of interest to designers of interactive software of all types. Each chapter ends with a set of questions intended to probe the reader’s understanding. The book may also be of value as a source of projects for students who have a good grounding in data structures. Those looking for a broader view of text processing may wish to consult Smith [1].