Tag: MS-DOS Edit

Microsoft recently announced a new version of its cross-platform command-line editor, Edit, on GitHub. It pays homage to classic tools from the MS-DOS era, is rebuilt in the Rust programming language with a modern architecture, and can be used in cross-platform environments including Windows, macOS, and Linux. This also addresses the long-standing lack of a default command-line editor in the 64-bit Windows operating system. MS-DOS Edit was introduced in 1991 with DOS 5.0, becoming a tool for many users to experience "modern" text editing. The original version invoked the QBasic editor through a launcher called EDIT.COM and operated via a text interface. Later, when Microsoft focused on the Windows operating system, it transitioned to a command-line editor. The new Edit is only about 250KB in size. Its original design philosophy was to allow intuitive command-line input, just like in the DOS era, making it intuitive and practical, and easy to use on different operating systems. It can be downloaded and installed via GitHub, installed using the Snap package in Linux environments, and even a 16-bit text mode version for MS-DOS can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Microsoft redesigned Edit using the Rust language. In addition to adopting a more secure and performance-enhancing underlying architecture, it also maintains a small file size, cross-platform compatibility, and open-source characteristics. As a result, it has attracted a lot of attention and recognition from the developer community, while also reflecting the irreplaceable position of traditional command-line editors in modern development processes.