KblangInstrux-D9
05.10.29
KBLANG™, the ZigZag® Power User Interface
The following is the interface to all versions of ZigZag (Azz, Ezz, Gzz, Zzz). [Gzz-specific features are in blue.] [Zzz-specific features are in red.]

SUMMARY. You need to know the main commands on the keyboard.
A bigger picture of the keyboard is below.

> [Gzz only] You can select cells with the mouse in one of the ZigZag programs. Selecting with the mouse in the left window moves the left cursor, selecting the right window moves the right cursor.

> However, to use ZigZag properly, you need to know Kblang, our KeyBoardLANGuage. It allows you to perform operations rapidly in both windows simultaneously, rotating views in multiple dimensions, creating and editing new cells, and making and breaking connections. You do not have to "shift focus" between windows, as in conventional interfaces.

[Gzz only] FIRING UP GZZ

> Gzz on Linux: you're on your own with the Java invocation. It may help to look at the Windows and Mac

> We have prepared

THE TWO WINDOWS

> There are two windows. Each has a current view and three axes (horizontal, vertical and forward-back).

> These three axes of the window have a current set of three dimensions assigned to them. These current dimensions are listed in the window's upper left corner. The name of the view is in the upper right corner.

THE TWO CURSORS

> The green cursor stays in the center of the left window, the blue cursor stays in the center of the right window. Sometimes sometimes both can see each other, sometimes only one can see the other, sometimes neither sees the other.

> The cursor is distinct from the cell it sits on, which we call the accursèd cell.

> The cell ID or cellno of the two accursèd cells are shown in the lower corners of their respective windows.

UNDO

> [GZZ only] "u".

> [Zzz only] Undo: ctrl-z. Redo: ctrl-y.

KBLANG MAIN KEYS

Here we show the main ZigZag control keys.

CHANGING VIEWS

> To go to the next view in a window, hit "v" (right window) or "V" (left window). Each time you hit these, another view appears, until you complete the circle of available views.

CHANGING AXES

> To change the x-axis, hit "x" (right window) or "X" (left window). Each time you hit these, another dimension replaces the x-axis, until you complete the circle of available dimensions.

> To change the y-axis, hit "y" (right window) or "Y" (left window). Each time you hit these, another dimension replaces the y-axis, until you complete the circle of available dimensions.

> To change the z-axis, hit "z" (right window) or "Z" (left window). Each time you hit these, another dimension replaces the z-axis, until you complete the circle of available dimensions.

ZZARROWS

> ZZarrows are used for most commands, to specify a direction. Directions in the left window are specified by zzarrow keys e,s,f,c. Directions in the right window are specified by zzarrow keys i,j,l,(,).

> [Gzz only] The right-hand window directions of up and down, left and right may also be selected by the regular arrow keys of the keyboard.

> Forward in the left window is d, backward in the left window is D (not shown in the illustration). Forward in the right window is k, backward in the right window is K (not shown in the illustration).

CURSOR MOVEMENTS WITH ZZARROWS

> By themselves, zzarrows specify the cursor movements. (Cursor movements may also be handled by mouse or touchpad.)

NEW CELL (requires zzarrow)

> You command the creation of a new cell by "n". The cell is not created until you specify a zzarrow.

> [Azz, Ezz, Zzz] NEW CELL IN Azz, Ezz, Zzz:

> Whether the cell is opened for editing depends on whether the "n" is capitalized or not.

> > n zzarrow Make new cell and open for editing
> > N zzarrow Make new cell, leave its number in it

> [Gzz only] NEW CELL IN Gzz:

> > n zzarrow. Cell is not opened for editing until you hit TAB.

DELETING A CELL

> [Gzz only] DELETING A CELL in Gzz: either DELETE key or apostrophe or both, depending on keybindings (which you may change).

> [Gzz only] UNDO can usually reverse a deletion.

EDITING A CELL

> EDITING A CELL in Azz: see directions with Azz downloads on the Web.

> EDITING A CELL in Gzz (NOT POSSIBLE WITH THE LATEST VERSION OF JAVA-- after Java 1.3)

> Place the blue cursor on the cell, then hit TAB. The background color changes. Now edit within the cell (not all keys work). When cell is edited, hit TAB again to close the cell.

> [Gzz only] PASTE INTO CELL: requires EDITHACK [cell 9].

> > Documentation not currently available.

CONNECTION (requires zzarrow)

> To connect two cells, select them with the green and blue cursor. Hit ! and select the direction of connection with a zzarrow.)

> [Gzz only] connecting a single cell from within a rank will insert it in that rank. This is strange but works nicely in conjunction with Excising (below).

> [Gzz only] You may also use "/" as the connection key. Sometimes a previous connection will be broken by the new connection.

DELETING A CELL

> WINDOWS: To delete a cell, place the blue cursor on it and hit DEL.

> MACINTOSH: To delete a cell, place the blue cursor on it and hit ' (apostrophe).

BREAKING CONNECTION (requires zzarrow)

> To break a connection from either cursor, hit "b" followed by a zzarrow.

> GO TO ARBITRARY CELL

> Cellno g (right window), cellno G (left window).

SHUTTING DOWN

> [Zzz] Ctrl-q.

> [Gzz] With new dataset, "q". This is usually reset to "+" to avoid accidental closures,

Zzz: the 3D system

> All standard operations work in Zzz. The turns and view tricks may be performed at the same time.

Turns and View Tricks (in Zzz)

> Zzz has several ShowBizKeys--

> "1" key. Show next segment (cycles through right window, right plus left, fiducial marks)

> "2" key. Enlarge, stop, shrink, stop, enlarge...

> "3" key. Rotate, stop, rotate... (on a fixed angle).

> ctrl-q. QUIT.

SLIGHTLY HARDER

HOP (requires zzarrow)

> (Requires practice and study to understand.) To hop a cell selected by either cursor, type h followed by a zzarrow.

CLONE (requires zzarrow)

> (Requires practice and study to understand.) A clone is a cell with the same content as some original cell. To clone a cell in the right window, hit t and any zzarrow. To clone a cell in the left window, hit T and any zzarrow. Note that the clones are connected along d.clone, which is an operative dimension, meaning that it does something beside just represent relations.)

EXCISE

> [Gzz only] Excise (ctrl-x followed by zzarrow) removes a cell from a rank in the direction of the zzarrow. The cell can then be connected otherwise. If you do this at an intersection of two ranks, it separates the two ranks.

CURSOR TRICKS

> < Green cursor joins blue cursor
> > Blue cursor joins green cursor
> o Go to Original from a clone
> ~ Exchange cursors on their accursèd cells. (Requires practice and study to understand.)
> % Exchange accursèd cells under the cursors, replacing the connections with the connections of the other on the three current axes. (Requires practice and study to understand.)

MARKING

> "m" marks the cell under the blue cursor. Currently this has no function. [Gzz only] Mark has certain obscure functions.

NOT FOR BEGINNERS

> > EXCEPT FOR THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW, DO NOT DO ANYTHING IN THE SYSTEMS AREA. (Below cell 5 on d.2) OTHERWISE THE SYSTEM WILL SOON CEASE TO FUNCTION. (Intrepid users of Gzz may proceed further from their documentation.)

NEW DIMENSION (requires zzarrow)

> Go to the dimension list [Gzz only: cell 589] and add a dimension name after d.3 but before the system dimension names. You may later delete the dimension names you have put in, but no others.

[Gzz only] CHANGING THE VIEW LIST [Note: DO NOT DELETE EITHER "ROW" OR COLUMN" VIEW FROM CURRENT VIEW LIST, OR YOU'RE DEAD.]

> Go to the view list [cell 332] with one cursor and to the "all views" list with the other cursor [cell 331]. Clone the desired cell from the all-views list to the view list.

[Gzz only] CHANGING KEYBINDINGS

> Go to the keybindings list [cell 58] and changing the left-hand cells to the keys you wish to associate with the routines on the right.

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