Curses UI - Complete Feature Reference¶

This document covers all features available in the Curses UI, organized by category.

File Operations (7 features)¶

New Program ({{kbdcurses}})¶

Clear the current program and start fresh.

Open/Load File ({{kbd:open:curses}})¶

Load a BASIC program from disk. Opens a file browser to select the file.

Save File ({{kbd:save:curses}})¶

Save the current program to disk. If no filename is set, prompts for one. Note: Uses {{kbd:save:curses}} because {{kbd:save:curses}} is reserved for terminal flow control.

Save As (Shift+{{kbd:save:curses}})¶

Save the current program with a new filename.

View and load from a list of recently opened files. Access through File menu.

Auto-Save¶

The Curses UI automatically saves your work periodically to prevent data loss.

Merge Files¶

Merge another BASIC program into the current one. Useful for combining code modules.

Execution & Control (6 features)¶

Run Program ({{kbd:run:curses}})¶

Execute the current BASIC program from the beginning.

Stop/Interrupt ({{kbd:stop:curses}})¶

Stop a running program immediately.

Continue ({{kbd:goto_line:curses}})¶

Resume execution after hitting a breakpoint or stepping.

Display the program listing in the editor. Access through the menu bar.

Renumber ({{kbd:renumber:curses}})¶

Renumber all program lines with consistent increments. Opens a dialog to specify start line and increment.

Auto Line Numbers¶

Automatically generate line numbers when entering new lines. Toggle on/off as needed.

Debugging (6 features)¶

Breakpoints ({{kbd:toggle_breakpoint:curses}})¶

Toggle a breakpoint on the current line. Execution will pause when reaching this line. - Set: Click margin or press {{kbd:toggle_breakpoint:curses}} - Indicated by: ● symbol in line number margin

Step Statement ({{kbd:step:curses}})¶

Execute one BASIC statement and pause. Useful for debugging complex lines with multiple statements.

Step Line ({{kbd:step_line:curses}})¶

Execute the next line of code and pause. Advances one line number at a time.

Clear All Breakpoints (Shift+^B)¶

Remove all breakpoints from the program at once. Use Shift+Ctrl+B keyboard shortcut.

Multi-Statement Debug¶

When stepping, the debugger highlights individual statements on lines with multiple statements (separated by :).

Current Line Highlight¶

The currently executing line is highlighted with a cyan background during program execution.

Variable Inspection (6 features)¶

Note: The Curses UI provides a dedicated Variables Window. In CLI mode, variable inspection uses the PRINT statement instead. See CLI Variables for details.

Variables Window ({{kbd:toggle_variables:curses}})¶

Open/close the variables inspection window showing all program variables and their current values. Access: {{kbd:toggle_variables:curses}} or via menu (Ctrl+U → Debug → Variables)

Edit Variable Value (Not implemented)¶

⚠️ Variable editing is not available in Curses UI. You cannot directly edit values in the variables window. Use immediate mode commands to modify variable values instead.

Variable Filtering (f key in variables window)¶

Filter the variables list to show only variables matching a search term.

Variable Sorting (s key in variables window)¶

Cycle through different sort orders: - Accessed: Most recently accessed (read or written) - newest first - Written: Most recently written to - newest first - Read: Most recently read from - newest first - Name: Alphabetically by variable name

Press 'd' to toggle sort direction (ascending/descending).

Execution Stack¶

View the call stack showing:

Access methods: - Via menu: Ctrl+U → Debug → Execution Stack - Via command: Type STACK in immediate mode (same as CLI) - Active GOSUB calls - FOR/NEXT loops - WHILE loops Helps understand program flow and nesting levels.

How to access: 1. Press Ctrl+U to open the menu bar 2. Navigate to the Debug menu 3. Select "Execution Stack" option

Note: There is no dedicated keyboard shortcut to avoid conflicts with editor typing.

Resource Usage¶

Monitor memory and variable usage in the status bar.

Editor Features (7 features)¶

Line Editing¶

Edit BASIC code line-by-line with full cursor navigation.

Multi-Line Edit¶

Edit multiple lines at once in the full-screen editor.

Delete Lines ({{kbd:delete:curses}})¶

Delete the current line in the editor.

Cut/Copy/Paste (Not implemented)¶

Standard clipboard operations are not available in the Curses UI due to keyboard shortcut conflicts: - {{kbd:stop:curses}} - Used for Stop/Interrupt (cannot be used for Cut) - {{kbd:continue:curses}} - Terminal signal to exit program (cannot be used for Copy) - {{kbd:save:curses}} - Used for Save File (cannot be used for Paste; {{kbd:save:curses}} is reserved by terminal for flow control)

Workaround: Use your terminal's native copy/paste functions instead (typically Shift+Ctrl+C/V or mouse selection).

Find/Replace (Not yet implemented)¶

Find and Replace functionality is not yet available in Curses UI via keyboard shortcuts.

Workaround: Use text editor commands in your terminal (if available) or load/edit/save files externally.

Smart Insert ({{kbd:smart_insert:curses}})¶

Insert a new line number at the midpoint between the current line and the next line. Example: Between lines 10 and 20, inserts line 15.

Sort Lines¶

Lines are automatically kept in numerical order. Manual sorting is available if needed.

Syntax Checking¶

Real-time syntax validation as you type. Syntax errors are marked with a '?' symbol in the line number margin.

Settings & Configuration (1 feature)¶

Interactive settings dialog for configuring MBASIC behavior. Adjust auto-numbering, keyword case style, variable handling, themes, and more. Access: {{kbd:settings:curses}} or via menu (Ctrl+U → File → Settings)

See Curses Settings Widget for complete documentation.

Help System (4 features)¶

Help Command (?)¶

Display the main help screen with keyboard shortcuts and feature overview. Press ? to open help.

Integrated Docs¶

Complete MBASIC language reference and UI guide built into the help system.

Search Help¶

Search the help system for specific topics, commands, or keywords.

Context Help¶

Press ? with cursor on a BASIC keyword to get help for that specific command.

Quick Reference¶

Most Used Shortcuts¶

Shortcut	Action
{{kbdcurses}}	New Program
{{kbd:open:curses}}	Open File
{{kbd:save:curses}}	Save File
{{kbd:run:curses}}	Run Program
{{kbd:stop:curses}}	Stop Program
{{kbd:toggle_breakpoint:curses}}	Toggle Breakpoint
{{kbd:step:curses}}	Step Statement
{{kbd:step_line:curses}}	Step Line
{{kbd:goto_line:curses}}	Continue
{{kbd:toggle_variables:curses}}	Variables Window
Menu only	Execution Stack
?	Help

Status Bar Indicators¶

● - Breakpoint set on line
? - Syntax error on line
Cyan highlight - Currently executing line