SlickEdit User Guide

WORKING WITH FILES
If no arguments are given, the current working directory is swapped with the directory at the top of the
directory stack. After using pushd, you can use the popd command to remove the top directory from the
directory stack and make it the new working directory.
Working Directory in the Build Window
The working directory in the editor is different from the working directory in the Build tool window. The Build
window is a shell that displays build and compile output, and also allows you to type operating system
commands and see the results. It is docked to the bottom tab group of the editor by default. It can also be
displayed by clicking View > Toolbars > Build from the main menu.
The working directory is shown in the prompt inside the Build window. When you first launch SlickEdit®,
the window is blank. Type a command in the window for the prompt to be displayed.
By default, when the directory is changed in the editor, it is also changed in the Build window. However, the
reverse is not true: changing the directory in the Build window does not change the directory in the editor.
To make the working directory completely independent so that a change directory does not affect the Build
window, make sure the Process chdir option on the Change Directory dialog is off (not selected) and save
the settings (see Manually Changing the Working Directory).
Creating Files
SlickEdit® provides four methods for creating new files:
• Using the e Command
• Using the New File Dialog
• Using Code Templates
• Using Write Selection
Using the e Command
One of the quickest ways to both create and open files in SlickEdit® is to use the e command on the
SlickEdit command line, using the syntax e file, where file is the name of the file. If the specified file does
not exist, a new buffer by that name will be created. If it already exists, the file will be loaded in a new
buffer. The e command is just a shortcut for the edit command, so you can use edit instead, if you prefer.
If you’re opening a file and the file is not in the current working directory, use the full path. Command Line
Completion will help entering file names and paths.
Using the New File Dialog
If you prefer working with an interface, use the menu item File > New to create a new file. This displays the
New dialog open to the File tab. First select the Document Mode for the new file (recently chosen modes
are listed at the top). If a project is open, the Add to Project box is checked automatically. Specify a
Filename, the Location, and Encoding, then click OK. See the section on the New dialog’s File Tab for
more information about these fields.
You can create a new, untitled buffer by unchecking Add to Project, then double-clicking on a language in
the Document Mode list.
Using Code Templates
Code templates are pre-defined units of code that you can use to automate the creation of common code
elements, like a standard class implementation or design patterns. See Code Templates for more
information and details about this feature.
To instantiate a predefined Code Template, complete the following steps:
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