Key Bindings
Almost all features of signum were available using key bindings or keyboard shortcuts. This allowed complex interactions to be recorded, saved and re-used as keyboard macros.
Writing Mode
The behavior of writing “normal” text depends on the writing mode settings in the functions menu:
SIGNUM2.PRG)Automatic Insertion
When automatic insertion (Autom. Einfügen) was active, typing a character would move the rest of the line before inserting the character. If it was off, the characters would be written on top of the existing line. Signum! allows for 0 offset between character positions, so characters can be stacked on top of each other.
Automatic Line Feed
If the automatic line feed (Autom. Zeilenvorschub) was active and the space bar was pressed at a position past the configured right margin of the page, Signum would insert a new main line one main line distance below the current one, adjust the horizontal position to the start (carriage return) of the line or the tabulator / indent and move the overhanging word to that line, if necessary.
RETURN creates line
RETURN moves the cursor down by one main line distance in the same way that the automatic line feed does. If the RETURN creates line mode is active, this will insert that amount of new lines, otherwise, it would just move the cursor.
RETURN creates paragraph
When RETURN creates line was active, the RETURN creates paragraph mode would additionally mark the new line with the paragraph attribute.
Indent to Cursor
When indent to cursor was activated, SIGNUM would remember the horizontal offset of the current cursor position and use that for all subsequent line feeds.
Other RETURN behavior
| Sequence | Effect |
|---|---|
| CTRLRETURN | Move the remainder of the current line to the start of the next line as long as it belongs to the same paragraph (otherwise behaves like SHIFTRETURN) |
| SHIFTRETURN | Move the remainder of the current line to a new line |
For the reverse, see F7 under function keys
Insert & Delete
INS, DEL, SPACE, and ⌫ were used to insert whitespace and delete characters. The first two are simple in that they don’t trigger any writing mode logic.
| Sequence | Effect |
|---|---|
| INS | insert one space width after the cursor, moving the rest of the line right |
| CTRLINS | insert 3/90 inch space after the cursor, moving the rest of the line right |
| SHIFTINS | insert 1/90 inch space after the cursor, moving the rest of the line right |
| DEL | delete one space width after the cursor, moving the rest of the line left |
| CTRLDEL | delete 3/90 inch space after the cursor, moving the rest of the line left |
| SHIFTDEL | delete 1/90 inch space after the cursor, moving the rest of the line left |
| SPACE | insert one space width at the cursor, moving it and the rest of the line right |
| CTRLSPACE | insert 3/90 inch space at the cursor, moving it and the rest of the line right |
| SHIFTSPACE | insert 1/90 inch space at the cursor, moving it and the rest of the line right |
| ⌫ | delete one space width before the cursor, moving it and the rest of the line left |
| CTRL⌫ | delete 3/90 inch space before the cursor, moving it and the rest of the line left |
| SHIFT⌫ | delete 1/90 inch space before the cursor, moving it and the rest of the line left |
In case of the wide font-modifier, SPACE creates a space with double the width. If, upon processing a ⌫, Signum encounters a character, the cursor stops at its position and deletes it.
Cursor Position
The arrow keys (→, ←, ↑, ↓) along with the modifiers CTRL, SHIFT, TAB and HOME were used to move the cursor around on the current page.
Horizontal Movement
| Sequence | Effect |
|---|---|
| → | Move right by one space width |
| CTRL→ | Move right by 3/90 inches (3 microsteps) |
| SHIFT→ | Move right by 1/90 inches (1 microsteps) |
| CTRLSHIFT→ | Move right to next char (if any), ignore index lines |
| ← | Move left by one space width, stop at left page margin |
| CTRL← | Move left by 3/90 inches (3 microsteps) |
| SHIFT← | Move left by 1/90 inches (1 microsteps) |
| CTRLSHIFT← | Move left to next char (if any), ignore index lines |
| SHIFTHOME | Move to the start of the current line or indent |
| HOME | Move after the last character in the current line, incl. index lines |
| CTRLHOME | Move after the last character of the current word |
| CTRLSHIFTHOME | Move after to the end of the current character |
| TAB | Move the cursor to the next tabulator position, without moving text |
| CTRLTAB | Move the cursor and text after it to the next tabulator position |
| SHIFTTAB | Move the cursor to the previous tabulator position, without moving text |
Vertical Movement
Vertical movement is always restricted to the current text area i.e. header, main content, or footer of a page. If trying to navigate further, the curser will stop at the start/end of the area.
| Sequence | Effect |
|---|---|
| ↑ | Move up by one main line distance but no further than the nearest main line |
| CTRL↑ | Move up by one index line distance |
| SHIFT↑ | Move up by 1/54 inches (1 line) |
| CTRLSHIFT↑ | Move up to the nearest non-empty line |
| ↓ | Move down by one main line distance but no further than the nearest main line |
| CTRL↓ | Move down by one index line distance |
| SHIFT↓ | Move down by 1/54 inches (1 line) |
| CTRLSHIFT↓ | Move down to the nearest non-empty line |
Escape Sequences
There was a quick reference of the available escape sequences in the Infos menu of Signum itself.
SIGNUM2.PRG)Some longer form descriptions were in the reference section (Nachschlagteil) of Das Signum! Buch (see ASH-Books).
| Sequence | Effect |
|---|---|
| ESC+ | Go to the next page (keyboard only, not numpad +) |
| ESC- | Go to the previous page (keyboard only, not numpad -) |
| ESCa | Sets the paragraph marker (“Absatz”) |
| ESCA | Unsets the paragraph marker (“Absatz”) |
| ESCb | Sets the wide (“Breit”) font-modifier |
| ESCB | Unsets the wide (“Breit”) font-modifier |
| ESCc | Sets the cursive (“Kursiv”) font-modifier |
| ESCC | Unsets the cursive (“Kursiv”) font-modifier |
| ESCCTRL↓ | Go to the next paragraph marker |
| ESCCTRL↑ | Go to the previous paragraph marker |
| ESC↓ | Go to the end of the page |
| ESC↑ | Go to the start of the page |
| ESCdi5 | Set the index line distance (to any number, e.g. 5) |
| ESCdl12 | Set the main line distance (to any 2-digit number, e.g. 12) |
| ESCds2 | Set the blocking (“Sperrung”, to any number, e.g. 2) |
| ESCdw08 | Set the space width (to any 2-digit number, e.g. 08) |
| ESCe | Set an indent |
| ESCE | Unset an indent |
| ESCf | Sets the bold (“Fett”) font-modifier |
| ESCF | Unsets the bold (“Fett”) font-modifier |
| ESCg | Sets the tall (“Gross”) font-modifier |
| ESCG | Unsets the tall (“Gross”) font-modifier |
| ESCh | Mark a main line (“Hauptzeile”) |
| ESCH | Unmark a main line |
| ESCk | Sets the small (“Klein”) font-modifier |
| ESCK | Unsets the small (“Klein”) font-modifier |
| ESCn | Mark a footnote (with cursor on a number) |
| ESC4A | Insert a single character (e.g. A) from another font (e.g. the 4th one) |
| ESCs015 | Go to page nnn (any 3 digit number, e.g. 015) |
| ESCt | Set the text attribute |
| ESCT | Unset the text attribute |
| ESCu | Sets the underlined (“—–”) font-modifier |
| ESCU | Unsets the underlined (“—–”) font-modifier |
| ESCx | Go to header area |
| ESCy | Go to footer area |
| ESCz3 | Change the active font (e.g. to the 3rd one) |
| ESCzALT3 | Change the active ALT font (e.g. to the 3rd one) |
| ESCzCTRL3 | Change the active CTRL font (e.g. to the 3rd one) |
Function Keys
SIGNUM2.PRG)| Sequence | Effect |
|---|---|
| F1a | Call keyboard program / macro (e.g. a) |
| F2 | Insert blank line at cursor (above current content) |
| F3 | Delete line at cursor |
| F4 | Insert blank line, move cursor |
| F5 | Delete line above cursor |
| F6 | Reserved (e.g. for accessories) |
| F7 | Pull up a word from the next line |
| CTRLF7 | Pull up the next line |
| F8 | Add current line to accumulator, move cursor to next line |
| F9 | Insert the content of the accumulator at (above) the cursor |
| SHIFTF9 | Clear the accumulator |
| F10 | Redraw the whole screen |