dedlin

Dedlin is an interactive line-by-line text editor and a DSL, similar to edlin or ed.

It is scriptable, which makes it useful for find, insert, replace, delete, and reorder operations on existing files.

Soon it will support non-line number ranges, e.g. "/Done/ DELETE

Dedlin extends on edlin enough that it is not backwards compatible.

I have made changes to make the app less user hostile than classic ed or edlin, but there is a --vim_mode where all help, warnings, feedback will be suppressed.

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Installation

Requires Python 3.13 or higher.

Install globally in an isolated tool environment:

uv tool install dedlin

Or use pipx:

pipx install dedlin

Run pre-built image with docker. Painful, but you're using an edlin clone, so that is what you're looking for.

# This is should work in powershell or linux bash. Not windows git-bash.
docker run --rm -it -v "${PWD}/:/app"  ghcr.io/matthewdeanmartin/dedlin:latest file.txt

Usage

Launch and edit file_name.txt

If you installed with pip or pipx

dedlin file_name.txt

Command line help

> python -m dedlin --help
Dedlin.

An improved version of the edlin.

Usage:
  dedlin [<file>] [options]
  dedlin (-h | --help)
  dedlin --version

Options:
  -h --help          Show this screen.
  --version          Show version.
  --macro=<macro>    Run macro file.
  --echo             Echo commands.
  --halt_on_error    End program on error.
  --promptless_quit  Skip prompt on quit.
  --vim_mode         User hostile, no feedback.
  --verbose          Displaying all debugging info.
  --blind_mode       Optimize for blind users (experimental).
  --headless         Run without interactive prompts.

Sample session

   _          _  _  _
 __| | ___  __| || |(_) _ _
/ _` |/ -_)/ _` || || || ' \
\__,_|\___|\__,_||_||_||_||_|


Editing /home/mmartin/github/dedlin/sample.txt
? * 1i
1 INSERT
Control C to exit insert mode
?    1 :  cabbage
?    2 :  bread
?    3 :  carrots
?    4 :  ghost peppers
?    5 :  coffee
?    6 :  tortillas
?    7 :

Exiting insert mode

? * SORT
 SORT
Sorted
? * LIST
1,6 LIST
   1 : bread
   2 : cabbage
   3 : carrots
   4 : coffee
   5 : ghost peppers
   6 : tortillas

? * EXIT
1,6 EXIT

Documentation

• Docs home
• Installation
• Quick start
• Command language
• Headless mode
• Macros
• Easter eggs and modes
• Prior art