VTUTIN: A full screen gel management editor

Large DNA sequences are now routinely sequenced by the cloningof randomly generated fragments into single-stranded DNA phagevectors (the ‘shotgun’ method). Various programsexist for computerized assembly of such fragments, includingthe phases of data entry, homology searching and gel-management/editing.Many gel-management editors are rudimentary in nature, usingeither line-editing techniques or using unnatural displays orcommand systems. Others are available only on restricted typesof computer system. The program VTUTIN makes full screen editingalong the lines of modern text editors available for the complexdata type of sets of sequence gels and their consensus. Notonly are the data displayed on the VDU screen in a natural manner,but VTUTIN has also been written to model the command systemof a well-established text editor (PDP-ll KED or VAX/VMS EDT)to simplify editor use and learning. VTUTIN has been writtenin Pascal in a modular form so that wide-spread portabilityis facilitated. VTUTIN is currently implemented to work on VT-100type terminals although the modularity of the code should allowstraightforward conversion for other terminal types and shouldalso permit simple alteration to model any other text editor. Received on July 5, 1985; accepted on September 23, 1985