Editing TECO (text editor) (section)

==As a programmer's tool==
During and shortly following the years of [[Computer programming in the punched card era|the punched card era]], there were source programs that had begun as [[punched card]]-based. Comments were often a series of lines that included single marginal asterisks and top/bottom full lines of asterisks.  Once the cards were transferred online, it was difficult to realign the marginal stars. TECO aimed to solve this problem.<ref name=WhyTeco>{{citation |title=Why Teco |author=Martin Pring |date=July 1982}}</ref><ref>He wrote this years after his colleague Carl B. Marbach became editor of a DEC-oriented periodical and wrote "Why Teco?". Both items were published together.</ref>