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The point is the current focus of editing activity. Text typed in by the user is inserted at the point. Nearly all commands use the point as a indication of what text to examine or modify. Textual positions in Hemlock are between characters. This may seem a bit curious at first, but it is necessary since text must be inserted between characters. Although the point points between characters, it is sometimes said to point at a character, in which case the character after the point is referred to.
The cursor is the visible indication of the current focus of attention: a rectangular blotch under X windows, or the hardware cursor on a terminal. The cursor is usually displayed on the character which is immediately after the point, but it may be displayed in other places. Wherever the cursor is displayed it indicates the current focus of attention. When input is being prompted for in the echo area, the cursor is displayed where the input is to go. Under X windows the cursor is only displayed when Hemlock is waiting for input.
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