Abstract: A character display system including a storage device having a number of lines of storage locations greatly exceeding the number of lines to be displayed, and a processing system preferably implementing key functions for the maximum effectiveness and convenience of an operator with very high order discretion in producing text, such as a news editor for an on-line news dissemination system. The processing system is thus highly user oriented so as to provide minimum distraction from creative mental effort, and to this end the aim is to accommodate continuous typing with minimum visual reference to the display. To this end, with automatic carriage return, there is provided a space delete operation with reference to the first character location of a new line, and automaic elimination of null codes by left justification in response to typing with respect to any new line.