Joe is a "mode-less" text editor, meaning that unlike with, for example, vi, you can start typing text the moment you open it. If you have ever used WordStar or one of Borland's languages, such as TurboPascal, you should find it easy to use as it uses the same control key commands.

To start joe, you use the command:

$ joe [filename]

Most commands in joe start with Ctrl-K. So to get the help screen, you press Ctrl-K H. The result is as follows:

   Help Screen    turn off with ^KH    more help with ESC . (^[.)              
 CURSOR           GO TO            BLOCK      DELETE   MISC         EXIT       
 ^B left ^F right ^U  prev. screen ^KB begin  ^D char. ^KJ reformat ^KX save   
 ^P up   ^N down  ^V  next screen  ^KK end    ^Y line  ^T  options  ^C  abort  
 ^Z previous word ^A  beg. of line ^KM move   ^W >word ^R  refresh  ^KZ shell  
 ^X next word     ^E  end of line  ^KC copy   ^O word< ^@  insert   FILE       
 SEARCH           ^KU top of file  ^KW file   ^J >line SPELL        ^KE edit   
 ^KF find text    ^KV end of file  ^KY delete ^_ undo  ^[N word     ^KR insert 
 ^L  find next    ^KL to line No.  ^K/ filter ^^ redo  ^[L file     ^KD save   
    IW   Unnamed                      Row 1    Col 1   12:12  Ctrl-K H for help

Note that in the help, the symbol "^" represents the Ctrl key.

A lot of the standard control keys apply, but a few of the most commonly-used joe-specific commands are listed below: