Invokes the VSI Standard Editor (EDT) interactive text editor.
Format
EDIT/EDT [file-name]
1 – Parameter
file-name
Specifies the file to be created or edited using EDT. If the file
does not exist, it is created by EDT.
EDT does not provide a default file type when creating files; if
you do not include a file type, it is null. The file must be a
disk file on a Files-11 formatted volume.
No wildcard characters are allowed in the file specification.
2 – Qualifiers
2.1 /COMMAND
/COMMAND[=file-name]
/NOCOMMAND
Determines whether or not EDT uses a startup command file. The
/COMMAND file qualifier should be followed by an equal sign (=)
and the specification of the command file. The default file type
for command files is EDT. No wildcard characters are allowed in
the file specification.
The following command line invokes EDT to edit a file named
MEMO.DAT and specifies that EDT use a startup command file named
XEDTINI.EDT:
$ EDIT/COMMAND=XEDTINI.EDT MEMO.DAT
If you do not include the /COMMAND=command file qualifier,
EDT looks for the EDTSYS logical name assignment. If EDTSYS
is not defined, EDT processes the systemwide startup command
file SYS$LIBRARY:EDTSYS.EDT. If this file does not exist, EDT
looks for the EDTINI logical name assignment. If EDTINI is not
defined, EDT looks for the file named EDTINI.EDT in your default
directory. If none of these files exists, EDT begins your editing
session in the default state.
To prevent EDT from processing either the systemwide startup
command file or the EDTINI.EDT file in your default directory,
use the /NOCOMMAND qualifier as follows:
$ EDIT/NOCOMMAND MEMO.DAT
2.2 /CREATE
/CREATE (default)
/NOCREATE
Controls whether EDT creates a new file when the specified input
file is not found.
Normally, EDT creates a new file to match the input file
specification if it cannot find the requested file name in the
specified directory. When you use the /NOCREATE qualifier in the
EDT command line and type a specification for a file that does
not exist, EDT displays an error message and returns to the DCL
command level as follows:
$ EDIT/NOCREATE NEWFILE.DAT
Input file does not exist
$
2.3 /JOURNAL
/JOURNAL[=journal-file]
/NOJOURNAL
Determines whether EDT keeps a journal during your editing
session. A journal contains a record of the keystrokes you enter
during an editing session. The default file name for the journal
is the same as the input file name. The default file type is
JOU. The /JOURNAL qualifier enables you to use a different file
specification for the journal.
The following command line invokes EDT to edit a file named
MEMO.DAT and specifies the name SAVE.JOU for the journal:
$ EDIT/JOURNAL=SAVE MEMO.DAT
If you are editing a file from another directory and want the
journal to be located in that directory, you must use the
/JOURNAL qualifier with a file specification that includes the
directory name. Otherwise, EDT creates the journal in the default
directory.
The directory that is to contain the journal should not be write-
protected.
To prevent EDT from keeping a record of your editing session, use
the /NOJOURNAL qualifier in the EDT command line as follows:
$ EDIT/NOJOURNAL MEMO.DAT
Once you have created a journal, enter the EDT/RECOVER command to
execute the commands in the journal. No wildcard characters are
allowed in the file specification.
2.4 /OUTPUT
/OUTPUT=output-file
/NOOUTPUT
Determines whether EDT creates an output file at the end of
your editing session. The default file specification for both
the input file and the output file is the same. Use the /OUTPUT
qualifier to give the output file a different file specification
from the input file.
The following command line invokes EDT to edit a file named
MEMO.DAT and gives the resulting output file the name OUTMEM.DAT:
$ EDIT/OUTPUT=OUTMEM.DAT MEMO.DAT
You can include directory information as part of your output file
specification to send output to another directory as follows:
$ EDIT/OUTPUT=[BARRETT.MAIL]MEMO.DAT MEMO.DAT
The /NOOUTPUT qualifier suppresses the creation of an output
file, but not the creation of a journal. If you decide that you
do not want an output file, you can use the /NOOUTPUT qualifier
as follows:
$ EDIT/NOOUTPUT MEMO.DAT
A system interruption does not prevent you from re-creating your
editing session because a journal is still being maintained. To
save your editing session, even when you specify /NOOUTPUT, use
the line mode command WRITE to put the text in an external file
before you end the session.
No wildcard characters are allowed in the file specification.
2.5 /READ_ONLY
/READ_ONLY
/NOREAD_ONLY (default)
Determines whether EDT keeps a journal and creates an output
file. With the /NOREAD_ONLY qualifier, EDT maintains the journal
and creates an output file when it processes the line mode
command EXIT. Using the /READ_ONLY qualifier has the same effect
as specifying both the /NOJOURNAL and /NOOUTPUT qualifiers.
The following command line invokes EDT to edit a file named
CALENDAR.DAT, but does not create a journal or an output file:
$ EDIT/READ_ONLY CALENDAR.DAT
Use the /READ_ONLY qualifier when you are searching a file and do
not intend to make any changes to it. To modify the file, use the
line mode command WRITE to save your changes. Remember, however,
that you have no journal.
2.6 /RECOVER
/RECOVER
/NORECOVER (default)
Determines whether EDT reads a journal at the start of the
editing session.
When you use the /RECOVER qualifier, EDT reads the appropriate
journal and processes whatever commands it contains. The
appropriate syntax is as follows:
$ EDIT/RECOVER MEMO.DAT
If the journal file type is not JOU or the file name is not the
same as the input file name, you must include both the /JOURNAL
qualifier and the /RECOVER qualifier as follows:
$ EDIT/RECOVER/JOURNAL=SAVE.XXX MEMO.DAT
Because the /NORECOVER qualifier is the default for EDT, you do
not need to specify it in a command line.
3 – Examples
1.$ EDIT/OUTPUT=NEWFILE.TXT OLDFILE.TXT
1 This is the first line of the file OLDFILE.TXT.
*
This EDIT command invokes EDT to edit the file OLDFILE.TXT.
EDT looks for the EDTSYS logical name assignment. If EDTSYS
is not defined, EDT processes the systemwide startup command
file SYS$LIBRARY:EDTSYS.EDT. If this file does not exist, EDT
looks for the EDTINI logical name assignment. If EDTINI is not
defined, EDT looks for the file named EDTINI.EDT in your default
directory. If none of these files exists, EDT begins your editing
session in the default state. When the session ends, the edited
file has the name NEWFILE.TXT.
2.$ EDIT/RECOVER OLDFILE.TXT
This EDIT command invokes EDT to recover from an abnormal
exit during a previous editing session. EDT opens the file
OLDFILE.TXT, and then processes the journal OLDFILE.JOU. Once
the journal has been processed, the user can resume interactive
editing.