DESL

DESL Home | Website Outline | Commands | Examples | Download | Contacts

( AL) Details concerning the DESL edit command.

(See example(s) of the use of the edit command.)
[Jump to the list of available options.]
General description of the edit command :

The DESL "edit" command allows the user to review or modify any existing ASCII file via the DESL line editor utility. See the edit documentation for the details of the use of "DESL internal edit.

The list of currently available options for the edit command is the following.

Any blinking names enclosed in brackets are required or are in a set of options, one of which must be specified. Any non-blinking names enclosed in brackets are optional or are in a set of options, only one of which can be specified.

In cases where the option name is one of a set each different set number is indicated by a red numeric set number superscript trailing the respectiveright bracket :

[blankchar] [editin] [elsek] [endifk] [files]1 [ifk] [interactive] [newfiles]1 [noop] [pathfile] [paths]

[Top][Bottom][Option list]

( ALblankchar) (Command :edit) Details for the blankchar option.

[General syntax rules for this keyword.]

Defines the single character to be interpreted as a single blank character when interpreting the "editin" string.

Example : blankchar !

[Top][Bottom][Option list]

( ALeditin) (Command :edit) Details for the editin option.

[General syntax rules for this keyword.]

If specified an up-to 128-character string follows The string contains the editing commands. The individual editing commands are separated by a semi-colon. If the string is longer that 126 characters OR contains one or more blanks the entire string MUST be contained in the delimiting question marks. All files specified when the "editin" option is also specified will be edited with the commands contained in the "editin" argument list; ie, no chance for an interactive edit session is given. This type of editing can be done whether or not the DESL session is being run in the purely interactive mode or not. Note that a blank character MUST be used to end the input mode begun by the "i" edit command. See example below.

Example : editin ?c temp run3;i;status; ;e?

[Top][Bottom][Option list]

( ALfiles) (Command :edit) Details for the files option.

[General syntax rules for this keyword.]

Indicates the files to be reviewed by the DESL line editor. Up to 100 ASCII files can be specified. Any files not found will be so identified and skipped. "files" and "newfiles" CANNOT both be specified. File names can also include the {...} construct. This type specification within a file name implies that the list name given between the curly brackets ( {} ), is to be used to have each of its elements substituted in turn for the { ... }, inclusively, such that an implicit lengthening of the file list is accomplished, up to the maximum number of files allowed. Any time such a {...} usage occurs, all lists mentioned must exist; i.e., must have been previously defined in the current DESL session. Only one {...} construct can be included in a file name. Including more than one such construct will result in unpredictable results.

An example of this type of file name specification is the following :

t43r{runs}.ffs

Here, the list "runs" will have its elements used, in turn, in place of the {runs} substring.

Each file name, whether it includes the {...} or not, can be a maximum of 16 characters long.

Example : files recfile2 recfile4

[Top][Bottom][Option list]

( ALinteractive) (Command :edit) Details for the interactive option.

[General syntax rules for this keyword.]

Indicates that, even though this DESL session is not a purely interactive session, it is desired that the DESL line editor solicit its input from the keyboard. This capability is disallowed if the editing commands are being supplied by the "editin" argument list.

Example : interactive

[Top][Bottom][Option list]

( ALnewfiles) (Command :edit) Details for the newfiles option.

[General syntax rules for this keyword.]

Indicates the files to be created/edited by the DESL line editor. Up to 100 newfiles can be specified. Any files which already exist will be so identified and skipped. "files" and "newfiles" CANNOT both be specified. No "paths" arguments will be used when creating new files.

Example : newfiles recfile2 recfile4

[Top][Bottom][Option list]

( ALnoop) (Command :edit) Details for the noop option.

[General syntax rules for this keyword.]

A dummy option which allows one or more GLOBAL conditions to follow. This option has NO OTHER FUNCTION.

[Top][Bottom][Option list]

( ALpathfile) (Command :edit) Details for the pathfile option.

[General syntax rules for this keyword.]

If specified, any up-to-16-charact string specified via the "paths" option and argument list can be translated to an up-to-64-charact string. If a specified "paths" string matches a string in the left column in the path file, then the (potentially longer) string in the right column in the same line in the path file is substituted for the original string. The rules for the syntax of a path file are the following :

  1. all lines are ASCII
  2. any line beginning with "* " is a comment and is ignored (asterisk + one or more blanks)
  3. blank lines are ignored
  4. only 2 items per line per translation : the first up to 16 characters and the second up to 64 characters. Any string longer than 16 characters MUST be enclosed in question-mark (?) delimiters.
  5. free-field interpretation, therefore embedded blanks require the "?" delimiters
  6. first item is name to be translated; must match VERBATIM with path name specified or implied via "paths" argument list
  7. second item is the corresponding path name translation

An example of such a file is the following : 



*
*  Example path file for test xxx
*
*  item  1 = path to be translated : MUST
*             match VERBATIM with name given
*             specified/implied via "paths"
*
*  item  2 = resulting name translation
*
data56    ? \usr\home2\ people\test56\ ?
up  ?..\?
way-up  ? ..\..\..\ Temp46\?

Example : pathfile pathA

[Top][Bottom][Option list]

( ALpaths) (Command :edit) Details for the paths option.

[General syntax rules for this keyword.]

Indicates, in a 1:1 correspondence with the list of files specified, directory locations for the specified files. These locations supersede the current directory. If a file location thus specified is not empty ("null...") a search for the respective file will be made at the indicated location before a search is made at any other alternate locations which have been made effective via a previous execution of the "path" command. By default, all path names are blank. Up to 100 path names can be specified.

Example : paths ..\ ..\Main\ sub1\

[Top][Bottom][Option list]

DESL Home | Website Outline | Commands | Examples | Download | Contacts



ViGYAN, Inc.

DESL Manager at ViGYAN, Inc.

30 Research Drive
Hampton, VA 23666
Voice: (757) 865-1400
Toll Free: (800) 288-3998
FAX: (757) 865-8177

© 1998 ViGYAN, Inc.