Features of language editors

Each editor supports a set of features. In general, the COBOL, HLASM, JCL, PL/I, and REXX editors are the most robust for working with their associated file type. The z Systems® LPEX Editor is flexible, in that it supports different file types, but might not be as language sensitive.

Table 1. Features of language editors
Feature COBOL Editor HLASM Editor JCL Editor PL/I Editor REXX Editor z Systems LPEX Editor
On COBOL files On JCL files On PL/I files
Associate Complete Program Yes No No Yes No No No No
Automatic Commenting Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Automatic Sequence Numbering Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Autosave Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Bidirectional Support No No No No No Yes Yes Yes
Bookmarking Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Browse Mode Yes (MVS/AIX®) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS)
Call/Perform Hierarchy Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Capitalization Formatting Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Column Line Indicator Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Compiler-Specific Real-Time Syntax Checking Yes No No No Yes Yes No No
Content Assist Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Control Flow Diagram Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Customizable Tab Stops Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Data Element Table Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Data Flow Diagram Yes No No No No Yes No No
DBCS Support Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Expanding and Collapsing Code Elements Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
File Compare Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No
File locking Yes (MVS/AIX) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS)
File Truncation Warnings Yes (MVS) Yes Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) No Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS)
Filter view Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Folding code blocks Yes No No Yes No No No No
Format Source Code Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Hexadecimal Editing Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Horizontal Ruler Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Hover Information Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Identify Unreachable Code Yes No No No No Yes No No
Identify Unused Variables and Copybooks Yes No No No No Yes No No
IMS Snippets Integration Yes No N/A No No Yes N/A No
Indentation Formatting Yes No No Yes No No No No
ISPF Command Line No No No No No Yes Yes Yes
ISPF Prefix Area Commands No No No No No Yes Yes Yes
Language-Sensitive Help Yes No No Yes No Yes (MVS, Windows) No Yes (MVS, Windows)
Mark Occurrences Yes No No Yes No No No No
Matching Parenthesis Yes No No Yes No No No No
Menu Manager Integration Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Metrics in the Properties view Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Open/Browse/View Copybook and Include File Actions Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Open/Browse/View Copybook and Include File Hyperlinks Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Open Declaration Actions and Hyperlinks Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes
Open File Reference Actions Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Open File Reference Hyperlinks Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Outline Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Preprocessor Integration Yes No N/A Yes No Yes N/A Yes
Prevents Shifting of Sequence Numbers Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
pureQuery® Integration Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Quick Fixes Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Quick Outline Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Range Indicator and Show Selected Only Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Real-Time Syntax Check Yes Limited Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Refactor > Create Copybook Yes No No No No Yes No No
Refactor > Create Program Yes No No No No Yes No No
Refactor > Extract Paragraph Yes No No No No Yes No No
Refactor > Identify Unused Variables Yes No No No No Yes No No
Refactor > Remove Noise Words Yes No No No No Yes No No
Refactor > Rename Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Refresh Dependencies Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Renumber / Unnumber Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Round-Trip Integrity Warnings Yes (MVS) No Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) No Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS)
Save Actions Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Search for Occurrences Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Search Text in File Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Sequence Numbers at Column 1 Yes No N/A N/A No Yes N/A N/A
Show Expanded Source Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Submit JCL N/A No Yes N/A No N/A Yes N/A
Surround With Menu Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Syntax Check: Local and Remote Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Syntax Highlighting Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Task Tags Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Toggle Comment Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No
Tooling Status Indicator Yes No No Yes No No No No
Typing Preferences No No Yes No No No No No
Vertical Margin Lines Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
View Mode Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS) Yes (MVS)
Write Occurrence Identification Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes