Screen Layout

Figure 1. Screen Layout
 INVENTOR SCRIPT   A1  V 132 Trunc=132 Size=0 Line=0 Col=1 Alt=0  1 
Creating new file:   2 
 
 
 
 
                                      3 
 
 
 
  4 
===== * * * Top of File * * *  5                 6 
      |...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7...
===== * * * End of File * * *
 
 
 
 
                                      3 
 
 
 
====> bottom  7 
                                                 8   X E D I T  1 File
 1 
File Identification Line
  • The first line on the screen identifies the file you are editing. The following information is displayed:
  • file name, file type, file mode
  • or BFS path name
    • If you do not specify a file mode, the editor assigns a file mode of A1. The file mode identifies an accessed minidisk or SFS (Shared File System) directory where the file resides.

  • record format and record length
    • The record format and record length (V 132) mean that, in this file, the length of a line can vary and the file can hold lines up to 132 characters long. Therefore, a file line can be longer than a screen line.

  • truncation column (Trunc=)
    • Notice the truncation column is the same as the record length (132). Because a file line can be only 132 characters long, any data you enter beyond 132 characters (in total) can be truncated.

  • current number of lines in the file (Size=)
    • (Because data has not yet been entered in the file, the number of lines is zero.)

  • file line number of the current line (Line=)
    • (See number 5, following.)

  • position of the column pointer (Col=)
    • (See number 6, following.)

  • alteration count (Alt=)

    The alteration count is the number of alterations that have been made to the file since the last AUTOSAVE (which is explained later in this chapter).

 2 
Message Line

  • The editor communicates with you by displaying messages on the second and third lines of the screen. These messages tell you if you have made an error, or they provide information. In Figure 1, the message line shows you are creating a new file.
 3 
File Area

  • This part of the screen is available to display the file.

  • You can make changes to the file by moving the cursor under any line and typing over the characters, or by using special keys to insert or delete characters. You can make as many changes as you want on the displayed lines before pressing Enter. When you press Enter, the changes are made to the copy of the file kept in virtual storage. At the end of the editing session, a FILE subcommand permanently records those changes on the copy of the file that resides on disk or directory.

    Because a file can be too long to fit on one screen, various subcommands scroll the screen so you can move forward and backward in a file. Scrolling the screen is like turning the pages of a book.

 4 
Prefix Area

  • The prefix area is the five leftmost columns on the screen, and it displays five equal signs (=====). Each line in the file has a prefix area.

    You can perform various editing tasks such as deleting a line by entering short commands, called prefix subcommands, in the prefix area of a line.

 5 
The Current Line

  • The current line is the file line in the middle of the screen (above the scale). It is highlighted, appearing brighter than the other file lines.

    In Figure 1, the current line is the Top of File line; the file contains no data yet.

    The current line is an important concept, because most subcommands perform their functions starting with the current line. Naturally, the line that is current changes during an editing session as you scroll the screen, move up and down, and so forth. When the current line changes, the line pointer (not visible on the screen) has moved. Many XEDIT subcommands perform their functions starting with the current line and move the line pointer when they are finished.

 6 
Scale

  • The scale appears under the current line to help you edit. It is like the margin scale on a typewriter.

    The vertical bar (|) in column one on the scale is the column pointer. Various subcommands perform their functions within a line starting at the column pointer, which you can move to different positions on the scale by using XEDIT subcommands that are discussed later. The current column is the column under which the column pointer is positioned.

 7 
Command Line

  • The large arrow (====>) at the bottom of the screen points to the command input area. One way you communicate with the editor is to enter XEDIT subcommands on this line. You can type subcommands in uppercase or lowercase or a combination of both, and many can be abbreviated. For example, BOTTOM, Bottom, and b are all valid ways to type the BOTTOM subcommand.

    After typing a subcommand on the command line, press Enter to execute the subcommand. Figure 1 shows the subcommand BOTTOM typed on the command line. (To move the cursor from any place on the screen to the command line, just press Enter or PF12.)

 8 
Status Area

  • The lower right corner displays the current status of your editing session, for example, edit mode or input mode, and the number of files you are editing. The status area in Figure 1 shows one file is being edited.