Copying a File Using FILELIST

Sometimes you may want to make changes in a file, but you want to keep both the original file and the revised one. By using the COPYFILE command, you can make a copy of a file, make changes in it, and keep both the original file and the copy.

You type the COPYFILE command on the FILELIST screen, starting in the Cmd space next to the file you want to copy (just like the DISCARD command). Press Enter to process the command. The format of the COPYFILE command is:
COPYfile  /  newfilename newfiletype newfilemode

First you type COPYFILE in the Cmd space. You continue typing the rest of the command right over the information that is already on the line. The slash (/) stands for the file identifier of the file in this line. You then type the new file identifier (file name, file type, and file mode). Press Enter to carry out the COPYFILE command.

For example, you have a file RADIO WAVES A. You want to make changes in the file, but you want to keep the original. (If you did the exercises in Editing Files, you can copy your file by following these instructions.) The line in the FILELIST display looks like this:
RADIO   WAVES    A1  F         80      12      1  5/04/90 10:35:00

You want to make a copy of this file and call the copy RADIO NEWAVES A. Type the following command right over this line:

Skip over ASCII art.

copy / radio newaves a  F     80    12      1  5/04/90 10:35:00
     │   │      │    │
     │   │      │    │
     │   │      │    └──> newfilemode
     │   │      └──>newfiletype
     │   └──> newfilename
     └──> stands for RADIO WAVES A1

The figure shows the command copy / radio newaves a.

When you press Enter, the COPYFILE command is processed. To see the entry for the new file in your FILELIST display, press PF2. The new file appears at the top of the FILELIST display. Now you have two copies of the same file. Each has its own file identifier. You can make changes in RADIO NEWAVES, and still have the original file, RADIO WAVES.

If you have two copies of the same file, you might want to compare them. You could use the editor to look at each file, noting the differences yourself. Or you can use the COMPARE command.