= (Equal Sign)

Purpose

Use the = subcommand to reexecute the last subcommand, macro, or CP/CMS command entered, or to execute a specified subcommand and then reexecute the last one entered.

Operands

subcommand

is any XEDIT subcommand (or any CP or CMS command, if SET IMPCMSCP ON is in effect). It is executed before the previous subcommand is reexecuted.

Usage Notes

1. Multiple adjacent = subcommands (= = = =) in the command line cause the last subcommand to be executed as many times as there are equal signs.
2. The last subcommand that is being reexecuted could have been entered from the command input area on the terminal, from the console stack (through a macro), or from any of the key settings (PF, PA, or ENTER keys).
3. The editor keeps a copy of the last subcommand or macro in an equal buffer.
   • QUERY = displays the contents of the equal buffer.
   • The EXTRACT subcommand (EXTRACT/=/) returns the contents.
   • SET = string inserts string as the new contents of the equal buffer.
4. You can rename the = subcommand with the SET SYNONYM subcommand.
5. The editor assigns the = subcommand (with no operand) to the PF9 key. When you assign the = subcommand to a PF or PA key, the default is ONLY = (see SET PFn and SET PAn).
6. Entering:
   = subcommand
   is useful if, for example, you enter a data line on a typewriter terminal while you are in command mode. Instead of switching to input mode and retyping the data line, you can use the following subcommand:

   = input

7. When you press ENTER and have entered nothing on the command line, the ENTER key definition, if any, is placed in the equal buffer.
8. The results of the execution of the = (Equal Sign) subcommand may not always be the same as the execution of the combination of the ? (Question Mark) subcommand and ENTER. The execution of certain defined PF keys, prefix subcommands, and so forth, can cause this difference.