XEDIT - Typical Screen Layout

Typical Screen Layout

MOHICANS SCRIPT A1 V 132 Trunc=132 Size=10 Line=10 Col=1 Alt=10 XEDIT: ===== Last of the Mohicans ===== .sp ===== It was a feature peculiar to the colonial wars of North America, ===== that the toils and dangers of the wilderness were to be encountered ===== before the adverse hosts could meet. ===== A wide and apparently an impervious boundary of forests severed ===== the possessions of the hostile provinces of France and England. ===== The hardy colonist, and the trained European who fought at his ===== side, frequently expended months in struggling against the rapids ===== of the streams, or in effecting the rugged passes of the mountains |...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7... ===== * * * End of File * * * ====> X E D I T 1 File

Notable features of the screen layout:

• The top line provides details about line format where:
  • MOHICANS is the filename
  • SCRIPT is the filetype
  • A1 is the filemode (default, indicating which disk the file is on)
  • V is the record format (RECFM) which can be Fixed or Variable
  • 132 is the length of the records (for V, the maximum length)
  • Trunc=132 indicates changes beyond 132 columns will be ignored
  • Size=10 denotes total number of lines in file
  • Line=10 denotes the current line
  • Col=1 denotes the current column
  • Alt=10 indicates that ten changes have been made while XEDITing
• The equal signs at the beginning of the lines provide space for line numbers if desired, and a place to enter XEDIT prefix commands that may operate on blocks of lines.
• The next-to-bottom line is a command line for entering XEDIT commands (or macros).
• There is no mouse pointer because most IBM 3270 terminals did not have mice (a select few did and other models conforming to the 3270 data stream definition did).
• Most IBM 3270 terminals had 12 or 24 program function keys (PFKs) (and also two program assist keys), to which XEDIT commands or macros could be assigned.
• XEDIT commands can be used to change the screen appearance. Some examples include:
  • moving (or eliminating) the position of the command line
  • moving (or eliminating) the TABS marker line
  • moving (or eliminating) the position of the PREFIX lines
  • moving (or eliminating) the current line indicator
  • whether or not TAB characters are to be expanded
  • define which lines to be displayed by scope *SELECT)
  • showing the data on a display screen or typewriter mode
  • specifing text(s) to be displayed on the screen (RESERVED)
  • changing the prefix line from equal signs (=====) to line numbers (nnnnn)
  • eliminating the TOFEOF lines (* * * Top of File * * * --and-- * * * End of File * * *)
  • displaying (or eliminating) SHADOW lines (indications that lines are not being displayed)
  • displaying (or eliminating) the SCALE lines (a scale or ruler to assist editing)
  • changing the background and foreground colors used for the different portions of the screen
  • defining what lines are to be displayed (RANGE)
  • define what columns are to be displayed (and also, if in hexadecimal)
  • define multiple XEDIT screens