Text Editor Basics

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Table of Contents

Overview

Using EDT

Opening a New or Existing File

Editing a File

Ending an EDT Session

Getting Help with EDT

Overview

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This appendix is provided for users unfamiliar with the OpenVMS text editor EDT. It provides the very basics to get you started using the EDT editor.

You will find the following information in this appendix:

• Opening a new or existing file.

• Editing a file.

• Ending an EDT session.

• Getting help with EDT.

Using EDT

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EDT is an interactive text editor in OpenVMS. Using EDT you can create a new file, open an existing file, and insert or modify text in a file. On all OpenVMS versions prior to version 6.0, EDT is the default editor. For more information on EDT, see the OpenVMS User's Manual.

The editor EVE, mentioned in this manual, also is an interactive text editor included with the OpenVMS operating system. For more extensive editing, you may want to learn EVE instead of EDT. However, because EVE requires that your keyboard be mapped to a VT100, this documentation does not provide information on how to use it. (You must have a "Do" key to use EVE, which PC and Macintosh keyboards do not have. To use EVE, therefore, those with PC or Macintosh keyboards would need to remap their keyboards.) For more information about using EVE, see the VAX General User Guide or the OpenVMS User's Manual. For more information on remapping your keyboard, see your system manager or the documentation for your terminal emulation software.

Opening a New or Existing File

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To open a new or existing file:

Type $ Edit /EDT Filename, where Filename is the name of the new file you want to create or the name of an existing file.

If you are opening a new file, you will see the message "Input file does not exist." The first line of the file, which in a newly created file is [EOB] (end of buffer), is followed by an asterisk (*), which is the line mode prompt. For example

Figure 1

If you are opening an existing file, you will see that the first line is followed by the asterisk (*) line mode prompt. For example

Figure 2

Note: Some sites may have defined EDT to open to full-screen mode instead of line-mode, which is displayed above. Line-mode allows you to work one line of text at a time. Full-screen mode lets you edit text anywhere on the screen.

Editing a File

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Note: The following guidelines instruct you in the simplest way to use EDT. EDT also offers more sophisticated editing. For more information, see the OpenVMS User's Manual.

To edit a file:

1. Open a new or existing file.

2. At the asterisk (*) line mode prompt, type Change. The Change command puts EDT in change mode and displays nearly a full screen of your text file.

   Figure 3

3. Use the following keys to move around in your file and manipulate the text:
   • Use the arrow keys to position the cursor, moving up, down, left, and right one line or one character at a time.

   • Use <Prev> and <Next> or <Page Up> and <Page Down> to move through the text one screen at a time.

   • Use the <Delete> key to delete text one character at a time.

   • Use the <Return> key to insert a blank line.

   • To insert text, position the cursor and type as normal.

Ending an EDT Session

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To end a session with EDT:

1. Press <Ctrl>Z to move to the asterisk (*) line editing mode.

2. Choose from the following:
   • Type Exit to save your edits in a file with a new version number and end the EDT session. Previous versions of the file remain unchanged.

   • Type Quit to end the EDT session without saving your edits.

Getting Help with EDT

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To display a list of online help topics from within EDT:

Type Help at the asterisk (*) prompt. An EDT help screen appears.

Figure 4

To display online help for EDT at the system prompt, type $ Help Edit /EDT.

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