edit: Edit a text file

Package: language

Usage

edit files [files...]

Parameters

files: The file or files to be edited.

Description

The edit task invokes a host system editor to edit the named file or files. The editor to be used is determined by the value of the CL environment variable editor. Filename mapping is applied to the files argument strings to convert virtual filenames into host system filenames. File templates are not supported, unless the host system editor supports them.

The EDT, EMACS, and VI editors are currently supported. Each editor interface is controlled by an edcap table file in the logical directory "dev$"; these files are also used by the ehistory and eparam screen editors. For example, the file "dev$edt.ed" is required to run the EDT editor. The EDITOR_CMD field of the edcap file defines the command to be send to the host system to run the editor; this is not necessarily the same as the name of the editor. Support for additional editors is easily added by adding new edcap files.

Examples

1. Edit the login.cl file.

cl> edit home$login.cl

2. Edit the file "temp" in the current directory.

cl> edit temp

3. On a UNIX system, edit all the ".x" files in the current directory. Filename templates cannot be used with the editor unless the editor itself, or the host system, expands the filename template.

cl> edit *.x

Bugs

The EOF control character is set in the edcap file for the editor language in use, e.g., "dev$vi.ed" for the VI editor. The value in this file may differ from that used on the local system; if this is the case, the system installer should edit the file and change the value of the parameter EXIT_UPDATE.

The control sequences for the keyboard arrow keys are also defined in the ".ed" edcap file; TERMCAP should be used instead.