Rules for entering line commands
Enter a line command by performing one of these actions:
- Typing the command in the line command field and pressing Enter.
- Placing the cursor in the data or line command field and pressing a function key to which the command is assigned.
These rules apply to all line commands:
- You can type several line commands and make multiple data changes before you press Enter. The editor displays an error message if the line command is ambiguous. Because the line commands are processed from top to bottom, it is possible to have one error message appear that masks a later error condition. Only the first error condition found is displayed. After you have corrected that error condition, processing can continue and the next error condition, if any, is displayed. If you type a line command incorrectly, you can replace it before you press Enter by retyping it, blanking it out, or entering RESET.
- Generally, you need to type over only the first 1 or 2 characters
of the line number to enter a line command. Sometimes, however, typing
a single character can be ambiguous. In this example, it is unclear
whether the intended line command is
R
to repeat line31700
, orR3
to repeat the line three times:
In such cases, the ISPF editor assumes that you have not typed a number following the line command. If you want to repeat the line three times, you can use any of these procedures:031600 R31700 031800
- Leave the cursor on the character that immediately follows the
R3
:R31700
- Type one or more blanks following the
R3
:R3 700
- Type one or more blanks following the
R
but before the number, leaving the cursor on the character that immediately follows the3
:R 3700
- Type
R3
and press the Erase EOF key to clear the rest of the line command field, or press the Erase EOF key and then typeR3
- Leave the cursor on the character that immediately follows the
- You can type these line commands on the
TOP OF DATA
line by typing over the asterisks that appear in its line command field:I, In
- Insert one or n lines ahead of the data.
A, An
- Move or copy a line or lines one or n times ahead of the data.
TE, TEn
- Type one or n text lines ahead of the data.
- You can type this line command on the
BOTTOM OF DATA
line by typing over the asterisks:B, Bn
- Move or copy a line or lines one or n times following the data.