The ZEDIT command invokes the OpenVMS Text Processing Utility (TPU) section file for GT.M and opens the specified file for editing.
By default, ZEDIT puts a new file into the first source directory in $ZROUTINES. Previously, it used the current working directory. The old behavior can be obtained by specifying the current working directory explicitly in the argument to the ZEDIT command:
ZEDIT "[]file"
The format of the ZEDIT command is:
ZED[IT][:tvexpr] [expr1[:expr2][,...]]
The optional truth-valued expression immediately following the command is a command postconditional that controls whether or not GT.M executes the command.
The optional first expression specifies the RMS file-specification of a file to edit; note the argument is an expression rather than a routinename; ZEDIT rejects arguments of file type .OBJ as illegal.
If ZEDIT has an argument, it not only invokes the editor, but also sets $ZSOURCE=expr1.
If ZEDIT has no argument or expr1="", the command acts as a ZEDIT $ZSOURCE; at least two (2) spaces must follow a ZEDIT command with no argument to separate it from the next command on the line.
GT.M stores source code in files with standard operating system format; generally the file name is the same as the GT.M routinename with a default type of .M.
The optional second expression specifies a string holding TPU qualifiers, each delimited by a slash (/); the qualifiers control special TPU processing options
An indirection operator and an expression atom evaluating to a list of one or more ZEDIT arguments form a legal argument for a ZEDIT
If the expression includes a directory, ZEDIT searches only that directory. If $ZROUTINES is not null, a ZEDIT command that does not specify a directory uses $ZROUTINES to locate files. If $ZROUTINES is null, ZEDIT edits a new file in the first source directory specified in $ZROUTINES. For more information on $ZROUTINES, refer to the appropriate section in the "Intrinsic Special Variables" chapter of this manual.
When the argument to a ZEDIT includes a file-specification, $ZSOURCE maintains that as a default for ZEDIT and ZLINK. For more information on $ZSOURCE refer to the appropriate section in the "Intrinsic Special Variables" chapter of this manual.
The /READONLY qualifier instructs TPU to make the buffer non-modifiable. The /MODIFIABLE qualifier in conjunction with the /READONLY qualifier makes the buffer modifiable, but TPU does not automatically write the buffer to disk when it exits the session. By default, /NOREADONLY, TPU maintains a journal file of the session.
The /RECOVER qualifier instructs TPU to read a specified journal file at the beginning of the editing session and to restore all commands in that journal file. /RECOVER restores edits after a system interruption. To recover a session, set all terminal characteristics such as page width or length to the same state as they had at the start of the editing session being recovered. By default, ZEDIT starts a new session rather than a /RECOVER.
For more information on these and other TPU edit qualifiers, refer to the VMS Text Processing Utility Reference Manual.
You may wish to customize your editor. The logical name TPU$SECTION specifies the TPU image invoked by ZEDIT. The logical name TPU$COMMAND specifies a file containing TPU commands that customize your standard editor by adding to the TPU image at invocation. You may place commands to tailor EVE, the default TPU editor, in the file EVE$INIT.EVE in your login directory. Alternatively, you can define the logical name EVE$INIT to specify a file used at invocation to tailor EVE. For more information on TPU, refer to the VMS Text Processing Utility Reference Manual.