SP-EDIT Command

Use SP-EDIT to manipulate Spooler hold files. SP-EDIT can be used to display and print all or part of any hold file, to redirect a hold file to either another printer, a tape device, or floppy disk drive, to convert a hold file into a data file, or to delete one or more hold files from the Spooler. You can edit only those files generated from the account you are logged on to, unless you use the U option.

Format

Parameter(s)

Description

When you enter the SP-EDIT command, the following prompts are displayed:

nnn is the number of the first hold file selected. This prompt allows you to display the first 500 characters of the hold file. (If you want to display the entire hold file, skip to the Spool prompt and type either T or TN at the prompt.)

Responding to the Display Prompt

At the Display prompt, enter one of the following responses:

Any other response skips to the String prompt.

When you select Y, the first 500 characters of the hold file are displayed. If the 500 characters end in the middle of a line, the rest of the characters in the last line are also displayed. Then the String prompt is displayed.

If the hold file you want to display is currently being printed, you must use the O option of SP-EDIT to display it. If the O option is not used, the following message displays and the process either continues to the next selected hold file or, if there aren’t any, to the TCL prompt:

To proceed to the next file, press ENTER at the NEXT? prompt.

If you included the L option when you initially entered the SP-EDIT command, only three responses to the Display prompt are possible:

Responding to the "String" Prompt

The String prompt looks like this:

The String prompt allows you to start printing a hold file from any line in the file. The line is identified by specifying at the String prompt a unique string of characters that are contained in the line you want to start from.

One of two responses is possible here:

1. Entering a character string

To move to the first occurrence of a character string in the hold file, enter the character string at the prompt. If the string is found, SP-EDIT moves the beginning-of-report address to the line containing the character string, and the Spool prompt is displayed. If the string is not found, the following message displays and you can try again:

STRING NOT FOUND STRING:-

2. Skipping to the Spool prompt.

To skip the String prompt altogether, press ENTER. The Spool prompt then displays.

Responding to the "Spool" Prompt

The Spool prompt allows you to spool the hold file for printing, print the file on your screen, or convert the file to a data file. The Spool prompt looks like this:

Enter one of the following responses at the prompt:

The following sections describe each of these responses in more detail.

Spooling a Hold File

If you select Y and the hold file cannot be spooled, the following message displays and you are returned to the TCL prompt:

You can then modify the SP-ASSIGNments to allow spooling of the file, then re-enter SP-EDIT to spool the file.

Printing a Hold File on the Screen

If you select T to display the entire contents of the file on your screen, the first page is displayed. You can type any of the following:

These three options are not available if the TN option is used.

Converting a Hold File to a Data File

If the F option is used, the following prompt appears:

1. Type the name of the data file to which you want to transfer the hold file. Next, this prompt appears:

INITIAL ITEM -

2. Type the name of the item. If the item already exists, it will be overwritten.

The hold file is then converted into an item in the file you specified.

If you included the V option when you initially entered the SP-EDIT command, all trailing blank lines will be retained in the data item.

Responding to the "Delete" Prompt

The Delete prompt allows you to delete a file from the Spooler. A print file must be made into a hold file before it can be deleted.

The Delete prompt looks like this:

Type Y to delete the specified hold file. Type N to skip to the next specified hold file.

Once you have entered Y you cannot stop the deletion. Storage space is returned to the system (that is, it is available), and the print file control block is ready for reuse. But even though the hold file has been deleted, information about it is retained until the control block is reused. Such deleted files will show up on the report displayed by the LISTPEQS command when the L option is used.

Typing anything other than Y at the Delete prompt skips to the next specified hold file. If there are no more files, the following message displays and you are returned to the calling process (TCL prompt, EXECUTE statement, etc.):

Using SP-EDIT Options

The examples shown in the following sections demonstrate some of the more common ways of using SP-EDIT options.

Selecting Hold Files

This section shows some of the ways to select the hold files you want to edit. Once the hold files are selected, the SP-EDIT prompt sequence allows you to perform the editing functions you require.

The following example selects all available hold files, whether generated by the account you are logged on to or not:

The next example selects all hold files generated on the ORDERS account:

The next example selects all hold files generated on the account you are logged on to, which were sent to form queue 6:

Sending a Hold File to Backup Medium

The following example sends the hold file to backup medium and waits for the backup medium to be available; it does not write a backup medium label:

The next example sends all hold files between numbers 7 through 11 that were generated on the account which you are logged on to, to backup medium:

Spooling and Deleting Multiple Hold Files

The following example spools all selected print files to the device specified either by the current SP-ASSIGNments or by any options in effect:

The next example sends all hold files created by the ORDERS account to form queue 4:

The next example deletes all selected print files. You can only break the deletion process between deletions:

The next example deletes all hold files created on any account that were to be send to form queues 10 through 20:

Using the SP-EDIT Dialogue

The following outline summarizes the sequence of prompts that are displayed after the SP-EDIT command is entered with one or more hold file entry numbers:

Prompt

Parameter(s)

Prompt

Parameter(s)

Prompt 

Parameter(s)

Prompt

Parameter(s)