Editing XEDIT (section)

==Typical screen layout==
<syntaxhighlight lang="text" line>
 MOHICANS SCRIPT A1 V 132 Trunc=132 Size=10 Line=10 Col=1 Alt=10
XEDIT:
===== Last of the Mohicans
===== .sp
===== It was a feature peculiar to the colonial wars of North America,
===== that the toils and dangers of the wilderness were to be encountered
===== before the adverse hosts could meet.
===== A wide and apparently an impervious boundary of forests severed
===== the possessions of the hostile provinces of France and England.
===== The hardy colonist, and the trained European who fought at his
===== side, frequently expended months in struggling against the rapids
===== of the streams, or in effecting the rugged passes of the mountains
|...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7...
===== * * * End of File * * *
====>
                                                         X E D I T 1 File
</syntaxhighlight>
[[File:Input mode on newer XEDIT.png|thumb|XEDIT in "input mode," waiting for the user to input more text.]]
Notable features of the screen layout:
*The top line provides details about line format where:
**{{code|MOHICANS}} &nbsp; is the filename
**{{code|SCRIPT}} &nbsp; is the filetype
**{{code|A1}} &nbsp; is the filemode (default, indicating which disk the file is on)
**{{code|V}} &nbsp; is the record format ([[RECFM]]) which can be Fixed or Variable
**{{code|132}} &nbsp; is the length of the records (for V, maximum length is 65535)
**{{code|1=Trunc=132}} &nbsp; indicates changes beyond 132 columns will be ignored
**{{code|1=Size=10}} &nbsp; denotes total number of lines in file
**{{code|1=Line=10}} &nbsp; denotes the current line
**{{code|1=Col=1}} &nbsp; denotes the current column
**{{code|1=Alt=10}} &nbsp; indicates that ten changes have been made while XEDITing
*The [[equal sign]]s <code>=====</code> at the beginning of the lines provide space for line numbers if desired, and a place to enter XEDIT prefix commands that may operate on blocks of lines.
*The line beginning |...+ is a ruler that e.g. might show tabulator positions.
*The following line marks end-of-file, appearing in XEDIT as if it followed the last actual line of the file.
*The next-to-bottom line showing <code>====></code> is a [[command line]] for entering XEDIT or system (CP/CMS) commands or macros.
*There is no mouse pointer because most IBM 3270 terminals did not have mice.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/zos/basics/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.zos.znetwork/znetwork_261.htm |title=Introduction to the 3270 terminal |work=Networking on z/OS |publisher=[[IBM]] |quote=The selector pen was light-based (optical) and it was used to select options on the text screen, similar to how a mouse is used--but of course, the 3270 terminal did not support a mouse.}}</ref>
*Most IBM 3270 terminals had 12 or 24 [[function key|program function keys]] (PFKs) (and also two or three program assist keys), to which XEDIT commands or macros could be assigned.
*XEDIT commands can be used to change the screen appearance. Some examples include:
**Moving the position of (or eliminating) the command line
**Moving the position of (or eliminating) the TABS marker line
**Moving the position of (or eliminating) the PREFIX lines
**Changing the prefix line from equal signs (<code>=====</code>) to line numbers (nnnnn)
**Defining whether or not TAB characters are to be expanded
**Defining which lines are to be displayed by scope (SELECT)
**Showing the data on a display screen or in typewriter mode
**Specifying text line(s) to be displayed on the screen (RESERVED)
**Eliminating the TOFEOF lines ({{code|* * * Top of File * * *}} {{--}}and{{--}} {{code|* * * End of File * * *}})
**Displaying (or eliminating) SHADOW lines (indications that lines are not being displayed)
**Displaying (or eliminating) the SCALE line (a scale or ruler to assist editing)
**Changing the background and foreground colors used for the different portions of the screen
**Defining what lines are to be displayed (RANGE)
**Defining what columns are to be displayed (and also, if in hexadecimal, text, or both)
**Defining multiple XEDIT screens [sizes, location (over/under, side by side, combinations)]