Map Editor

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# Map Editor

The Natural map editor is used to create a Natural object of type map. A map is a screen layout that can be referenced in a Natural object such as a program by using either an `INPUT USING MAP` statement (for input maps) or a `WRITE USING MAP` statement (for output maps).

A map contains text fields and data fields. Text fields are literal strings and data fields are variables. Data fields can be either user-defined variables or Natural system variables.

Once a map has been created, it can be stored as a source object and a cataloged object in a library in a Natural system file.

Notes:

1. When using Natural Studio in a Windows environment, the map editor supports fields with Unicode format and Unicode strings. However, when reading the source of a Unicode map into the editing area of a map editor in a local mainframe or a UNIX environment, all Unicode strings will be removed from the source.
2. The map editor has been disabled in your environment by default. For more information, see NaturalONE as the Default Development Environment .

#### Related Topics:

- Map Editor Tutorial

- Editors in the SPoD Environment in the Unicode and Code Page Support documentation

The Map Editor documentation is organized in the following parts:

Components of the Map Editor
Summary of Map Creation
Invoking and Leaving the Map Editor
Functions in the Edit Map Menu
Initializing a Map
Editing a Map
Defining Map Fields
Extended Field Editing
Post Assignment of Fields
Array and Table Definitions
Processing Rules