EDIT

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# EDIT

This command is used to invoke a Natural editor for the purpose of creating and editing a Natural source.

Note
This command is not available if the Natural program, data area, and map editor are disabled in your environment. Use the source editor of NaturalONE to edit a source object.

Three different forms of command syntax exist. These are documented in the following sections.

- Syntax 1

- Syntax 2

- Syntax 3

Related command: `READ`.

See also Object Naming Conventions in the Using Natural documentation.

## Syntax 1

`EDIT` [object-type] [object-name [library-id]]

#### object-type

The following object types can be edited:

|  | `CLASS` |  |
`4`
`COPYCODE`
`DESCRIPTION`
`GLOBAL`
`HELPROUTINE`
`LOCAL`
`MAP`
`PARAMETER`
`PROGRAM`
| `SUBPROGRAM` |
`N`
`SUBROUTINE`
`TEXT`
`7` (for Function)

Which editor is invoked depends on the type of object to be edited:

- Local data areas, global data areas or parameter data areas are edited with the data area editor.

- Maps are edited with the map editor.

- Classes are edited with the program editor.

- All other types of objects - program, subprogram, subroutine, `7` (for function), helproutine, copycode, text, description - are edited with the program editor.

- Descriptions are edited in Predict. A description is a program description as stored and maintained in the Predict Data Dictionary; an object of this type can only be edited if Predict is installed.

The object types are described in Objects for Natural Application Management in the Programming Guide. The editors are described in the Editors documentation.

If you specify the name of the object you wish to edit, you need not specify its object type.

#### object-name

With the `EDIT` command, you specify the name of the object you wish to edit. The maximum length of the object name is 8 characters.

Natural will then load the object into the edit work area of the appropriate editor and set the object name for a subsequent `SAVE`, `CATALOG`, `STOW` command.

If you do not specify an object-name and there is no object in the source work area, the empty program editor screen will be invoked where you can create a program. If the source work area is not empty, the object will be loaded in the appropriate editor.

Note
For `EDIT DESCRIPTION`, the object-name must be the name as defined as a Natural text object in the Predict program definition.

#### library-id

If the object you wish to edit is not contained in the library you are currently logged on to, you must specify the library-id of the library in which the object to be edited is contained.

Note
The setting for library-id must not begin with "SYS" (except `SYSTEM`).

If Natural Security is active, a library-id must not be specified, which means that you can only edit objects which are in your current library.

## Syntax 2

`EDIT` |  | * |  |  | * |
object-type | object-name

If you do not remember the name of the object you wish to edit, you can use this form of the `EDIT` command to display a list of objects, and then select from the list the desired object.

`EDIT *` | Displays a list of all objects in your current library.
`EDIT object-type *` | Displays a list of all objects of that type in your current library.

To select an object from a certain range of objects, you can use asterisk notation and wildcard notation for the object-name in the same manner as described for the system command `LIST`.

## Syntax 3

`EDIT FUNCTION` subroutine-name

The `EDIT FUNCTION` command may be used to edit a subroutine using the subroutine name (not the object name) with maximally 32 characters.

Note
Please note that the keyword `FUNCTION` used in this syntax is not identical with the Natural object type 7 (for function) listed above. See the description of object type Function in the Programming Guide.

Example:

    DEFINE SUBROUTINE CHECK-PARAMETERS
      ...
    END-SUBROUTINE
    END

Assuming that the above subroutine has been saved under the object name `CHCKSUB`, you may edit subroutine `CHECK-PARAMETERS` either by issuing the command:

    EDIT S CHKSUB

or by

    EDIT F CHECK-PARAMETERS

### On this page

- Syntax 1
- Syntax 2
- Syntax 3