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