Loading a File via DD-Names

Next: Files with Special Record Formats Previous: Loading in the Normal Case Up: Loading a File

Loading a File via DD-Names

As an alternative to specifying a file name with the LOAD command, you can use an environment variable. Before doing so, you have to connect the environment variable to a file name by specific means.

For example, you could define the environment variable DD_ABC as follows in a Unix system:


export DD_ABC=/u/fmath/ppreus/qwer

Or in a Windows system:


set DD_ABC=h:\dok\qwer

After having done that, you can load the file `qwer' by using the command:


LOAD (abc)

The parentheses serve to distinguish this special case from the standard case of a file name.

The LOAD command does not distinguish between upper case or lower case letters in the DD-name, but in Unix the environment variable must be written in upper case letters only. The name of the environment variable must contain the three characters DD_. This is a precaution against collisions with other user-defined variables.

The command FILE does not yet accept DD-names. It is of course possible to save a file that has been loaded via load (abc) using file, because exaEdit knows which file it is. But if you try something like file (abc), exaEdit will create a file called `(abc)'.

Next: Files with Special Record Formats Previous: Loading in the Normal Case Up: Loadung a File