locate /character string/starts its search from the current line and searches for the character string you have just entered. If it is found, the line that contains this character string becomes the current line, e.g.
locate /the/
The character string you are looking for has to be embedded in two
delimiting characters (where you can leave out the end delimiter
sometimes). The character to delimit the string (in the example above it
is a `/') can be any character except a numeral, the
character `&', or the command separator. The following
command, for example, would search for the character string
`he' (`t' delimits the beginning while
the end marker is missing):
locate theIt will be easiest for you, probably, when you get used to one character as delimiter of character strings. I would suggest the # character on the right on your keyboard (in the special character field). But, if this character occurs within the character string itself, you have to choose another delimiter for this string.
When the search for your character string has reached the end of your workfile, the search will be continued from the beginning of the data. exaEdit makes you aware of this procedure by writing the following message on your window when it passes the end of the file:
Search from begin (wrap)(As an alternative, you can stop the search at the end of the workfile; compare the explanation on the command WRAP in the next chapter.)
If you have to look several times for one and the same character string, you only need to type in
locatealone, the following times. Since the minimal abbreviation of LOCATE is L, you do not even need to type in more than
lBesides the search from top to bottom, exaEdit can also search from bottom to top. This is possible with the command
rlocate /character string/(rlocate = `reverse locate'). If in this case the search passes the beginning of the workfile and continues at the end of it, then exaEdit writes
Search from end (wrap)in the window.
The memory for the search is the same for LOCATE and RLOCATE.