&, exaEdit command

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&name [ +NUMBER | +STRING | +LINE | =value | ? | - ]
&name

The command & provides definition and handling of parameter variables. What parameter variables are and what you can do with them is described in section Parameter Variables.

The command must always contain a variable name, & alone is wrong. For the parameters ? and - you may specify an * instead of a name which means that all parameter variables are meant.

Specifying no parameter at all is the same as specifying ?: The specyfied parameter variable is shown. The information you get is

The type: One of the letters N, L, or S for the type (confer to section Parameter Variables).
The name of the parameter variable.
The value of the parameter variable.

With the parameter +NUMBER you define a new parameter variable for numerical values. The name must consist of 1 to 8 letters. Capital and small letters are distinguished. Please note that the names of the pre-defined standard parameter variables have a large initial letter and small letters otherwise. In order to assign a value to the newly defined parameter variable you will have to recall the command & with the parameter =value.

The parameters +STRING and +LINE serve likewise the definition of parameter variables for character strings and record numbers respectively.

With the parameter =value you assign a (new) value to an already existing parameter variable. Such a value is either a constant (suitable for the type of the variable) or a certain simple expression.

Expressions allowed for numerical parameter variables are sum and difference of constants. Also for parameter variables representing record numbers you may add or subtract numerical constants which then gives a new record number which lies some records below or above. Parameter variables which represent character strings can be used in an expression in the following ways: They may be concatenated with a character string by using a plus sign or a substring may be built with the parameter sequence SUBSTR /string/ begin length.

As in all exaEdit commands constants may be replaced by suitable parameter variables. This is valid for the command & also. In this way a relatively powerful "arithmetic" with parameters is possible.

With the parameter - the specified parameter variable is deleted. If you use an * all parameter variables will be deleted. Please note however, that the standard parameter variables cannot be deleted.

Some examples (the record numbers of the file are assumed to be 100, 200, ...):

&num+n &num =3 &Col=&num + 4 &Line = 0500 &Line = &Line - 2 &Loc = -abc &Loc = &Loc + .de. &Loc = substr&Loc3 2

Then the command &*? will show the following: N &Col =7 N &Count =0 L &Line =00000300 S &Loc =/cd/ N &num =3 Next: ALIGN Previous: _ (underscore) Up: The Commands in Detail