INPUT   [/string/]
I

This command has two meanings, depending on whether you give parameters or not.

When you use INPUT without parameters, the command switches from the command mode to the input mode. If you want to switch back from the input mode to the command mode, you have to make an empty input, i.e. press the return key without having pressed another key except the return key.

When you switch on the input mode,

Input

is displayed in the window (as an invitation to give some input). This display is overridden with the next input you give. The permanent display for the input mode is an

I

in the status line. Besides, the ruler slides to the left to make it possible to count the columns correctly if necessary.

You use the input mode to transfer new records into the workfile. The new records are entered in the dialogue zone (i.e. where you usually enter the exaEdit commands). These records are inserted after the record in the current line.

Every line entered is repeated in the first line of the dialogue zone, the second line of this zone is erased and the cursor takes the first position of the second line for the next input. But you can make your input in any line in the window, as usual in exaEdit. You may apply this possibility especially to the previous line of input that has remained in the first line of the dialogue zone.

As long as exaEdit is in the input mode, the new lines in the data zone do not yet receive numbers. The line numbers are only added when the input mode is quit since only then the numbers of new lines is determined. The Section Inserting Record Numbers describes how the numbers of new records are determined.

Now for the parameter use of string: This inserts the string you have specified as a new line after the current line.