Local Edit Mode

Local editing is a feature of the VT300 series terminals. In local editing mode, text is stored in page memory as you type it. You can edit this text, then send a block of edited text to the host.

The host computer normally causes the display session to enter and exit local edit mode. However, you can control this action manually.

The Settings - Display Local Edit Page

Table 3-49

Setting

Description

Edit Mode

Specify whether to use local edit mode. Alternatively, you can toggle between Interactive (off) and Enabled (on) by pressing SHIFT+SELECT. The Unavailable option disables local edit mode.

Function Keys

Specify how the F6 through F20 function keys work in Local Edit mode. Prefix sends a key's escape sequence to the host before sending a block of data. Suffix sends it after. If you select Immediate, keys send their usual escape sequences to the application software and do not affect edit mode.

Erasure Mode

Specify the type of characters that you or the host can erase.

Edit Key

Specify how to switch modes when you press SHIFT+SELECT. Deferred sends a request to the host to switch modes.

Transmit

Specify how to send data to the host when you press TRANSMIT. Deferred sends ESC S to notify the host that data is available, and the host retrieves the data.

Guarded Area

Specify whether to send only unprotected characters, or both protected and unprotected characters.

Selected Area

Specify the characters to be sent. Selected characters are those to which the host assigned the selected attribute.

Multiple Area

Specify which selected area should be sent. Single sends only the selected area containing the cursor. Multiple sends all selected areas on the current page.

VT131 Transfer

Specify the terminal type to use to send a data block.

EOL Chars

Type the characters to send to indicate the end of a line in a block of data. The default character is CR (^M).

EOB Chars

Type the characters to send to indicate the end of a block of data. The default character is FF (^L).

Transfer Termination

Send scrolling region when you press TRANSMIT. If not selected, a block based on the VT131 Transfer option is sent when you press TRANSMIT.

Space Compression

Send a record separator in place of unused character fields and spaces in a data block; the last field on a line contains an EOL character. If not selected, a space character is sent for each unused character position.

Line Transmit

Send a line of eligible characters when you press TRANSMIT. If not selected, a full or partial page is sent when you press TRANSMIT. The page size depends on the Transfer Termination and VT131 Transfer options.

New Line Scrolling

Scroll at the end of the screen when in Line Transmit mode.

To enter or exit local edit mode

The host computer normally causes the display to enter and exit local edit mode. However, you can control this action manually.

  1. In a VT session, from the Options menu, choose Settings.

  2. Under Categories, choose Display.

  3. On the Local Edit page under Edit mode, select Enabled to enter local edit mode or Interactive to exit local edit mode.

    NOTE:You can also enter or exit local edit mode by pressing SHIFT+SELECT. However, if you select Unavailable under Edit Mode on the Local Edit page, SHIFT+SELECT has no effect.

To use local edit mode to Transmit a specified block of text (VT)

From the Local Edit page, select the options you want for transmitting a specified block of text:

Table 3-50

To Transmit

Select

And Clear

A line

Line Transmit

 

The scrolling region

Transfer Termination

Line Transmit

A VT131 partial page

VT131 under VT131 Transfer

Line Transmit and Transfer Termination

An ANSI partial page

ANSI under VT131 Transfer

Line Transmit and Transfer Termination

Keys used in Local Edit Mode (VT)

You can use the following keys in local edit mode. The actual key you press depends on the layout of VT functions on your keyboard.

Table 3-51

Key that produces the VT function

Local Edit Function

Action in Local Edit mode

FIND

Home Cursor

Moves the cursor to the top left position on a page in page memory.

INSERT HERE

Insert / Overstrike

Selects whether new characters you type displace existing characters to the right, or replace existing characters. The VT status line shows the current state.

REMOVE

Clear

Clears an unprotected field of all characters. Press SHIFT with this key to clear all unprotected fields in the scrolling region.

SELECT

Edit

Press SHIFT with this key to enter or exit local edit mode. The VT status line shows the current state.

PREV SCREEN

PrevPage

Moves the cursor to the beginning of the previous page.

NEXT SCREEN

NextPage

Moves the cursor to the beginning of the next page.

PF1

Tab

Advances the cursor to the first occurrence of: (1) a tab stop at the beginning of an unprotected field, (2) an unprotected field, (3) the end of the scrolling region. Pressing SHIFT with this key moves the cursor back to the first occurrence of: (1) the previous tab stop, (2) the beginning of the current unprotected field, (3) the beginning of the previous unprotected field, (4) the beginning of the scrolling region.

PF2

Insert Line

Adds a blank line on the screen, and moves the following lines down. You cannot press this key on a line containing a protected field.

PF3

DeleteLine

Deletes a line from the screen, and moves the following lines up. You cannot press this key on a line containing a protected field.

PF4

DeleteChar

Deletes the unprotected character at the cursor.

ENTER

(Numeric keypad)

Transmit

Sends a block of edited text to the host.

ENTER

(Main keyboard)

Works like the Transmit key, if you select Line Transmit.

DELETE (Main keyboard)

 

Deletes one character to the left of the cursor.