Customizing VMS V1.0

UNDER CONSTRUCTION - NOT YET FINISHED!

The aim of this tutorial is to show how to customize VMS V1.0 on the SIMH VAX-11/780 simulator or a real VAX-11/780 ;-).

Tools and skills needed for customizing

The SOS line editor

You need an Editor to customize VMS.

Using an old fashioned editor is something that really needs getting used to.

VMS V1.0 includes SOS, a "Line Editor", i.e. you work on single lines of your text, no simple scrolling as we're used to nowadays.

see: AA-D030B-TE VAX-VMS Primer

Creating a New File

You create a new file by calling the EDIT command followed be the name of your new file.

$ EDIT TEST.TXT
Input: DMA0:[SYSMGR]TEST.TXT;1
00100   

The editor echos device, directory, and file name of your new file and presents the first (empty) line with its line number (100). Now you just proceed als follows:

$ EDIT TEST.TXT
Input: DMA0:[SYSMGR]TEST.TXT;1
00100   This is the first line of a new text file.
00200   Pressing [Enter] starts a new line.
00300   Using [ESC] switches to command mode.
00400   The command mode prompt is "*".
00500   At the command mode "W" writes the file to disk,
00600   and "E" ends the editor.
*W
[DMA0:[SYSMGR]TEST.TXT;1]
*E
[DMA0:[SYSMGR]TEST.TXT;1]   (NO CHANGES)
$

That's all (at least if you writing without typos and changes)!

Editing an Existing File

$ EDIT TEST.TXT
Edit: DMA0:[SYSMGR]TEST.DAT;1
*

The asterix (*) is the editor's command mode prompt.

When you see an * at the beginning of a line, the editor expects a command.

Specifying Lines

To specify lines you use the marks:

: (colon)

. (dot)

^ (caret)

* (asterix)

and line numbers.

Mark	Meaning	Example	Explanation of Example
:	Range	100:500	Lines 100 through 500
.	Current Line	.:500	Current line through 500
^	First Line	^:.	First line through current line
*	Last Line	.:*	Current line through last line

Displaying Lines

To display lines 100 to 600 type: P100:600

*P100:600
00100   This is the first line of a new text file.
00200   Pressing [Enter] starts a new line.
00300   Using [ESC] switches to command mode.
00400   The command mode prompt is "*".
00500   At the command mode "W" writes the file to disk,
00600   and "E" ends the editor.
*

To display all lines of a file type: P^:*

Inserting Lines

Insert after the current line: I.

Insert after e.g. line number 300: I300

Renumbering Lines

Renumbering Lines: N

Deleting Lines

Delete current line: D.

Delete e.g. line number 300: D300

Replacing Lines

Replace current line: R.

Replace e.g. line number 300: R300

Replace a range of lines, e.g. 300:600: R300:600

Finding Line Contents

Find line contents following the current line:

FEnter<ESC><RETURN>

To search the whole text

P^ Find remembers the last string searched for, so:

F<RETURN>

finds the next occurrence (if any)

Substituting Text

All occurrences on a line

Ssearchtext<ESC>replacetext<ESC><RETURN>