The ISPF editor, properly
The ISPF editor is line-based and command-driven, which feels alien for about two hours and then feels fast. There are two places to type: the command line at the top, and the line-number area on the left.
Line commands — typed over the line numbers
| Type | Effect |
|---|---|
| I | Insert one line below (I5 inserts five) |
| D | Delete this line (D5 deletes five; DD…DD deletes a block) |
| C then A/B | Copy this line, then After or Before the target |
| M then A/B | Move a line |
| R | Repeat a line (R10 repeats it ten times) |
| X | Exclude from display (useful with FIND ALL) |
| COLS | Show a column ruler — essential for JCL and COBOL |
| TABS / BNDS | Show tab and boundary settings |
Primary commands — typed on the command line
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
| FIND abc / F abc | Find the next occurrence |
| F abc ALL | Find all, and show a count |
| F abc FIRST / LAST / PREV | Directional find |
| CHANGE a b ALL / C a b ALL | Change every occurrence |
| X ALL then F abc ALL | Hide everything, then show only matching lines — the best way to read a big file |
| RESET | Clear excluded lines and pending line commands |
| SORT | Sort lines, optionally by column range |
| COPY libname(member) | Pull another member into this one |
| CREATE / REPLACE | Write selected lines out to a new member |
| SUBMIT / SUB | Submit the current member as a job |
| CANCEL | Leave without saving |
| SAVE | Save without leaving |
| HILITE COBOL / JCL | Turn on syntax colouring |
Command ===> X ALL Scroll ===> CSR Command ===> F 'PROD.PAY' ALL - - - - - - - - - - - - 47 LINE(S) NOT DISPLAYED - - - - - - - 000210 //INFILE DD DSN=PROD.PAY.MASTER,DISP=SHR - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 LINE(S) NOT DISPLAYED - - - - - - - 000388 //OUTFILE DD DSN=PROD.PAY.RESULT,DISP=(NEW,CATLG,DELETE) - - - - - - - - - - - - 91 LINE(S) NOT DISPLAYED - - - - - - -
Undo
UNDO reverses your last change, but only if recovery is on — set RECOVERY ON (or set it permanently in the edit settings). Many new users discover this the hard way. CANCEL abandons all unsaved changes, which is the bigger hammer.
Common mistakes
The system stops reading at 71 and column 72 means continuation. Long parameters must be continued on the next line, not run over.
Change ALL is global and instant. Do a FIND ALL first to see how many hits there are and where.
Without it, UNDO does nothing. Set it once in your profile and forget about it.
A stray letter over the line numbers will act on your next Enter. RESET clears them.
What you will see at work
- X ALL followed by a targeted FIND is how experienced people read a 4,000-line program. Learn it early.
- Most sites run source through a change management product; your edits may go to a staging library, not the live one.
- SUBMIT straight from the editor is the normal way to run a job you just changed.
Key terms
Check your understanding.
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