Another IFS Interface
November 30, 2011 Ted Holt
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The Work with Links (WRKLNK) command is underwhelming. If it were my software, I would add a lot of options to it. But since it isn’t my software, I’ll content myself by using an alternate green-screen interface that has features that are missing from WRKLNK. The alternate interface to IFS directories is the Edit File (EDTF) command. If you specify a single file name in the FILE parameter, EDTF opens the file in the editor. However, if you specify a directory name or a wildcarded name, EDTF presents a directory listing. (The Display File (DSPF) command works the same way.) For example, in response to this command:
edtf stmf('/home/tholt/s*')
EDTF gave me this display:
Permit me to point out some features that you might find useful. First, notice that option 9 provides a recursive delete. If you try to delete a non-empty directory, WRKLNK will respond with message CPFA0AC (Request cannot be completed. Directory contains objects.) EDTF, on the other hand, deletes the directory and the entire subordinate tree structure. Second, the F16 key gives you a way to sort the directory. Position the cursor to the column on which you wish to sort and press F16. According to the help text, the system sorts the data in ascending order on that column. My experience is that the system alternates, sorting in ascending order one time, in descending order the next. Those are the two features I really like. I also wish to point out that you can use the F17 key with the position-to entry field to position the file list to a certain file. You might also like to get acquainted with the workings of F22. Place the cursor on a file name that is so long that it is only partially displayed, press F22, and you will seee the complete file name in a pop-up window. The ideal is to access the IFS through a robust GUI interface on a one-man computer. In this less-than-ideal world, neither WRKLNK nor EDTF provides a rich user experience, but between the two of them, you can get by.
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