Pending Delete
Pending delete lets you erase a selection by simply typing new text or by
using DELETE.
Steps:
1. To enable pending delete, use the SET PENDING DELETE command.
2. To select the text you want to erase, use any of the following:
SELECT
BOX SELECT
M1 clicks or drag (DECwindows only---see help on Mouse)
WPS Continue Search/Select key (GOLD-/ or GOLD-?)
3. To erase the selected text, use DELETE (for example, press the
<X] key), or type new text (such as pressing the space bar).
4. To put back the text you erased, use the RESTORE SELECTION or
RESTORE BOX SELECTION command.
Usage notes:
o Pending delete uses the $RESTORE$SELECTION$ buffer. Thus, you can use
pending delete and RESTORE SELECTION for cutting and pasting text
without affecting the contents of the INSERT HERE buffer or the
clipboard.
o SELECT ALL (or M1CLICK5) temporarily disables pending delete to prevent
your accidentally erasing the entire buffer.
o Erasing a box selection works like BOX CUT, usually padding the area
with spaces to keep the column alignment of text to the right of the
box. If SET BOX NOPAD is in effect, erasing a box from an insert-mode
buffer makes text to the right of the box "collapse" to the left,
closing the gap.
o If SET BOX NOPAD is in effect, restoring a box in an insert-mode buffer
pushes existing text to the right of the box---useful to add columns in
the middle of a table. SET BOX SELECT makes RESTORE SELECTION the same
as RESTORE BOX SELECTION, usually overwriting existing text.
o SET PENDING DELETE applies in all buffers. You can save the setting in
a section file or command file for future editing sessions (see help on
Attributes). Default is SET NOPENDING DELETE---typing new text or using
DELETE works the same whether there is a selection or not.
o On DECwindows, you can toggle the setting as follows:
1. Choose Global Attributes from the Customize menu.
2. Click M1 on Set Pending Delete in the dialog box.
o On DECwindows, a Quick Copy operation creates a secondary (underlined)
selection, moves it to the application having input focus, and then
erases the secondary selection like pending delete---see help on Quick
Copy. To put back the erased text in EVE, use RESTORE SELECTION or
RESTORE BOX SELECTION.
Related topics:
Attributes Quick Copy Ranges And Boxes
DELETE RESTORE BOX SELECTION RESTORE SELECTION
SET BOX PAD SET BOX SELECT SET PENDING DELETE