EDT SpecIns Enters a character or control code according to its ASCII decimal value, specified by a GOLD-number sequence. Steps: 1. Press GOLD (usually, PF1) and type the decimal value of the character---such as 27 for escape or 181 for micro (µ). The number appears in reverse video in the command window. 2. Press the EDT SpecIns key (GOLD-KP3). Usage notes: o SpecIns depends on the mode of the buffer, shown in the status line. In insert mode, the character you specify is inserted at the current position, pushing text to the right. In overstrike mode, it replaces the current character. To change the mode of the buffer, press CTRL/A (see help on CHANGE MODE). o Some control codes or non-printing characters, such as escape, may appear in editing as a backwards question mark or as a gray rectangle, depending on the terminal you are using. o You cannot repeat SpecIns by using a GOLD-number sequence (such as GOLD-5) because SpecIns uses the sequence as the character code to be entered. Instead, to repeat SpecIns, use the REPEAT command. o You can also enter multinational characters, such as the micro, with the COMPOSE CHARACTER key (on DECwindows or DECterm, press ALT/SPACE). To enter control codes or non-printing characters, such as escape, use CTRL/V (see help on QUOTE). Note that on older keyboards, the COMPOSE CHARACTER key serves as the ALT key. Some newer keyboards have a separate ALT key. o To insert a special character from within an EVE initialization file (such as in batch editing), use the TPU command and the EVE$INSERT_TEXT procedure. For example, the following command line inserts an escape character: TPU EVE$INSERT_TEXT (ASCII (27)); Related topics: INSERT MODE OVERSTRIKE MODE QUOTE