EVE$HELP.HLB  —  OPEN_SELECTED
  OPEN SELECTED

  Opens the file or files whose names you have selected or found---same as
  GET FILE or OPEN without having to type the file name. This is useful if
  the file has a long name or a name similar to other files, which could be
  mistyped.

  Steps:

     1.  Select or find the name of the file or files you want to open.

         The selection can be a normal (linear) range, a box range, or a
         found range in EVE, or it can be in another DECwindows application
         running concurrently. If the selection crosses multiple lines, each
         line should contain only one file specification.

     2.  Use the OPEN SELECTED command.

         EVE then opens the selected file or files, and cancels the
         selection if it is in EVE.

  Usage notes:

  o  If the file is not already open, EVE creates a buffer using the file
     name and file type for the buffer name. If the file exists, EVE copies
     it into the new buffer. If the file does not exist---if you are
     creating a new file---the new buffer is empty. In either case, the new
     buffer has the same settings as the $DEFAULTS$ buffer (see help on
     Defaults).

  o  If the file is already open, EVE puts the buffer for that file into the
     current window and puts the cursor at your last position in that
     buffer. The settings of that buffer apply.

  o  If there is already a buffer with the same name as the file you specify
     but not associated with the file---for example, if you used the BUFFER
     command to create a buffer named MEMO.TXT---EVE asks for a different
     buffer name to use before creating the buffer.

     You can modify this behavior so that EVE automatically generates a
     unique buffer name instead of prompting you for one. The unique name
     equals the existing buffer name plus the string " [N]", where N
     increments from 1 for each new file name that matches the existing
     buffer name. For example, if the existing buffer name is "FOO.TXT", the
     first generated name is "FOO.TXT [1]", the second is "FOO.TXT [2]", and
     so on. To enable the alternate behavior assign an integer value of 1 to
     the EVE variable EVE$X_GENERATE_BUFNAMES, typically in your DECTPU
     command file or init file.

  o  On VMS, file names are not case-sensitive.

  o  You can use wildcards to specify the file---for example, you can select
     *.TXT. If more than one file matches your request EVE shows a list of
     the matching file names to choose from (see help on Choices Buffer). If
     you use a search list to specify the file or use wildcards for the
     device (disk) or directory (such as [...]), EVE opens the first
     matching file.

     You can modify this wildcard behavior so that OPEN SELECTED behaves
     like GET WILDCARDED FILES by assigning an integer value of 1 to the EVE
     variable EVE$X_GET_WILD_ACTIVE, typically in your DECTPU command file
     or init file. After assigning this variable, OPEN SELECTED reads in
     every matching file instead of displaying the choices, and does not
     create empty buffers for files that do not exist.

  o  If multiple file names are selected, EVE reads in each file, and leaves
     you in the buffer created from the last file read in. EVE ignores all
     but the first wildcarded file name having more than one match; after
     reading in all files, EVE shows a list of the files matching the
     ambiguous file name so you can choose the one you want---see help on
     Choices Buffer.

  o  For information on viewing and editing two or more files at the same
     time by using multiple windows in EVE, see help on Windows.

  Related topics:

     DELETE BUFFER     GET FILE     GET WILDCARDED FILES     INCLUDE FILE
     OPEN              SELECT       WRITE FILE
Close Help