@DELETE (format 1) - Copy lines and string variables

This format of the @DELETE statement is used to delete lines in the current work file or a range of string variables either in part or completely.

Operation	Operands	F mode, L mode
@DELETE	{lines | svars} [:cols [:] [,...]

lines svars cols

The line range to be deleted. The range of string variables whose contents are to be deleted. Column range in the specified lines or string variables that is to be deleted. If only one column number is specified then the remainder of the line or string variable is deleted as of this column. If the first column specification is greater than the length of the line or string variable then the line or string variable is ignored. If there is no column specification then the entire line or string variable is deleted (see below).

Whenever a line range is deleted, only the specified records are removed. Furthermore, no “clean up” operations are performed even if the work file does not contain any more records after deletion.

Completely deleting a string variable restores this to the status which it had before it was first assigned a value, i.e. it contains precisely one blank in the initial character set EDF041.

If an ISAM file has been opened for real processing in work file 0 using @OPEN (format 2) then the corresponding range in the ISAM file is also deleted. However, the file's catalog entry is always retained even if the file contains no further files after deletion.

If the statement is interrupted with [K2] and the EDT session is continued with /INFORM-PROGRAM then the processing of the statement is aborted and message EDT5501 is output.

Example

The line range consisting of line numbers 1 to 2 is deleted from the work file

Columns 7 to 10 inclusive are to be deleted throughout the entire work file.

The specified range has been deleted.