Q35260: How to Write Selected Text to a File in M Editor

Article: Q35260
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 1.00   | 1.00
Operating System(s): MS-DOS | OS/2
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 1-NOV-1988

To write a block or stream of text from a file currently being edited
to another file (either new or currently existing), do the following:

1. Select text by using Arg (ALT+A) and the cursor movement keys.

2. Put the text block or stream into the Clipboard by using the
   functions Copy (CTRL+INSERT, or + on the keypad) or Ldelete
   (CTRL+Y) or Sdelete (DELETE).

3. Load the desired new file (see the "Working with Multiple Files"
   section of the "Microsoft Editor" manual).

4. Paste (SHIFT+INSERT) the contents of the Clipboard into the new
   file.

When writing to a file that does not yet exist, another procedure can
be used, as follows:

1. Write the selected text to the Clipboard as described above.

2. Use Setfile to load the <clipboard> pseudofile the same way that
   other files are loaded.

3. When the Clipboard contents appear on the screen, save the file to
   the desired new filename with Arg Arg textarg Setfile (ALT+A ALT+A
   filename F2). If a file by that name already exists, it will be
   overwritten.

4. Return to the originally edited file with Setfile (F2).

The second method can be put into a macro in one of the following two
ways:

1. Create a macro definition for copying to a file of prespecified name
   by using, for example, the following:

sendtofil:=copy arg "<clipboard>" setfile arg arg "foo.txt" setfile
setfile

Assign the macro to a keystroke with an argument of the following
form, for example:

sendtofil:alt+s.

This macro can be placed in TOOLS.INI, or can be the textarg in the
command to enter a macro, as follows:

Arg textarg Assign (ALT+A textarg ALT+=).

2. Create a macro definition for copying to a file of any name by
   using two macros in sequence, for example, as follows:

send1:=copy arg "<clipboard>" setfile arg arg
send2:=setfile setfile

Enter and assign them as described above. To execute this set of
macros, select the text block or stream, execute the first macro, type
the desired filename, then execute the second macro.

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