Setting column ranges

By default, in SNGL or TABL display formats, if you enter the CHANGE, FIND, or EXCLUDE command without specifying any field references, File Manager searches all the visible fields based on the template attributes for each field.

You can override this method of searching by specifying a pair of column numbers, indicating the first and last columns to be searched when you enter the primary command.

Note: When you specify a column range, all fields in the record data are searched as if they were character fields. For numeric fields, this can cause unexpected results.

The search string is found if it is completely contained within the specified columns.

The following command finds the next record, excluded or not-excluded, containing the string “Exact” within columns 1 to 20:

FIND C'Exact' 1 20

(For an explanation of excluded and not-excluded records, see Excluding records.)

The following command changes all occurrences of the string “no”, “NO” or “nO” to “No” in columns 21 to 30 in all not-excluded records:

CHANGE NO C'No' ALL 21 30 NX

If the second column that you specify is larger than the record size, then the record size is used. If you specify a single column, then the character string must start in the specified column.

Specifying either a single column or a pair of columns overrides the current bounds. If you do not specify any columns then, when in CHAR, HEX or LHEX display formats, the columns to be searched default to the current bounds (see Setting bounds).