A new command called FEX (Find EXpression) is being introduced in the next version of SimpList. It uses the same syntax as the regular ISPF find command, but enhances it with a couple of the concepts used in regular expressions.
A beta test version has just been released and a few positions are left for anyone who wants to try it. Those who take part in the beta test get to keep the FEX command, even after the SimpList trial has expired. If you think you might be interested in using FEX then please read on. FEX can be used when editing or viewing data sets, members, Unix files, and PC/workstation files. It's very similar to finding picture strings, and uses all of the same metacharacters and optional parameters that can be used when finding picture strings (e.g. column range, label range, FIRST/NEXT/LAST, WORD/PREFIX/SUFFIX, X/NX, etc). The intention is to keep the same syntax that's already familiar to ISPF users, but enhance it with some of the concepts used in regular expressions. In regular ISPF, metacharacters can be used in picture strings to represent a type of character rather than an actual literal character. For example, '#' represents any number, '$' represents any non-alphanumeric character, '.' represents any non-displayable character, and so on. The following example shows a regular ISPF find command being used to find any 3 consecutive numbers such as '123' or '591' (etc): FIND P'###' The equivalent FEX command would be: FEX ### With the FEX command the leading 'P' is not required because all of the characters in the string are assumed to be picture string characters (unless enclosed in brackets, as explained in a moment). Quotes are optional unless the string contains spaces. One of the concepts taken from regular expressions is the ability to use square brackets to indicate that any ONE of the characters between the brackets must match EXACTLY. A hyphen can be used between the brackets to indicate a range of characters. For example: FEX [a-g] <--- Finds any lowercase character between 'a' and 'g' FEX [0-46-9] <--- Finds any number except for 5 FEX gr[ae]y <--- Finds 'gray' or 'grey' FEX [R]ose <--- Finds Rose, ROse, ROSe, ROSE, RoSE (etc) but not 'rose' FEX b[a-e] <--- Finds ba, bb, bc, bd, be, Ba, Bb (etc) FEX [B][a-e] <--- Finds Ba, Bb, Bc, Bd, or Be, but not 'ba' or 'bb' (etc) FEX [aeiou] ALL <--- Counts the number of lowercase vowels in the file FEX ' [0-5] ' <--- Finds any single digit number between 0 and 5 FEX [$]###[.]## <--- Finds any dollar amount from $100.00 to $999.99 Some of these examples show that strings can be found using combinations of case-sensitive AND non-case-sensitive characters. For example, the 'R' in 'Rose' has to be uppercase (because it's entered in brackets and therefore has to match EXACTLY), whereas the remaining characters are not case sensitive. In the last example, the '#' is not enclosed in brackets and therefore acts as a picture string, while the '$' and '.' are enclosed in brackets and therefore do NOT act as picture strings. This greatly enhances the usefulness of picture strings, as picture string characters can now be used both as metacharacters and as literals. FEX also supports the use of asterisks as wild-cards, where a single asterisk indicates any number of characters (including zero) may appear between two or more strings. For example: FEX var1*var2 <--- Would find: "VAR1 = VAR3 - VAR2 + VAR4" FEX dog*cat*rat <--- Would find: "The dog chased the cat which chased the rat" FEX 2[*]# <--- Finds 'Two times any number'; e.g. 2*6 In the third example the asterisk is enclosed in brackets so it's treated as a literal instead of a metacharacter; i.e. only the last character (the number sign) is treated as a metacharacter. If you'd like to give the FEX command a try then please let me know. You'll be sent 5 XMI files as email attachments (i.e. panels, messages, skeletons, tables, and REXX). You upload the 5 files to 5 temporary sequential data sets on your mainframe and run a supplied JCL job that unloads the sequential data sets into 5 partitioned data sets. You add these libraries to the allocations performed by your logon CLIST, and you're done. There is nothing to compile, link, authorize (etc), so it's extremely easy to install and can usually be done in a matter of minutes. Detailed instructions are supplied. As a beta tester you get 90 days to try it instead of the usual 30 days. At the end of the 90 days no-one contacts you or tries to sell you anything. You get to keep the FEX command at no cost; i.e. you can continue using it even after the SimpList trial license has expired so there's nothing to lose. The number of beta testers required is limited, so if you're interested then please contact me off-list as soon as possible. Thanks, Dave Salt SimpList(tm) - try it; you'll get it! http://www.mackinney.com/products/SIM/simplist.htm _________________________________________________________________ New! Faster Messenger access on the new MSN homepage http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9677406 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
