Using a System Editor

When you want to enter or modify a long SQL statement or series of statements, you might prefer the flexibility and familiarity of a system editor to the SQL editor. Select the Use-editor option from the SQL menu to use the system editor.

If you have not set the DBEDIT environment variable, you must select a text editor to use for the session. If you select Use-editor, DB–Access prompts you to accept or override the default system editor once each session, as Figure 7 shows.

USE-EDITOR >>vi 
Enter editor name. (RETURN only for default editor)

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The default editor that DB–Access displays depends on the preference that you establish for your operating system:

• Common UNIX system editors are vi and ex.
• If you use a text editor as the system default, you must save the .sql files as text.

Press RETURN to select the default editor you named after the USE-EDITOR prompt. To use a different editor, type the name of that editor and press RETURN.