10/11/83  read_mail (forward) request:  qedx, qx

Syntax:  qx {-control_args}


Function:  invokes the Multics qedx editor to edit the comment text.


Control arguments:
-auto_write
   specifies that this request will automatically update the comment
   when the user quits the editor.
-no_auto_write
   specifies that this request will require the user to use the write
   request to update the comment before quitting the editor.  Any
   attempt to exit without writing will result in a query.
-fill, -fi
   specifies that the comment text should be reformatted after editing.
-no_fill, -nfi
   specifies that the comment text should not be reformatted.


-line_length N, -ll N
   specifies the line length to use when reformatting the comment text.
   If this control argument is not given, the line length specified on
   the forward request line will be used; if, however, no line length
   was specified on the forward request line, a line length of 72
   will be used.


Notes:
The default for reformatting the comment after editing is dependent on
the original source of the comment text.  If terminal input was used,
the default is to reformat the comment; if file input was used, the
default is to not reformat the comment.  This default may be changed by
use of the -fill and -no_fill control arguments on the forward request
line.  Additionally, whatever default is specified may be overriden for
one invocation of the qedx request by use of the control arguments
described above.


For compatibility with the qedx command, the behavior described above
for -no_auto_write is the default mode of operation for this request.
This default may be changed by use of the -auto_write and
-no_auto_write control arguments on the forward request line.
Additionally, whatever default is specified may be overidden for one
invocation of the qedx request by the use of these control arguments on
the qedx request line.

The comment is placed in buffer 0.  If -auto_write is in effect, the
quit (q) request will automatically reflect any changes made to the
comment back to the forward request.  When -no_auto_write is in effect,
the write (w) request must be used to reflect any changes back to the
forward request.  In either case, the write request may be used as
often as desired to checkpoint the editing process.


If the quit (q) request is issued with -no_auto_write in effect and the
comment has been modified since it was last written, qedx will query
for permission to exit.  If permission is given, any changes made to
the comment since the last write request (if any) will be lost.  The
quit-force (qf) request may be used to abort unwanted editing of the
comment without being queried.

The read (r) and write (w) requests will accept pathnames when used in
buffer 0 (the comment) but they will never change the default pathname
of the buffer.  Thus, when used without a pathname, read and write will
always refer to forward's copy of the comment.  When used with a
pathname, the read request will insert a segment into the comment and
the write request will make a copy of the comment in a segment for
later use.


If issued before use of the write request, the request line
     1,$dr
will restore the original comment text to the buffer.  If given after a
write request, this request line will restore the comment text as saved
by the last write request given in the buffer.


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Historical Background

This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is provided and donated
to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems Inc. 
as a contribution to computer science knowledge.  
This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Bell Laboratories, General Electric, Honeywell Information Systems Inc., Honeywell BULL Inc., Groupe BULL
and BULL HN Information Systems Inc. to the development of this operating system. 
Multics development was initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project MAC (1963-1970),
renamed the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under the leadership
of Professor Fernando Jose Corbato. Users consider that Multics provided the best software architecture 
for managing computer hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating systems 
incorporated Multics principles.
Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe , and in the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems Inc., 
as successor in interest by change in name only to Honeywell Bull Inc. and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. .

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Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their documentation for any purpose and without
fee is hereby granted,provided that the below copyright notice and historical background appear in all copies
and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the names of MIT, HIS, BULL or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining
to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission.
    Copyright 1972 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Honeywell Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by BULL HN Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by Bull SAS
    All Rights Reserved