To get started quickly with key assignments, see Keys help. For a more comprehensive description, read on...
Each key combination in each environment of BIM-EDIT/XP can have a command string assigned to it.
The following environments have been defined:
C Active cursor in command line with command line not empty.
E 3270 emulator entry.
N Active cursor in command line with command line empty.
S Active cursor in session body.
'X' denotes the 'C', 'N', and 'S' environments collectively.
At startup (or at ResourceRefresh) time, BIM-EDIT/XP builds the key assignment table in memory by processing the files DFNKEYS1.CTL, DFNKEYS2.CTL, DFNKEYS3.CTL and DFNKEYS4.CTL, in that order. For each file, BIM-EDIT/XP searches first in the specific user directory (if user not "DEFAULT"), then in the default user directory, then in the site directory, and finally in the system directory. The key assignment currently being processed always supercedes previous assignments for that key combination.
There are a number of ways of customizing the key assignment table: The two most often used are:
Copy DFNKEYS1.CTL from the system directory to the site directory. Update the new key assignment file as desired. At startup time, the site directory DFNKEYS1.CTL will be processed rather than the system directory version.
Create entries in DFNKEYS2.CTL in the site directory or DFNKEYS3.CTL in the default user directory (the installation procedure created an empty DFNKEYS2.CTL in the site directory and DFNKEYS3.CTL in the default user directory) that will supercede the entries defined in the distributed version of DFNKEYS1. This method has the advantage that you need specify and be responsible for only those key assignments where customization is desired. For most users, this is the recommended technique.
An Edit session of the DFNKEYS3.CTL file in the default user directory can be created by selecting "Options", "Edit key table, user customization" in the menu hierarchy.
To clear an assignment, i.e., to cause a key combination to have no key assignment, simply specify the key assignment as blank.
The DFNKEYSn.CTL file contains four fields:
Key state. Indicates for a particular key what modifier keys were down at the time the key was pressed.
Nrm Normal
Alt Alt key
Ctl Ctrl key
Shf Shift key
AltCtl Alt and Ctrl keys
AltShf Alt and Shift keys
CtlShf Ctrl and Shift keys
AltCtlShf Alt, Ctrl, and Shift keys
Key. See DFNKEYS1.CTL contents for possible values.
Environment or scope. C, E, N, S, or X as described above.
Command string to be invoked when key is pressed.
The key assignment table that is built in memory as a result of processing the key assignnment files can be updated. See KeyLibrary or KeySet.
Updates to the table in memory are lost when BIM-EDIT/XP is shut down.