DEFINE—Define a Name

The DEFINE macro command is used to:

Identify a macro that replaces a built-in command of the same name
Identify programs that are edit macros
Assign an alias to a macro or built-in command
Make a macro or built-in command inoperable
Reset an inoperable macro or built-in command
Disable a macro or built-in command

DEFINE is often used with the BUILTIN command.

Syntax


Macro command syntax

                                   .-CMD-.     
>>-ISREDIT--DEFINE--name--+-MACRO--+-----+-+-------------------><
                          |        '-PGM-' |   
                          +-ALIAS--name_2--+   
                          +-NOP------------+   
                          +-RESET----------+   
                          '-DISABLED-------'

name: The name with which you process the command.
MACRO CMD: Identifies the name that you are defining as a command language (CLIST or REXX exec) macro, which is called in the same way as using the SELECT service CMD keyword with a percent symbol (%) preceding the command. That means that you can specify only CLISTs or REXX EXECs.
MACRO PGM: Identifies the name that you are defining as a program (load module) macro, which is called by the SELECT PGM service.
ALIAS name2: Identifies the name that you are defining as an alias of another name, with the same characteristics. If name2 is already an alias, the editor replaces it with the command it names. Therefore, it is not possible to have an alias of an alias.
NOP: Makes the name you are defining and all of its aliases inoperable until you reset them with the RESET operand. Therefore, when the name or an alias of the name is called, nothing is processed. NOP is similar to DISABLED, except that disabled names cannot be reset by the RESET operand.
RESET: Resets the most recent definition of the name that you are defining to the status in effect before that definition. For example, RESET makes inoperable names operable again.
DISABLED: Makes the name that you are defining and all of its aliases disabled until you end the edit session. Therefore, when the name or an alias of the name is called, nothing is processed. A disabled command or macro cannot be restored by RESET.

Description

The effects of the DEFINE macro command apply only to the edit session of the member or sequential data set being edited when the macro is run. This effect is different from the DEFINE primary command.

To temporarily override DEFINE, use BUILTIN.

Note: To define RESET as disabled, enclose it in quotes ('RESET'). If you do not use quotes, the editor interprets RESET as a keyword.

Return codes

0: Normal completion
8: RESET was attempted for a name not currently defined, or DEFINE name ALIAS name2 requested and name2 is an NOP
12: DEFINE was attempted for a name not currently defined
20: Severe error (unknown command)

Examples

To define the name IJKDOIT as a CLIST or REXX macro:

ISREDIT DEFINE IJKDOIT MACRO

To define the name SETITUP as a program macro:

ISREDIT DEFINE SETITUP MACRO PGM

To define the name DOIT as an alias of the macro IJKDOIT:

ISREDIT DEFINE DOIT ALIAS IJKDOIT

To define the name SAVE to have no effect:

ISREDIT DEFINE SAVE NOP

To reset the definition of the name SAVE:

ISREDIT DEFINE SAVE RESET

To define the name FINDIT as disabled:

ISREDIT DEFINE FINDIT DISABLED

To create and update library statistics when data is saved, first set the stats mode on. Then make it impossible to turn off by defining it as disabled. Note that none of the commands that are defined as disabled can be called while you are editing a member.

ISREDIT MACRO
ISREDIT STATS ON
ISREDIT DEFINE STATS DISABLED