If your user profile specifies the RECOVER attribute, EDIT creates work files during your edit session, which can be used as input to recover any modification made to your data set in the event of a line disconnect or system failure.

Through the use of the RECOVER operand of the EDIT command, you are given the opportunity to recover the modifications made to your data set prior to the disconnect.

If your user profile specifies the NORECOVER attribute, the system attempts to copy your edited data set (with all changes) into a data set with an intermediate qualifier name of EDITSAVE. This data set can then be edited the next time you log on.