IDz Hidden Gems – LPEX Line Mod Annotations

When you make code changes to files – typically COBOL, JCL, or PL/I program source, IDz marks the changed line(s) with light-gray rectangles in the left  Annotations/frame area of your editor pane (See Figure 1). This Annotations area is a white vertical bar immediately to the left of the Prefix Area. Note also that the right Annotations/frame area of the editor provides hyperlinks to the changed lines from anywhere in the file – see Figure 2. So?

So this:

• The rectangles serve as a means of identifying (marking) source changes, deleted or added lines
  • Deleted lines appear as small underscores (Figure 3)
• Markers persist until you issue a file save (Ctrl+S)
  • After a file save you can use Local History to detect line changes in a files
• If you mouse-hover over a change-line marker the original code is displayed (Figures 1, 3)
• When you hover over a marker you can you move your mouse into the yellow rectangle – allowing you to:
  • Ctrl+A – select the original line text
  • Ctrl+C – copy the original line text
  • And consequently paste the text over (replace) the newly added code

So? So this allows you to undo a change to a specific line, reverting the code to the exact text that was there before your modification. Which is decidedly useful when – say – you’ve made changes to; 8, 10, 20 or more lines in a program and you need to undo (just) the 11^th change you made without Ctrl+Z’ng the rest of your work.

The same technique:

1. Hover
2. Move your mouse into the yellow rectangle
3. Ctrl+A
4. Ctrl+C

…also works for un-deleting a specific block of code.

Finally – you should note that this Marked Lines (undo) dev-technique works in LPEX (all languages), COBOL, PL/I and the JCL editors.