Input Window and Output Window

The primary task of the RATS Editor is to execute instructions you supply, and to display the resulting output.

RATS will only execute instructions submitted from the window designated as the input window, and sends all text output to the window designated as the output window, as described below:

The Input Window

Whenever you have one or more text windows open, one of those text windows is designated as the input window. RATS will only execute instructions from the input window. If the active window is not the input window and you want to execute some instructions, you need to do one of the following:

1.Switch to whichever window is currently designated as the input window.

2.Designate the active window as the input window (by selecting the Window—Use for Input operation or the toolbar icon).

Note: to execute instructions, RATS must be in the "Ready" mode. See Ready vs. Local Mode for details.

The Output Window

RATS directs all output it generates to whichever window is currently designated as the output window. To designate a particular window as the output window, switch to the desired window, and select the Window—Use for Output operation or click on the ). The output window can be the same as the input window, or a different one.

Notes

RATS uses the notation {i}, {o}, and {io} to identify the input and output windows for you. The notation appears at the end of the window title(s) in both the window title bar and the list of windows that appears on the Window menu.

{i}	identifies a window as the input window
{o}	identifies a window as the output window
{io}	identifies a window as being both the input window and the output window

For example, the window title MYPROG.RPF{io} indicates that the MYPROG.RPF window is both the input and output window.

When you start RATS, the first window you create or open (NONAME00.RPF, for example) is designated as the input window and the output window. Opening another window with File—Open or File—New does not make the new window the input or output window. If, however, you first close all open windows and then open another window, the new window will be the input and output window.

You can use the Preferences operation to control whether blank Input and/or Output windows are created at start-up.

See Executing Instructions for more information.