The EDT Editor, Rebuilt for Modern Systems
Frequently Asked Questions
Curious about how Sector7 can facilitate your application migration? Explore our FAQs for expert insights.
VX/EDT is Sector7’s faithful reimplementation of the DEC OpenVMS EDT editor for Linux and macOS. It preserves familiar line-mode commands, ncurses screen mode, GOLD-key keypad behaviour, and common qualifiers so teams moving off OpenVMS can keep the same editing workflow on POSIX systems.
For the broader platform picture—languages, runtimes, and production cutover—see Sector7’s overview of OpenVMS to Linux and UNIX migration and the technical tools directory.
Yes. VX/EDT is built around a drop-in compatible command set: navigation, FIND / FNDNXT, SUBSTITUTE with qualifiers such as /GLOBAL and /QUERY, buffer operations, INCLUDE / WRITE, and the usual range syntax (THRU, WHOLE, REST, and so on). Commands remain case-insensitive, matching OpenVMS EDT expectations.
Enter full-screen editing with CHANGE or C; return to the asterisk prompt with Ctrl/Z. The on-page command reference summarises behaviour for quick lookup.
On OpenVMS terminals, GOLD is typically F1 / PF1. VX/EDT follows the same model: press GOLD, then the second key (for example GOLD+F2 for BOTTOM, or GOLD plus keypad keys in screen mode).
On laptops without a dedicated function row, use Fn with F1 as needed. The Screen Mode section on this page lists PF keys, cursor GOLD combinations, Ctrl keys, and GOLD+keypad bindings for day-to-day reference.
At startup VX/EDT checks, in order: the path in the $EDT_INI environment variable (if set), then $HOME/EDT.INI, then $HOME/edt.ini. Lines beginning with !, #, or ; are treated as comments—in both EDT.INI and -command script files.
Use DEFINE KEY and DEFINE MACRO entries to persist PF-key, GOLD, and Ctrl bindings across sessions. The Startup & Configuration section documents invocation flags and a sample EDT.INI.
Yes. Launch with edit <file> -command <script> (or the -command=<script> form) to execute a sequence of EDT commands—useful for scripted edits, repeatable migration steps, or CI-style checks alongside other tooling.
For larger automation and assessment across a codebase, many teams pair editor workflows with LegacyScan and Sector7’s broader toolset bundles.
UNDO (U) restores the editor to the state before the last text-changing command, with up to 100 levels of history. Each undo pushes the current state onto a redo stack so REDO can re-apply the last undone change.
Captured state includes buffer contents, named buffers, cursor position, direction, selection anchor, active search string, and delete buffers—mirroring the depth teams expect from OpenVMS EDT-style editing.
VX/EDT ships as a single-file C++17 source module linked against ncurses (available by default on macOS and typical Linux distributions). A POSIX toolchain—clang++ or g++—is sufficient; there are no additional runtime dependencies beyond the OS curses library.
The optional PRINT command expects a working lpr or lp line-printer interface when used. Exact compiler examples appear in the Building VX/EDT section on this page.
VX/EDT removes a common friction point—keeping the EDT editing experience on modern platforms—but most production moves also involve languages, system services, databases, and operational cutover. Sector7 has delivered large-scale OpenVMS migrations since the 1980s using proprietary converters and proven methodology.
Explore migration services (including the assessment process and zero code freeze approach), browse the VX/TOOLS technical catalog, and contact us to discuss scope, timelines, and tooling fit.
