TOPS-20 Commands Reference Manual
Appendix D Control characters
This appendix lists the TOPS-20 control characters. To type a control character, use the CTRL key like the SHIFT key. Hold down the CTRL key and at the same time type the character key.
| CTRL CHARACTER | FUNCTION | |||||||||
| CTRL/C | Cancels a command when typed during command entry.
Cancels command execution when typed twice during command execution. (The first ^C does not echo.) Halts a program and returns to TOPS-20 command level. Generally, type two CTRL/Cs to halt a program that is executing; type one CTRL/C to stop a program that is waiting for input. |
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| CTRL/E | Ends an ADVISE command link between two terminals. | |||||||||
| CTRL/F | Provides recognition input for file specifications and command names and arguments. Similar to the ESCAPE key, except that it completes only one field at a time with file specifications and it does not supply guidewords with commands. | |||||||||
| CTRL/G | Rings the terminal bell. Use with SEND and TALK commands to signal another user. | |||||||||
| CTRL/H | Reprints a command line up to the field that is in error. Type immediately after the input error message. Duplicates the function of the BACKSPACE key. | |||||||||
| CTRL/I | Duplicates the function of the TAB key. | |||||||||
| CTRL/L | Advances the paper on a hard-copy terminal to the top of the next page. To stop the ^L from printing, give the TERMINAL NO INDICATE command. | |||||||||
| CTRL/O | Stops output to the terminal while the program or command continues to
execute.
Output resumes when:
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| CTRL/Q | Continues scrolling terminal output that was paused by CTRL/S or a pause on an end of page. Use the TERMINAL PAUSE (ON) CHARACTER command to define alternate pause and continue characters. Use the TERMINAL NO PAUSE (ON) END-OF-PAGE command to stop pause on an end of page. Use the TERMINAL LENGTH command to set the page length. | |||||||||
| CTRL/R | Reprints the current command line, incorporating the corrections made with the DELETE key or CTRL/W. Use on hard-copy terminals when backslashes and underscores caused by editing with DELETE and CTRL/W make the command line difficult to read. Use on video terminals when a system message covers the command line. | |||||||||
| CTRL/S | Pauses scrolling of terminal output until CTRL/Q is typed. Input, though not displayed, is accepted into the input buffer and processed after a CTRL/Q. Use the TERMINAL PAUSE (ON) CHARACTER command to define alternate pause and continue characters. | |||||||||
| CTRL/T | Displays a line of information that includes:
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| CTRL/U | Erases the current command line. On hard-copy terminals, cancels the command and prints three Xs at the end of the command line. | |||||||||
| CTRL/V | Allows special characters (any character other than an alphanumeric, or
the special characters - _ . or $) in file specifications and directory
names. Type CTRL/V before typing the special character any time you type
the file specification.
Special characters are not accepted by the following system programs:
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| CTRL/W | Erases the previous word. On hard-copy terminals, cancels the previous word and types an underscore. | |||||||||
| CTRL/Z | Signals an end-of-file for data entered from the terminal. Use when: COPYing from your terminal (device TTY:) to a file. Sending a message with one of the mail programs. |