The WORK file contains the information to be modified. To minimize the possibility of a user accidentally destroying an only copy, EDIT/3000 operates only on the WORK file. Thus, when a file is created and text is added, or when an external file is copied into the EDIT/3000 subsystem for modification, the text is written into the WORK file and all modifications are performed on this file. At any time, you may save this file under a new file name and leave the old file in its previous state, or save this modified file and purge the old file.
The size of the WORK file can be specified by you with a SET SIZE command (see Section III), or the size can be determined by EDIT/3000 by default. The default size of WORK file is determined as follows:
If the TEXT file is on disc, its size is known and the WORK file is set to that size plus an allowance for expansion. (See the discussion of file size along with the SET SIZE command in paragraph 3-95.)
If the TEXT file is on punched cards, magnetic tape, or any device other than disc, such that the size is not known to the system, or if the text is to be entered from the standard INPUT file, EDIT/3000
accepts approximately 1,767 lines of text (unless the SET SIZE command is used to specify a different
size).
Note that only one quarter (4 extents) of the WORK file's disc space is initially allocated. The MPE File System searches for and allocates more extents as needed.
