Method for assisting an operator of an interactive text processing system in entering instructional data which define a desired rearrangement of fields in a stored file of spatially related data.

摘要

Let us assume that a new file or spatially related data is to be created from an existing file stored in the text processing system, and the new file include at least one column data from the existing file, which should appear in a different location in the new file. The repositioning of the column in the new file is achieved in the text processing system by the operator performing conventional text editing move operations on the column titles as they are displayed as a portion of the header frame of the existing file. The data generated by moving a field title in the header from its stored position to a new position is stored in the system and employed in generating the new file records, with each record being modified in accordance with the data stored, and is employed in displaying records from the existing file in the modified form. The improved method may also be embodied in a simple editing operation of an existing file.