Edit session management involves controlling how your editing session ends and what happens to your changes. The ISPF editor provides three primary commands for managing sessions: SAVE (saves changes and exits), CANCEL (discards changes and exits), and RESET (discards changes but stays in editor). Understanding when and how to use each command is essential for effective editing and avoiding accidental loss of work.
Proper session management ensures your changes are handled correctly and helps you avoid losing work or saving unintended modifications. This tutorial covers SAVE, CANCEL, and RESET in detail, explaining their differences, when to use each, and best practices for session management.
Understanding Edit Sessions
An edit session is the period from when you open a file in the editor until you exit.
What is an Edit Session?
An edit session:
Begins when you open a file in the editor
Includes all changes made during editing
Ends when you exit the editor
Can be saved, cancelled, or reset
Session States
During an edit session:
You can make changes to the file
Changes are held in memory until saved
The editor tracks whether changes have been made
You can save, cancel, or reset the session
SAVE Command
The SAVE command saves all changes and exits the editor.
What SAVE Does
SAVE:
Saves all modifications to the dataset
Writes changes permanently to disk
Exits the editor
Returns you to the previous panel or menu
Makes changes permanent
Using SAVE
To use SAVE:
Type "SAVE" on the command line
Press Enter
All changes are saved
You exit the editor
SAVE Example
Using SAVE:
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Command ===> SAVE
This saves all changes and exits the editor.
When to Use SAVE
Use SAVE when:
You want to keep your changes
You've completed your editing task
You're satisfied with your modifications
You want to exit and preserve your work
You've finished making changes
SAVE Behavior
When SAVE executes:
All modifications are written to the dataset
The file is updated on disk
A confirmation message may be displayed
You exit the editor
Changes are now permanent
CANCEL Command
The CANCEL command discards all unsaved changes and exits the editor.
What CANCEL Does
CANCEL:
Discards all unsaved modifications
Abandons changes made during the session
Exits the editor
Returns the file to its last saved state
Loses all work done in the current session
Using CANCEL
To use CANCEL:
Type "CANCEL" on the command line
Press Enter
All unsaved changes are discarded
You exit the editor
CANCEL Example
Using CANCEL:
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Command ===> CANCEL
This discards all changes and exits the editor.
When to Use CANCEL
Use CANCEL when:
You've made mistakes and want to start over
You want to abandon all changes
You opened the wrong file
You're experimenting and don't want to keep changes
You want to exit without saving
CANCEL Behavior
When CANCEL executes:
All unsaved changes are lost
The file remains in its last saved state
You exit the editor
A confirmation may be required (depending on ISPF version)
You return to the previous panel or menu
CANCEL Warning
Important considerations:
CANCEL permanently discards unsaved changes
You cannot recover changes after CANCEL
Use CANCEL only when you're certain
Consider saving work before experimenting
RESET Command
The RESET command discards changes but keeps you in the editor.
What RESET Does
RESET:
Discards all unsaved modifications
Returns the file to its last saved state
Keeps you in the editor
Allows you to start editing fresh
Clears the modification state
Using RESET
To use RESET:
Type "RESET" on the command line
Press Enter
All unsaved changes are discarded
You remain in the editor
RESET Example
Using RESET:
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Command ===> RESET
This discards changes but keeps you in the editor.
When to Use RESET
Use RESET when:
You want to discard changes but continue editing
You've made mistakes and want to start over in the same session
You want to revert to the last saved state
You don't want to exit the editor
You want to clear modifications and start fresh
RESET Behavior
When RESET executes:
All unsaved changes are discarded
The file returns to its last saved state
You remain in the editor
The modification flag is cleared
You can continue editing from the saved state
Comparing SAVE, CANCEL, and RESET
Understanding the differences helps you choose the right command.
SAVE vs CANCEL vs RESET
Comparison:
SAVE: Saves changes and exits editor
CANCEL: Discards changes and exits editor
RESET: Discards changes but stays in editor
Decision Matrix
Use this decision matrix:
Want to keep changes and exit? → Use SAVE
Want to discard changes and exit? → Use CANCEL
Want to discard changes but keep editing? → Use RESET
Exit Prompts
ISPF may prompt you when exiting with unsaved changes.
Unsaved Changes Prompt
If you try to exit with unsaved changes:
ISPF may prompt about unsaved changes
You'll be asked to save, cancel, or return
This prevents accidental loss of work
Always respond carefully to prompts
Handling Prompts
When prompted:
Choose SAVE if you want to keep changes
Choose CANCEL if you want to discard changes
Choose RETURN to go back to editing
Read prompts carefully before responding
Best Practices
Following best practices helps you manage edit sessions effectively:
Save Frequently: Save your work regularly to avoid loss
Review Before Saving: Review changes before using SAVE
Use CANCEL Carefully: Only use CANCEL when you're certain
Use RESET When Appropriate: Use RESET when you want to start over but stay in editor
Respond to Prompts: Always respond carefully to exit prompts
Understand Consequences: Know what each command does before using it
Backup Important Work: Keep backups before making major changes
Test Before Saving: Test changes when possible before saving
Common Scenarios
Here are common scenarios for session management.
Successful Editing Session
After making changes you want to keep:
Review your changes
Use SAVE to save and exit
Changes are permanently saved
You return to the previous panel
Mistakes Made During Editing
If you've made mistakes:
Use RESET to discard changes and continue editing
Or use CANCEL to discard changes and exit
Choose based on whether you want to continue editing
Experimental Changes
When experimenting:
Make experimental changes
Use RESET if you don't like the results
Use SAVE if you want to keep the results
Consider saving a backup first
Explain Like I'm 5: Session Management
Think of session management like finishing your work on a drawing:
SAVE is like putting your finished drawing in a safe place and going home. You've done your work, you're happy with it, so you save it and leave. Your drawing is now safely stored!
CANCEL is like throwing away your drawing and going home. You decide you don't like what you did, so you throw it away (discard changes) and leave. The drawing is gone, and you start fresh next time!
RESET is like erasing your drawing but staying at your desk. You don't like what you did, so you erase it (discard changes), but you stay at your desk ready to draw again. You're still working, just starting over!
So session management is like deciding what to do with your work when you're done—save it and leave, throw it away and leave, or erase it and keep working!
Practice Exercises
Complete these exercises to reinforce your understanding of session management:
Exercise 1: Using SAVE
Practice using SAVE: make changes to a test file, use SAVE to save and exit, verify changes were saved, and understand SAVE behavior. Learn to save your work properly.
Exercise 2: Using CANCEL
Practice using CANCEL: make changes to a test file, use CANCEL to discard and exit, verify changes were not saved, and understand CANCEL consequences. Learn when to use CANCEL.
Exercise 3: Using RESET
Practice using RESET: make changes to a test file, use RESET to discard but stay in editor, verify changes were discarded, continue editing, and understand RESET behavior. Learn RESET usage.
Exercise 4: Exit Prompts
Practice handling prompts: make changes and try to exit, observe exit prompts, practice responding to prompts, and understand prompt options. Learn to handle exit prompts safely.
Exercise 5: Decision Making
Practice decision making: create scenarios requiring SAVE, CANCEL, or RESET, decide which command to use, execute the command, and verify the outcome. Build confidence in session management.