SPF/PC

SPF/PC is an MS-DOS-based text editor and file manager designed to have an interface that was familiar to those using mainframe SPF and ISPF.^[1]

Later Microsoft Windows-based versions were named SPF/SE and SPF/SE 365.^[2] A version for OS/2 named SPF/2 was also offered.^[3] SPF/SE and SPF/SE 365 were released as freeware in 2022 after the death of Tim Tetiva, the author of SPF/PC and SPF/SE.^[4]

Overview

SPF/PC^[5] was introduced by and successors sold by Command Technology Corporation. Similar to IBM's mainframe based ISPF and is able to edit ASCII and EBCDIC text file as a complete integrated applications development environment (IDE). Typically used for editing source code, invoking compilers, linkers, and debuggers, in a variety of programming languages, such as COBOL, Fortran, and C++.

64-bit Windows can't run SPF/PC (Will run under DOSBox), but it can still be used on 32-bit Windows (e.g. Windows XP or Windows 7 in XP Mode).^[6]

Features

• Auto source code backup
• Auto save during edit
• Background/Foreground compiler and utility support^[5]
• Edit small or large files (up to 1Gig)
• Edit ASCII and EBCDIC text files
• Command Line Interface (CLI)
• File browser with keyword colorization
• File manager
• File conversion utilities
• COBOL source code support
• Hex editor
• IBM (3270) and PC command keys
• IBM ISPF Style Panels
• Keyboard equivalents provided for all mouse operations
• Language line numbering support
• Language profile support
• Line, column and bounds oriented copy, cut, data shift, find, paste, sort with picture strings
• Line lengths (records) up to 64,000 characters in fixed or variable formats
• Line exclude, change, find, flip, locate, not-exclude
• Merge error files created by compilers into source code as notes (type of comment)
• Multilevel Undo and Redo
• Multiple sequential complex command execution - repeatable with exclude and not-exclude abilities
• Print file, screen or highlighted text
• Simple and advanced text/file find/replace (search through thousands of files for text)
• Sort file lists and text/data
• Sort A-Z, Z-A, bounding by columns, line labels etc.
• Split screen (horizontal and vertical)
• File and Directory comparison
• Support for DOS/Windows/Linux/Unix EOL and EOF markers
• User enhancements - add, create, modify dialogs, functions, menus and screens
• User definable fonts
• User definable editor color schemes including several 3270 schemes
• User definable file profiles including EOL, EOF, Line Length etc.
• User definable cursor, half page and page scrolling
• User switchable editor line numbers or not
• User definable keyboard and keyboard macros
• User modifiable help system

Macro/Scripting Language

SPF/SE 365 uses a C like macro/scripting language.

All versions of SPF have the ability to call any interpreter (PHP, BASIC, Powershell, etc.) from within the editor allowing text processing and OS command calls. SPF/SE does not have the REXX interface that SPF/PC had.