Skip to content

The Session MenuBar

The Session MenuBar (⎕SE.mb) contains a set of menus as follows. Note that, unless specified, the screen-shots are taken using Unicode Edition and the keyboard short-cuts will be different in Classic Edition.

The File Menu

The File menu (⎕SE.mb.file) provides a means to execute those APL System Commands that are concerned with the active and saved workspaces. The contents of a typical File menu and the operations they perform are illustrated below.

Table 1: File Menu Operations
Item Action Description
New [WSClear] Prompts for confirmation, then clears the workspace
Open [WSLoad] Prompts for a workspace file name, then loads it
Copy [WSCopy] Prompts for a workspace file name, then copies it
Save [WSSave] Saves the active workspace
Save As [WSSaveas] Prompts for a workspace file name, then saves it
Export [Makeexe] Creates a bound executable, an OLE Server, an ActiveX Control, or a .NET Assembly. See Creating Executables and COM Servers .
Export to Memory [MakeMemoryAssembly] Creates an in-memory .NET Assembly
Close AppDomain [CloseAppDomain] Closes .NET App Domain
Drop [WSDrop] Prompts for a workspace file name, then erases it
Edit Text File [EditTextFile] Displays the Open Source File dialog to select a file to exit.
Print [PrintFnsInNS] Prints functions and operators in current namespace
Print Setup [PrintSetup] Invokes the print set-up dialog box
Continue [Continue] Saves the active workspace in CONTINUE.DWS and exits APL
Exit [Off] Exits APL

Edit Text File

The Edit Text File menu item allows you to edit a Dyalog script file (.dyalog) or an arbitrary text file. The system prompts you to choose the file as shown below:

The file is then displayed in the Editor, allowing you to change it and save it. See Editing Scripts and Text Files.

The Edit Menu

The Edit menu (⎕SE.mb.edit) provides a means to recall previously entered input lines for re-execution and for copying text to and from the clipboard.

Unicode Edition

Classic Edition

Table 2: Edit menu operations
Item Action Description
Back [Undo] Displays the previous input line. Repeated use of this command cycles back through the input history.
Forward [Redo] Displays the next input line. Repeated use of this command cycles forward through the input history.
Cut [Delete] Cuts the selected text to the clipboard
Copy [Copy] Copies the selection to the clipboard
Paste [Paste] Pastes the text contents of the clipboard into the session log at the current location. The new lines are marked and may be executed by pressing Enter.
Paste Unicode [PasteUnicode] Same as Paste , but gets the Unicode text from the clipboard and converts to ⎕AV . Classic Edition only
Paste Non-Unicode [PasteAnsi] Same as Paste , but gets the ANSI text from the clipboard and converts to ⎕AV . Classic Edition only
Find [Find] Displays the Find dialog
Replace [Replace] Displays the Find/Replace dialog box

The View Menu

The View menu (⎕SE.mb.view) toggles the visibility of the Session Toolbar, StatusBar, and Language Bar.

Table 3: View menu operations
Item Action Description
Toolbar   Shows/Hides Session toolbars
Statusbar   Shows/Hides Session statusbars
LanguageBar   Shows/Hides Language Bar

The Window Menu

This contains a single action (⎕SE.mb.windows) which is to close all of the Edit and Trace windows and the Status window.

Table 4: Window menu operations
Item Action Description
Close all Windows [CloseAll] Closes all Edit and Trace windows

Note that [CloseAll] removes all Trace windows but does not reset the state indicator.

In addition, the Window menu will contain options to switch the focus to any subsidiary windows that are docked in the Session as illustrated above.

The Session Menu

The Session menu (⎕SE.mb.session) provides access to the system operations that allow you to load a session (⎕SE) from a session file and to save your current session (⎕SE) to a session file. If you use these facilities rarely, you may wish to move them to (say) the Options menu or even dispense with them entirely.

Table 5: Session menu operations
Item Action Description
Open [SELoad] Prompts for a session file name, then loads the session from it, replacing the current one. Sets the File property of ⎕SE to the name of the file from which the session was loaded.
Save [SESave] Saves the current session (as defined by ⎕SE ) to the session file specified by the File property of ⎕SE
Save As [SESaveAs] Prompts for a session file name, then saves the current session (as defined by ⎕SE ) in it. Resets the File property of ⎕SE .

The Log Menu

The Log menu (⎕SE.mb.log) provides access to the system operations that manipulate Session log files.

Table 6: Log menu operations
Item Action Description
Clear [NewLog] Prompts for confirmation, then empties the current Session log
Open [OpenLog] Prompts for a Session log file, then loads it into memory, replacing the current Session log
Save [SaveLog] Saves the current Session log in the current log file, replacing its previous contents
Save As [SaveLogAs] Prompts for a file name, then saves the current Session log in it
Print [PrintLog] Prints the contents of the Session log

The Action Menu

The Action menu (⎕SE.mb.action) may be used to perform a variety of operations on the current object or the current line. The current object is the object whose name contains the cursor. The current line is that line that contains the cursor. The Edit, Copy Object, Paste Object and Print Object items operate on the current object. For example, if the name SALES appears in the session and the cursor is placed somewhere within it, SALES is the current object and will be copied to the clipboard by selecting Copy object or opened up for editing by selecting Edit.

Table 7: Action menu operations
Item Action Description
Edit [Edit] Edit the current object
Trace [Trace] Executes the current line under the control of the Tracer
Execute [Execute] Executes the current line
Copy Object [ObjCopy] Copies the contents of the current object to the clipboard
Paste Object [ObjPaste] Pastes the contents of the clipboard into the current object, replacing its previous value
Print Object [ObjPrint] Prints the current object. Note that if the object is being edited, the version of the object displayed in the edit window is printed.
Clear Stops [ClearTSM] Clears all ⎕STOP , ⎕MONITOR and ⎕TRACE settings
Interrupt [Interrupt] Generates a weak interrupt
Reset [Reset] Performs )RESET

The Options Menu

The Options menu (⎕SE.mb.options) provides configuration options.

Table 8: Options menu operations
Item Action Description
Expose GUI Properties [ExposeGUI] Exposes the names of properties, methods and events in GUI objects
Expose Root Properties [ExposeRoot] Exposes the names of the properties, methods and events of the Root object
Expose Session Properties [ExposeSession] Exposes the names of the properties, methods and events of ⎕SE
Line Numbers [LineNumbers] Toggle the display of line numbers in edit and trace windows on/off
Disable traps in session [DisableTrapsAtSuspension] Disables the error trapping mechanism used by :Trap and ⎕TRAP . This can be useful in debugging applications.
Configure [Configure] Displays the Configuration dialog box
Colours [ChooseColors] Displays the Colours Selection dialog box

The values associated with the Expose GUI, Expose Root and Expose Session options reflect the values of these settings in your current workspace and are saved in it. When you change these values through the Options menu, you are changing them in the current workspace only.

The default values of these items are defined by the parameters default_wx, PropertyExposeRoot and PropertyExposeSE which may be set using the Object Syntax tab of the Configuration dialog.

The Tools Menu

The Tools menu (⎕SE.mb.tools) provides access to various session tools and dialog boxes.

Table 9: Tools Menu Operations
Item Action Description
Explorer [Explorer] Displays the Workspace Explorer tool
Search [WSSearch] Displays the Workspace Search tool
Status [Status] Displays or hides the Status window
AutoStatus [AutoStatus] Toggle; if checked, causes the Status window to be displayed when a new message is generated for it
Event Viewer [EventViewer] Displays or hides the Event Viewer
Properties [ObjProps] Displays a property sheet for the current object

The Threads Menu

The Threads menu (⎕SE.mb.threads) provides access to various session tools and dialog boxes.

Table 10: Threads Menu Operations
Item Action Description
Show Threads [Threads] Displays the Threads Tool
Show Stack [Stack] Displays the SI Stack window
Show Token Pool [TokenPool] Displays the Token Pool window
Auto Refresh [ThreadsAutoRefresh] Refreshes the Threads Tool on every thread switch
Pause on Error [ThreadsPauseOnError] Pauses all threads on error
Pause all Threads [ThreadsPauseAll] Pauses all threads
Resume all Threads [ThreadsResumeAll] Resumes all threads
Restart all Threads [ThreadsRestartAll] Restarts all threads

The Help Menu

The Help menu (⎕SE.mb.help) provides access to the help system which is packaged as a single Microsoft HTML Help compiled help file named help\dyalog.chm.

Table 11: Help menu operations
Label Action Description
Getting Started [GettingStarted] Opens your web browser on the getting-started page on the Dyalog web site
Dyalog Help [WelcomeHelp] Opens help\dyalog.chm , starting at the Welcome page
Language Elements [LangHelp] Opens help\dyalog.chm , starting at the first topic in the Language Reference section
GUI Overview [GuiHelp] Opens help\dyalog.chm , starting at the first topic in the Object Reference section
Documentation Centre [DocCenter] Opens your web browser on help\index.html which displays an index to the on-line PDF documentation and selected internet links
Dyalog Web Site [DyalogWeb] Opens your web browser on the Dyalog home page
Email Dyalog [DyalogEmail] Opens your email client and creates a new message to Dyalog Support
Latest Enhancements [RelNotes] Opens help\dyalog.chm , starting at the first topic in the Version 20.0 Release Notes section. Previous Release Notes are also included for your convenience.
Read Me [ReadMe] Opens help\dyalog_readme.htm in your default web browser. Note that setup_readme.htm is also included in this directory
Third Party Licences [LicenceHelp] Opens help\dyalog.chm , starting at the first topic in the Licences for third-party components
About [About] Displays an About dialog box