Symbolic Tape Editor

This document is a programming manual for the Symbolic Tape Editor, designed for use on the Programmed Data Processor-7 (PDP-7) computer and compatible with the PDP-4. Its primary purpose is to simplify and speed up the process of correcting symbolic programs by leveraging the computer for editing tasks.

The Editor operates by reading sections of symbolic tape into a core memory "text buffer" for examination and correction, then punching out the revised text onto a new tape. It supports both ASCII and FIODEC codes for tape input/output and communicates via Teletype Model 33 KSR or Model 28 KSR. The manual details the Editor's two operating modes (Command and Text), explaining how commands are structured with arguments and special symbols. It covers special functions like Continuation, Line Feed, Rub Out, and Colon, which facilitate various editing actions and mode changes.

Key features include:

• Text Buffer: Stores program text in memory, treated as a single page, with lines implicitly numbered.
• Operating Modes: Command mode for issuing instructions to the Editor (LINK light off) and Text mode for entering or modifying text (LINK light on).
• Commands: A repertoire of commands for input-tape operations (reading/skipping pages or lines), editing (inserting, deleting, changing lines), text examination (printing lines, suppressing comments, finding symbols), and output/punching operations (punching pages or lines, duplicating tapes).
• Parity Checking: Available for FIODEC input tapes, diagnosing errors by line number and character code.
• ASCII Input and Output: Configurable via AC switches for tape format, tab processing, and form feed generation.
• Error Handling: Provides messages for missing arguments, out-of-range arguments, invalid commands, and buffer capacity warnings.

The manual includes detailed examples to familiarize the reader with basic and advanced operations, demonstrating how to insert, change, and rearrange text, and manage tape operations. Appendices provide a summary of Editor operations, specific instructions for using the Teletype Model 28 KSR, and character set equivalences between ASCII, FIODEC, and Teletype 28 KSR.