I have a few little hints that can really help when you deal with very large source members. Whether you are writing a monster program or modifying one, these tips help you navigate inside the program.

o Use a little-known SEU line command, X, to hide a record. XX is used to hide a block of records. Hiding records in a source member effectively makes it shorter; therefore, it is easier to move around. SFn shows the first n hidden lines. SLn shows the last n hidden lines. F5 shows all hidden lines.

o Absolute positioning by line number is another good way to get around. For instance, in the SEU line number area, type a line number, followed by a space, in the member and press Enter. The display immediately repositions to show the selected line number at the top of the screen. For example, if you type 3000 followed by a space and press Enter, the display is positioned to line 3000.

o Relative positioning also provides an effective shortcut. To advance 1000 lines, type +1000 in the line number area and press Enter. You zoom forward 1000 lines. To go back, enter -1000.

o You can use the SEU Find facility to go to a particular subroutine in a program. Type the Find string on the SEU command line and press F16.

o Often, when bouncing back and forth between widely separated sections of a long program, I intentionally place a syntax error in the source member. For example, a blank line in an RPG member acts as a bookmark. On the SEU command line, I type the special literal *ERR and press F16. This rockets me to the syntax error (pseudo-bookmark). Pressing F16 again takes me to the next syntax error, and so on. Of course, you would have to remove the blank lines before saving the member. This is my favorite technique because it is precise and involves very little typing or memorization. Try it!