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.
Later Microsoft Windows-based versions were named SPF/SE and SPF/SE 365. A version for OS/2 named SPF/2 was also offered. 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.
Overview
SPF/PC 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++.
Features
Auto source code backup
Auto save during edit
Background/Foreground compiler and utility support
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.
References
↑"Editing with SPF/PC". Computerworld. September 19, 1988. SPC/PC uses .. extended or expanded memory