By using the commands in the FILE menu, you can load picture files from disk into your computer's memory, and save pictures from memory as files on disk. You can also import ASCII files as text into the open object. Unless you have used the SETUP/DIRECTORY command <[12.6]>, these files will be read from and written to the directory that was active in DOS when PEP was loaded. By using the SETUP/DIRECTORY command, you can specify any other device and path that you wish to access.

The FILE/NEW command erases all picture data in your computer's memory. The open object and all other object definitions (if any) in the loaded picture file are deleted. If unsaved work would be lost, you are asked to verify before the deletion takes place. Only the picture data loaded into PEP are erased; picture files on disk are not affected by this command.

The FILE/LOAD command displays a name menu of all files in the current directory with the extension PDL. (You can use the EXTENSIONS command <[8.5]> to change the file extension used by the LOAD command.) To load a file, select its name from this menu. If the file you select contains an object named MAIN, that object is automatically opened. (You can use the OBJECT/OPEN command <[7.1]> if you want to select a different object from the loaded picture file for viewing, editing, or printing.) If there is no MAIN object, PEP next displays a name menu of all the objects in the newly loaded file. Select an object name from this menu to open that object for editing, or select the name "/NEW/" if you want to create a new drawing from scratch. The picture data that was formerly loaded into PEP is deleted when you load a new file. If unsaved work would be lost, you are first asked to verify before loading takes place. Note that the current fonts, bit patterns, editing and other parameters of PEP are not changed by loading a new picture file. When you load a file, its name becomes the default filename for the SAVE command.

After you have created or modified a picture, use the FILE/SAVE command to save your results as a file on disk. The default filename is the name of the last file that you loaded. You can either press RETURN to use this default, or type in a new file name. The file is saved with the extension PDL. (You can use the EXTENSIONS command <[8.5]> to change the file extension used by the SAVE command.) Using the SAVE command does not erase the loaded picture file from your computer's memory. You can continue to add to and modify the pictures in it. You do not have to use the LOAD to command to re-load the file back into PEP. It is a good practice to use the SAVE command frequently as you work, and not to wait until you are done editing. This will store your intermediate results safely on disk, and will minimize your losses in the event of a system failure. If you have made changes to the open object, you must close it in order to have those changes included in the saved file. If you have not already closed the open object, then, when you execute the SAVE command, a new menu is displayed. Using this menu, you can either close the open object or verify that the changes to it should not be included in the saved file.

Use the FILE/SAVE/CLOSE command to close the open object so that the latest changes to it will be included in the saved file. The operation of this command is the same as the OBJECT/CLOSE command <[7.2]>.

Use the FILE/SAVE/IGNORE command if you want to save the loaded picture file without closing the open object. In this case, changes made to the open object since the last OBJECT/CLOSE command will not be included in the saved file.

The FILE/TEXT-READ command displays a name menu of all files in the current directory with the extension TXT. (You can use the EXTENSIONS command described below to change the file extension used by the TEXT-READ command.). When you choose one of these files, PEP reads that file and adds it to the open object. The entire file is read (preserving line breaks) and incorporated into the open object as a sequence of text labels. The first line of text is placed at the upper left corner, location (0,0), the second line is placed beneath this, and so forth. These labels use the default font, justification, typesize, and leading as set by the commands in the T-DEFAULTS menu <[11]>. The new labels are added to the open object; the prior contents of the open object are not affected. If a line from the text file contains tab characters, it will be imported as more than one text label. A label is ended whenever a tab character is encountered, and a new label is begun to the right of the prior one at an X coordinate corresponding to the appropriate next tab stop.

The commands in the FILE/EXTENSIONS menu are string input commands. They allow you to change the default extensions used for loading and saving picture files and for importing text files. When you specify a new extension in the FILE/EXTENSIONS menu, the new extension appears in the appropriate line of the FILE menu as well.

Use the FILE/EXTENSIONS/LOAD command to set the extension used by the FILE/LOAD command <[8.2]>.

Use the FILE/EXTENSIONS/SAVE command to set the extension used by the FILE/SAVE command <[8.3]>.

Use the FILE/EXTENSIONS/TEXT command to set the extension used by the FILE/TEXT command <[8.4]>.