SYNTAX: edit name-of-field [alias-of-other-user]

SUMMARY
The edit command allows you to change the contents of a field in a
Nameserver entry (usually your own).  You must first login to the
Nameserver (see help on "login").  Then, to change any field in your
entry (or to add a field that doesn't appear in the entry), simply give
the command: "edit name-of-field".  You will be placed in the default
text editor (usually "vi" on Unix machines) and allowed to make changes
to the field.  When you leave the editor, any changes you have made will
be entered into the database.

If you change your mind about editing the field, simply exit the editor
without saving the changes; by doing so, ph will not record your
changes.

If you wish to remove a field from your entry entirely, use the "edit"
command and delete ALL the text from the field.  Ph will then remove
the field from your entry.

A useful command in conjunction with "edit" is "me".  When you are
logged in to the Nameserver, the "me" command can be used to view each
and every field in your entry and to verify that the changes you have
made are what you expected. The "fields" command is also useful in
conjunction with "edit".  "Fields" displays all of the fields that are
defined in the Nameserver database.  You can use the "fields" command
to see the names and descriptions of fields that can be added to your
entry (see help on "me" and "fields" for more information on the "me"
and "fields" commands).

PROXIES
Normally, the owner of an entry is the only person (with the exception
of the CCSO ph administrators) that can edit his or her own entry. Some
users, however, prefer to have others make changes for them.  You can
grant others the right to modify your entry by entering their aliases
in your "proxy" field.  Names can be added to your "proxy" field
manually with the "edit" command, or you can ask your building or
departmental network administrator to request proxy rights for your
entry. If you want to explicitly deny proxy rights to your entry, put
the text "NO!" into your "proxy" field.  (For more information on
proxies, see help on "proxy" and "policy".)

EXAMPLES
In the first example, John Doe logs into the Nameserver and uses the
"edit" command to change the contents of the "home_address" field in
his entry:

   ph> login j-doe1
   200:j-doe1:Hi how are you?
   ph> edit home_address
   102:There was 1 match to your request.
   "/tmp/ph010352" 2/37
      [vi was used to change John's home address to "222 Main
      Street/Urbana, IL 61801"]
   "/tmp/ph010352" 2/33
   200:1 entry changed.

In the next example, John Doe decides to add a NEW field to his ph
entry.  The procedure is nearly identical to the example above, except
that, when the text editor is invoked, an empty file is displayed, and
John must insert the new information rather than changing existing
information:

   ph> login j-doe1
   200:j-doe1:Hi how are you?
   ph> edit fax
   102:There was 1 match to your request.
   -508:1:  fax: Not present in entry.
   "/tmp/ph010352" 0/0
      [vi was used to add John's fax number "(217)333-3333"]
   "/tmp/ph010352" 1/14
   200:1 entry changed.

In the final example, Bill Smith, John Doe's network administrator edits
John's "email" field.  Bill's alias, b-smith, is listed in John's "proxy"
field, and, therefore, Bill has proxy rights to John's account.  Note
that Bill logs into ph as himself and modifies John's entry by specifying
John's alias after the field name (in this case, "email") in the "edit"
command:

   ph> login b-smith
   200:b-smith:Hi how are you?
   ph> edit email j-doe1
   102:There was 1 match to your request.
   "/tmp/ph000952" 1/28
      [vi was used to change John's email field to
      "jdoe@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu")
   "/tmp/ph000952" 1/22
   200:1 entry changed.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
On Unix systems, ph obeys the "EDITOR" environment variable.  If you
have that variable set to something other than "vi", the editor of your
choice will be used.

Only fields with the "Change" attribute may be changed by a user.  Most
fields have this attribute; two that do not are "name" and "curriculum".
If you wish to make a change to one of those fields, you must visit the
CCSO Accounting and Distribution Office in 1420 DCL, 1304 W. Springfield,
Urbana.  In order for your request to be processed, you must have a
valid University identification card.

Ph allows only printable ASCII characters in fields, along with tab and
newline.  Any other characters will be removed before being sent to the
Nameserver.

Do not use "edit" to change your Nameserver password; use "passwd"
instead.

HOW "EDIT" IS IMPLEMENTED
To accomplish the edit command, ph uses a "query" command to fetch the
current value of the field, places that value in a temporary file, and
invokes the default editor on it.  Once the editor has been exited, ph
reads the temporary file and issues a "change" command to change the
entry to the value contained in the temporary file (assuming the value
has been changed).

SEE ALSO: change, vi, passwd, me, login, alias, proxy, make,
register, fields, policy