# Hand-Editing

Some file and identifier listings provide an option to edit the file by hand. Such an operation is useful when CScout has identified a function as unused, and one therefore wishes to remove the complete function body. The edit link invokes an external editor, where possible with an argument that will move the edit point near the point of the corresponding identifier. The argument is specified as a regular expression. This has the advantage that the location will work even when the file length changes, but the disadvantage is imprecise and can also result in spurious matches.

The automatic global identifier replacement and the hand-editing of files are mutualy exclusive operations. Once either of the two is performed the other ceases to be available. This is done to protect the integrity of the underlying source code. Furthermore, all CScout's operations, such as queries and source code listings, are always performed on a snapshot of the source code taken just before a file is edited by hand.

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