Abstract: A method for visually displaying the status of edits utilizes a plurality of visual indicia proximal the portions of edited program segments. Program segments which have not been edited and are currently part of the executable program in the programmable logic controller's processor are represented with solid power rails. Edited rungs which have either been inserted, replaced or deleted are noted as such by I, R and D indicia proximal the power rail of the rung. An asterisk symbol (*) is used to visually identify rungs that have been modified at the workstation but which have not yet been downloaded to the controller. Other visual indicia identify to a workstation operator rungs which have been verified. When the controller is put into test edits mode, the state of the program in the controller prior to downloading the edited program segments is maintained but is not executed and the edits are resolved into the program executing in the processor.