/sys$common/syshlp/helplib.hlb EDIT, /EDT, Qualifiers, /CREATE  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

       /CREATE (default)
       /NOCREATE

    Controls whether EDT creates a new file when the specified input
    file is not found.

    Normally, EDT creates a new file to match the input file
    specification if it cannot find the requested file name in the
    specified directory. When you use the /NOCREATE qualifier in the
    EDT command line and type a specification for a file that does
    not exist, EDT displays an error message and returns to the DCL
    command level as follows:

    $ EDIT/NOCREATE NEWFILE.DAT
    Input file does not exist
    $