ISPF Dialog Management

This course introduces ISPF Dialog Management Services and covers the basic-to-intermediate topics of interest.

This course is intended for individuals who are new to ISPF Dialog Management Services.

Before attending, delegates should have:

• Basic z/OS knowledge.
• An appreciation of TSO Commands.
• Practical experience of the chosen Dialog Language (i.e., REXX, CLIST or other).

On completion, delegates will be able to:

• Understand ISPF Library Management Services.
• Use the ISPF Dialog Test Facility.
• Create Dialog Management Services Tables.
• Invoke Dialog Management Services Tables.

Introduction
Overview of ISPF, Structure and Services.
Exercise: Accessing ISPF.
Library Requirements.
Exercise in checking library availability.
ISPSTART.
Testing.
Exercise in Batch ISPF.

Basic Panels
Naming Conventions.
Panel Sections.
)ATTR and field attributes.
)BODY, )INIT, )REINIT, )PROC.
HELP panels.
Exercise in designing Help Panels.
Exercise in designing a panel.
Exercise in changing the colour of a field.
Using ISPF 7.1 Dialog Test.
Exercise in using panels in a conversation.

Messages
Dialog Messages.
Definition Statements.
Exercise: Using Dialog Messages.
Testing Messages.
Exercise: Testing Dialog Messages.

Developing Dialogs in REXX/CLIST
REXX and ISPF Services.
Address ISPEXEC.
Brief look at Edit Macros.
CLISTs and ISPF Services.
Allocating alternative libraries.
TSO ALTLIB, ISPF LIBDEF, ISPLIBD.
Exercise in Library allocation.
Exercise in checking library availability.

Variables
Dialog Variables Pools.
Function, Shared, Profile.
Sharing Variables.
Variable definition within )BODY.
Variable usage within )INIT, )REINIT, )PROC.
VGET and VPUT Services.
Special variable ZVARS.
Variables versus Tables.
Exercise in Data Entry.
Exercise using VGET and VPUT.

Menus
Menu / Selection Panel structure.
ZCMD Variable.
TRANS Built-in Function.
&ZSEL Variable.
The SELECT service.
Exercise: in creating a menu.
Exercise using the SELECT Service in REXX.
Exercise: using the SELECT Service in CLIST.

Enhanced Panels
EXAPAND.
Built-in Functions.
PFK, TRUNC, and VER.
Panel on-board logic.
IF, THEN, ELSE, GOTO, EXIT.
Special Variables.
.ATTR, .CURSOR, .HELP, .MSG, .RESP, .PFKEY.
ZVAR Re-visited.
POP UP windows.
ADDREM, REMPOP.
Exercise: in data validation on a panel.

File Tailoring
Service overview.
FTOPEN.
FTCLOSE.
FTINCL.
File Tailoring statements.
Exercise: in creating a skeleton.
Exercise in File Tailoring use (REXX).
Exercise in File Tailoring use (CLIST).

Library Management
Overview of Service Relationships.
Library Services.
LMINIT, LMOPEN, LMGET, LMPUT, LMFIND, LMMADD, LMMREP, LMMDEL, LMMREN, LMCLOSE, LMFREE.
Utility Services.
LMCOPY, LMMOVE.
Ad-hoc services.
Printing, LMERASE, LMRENAME.
Data Set List Services.
LMDINIT, LMDDISP, LMDLIST, LMDFREE.
LM Return Codes.
LMMFIND directory statistics.
Exercise: in producing a data set list.

Table Services
Overview of Dialog Tables.
Current Row Pointer (CRP).
Basic Table management.
TBCREATE, TBOPEN, TBADD, TBDELETE, TBGET, TBMOD.
Disposing of a table.
TBEND, TBSAVE, TBCLOSE.
Displaying a table.
TBDISPL and )MODEL with a panel.
Table positioning.
TBBOTTOM, TBSKIP, TBTOP.
Ancillary services.
TBQUERY, TBSCAN, TBSORT.
Tables and File Tailoring.
Exercise: Create and update a table in REXX.
Exercise: Create an update a table in CLIST.

Developing in Assembler, COBOL and PL1
Invocation requirements.
ISPLINK versus ISPEXEC.
VDEFINE Services.
Assembler example.
COBOL example.
PL1 example.
BPXDWYN – Dynamic File Allocation.
Assembler example.
COBOL example.
PL1 example.
IRXJCL alternative to BPXDWYN.
There are no planned exercises, but the associated Case Study includes fully worked examples in the above languages.

Advanced Dialog Management
Steps in producing a member list display.
Exercise: in member list production.
Single row selection.
Exercise to BROWSE a selected member.
Multiple row selection.
Exercise to BROWSE multiple members.
Left/Right scrolling a table display.
Embedding REXX on a panel.
Exercise in coding REXX on a panel.