The American Programmer

Completely revised and expanded. This book will get you started developing TSO/ISPF panels on IBM's mainframe running MVS, OS390 or Zos TSO/ISPF. Panels are displayed during a TSO ISPF session.
TSO/ISPF Dialogue Manager panels can display and accept input into REXX program variables.
ISPF panels can validate data typed in by the user.
Dialogue Manager Panels and screens can be the front-end for applications executed on IBM's TSO (Time Sharing System).
Examples in this book assume a knowledge of REXX as the driver scripting language.

Table of Contents for Dialog Manager Book (on this page)
Sample Pages from Dialogue Manager Book (on this page)
Links about TSO / ISPF and Dialog Manager (on this page)
Go here for manuals Manuals and Tutorials on TSO, ISPF, Dialog Manager, ISPF Services
Books on TSO, ISPF, Dialog Manager
Short paper on ISPF
TSO Commands (such as DELETE, HRECALL, ALLOCATE, Line Mode EDIT)
Short paper on running ISPF in batch
Short paper on ISPF Edit Macros

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How to develop ISPF Dialog Manager panels under TSO using ISPF Services and REXX. For the REXX programmer under MVS, OS390 or ZOS. (Examples with REXX)
You need to already know how to use existing ISPF panels, filling in fields, scrolling keys, action of ENTER, PF1, PF3, DSLIST, Browse.
You need to already know how to use the ISPF editor to make changes to files, save changes, set and use profiles.
You need to already know TSO line mode commands: it is the use of REXX programs that makes this necessary.
You need to already understand how the MVS file system works.
You need to already understand the programming concepts of assignment, repetition, conditions, return codes, sequential and indexed files.
Example driver code is in REXX, but this book does not teach REXX.
Learn the basics of ISPF File Tailoring, panel display, ISPF Tables, ISPF Messages.
All the code has been tested on a TSO / ISPF system.
All the code is accessible free on the internet: examples, panels, REXX, skeletons, messages. (Scroll down on this page)
Most of the other books about ISPF Dialogue Manager are out of print and available used only. This book gives you clear, simple examples that get you started quickly.
148 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches. Revised and expanded. Mailed USPS priority next business day.

No Longer Available

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Gabe Gargiulo is the author of several mainframe books:
REXX Quick Reference    
REXX in the TSO Environment (Available new and used)    
The REXX Language on TSO    MVS JCL (Out of Print)
Mastering OS2/REXX (Available new and used)   
ISPF Services: Using the Dialogue Manager, with REXX   
MVS/TSO (Available new and used)

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Dialogue Manager Book, Table of Contents

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ISPF Services Overview 								
Creating Libraries									
Making the Libraries Available to ISPF Services 					
ISPF Editor Profiles									
Starting Things up									
Considerations for Your REXX Program.						
ISPF Variables									
ISPF Control Variables								
Storing and Retrieving Your Own Variables						
Displaying and Using A Simple Panel						
The Panel.										
Sections of a Panel, overview							
The Attribute Section								
The Body Section								
Commands You Can Use in the INIT, REINIT and PROC Sections.		
Displaying a Variable								
Setting the help panel 								
Assignment 									
Translating values								
GOTO										
IF 										
ISPF Variable Services 							
Verify 										
Cursor positioning 								
The Pop Up Panel									
ADDPOP 									
WINDOW 									
Messages										
Using REXX on a Panel								
File Tailoring										
	Permanent 									
	Temporary 									
Skeleton 									
SEL - decisions 								
Tabbing 									
Assignment									
Repetition									
Conditional									
Tables in file tailoring								
)DEFAULT 									
Syntax and return codes 							
ISPF Tables										
ISPF Tables - Creating Temporary, No Keys					
ISPF Tables - Creating Temporary, With Keys				
ISPF Tables - Creating Permanent, No Keys					
ISPF Tables - Creating Permanent, With Keys				
ISPF Tables - List of Commands						
ISPF Tables - Syntax and Return Codes					
ISPF Tables - Deleting a Row							
ISPF Tables - Opening an Existing Table					
ISPF Tables - Displaying a Table on a Panel					
		)MODEL							
ISPF Tables - Sorting a Table 						
ISPF Tables - Table with Search Argument					
ISPF Tables - Tables: File Tailoring						
ISPF Tables - Updating with TBMOD					
ISPF Tables - Making Changes on a Panel					
Menu Panels										
Select Service										
ISPSTART - Start an Application							
Browsing, Viewing and Editing a Dataset						
Writing to the ISPF Log.								
Additional Practice Problems								
Appendix A: ISPF in Batch								
Appendix B: Downloading the Example Files					
Appendix C: Suggested solutions to practice problems				
	REXX programs								
	Panels
	Skeletons
Index											

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Sample Pages

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Commands You Can Use in the PROC Section of dialogue manager panels

VERIFY
Generally used on input fields. Checks a variable for a value. 
If the variable is invalid a default error message is displayed and the panel is redisplayed.
Note the & in the variable.

VER(&NAME,NB)			name is not blank.   Or NONBLANK

VER(&NAME,ALPHA)		name is alphabetic

VER(&NAME,NAME)		valid IBM name 
(8 or < chars, first is alphabetic)

VER(&NAME,NB,DSNAME)	name is not blank 
and is a valid dataset name

VER(&NUMBER,NB,NUM) 	valid number and not blank 

VER(&NUMBER,NB,RANGE,1,10) 	
number is not blank 
and is between 1 and 10

VER(&NAME,LIST,ANN,BARB,CLAIRE,DARLENE) 
name is in the list

VER(&NAME,NB,MSG=message-id)	
name is not blank. 
display this message, rather than the default,  if invalid

VER(&NAME,HEX)			name has valid hex digits

VER(&NAME,BIT)			name has 0 or 1’s

VER(&DEPT,PICT,'A9999')
		in PICT, you can use
			A - alphabetic
			9 - numbers
			N - number
			C - any character
			X – hexadecimal notation
		Any special character in the string represents itself.

 

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Suggested solution Practice Problem PP0009.

)BODY
%    ON LINE K9 ORDER SYSTEM PP0009
% COMMAND ==>_ZCMD
% BREED WANTED ==> _BR+ (REQUIRED)
%     1 - SCHNAUZER
%     2 - SHELTIE
%     3 - RETRIEVER
%     4 - DALMATIAN
%     5 - PIT BULL
%     6 - FRENCH POODLE
%     7 - GERMAN SHEPHERD
%     8 - SCOTTIE DOG
%     9 - IRISH SETTER
%    10 - MIXED OR UNKNOWN
%
% DOG'S SEX    ==> _S+             OPTIONAL. DEFAULT 3.
%     1 - FEMALE
%     2 - MALE
%     3 - DON'T CARE
%
% DOG'S NAME       ==> _NAME     + OPTIONAL. DEFAULT FIDO.
%
% HOW MANY DOGS?   ==> _HOW+       1 - 101. DEFAULT 1.
%
% DATASET NAME FOR BACKUP TAPE ==> _DSN                        +
)INIT
  .CURSOR = ZCMD
  &ZCMD = ' '
&S = 3
&NAME = FIDO
)PROC
VER(&BR,NB,RANGE,1,10)
VER(&S,RANGE,1,3)
VER(&HOW,NB,RANGE,1,101)
VER(&DSN,NB,DSNAME)
IF (&S = '')
   &S = 3
IF (&NAME = '')
   &NAME = FIDO
)END

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Links about TSO / ISPF and Dialog Manager

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To install files and examples used in the book: (Panels, REXX, messages, skeletons).
Click Here
Select REXX; Click on "See code"; Scroll down to install.txt. Click on install.txt.

Note: some have asked how you make ISPF refresh a panel every time you change its source code.
Here's the answer, thanks to Richard Davenport.
When you enter TSO. Use ISPF option 7 (Dialog manager Test) Then sub-option 2 (Panels)
Then put in the name of the panel you want to play with. it will display the dialogue manager panel.
Just PF3 out and then for the rest of the TSO / ISPF session, you can make changes to it and they will show up!!! Refresh dialogue manager panel after change.

Another way, suggested by Lisa Dodd: "Instead of entering ISPF by keying ISPF.... key ispf TEST"
IBM manual section about ISPF TEST

Short paper on running ISPF in batch

You'll need these IBM manuals:

*** ISPF Services Guide Manual from IBM SC34-4819-04 07/13/05 Describes ADDPOP, BRIF, BROWSE, CONTROL, DISPLAY PANEL, DSINFO, FILESTAT, FTCLOSE, FTERASE, FTINCL, FTOPEN, LIBDEF, LMCLOSE, MEMLIST, REMPOP, SELECT, SETMSG, TBADD, TBBOTTOM, TBCLOSE, TBCREATE, TBDELETE, TBDISPL, TBEND, TBERASE, TBEXIST, TBGET, TBMOD, TBOPEN, TBPUT, TBQUERY, TBSARG, TBSAVE, TBSCAN, TBSKIP, TBSORT, TBSTATS, TBTOP, TBVCLEAR, VGET, VPUT

ISPF Dialog Developer's Guide and Reference Manual IBM z/OS V1R7.0 ISPF Dialog Developer's Guide SC34-4821-04 07/12/05 Important to read this before starting. Gives explanations. ISPSTART, SELECT service. Control variables - .CURSOR, .ZVARS, System variables - ZAPPLID, ZDATE, Panel sections - )ATTR )BODY )PROC *REXX *ENDREXX

ISPF Dialog Developer's Guide and Reference PDF file IBM z/OS V1R7.0 ISPF Dialog Developer's Guide SC34-4821-03

ISPF Dialog Developer's Guide and Reference

ISPF Services Guide

Manuals and Tutorials on TSO and ISPF (Including Dialog Manager)

Abend codes under TSO/ISPF from the IBM manual SC34-4821-04

Terminal I/O error codes under TSO/ISPF from the IBM manual SC34-4821-04

ISPF Edit macro return codes from the IBM manual SC34-4820-04 07/12/05

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