You can use the GETMSG external function with the TSO/E CONSOLE and CONSPROF commands and the CONSOLE host command environment to write REXX execs that perform MVS™ operator activities from TSO/E. Using the TSO/E CONSOLE command, you can activate an extended MCS console session with MCS console services. After you activate a console session, you can then use the TSO/E CONSOLE command and the CONSOLE host command environment to issue MVS system and subsystem commands. You can use the TSO/E CONSPROF command to specify that messages that are routed to the user's console during a console session are not to be displayed at the user's terminal. You can then use the GETMSG external function to retrieve messages that are not being displayed and perform different types of processing.

The TSO/E external function SYSVAR has various arguments you can use to determine the type of processing you want to perform. For example, using SYSVAR, you can determine the console session options currently in effect, such as whether solicited and unsolicited messages are being displayed. If you want to display a message that GETMSG retrieved, you can use SYSVAR arguments to obtain information about displaying the message. For example, you can determine whether certain information, such as a time stamp, should be displayed with the message. For more information, see SYSVAR.

Your installation may customize TSO/E to display certain types of information at the terminal in different languages. Your installation can define a primary and secondary language for the display of information. The language codes for the primary and secondary languages are stored in the user profile table (UPT). If your installation customizes TSO/E for different languages, messages that are routed to the user's console during a console session and that are displayed at the user's terminal are displayed in the user's primary or secondary language. However, if you specify that messages are not displayed at the terminal and you then use GETMSG to retrieve the message, the message you retrieve is not in the user's primary or secondary language. The message you retrieve is in US English. For information about customizing TSO/E for different languages, see z/OS TSO/E Customization.

For more information about writing execs to perform MVS operator tasks from TSO/E, see Writing REXX Execs to perform MVS operator activities.