Variables GETMSG sets for each line of message text

GETMSG also sets an array of variables for the message it retrieves. The variables are set for each line of message text for the retrieved message.

The variable names are compound symbols. The stem of each variable name is the same for all lines of message text. The value following the period (.) in the variable name is the line number of the line of message text.

The names of the variables correspond to the field names in the message data block (MDB) in MVS/ESA System Product. The variable names consist of the msgstem you specified on the call to GETMSG, followed by the name of the field in the MDB, followed by a period (.), which is then followed by the line number of the message text. For example, one field in the message data block is MDBTTYPE, which is the text object type of the MDB. If you specify msgstem as "CMSG." (with a period), and GETMSG retrieves a message that has three lines of message text, GETMSG sets the following MDBTTYPE variables:

CMSG.MDBTTYPE.1 (corresponding to the first line of message text)
CMSG.MDBTTYPE.2 (corresponding to the second line of message text)
CMSG.MDBTTYPE.3 (corresponding to the third line of message text)

If you specified the msgstem as "CMSG" (without a period), GETMSG sets the three variables as CMSGMDBTTYPE.1, CMSGMDBTTYPE.2, and CMSGMDBTTYPE.3.

Table 1 describes the array of variables that GETMSG sets for each line of message text.

Table 1. Variables GETMSG sets for each line of message text
Variable suffix name	Description
MDBTLEN.n	Text object length of the MDB, in decimal.
MDBTTYPE.n	Text object type of the MDB, in decimal.
MDBTCONT.n	YES or NO to indicate whether the line of message text consists of control text.
MDBTLABT.n	YES or NO to indicate whether the line of message text consists of label text.
MDBTDATT.n	YES or NO to indicate whether the line of message text consists of data text.
MDBTENDT.n	YES or NO to indicate whether the line of message text consists of end text.
MDBTPROT.n	YES or NO to indicate whether the line of message text consists of prompt text.
MDBTFPAF.n	YES or NO to indicate whether the text object presentation attribute field overrides the general object presentation attribute field.
MDBTPCON.n	Presentation control attribute, in decimal.
MDBTPCOL.n	Presentation color attribute, in decimal.
MDBTPHIL.n	Presentation highlighting attribute, in decimal.
MDBTPINT.n	Presentation intensity attribute, in decimal.