Assistance level

The Assistance level field in the user profile specifies the default assistance level for the user when the profile is created. The System i® platform provides three levels of assistance: basic, intermediate, and advanced.

Add User prompt:: Not shown
CL parameter:: ASTLVL
Length:: 10

For each user, the system keeps track of the last assistance level used for every system display that has more than one assistance level. That level is used the next time the user requests that display. During an active job, a user can change the assistance level for a display or group of related displays by pressing F21 (Select assistance level). The new assistance level for that display is stored with the user information.

Specifying the assistance level (ASTLVL) parameter on a command does not change the assistance level that is stored for the user for the associated display.

If the assistance level in the user profile is changed using the CHGUSRPRF or the Change Profile (CHGPRF) command, the assistance levels stored for all displays for that user are reset to the new value.

For example, assume the user profile for USERA is created with the default assistance level (basic). Table 1 shows whether USERA sees the Work with User Profiles display or the Work with User Enrollment display when using different options. The table also shows whether the system changes the version for the display that is stored with USERA’s profile.

Table 1. How assistance levels are stored and changed
Action taken	Version of display shown	Version of display stored
Use WRKUSRPRF command	Work with User Enrollment display	No change (basic assistance level)
From Work with User Enrollment display, press F21 and select intermediate assistance level.	Work with User Profiles display	Changed to intermediate assistance level
Use WRKUSRPRF command	Work with User Profiles display	No change (intermediate)
Select the work with user enrollment option from the SETUP menu.	Work with User Profiles display	No change (intermediate)
Type CHGUSRPRF USERA ASTLVL(*BASIC)		Changed to basic assistance level
Use WRKUSRPRF command	Work with User Enrollment display	No change (basic)
Type `WRKUSRPRF ASTLVL(*INTERMED)`	Work with User Profiles display	No change (basic)

Note: The User option field in the user profile also affects how system displays are shown. This field is described on page User Options.

Table 2. Possible Values for ASTLVL
*SYSVAL	The assistance level specified in the QASTLVL system value is used.
*BASIC	The Operational Assistant user interface is used.
*INTERMED	The system interface is used.
*ADVANCED	The expert system interface is used. To allow for more list entries, the option numbers and the function keys are not always displayed. If a command does not have an advanced (ADVANCED) level, the intermediate (INTERMED) level is used.