From an external viewpoint, the menu item and the option are different because they are used during different types of sessions, have slightly different syntax, and produce either display output or printed output. However, from an internal point of view, the menu item and the option are very similar. The valid menu items for a display session are listed in the RMF CSECT ERBFMENU.
The options for a background session are listed in the RMF CSECT ERBBMENU. The formats of the entries in each list are identical. When an option or menu item is specified during a session, RMF uses the data entry for the report in the list appropriate for the session type to verify that the option or menu item is valid and to load the required data gatherer and data reporter modules.
Each list contains an entry called USER that enables you to add a single user report. When USER is specified, RMF loads modules ERBGUS99, the data gatherer for USER, and ERBRUS99, the data reporter for USER. By replacing these two modules with your own routines, you can add a single report to the Monitor II reports provided by RMF. This process is described later in this chapter under "Coding a User Report."
The data gathering module and the data reporting module communicate through a type 79 SMF record. The data gatherer formats the record and completes the required data fields. The data reporter uses the data in the record to generate a formatted report for printing or display. See "SMF Record Type 79."
To add more than one Monitor II session report, you must, in addition to providing a data gatherer and a data reporter, add an entry to ERBFMENU for a display session report and to ERBBMENU for a background session report. Then, when your option or menu item is specified during a session, RMF will load your data gatherer and data reporter to generate the report. The process to follow to add an entry to the option list and menu list is described later in this chapter under "Installing a User Report."