Data field help

ISPF allows you to provide help on a data field using the HELP attribute on the DTAFLD tag. If you specify the name of a help panel or message for a data field, ISPF knows which help information to display when the user selects help on the data field. If you do not specify help for a data field, the extended help panel (specified with the HELP attribute of the enclosing PANEL tag) is displayed.

Here is an example that shows how to provide help for data fields:

<!doctype dm system>

<varclass name=titlcls type='char 50'>
<varclass name=bookcls type='char 20'>
<varclass name=pagecls type='numeric 5'>

<varlist>
  <vardcl name=title   varclass=titlcls>
  <vardcl name=author  varclass=bookcls>
  <vardcl name=publish varclass=bookcls>
  <vardcl name=pages   varclass=pagecls>
</varlist>

<panel name=dfdxmp5>Library Inventory
  <topinst>To add a book to the inventory, complete the fields below,
  then press Enter.
  <area>
    <dtacol pmtwidth=15>
    <dtafld datavar=title help=hlptitl entwidth=50>Title
    <dtafld datavar=author help=hlpauth entwidth=20 deswidth=30>Author
      <dtafldd>Last name, First name, M.I.
    <dtafld datavar=publish help=hlppubl entwidth=20>Publisher
    <dtafld datavar=pages help=hlppage entwidth=5 deswidth=15>
            Total number of pages
      <dtafldd>(1 - 99999)
    </dtacol>
   </area>
</panel>