Selection field help

ISPF enables you to provide help on selection fields. For single-choice selection fields, you specify the name of a help panel or message for the selection field with the HELP attribute of the SELFLD tag. For multiple-choice selection fields, you specify the name of a help panel or message for each of the choices in the selection field with the HELP attribute of the CHOICE tags. For menu-choice, model-choice, or tutor-choice fields, the selection field is the command line. The name of the help panel or message must be provided on the CMDAREA tag. If you specify help for a single-choice selection field, a menu-choice selection field, or for choices in a multiple-choice selection field, ISPF displays that help information when the user requests help and the cursor is on that panel element. If there is no help defined, the extended help panel is displayed.

Here is an example that shows how to code a help panel for a single-choice selection field:

  <selfld name=choice
help=dayhelp>Weekdays:
    <choice checkvar=day match=M>Monday
    <choice checkvar=day match=T>Tuesday
    <choice checkvar=day match=W>Wednesday
    <choice checkvar=day match=H>Thursday
    <choice checkvar=day match=F>Friday
  </selfld>

This example shows how to code help panels for choices in a multiple-choice selection field.

  <selfld type=multi>Choose the services needed:
    <choice name=ch1 help=dryhlp>Dry haircut
    <choice name=ch2 help=cuthlp>Shampoo, haircut, and style
    <choice name=ch3 help=permhlp>Permanent or body wave
    <choice name=ch4 help=facehlp>Facial
    <choice name=ch5 help=manihlp>Manicure
    <choice name=ch6 help=pedihlp>Pedicure
  </selfld>