Displaying messages

You can specify how a message is to be displayed, either in the panel message area or a pop-up, using the LOCATION attribute of the MSG tag.

There are five valid values you can assign to LOCATION: AREA (the default), MODAL, MODAL(L), MODELESS, and MODELESS(L). AREA specifies that the message is to appear in the panel message area, unless the text of the message exceeds the length of the message area. If the text of the message exceeds the message area length, ISPF displays the message in a pop-up.

If you want a message that requires a response from the user to appear in a pop-up, specify the MODAL or MODAL(L) value for the LOCATION attribute. This is useful for presenting warning and action messages that have a good deal of text.

If you want a message that does not require a response from the user to appear in a pop-up, specify the MODELESS or MODELESS(L) value for the LOCATION attribute.

For further discussion of these LOCATION values, see MSG (Message).

Here is an example message member markup that contains three messages, each of them with a different LOCATION value. The second and third messages display in pop-up windows.

<!doctype dm system>
<msgmbr name=orda01>
  <msg suffix=0>Your order is being received.  Please wait...
  <msg suffix=1 msgtype=warning location=modeless>Your request for
  the engraving option is not valid.
  Please check your request, and correct it if necessary.
  <msg suffix=2 msgtype=action location=modal>The data you have
  entered is incorrect.
  Please reenter the data.
</msgmbr>