Panel format

Figure 1 shows how ISPF formats the first three and last few lines of each display:

Figure 1. Panel Format

 Action Bar
 ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 Panel ID                       Title                           Short Message

 ⋮

 Long Message
 Option  ===>                                                  Scroll ===>
  F1=Help      F2=Split     F3=Exit      F7=Backward  F8=Forward   F9=Swap

Note: The "Panel display CUA mode" field on the ISPF Settings panel determines where the Command or Option line and long messages are displayed. The default setting selects "Panel display CUA mode", which causes the Command or Option line to be displayed on the bottom of the panel. The default setting also selects "Long message in pop-up", which causes long messages to be displayed in a pop-up window directly above the Command or Option line. To display the command or option line and long messages at the top of the panel, select option 0, deselect the "Panel display CUA mode" field, and deselect the "Command line at bottom" field. See z/OS ISPF Dialog Developer's Guide and Reference for more information about the "Panel display CUA mode" and "Command line placement" fields.

The fields on Figure 1 function as follows:

Action Bar

The action bar provides access to pull-down menus that give you a new and faster way to move around in the product as well as access to command stacking. See Figure 1 for more information about using the action bar.

Panel ID

This area can be overlaid by the system commands SYSNAME, USERID, SCRNAME, or PANELID. The data displayed can be up to 17 characters wide. If none of these commands is in effect, data from the panel title line is displayed.

Note: For more information about the system commands PANELID, SCRNAME, SYSNAME, USERID, and the order of priority that determines what is displayed in this 17-character area (if you specify more than one of these commands), see ISPF system commands.

Title

Identifies the function being carried out and, where appropriate, the library or data set information.

Short Message

Shows:

Current line for Browse, and column positions for View, Browse, and Edit.
Current row position in a table display if the short message area is not overlaid by a function-requested message.
Successful completion of a processing function.
Error conditions (with an audible alarm, if one is installed). See z/OS ISPF Dialog Developer's Guide and Reference for information about coding an alarm.

Command/Option

Allows you to enter a command or, on a menu, to enter either a command or an option.

Scroll

Indicates the scroll amount (if scrolling applies). You can type over it to change it. The valid scroll amounts are:

nnnn: A number of lines or columns (between 0 and 9999).
CSR: Move the line or column that contains the cursor to the edge of the scrollable area. For example, if you scroll right, the cursor will be positioned at the left side of the scrollable area. If you scroll down, the cursor will be positioned at the top of the scrollable area.
DATA: Scroll by one line or column less than a full page. For example, if you scroll up, the line that was displayed at the top of the page becomes the bottom line in the new page of data.
HALF: Scroll by half the number of lines or columns in the scrollable area.
MAX: Scroll to the limit of the data. For example, if you enter MAX and scroll down, the last page of data is displayed. If you enter MAX and scroll up, the first page of data is displayed. Note that MAX only applies to the next scroll command. When the MAX scroll command has been processed, the scroll amount reverts to the previous setting.
PAGE: Scroll by the full height (if scrolling up down) or width (if scrolling left or right).

Long Message

Displays an explanation of error conditions in a pop-up window when you enter the HELP command (see Getting help). On some displays, data may be overlaid temporarily by a long message.

Function Keys

Displays settings for the function keys. These settings are controlled through the Function keys pull-down on the action bar on the ISPF Settings panel.