At the completion of ISPF command processing, ISPF does not reprocess the panel from which the command was invoked. The panel is simply relaunched to the screen without processing, for example, the panel's )INIT section. Therefore, if certain constructs are defined within the panel sections based on the ZGUI variable (nonblank indicating connected in GUI mode), these constructs are not defined properly until after the Enter key is pressed following the SWITCH invocation.

These are some known restrictions for the SWITCH command:

• When switching to GUI mode, the first panel displayed in GUI mode cannot contain group boxes and images that are defined on the panel. After the user presses the Enter key, causing the panel to be reprocessed, then these constructs are visible in GUI mode.
• When switching to 3270 mode, the name of any group boxes defined on the panel that the SWITCH was issued from display on the screen in 3270 mode. After the user presses the Enter key, causing the panel to be reprocessed, these group box names disappear and any panel text under these names reappears.
• If a 3270 screen already exists when the SWITCH 3270 command is invoked from another GUI screen, the screen from which the SWITCH was invoked is displayed in the full 3270 emulator session without a split line, regardless of the user's "Always show split line" setting. The other 3270 sessions are hidden and are available for display if the appropriate swap command is entered.
• If pop-up windows are displayed in GUI mode when the SWITCH 3270 command is invoked, those pop-up windows are suspended on the 3270 session and the panels are displayed as full-screen panels. If new addpops are then invoked, these new panels are displayed as pop-ups.
• The user cannot switch to 3270 mode when running in batch GUI mode.
• When running in GUI mode, if at least one screen has been switched to 3270 mode, then the user is not allowed to change the screen format in ISPF Settings.
• If you started GUI mode from ISPSTART and specified GUISCRD or GUISCRW values different than your actual emulator session, then you are not allowed to switch to 3270 mode.