ISPF GUI support of TSO line mode output and input

When running ISPF in GUI mode, users connected by TCP/IP on a z/OS® UNIX system, and all users connected by APPC, have the option to display all non-fullscreen TSO data in an ISPF/TSO GUI window. This window is scrollable and it contains an input field for entering required user responses. The data in the window can be selected and copied to a file of your choice.

This support enables you to minimize the emulator window from which you logged on without missing any messages that might appear in the emulator window.

Figure 1 shows the ISPF/TSO GUI window.

Figure 1. ISPF/TSO GUI Window

The ISPF/TSO window has one item on its action bar: Edit. Clicking on this option causes a pull-down menu to appear.

Figure 2. ISPF/TSO GUI Window with Pull-Down Menu

The options on the menu are as follows:

Copy: Enables you to copy the lines of the window that you have marked. You designate a line to copy by clicking on it in the window.
Select All: Mark all of the lines in the window for further action. The ISPF/TSO window is scrollable, and can contain 30,000 bytes of data in Windows, and 60,000 bytes of data in the other supported environments.
Deselect All: Unmark all lines in the TSO window.
Clear: Erase everything in the ISPF/TSO window.

The ISPF/TSO Window title contains the system name of the host system that you logged on to and your User ID. The system name is the SYSNAME value defined by your system programmer in the IEASYSxx member of SYS1.PARMLIB. For ISPF to display the line mode data in this ISPF/TSO Window, you must log on to TSO using a logon procedure that invokes the alternate entry point IKJEFT1I. For more details on installation requirements for TSO line mode support, refer your system programmer to z/OS ISPF Planning and Customizing.

When you make a connection to the workstation to run ISPF in GUI mode, an additional connection is made for the ISPF/TSO Window. The window is created on your workstation when the first TSO message needs to be displayed. All messages are appended to this scrollable window until you end your ISPF session. At that time, the ISPF/TSO Window is closed and all TSO data from that point on is displayed on the 3270 emulator session.

Note: You cannot close the ISPF/TSO Window during the ISPF GUI session.

When running ISPF in GUI mode, if TSO input is required from the user, the ISPF/TSO Window is displayed in the foreground and the input field is enabled for you to enter your data.

Note: A maximum of 256 characters can be entered in this input field. When input is not being requested, the input field is disabled.

The ISPF/TSO window has a maximum capacity of approximately 32000 bytes of data in a Windows environment, and 60000 bytes of data in all other ISPF-supported operating environments. After these limits are reached, a message is displayed informing you that the ISPF/TSO window will be cleared before appending the next line of data. This gives you a chance to use the data in the window. Using the options under the Edit menu item, you can select lines from the window, copy them, and paste them to any file of your choice. After you respond OK to the informational message, the window is cleared and any following TSO data is appended from the top of the window.