Using fastpath

When you know your way around in panels, you might find it slow to select options on one menu panel after another to get to a panel several layers deep.

For example to reach the LIBRARY option under the UTILITIES option in ISPF/PDF, you first select option 3, then select option 1 on the next panel.

-------------------------  ISPF/PDF PRIMARY OPTION MENU  -----------------------
OPTION ===> 3
                                                                USERID   - MYID
    0  ISPF PARMS   - Specify terminal and user parameters      TIME     - 12:47
    1  BROWSE       - Display source data or output listings    TERMINAL - 3277
    2  EDIT         - Create or change source data              PF KEYS  - 12
    3  UTILITIES    - Perform utility functions
⋮

--------------------------  UTILITY SELECTION MENU  ----------------------------
OPTION ===> 1

    1  LIBRARY     - Compress or print data set.  Print index listing.
                       Print, rename, delete, or browse members
    2  DATASET     - Allocate, rename, delete, catalog, uncatalog, or
                       display information of an entire data set
    3  MOVE/COPY   - Move, copy, or promote members or data sets
⋮

-------------------------------  LIBRARY UTILITY  ------------------------------
OPTION ===>

    blank - Display member list               B - Browse member
    C - Compress data set                     P - Print member
    X - Print index listing                   R - Rename member
    L - Print entire data set                 D - Delete member
    I - Data set information                  S - Data set information (short)
⋮

A quicker way to select options from menu panels is by using a fastpath in which you specify on the first menu panel, all the menu panel options separated by periods. Thus entering 3.1 takes you directly to the third options' first option.

-------------------------  ISPF/PDF PRIMARY OPTION MENU  -----------------------
OPTION ===> 3.1
                                                                USERID   - MYID
    0  ISPF PARMS   - Specify terminal and user parameters      TIME     - 12:47
    1  BROWSE       - Display source data or output listings    TERMINAL - 3277
    2  EDIT         - Create or change source data              PF KEYS  - 12
    3  UTILITIES    - Perform utility functions
⋮

-------------------------------  LIBRARY UTILITY  -----------------------------
OPTION ===>

    blank - Display member list               B - Browse member
    C - Compress data set                     P - Print member
    X - Print index listing                   R - Rename member
    L - Print entire data set                 D - Delete member
    I - Data set information                  S - Data set information (short)
⋮

Exercise
Display the ISPF/PDF Primary Option Menu. Previously, to print a data set, you entered 3 (UTILITIES option), then you entered 1 (LIBRARY option). Now enter `3.1` to see the Library Utility panel. Notice when you press the END PF key (PF 3), that you return directly to the ISPF/PDF Primary Option Menu.