Using PF keys

Up to now you have issued commands such as END and HELP by entering them on the COMMAND/OPTION line of a panel. Another way to issue a command is to press a program function (PF) key. A PF key represents a command or a series of commands. Pressing one PF key is equivalent to typing the command on the COMMAND line and pressing the Enter key.

Keyboards can have 12 or 24 PF keys. Generally the PF keys are preset to default values. To see your PF key values, enter keys on the COMMAND/OPTION line of any panel on which you can use TSO/E.

If you have 24 PF keys, you first see the values for PF keys 13-24. Generally these values are the same as the ones for PF keys 1-12. (To see values 1-12, press the Enter key.) You can compare your preset values to the following default values:

PF13 ===> HELP
PF14 ===> SPLIT
PF15 ===> END
PF16 ===> RETURN
PF17 ===> RFIND
PF18 ===> RCHANGE
PF19 ===> UP
PF20 ===> DOWN
PF21 ===> SWAP
PF22 ===> LEFT
PF23 ===> RIGHT
PF24 ===> RETRIEVE

If you have 12 PF keys, you see the values for PF keys 1-12. You can compare your preset values to the following default values:

PF 1 ===> HELP
PF 2 ===> SPLIT
PF 3 ===> END
PF 4 ===> RETURN
PF 5 ===> RFIND
PF 6 ===> RCHANGE
PF 7 ===> UP
PF 8 ===> DOWN
PF 9 ===> SWAP
PF10 ===> LEFT
PF11 ===> RIGHT
PF12 ===> RETRIEVE

To display PF key defaults on each panel as you work, type pfshow on the COMMAND/OPTION line. You then see the PF key defaults displayed on the bottom two lines of the panel.

------------------------  ISPF/PDF PRIMARY OPTION MENU  ------------------------
OPTION ===>
                                                              USERID   - YOURID
    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
    4  FOREGROUND  - Invoke language processors in foreground
    5  BATCH       - Submit job for language processing
    6  COMMAND     - Enter TSO command or CLIST
    7  DIALOG TEST - Perform dialog testing
    8  LM UTILITIES- Perform library administrator utility functions
    9  IBM PRODUCTS- Additional IBM program development products
    C  CHANGES     - Display summary of changes for this release
    T  TUTORIAL    - Display information about ISPF/PDF
    X  EXIT        - Terminate ISPF using log and list defaults

Enter END command to terminate ISPF.




PF 1=HELP      2=SPLIT      3=END       4=RETURN    5=RFIND     6=RCHANGE
PF 7=UP        8=DOWN       9=SWAP     10=LEFT     11=RIGHT    12=RETRIEVE

To remove the PF key defaults from the bottom of each panel, enter pfshow off on the COMMAND/OPTION line.

Note: From now on when we refer to issuing certain commands, we mention using the default PF keys. For example, we say press the END PF key (PF 3), however, you still can enter the equivalent command on the COMMAND or OPTION line.

For more information about PF keys, see PF keys summary.