Multicultural support for user USS messages and commands

Without multicultural support, USS messages (USSMSG00–USSMSG14) and commands (LOGON, LOGOFF, and IBMTEST) came from either a USS table that was statically defined to a logical unit, or the IBM-supplied default table, ISTINCDT. With multicultural support, users can choose a USS table by specifying the LANGTAB operand on any valid USS command. This enables users to enter USS commands and receive USS messages in the language of their choice. The USS table associated with the logical unit using the LANGTAB operand remains in effect until another valid USS command with the LANGTAB operand is processed.

You can also define USS messages using the MVS™ message service (MMS), which enables you to define each USS message in several different languages. Users can specify which language to use to retrieve USS messages from the MMS by using the LANG parameter on any valid USS command. The language for USS messages associated to the logical unit using the LANG parameter remains in effect until another valid USS command with the LANG parameter is processed.

For example, USSMSG10 can be defined in multiple languages, using the LANGTAB USS tables or MMS.

Remember that the language specified for the user USS commands (from the LANGTAB operand) and messages (from the LANG or LANGTAB operands) remain in effect for a logical unit (terminal) after the user logs off an application program. One logical unit (terminal) might be used by several users who speak different languages. Because LANG and LANGTAB can be entered with null values to cancel their effects, it might be wise to define LOGON commands with default null values for LANG and LANGTAB. For example, you can code the following as a default for the LOGON command:

LOGON    USSCMD   CMD=LOGON,FORMAT=PL1
         USSPARM  PARM=APPLID
         USSPARM  PARM=LANG,DEFAULT='()'
         USSPARM  PARM=LOGMODE
         USSPARM  PARM=DATA
         EJECT

Note: The coding for LANGTAB is the same as shown in the example for LANG.