On Tue, 23 Jan 2024 16:19:01 -0500, Bob Bridges <robhbrid...@gmail.com> wrote:
>I used to add my own commands to the ISPF command table. But somehow I got >out of the habit; I went to a new site, didn't get around to it, got used to >just putting "TSO" in front of commands, then forgot where to go to do it the >other way. Now I can find the command table again, but why? I'm used to the >"TSO" prefix, I do it without thinking about it. > >This, be it known, is an invitation to tell me "oh, but there are other >advantages to the commands table...", which I either never knew or have >forgotten. > I can think of two off hand (and why I use it from shop to shop / sysplex to sysplex) 1) Abbreviations for other ISPF commands in the command table or anything. For example, even though "DDLIST" is in there from IBM, I add it as an ALIAS of DD. You can also just copies IBM's entry and change the truncation to 2 chars (or how every many suits you). 2) A common / easy name to quickly invoke a product or some other menu option. For example, I have "shortcuts" like HCD, IPCS, SMPE, ISMF, WLM, ISHell, CA1, CA7, SDsd, TMS (which I could point to CA1 or some other tape management product), IPL (my IPLINFO exec) as some examples. So for #2, I could have many different clients / shops I am working at and no matter which one I always type "WLM" to get to WLM. If I'm at a new client / shop, I customize this stuff first once I find it in their own ISPF menus (which sometimes is a challenge!). Then I never have to find it again and simply type the "shortcut" like WLM from anywhere. I also use it with my "FVE" (fast view/edit) routine to view/edit a parmlib member, VTAMLST member, my CNTL library, SYS1.IPLPARM, production JCL libraries or anything desired (see my web site for details / samples). As I wrote, I either put these in USERCMDS if available (depends on local ISPF customization), or merge my commands to SITECMDS (again, if available) or merge into ISPCMDS and concatenate my table lib before IBM's. I use the dynamic add version like the sample on my web site for systems I rarely access that don't have USERCMDS available as an option. My sample dynamic commands: http://www.mzelden.com/mvsfiles/ispcmdsa.txt I've been working this way for over 30 years and when I get to a new system and try to work without it, I am not nearly as productive. But more than that, for someone like me that is working on many different sysplexes, clients, etc. all in a short time period of time or constantly switching between them, having a consistent way to get to all the ISPF interfaces / products keeps me from making mistakes. Regards, Mark -- Mark Zelden - Zelden Consulting Services - z/OS, OS/390 and MVS ITIL v3 Foundation Certified mailto:m...@mzelden.com Mark's MVS Utilities: http://www.mzelden.com/mvsutil.html Systems Programming expert at http://search390.techtarget.com/ateExperts/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
