IBM MAINFRAME HELP & SUPPORT FORUMS

avik · Joined: 13 May 2008 Posts: 17 Location: kolkata

Hi,
I have written a tool in REXX & working in z/OS.Now I want to change the background colour of my tool's Main Menu Screen.Also want some additional feature to improve the look & feel of my tool (like blinking character or any graphics).
Even if it is possible to code the graphics part in some other language & associating with my existing code then also its acceptable.Can you share any idea or code help? :roll:

ofer71 · Joined: 27 Dec 2005 Posts: 1962 Location: Israel

I believe this is the reason IBM gave us ISPF panels (at your case, may be a DTL panel would be a better choice)

O.

Pedro · Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 536 Location: work

I do not think you can change the background the way you are thinking of. In the whole ISPF sceens, you can only specify seven colors.

You can use the )ATTR section of the panel to set attributes of the characters on the screen. As part of the attribute definition, you can specify HILITE(REVERSE). For example, if you want to use yellow, it is either a yellow character on a black background or with REVERSE, it is a black character on a yellow background. You cannot have, for example, a green character on a turquoise background.

ISPF supports graphics created by GDDM, but I do not think it can be done from rexx. Read about the GRINIT service in the ISPF Services Guide.

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But I have learned that users dislike having to learn the nuances of how particular products work. Instead of trying to stand out, you should be trying your best to fit in. Your panels should be in-distinguishable from ISPF panels. The user can and will change the colors to their own preferences using ISPF option 0 -> action bar COLORS

enrico-sorichetti · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 3168 Location: italy

Quote: ...Also want some additional feature to improve the look & feel of my tool (like blinking character or any graphics). ...

why do You think that, for example, a blinking character should be considered an improvement ??

the wisest thing to do is to stick to the ISPF style of doing things
even pop up menus sometimes are a nuisance :)

looks like You are considering Your work more like a toy than a tool,
everything has to be mantained, documented, explained to the end user, and .....

dick scherrer · Joined: 23 Nov 2006 Posts: 8733 Location: 221 B Baker St

Hello,

Many terminal emulators provide for changing colors.

The one on this pc supports changing the background color and the cursor color in addition to all of the "normal" foreground base and extended attributes.