Modifying screen size in ISP...SCRSIZE?

valyk · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:10 am

I am looking to dynamically change my screen size for a panel. I need more functionality than just 80 x 24. I have tried the terminal command with SCRSIZE and LINESIZE, but they do not change to a wider screen. Any suggestions?

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:27 am

This is generally handled through the 3270 emulator you run on your PC, but the mainframe also has to be set up for the screen size you want to run. Your best bet is to contact your site support group about how to change the screen size in your emulator and get a matched screen size on the mainframe.

valyk · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:44 am

Well I can change my screen size in the emulator. That's not an issue. I need to be able to change the tso screen size. We have a product that does just what I need, but we do not have the source...

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 6:39 am

Google is your friend. A search on ibm 3270 screen size returns 164,000 hits -- the first of which talks about changing screen sizes:
www-03.ibm.com/support/techdocs/atsmastr.nsf/WebIndex/TD102151

valyk · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 6:52 am

I'm not trying to change the screen manually. I am trying to change it within rexx.

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:32 am

Sigh. The first reference in the Google search I cited has a title of "Creating dynamic 3270 screen size definitions for increased productivity". Perhaps if you read that you could find out some of the data that you must change before you can change the screen size within REXX. Probably not, since you seem quite convinced someone on this forum will give the answer you want, but perhaps....

Pedro · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:29 pm

Can you be more clear about what you see now? What size is your emulator configured to now and what are you seeing displayed? How wide of a screen do you see when you use SDSF?

I think you need some things:
1. configure emulator
2. set ISPF setttings to allow greater than 80 width
3. panels need to be written for greater than 80 width
4. application needs to be written to present greater than 80 data

For depth, just code a panel with a scrollable area.

valyk · Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 1:29 am

I am building a CICS BMS screen painter (not a fan of SDF2), and I want the option to be able to modify MOD2 and MOD5 maps. I have an assembler utility that displays terminal settings and when invoked, it will jump to 27x132. My goal is to have my screen painter (written in Rexx) to call an assembler program and change the screen size automatically if you are modifying a MOD5 screen.

I can manually switch my terminal screen format to MAX and the screen painter works perfectly, but I do not want the user to manually change their screen format when they need to modify a map.

I also do not want the user to have to page left, right, down, or up to modify a MOD5 map.

MBabu · Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 2:47 am

Assuming this app is under ISPF, just use a different screen in your DISPLAY call that is already sized to a mod5. see the EXPAND keyword in panels

valyk · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:19 am

That does not work. I recieve this error:
Invalid WIDTH value, (must be numeric chars, >= 80, <= screen width).

MBabu · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:59 am

it does work - its been done for years. When you say 'that does not work' you need to be more specific. What did you try? How did you determine the screen size and therefore which panel to display? What was the screen size you were displaying and what was the panel expecting it to be?

valyk · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:26 am

I opened a BMS map that is defined as MOD5 (SIZE=(132,27)). My panel that is envoked is defined like this:

Pedro · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:36 pm

valyk · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:54 pm

I know my logical screen is larger than my physical screen. That is what I am trying to programmatically change. I do not want to require the user change their ISPF screen settings manually just to use my editor. I am trying to figure out how I can change that on the fly.

Just to clear things up, changing the screen size in option 0 (Settings) is not a problem. That is not the issue here, it never was...

MBabu · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:49 pm

you can't change physical screen sizes. Emulators are emulating real hardware and the real 3270 terminals could not change screen sizes either (well, they have primary and alternate sizes like a Mod5, but you can't make a mod 2,3, or 4, display more than 80 columns. That is why I suggested that you query the screen size (zwidth?, I forget) and display a panel written for the right size or use expand to widen th area to the right size. But telling an 80 byte physical or emulated terminal that you want to display 132 characters will not work.

Pedro · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:32 pm

My earlier list, with updates:

I think you need some things:
1. configure emulator
2. logon with VTAM definitions for right terminal definition.
3. set ISPF setttings to allow greater than 80 width
4. panels need to be written for greater than 80 width
5. application needs to be written to present greater than 80 data

Can you verify that another application will display a wide screen? I suggested SDSF

Easy answer (untested):
1. exit ISPF
2. rename your ISPF profile member: ISRPROF, say to OLDPROF
3. restart ISPF - it will make a new ISRPROF member
4. make copy of new ISRPROF, say to 'TEMPPROF'
5. use option 0 to change your 'screen format' to MAX.
6. compare current ISRPROF to TEMPPROF and see which variable changed.
7. That is the variable you need to set from your program
8. restore your original ISRPROF member from OLDPROF

NOTE: you need to add logic to restore the users actual preference when your application is done. And I am pretty sure it will be active for split screen applications.

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:57 pm

according to the ispf documentation

valyk · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:54 pm

valyk · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:57 pm

valyk · Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:01 am

I tried looking at 7.3. thinking that I would see a variable with a value of 'S', since I currently have my ISPF Screen Format as STD, but this came up dry...

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:14 am

valyk · Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:20 am

Ok. I will go in that direction, but there is still one problem. My shop's default setting is STD. I still need to be able to switch them out of STD, then back when I am finished...

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:37 am

go to ISPF option 0 scroll down one page and use 1 as per my previous posts

whenever an option is customizable by each user it is not a standard any longer
the issue might be, on the other side to be able to logon, using a model5 logon mode table
unless vtam is setup to diiscover automatically the terminal model, and setup correctly the alternate screen size

valyk · Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:43 am

Sorry, when I say 'I need to be able to switch them out of STD' I mean do it programmatically, not manually.

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:54 am

why do You want to deprive people of the added facilities of using DATA
when editing browsing lrecl 80 <things> nothing will change

I would not worry about the issue for more than a couple of seconds
worry about the application, and switching back and forth between data and std will be a last minute secondary detail