Primary commands

Following is a description of the File-AID for IMS primary commands, including the command syntax and a brief explanation of the command function. Commands processed identically in ISPF/PDF and File-AID for IMS are noted with an asterisk (*).

Several commands described below have repetition factors as valid operands. This condition is symbolized by the character n. Except where noted, n must be a positive integer value between 1 and 2,147,483,647.

CANCEL

Removes the effect of segment type overs, which restores the original contents of the segments (Formatted, Unformatted and Character screens). For sequential and partitioned files, the CANCEL command ends the edit session without rewriting the records back to the file where they were read. As as result, all changes made since the last SAVE are not reflected in the file.

*CAPS

Controls whether alphabetic data entered should be automatically translated to upper case or left as-is.

CHILD

Retrieves the specified dependent segment occurrence under the current segment. If the SEGMENT-NAME operand is omitted, the current segment’s first hierarchically dependent segment type defined in the DBD is used. The n, FIRST, LAST, and MAX operands indicate which occurrence of the specified segment-name you want to retrieve. If the OCCURRENCE operand is omitted, a default of one is assumed.

DBD

Causes an immediate return to the DBD Member List screen.

DELETE (Edit Mode only)

Used in edit mode to delete the current segment and all its hierarchical dependents.

DOWN

Causes scrolling toward the end of a segment, database, segment layout, or member list by the specified scroll amount.

*END

Used to do the following:

• Terminate the current screen and return control to the previous, higher level screen.
• Terminate the current screen and transfer control to the next screen in the conversation.
• Terminate File-AID for IMS if entered on the Primary Option Menu.

EXCLUDE (Edit Formatted only)

Unprotects or protects the left side of Edit Formatted screen so that the X line command can be entered to exclude lines.

FORMAT

In the browse/edit modes, switches from Unformatted or Index mode to Formatted mode. In the Index mode, which displays several segments per screen, the first segment shown is selected for formatted display.

*HEX

Causes data to be displayed in either hexadecimal or character format. Hexadecimal format consists of a three-line display. The first line is the character format of the data and the next two lines represent the hexadecimal format of the data.

INDEX

Switches from Formatted or Unformatted mode to Index mode in the browse/edit function. The segment where you are positioned when the command is entered is the first segment displayed on the Index screen.

INSERT (Edit Mode only)

In edit mode, causes an occurrence of the specified segment to be inserted into a database. If the segment-name operand is omitted, you can insert only a new occurrence of the current segment type. The record type value operands indicate the record type to be inserted. They are valid with multiple record type segments only. Inserts in Formatted mode cause numeric fields to be initialized with zeros and character fields with blanks. Inserts in Unformatted mode cause segments to be initialized with blanks. INSERT causes the Key Specification screen to be displayed where you can then specify the fully concatenated key of the segment you want to insert.

INSERT (Segment/Layout only)

Used in the Segment/Layout XREF function to add the specified DBD and its segments to the XREF member being edited.

KEY

Used to change position in a database from the current segment to an occurrence of the specified segment. If the segment-name operand is omitted, you can reposition only to another occurrence of the current segment type. KEY causes the Key Specification screen to be displayed where you can then specify the fully concatenated key of the segment you want to retrieve.

*LEFT

Causes scrolling toward the left margin of the displayed segments. Left scrolling is allowed for the Browse/Edit Character screen only.

LOCATE (data-name)

Causes up or down scrolling to a specified segment layout data-name field. You can abbreviate the data-name. If the abbreviation applies to more than one segment layout line, scrolling is to the first one that applies, based on the current cursor position. You can also specify an occurrence number with the data-name or abbreviation for occurring fields. For example, LOCATE data-name (4). The data-name operand is valid only on the Browse/Edit Formatted and the Formatted Field Selection Criteria screens.

*LOCATE (line-number)

Causes up or down scrolling directly to the specified line number. If the line number entered exceeds the number of displayable lines, a line that designate the end of the scrollable lines is displayed.

*LOCATE (member-name)

Causes up or down scrolling to the specified member name on a Member List screen. If you enter a member name that is not found, the last existing entry in the member list which alphabetically precedes the entered member name is displayed at the top of the screen.

MENU

Causes an immediate return to the File-AID for IMS Primary Option Menu.

NEXT

Causes forward movement to the specified segment occurrence in a database. The NEXT command disregards parentage and hierarchical boundaries when retrieving a segment occurrence. If NEXT is entered without any operands, the next segment after the current segment is retrieved. If only the occurrence operand is entered, the nth segment occurrence that exists after the current segment is retrieved, regardless of segment type. If a segment-name is entered, only an occurrence of the specified segment can be retrieved.

PARENT

Retrieves a parent of the current segment. If the segment-name operand is omitted, the immediate hierarchical parent of the current segment is retrieved. If the segment-name operand is specified, the segment named must exist above the current segment in the current hierarchical path.

REFRESH

Retrieves the current version of the segment from the Formatted or Unformatted modes. Retrieves the current version of the first displayed segment that contains type overs from the Index mode.

REPEAT

Causes the current segment to be repeated with a new key. If you enter the ALL operand, all dependent segments of the current segment are also repeated. Dependent segments repeated under a new parent retain their existing keys. REPEAT causes the Key Specification screen to be displayed where you can then specify the fully concatenated key of the new segment.

*RESET

The RESET command is used to remove all segment exclusions on the Browse/Edit Exclude Segment Specification screen.

*RETURN

Causes an immediate return to the Primary Option Menu or to the specified option. A save is automatically issued if any changes were made since the file was last saved.

*RIGHT

Causes scrolling toward the right margin of the displayed segments. Right scrolling is allowed for the Browse/Edit Character screen only.

ROOT

Causes the root segment of the current segment to be retrieved. If the first operand is entered, the first root segment in a database is retrieved.

*SELECT

Entered from any member list display screen, this command is used to select a given member for processing. You can also select a member by entering an S line command next to the desired member.

TOG

In the browse/edit Formatted mode and on the Key Specification screen, switches to an alternate display to show an entire numerical field, if it is greater than 30 digits.

TWIN

Causes the specified occurrence of the same segment type as the current segment, under the current parent, to be retrieved. If the occurrence operand is omitted, the next occurrence of the current segment type is retrieved. The n operand causes the nth segment occurrence after the current segment occurrence to be retrieved.

UNFORMAT

In the browse/edit option, switches from Formatted or Index mode to Unformatted mode. In the Index mode, which displays several segments per screen, the first segment shown is selected for unformatted display.

*UP

Causes scrolling toward the top of a segment, database, segment layout, or member list by the specified scroll amount.