Edit character mode

The Character screen provides an index of the segments in a database. This screen displays one segment occurrence per line in a three-line vertical HEX or Character mode. You can switch from one mode to another using the HEX ON/OFF command.

Character Screen - Character Mode

In Character mode, one segment occurrence per line is displayed in the Character screen as shown in the following figure.

Character Screen - Character Mode

You can enter this screen from the Data Base Location, Formatted, Unformatted, or Key Specification screen.

The first segment occurrence shown in the Character screen’s body is always the current segment occurrence in the database. The second through last lines contain those segments that hierarchically follow the current segment in the database. The UP MAX, DOWN, KEY, PARENT, and ROOT primary commands enable you to change your current segment position to another segment occurrence in the database. The LEFT and RIGHT primary commands enable you to scroll through the contents of the segments displayed in the screen body. The HIERARCHY command gives you a graphical display of the database and provides detailed information on the segments and logical relationships.

A high intensity BOTTOM OF DATA BASE line is displayed after the last segment occurrence in the database.

Level

Displays the hierarchical level number for each segment on the screen.

Segment

Displays the segment name for each item.

The remainder of the screen body shows up to 60 characters of each segment displayed on the screen. You can use left and right scrolling to view the contents of segments longer than 60 characters. Non-displayable characters are represented by a period (.).

To change the contents of any of the segments displayed in the screen body, type over the positions you want to change. All segments with changes are replaced in the database when you press Enter or a PF key.

If you’re using a static PSB and the PSB does not have the replace processing option, the segment is protected.

Each valid keyboard interaction you initiate when in Character mode causes File-AID for IMS to start its segment replace sequence. Each currently displayed segment is scanned starting with the first (current) segment at the top of the screen body and proceeding segment by segment to the last segment displayed. Segments that were updated are replaced in the database. Any error detected by File-AID for IMS causes the replace sequence to be terminated. Updated segments on the display prior to the segment in error are successfully replaced in the database. Updated segments on the display following the segment in error are not replaced in the database until the segment in error is corrected. Changes made to segments below the segment in error are still reflected on the display.

Following are some common errors that File-AID for IMS detects during its replace sequence:

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  • The key value for a segment was typed over. IMS does not allow the key of an existing segment to be changed.
  • Data was typed beyond the end of a fixed length segment.
  • Data was typed beyond the defined maximum length of a variable length segment.

In File-AID for IMS, nulls mode is set to ISPF’s default of NULLS ON STD. Because type overs within trailing blanks are replaced with null characters on the Character screen, positional data may need to be padded with spaces. For further information, refer to the NULLS - Control Null Spaces section in section 10 of the ISPF/PDF Edit and Edit Macros Manual.

You can increase the length of a variable length segment by typing characters beyond the segment’s current length. In this situation, File-AID for IMS automatically adjusts the segment length to the position of the last non-blank character on that segment line. You cannot decrease segment lengths by deleting existing characters. Also, you cannot type over the two-byte size field that describes the current length of a variable length segment. To decrease the length of a variable length segment, use the unformatted mode¹.

Character Screen - Hex Mode

In HEX mode, the screen body displays segments in three-line vertical hexadecimal format as shown in the following figure. Multiple sets of segments are separated by an intensified marker line.

The top line of the HEX display represents the character format of the current segment, the middle line represents the upper half-byte of each character in HEX, and the third line represents the lower half-byte of each character in HEX. To change segment contents, you can type over the character or HEX line. If you type over both the character and HEX lines for the same character, the character type over is ignored. All segments with changes are replaced in the data base when you press ENTER or a PF key.

Character Screen - Hex Mode

Edit Character Primary Commands

All the primary commands described in Common Edit Primary Commands can be used when editing in Character mode. References to the current segment position by the KEY, PARENT, and ROOT commands apply only to the first segment displayed in Character mode.

The following primary commands can also be used in Character mode. For more information, see Primary Commands.

UP Command Options Screen

A large number of database calls may be required to execute an UP command. When the number of database calls exceeds 1000, the UP Command Options Screen is displayed. This screen shows the number of database calls required to process the UP command.

UP Command Options Screen

The following commands can be used on this screen:

• ENTER will process the UP command.
• END will return you to the current database location.
• GOH will navigate you to the first location displayed in Character mode.
• UP MAX will display the first root segment in the database.
• MARK will set or access bookmarked locations.
• KEY will display the Key Specification screen.

You can also change the threshold of database calls that triggers the display of the UP Command Options screen. Use the Threshold for IMS GN calls required by UP command field to change the threshold. This change will remain in effect for the current Browse/Edit session.

Navigation Options Screen

The Navigation Options screen is displayed when it is not possible to establish database location to execute an UP command. This may occur when database partitions are not available or segments required to establish database location have been deleted.

Navigation Options Screen

The following commands can be used on the Navigation Options screen:

• END will return you to the current database location.
• If the first database location displayed in Character mode is still accessible, the GOH command can be used to return to this location.
• UP MAX will navigate you to the first root segment in the database.
• MARK will set or access bookmarked locations.
• KEY will display the Key Specification screen.

Edit Character Line Commands

Line commands in Character mode are entered in the two-position line command column next to the appropriate segment. Line commands enable you to insert, delete, repeat, and bookmark segments, change your current position in the database, and select segments for formatted or unformatted editing.

Following are the browse/edit mode line commands:

Following are the edit mode only line commands:

The following rules apply to the use of line commands:

• Only one of any of the I, R, RA, K, S, SU, or MK commands can be entered at one time.
• Any number of D line commands can be entered simultaneously, with or without one occurrence of one of the other line commands.
• D line commands are processed before any other line command.
• When a D line command is entered on a segment line, no other line command can be entered on any dependent segment.
• If all the segments currently displayed are deleted at the same time, the next hierarchical segment occurrence after the last segment deleted becomes the new current segment.
• Any line commands entered at the same as a CANCEL primary command are ignored. The CANCEL primary command is always executed before processing the remainder of the screen.
• If one of the K, S, or SU line commands is entered with any primary command other than CANCEL, the primary command is ignored.
• Other line command and primary command combinations are valid. Line commands are always processed before the primary command, except as noted for CANCEL.

A description of each line command is in Line Commands. Each line command is valid in browse and edit modes, except as noted.

Confirm Delete of Segments

The following figure is displayed when you enter the D line command or DELETE primary command in the Edit session, if the 0.1 parameter option Delete Confirmation (see also Delete Confirmation) is set to Y.

Confirm Delete of Segments Panel

Press Enter to confirm or press PF3 (END) to cancel the Delete request. If the 0.1 parameter option Delete Confirmation is set to N, the delete is executed without confirmation as soon as you press Enter.

Show Delete Confirmation

To turn off the display of the Confirm Delete of Segments Panel set it to N (Hide).

Use the 0.1 parameter option Delete Confirmation (see also Delete Confirmation) to activate the display of the Confirm Delete of Segments Panel again.