System parameters

The System Parameters screen is displayed as shown in the following figure when you select Option 1, System Parameters, from the Parameters Selection Menu. Use the System Parameters screen to change the language mode, change the data format, indicate the type of PSB currently in effect for your File-AID for IMS/ISPF session, set the CAPS MODE, set the CODEPAGE, set the Delete Confirmation (Show or Hide), and set the checkpoint frequency for load.

You also set the Maximum segments to search for the FIND and CHANGE commands.

Use the Print Parameters section to change the maximum number of print lines per page and the spacing before detailed headers.

Changes here override the current environment defaults. When selecting another environment using Option E, you have the option to retain the current override setting or restore environment defaults (see Retain environment modifications).

Use the RESTORE command to remove override values and use environment defaults.

System Parameters Screen

Specify general options

Language mode

Specify the current language mode (COBOL or PL/I). If only one language is authorized at your installation, the same value (for example, C for COBOL) is always displayed and cannot be changed.

Data format

Specify how data is displayed. Any change to the data format parameter is saved from session to session and remains in effect until you change the data format parameter or use the DBCS, MIXED, or EBCDIC primary command.

If you are not using terminal type 3277KN or 3278KN from ISPF Option 0 (ISPF Settings - Terminal Characteristics), the Data format field always displays E for EBCDIC.

Dynamic or Static PSB

Specify whether you want to use a dynamic or static PSB. For the implications of using a dynamic or static PSB, see PSB Generation. You can enter the XPSB command on the BROWSE/EDIT/EXTRACT/LOAD - Data Base Specification screen to switch between static and dynamic PSB without returning to the System Parameters screen.

CAPS mode

Specify whether alphabetic data entered is automatically translated to uppercase (ON) or left as-is (OFF).

Codepage

Specify the code to represent the codepage translation required at your site. Valid entries are:

• 
  
  • 0697 - English (default)
  • 0905 - Canadian Bilingual
  • 0277 - Danish/Norwegian
  • 0297 - France
  • 0424 - Hebrew
  • 0500 - Swiss French/Swiss German
  • 0290 - Japanese Katakana
  • 0833 - Korea
  • 0838 - Thailand

Delete Confirmation

Specify whether a Delete Confirmation window (Confirm Delete of Segments Panel) should display (Y) whenever you enter the D (Delete) line command or DELETE primary command in an Edit session or not (N). N (Hide) will process the Delete commands without any confirmation. Y (Show) is the initial default.

Checkpoint frequency

Specify the number of database updates that are to occur during load (see also Database Load Function (Online Conversation).

HALDB Partition Selection

Specify whether the HALDB Partition Selection screen, shown in Edit - HALDB Partition Selection Screen or EXTRACT - HALDB Partition Selection Screen, should display (Y) when processing a HALDB in an Edit/Browse, or Extract session or not (N). Y (Show) is the initial default.

Find/Change Command

Maximum Segments to search

Enter the maximum number of segments to be searched for the FIND and CHANGE commands. If you do not want to set a limit on the number of segments to search, enter 0 in this field.

Print parameters

Maximum lines per page

Enter the maximum number of lines you want printed on a page. The maximum print lines per page can vary from 20 to 99.

Spacing before headers

Enter the number of blank lines you want before a detailed header is printed. This information is used when reports that contain repetitive information preceded by detailed heading lines (for example, the Audit Trail report) are printed. You can specify that from one to five blank lines are to appear or that each set of detailed heading lines is to be printed at the top of a new page.

Double-Byte Character Support

The data format specified on the System Parameters screen or through the DBCS, MIXED, or EBCDIC primary command affects the way your data is presented. File-AID for IMS/ISPF presents data in one of the following ways:

• Formatted using COBOL or PL/I record layouts
• Unformatted either in three-line HEX or Character format

The only time the Data Format parameter is anything other than EBCDIC is when your terminal type is set to 3277KN or 3278KN from ISPF Option 0 (ISPF SETTINGS - TERMINAL CHARACTERISTICS).

Formatted Data Presentation

The data format affects the way character fields are displayed: PIC X (nn) fields in COBOL or CHAR (nn) fields in PL/I. All other formats are not affected.

When the data format is EBCDIC, File-AID for IMS assumes that all character fields contain only Single-Byte Character Set data (EBCDIC).

When the data format is MIXED, File-AID for IMS assumes all character fields contain a mixture of EBCDIC and Double-Byte Character Set (DBCS) data. The DBCS characters are enclosed with shift-out (X’0E’) and shift-in (X’0F’) characters.

When the data format is DBCS, File-AID for IMS assumes all character fields contain Double-Byte Character Set data. This data does not include shift-out or shift-in characters and is an even number of bytes in length.

If the data format does not match the actual data displayed, the data is shown in HEX format or marked as invalid.

Unformatted Data Presentation

When data is presented without COBOL or PL/I record layouts (three-line HEX or character format) each character line displayed is considered a character field. The format of these character fields follows the preceding rules, with the following exceptions:

• If the data format does not match the actual data displayed, the data is displayed as EBCDIC.
• If the data format is MIXED and there is an uneven or invalid sequence of shift-out and shift-in characters, the whole record is considered invalid and is displayed as EBCDIC.