BeginnerPlatform20 min
3270 screens and panel basics
Before ISPF, SDSF, IOF or CICS make sense, the screen itself has to. How a 3270 panel is laid out, which keys actually talk to the mainframe, and how to read the messages it gives you.
What you will be able to do
- Point to the title, message area, command line, body and key line on any mainframe panel
- Explain why nothing happens until you press Enter or a PF key, and unlock a frozen keyboard
- Read a short message, get the long message and help, and tell which product a message ID came from
Lessons
- Anatomy of a mainframe screenA mainframe screen is a fixed grid, usually 24 lines of 80 characters, divided into fields. Some fields are for you to type in and the rest are protected.
- The keys that talk to the hostA 3270 terminal does not send each keystroke. You fill in the screen locally, and only an attention key (Enter, a PF key, PA1, PA2 or Clear) sends it to the mainframe.
- Messages, help and panel IDsWhen something goes wrong on a panel you get a short message in the top-right corner. Press PF1 for the longer explanation, and PF1 again for help on the panel.
Track your progress and earn a certificate.
Free account, 18 quiz questions for this subject.