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Status Not under consideration
Workspace IBM i
Created by Guest
Created on May 28, 2018

Allow value selection on command prompting

When prompting on a command, it might show a number of well known values, or present a list from a choice program, however the value must always be typed in again.

It would be easier if the option was offered to select one of these values by positioning the cursor in front of it (ex. 1=Select) or on top of it.


Use Case:

We have commands with rather long selection values which requires us to re-type them each time instead of just selecting them from a list.


Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Mar 1, 2019

    I see a few different ways to help with the stated problem:

    1. To make it easier to enter *SRCDBG - if your programmers are in a 5250 session, either Access for IBM i or ACS, you can have hotspots turned on - one of these is to double-click on a text and it will be inserted where the cursor is - so in F4, just double-click on *STRDBG and it puts it in the text line and does an Enter - so it goes back to the parameters - this doesn't make it automatic, so the problem that people forget is not solved here.

    2. To make it automatic, you can do 1 of a couple things - 1) create your own version of CRTRPGPGM or some similar name and have its command-processing program put in the *SRCDBG option in the system CRTRPGPGM; 2) use the exit for modifying the parameters on a program - you can make the parameters whatever you want there - it the QIBM_QCA_CHG_COMMAND exit point, and how to set it up can be seen in this article - https://www.mcpressonline.com/programming-other/cl/the-cl-corner-overriding-commands-and-their-parameter-values

    Submitted by CAAC member

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jan 15, 2019

    I don't see why anything needs to be changed to the command structure and definition... if you currently prompt on a field in a command you already get the list of possible values, what needs to be done is to allow to TAB with the cursor in front of these values and press Enter to select one (instead of now typing it over).

    This should be a minor change with no impact at all.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Dec 13, 2018

    IBM does not intend to provide a solution to this request at this time, so it is being closed.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    May 29, 2018

    I highly doubt that this will ever be changed. It would require fundamental changes to the command structure and definition. If I was this customer I would just not use commands and use a prompt program written in something like RPG. This way you can use selection screens. Commands are good, but oftentimes their use is beyond what they were intended for.

    Jason