Programming keys in DCL

Programming keys in DCL It's not only in applications that (re)defining keys is practical. Given the large amount of time of a working day spent in DCL, defining keys in the "shell" can be a major productivity boost. If you never took the time to get familiar with this feature, here is a partial output from the $ HELP DEFINE /KEY command that teaches you how to do that:

$ HELP DEFINE /KEY Examples
1.$ DEFINE/KEY PF3 "SHOW TIME" /TERMINATE %DCL-I-DEFKEY, DEFAULT key PF3 has been defined $ <PF3> $ SHOW TIME 14-DEC-2001 14:43:59 In this example, the DEFINE/KEY command defines the PF3 key on the keypad to perform the SHOW TIME command. DEFAULT refers to the default state. 2.$ DEFINE/KEY PF1 "SHOW " /SET_STATE=GOLD/NOTERMINATE/ECHO %DCL-I-DEFKEY, DEFAULT key PF1 has been defined $ DEFINE/KEY PF1 " DEFAULT" /TERMINATE/IF_STATE=GOLD/ECHO %DCL-I-DEFKEY, GOLD key PF1 has been defined $ <PF1> $ <PF1> $ SHOW DEFAULT DISK1:[JOHN.TEST] In this example, the first DEFINE/KEY command defines the PF1 key to be the string SHOW. The state is set to GOLD for the subsequent key. The /NOTERMINATE qualifier instructs the system not to process the string when the key is pressed. The second DEFINE/KEY command defines the use of the PF1 key when the keypad is in the GOLD state. When the keypad is in the GOLD state, pressing PF1 causes the current read to be terminated. If you press the PF1 key twice, the system displays and processes the SHOW DEFAULT command. The word DEFAULT in the second line of the example indicates that the PF1 key has been defined in the default state. Note the space before the word DEFAULT in the second DEFINE/KEY command. If the space is omitted, the system fails to recognize DEFAULT as the keyword for the SHOW command. 3.$ SET KEY/STATE=ONE %DCL-I-SETKEY, keypad state has been set to ONE $ DEFINE/KEY PF1 "ONE" %DCL-I-DEFKEY, ONE key PF1 has been defined $ DEFINE/KEY/IF_STATE=ONE PF1 "ONE" %DCL-I-DEFKEY, ONE key PF1 has been defined This example shows two ways to define the PF1 key to be "ONE" for state ONE. The second DEFINE/KEY command shows the preferred method for defining keys. This method eliminates the possibility of error by specifying the state in the same command as the key definition.

$ HELP DEFINE /KEY Examples

 1.$ DEFINE/KEY PF3 "SHOW TIME" /TERMINATE
   %DCL-I-DEFKEY, DEFAULT key PF3 has been defined
   $ <PF3>
   $ SHOW TIME
     14-DEC-2001 14:43:59

   In this example, the DEFINE/KEY command defines the PF3 key on
   the keypad to perform the SHOW TIME command. DEFAULT refers to
   the default state.

 2.$ DEFINE/KEY PF1 "SHOW " /SET_STATE=GOLD/NOTERMINATE/ECHO
   %DCL-I-DEFKEY, DEFAULT key PF1 has been defined
   $ DEFINE/KEY PF1 " DEFAULT" /TERMINATE/IF_STATE=GOLD/ECHO
   %DCL-I-DEFKEY, GOLD key PF1 has been defined
   $ <PF1>
   $ <PF1>
   $ SHOW DEFAULT
   DISK1:[JOHN.TEST]
   
   In this example, the first DEFINE/KEY command defines the PF1
   key to be the string SHOW. The state is set to GOLD for the
   subsequent key. The /NOTERMINATE qualifier instructs the system
   not to process the string when the key is pressed. The second
   DEFINE/KEY command defines the use of the PF1 key when the
   keypad is in the GOLD state. When the keypad is in the GOLD
   state, pressing PF1 causes the current read to be terminated.

   If you press the PF1 key twice, the system displays and
   processes the SHOW DEFAULT command.

   The word DEFAULT in the second line of the example indicates
   that the PF1 key has been defined in the default state. Note
   the space before the word DEFAULT in the second DEFINE/KEY
   command. If the space is omitted, the system fails to recognize
   DEFAULT as the keyword for the SHOW command.

 3.$ SET KEY/STATE=ONE
   %DCL-I-SETKEY, keypad state has been set to ONE
   $ DEFINE/KEY PF1 "ONE"
   %DCL-I-DEFKEY, ONE key PF1 has been defined
   $ DEFINE/KEY/IF_STATE=ONE PF1 "ONE"
   %DCL-I-DEFKEY, ONE key PF1 has been defined

   This example shows two ways to define the PF1 key to be "ONE"
   for state ONE.
   The second DEFINE/KEY command shows the preferred method for
   defining keys. This method eliminates the possibility of
   error by specifying the state in the same command as the key
   definition.