RE: Insert mode in x3270

"'\'Fish\' \(David B. Trout\)' [email protected] [H390-MVS]" <[email protected]> Thu, 7 Nov 2019 22:21:01 -0800
Newsgroups gmane.comp.emulators.hercules390.mvs
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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Someone whose name we don't know (because they didn't tell what it was) but=
 whose email address is [email protected] wrote:

> Hello, and apologies for asking the most newbie of questions,
> but I am a beginner at MVS.
>=20
> My question is how I can insert text in a field. By default,
> all typing is in "overwrite" mode, and I have on som every
> rare occasions been able to switch to "insert" mode by pressing,
> well, the INSERT key.
>=20
> However, in almost all cases, when I press the insert key,
> I get an "X" at the bottom of the x3270 terminal, and no
> keyboard input will work until I press "reset".
>=20
> What is going wrong here, and is there a way to fix it?
> Having to re-type an entire line of code just because I want
> to insert a character in the beginning of the line is a bit
> annoying.

Hi XXX! (whoever you are)

As others have explained, the problem is caused by the way 3270 devices beh=
ave with respect to "input fields".  An input field is only so many charact=
ers wide in size and once it is "full", no more characters can be inserted =
into it.

Also as others have already explained, blanks do count as characters, even =
those coming at the end of a line (i.e. trailing blanks).  That is likely w=
hat you are experiencing: a "full" input field on the 3270 screen.

Most(?) 3270 editors however, have the ability to format their screen with =
all TRAILING blanks of each input field being automatically converted to "N=
ULLS" instead (which consumes zero screen space).  Whether a particular edi=
tor supports this ability or not (and how to request it) varies from editor=
 to editor.  For z/VM's XEDIT editor for example, the option is "SET NULLS =
ON" or "SET NULLS OFF":

https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSB27U_6.4.0/com.ibm.zvm.v64=
0.dmsb5/summ.htm


For z/OS's TSO (ISPF) editor, it is the "NULLS" command, and can be set to =
either "ON STD" or "ON ALL" (e.g. "NULLS ON STD"):

https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSLTBW_2.1.0/com.ibm.zos.v2r=
1.f54em00/nulls.htm


I do not know whether whatever editor you are using on MVS supports such a =
command as z/OS's "NULLS" command or not, but I suspect it probably does gi=
ven that MVS is/was a precursor to z/OS.

Hope that helps!

--=20
"Fish" (David B. Trout)
Software Development Laboratories
http://www.softdevlabs.com
mail: [email protected]



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      <p>Someone whose name we don&#39;t know (because they didn&#39;t tell what it was) but whose email address is [email protected] wrote:<br>
<br>
&gt; Hello, and apologies for asking the most newbie of questions,<br>
&gt; but I am a beginner at MVS.<br>
&gt; <br>
&gt; My question is how I can insert text in a field. By default,<br>
&gt; all typing is in &quot;overwrite&quot; mode, and I have on som every<br>
&gt; rare occasions been able to switch to &quot;insert&quot; mode by pressing,<br>
&gt; well, the INSERT key.<br>
&gt; <br>
&gt; However, in almost all cases, when I press the insert key,<br>
&gt; I get an &quot;X&quot; at the bottom of the x3270 terminal, and no<br>
&gt; keyboard input will work until I press &quot;reset&quot;.<br>
&gt; <br>
&gt; What is going wrong here, and is there a way to fix it?<br>
&gt; Having to re-type an entire line of code just because I want<br>
&gt; to insert a character in the beginning of the line is a bit<br>
&gt; annoying.<br>
<br>
Hi XXX! (whoever you are)<br>
<br>
As others have explained, the problem is caused by the way 3270 devices behave with respect to &quot;input fields&quot;.  An input field is only so many characters wide in size and once it is &quot;full&quot;, no more characters can be inserted into it.<br>
<br>
Also as others have already explained, blanks do count as characters, even those coming at the end of a line (i.e. trailing blanks).  That is likely what you are experiencing: a &quot;full&quot; input field on the 3270 screen.<br>
<br>
Most(?) 3270 editors however, have the ability to format their screen with all TRAILING blanks of each input field being automatically converted to &quot;NULLS&quot; instead (which consumes zero screen space).  Whether a particular editor supports this ability or not (and how to request it) varies from editor to editor.  For z/VM&#39;s XEDIT editor for example, the option is &quot;SET NULLS ON&quot; or &quot;SET NULLS OFF&quot;:<br>
<br>
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSB27U_6.4.0/com.ibm.zvm.v640.dmsb5/summ.htm<br>
<br>
For z/OS&#39;s TSO (ISPF) editor, it is the &quot;NULLS&quot; command, and can be set to either &quot;ON STD&quot; or &quot;ON ALL&quot; (e.g. &quot;NULLS ON STD&quot;):<br>
<br>
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSLTBW_2.1.0/com.ibm.zos.v2r1.f54em00/nulls.htm<br>
<br>
I do not know whether whatever editor you are using on MVS supports such a command as z/OS&#39;s &quot;NULLS&quot; command or not, but I suspect it probably does given that MVS is/was a precursor to z/OS.<br>
<br>
Hope that helps!<br>
<br>
-- <br>
&quot;Fish&quot; (David B. Trout)<br>
Software Development Laboratories<br>
http://www.softdevlabs.com<br>
mail: [email protected]<br>
<br>
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