As previously mentioned, the source for the keylist is the KEYS table, but the
values are copied and used from the application's profile.
ISPF is using the first row for the profile variables, and then rows 2 and up
are one row per keylist. Each row is still just extension variables. Variable
KEYLISTN is the keylist name, and the rest are the keylist data.
So what you do is:
1. TBSKIP starting with row 2 until you find one where KEYLISTN is the desired
keylist. You should capture the extension variable names.
2. When you find what you want, change the KEYnDEF, KEYnLAB, KEYnATR value.
3. TBPUT profile SAVE(extvars)
To prove this is correct, here's code that displays all the keylist variables
for the VIEW keylist:
address ISPEXEC
"CONTROL ERRORS RETURN"
keylist = 'ISRSPEC'
table = 'ISRPROF'
keylistn = ''
"TBTOP &TABLE"
"TBSKIP &TABLE NUMBER(2) SAVENAME(EXTVARS)"
do while rc = 0
if keylistn = keylist then do
call display_keylist
leave
end
keylistn = ''
"TBSKIP &TABLE SAVENAME(EXTVARS)"
end
exit
display_keylist:
parse var extvars '(' extvars ')'
do i = 1 to words(extvars)
extvar = word(extvars, i)
say extvar '=' value(extvar)
end
return
-----Original Message-----
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> On Behalf Of
Charles Mills
Sent: Thursday, October 2, 2025 4:05 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Programmatic API to ISPF PF keys?
Okay, I had time to get back onto this. I have learned a little, but I have not
solved my problem. What is the problem? I would like to be able, in a REXX EXEC
executed from ISPF, to be able to read the setting of a given PF key, alter
that setting, invoke VIEW and have the setting be in effect, and then restore
the setting to its previous value -- either explicitly -- or implicitly by not
"saving" the change.
I have totally solved reading and writing the key tables.
TBOPEN ISRKEYS NOWRITE SHARE
KEYLISTN = "ISRSPEC"
"TBGET ISRKEYS"
Say "KEY4DEF =" KEY4DEF
KEY4DEF = "MYNEWKEY"
TBPUT ISRKEYS SAVE(KEY4DEF)
Does pretty much what it would seem like it should do. I can go into 3.16 and
see my change to ISRKEYS.
But it has zero effect on the working PF key definitions for VIEW.
I have learned with some success how to manipulate the profile. (I have also
succeeded in clobbering it a couple of times and putting myself back into "new
TSO userid" mode <g>.)
I learned you don't want to TBOPEN ISRPROF -- it's already open. I have not
figured out what row I want to read and update -- what key to specify for
TBGET. I can read rows by number specified in TBSKIP, but setting PF values at
least in rows 1 or 2 does not seem to affect VIEW. I don't want to hack at row
numbers -- I want to know the correct key. KEYLISTN = "ISRSPEC" is not the
answer -- the TBGET fails with an RC 8. It looks like it should be. If I set a
PF key in VIEW to some eyecatcher value I can see it browsing ISRPROF. (Regular
ISPF BROWSE -- 3.16 fails due to in-use.) The eyecatcher is preceded in the
data by KEYLISTN..ISRSPEC.KEY1DEF etc. but KEYLISTN = "ISRSPEC" does not seem
to make TBGET succeed.
Any thoughts?
Charles
On Sat, 27 Sep 2025 04:38:35 +0000, Schmitt, Michael <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I bet the keylists are stored in the profile table, but not as profile
>variables at all. Instead they’re additional rows in the table, one row per
>keylist. The keylist name may be a key. So when a panel is displayed, it reads
>the keylist row, and now it has the key values.
>
>I do think that the key variables are still extension variables in the row,
>though. Otherwise the variable names wouldn’t be repeated in the member.
>
>If that theory is correct, you could manipulate the values using standard ISPF
>table commands, even force the profile to save. You wouldn’t run into the
>extension variable limit because there’s not that many key variables in one
>keylist.
>
>I’d be careful though not to change the current row number (CRP) in the table.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions,
send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions,
send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
