IT23947: PCOM: 5250 SESSION REMAINS LOCKED AFTER STRPCCMD RUN FROM USER APPLICATION

IBM Personal Communications 12.0.4
IBM Personal Communications 13.0.1.1

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• We just did some testing on a 12.0.2 release and a prior
  release of PCOM.
  
  We can confirm that on the 12.0.2 release that the iSeries
  session remains locked until our PC application is closed.  We
  tried minimizing the application, that had no impact.
  
  On a prior release of PCOM the iSeries session regains control
  once you minimize the LetterManager, click within the PCOM
  session, or Alt Tab to the PCOM session, anything that makes
  the PCOM session the active window.
  
  We tried using the STRPCCMD using PAUSE(*YES) and PAUSE(*NO),
  it made no difference at either release.
  
  The PCOM release definitely is doing something different from
  one release to the other.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• Steps to reproduce:
  1. Start PCOMM 5250 session
  2. Connect to host
  3. Invoke GUI application using STRPCCMD command.
     Example:
       STRPCCMD PCCMD ('NOTEPAD C:\TEST.TXT') PAUSE(*YES)
       STRPCCMD PCCMD ('NOTEPAD C:\TEST.TXT')  PAUSE(*NO)
  4. PCOMM 5250 session remains locked until PC GUI application
  gets closed regardless of PAUSE option set to YES or NO.
  

Problem conclusion

• The STRPCCMD code has been modified to handle PAUSE parameter
  as follows:
  Pause (PAUSE)
  Specifies whether the computer should pause after running a
  command.
  The possible values are:
  *Yes - The computer will pause after running the command before
  returning to the emulator session. Default value is *Yes. OIA
  will be locked until the execution of the command is complete.
  1.  For applications running on a separate command window (like
  DOS commands, etc), once the command finishes execution, a
  message is displayed saying "Press any key to continue". The
  emulator session is enabled for input only at the user
  intervention.
  2.  For GUI applications (for example, notepad.exe), once the
  user closes the application, focus is returned back to the
  emulator session.
  3.  For non-graphical processes (those that do not have a
  window, such as background processes), a prompt will be
  displayed once the command execution is complete. The emulator
  session is enabled for input only at the user intervention.
  *No - The computer returns immediately to the Personal
  Communications menu after running the command. OIA will get
  locked until focus is returned back to Personal Communications.
  1.  For applications running on a separate command window (like
  DOS commands, etc), once the command finishes execution, the
  emulator session is enabled for input.
  2.  For GUI applications,
    (a) By default, focus is returned back to emulator session
        only after the GUI application is closed.
    (b) With the following INI key set (in the PCSWIN.INI file):
          [5250]
          STRPCCMD_ResumeInput=Y
          focus will return to the emulator session once (as soon
          as) the GUI application is launched.
  3.  For non-graphical applications or commands not running on a
  command window, once the command execution finishes, the
  emulator session is enabled for input.
  Changes scheduled for PCOM 12.0.4.0 and 13.0.2.0 Refresh Packs
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros

• PCSPCO
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  PCOMM COMBO-ENG

• Fixed component ID

  5639I7000

Applicable component levels

• RD00 PSY

     UP