Invoking user commands from MSL

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The % line command in MSL is used to invoke user-written commands. It invokes CLISTs, REXX execs, or other TSO commands accessible from ISPF. The name of the command is specified in the PROMPT column.

Figure 1. Entering the % line command in MSL

   File  Display  Library  SCLM  Settings  Menu  Utilities  Test  Help  Exit
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -DSC--EDIT L1------ INTT025.DSC.MSGS -----------------------ROW 00001 OF 00004
 COMMAND  ===>                                                SCROLL ===> CSR
 HOTBAR: REFRESH  FLIP     GLOBAL   INFO     COMPRESS EXPDIR   TAILOR   TOTALS
                                                    ON VOLUME USR004
    NAME    PROMPT   LIB VV.MM CREATED     CHANGED      SIZE  INIT   MOD USERID
 % NEWSTUFF MAILIT     1 01.01 18/01/26 18/01/26 13:52    23    21     2 SUPPORT
   RESTORE             1 01.01 18/01/26 18/01/26 13:52    13    14     0 SUPPORT
   SYSTEMS             1 01.01 18/01/26 18/01/26 13:52     6     8     0 SUPPORT
   TRAINS              1 01.01 18/01/26 18/01/26 13:52    19    16     3 SUPPORT
    --END--

The MAILIT command is used on the NEWSTUFF member. MAILIT must be available to ISPF for processing (SYSPROC, SYSEXEC, linklist TSO command, etc.). Data Set Commander invokes the command with the data set name and the member name as the first parameter. In this example, the command is invoked as follows:

ISPEXEC SELECT CMD(MAILIT 'SAMPLE.TEST.MSGS(NEWSTUFF)')

In addition, Data Set Commander stores in the shared pool several ISPF variables that can be used by the invoked application. See Adding your own commands to MSL for the list of available variables and their usage.