The function key functions

Table 1 describes all the functions available for function keys, and shows which of those functions are assigned by default to keys. Function keys 13 to 24 are set to the same values as function keys 1 to 12. You can change the default function key settings. For example, you might want a Control function key for typing escape sequences.

You can perform the same actions with either a function key or a subcommand; the term you see under the column Function/Subcommand can be entered as a subcommand also. See Running a subcommand for more information about subcommands.

In the first column, you see the default key assignment for a function. If a function is not assigned to a key by default, there is no entry in the first column. You can assign a function to a key by customizing your invocation of the OMVS command; see Function key settings (PFn) for more information.

Table 1. Function key settings available in the z/OS® shell
Default setting	Function or subcommand	Description
<F1> <F13>	HELP	Displays a help panel that explains the TSO/E OMVS command and the three modes you can work in: shell, subcommand, and TSO/E.
<F2> <F14>	SUBCMD	Processes an OMVS subcommand. A subcommand is a command that is passed to the OMVS command processor (instead of the shell). Most subcommands are used to control, or temporarily change, the OMVS interface. You can either enter a subcommand from the shell command line or switch to subcommand mode to do it. To run a subcommand from the shell command line, type the subcommand and press this function key. To leave the shell session and enter subcommand mode, press this function key when the shell command line is empty. You can type the OMVS subcommands at the command line in subcommand mode. To resume working in the shell, press the Return function key.
<F3> <F15>	HLPRETRN or RETURN	If you are viewing help information, pressing this key removes the help information from the screen. If you are in subcommand mode, pressing this key returns you to the shell session. (Refer to Switching to subcommand mode for a discussion of subcommand mode.)
<F4> <F16>	TOP	Scrolls displayed data back to a screen of the oldest available output, or, in help, back to the first panel.
<F5> <F17>	BOTTOM	Scrolls displayed data to a screen of the most recent output, or, in help, to the final panel.
<F6> <F18>	TSO	You have the choice of switching to TSO/E command mode to enter a TSO/E command or running the TSO/E command from the shell command line. To switch to TSO/E command mode, press <F6>. To resume working in the shell, press <PA1>. To run a TSO/E command from the shell command line, select one of these options: Type the command and press the TSO function key. Use the tso shell command to run the TSO/E command If you entered the OMVS command from ISPF, you cannot enter ISPF as a TSO/E command from the shell command line. You can, however, enter the ISHELL command. When the TSO/E command completes, typically `***` is displayed on the screen. Press <Enter> or <Clear> to return to the shell.
<F7> <F19>	BACKSCR	Scrolls the displayed output backward, a screen at a time. The scrolling ends when you reach the oldest available saved line in a stack of saved output lines.
<F8> <F20>	SCROLL	Scrolls the output display a full screen forward.
<F9> <F21>	NEXTSESS	Displays the next session whose session number is higher than that of the session currently displayed. However, if the highest-numbered session is displayed, the lowest-numbered session will be displayed.
<F10> <F22>	REFRESH	Updates the screen with new data from the shell session. Use this function key if the display of output (for example, output from a command you issued) is incomplete , but the session is now displaying `INPUT` status.
<F11> <F23>	FWDRETR	Used with <F12> to retrieve commands from the stack of saved input lines. If you press <F12> one too many times and go past the line you want, you can press <F11> to display the line that was previously retrieved by <F12>.
<F12> <F24>	RETRIEVE	Retrieves the most recently entered input line from a stack of saved input lines. This key starts retrieving with the most recent in the stack of saved lines and works down to the oldest available.
	ALARM	Toggles the setting for the 3270 alarm to sound when the shell writes a <BEL> character. Some applications use an alarm to alert the user to particular events. The default setting is to sound the alarm. You can select a key to switch it off and on.
	AUTOSCR	Toggles the setting for autoscrolling of input and output that is written to the screen. The default setting is to autoscroll; you can select a key to switch it off and on.
	CLOSE	Ends the shell session currently displayed. Close provides the same function as the Quit function key.
	CONTROL	Treats a character on the command line as part of an escape sequence, and does not append a <newline> character to the sequence. For example, if you type `d` on the command line and press the Control function key, the system processes the `d` as the EBCDIC equivalent of the ASCII control sequence <Ctrl-D>.
	ECHO	Toggles the automatic hiding and display of input. If pressed while an application has control over the display of input, the application no longer controls it. If pressed while the application does not control the display of input, the application is given control. See the description of the Hide function key.
	HALFSCR	Scrolls forward half of the currently displayed output.
	HIDE	Toggles the hiding and display of input. If you are using OMVS in ECHO mode, pressing this key overrides the visibility asked for by an application, for the next input only. In NOECHO mode, if the input area is not hidden, pressing this key hides the input area for the next input only. If the input area is already hidden, pressing this key makes the input area visible.
	NO	Deactivates a function key so that it performs no function.
	NOALARM	Performs the same function as Alarm.
	NOAUTO	Performs the same function as Auto.
	NOECHO	Performs the same function as Echo.
	NOHIDE	Performs the same function as Hide.
	NOPFSHOW	Toggles the display of function key settings. The default setting is to display the settings; you can select a key to switch the display off and on.
	PFSHOW	Performs the same function as NoPFShow.
	OPEN	Starts another shell session and automatically switches to it. The session is assigned the next unused session number.
	PREVSESS	Displays the next-lower-numbered session. However, if the lowest-numbered session is currently displayed, the highest-numbered session will be displayed.
	QUIT	Ends the current session, and displays the next-lower-numbered session. However, if the lowest-numbered session is currently displayed, the next-higher-numbered session is displayed. If only one session is active, Quit causes the OMVS command to quit. The workstation returns to TSO/E, and the shell stops processing.
	QUITALL	Ends all active shell sessions. QuitAll causes the OMVS command to quit. The workstation returns to TSO/E. Note: If the OMVS interface is running in SHAREAS mode (shared address space) and you quit all sessions (QuitAll or Quit if there is just one session), the shell process ends immediately.