z/OSMF path selector

Use a path selector window to select one or more data objects: data sets, members, or UNIX files or directories. The data objects that you select are passed back to the parent window. The parent window determines whether you can select one or multiple data objects.

Note: A path selector window is not the Data Set and File Search window and does not provide the same features. A path selector window can only locate data objects and return the location to the parent window. For more information about the Data Set and File Search window, see z/OSMF data set and file search. A path selector window is an addition to some customized z/OSMF plug-ins.

A path selector window opens when you click the search icon for a data-object search input-box in the parent window.

Specify the object that you are looking for. You can specify a sequential data set, a member of a partitioned data set (PDS), or a z/OS UNIX path and file name. To search for a UNIX file, you must enter the path name, beginning with the forward slash (/). Otherwise, the tool attempts to find a matching data set name.

Searching

The path selector window provides the following controls to search for data objects that match a pattern:

Search input box
Enter a pattern that is a partial or complete name of a data set, member, or a UNIX file path. A history list and a type-ahead list assist your pattern entry task.
History list
When you click the empty search input box, a history list of previous patterns appears.

When you select a pattern from the history list, the pattern populates the search input box.

Type ahead list
When you type a pattern in the search input box, the history list becomes a type-ahead list. The type-ahead list displays data objects that match the pattern. Data objects whose names begin with the pattern are matched; the pattern does not have to completely match a data set qualifier, member, directory, or file name. The type-ahead list items are the result of a search for pattern*, where * is a wildcard for zero or more characters.

After you type one character, data set members and UNIX files are matched. After you type 2 characters, data sets are also matched.

When you select an object from the type-ahead list, the object populates the search input box.

The type-ahead list displays a maximum of 100 objects. If more than 100 objects match the pattern, a record at the end of the list indicates that some records are not displayed. To display all objects in the results area, click Display All.

The Display All button is at the end of the list. Click Display All and all objects that match the pattern, including any objects that are not displayed in the type-ahead list, are displayed in the results area.

Data sets
Data sets in the type-ahead list are fully qualified names.

Pattern matching is not case-sensitive for data sets and members.

The following example demonstrates type-ahead matching for data sets. The ZOSMF.ACS.ROUTINES data set is matched by the following patterns (and many other patterns):
  • zo
  • zosmf
  • zosmf.acs
  • zosmf.acs.rout
UNIX file paths
UNIX files in the type-ahead list contain the directory that matches the pattern and one level of child directories and files.

Pattern matching for UNIX file paths is case-sensitive.

The following examples demonstrate type-ahead matching for UNIX file paths.
  • The /dev/console/ and /dev/console/a patterns match the /dev/console/alpha path.
  • The /dev/ pattern does not match the /dev/console/alpha path because /dev/console/alpha is a second-level child of /dev/.
Go button
When you click Go or press Enter, z/OSMF searches for objects that match the pattern in the search input box. If matching objects exist, they are displayed in the results area.
Data sets
A pattern matches a data set if the pattern completely matches one or more of the data set's highest-level qualifiers.

Pattern matching is not case-sensitive for data sets and members.

The following examples demonstrate search results for data sets.
  • The zosmf pattern and the zosmf.acs pattern match the ZOSMF.ACS.ROUTINES data set .
  • The zos pattern does not match the ZOSMF.ACS.ROUTINES data set because zos does not completely match the data set highest-level qualifier.
  • The acs.routines pattern does not match the ZOSMF.ACS.ROUTINES data set because acs.routines does not match the data set highest-level qualifier.
  • The zosmf.a pattern does not match the ZOSMF.ACS.ROUTINES data set because a does not completely match the data set second-highest level qualifier.
UNIX file paths
A pattern matches a UNIX file path if the pattern completely matches one or more of the path's highest-level directories.

Pattern matching for UNIX file paths is case-sensitive.

The following examples demonstrate search results for UNIX file paths.
  • The /dev/console pattern matches the /dev/console/alpha path.
  • The /dev pattern matches the /dev/console path but not the /dev/console/alpha path because /dev/console/alpha is a second-level child of the /dev directory.
  • The /dev/console/a pattern does not match the /dev/console/alpha because /a does not completely match the /alpha directory.
Objects in the results area

When a search is complete, z/OSMF indicates the number of matching objects. The objects that match the search query are displayed in a table in the results area. The table shows the name and attributes for each object. Each table column can be sorted by hovering the mouse pointer over the column name and clicking the arrow icon.

Click objects in the results area to display the contents of those objects. Each successive click in the data area navigates to a lower-level data object.

Selection mode
The selection mode is determined by the parent window.
Single-selection mode
In single-selection mode, you can select only one data object.
Multi-selection mode
In multi-selection mode, you can select one or more data objects.
OK button

Click OK to return your selection to the parent window and close the path selector window.

Cancel button

Click Cancel to close the path selector window and return no data objects to the parent window.

Choose page view or scroll view

The search results can be presented in a page view, in which you click through one or more pages to see the results, or a scrollable window. By default, the results are presented in a page view. However, if you receive many matching results, you might prefer to view them in a scrollable window.

To toggle between the page view and the scroll view, click the page view icon (Advanced search icon).

In either view, you can narrow the search results further by specifying a filter.

Your selection of page view or scroll view is retained by z/OSMF for the next time you use the search function.

Breadcrumbs path navigation

In the search results for a UNIX file path, the absolute path is displayed as a breadcrumb trail (a series of hyperlinks). You can navigate to a higher-level directory in the file path by clicking that portion of the file path. For example, in the file path /var/zosmf/configuration, you can click the /zosmf portion of the file path to navigate to the /zosmf directory. Similarly, if you click a UNIX file name, the file contents are displayed in browse mode.