Getting HELP on Commands

Start of change HELP command files contain information about any function that is invoked by specifying a name, such as a command, a subcommand, a macro, a statement, or a routine. Menus help you access the right HELP files, and information layers provide different kinds of information from within a file. End of change

Start of change For more information about the information layers and sublayers that are in HELP command files, see Information Layers. For more information about menu files, see HELP Menus. End of change

Information Layers

HELP command files have layers of information so that you can get an appropriate level of information for your task. By using HELP command options, you can specify three layers of information: BRIEF, DETAIL, or RELATED

The HELP facility displays only one layering option at a time. If you specify more than one layering option on the HELP command, the HELP facility uses only the last layering option on the command line. You can toggle (switch) between the other layers available for that command. For more information on how to toggle between layers of HELP, see Toggling.

BRIEF is the default option. If you do not specify a layering option and if the brief information layer exists, the brief information layer of HELP is displayed. If the brief information layer is not available for a command, the detail layer is displayed. The following sections provide more information on the three layers of command HELP.

Note:

For information about the syntax, operands, and options of the HELP command, see HELP.

For information about how to create or modify the brief, detail, or related information sections of HELP files, see Tailoring the HELP Facility.

Brief HELP

The brief information layer might display a short description of the requested command, its basic syntax (command without options), an example, and, if applicable, a message telling you that either more or related information is available.

Note:

The HELP facility displays the brief information layer for HELP files that contain a section of brief information. However, z/VM® HELP files do not contain a section of brief information. If you customize the z/VM HELP files, you can add a brief information section. End of change

If you are in full-screen CMS and request HELP with the BRIEF option, your screen shows the HELP command that you entered and just below it, displays the brief information layer in a window that is displayed on your screen. If you are not in full-screen CMS, your entire screen displays the brief information layer. For more information about full-screen CMS, see Introducing Full-Screen CMS.

Detail HELP

The detail layer of z/VM HELP files contains a description of the command, the command format, an explanation of its parameters and options, usage notes, and error information. The detail layer provides information that is similar to the commands reference information that is in z/VM: CMS Commands and Utilities Reference.

Subsetting Options

The detail layer of information can contain several sublayers. The subsetting options of the HELP command specify which sublayers are displayed. The HELP facility can display several sublayers at a time. The following subsetting options are valid: DESCRIPT, FORMAT, PARMS, OPTIONS, NOTES, ERRORS, and ALL. ALL is the default option, and displays all sublayers that are available for the specified command. z/VM HELP files typically contain all sublayers.

Note: It is possible to change the default options. For more information, see DEFAULTS command.

For example, to display all sublayers of the DETAIL layer of the SENDFILE command in the CMS environment, enter the following HELP command:

help cms sendfile (detail

To display only the NOTES sublayer of the SENDFILE command, enter the following HELP command: End of change

help cms sendfile (notes

z/VM HELP files often contain usage notes in the sublayer that is specified by the NOTES option. End of change

The HELP facility displays usage notes that are similar to the following screen example.

Figure 1. Sample of DETAIL HELP for the SENDFILE Command

  CMS SENDFILE       Detail Help Information        line  1 of  281
Usage Notes
 
1.  Tailoring the SENDFILE Command Options
 
    You can use the DEFAULTS command to set up options and override
    command defaults for SENDFILE.  However, the options you specify
    in the command line when entering the SENDFILE command override
    those specified in the DEFAULTS command.  This allows you to
    customize the defaults of the SENDFILE command, yet override them
    when you desire.  For more information, see the DEFAULTS command.
     
2.  Using the SENDFILE Menu (Display Terminals Only)
 
    Enter the SENDFILE command without operands to display a menu, on
    which you "fill in the blanks" with the necessary information.  A
    sample SENDFILE menu is shown in the Examples, below.
 
 
 PF1= All      2= Top      3= Quit     4= Return     5= Clocate   6= ?
 PF7= Backward 8= Forward  9= PFkeys  10=           11= Related  12= Cursor
 
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Related HELP

The related layer of HELP provides links to similar HELP command files.

Start of change For example, when you request the related layer for the SET or QUERY commands, the screen lists and briefly describes all the SET or QUERY operands that are available for the system component. You can directly access HELP information for any of the displayed operands from the related section. End of change

As another example, imagine that you want to remove a file from your z/VM reader. You try the ERASE command, but get an error message. You display the related information layer for the CMS ERASE command:

help cms erase (related

The related layer provides links to related commands that you can investigate. You discover that the appropriate command is DISCARD.

The following screen is an example of information that is similar to what you see when you display related information for the ERASE command.

Figure 2. Sample of RELATED HELP for the ERASE Command

  CMS ERASE            Related Help Information        line  1 of  20
  Related Information
 
 For RELATED information on removing files or parts of files from
 your virtual machine, place the cursor under the topic of your choice
 and press ENTER or the PF1 key.
 
 
 DELETE    - Removes one or more lines from
             a file while using XEDIT.
 
 DISCARD   - Removes files from "list-type" 
             CMS command environments, such 
             as FILELIST.

 PURGE     - Removes spool files from your
             reader, printer or punch.
 
 
 
 PF1= Help     2= Top      3= Quit     4= Return     5= Clocate   6= ?
 PF7= Backward 8= Forward  9= PFkeys  10=           11=          12= Cursor
 
====> _
                                                            Macro-read 1 File

Getting HELP on SET and QUERY

The HELP Facility provides a special feature that lets you quickly access HELP on specific SET or QUERY options in CP, CMS, or XEDIT. If you know the component name (CP, CMS, or XEDIT) and the name of the option, you can immediately display the HELP information.

Reserved file types in the HELP Facility let you access specific HELP files. To access HELP information for any CMS SET option, enter enter HELP, followed by the component name, CMSSET, and the option name. For example, to get HELP on the CMS command SET RDYMSG, enter the following command:

help cmsset rdymsg

This command displays the HELP file for the CMS SET RDYMSG command.

To request HELP for a CMS QUERY option, enter HELP, followed by the component name, CMSQUERY, and the option name.

The same is true for CP SET and QUERY options. To get HELP on a CP SET option, enter HELP, followed by CPSET, and the option name. For HELP on a CP QUERY option, enter HELP, CPQUERY, and the option name.

To request HELP for XEDIT SET and QUERY options, you can enter HELP, followed by SET or QUERY, and the name of the option. For example, to get HELP on the XEDIT command SET TRANSLATE, enter the following command:

help set translate

Even though there is also a CMS command SET TRANSLATE, the HELP facility displays HELP information on the XEDIT SET TRANSLATE command. Enter the following command:

help cmsset translate

to request information on the CMS SET TRANSLATE command. End of change

To display a HELP panel that directs you to the menus for the QUERY and SET options in CP, CMS, and XEDIT, enter the following command:

help queryset tasks

For more information on HELP for SET and QUERY options, see z/VM: CMS Commands and Utilities Reference.

HELP Menus

Start of change The HELP facility provides menus for navigation among HELP files. To display information about a component, command, subcommand, macro, statement, or routine you can select choices from component menus. If you want information to accomplish a task, you can select choices from task menus. End of change

You can select an entry from the menu by positioning the cursor in front of or under any part of the entry and then pressing Enter or the PF1 key. After the HELP file is displayed, you can return to the menu by pressing PF3.

To position the cursor at the entry you want, you can do any one of the following:

Use the key marked --->|, which functions as a tab key, causing the cursor to move to the first character of the next entry.
Use another cursor-movement key.
Enter on the command line the desired entry or a string that appears in the task description and press PF5.

When the cursor is positioned at the desired entry, press Enter or the PF1 key to display the HELP file for that entry.

There are two types of HELP menus:

HELP task menus.
HELP component menus.

HELP Task Menus

Start of change Task menus are organized around user tasks. The task menus are organized in a branching structure of general to specific tasks. End of change

TASK menus might be helpful for new users because task menus guide you to the appropriate information to complete a task.

Start of change A task menu file name is often the name of a HELP component. A task menu file type is always HELPTASK. End of change

To display a menu of high-level tasks, enter the following command:

help task

Figure 3 displays an example menu of high-level tasks.

Figure 3. Sample HELP TASK Menu

  HELP TASK                Task Help Information              line  1 of  40
 (c) Copyright IBM Corporation 1990, 2020
 
 z/VM Help, main panel
 
 This panel lists other Help panels that provide information about
 various z/VM functions, topics, and tasks.
 To view a Help panel, move the cursor to any character of the name
 and press the ENTER key or the PF1 key.
 
 
 HELP      - z/VM HELP Facility topics
 MENUS     - z/VM Help menus
 TASKS     - Basic z/VM tasks 
 AVS       - AVS commands
 CMS       - CMS commands
 CP        - CP commands
 DIRECTORY - Directory statements
 DIRMAINT  - DirMaint commands
 PF1= Help     2= Top      3= Quit     4= Return     5= Clocate   6= ?
 PF7= Backward 8= Forward  9= PFkeys  10=           11=          12= Cursor
 
====>
                                                            Macro-read 1 File

HELP Component Menus

Start of change Component menus are organized around HELP components, which are organized around product components, commands, subcommands, macros, statements, and routines. The component menus are organized in a branching structure of general to specific menus. End of change

A component menu file name is very often the name of a HELP component.

Note: If a HELP component name is more than eight characters, then the file name of the menu file for the component is the first eight characters of the HELP component name.

Start of change A component menu file type is always HELPMENU. End of change

Start of change For a list of z/VM HELP components, see z/VM HELP Components. End of change

A component menu indicates the file type of the menu choices:

An asterisk (*) indicates that the menu choice is a HELPMENU file.
A colon (:) indicates that the menu choice is a HELPTASK file.
If a menu choice doesn’t have an asterisk or a colon, then the menu choice is an information HELP file (a command file or message file).

Start of change All command files in a given component menu are in the same HELP component. End of change

Figure 4 displays the CMS component MENU.

Figure 4. Sample Component MENU for CMS

  CMS MENU                 Menu Help Information              line  1 of  43
 (c) Copyright IBM Corporation 1990, 2003
 
 Help for CMS commands
 
 To view a Help panel, move the cursor to any character of the name
 and press the ENTER key or the PF1 key.
 An asterisk (*) preceding the name indicates a MENU panel.
 A colon (:) preceding the name indicates a TASK panel.
 
 
 *BORDER   CMSBATCH  DROPBUF   GLobal    NAMES     RO        SVCTrace
 *CMSQUERY CMSSERV   DSERV     GLOBALV   NETDATA   RSERV     SYNMSGS
 *CMSSET   COMpare   Edit      GRAnt     NETLCNVT  RT        SYNonym
 *CMSUTIL  CONV2WD   ERASE     HB        NOTE      RTNDrop   SYSWATCH
 *EDIT     CONWAIT   ESERV     Help      NUCXDROP  RTNLoad   TAPE
 *FILESERV COPYfile  ESTATE    HELPCONV  NUCXLOAD  RTNMap    TAPEMAC
 *OPENVM   CP        ESTATEW   HI        NUCXMAP   RTNState  TAPPDS
 *OSHELL   CREate    ETRACE    HO        OPNMSGS   RUN       TE
 PF1= Help     2= Top      3= Quit     4= Return     5= Clocate   6= ?
 PF7= Backward 8= Forward  9= PFkeys  10=           11=          12= Cursor
 
====>
                                                            Macro-read 1 File

To display the component menu of CMS HELP information on your VM system, enter the following command:

help cms menu

To display a high-level component menu, enter the following command: End of change

help menu