SET MSGLINE

Purpose

Use the MSGLINE option to define the location of the message line on the screen, and the maximum number of lines a message can occupy. It can also be used to determine whether a blank line is usually displayed for the message line.

Operands

ON

allows you to receive messages at the screen location defined.

OFF

turns off the message line. All XEDIT messages are passed to CMS. See Usage Note 1 for information on displaying messages passed to CMS.

M

stands for the middle of the screen (rounded up for odd-sized screens).

Mn

M+n

M–n

The M can be combined with a constant positive (+ is implicit) or negative integer to mean n lines below the middle of the screen (M+n) or n lines above the middle of the screen (M–n).

n

+n

–n

indicates the MSGLINE is located n lines from the top of the screen (+ is implied or specified) or from the bottom of the screen (–n). The default is +.

p

is the maximum number of lines that can be used to display messages. The number of lines to display messages does not exceed the number of lines in the actual messages. If the messages do not fit on p lines, the messages are passed to CMS. See Usage Note 1 for information on displaying messages passed to CMS.

Overlay

indicates you do not want a blank line on the screen for messages. If OVERLAY is specified, no message line is displayed unless a message is issued. When OVERLAY is specified, reserved lines (including the scale, tabline, and so forth) and file lines are displayed wherever the message line was defined until a message is issued. If OVERLAY is not specified, a blank message line is displayed wherever the message line was defined. If the message line is defined as the same line as the command line, the command line overlays the blank MSGLINE so a command line is available.

Initial Setting

MSGLINE ON 2 2

Usage Notes

1. If multiple messages that do not fit on the message line(s) need to be displayed, or MSGLINE is set OFF, messages are passed to CMS to be displayed.

   When full-screen CMS is ON, the CMSOUT window connected to the CMS virtual screen contains the output. (Output appears in the CMSOUT window by default; you can route the output to another window by using the CMS VSCREEN ROUTE command, explained in z/VM: CMS Commands and Utilities Reference.) To see all of the information in the virtual screen, you can use the CMS WINDOW FORWARD or WINDOW BACKWARD command. The screen is cleared automatically when you scroll to the bottom of the file. Alternately, you can clear the screen with the CMS WINDOW DROP command. If you delete the CMSOUT window, you do not see messages passed to CMS.

   When full-screen CMS is OFF, the screen is cleared to display the message(s). Press CLEAR to redisplay the file. No alarm sounds on either the CMS screen or the next XEDIT screen.

2. The command line and MSGLINE may be the same line. If the messages overlay the command line you can press CLEAR (or any key that does not produce a message) to restore the command line.
3. When full-screen CMS is ON and messages are passed to CMS, the messages are displayed with the XEDIT msgline color attributes — color, highlighting, programmed symbol set, and so forth.
4. If a message line occupies more than one screen line, 256 bytes (the maximum length), will be displayed without trailing blanks.
5. For more information on the effects of the SET MSGLINE subcommand on wrapped lines, see topic 7.

Messages and Return Codes

520E

Invalid operand: operand [RC=5]

521E

Invalid line number [RC=5]

526E

Option option valid in display mode only [RC=3]

545E

Missing operand(s) [RC=5]

where return codes are: