SET SCREEN

Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram SET SCReen n1HorizontalVerticalSizesn2Widthwn3Defineslnswnshnsvn4
Notes:
  • 1 If specifying Horizontal, n is a minimum of 5 lines. If specifying Vertical, n is a minimum of 20 columns.
  • 2 The minimum of sn is 5 lines.
  • 3 The minimum of wn is 20 columns.
  • 4 The maximum number of screens that can be created is 16, provided sln is not less than 5 and swn is not less than 20.

Purpose

Use the SCREEN option to divide the virtual screen into a specified number of logical screens so you can edit multiple files or multiple views of the same file. Each logical screen becomes, in effect, an independent terminal with its own file identification line, command line, and message line.

Operands

n
specifies the number of logical screens the virtual screen is to be divided into. If only n is specified, HORIZONTAL is assumed.
Horizontal
specifies the logical screens are arranged horizontally, that is, one on top of the other. The n must be specified so all horizontal screens are at least five lines long. This is the default.
Vertical
specifies the logical screens are arranged vertically, that is, next to each other, from left to right. The n must be specified so all vertical screens are at least 20 columns wide.
Size sn
specifies the screens are created horizontally, where sn is the number of lines in each logical screen. Any number of screens can be created, provided each is at least five lines long (that is, sn cannot be less than five).
Width wn
specifies the screens are created vertically, where wn is the number of columns in each screen. Any number of screens can be created, provided each is at least 20 columns wide (that is, wn cannot be less than 20).
Define sln swn shn svn
indicates each screen is created according to the layout specified, where:
  • sln is the number of lines in the logical screen.
  • swn is the number of columns in the logical screen.
  • shn is the line number of the upper left corner of the logical screen on the virtual screen.
  • svn is the column number of the upper left corner of the logical screen on the virtual screen.

The maximum number of screens that can be created is 16, provided sln is not less than 5 and swn is not less than 20.

Initial Setting

SCREEN SIZE sn, where sn is the number of rows in the virtual screen.

Usage Notes

  1. When you are editing multiple files, the files are arranged in a ring in virtual storage (see XEDIT for more information on the ring of files). If a SET SCREEN subcommand increases the number of logical screens, the additional screens are immediately filled with files selected from the ring of files.

    The file that immediately follows (in the ring) the last file that is displayed on the screen fills up the first empty logical screen, and so forth.

    Any files already displayed before the SET SCREEN subcommand was executed remain on the screen and keep their relative positions on the virtual screen.

    However, if the number of logical screens is decreased due to a SET SCREEN subcommand, files are still displayed. This begins with the file in the ring that issued the SET SCREEN subcommand when logical screens are available. Those files for which logical screens are no longer available are removed from the display.

  2. When you define vertical screens (using SET SCREEN WIDTH or SET SCREEN DEFINE), the entire width of the virtual screen must be accounted for, that is, the logical screens must occupy the full virtual screen width.

    When defining vertical screens, remember to consider the width of the logical screens compared with the line length of the file(s) being edited. If the file line length exceeds the logical screen width, lines are displayed up to that width, that is, they do not wrap, and changing the SET VERIFY setting does not cause them to wrap.

    On vertical screens, messages are broken up into as many lines as needed to display the entire message. Changing the width of the logical screen while messages are pending may cause unpredictable results in the way the messages are displayed. If the number of message lines needed exceeds the number of lines specified in the SET MSGLINE subcommand, messages are passed to CMS to be displayed. When full-screen CMS is OFF, press CLEAR to redisplay the file. When full-screen CMS is ON, the message appears in the CMSOUT window. To see all 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 virtual screen. Alternately, you can clear the screen with the CMS WINDOW DROP command. If you have deleted the CMSOUT window, you do not see messages passed to CMS.

  3. The SET SCREEN subcommand retains the CURLINE, SCALE, TABLINE, CMDLINE, MSGLINE, and RESERVED locations on the screens, if these settings fall within the new screen size. Otherwise, the default settings are used.

    When CMDLINE ON is in effect and vertical screens are defined, the command line is displayed on the bottom line of the screen because lines cannot extend on multiple screen lines (see Usage Note 2). The status area is not displayed. The editor remembers this change and returns the CMDLINE to ON if the screen definition is subsequently changed to a nonvertical screen(s).

  4. Entering input mode on one screen (issuing the INPUT subcommand without any operands) causes subcommands entered on other logical screens either to be ignored if the screen contains a view of the same file or to remain on the command line and not execute until input mode is exited if the screen contains a view of a different file.
  5. For information on processing, see z/VM: XEDIT User's Guide, Chapter 6.
  6. If more than one logical screen is defined before issuing a DISCONNECT from XEDIT, the screen setting is redefined to one screen when the session is reconnected on a different sized terminal. This would be the equivalent of issuing a SET SCREEN 1 after reconnecting.
  7. If the window being used is changed through the XEDIT window option while there are multiple logical screens, the editing session continues with only one logical screen (with the same number of rows and columns as the virtual screen).

Examples

This section shows examples of the SET SCREEN subcommand. For more information, see z/VM: XEDIT User's Guide.

Example 1: In this example, the screen is split horizontally into two logical screens.

set screen 2

Example 2: In this example, the screen is split vertically into two logical screens.

set screen 2 V

Example 3: In this example, the screen is split horizontally into two logical screens, the first of which is 14 lines long and the second of which is 10 lines long.

set screen size 14 10

Example 4: In this example, three logical vertical screens are created with the column widths of 25, 25, and 30, respectively.

set screen width 25 25 30

Example 5: In this example, entering

set scr def 16 40 1 1 16 40 1 41 8 80 17 1

results in the following screen layout on a 24 x 80 virtual screen. 
     (1,1)                  (1,41)
       *************************************************
       *                       *                       *
       *                       *                       *
       *                       *                       *
       *        16 x 40        *        16 x 40        *
       *                       *                       *
       *                       *                       *
       *                       *                       *
 (17,1)*************************************************
       *                                               *
       *                                               *
       *                    8 x 80                     *
       *                                               *
       *                                               *
       *************************************************

Responses

In horizontal screens, the status area of each logical screen contains the number of files being edited.

The screens are displayed as specified.

Messages and Return Codes

520E
Invalid operand: operand [RC=5]
526E
Option option valid in display mode only [RC=3]
534E
Too many logical screens defined [RC=4]
536E
Logical screens exceed virtual screen size [RC=1]
537E
Each logical screen must contain at least 5 lines and 20 columns [RC=4]
543E
Invalid number: number [RC=5]
545E
Missing operand(s) [RC=5]
566E
Logical screen (sln,swn,shn,svn) is outside the virtual screen [RC=5]
567E
Logical screens (sln,swn,shn,svn) and (slm,swm,shm,svm) overlap each other [RC=5]
697E
The logical screens must cover the full virtual screen width [RC=5]

where return codes are:

0
Normal
1
The total number of lines or columns for the multiple logical screens exceeds the virtual screen size
3
Operand is only valid for display terminal
4
Each logical screen must contain at least 5 lines and 20 columns, or too many logical screens defined
5
Invalid or missing operand(s) or number
6
Subcommand rejected in the profile due to LOAD error, or QUIT subcommand has been issued in a macro called from the last file in the ring