Working in the ISPF shell

Figure 1 is the main panel, which you see when you invoke the ISPF shell. At the top of the panel is the action bar, with the following choices:

File
Directory
Special file
Tools
File systems
Options
Setup
Help

When you select one of these choices, a pulldown panel displays a list of actions.

Figure 1. ISPF shell: The main panel

   File  Directory  Special_file  Tools  File_systems  Options  Setup  Help
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      UNIX System Services ISPF Shell
 
 Enter a pathname and do one of these:
 
     - Press Enter.
     - Select an action bar choice.
     - Specify an action code or command on the command line.
 
 Return to this panel to work with a different pathname.
                                                                 More:    +
    /________________________________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________
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 EUID=nnnn
 
 
 
 
 
Command ===> ____________________________________________________________
 F1=Help      F3=Exit      F5=Retrieve  F6=Keyshelp  F7=Backward  F8=Forward
F10=Actions  F11=Command  F12=Cancel

In the center of the panel, you see four lines. Here you can type the path name of a file (a directory is a type of file) that you want to work with. It can be the name of an existing file or a new file that you are creating.

In the lower part of the panel, you see a command line. Here you can type an action code, a one-character code that specifies an action that you want to perform on the path name you are working with. For example, D is the action code for "delete" (To familiarize yourself with the action codes, press <F1> on the main panel. On the help panel that is displayed, position your cursor under the highlighted words action code and press <F1>.)

Work in the ISPF shell is a two-step sequence:

Select an object—the path name of a new or existing file.
Select an action for that object.

For more about ISPF

The discussion in this topic is an introduction to ISPF. For detailed information, see z/OS ISPF User's Guide Vol I.