NOCHECK keyword

Normally, nested options are allowed only when each component of the option (up to, but not including the last component) specifies a lower-level menu. For example, given these ZSEL keywords on a selection panel definition:

&ZSEL = TRANS (TRUNC(&ZCMD,‘.’)
             1, ‘PANEL(DEF)’
               .
               .
             8, ‘PGM(ABC)’
             9, ‘PGM(XYZ)’

A user can enter 1.x as a selection. This selection would be accepted by ISPF. However, if the developer wants to allow a user to enter a nested option that selects a dialog function, in this case 8.x or 9.x, the developer specifies the NOCHECK keyword as in this example:

&ZSEL = TRANS (TRUNC(&ZCMD,‘.’)
             1, ‘PANEL(DEF)’
               .
               .
             8, ‘PGM(ABC) NOCHECK’
             9, ‘PGM(XYZ) NOCHECK’

The NOCHECK keyword specifies that normal checking for validity is suspended. It is the responsibility of the dialog function to interpret the meaning of the lower-level options. To allow this, the remaining options, those to the right of the first period, are usually passed to the dialog function through any appropriate variable that has been set equal to the .TRAIL panel control variable in the menu definition.

Example:

&ZSEL = TRANS (TRUNC (&ZCMD, ‘.’)
             1, ‘PANEL(DEF)’
             8, ‘PGM(ABC) NOCHECK’
             9, ‘PGM(XYZ) NOCHECK’
&NEXTOPT = .TRAIL

In this example, variable NEXTOPT contains the remainder of the TRUNC operation. If the user enters 8.5.2, program ABC is invoked and NEXTOPT is set to 5.2. If the user enters 9.7, program XYZ is invoked and NEXTOPT is set to 7. Since variable NEXTOPT is unknown to the SELECT service, it is automatically stored in the shared variable pool, where it can be accessed by the dialog function.

When the NOCHECK keyword is specified, a return code of 20 from the dialog function indicates that the remaining options are invalid. If return code 20 is passed back from the function, ISPF displays an invalid option.