Macro to press PF8 key 300 times

yogi.47eie · New User Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 13

Hi all,
we have one CICS online screen where its having more than 300 pages in which i need to go to the last page only always..
But its always painful to press F8 keys 300 times,is there any macro we can record and run to go to the last page directly,,,

Thanks in advance
Yogi R

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:49 pm Post subject:

sounds like a well designed screen.

most times this kind of silliness is avoided by good design - a drill-down functionality or a least a 'last page function'.

as far as the macro is concerned, that is an emulator question and your thread is in the incorrect forum.

plus, is there a constant number of pages, or just always a bunch? What will happen if there is only 299 pages and you transmit 300 PF8's. will it display the last page properly, or display an idiot message that says no more pages without displaying the last page? Those are questions you need to solve as you write the macro for the emulator. If you are using a dumb 3270 terminal, you will have to modifiy the cics pgm.

Earl Haigh · Active User Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 219

I would suggest you first try changing the CICS program to
simply have a last page or "end of file" option.

If you have other situations where you need navigation/orchestration
of 3270 screens, then you should consider 3rd party vendor software.

yogi.47eie · New User Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 13

Hi all,
Thanks a lot for the resposne...
is there any alternative way to go to the last page...
if you want to log in main frame session(its repetitive task) for which we record a macro & run it when ever you want to log in .... similar way can we record a macro & run... i hvae tried to recording & running but it ended with error code saying procedure is too long....

If any one is familier with these kind of macros,Plz help me????

Cheers
Yogi

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:56 pm Post subject:

and your emulator is ?????

By the way, if you are recording a logon and have your password automatically provided by the macro, that means you have a security violation. While few if any can get at your password in racf, to look at a macro is very easy, for anyone.

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:00 pm Post subject:

I do hope your macro does not contain 300 send PF8 instructions.

suggest you create a loop. I imagine you should be scraping the screen looking for last page sentinals, etc...

as suggested before, the screen design sucks.

Earl Haigh · Active User Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 219

yogi.47eie,

If you are a CICS programmer, why are you trying to fool around
with 3270 screen emulator recorder/playback ?

Change the CICS application program, or acquire some vendor
software that can perform screen navigation.

Try::
http://cicswiki.org/cicswiki1/index.php?title=Category:Process_Automation

yogi.47eie · New User Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 13

Hi all,
Thanks again for the response..
reg login macro - eventhough we have recorded log in macro it will ask the password as per the RACF(here the recorded macro will ask the password and goes to session 1 say session 1,then goes task page which will have the task to be done today etc...)
eventhough i am CICS programmer & since we are in support we dont have much more time to look in to these kind of enhancements.. anyway i will have a follow up & try to incorporat the chnages to the screen itself....

Regards
Yogi