5250 Keypad Customization Help

5250 Keypad Customization Help

Table of Contents

General Information

For information on using this help viewing program, see the first topic in the main emulator help (select the "Help" menu bar choice in the emulator window).

This help information describes how to create and change keypads. A keypad has keypad buttons. Each keypad button has a key sequence or playback file associated with the button.

There is no system, group, or user default keypad capability.

Note: Only one keypad customization program can be active at a time.

Window Layout

The keypad customization window has a keyboard action selection area (left), a keypad button working area (right), action bar area (bottom), and message area (bottom). A separate window shows the keypad that you are currently working on.

The Keyboard Action Selection Area contains the following:

1) The "Available Actions List" is the available keyboard actions. An action selected from this list becomes the current action.

2) The "Character List" lists all available characters. A highlighted character (or characters) becomes the current action. To highlight a character or characters, click on the character, move the mouse pointer over the character, and release the mouse button. Note: Certain characters are not supported in all possible 5250 languages; these characters will be converted to blanks when sent to a host application.

3) The "Button Action ->" button associates the current action with the keypad button in the keypad button working area.

Note: Only one action may be the current action.

The Keypad Button Working Area contains the following:

1) The "Current Keypad" displays the keypad that you are working on. If this is a new keypad and you have not saved the keypad yet, current keypad will be blank.

2) The "Current Keypad Button Text" is the text that appears on the keypad button. Click in the button text area to add or change the button text using the keyboard. The button text area is limited to 32 characters. Note: You must have a keypad button selected (click on a keypad button in the separate keypad customizer window).

3) The "Current Keypad Button Action" is the keyboard action(s) or playback file associated with the keypad button. To assign a keyboard action to a keypad button, click the desired keyboard action and click "Button Action->". To assign a playback file to the keypad button, click "Select Playback File Action", select a playback file, and click "OK". You can click in the current keypad button action area to change the button action using the keyboard (for example, add to a simple keyboard macro or add another action). The button action area is limited to about 100 characters. See the Multiple Actions topic for information on using multiple keyboard actions for a keypad button.

4) The "Clear Keypad Button" clears the selected keypad button.

5) The "Select Playback File Action" lists your playback files to associate a playback file with the keypad button.

6) The "OK" button accepts changes made to the current keypad button.

7) The "Cancel" button cancels changes made to the current keypad button.

Action Bar buttons provide the following functions:

1) "Save" allows to save your keypad changes in a keypad file. You name your keypad files.

2) "Delete Keypad File" allows you to delete keypad files that you previously created.

3) "Change Keypad Style" allows you to change the number of rows and columns in a pop-up keypad, change the number of text characters in keypad button text, and change between a pop-up and pull down keypads.

4) "Exit" exits from the Keypad Customization Program.

5) "Help" displays this help text.

Message Area: Displays information and error messages.

A separate keypad customizer window shows your current keypad. Click on a keypad button to change the keypad button text or keypad button action(s). If you are working on a pop-up keypad, the window shows how your pop-up keypad window will be displayed. If you are working on a pull down keypad, the window shows your keypad buttons. Pull down keypad buttons are available through the main emulator menu bar.

Getting Started

Below are steps for creating and using a pop-up keypad (define one keypad button with a keyboard action):

1) Start the keypad customization program from an emulator session (probably already done).

2) Create a new keypad (may already be done).

3) Click on a keypad button in the separate keypad customizer window (typically starting with the upper left button).

4) Click a keyboard action from the available action list.

5) Click Button Action->.

6) Click in the current keypad button text area and type your keypad button text (will appear on the keypad button).

7) Click OK to accept the keypad button change.

8) Save your keypad, giving the keypad a keypad file name.

9) Start the pop-up keypad using the main emulator (Keypad...) and try the new keypad.

You can change and re-save the keypad file (for example, add additional keypad buttons or change keypad buttons).

Note: The Simple Keyboard Macros topic lists the steps to create a keypad button with a simple keyboard macro (a keystroke sequence).

Keypad Style

You can easily change the number of rows and columns in a pop-up keypad, change the number of text characters in keypad button text (all keypad buttons are the same size), and change between a pop-up and pull down keypads. Click "Change Keypad Style" to change any of the above.

Pop-up Or Pull Down

You can easily change an existing keypad to be a pop-up keypad or pull down keypad by clicking on "Change Keypad Style". Pop-up keypad is the default.

A pop-up keypad is a separate window with keypad buttons that you define. When you click a keypad button, the associated action (keyboard actions or playback file) is processed in the 5250 session that started the pop-up keypad window. You decide when a pop-up keypad window is displayed and not displayed. Multiple pop-up keypad windows can be used for a 5250 session.

A pull down keypad is accessed using the main emulator menu bar. If you have a pull down keypad, a Keypad menu bar choice is added to your menu bar. When you click a pull down keypad button, the associated action is processed in the 5250 session.

If you use multiple 5250 sessions with the same keypad, a pull down keypad may be preferred. Pop-up keypads would require a separate pop-up keypad window for each 5250 session.

Pop-up keypads are better if you have many keypad buttons in a keypad (10 to 20 keypad buttons, depending on your Network Station monitor resolution) or have different keypads for different 5250 sessions.

If you have multiple pull down keypads, you must first select the keypad before selecting a pull down keypad button.

You can have both pop-up keypads and pull down keypads. If you have multiple keypads, you could consider defining a keypad that is used by multiple sessions as a pull down keypad and the remaining keypads as pop-up keypads.

A pop-up keypad can be started when your 5250 session starts. Your System Administrator can use the IBM Network Station Manager program to specify a pop-up keypad to start. In Startup Programs or Startup Menus (depending on how your 5250 session starts), type -KEYPAD, one space, and your keypad file name in Other parameters. -KEYPAD is case sensitive.

Simple Keyboard Macros

Keyboard macros allow you to easily key a sequence of characters into your 5250 session. You can create a keypad button with a simple keyboard macro as follows:

1) Start the keypad customization program from an emulator session (probably already done) and select the keypad file that will have your keyboard macro (probably already done).

2) Click the keypad button in the separate keypad window for your keyboard macro.

3) Click the String() keyboard action from the available action list.

4) Click Button Action->.

5) Click between the parentheses of String() in the current keypad button action area.

6) Type a double quote, your keyboard macro characters, and a double quote; for example, String("your macro characters").

7) Click in the current keypad button text area and type your keypad button text (will appear on the keypad button).

8) Click OK to accept the keypad button change.

9) Save your keypad.

10) Test your keypad keyboard macro using the main emulator (either pop-up keypad or pull down keypad).

You can change and re-save your keypad if you wish to change the keypad.

Note: A long or complex keyboard macro should be created using the Record feature. A playback file can be associated with a keypad button. See the Record and Playback topics in the main emulator Help text.

Editing Button Text and Action

Keypad button text and the keypad button action can be changed using the keyboard. Click in the desired area and change using the keyboard. Click OK to accept changes. See the Multiple Actions topic for information on defining multiple keyboard actions for a keypad button.

Changed actions must be spelled correctly and are case sensitive.

Multiple Actions

The current keypad button action area is limited to about 100 characters. You can specify multiple keyboard actions for a keypad button. If your keyboard actions would exceed 100 characters, record the key sequence into a playback file and specify the playback file as the keypad button action (see the main emulator help text topics Record and Playback for more information on playback files).

To specify multiple keyboard actions on a keypad button, you can click in the current keypad button action area and type the desired series of actions, separated by a single space. Changed actions must be spelled correctly and are case sensitive. You can also insert a keyboard action into the keypad button action area using the mouse: click at the desired location in the keypad button action area, select the desired keyboard action to add, and click the Button Action-> button.

Moving Keypad Buttons

You can move pop-up keypad buttons. Click the right mouse button on the keypad button to move, move the mouse pointer to the new keypad button location, and click the left mouse button. If the new location was already defined as a keypad button, the two keypad buttons are switched.