What Is Dialog Manager?, continued

ISPF dialogs can display data from many different sources, such as:

• Sequential files
• VSAM files
• DB2 tables
• Or even ISPF's own table files, such as:

To control the order in which panels are displayed and the way in which data is processed, stored, and retrieved, you write programs (technically, it's the programs that are the dialogs). The programs may be written in CLIST or REXX or a compiled language (COBOL, PL/I, C, FORTRAN, and so on) or even Assembler language.

ISPF dialogs, have these components and capabilities:

• Display and process panels (data entry / display, menus, table display)
• Create, save and access dialog variables
• Help and tutorial facilities
• ISPF tables
• Access to traditional MVS files, including members of PDS's
• File tailoring (build JCL or programs on the fly, based on user input)
• Function key use
• Access to all ISPF commands and facilities, including Edit, under program control
• Access to all TSO commands

Typically, one might use REXX or CLIST for development (because you can test all the components rapidly) and then if performance is needed one converts the REXX or CLIST program into a compiled language.

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This page last updated: 29 July, 2014
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