SimpList™ is a productivity tool that vastly improves the traditional
ISPF™ mainframe interface. Instead of constantly moving between many different
panels and vendor products, tasks are completed in one location using simple
point-and-shoot selection. Remembering and re-keying object names is a thing of
the past, and selecting objects and executing commands is as easy as clicking a
mouse.
As a mainframe application, the look and feel of SimpList is immediately
understood by ISPF users. At the same time, the point-and-shoot workstation
concepts used by SimpList are instantly recognized by PC users. For example:
SimpList combines the power of the mainframe with easy-to-use
PC/workstation concepts to create an environment where productivity is
unsurpassed. By allowing each user to focus on what they need to do
rather than how they need to do it, projects are completed far more
quickly, using much less effort, and at greatly reduced cost. The massive
reduction in keystrokes, navigation time, and system interaction time makes
SimpList a must-have product for every mainframe site.
The feature-rich and highly intuitive SimpList interface offers power
and functionality beyond anything found in other productivity tools. For
example:
Ease of use.
Some productivity tools have no user interface, and
require learning cryptic commands to invoke customized versions of regular ISPF
panels. They also require prior knowledge and understanding of ISPF menu
structures (e.g. 3.3 = Copy). In contrast, SimpList has an extremely intuitive
point-and-shoot interface that requires no cryptic commands to be learned and
no previous knowledge of ISPF menus. All SimpList panels have field-level-help and
context sensitive tutorials, making them extremely easy to learn and use with
no formal training required.
No interference with regular ISPF.
Some productivity tools require customizing a large
number of ISPF panels, which means reapplying the customization each time a new
release of ISPF is installed. Other tools replace regular ISPF panels and
commands with their own completely different versions, causing user confusion
and making fall-back to regular ISPF options difficult or impossible. In contrast,
SimpList requires no customization to any existing ISPF panels, and does not
interfere with or change the use of regular ISPF in any way. Instead, SimpList
has its own unique set of stand-alone panels that users can transition to as
their time and schedules permit.
The most powerful point-and-shoot facility.
A major feature of some productivity tools is the
ability to point-and-shoot at values on a panel; e.g. to browse or edit data
sets by pointing the cursor at a data set name. For SimpList, point-and-shoot
selection is just one of many hundreds of features. Nevertheless, SimpList is
the only product on the market that can do all of the following:
1.
Supports
point-and-shoot selection of data set names shown anywhere on a panel,
including those in ISPF messages.
2.
Supports
point-and-shoot selection of newly entered names; i.e. names that don’t exist
in the ISPF screen buffer.
3.
Supports
point-and-shoot selection of members whose names appear in other members; e.g. programs
and copybooks called by other programs (etc). This works even if the calling
and called members exist in different libraries.
4.
Supports both
nested and newly started sessions. For example, entering ED and pointing
the cursor at an object name edits the object in a nested session (i.e. one
that runs on top of the current session), while EDS edits the object in
a newly started session (i.e. one that supports swapping between the original
and newly started session).
The most powerful labeling facility.
Some productivity tools allow objects to be given an
‘alias’. This allows objects to be opened using the alias name instead of the
object name. For example, ‘USER01.DEVELOP.CNTL’ could be given an alias called DEVCNTL
or JCL or just J (etc).
In SimpList terminology an alias is called a ‘label’,
while other tools might use ‘ID’ or ‘tag’ (etc). Regardless of terminology,
SimpList differentiates itself from other productivity tools in several major
ways:
1.
Some productivity
tools do not support alias names, while others support only a very limited
number of alias names. SimpList imposes no limit whatsoever on the number of
alias names that can be assigned.
2.
SimpList is the only
productivity tool that allows alias names to be assigned to any type of
object; e.g. data sets, BookManager bookshelves, DB2 tables, IMS databases,
PC/workstation files, UNIX files, VSAM files (etc).
3.
SimpList is the only
productivity tool that allows labeled objects to include any combination of
wild cards and/or symbolics.
4.
SimpList is the only
productivity tool that allows a list of labels to be browsed, edited, printed
or viewed from any command line, anywhere in ISPF. For example, a list of
labels can be opened in a standard ISPF edit session and labels can be added,
updated or deleted using regular ISPF edit commands.
Much more than just a data set organizer.
Some productivity tools only support data sets. In
contrast, SimpList supports many additional objects including
BookManager Bookshelves and Books, DB2 tables, DB2 commands, Generation Data
Groups, IMS databases, IMS commands, ISPF commands, PC/workstation files,
PC/workstation commands, TSO commands, UNIX files, VSAM files, Web sites, and
much more. During every step of a process (e.g. when working in an object list
or DSLIST or advanced member list or extended edit and view sessions, etc),
SimpList adds many functions and enhancements that are not available in
regular ISPF or in any other productivity tool.
Permanently stores more than 2,500 object names, patterns,
and commands.
Some productivity tools keep a brief history of
recently selected data sets. Once a data set rolls off the list, the name is no
longer available. In contrast, each SimpList user can permanently store more than
two and a half thousand object names. Each object (not just data sets) can
include system and user-defined symbols. Optional comments can be entered after
any object to serve as a reminder of the contents. Wild cards can be used in
every type of object to generate unlimited lists of additional objects.
Different types of objects can be categorized and grouped in different lists to
make them easily accessible; e.g. JCL data sets could be grouped in one list
and DB2 tables grouped in another list (etc). Any list can be opened from any
ISPF command line. If the location of an object is forgotten, FIND can be used
to search every list for any part of an object name or comment. Labels can be
used to select objects from any ISPF command line.
Allows ‘surfing the mainframe’™.
SimpList heavily exploits the use of point-and-shoot
fields and host emulation software to allow each user to 'surf' through all
SimpList panels using a mouse. For example, any object in any list can be
selected for any function without ever having to touch a keyboard. Scrolling,
executing commands, navigating tutorials (etc) can all be accomplished by
simply clicking a mouse.
Supports cross-platform development.
SimpList has extensive cross-platform support,
allowing mainframe files to be viewed, edited, printed (etc) on a
PC/workstation, and PC/workstation files to be viewed, edited, printed (etc) on
a mainframe. If a selected file has a proprietary PC/workstation format (such
as a Word document or PDF file etc), the selected file opens in the appropriate
application on the PC/workstation.
If a PC/workstation file has a wild card in the name,
a list of all files matching the pattern is displayed on the mainframe. From
the list, files can be selected for many different functions including transfer
to or from a mainframe and PC/workstation.
In addition to files, many other types of
PC/workstation objects are supported. This includes PC/workstation commands
that are executed in a command window (e.g. IPCONFIG), commands that are
executed at a Run prompt (e.g. WINVER), applications that run on a
PC/workstation (e.g. Notepad), web sites (e.g. HTTP and HTTPS), and much more.
Low cost.
SimpList is licensed by CPU serial number at a flat
annual cost. There are no limits on the number of concurrent users and no
additional charges for installing on or upgrading to bigger/faster mainframes.
Because of the extremely low and attractive pricing, return on investment
usually occurs with a single user.
The SimpList workbench is a fully-integrated environment where multiple
objects can be selected for multiple functions. For example, SimpList removes
the need to navigate between all of the following options:
In addition to the above, SimpList interfaces with tools and utilities
such as AMBLIST, BookManager, DB2, DSNTIAUL, HSM, IMS, SuperC,
the ISPF Workstation Agent, UNIX System Services Shell, and many different
third-party vendor products; e.g. products that handle DB2 tables, IMS
databases, VSAM files, and more. For example, if a DB2 table is selected for
edit, SimpList automatically launches whichever third-party vendor product is
used at the site for editing DB2 tables.
User Defined Functions further extend the capabilities of SimpList,
allowing it to seamlessly interface with site-specific objects and products
such as change management utilities and in-house tools and procedures (etc).
By eliminating the need to navigate between many different tools and
utilities, SimpList creates an enormously productive environment where tasks
are completed far more quickly using much less effort.
Asterisks and percent signs can be used as wild cards in almost any type
of object. When an object with one or more wild cards is selected, a list of
all matching objects is displayed. For example, if C:\MYDIR\*.TXT is selected,
a list of all matching files in the specified directory is displayed on the
mainframe. Files can be selected from the list for functions such as browse,
edit, print, transfer (etc).
If a data set has wild cards in the name, a DSLIST is automatically
displayed. Users can chose between a standard DSLIST (which is the same as a
list generated by ISPF option 3.4), or an enhanced DSLIST (which has additional
commands and functions available). A brief summary of some of the advantages
offered by an enhanced DSLIST include:
§ Increased functionality: All regular DSLIST commands and functions are available in an enhanced
DSLIST, and additional commands and functions are available. For example, if a
data set is selected using function I (Information), the attributes of
the data set are displayed on a panel where any attributes can
optionally be changed by simply entering new values; e.g. the block size,
record length, data set organization, primary/secondary allocation amount, SMS
attributes, expiry date (etc).
§ A default function
can be set or changed: In a regular DSLIST, a function must be entered
every time a data set is selected. In an enhanced DSLIST, a default function
can be set so that data sets can be selected by simply pointing the cursor or
clicking a mouse anywhere on a line. For example, the default function could be
set to ‘B’ (Browse) or ‘E’ (Edit) or ‘N’ (traNsfer), etc.
§ Display of commands and functions can be toggled on or
off: In an enhanced DSLIST, a display of commonly used
commands and functions can be toggled on or off. When the display is toggled
on, any command or function can be selected by simply pointing the cursor or
clicking a mouse. Help can be obtained for any command by pointing the cursor
at a command and pressing the HELP key.
§ Displays an Advanced Member List: When a partitioned data set is selected from an
enhanced DSLIST, an Advanced Member List (AML) is presented. The AML supports
all regular member list commands and has many additional commands and functions
available. When a member is selected from an AML for edit or view, extended
edit and view commands are available. In other words, additional power and
functionality is provided at every step of a process.
The following table compares a few of the major differences between
SimpList and ISPF option 3.4. For example, ISPF option 3.4 has a single object
entry field where a data set name or pattern can be entered. This means that
each time a new data set name or pattern is entered, the previous value is
lost. In contrast, SimpList has over two and half thousand object entry fields
where names and patterns can be permanently stored:
|
|
ISPF option 3.4 |
SimpList |
|
Number of fields
where objects with wild cards can be entered |
1 |
2,574 |
|
Multiple object
types supported (not just data sets) |
No |
Yes |
|
Symbolics
supported |
No |
Yes |
|
Default function
supported |
No |
Yes |
Symbolics can be used anywhere in any type of object. This is useful
when dealing with objects whose names may change based on different
circumstances, such as a logon ID or SYSPLEX name (etc). It can also be used
when it’s desirable to be prompted for parts of an object name that may vary,
such as a DB2 table creator or GDG number or member name (etc).
System symbolics are resolved automatically; e.g. if ‘PROD.D&ZYEAR&ZMONTH&ZDAY..REPORT’ is
selected for any function, the date symbols are substituted with today’s date.
If a command like TSO PROFILE PREFIX(&ZUSER) is executed, the
default TSO prefix is set to the value of the &ZUSER system symbol, and so on.
Symbolics can also be created using any name that’s desired by a user.
For example, if ‘USER01.COBOL(&MEM)’ is
selected, a pop-up panel prompts for the value of &MEM. Using this example,
the value of &MEM could be entered as a member name, member pattern, or
left blank for a list of all members. The pop-up panel has a field that
determines whether the value for the symbol is used once, or for the remainder
of the SimpList session, or forever more. If ‘forever more’ is selected, the
user defined symbol is stored in a table that can be updated from any command
line, anywhere in ISPF.
A label is a short, easy-to-remember alias that can be given to any type
of object, including commands and objects with wild cards and symbolics. The
syntax for a label is the same as the syntax for a member name, but is prefixed
with a leading period. For example, if ‘SOME.LONG.COBOL.LIBRARY.NAME’ is given
a label called .COB, the library could be browsed by entering BR .COB
on any command line. If a DB2 table called PROD.CUST_PURCHASE_ORDERS is given a
label called .PO, the table could be edited by entering ED .PO on
any command line, and so on.
If a label name is forgotten, the entire list of labels can be displayed
from any ISPF command line and any label can be selected from the list. New
labels can be added to the list, and existing labels can be updated or deleted
(etc). There is no limit to the number of objects that can be given a label.
The following introduces some additional features and concepts.
An ‘object’ is anything that can be stored in a list, such as a data set
name or VSAM file name (etc). SimpList has built-in support for many different
types of objects, including user-defined objects.
SimpList displays a single consistent type of member list called an AML
(Advanced Member List). The AML supports all regular member list commands, but
has many additional commands and functions available. The following is a brief
sample of some of the extended AML features:
Additional and enhanced commands are available in edit and view
sessions. This includes:
In addition to using PC/workstation concepts, SimpList interacts with many
different PC/workstation objects. This includes:
As well as invoking SimpList from a standard ISPF menu, an unlimited
number of SimpList sessions can be launched from any ISPF command line. For
example, SL can be entered to launch a nested SimpList session on top of
the current session, or SLS can be entered to launch a newly Started
session (i.e. similar to a new split screen session). This means the power and
functionality of SimpList is always available, no matter what option a user
might be in.
SimpList has a point-and-shoot interface that allows the cursor to be
pointed at data set or member names appearing anywhere on any ISPF panel. For
example, a data set whose name is displayed in an ISPF message could be opened
for view by simply entering VI on the command line and pointing the
cursor at the data set name. When the view session ends, control returns to the
original session. Alternatively, the data set could be viewed in a newly
started session by entering
Other available commands include BR (Browse nested), BRS
(Browse Started), ED (Edit nested), and EDS (Edit Started). All
of these commands can be followed by an object name, object pattern, or label.
For example, a DB2 table could be edited by simply entering ED followed by a
DB2 table name or label. The same commands can also be used to select members
whose names appear in other members. For example, if a program calls another
program, the called program can be edited by entering ED on the command
line and pointing the cursor at the called program name. If a program uses a
copybook, the copybook could be viewed in a newly started session by entering
In summary, every type of object, function, and vendor product supported
by SimpList is completely accessible from every command line, everywhere in
ISPF.
Some benefits are easy to
quantify while others are more difficult. Examples of benefits that occur from
installing SimpList that are difficult to quantify include things like enhanced
morale, the ability to retain employees and attract new ones by offering a
better working environment, and the ability to retain customers and attract new
ones by getting products to market faster. Each of these benefits alone can pay
for SimpList many times over. However, some of the more quantifiable benefits
are noted below:
Increased productivity:
With SimpList, far less time is spent moving between
options and typing in object names, and much more time is spent doing actual
productive work. Customer feedback shows that SimpList saves about 4 hours per
week per user, or roughly 5 weeks per year. If the cost of hiring an employee
is $1,000 a week, this means SimpList saves approximately $5,000 per year per
employee, or roughly half a million dollars a year for every 100 employees.
Reduced training costs:
Very few of today’s IT graduates have any mainframe training.
Whether training is performed by professionals or co-workers, the costs can be
substantial. With SimpList, the time required to teach employees how to use a
mainframe is dramatically reduced.
Fast set-up:
The built-in context-sensitive tutorials and
field-level-help allow each user to study SimpList by themselves, with no
formal training required. The object oriented, point-and-shoot concepts are so
intuitive that even new users are instantly productive. Users who are new to an
area can import object lists from other users, thereby instantly making them
aware of objects that are used within a project team. Comments can be entered
after any object name, allowing the contents and purpose of each object to be
readily understood. When certain types of objects are selected (e.g. DB2 tables
and VSAM files), a third-party vendor tool that supports that type of object is
automatically launched. This means users do not have to waste any time
navigating to third-party vendor products or learning where they’re kept.
Reduced hardware costs:
When a migrated data set is selected it is usually
recalled in foreground. This can tie up a terminal and add overhead to a
system. The user might decide to cancel the wait for the recall, but the
system still recalls it anyway. This means valuable disk space is often wasted
by recalling unwanted data sets. With SimpList, a pop-up panel warns whenever a
selected data set is migrated. The user can recall the data set in foreground
or background, or cancel the recall. This prevents terminals being tied up in
foreground, eliminates unnecessary recalls, and helps conserve disk space.
When PDS members are saved, an entirely new copy of
each member is written to disk. This happens even if no changes are made to a
member. For example, if a member contains 1000 lines and no changes are made
but the member is saved, the amount of storage increases to 2000 lines. If
another save is made, the amount of storage increases to 3000 lines, and so on.
The only way to free the wasted space is to compress the data set. Meanwhile,
when wasted space is multiplied by many users across many different data sets,
storage capacity can rapidly diminish. With SimpList, members are only saved if
actual changes are made. This reduces I/O, prevents data sets going into
unnecessary extents, reduces the need to compress, reduces the number of
needless space abends, and conserves storage space.
Each time an interrupt key is pressed (e.g. ENTER),
the mainframe is called to process the request. While the request is being
processed, the user has to wait. The wait time, when multiplied across many
users throughout a day, can be substantial. In addition, if enough interrupts
are sent, mainframe response can significantly degrade. Poor response increases
the hidden cost of human wait time, and eventually results in the need for
faster hardware. SimpList helps to reduce these expenses by requiring far fewer
system interrupts to perform any given task. For example, a user can simply
click a DB2 table and the table opens directly in the editor of a third-party
vendor product. This single interrupt takes the user directly where they need
to be, instead of the many interrupts that would normally be required to
navigate through a series of menus and panels. As another example, a user might
enter ED .J on a command line to edit an object associated with the ‘.J’ label.
Again, this single interrupt takes the user directly where they need to be.
This minimization of interrupts allows mainframe resources to be used for other
more important tasks.
Reduced printing costs:
SimpList has a print facility that allows an optional
line and/or column range to be entered. Instead of printing an entire file,
users can print just the actual range of lines or columns they’re interested
in.
Fast return on investment:
Unlike many tools that target a specific audience
(e.g. programmers) or a specific phase of a project (e.g. testing), SimpList is
used throughout the day by everyone who uses ISPF. This includes
analysts, developers, systems programmers, DBA’s, help desk, end-users, and so
on. This results in a very early and substantial return on investment. In
addition, because SimpList is licensed at a single flat cost regardless of
mainframe size or speed, the return on investment usually occurs with a single
user.
SimpList is compatible with OS/390™ 2.10 and above, including all
versions of z/OS™. No changes are required to SimpList when upgrading from one level
of an operating system to another. SimpList does not interfere with the
operation of regular ISPF in any way, and does not require customization to any
IBM supplied panels or utilities.
SimpList is easily installed in a matter of minutes, and requires no
special installation skills or privileges. The installation instructions
explain how to upload 5 XMI (Transmit) files to a mainframe, and RECEIVE them
into 5 partitioned data sets. Once the data sets are attached to their respective
DD names, SimpList is available. Nothing needs to be compiled or linked, no
programs need to be authorized, no customization is required to any ISPF
panels, and no installation settings need to be changed. SimpList does not
override any existing tools or options, and all regular ISPF panels remain
fully accessible at all times.
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MacKinney Systems |
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Don’t delay; it’s time to experience just how productive the mainframe
can be!
ISPF and other
trademarks of IBM acknowledged.
Windows and other trademarks of Microsoft Corporation acknowledged.