LSAM Operations
There are two commands that can be used to enter the IBM i LSAM green screen workstation menu system: STRSMA and LSAMENU. The STRSMA may be used from any IBM i command line, regardless of the current library list, as long as the command is qualified by its library location, for example, SMAGPL/STRSMA (replace SMAGPL with a different name, if the default LSAM utility library is not the installation default name). STRSMA supports specification of an LSAM environment name in one of its parameters, and the command will set the job's library list appropriately.
In cases where the LSAM environment library list will already be set, it is typically more convenient to use the LSAMENU command. This alternate command bypasses the LSAM menu system splash display, saving time and keystrokes. It's also possible to specify an LSAM sub-menu number with the LSAMENU command, so this command might be useful in configuring links between another menu system and the LSAM menu system. The LSAMENU command can be useful in Operator Replay scripts. The LSAMENU command does support specification of an LSAM environment name in its ENV parameter, but the default value of the ENV parameter is *CURRENT - a value that can only be used if the job is already set to use the LSAM environment library list.
STRSMA Command
The command STRSMA logs a user into the IBM i LSAM menu system. It was designed for use with IBM i interactive workstation jobs. To enter the LSAM environment in a batch job use the SMASETLIBL command, described next in this topic. After exiting the LSAM menu system in an interactive job, the STRSMA command restores the interactive job's original library list as its last step before returning control to the IBM i command entry line.
The command STRSMA is stored in the LSAM utilities library, default name SMAGPL. Depending on the LSAM installation options selected, this command could instead be located in the QGPL library. The IBM i general purpose library QGPL was previously always used by the LSAM for utilities that enabled the support of multiple LSAM environments. However, since LSAM version 04.00.00, the default installation option is to keep all common LSAM utilities in the SMAGPL library. This means that access to the LSAM menu system from IBM i command entry would require either (1) qualifying the command with its library name (SMAGPL/STRSMA), or (2) adding the SMAGPL library to the default user library list of user profiles who are permitted access to the LSAM menu system or its utility commands.
The LSAM utility commands such as STRSMA that are critical for management of multiple LSAM environments have all been designed to automatically manage the library list of the job where they are executed. This means that when the STRSMA command is used, it will respond to the ENV parameter where the LSAM environment is named by first setting the job's library list. After the LSAM environment has been established, the STRSMA command will complete its other functions, primarily logging the user into the LSAM's green screen workstation menu system.
IBM i LSAM Interactive Menu
The STRSMA command supports the interactive specification of an IBM i LSAM environment. To begin the LSAM environment specification or selection process, from IBM i command entry, type the command SMAGPL/STRSMA and press <F4> (Prompt) to see the possible parameter values:
IBM i LSAM Interactive Menu
Start SMA for Environment (STRSMA)
Type choices, press Enter.
Environment name . . . . . . . . *DEFAULT *SELECT, *DEFAULT or name
LSAM splash display animation . *NO *YES, *NO
LSAM General Purpose Library . . *DEFAULT *DEFAULT or name
Bottom
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F12=Cancel F13=How to use this display
F24=More keys
STRSMA Command Parameters
| Parameter | Default | Description and Values |
|---|---|---|
| ENV (Environment name) | *DEFAULT | - *DEFAULT: Indicates that the command should use the default environment in the configuration control tables (refer to the discussion under the command SMALIBMGT). |
| - As distributed by SMA, the default environment flag has been assigned to the environment called SMADEFAULT. | ||
| - *SELECT: Indicates the system should present a list of available environment names for the user to select from. | ||
| - The details of the selection function are explained below, under command SMALIBINQ. | ||
| - The value of *SELECT has been set as the backup default value for the command processor subprograms, in case a user should specify an incorrect value for the environment parameter. | ||
| - <NAME>: If an environment name is already known, a user can sign on to the LSAM menus for that environment by directly typing (or programming) a command string that is made up of the command name and the environment name. | ||
| - Example: To log on to the original IBM i LSAM environment, type: STRSMA SMADEFAULT. | ||
| - Or, just type STRSMA as long as the SMA-distributed default environment remains set to SMADEFAULT. | ||
| ANIMATE (Show animated splash display) | *YES | - *YES: Adds an entertaining animation of character graphics. This animation is useful for demonstrations and for illustrating that the LSAM application is not just legacy code, but a state-of-the-art software suite that utilizes many creative IBM i techniques. |
| Note: The animation of character graphics adds two seconds to the process of signing in to an LSAM environment. | ||
| - It may be desirable to specify *NO for this parameter value when using the STRSMA command as part of an Operator Replay script. This would avoid the two-second delay and allow the script to execute more efficiently. An alternative command for use with an Operator Replay script would be the command LSAMENU. |
To specify the environment value when entering the LSAM menu system and to suppress the animation of the splash display, the syntax would be:
STRSMA ENV(<environment_name>) ANIMATE(*NO)
The command can also be used without the parameter keywords, but the environment must first be specified without its keyword in order to specify the ANIMATE parameter without its keyword:
STRSMA <environment_name> *NO
Using SMASETLIBL in Batch Jobs
The command STRSMA was intended for entering the LSAM menu system and environment from an IBM i interactive workstation job; it serves no useful purpose in a batch job. The method for entering the LSAM environment from a batch job is to use the SMASETLIBL command:
SMAGPL/SMASETLIBL ENV(SMADEFAULT) COMPMSG(*SILENT)
Prompted SMASETLIBL Command
Set Library List for SMA (SMASETLIBL)
Type choices, press Enter.
Environment name . . . . . . . . *SELECT *SELECT, *DEFAULT or name
Display completion message? . . *VERBOSE *SILENT, *VERBOSE
LSAM General Purpose Library . . *DEFAULT *DEFAULT or name
*SELECT may not be used in a batch job. The default operation of the STRSMA and SMASETLIBL commands substitutes a value of *SELECT for the environment parameter if a valid value is not supplied. If this happens in a batch job, it would cause the batch job to end abnormally when the subprograms attempt to display the environment selection screen.
The SMASETLIBL command simply replaces any job's library list with the library list specified in the LSAM control files (stored in library QGPL) for the named LSAM environment. When the SMASETLIBL command completes it leaves the job library list set to the LSAM environment. The COMPMSG parameter may be useful if it is desired to prevent logging of the command's normal completion message that would log the new library list in the form of the CHGLIBL command syntax.
STRSMA Splash Display
The STRSMA command by default, or when its parameter ANIMATE is specified as (*YES), causes an entertaining animation of character graphics to be displayed. This animation is useful for demonstrations and for illustrating that the LSAM application is not just legacy code, but a state-of-the-art software suite that utilizes many creative IBM i techniques. This delay in entering the LSAM menu system can be avoided by specifying ANIMATE(*NO), or by using the LSAMENU command as long as STRSMA is used for the first entry into the LSAM menu system.
With our without the initial animation, the STRSMA command always starts with a full screen splash display that identifies the LSAM environment and also the version of the LSAM environment that is being entered. The decision about whether to use the STRSMA or the LSAMENU command to enter the menu system may depend on whether it is important at the time for the user to know which LSAM environment is being entered. This decision is also considered in the discussion below about configuring users to log into the LSAM menu system automatically when they logon to IBM i.
An example of the STRSMA splash display follows.
LSAM Welcome Screen
SYSTEMNAME W E L C O M E T O T H E I B M i A G E N T MM/DD/YY
USERNAME Env: SMADEFAULT SMA Default HH:MM:SS
Press Enter to continue to the main menu.
OOO CCC
O O C C x 0 x
O O C x x
O O pppp C ooo n nn x
O O p p C o o n n x x
O O p p C o o n n xx xx
O O p p C C o o n n xx xx
OOO pppp CCC ooo n n xx xx
p x x
p
by SMA Solutions
Version: 18.1
Load source: LI181027U PTF181027 PTF LVL: 100
DB LVL: 002
F3=Exit F5=Animate F12=Cancel Enter=Menu
Copyright (C) SMA Technologies 1995, 2018. ARR.
LSAMENU Command
The LSAMENU command provides fast and direct entry into the LSAM menu system. It bypasses the LSAM software splash display. On systems with multiple LSAM environments where it would be desirable to know which LSAM is being entered the STRSMA command might be preferable. The LSAMENU command may be useful for providing a link from a different menu system into the LSAM menu system, especially because it supports an optional parameter to branch directly to one of the LSAM sub-menus. It is also useful for Operator Replay scripts, as long as the Environment name parameter is specified and not left to the default value of ENV(*CURRENT).
Using LSAMENU to enter the IBM i LSAM Interactive Menu
The LSAMENU command supports specification of an IBM i LSAM environment. To begin the LSAM environment specification or selection process, from IBM i command entry, type the command LSAMENU and press <F4> (Prompt) to see the possible parameter values that are supported by this command:
Prompted LSAMENU Command
Start LSAM Menu (opt number) (LSAMENU)
Type choices, press Enter.
Environment name . . . . . . . . *DEFAULT *CURRENT,*DEFAULT,*SELECT,name
Optional sub-menu number . . . . 0 Optional sub-menu number
LSAM General Purpose Library . . *DEFAULT *DEFAULT or name
System and User Configuration Requirements for the LSAM Menu
| Parameter | Default | Description and Values |
|---|---|---|
| ENV (Environment name) | *CURRENT | *CURRENT: This value can only be used if the interactive job's current library list includes all the libraries required to define an LSAM environment. If an LSAM environment is not discovered in the job's current library list, the LSAMENU command routes to the *SELECT logic. |
| *DEFAULT: Indicates that the command should use the default environment in the configuration control tables (refer to the discussion under the command SMALIBMGT). | ||
| As distributed by SMA, the default environment flag has been assigned to the environment called SMADEFAULT. | ||
| *SELECT: Indicates the system should present a list of available environment names for the user to select from. | ||
| The details of the selection function are explained under command SMALIBINQ. | ||
| The value of *SELECT has been set as the backup default value for the command processor subprogram, in case a user should specify an incorrect value for the environment parameter. | ||
| <NAME>: If an environment name is already known, a user can sign on to the LSAM menus for that environment by directly typing (or programming) a command string that is made up of the command name and the environment name. | ||
| MENUNBR (Optional LSAM sub-menu number) | 0 | - 0: Show the LSAM Main menu upon first entry into the LSAM menu system. This is the default value. |
| 1-6,8: Currently, the LSAM main menu supports sub-menus only as menu options 1-6 and 8. Function 7 is a direct call to the LSAM Parameters maintenance program and it is not allowed as a parameter of the LSAMENU command. |
To specify the environment value and to enter directly to the LSAM Operations submenu without using command keywords the syntax would be:
LSAMENU <environment_name> 6
System and User Configuration Requirements for the LSAM Menu
In some environments it might be helpful to configure certain user profiles so that the IBM i LSAM master menu would be the first display shown after the user signs on to the system. The command processor programs of either the STRSMA command or the LSAMENU command can be used for the INLMNU parameter of the CHGUSRPRF (or CRTUSRPRF) command.
The decision about which program to use may depend on whether it is important for the user to known which LSAM environment and version is being entered. Use the STRSMA command processor program to cause a splash display to appear first, or the LSAMENU command processor program to go directly to the LSAM menu system without a splash display.
The actual STRSMA or LSAMENU command, or either command's processor program, could also be used to link directly into the LSAM menu system from another menu system.
Command processor program and syntax for STRSMA:
CALL SMAGPL/STRSMAC PARM(<environment_name> *NO)
The first parameter value can also be one of the STRSMA command special values for the ENV keyword: DEFAULT or SELECT. Use a value of YES instead of NO for the second parameter value if it is desired to show the animated characters for two seconds before the splash display appears.
Command processor program and syntax for LSAMENU:
CALL SMAGPL/LSAMENUC PARM(<environment_name> 0)
The values for the first parameter are the values for the ENV keyword of the LSAMENU command, but it is not recommended to use the *CURRENT value because the LSAM library list will not likely be set when this program is used as the initial program of a user profile or if it is called from another menu processor.