HP and IBM Terminal Keys

• [CAPS LOCK]

• [INSERT CHAR]

• [DELETE CHAR]

• [CLEAR DISPLAY]

• [HOME UP]

• [RESET]

• Cursor position keys

• The [BREAK] key is always disabled. Use the EXIT softkey to end Pass Thru for your terminal.

• Use [CTRL]-R to recover from a hard reset. The [TAB] key moves the cursor to the next unprotected field. Use the [CLEAR DISPLAY] key to clear all unprotected fields from the screen.

• The [CTRL]-Y function is ignored. Use the EXIT softkey to end Pass Thru for your terminal.

• Use the [ENTER] key instead of the [RETURN] rather than in line mode. In Pass Thru, the [RETURN] key only moves the cursor; no data is transferred to the host. To send data through the HP 3000 to the IBM host, you must press [ENTER] or a softkey corresponding to one of the following IBM 3278 keys: [PA1], [PA2], [PA3], [CLEAR], or [SYS REQ].

The default softkey functions on HP 23xx, 264x, and 262x terminals are shown in Figure 5-1 “Default Softkey Functions”. These functions correspond to certain keyboard functions on an IBM 3278 display station.

Figure 5-1 Default Softkey Functions

Table 5-2 “Default Softkey Functions” describes the default softkey functions for 23xx, 262x, and 264x terminals.

An IBM 3278 Display Station has 24 function keys, and an HP terminal has 8 function keys. Although HP terminals do not have as many function keys as IBM terminals, an HP feature called rolling softkeys allows you to create several levels of softkey functions, so a function key can perform different functions at different levels. The rolling softkeys feature lets you map your HP terminal function keys to the function keys on an IBM 3278 display station.

The first HP terminal function key ([f1]) is reserved for the main softkey menu; you can define the functions of the other seven function keys in the PTCONFIG file. See Chapter 2 “Configuring Pass Thru” for more information about configuring your rolling softkeys.

SNA IMF provides a set of default functions for your softkeys. (See "Default Softkey Functions," earlier in this chapter.) You can use the defaults, or you can configure a set of softkeys that suits your own needs.

The rolling softkeys feature allows you to do the following:

The rolling softkeys feature allows you to map several sets of variable softkeys to your 8 function keys. For a terminal that supports shifted function keys (a 16-function key terminal), you can define up to 6 levels of softkeys. For a terminal that does not support shifted function keys (an 8-function key terminal), you can define up to 12 levels of softkeys. In each level, you must define at least one softkey for changing levels. The NEXT and LEVELn softkey functions are for changing levels.

Table 5-3 “User-Defined Softkey Functions” describes the user-definable softkey functions for 23xx, 262x, and 264x terminals. For more information on softkey functions and configuring your function keys, see Chapter 2 “Configuring Pass Thru”

Chapter 2 “Configuring Pass Thru” tells you how to specify your own rolling softkeys by creating a configuration file called PTCONFIG. If you use another name for your configuration file, you must equate that name to the name PTCONFIG using an MPE file equation. You can assign softkey functions to keys [f2] through [f8]. You cannot define the [f1] function key, because it is reserved for the softkey menu; however, you can define the shifted [f1] key.

In the PTCONFIG file, you can also define the softkey labels that appear on your screen, telling you which functions your softkeys have at the current level.

Figure 5-2 “Example User-Defined Softkeys Functions” illustrates an example softkey configuration. This configuration defines four levels of softkeys. The lowest level (level 1) has softkeys that take you to the other three levels. Each of the upper levels has one softkey that takes you back to the lowest level. The [f1] key is the menu key in all four levels.

The upper three levels of softkeys in this configuration correspond to three IBM host applications: TSO, CICS, and a user application called APPL. Each application requires a slightly different set of softkeys, so a different level is assigned to each application. In this example, only 8 softkeys are defined in each level; however, if your terminal supports shifted function keys, you can define up to 16 softkeys for each level.

When you start Pass Thru, the softkey labels on your screen indicate that you are on level 1. If you started Pass Thru to communicate with CICS, you would press the softkey labeled "CICS." The function assigned to the "CICS" softkey is LEVEL3, so pressing the softkey labeled "CICS" would take you to level 3.

The quoted strings in Figure 5-2 “Example User-Defined Softkeys Functions” are the softkey labels configured for each softkey function. Softkey labels appear on your screen, telling you which functions your softkeys have at the current level.

Figure 5-2 Example User-Defined Softkeys Functions

When you use Pass Thru to communicate with an application on an IBM AS/400, your 3270 data stream must be translated to 5250 data. The 3270 emulation software on the AS/400 provides a mapping between Pass Thru's softkey functions and 5250 key functions. Table 5-1 “IBM and HP Keyboard Functions” lists the 5250 key functions and the 3270 softkeys that you push to send 5250 keys to the AS/400.

Do not use the following HP terminal keys with Pass Thru:

	CAUTION: Do not do a hard reset on an HP terminal that is operating under Pass Thru; you may not be able to recover from it. You can produce a hard reset in two ways. The first way is by pressing the [RESET] key once on the HP 2640B, 2640N, and 2640S. Because Pass Thru does not lock the keyboard on these terminals, RESET is unnecessary. The other way to produce a hard reset is by pressing the [RESET] key twice within 0.5 seconds on either the HP 2645 or 2648 terminal. This clears the special environment created on the terminal when Pass Thru took control. As with the first type of hard reset, there is no guarantee of recovery.