Creating and managing user notes

User notes are comments that the interactive user can add against any storage location. They are saved in the history file fault entry and are available to all users.

User notes can be created by using the NOTE command from any interactive reanalysis report display. For details, see NOTE.

Alternatively, user notes can be created by overtyping these displays:
  • Dump Storage
  • Associated Storage Areas
  • Event-Related Storage Areas (Event n Program name Storage Areas)
  • Hex-Dumped Storage
In the following, these are simply referred to as "storage areas" displays.

The user notes are created by placing the cursor on the area of storage to which the note applies, typing one or more characters that are distinguishable from hexadecimal digits, and pressing Enter. For example, given the Dump Storage display shown in Sample Dump Storage display, placing the cursor at the address 17C01389 storage, and typing "This is", the following display would be expected: 

  File  View  Services  Help
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Dump Storage                                                 17C01380-17C013D7
Command ===> ________________________________________________ Scroll ===> CSR 
JOBNAME: IDIVPCOB  SYSTEM ABEND: 0C7              MVS2     2019/08/12 13:46:58

Address  Offset     Hex                                 EBCDIC / ASCII  
         Module IDISCBL1 program IDISCBL1 + X'640', source line # 32
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 1 + X'1051'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 10 + X'1300'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 11 + X'1008'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 12 + X'1348'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 14 + X'680'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 3 + X'600'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 4 + X'1544'
17C01380            20004160 61345060 51This i s10C310A *...-/.&-..K.....*
17C01390       +10  D2035110 310E5860 20085060 5114D20B *K......-..&-..K.*
17C013A0       +20  51183112 58602004 50605128 58602008 *.....-..&-...-..*
17C013B0       +30  5060512C D2175130 311E98EC D00C07FE *&-..K.....q.}...*
         Module IDISCBL1 CSECT CEESG005
17C013C0       +40  E2F0F0F5 00140001 00000000 00000000 *S005............*
17C013D0       +50  00000000 00000000                   *........        *
         Module IDISCBL1 CSECT CEEBETBL
 F1=Help   F3=Exit   F7=Up     F8=Down  F10=Prev  F11=Next
Pressing Enter results in an ISPF edit panel being presented, initialized with the text typed: 
  File  Edit  Edit_Settings  Menu  Utilities  Compilers  Test  Help
────────────────────Volume: ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
EDIT       Note.17C01389                                   Columns 00001 00072
Command ===> ________________________________________________ Scroll ===> PAGE
****** ***************************** Top of Data ******************************
000001 This is
****** **************************** Bottom of Data ****************************















 F1=Help      F2=Split     F3=Exit      F4=:tf       F5=Rfind     F6=Rchange
 F7=Up        F8=Down      F9=Swap     F10=Left     F11=Right    F12=Cancel

From here the note can be completed, adding as many lines as required. The first line should be treated as a heading as it is the only line of the note shown if the display of the note is later collapsed.

Assuming that the final note is as follows:

  File  Edit  Edit_Settings  Menu  Utilities  Compilers  Test  Help
────────────────────Volume: ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
EDIT       Note.17C01389                                   Columns 00001 00072
Command ===> ________________________________________________ Scroll ===> PAGE
****** ***************************** Top of Data ******************************
000001 This is an important reminder!
000002 The contents of storage at this offset into this module could be
000003 significant for the understanding of the error that caused this fault.
****** **************************** Bottom of Data ****************************













 F1=Help      F2=Split     F3=Exit      F4=:tf       F5=Rfind     F6=Rchange
 F7=Up        F8=Down      F9=Swap     F10=Left     F11=Right    F12=Cancel

Press PF3 to return to the storage areas display, which shows the newly created user note, inserted immediately ahead of the storage to which it belongs. 

  File  View  Services  Help
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Dump Storage                                                 17C01380-17C013D7
Command ===> ________________________________________________ Scroll ===> CSR 
JOBNAME: IDIVPCOB  SYSTEM ABEND: 0C7              MVS2     2019/08/12 13:46:58

Address  Offset     Hex                                 EBCDIC / ASCII  
         Module IDISCBL1 program IDISCBL1 + X'640', source line # 32
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 1 + X'1051'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 10 + X'1300'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 11 + X'1008'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 12 + X'1348'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 14 + X'680'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 3 + X'600'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 4 + X'1544'
17C01380            20004160 61345060 51                *...-/.&-.       *
- This is an important reminder!
  The contents of storage at this offset into this module could be
  significant for the understanding of the error that caused this fault.
17C01389        +9                      08D203 510C310A *         .K.....*
17C01390       +10  D2035110 310E5860 20085060 5114D20B *K......-..&-..K.*
17C013A0       +20  51183112 58602004 50605128 58602008 *.....-..&-...-..*
17C013B0       +30  5060512C D2175130 311E98EC D00C07FE *&-..K.....q.}...*
 F1=Help   F3=Exit   F7=Up     F8=Down  F10=Prev  F11=Next

By default, all user notes are shown "expanded," as indicated by the minus sign point-and-shoot field preceding the note. By placing the cursor on this field, and pressing Enter, the note is collapsed as shown below: 

  File  View  Services  Help
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Dump Storage                                                 17C01380-17C013D7
Command ===> ________________________________________________ Scroll ===> CSR 
JOBNAME: IDIVPCOB  SYSTEM ABEND: 0C7              MVS2     2019/08/12 13:46:58

Address  Offset     Hex                                 EBCDIC / ASCII  
         Module IDISCBL1 program IDISCBL1 + X'640', source line # 32
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 1 + X'1051'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 10 + X'1300'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 11 + X'1008'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 12 + X'1348'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 14 + X'680'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 3 + X'600'
         Event 1 Program IDISCBL1 GPR 4 + X'1544'
17C01380            20004160 61345060 51                *...-/.&-.       *
+ This is an important reminder!
17C01389        +9                      08D203 510C310A *         .K.....*
17C01390       +10  D2035110 310E5860 20085060 5114D20B *K......-..&-..K.*
17C013A0       +20  51183112 58602004 50605128 58602008 *.....-..&-...-..*
17C013B0       +30  5060512C D2175130 311E98EC D00C07FE *&-..K.....q.}...*
         Module IDISCBL1 CSECT CEESG005
17C013C0       +40  E2F0F0F5 00140001 00000000 00000000 *S005............*
 F1=Help   F3=Exit   F7=Up     F8=Down  F10=Prev  F11=Next

The preceding point-and-shoot field now indicates "collapsed" by a plus sign instead. By simply placing the cursor on this point-and-shoot field, the user can toggle between the collapsed and expanded view.

It is also possible to over-type the point-and-shoot field with two more action characters (not case-sensitive):
D
Used to delete the user note.
E
Used to edit the user note.

To see all user notes that exist for the current fault entry, enter the NOTELIST command from the command line of any display within the interactive report, or select the "List User Notes" option from the View action-bar pull-down menu. The result is a display like the example shown in Sample User Note List display:

Figure 1. Sample User Note List display
  File  View  Services  Help
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
User Note List                                                 Line 1 Col 1 80
Command ===> ________________________________________________ Scroll ===> CSR 
JOBNAME: IDIVPCOB  SYSTEM ABEND: 0C7              MVS2     2019/08/12 13:46:58

- Collapse all / + Expand all
{The following line commands are available: E (Edit), D (Delete), S (Show), +
(Expand), - (Collapse). To enter a line command, overtype the +/- sign in
column 1, or simply place the cursor on the +/- sign and press Enter to
perform the default expand/collapse action indicated.}

    Address  Text                                                              
-   17C01389 This is an important reminder!
             The contents of storage at this offset into this module could be
             significant for the understanding of the error that caused this fa
-   17C01610 So is this!





 F1=Help      F3=Exit      F5=RptFind   F6=Actions   F7=Up        F8=Down
F10=Left     F11=Right

As indicated in the optional help text on this display, the point-and-shoot field preceding each user note can be overtyped to request a specific action in the same way as in the storage areas displays.

Additionally, the User Note List display permits all user notes to be expanded or collapsed simultaneously by selecting the "expand all" or "collapse all" point-and-shoot fields at the top of the display. The expand/collapse state of any note is common between the User Note List display and the Dump Storage display, so that any changes made in one display is reflected in the other.

To display the storage that is associated with a user note, use the S line command, or place the cursor on the address point-and-shoot field, and press Enter.

User notes are saved in the history file fault entry when the user exits from the interactive report. At this time, if user notes have been added or modified, the user is prompted to acknowledge the update of the fault entry with a display as the example shown in Sample User Notes Update prompt:

Figure 2. Sample User Notes Update prompt
  File  View  Services  Help
_ ┌──────────────────────────── User Notes Update ────────────────────────────┐
I │                                                                           │
C │ User notes have been added or modified for the current fault entry. Press │
J │ Enter to update the fault entry with the current user notes, or press     │
  │ PF3/PF12 to exit from the interactive report without updating the fault   │
F │ entry.                                                                    │
M │                                                                           │
  │ History file DSN  . : 'IDI.HIST'                                          │
S │ Fault ID  . . . . . : F00264                                              │
i │                                                                           │
  │  F1=Help     F3=Exit    F12=Cancel                                        │
  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
  4. Storage Areas
  5. Messages
  6. Language Environment Heap Analysis
  7. Abend Job Information
  8. Fault Analyzer Options

{Fault Analyzer maximum storage allocated: 2.61 megabytes.}

*** Bottom of data.
 F1=Help      F3=Exit      F5=RptFind   F6=Actions   F7=Up        F8=Down
F10=Left     F11=Right

Pressing Enter from this display permits the history file fault entry to proceed, while pressing PF3 or PF12 exits from the interactive report without any updates to user notes.