Display formats

To determine which display format is best for your needs, review the display format descriptions below.

CHAR
Character display format. This format is suitable for viewing or editing unstructured text that is composed of characters that can be entered via the keyboard.
 FM/IMS                        Edit : IMS Database DJ1E
    CHKPID FM000001 Autosave OFF SHOW SUP ON  Scope DB  Col 1       Format CHAR
 Cmd Level Segment   ----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5---
                     ****   Top of window   ****
 ___ 1     SHIRE     DENMARK             130500244.h.....g/..............
HEX
Hexadecimal updown format, followed by a scale. This format uses separate lines; one for the characters, one for the zone digit and one for the numeric digit of each byte. Hexadecimal updown format is suitable for editing data that is composed of characters or values that cannot be entered via a keyboard or cannot be displayed. For example, you may want to use the HEX display format when editing DBCS characters or packed decimal numbers.
 FM/IMS                        Edit : IMS Database DJ1E
    CHKPID FM000001 Autosave OFF SHOW SUP ON  Scope DB  Col 1       Format HEX 
 Cmd Level Segment   ----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5---
                     ****   Top of window   ****
 ___ 1     SHIRE     DENMARK             130500244.h.....g/..............
                     CCDDCDD4444444444444FFFFFFFFF180003386002323232323234
                     45541920000000000000130500244880666171C0043243C001C10
                     ----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5---
LHEX
Unformatted hexadecimal. This format has been superceded by the HEX format. However, it has been retained within the product so that long-term users of File Manager can continue working with Hexadecimal characters in a familiar layout.
 FM/IMS                        Edit : IMS Database DJ1E
    CHKPID FM000001 Autosave OFF SHOW SUP ON  Scope DB  Col 1       Format LHEX
 Cmd Level Segment    - - - - + - - - - 1 - - - - + - - - - 2 - - - - + - - - -
                     ****   Top of window   ****
 ___ 1     SHIRE     C4C5D5D4C1D9D240404040404040404040404040F1F3F0F5F0F0F2F4F4

When in Zoom mode, the selected segment displays as formatted hexadecimal and characters (system dump format). For example:

 FM/IMS                        Edit : IMS Database DJ1E
                                                Col 1          Zoom Format LHEX
 Segment  SHIRE     Bobby            Level: 1
 Concatenated key value:  DENMARK
        Length Byte ---------------- Hex -----------------   ------ Char ------
        53     0000 C4C5D5D4  C1D9D240  40404040  40404040   *DENMARK         *
               0010 40404040  F1F3F0F5  F0F0F2F4  F4188800   *    130500244.h.*
               0020 06063631  87610C00  20342332  24332C30   *....g/..........*
               0030 20312C31  40                             *....            *
SNGL
Single-segment format (only available when using a template). Limits the display to a single segment. Each field might take up one or more lines, depending upon the field information selected for display and the length of the field name. SNGL display format is suitable for viewing information that has been structured into fields and segments, when you need to focus on a single segment.
 FM/IMS                        Edit : IMS Database DJ1E
                                                               Zoom Format SNGL
 Segment  SHIRE                      Level: 1
 Concatenated key value:  DENMARK
                                                     Top Field is 3    of 11
 Current 01: SHIRE-TOWN
 Ref Field                Typ  Len   Data
   3   3 SHIRE-NAME       AN    20 K DENMARK
   4  2 SHIRE-TYPE        AN     1   1
   5  2 SHIRE-CODE1       ZD     3    305
   6  2 SHIRE-CODE2       ZD     5      244
   7  2 SHIRE-YEAR        BI     2     6280
   8  2 SHIRE-BRICK       PD     8       606363187610
   9  2 SHIRE-WOODEN      PD     8      2034233224332
  10  2 SHIRE-SCHOOL      PD     4    3020312
  11  2 SHIRE-GOLF        BI     2    12608
 ***  End of record  ***

This example shows the Ref (Field Reference), Typ (Type), and Len (Length) columns, and the Field column contains structure information. The display of this information is optional (the default is for it to be displayed).

To change the information displayed in SNGL mode, enter one of the following commands:

JUST
Left justifies the numeric fields
PIC
Displays or hides the Picture column
RDF
Displays or hides the Redefines information and redefined fields
REFS
Displays or hides the Field References column
SLOC
Displays or hides the Start column
STR
Displays or hides the structure information in the Field column
TYP
Displays or hides the Type and Length columns

These are toggle commands that change the display from on to off or off to on, depending on the current status of the panel. The commands only affect the current Edit or Browse session, they do not change the default settings.

To change the default settings for the IMS data panel:

  1. Ensure that you are not currently in a Browse or Edit session.
  2. Choose Option 0.5 Editor options from the Primary Option menu. or Options -> Editor Options from the action bar.
  3. Select or clear the following options on the Editor Options panel:
    • Show redefined fields on SNGL and TABL displays
    • Show field reference numbers on SNGL displays
    • Show field type & length on SNGL displays
    • Show field picture clauses on SNGL displays
    • Show field start locations on SNGL displays
    • Show record structure on SNGL displays
    • Left justify numerics on SNGL displays
    • Show field CCSID on SNGL display.
Note: These options cannot be changed when you are in a Browse or Edit session.
TABL
Tabular format (only available when using a view). Arranges fields in columns. This format is suitable for viewing information that has been structured into fields and segments and you need to review multiple segments.
 FM/IMS                        Edit : IMS Database DJ1E
                CHKPID FM000001 Autosave OFF SHOW SUP ON  Scope DB  Format TABL
                     SHIRE-NAME           SHIRE-TYPE SHIRE-CODE1 SHIRE-CODE2
 Cmd Level Segment   #3                   #4                  #5          #6
                     AN 1:20              AN 21:1        ZD 22:3     ZD 25:5
                     <---+----1----+----> -                 <-->      <---+>
 ___ 1     SHIRE     DENMARK              1                  305         244
In TABL display format, only one segment type in the data set is displayed at any time. The column headings at the top of the screen reflect the fields in the current segment type. There are three lines in the headings:
field_heading
#n [R #n]
type start_column:length
<- … ->

where:

field_heading
Defaults to the field name defined in the copybook. You can change this by editing the template or view. For details, see Setting field attributes.
#n [R #n]
The field reference. You use this to refer to the field in File Manager. For example, to limit the FIND primary command to searching only certain fields, you specify the field references for those fields.

If the field redefines another field, then this is shown by the “R? notation, followed by the field it redefines. For example, #5 [R #4] shows that this is field 5, which redefines field 4.

type
The field data type.
start_column
The field start column.
length
The field length.
<- … ->
Ruler, indicating the size of the field.
CCSID
Displays or hides the CCSID column.

Segments of other types are “suppressed? from display: they are either hidden or represented by shadow lines.

In CHAR, HEX and LHEX formats, and for alphanumeric fields in SNGL or TABL formats, characters that cannot be displayed (“non-displayable? characters) are represented as periods.

  • You can display hexadecimal values under your formatted field data by entering HEX ON on the Command line. For example, imagine you are viewing data in TABL display format and your display looks something like this:
     FM/IMS                        Edit : IMS Database DJ1E
                    CHKPID FM000001 Autosave OFF SHOW SUP ON  Scope DB  Format TABL
                         SHIRE-NAME           SHIRE-TYPE SHIRE-CODE1 SHIRE-CODE2
     Cmd Level Segment   #3                   #4                  #5          #6
                         AN 1:20              AN 21:1        ZD 22:3     ZD 25:5
                         <---+----1----+----> -                 <-->      <---+>
     ___ 1     SHIRE     DENMARK              1                  305         244
    Issuing the command HEX ON displays the hexadecimal representation:
     FM/IMS                        Edit : IMS Database DJ1E
                    CHKPID FM000001 Autosave OFF SHOW SUP ON  Scope DB  Format TABL
                         SHIRE-NAME           SHIRE-TYPE SHIRE-CODE1 SHIRE-CODE2
     Cmd Level Segment   #3                   #4                  #5          #6
                         AN 1:20              AN 21:1        ZD 22:3     ZD 25:5
                         <---+----1----+----> -                 <-->      <---+>
     ___ 1     SHIRE     DENMARK              1                  305         244
                         CCDDCDD4444444444444 F                  FFF       FFFFF
                         45541920000000000000 1                  305       00244
  • If a numeric field contains data that cannot be correctly interpreted as a numeric value (for example, a packed decimal field contains invalid packed values), then the field is displayed as highlighted asterisks.
  • If a numeric field contains a valid numeric value, but the value is too large to fit in the width allocated to the field on the screen (as defined in the picture specification of the original copybook), then the value is truncated. The field is highlighted to indicate that truncation has occurred.

    To show the entire field without truncation, you need to edit the template, and specify an output width for the field.

  • If a field is a array element, then its field heading is followed by a subscript in parentheses; for example, ELEMENT(1).

Related topics