helpKey

The helpKey property specifies a function key that the user presses to display help information for a field in a text form.

You can specify the helpKey property on a form, FormGroup, or use statement. The helpKey value on the use statement overrides that on the FormGroup. EGL uses the helpKey property on the FormGroup or use statement only when a form does not explicitly specify the property. If the form specifies the helpKey property, that value is always used.

EGL searches for the help information in a help form that is associated with the current text form.

The value of helpKey property comes from the PFKeyKind enumeration. The members of that enumeration consist of the characters "pf" followed by a number between 1 and 24, inclusive. The default is pf1.

On a PC keyboard, EGL maps the function keys as shown in the following table. The plus sign (+) indicates that the user presses two keys simultaneously.

Table 1. EGL function key mapping
3270 key EGL key mappings Additional EGL key mappings for programs that run on a Windows™ platform
PF1-PF12 F1-F12
PF13-PF24 Press Ctrl+S and then press F1-F12 Shift+F1-F12
PA1-PA3 Press Ctrl+A and then press F1-F3 Ctl+F1-F3
The key combinations Ctrl+S and Ctrl+A act as follows:
  • If the user presses a combination keystroke (for example, Ctrl+S) an odd number of times and then presses a function key in the lower range (for example, F1-F12), the secondary keystroke is interpreted as a function key in the higher range (for example, PF13-PF24)
  • If the user presses a combination keystroke (for example, Ctrl+S) an even number of times and then presses a function key in the lower range (for example, F1-F12), the secondary keystroke is interpreted as a function key in the lower range.
  • If the user presses a combination keystroke and then presses a key other than an associated function key, the combination keystroke has no effect. However, if an input field has focus and the secondary keystroke (for example, "a") is associated with a displayable character, the form displays the character.

Example

The following code changes the help key from the default of F1 to F4.
helpKey = PFKeyKind.pf4

Compatibility

Table 2. Support for helpKey property
Data item VGUI record Console UI Text Form Java™ Text Form COBOL Print Form Java™ Print Form COBOL
Yes No No Yes Yes* No No

* See the compatibility considerations.

Table 3. Compatibility considerations for helpKey
Platform Issue
IMS/VS If your installation uses PF12 for the IMS™ local copy function, do not use PF12 as the help key.