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.
| 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 |
helpKey = PFKeyKind.pf4
| Data item | JSF handler | VGUI record | Console UI | Text Form Java™ | Text Form COBOL | Print Form Java | Print Form COBOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes* | No | No |
* See the compatibility considerations.
| Platform | Issue |
|---|---|
| IMS/VS | If your installation uses PF12 for the IMS™ local copy function, do not use PF12 as the help key. |