You can enter data at the terminal for an input file in your PL/I program if you do the following:
You can usually use the standard default input file SYSIN because it is a stream file and can be allocated to the terminal.
You are prompted for input to stream files by a colon (:). You will see the colon each time a GET statement is executed in the program. The GET statement causes the system to go to the next line. You can then enter the required data. If you enter a line that does not contain enough data to complete execution of the GET statement, a further prompt, which is a plus sign followed by a colon (+:), is displayed.
By adding a hyphen to the end of any line that is to continue, you can delay transmission of the data to your program until you enter two or more lines.
If you include output statements that prompt you for input in your program, you can inhibit the initial system prompt by ending your own prompt with a colon. For example, the GET statement could be preceded by a PUT statement such as:
PUT SKIP LIST('ENTER NEXT ITEM:');
To inhibit the system prompt for the next GET statement, your own prompt must meet the following conditions: