Default values

Specification of most operands is optional. Optional operands are preset with a default value. The default value is used for command/statement execution if no explicit specification is entered by the user. The operand values *UNCHANGED and *CURRENT stand for the existing setting, i.e. the present value is taken over.

Since only operand values that are not to have the default settings need to be specified explicitly, input can often be dramatically reduced.

If operands do not have default settings, or if they do not have the defaults that you require, you can define your own defaults for interactive input on a task-specific basis (for an example see the RESET-INPUT-DEFAULTS command; further details are given in the section headed “Task-specific default values” in the “SDF Dialog Interface” [15]).

For example, the entry MOD-SDF-OPT SYN=*N,GUID=*MIN is a possible abbreviation of:

MOD-SDF-OPT SYN=*NONE,GUID=*MIN,LOG=*UNCH,UT=*UNCH, PROC=*UNCH,
   CONT=*UNCH, MENU=*UNCH,MODE=*UNCH,DEFAULT-PROG=*UNCH, FUNCTION-KEYS=*UNCH,
   INPUT-HISTORY = *UNCH


Note

The default value of an operand should not be confused with the operand value *STD. The operand value *STD need not be the default value. The meaning of *STD is given individually in each operand description. *STD can be, for example, a value set at system installation (e.g. SPACE=*STD in the CREATE-FILE command) or a setting dependent upon the task mode (e.g. DIALOG-CONTROL=*STD in the DELETE-FILE command).