HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
User-Friendliness
User interface
The many features and capabilities of the HP 3000 operating system are
designed to meet the specific needs of the different users. Each type of
user is associated with a particular set of capabilities and
responsibilities, and the users access the operating system features that
assist with their individual tasks.
There are five categories of users:
* End users, who can range from a data entry clerk to a functional
manager, use application programs to take advantage of all of the
capabilities of the operating system without needing any knowledge
of the underlying operating environment, such as the location and
format of information.
* Programmers and systems analysts create application programs that
run on the system. The HP 3000 provides two major areas of system
interface for these users: an interactive interface that includes
a command language, an online Help facility, and job control
facilities; and a programmatic interface that includes programming
intrinsics and file system intrinsics.
* System managers create accounts (basic structures for user
access), define resource-use limits, control scheduling queues,
alter the system configuration, and maintain the system library.
* Account managers maintain accounts by defining the valid users and
file groups for the accounts and specifying resource-use limits
for them.
* System operators operate the system console and are responsible
for responding to all system requests. The HP 3000 provides
mainframe class systems and network management capabilities that
keep the system operating smoothly and efficiently even while
performing day-to-day operations such as job scheduling, output
spooling, system backup, maintenance, and recovery.
Command language and interpreter
The HP 3000's command language, which is processed by the command
interpreter (CI), contains all necessary commands to direct and control
the system. The simplicity of the command language greatly enhances the
system's usability.
The more than 175 commands collectively provide a powerful tool for using
the system. End users like the ease of use of the command language,
while experienced users and programmers appreciate the power the that
system commands supply.
Actions that can be performed through system commands include the
following:
* initiate and terminate jobs and sessions
* run system programs and utilities
* compile, link, run, and debug programs
* create, maintain, and delete files
* display file information
* display job, session, or device status
* transmit messages
* establish communication with local and remote computers
* control and manage system resources
If the CI detects an error in command syntax during a session, it informs
the user with a meaningful error message that specifies the erroneous
parameter and prompts for reentering the command correctly. If it
detects a command error during a job, it lists the error on the output
device and halts the job. However, the user can specify that the CI
ignore errors during a job so that the job will be completed.
The command language is used to create batch files (job streams) that
contain control statements and variables. Execution of the commands in
the file can be altered at execution time through the use of these
control statements.
![[]](../../pic3k/M011943/FFN323c50.gif)
Figure 3-11. Sample Session
The example above is simplified as it does not include the various
informational messages, compilation output, program output, the text
editor, the COBOL compiler, and the program itself. The fact remains,
however, that if the source program (entered by way of the editor)
contains no errors, the entire session can be performed by entering just
eight operating system and text editor commands in addition to the COBOL
statements that constitute the program.
The 900 Series system commands include new features that provide greater
productivity for all users. The new features include system-created and
user-created variables that can be accessed directly with commands and
from programs. Over 30 system variables provide information such as the
date, time, system serial number, day of week, and so on. Other new
features include a significantly enhanced REDO facility, search paths,
and built-in calculator.
User-defined commands and command files.
The HP 3000 allows users to define their own commands by combining
several commands into a command procedure and assigning the procedure a
name. The name can then be used as a command. Thus, it is possible to
enter a single command name that you have defined and cause several
commands to be executed. These user-defined command sets can be created
by individual users and can be made available to entire accounts and all
accounts systemwide. It is also possible to redefine existing operating
system commands and messages to suit your particular situation.
The 900 Series gives you additional flexibility by allowing you to create
command files. A command file is simply a list of commands (which can be
user-defined commands) and parameters in a file. You use just the name
of the file to execute the commands.
Online Help facility.
Whenever users need assistance with command syntax, or even the name of a
command, they can invoke the online Help facility.
The Help facility provides encyclopedic information on all system
commands. There are two ways to use the Help facility. One way is to
ask for help regarding a specific command. For instance:
:HELP REDO EXAMPLE
In response to the above request, the Help subsystem will display an
annotated example of the REDO command. Information can be requested on
the operation and parameters of each command.
The other way to use the Help facility is to enter the Help subsystem,
where information can be accessed by topic areas and tasks. This enables
users to learn how to perform specific tasks without prior knowledge of
which commands are required.
Interactive processing
HP 3000 systems provide both interactive OLTP and batch processing. In
interactive processing, you enter commands and data at a workstation and
receive immediate response. This is called a session, and is especially
useful for data entry, information retrieval, program development, text
editing, and any other application in which a direct dialog with the
computer is required. Sessions can be used to access the following:
* operating system commands and subsystems
* programming languages and utility programs
* database management systems
* data communication facilities
* application programs
* office system programs
A session begins when you enter the HELLO command from an online
workstation and a connection is made to the command interpreter. Then
commands can be entered to use language compilers or other subsystems
such as the text editor, to run programs, or to modify your files. The
session continues until you enter a BYE command or a new HELLO command,
or until the system operator intervenes to abort the session.
Batch processing
Batch processing allows the user to submit to the computer, as a single
unit, commands that request various operations, such as summarizing
database information for reporting, program compilation and execution,
file manipulation, or utility functions. Batch processes are called
jobs. Jobs contain all the necessary instructions and references to
programs and data required for execution. Once a job is running, no
further information is required.
The HP 3000 does not have a separate job control language for batch jobs.
Batch processing is a logical extension of the interactive sessions on
the HP 3000. The same commands also can be issued programmatically. Any
capability--with the exception of BREAK, suspends processing--that is
available in interactive mode is also available in batch mode, and both
modes employ the same operating system commands. The only significant
difference between a session and a batch job is that during a session you
can interactively alter the course of processing, whereas in a job, the
command stream is fixed and the job is executed in its entirety, as
predefined in the job control statements, unless the system operator
intervenes. Languages, utilities, and application development software
can be run in either batch or interactive session mode without changes.
The standard input and output devices are automatically redefined.
System utilities
MPE includes subsystems and other utilities that are not included with
most operating systems. The following subsystems are supplied on the HP
3000:
* HP EDIT/XL, a text editor.
* HP FCOPY, a program for general purpose file copying. FCOPY also
allows movement of the files between groups and accounts or from
one peripheral type to another.
* HP SORT-MERGE, a utility for sorting records in a file and merging
sorted files. This utility can sort any character sequence using
any data type.
* HP VPLUS interactive forms management system.
* HP KSAM (keyed sequential access method), a method of organizing
records in a file according to the content of key fields within
each record
Special-purpose utilities are provided for system administration tasks.
For instance, the Tape Labeling Facility allows labels to be placed on
magnetic tapes for identification and protection purposes. In addition,
utilities are provided to facilitate migration of applications and
databases to the 900 Series systems.
HP ALLBASE/SQL and HP TurboIMAGE database management systems, as well as
a variety of third-party database management systems, are also supported
on the HP 3000 900 Series.
Native language support
The HP 3000 includes utilities and intrinsics that facilitate the
development of applications for users in different countries and
cultures. Native-language support includes such features as currency
symbol handling and character translation.
An application message facility offers programmers fast, efficient access
to message catalogs, which can be customized for each country's language.
The contents of the catalogs (an application's set of messages to its
users) can be changed to fit each country's language without having to
recode or recompile the application.