IBM: Description of PRFVIEW

Description of PRFVIEW

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From Kris Buelens, IBM Belgium

PRFVIEW

PRFVIEW is a CMS GUI application written in REXX. Click here to download PRFVIEW.

Changes for V2.2 10 Nov 2004

Report data can be sorted in alternative ways than how VMPRF created them. We provide sort definitions for the most important reports, but you can define more in PRFVIEW REPORTS.

Changes for V2.1 4 Aug 2004

PRFVIEW has been converted to a GUIWIRE application. You need GUIWIRE V4.4 or higher to change PRFVIEW.
When you select one or more users/devices/times in a VMPRF report, we will try to select the same set when switching to another report. Example:
Interim reports for which no main report was created, were not handled well in PRFVIEW V1 (only the first period could be displayed). Example: you create DASD_BY_ACTIVITY_INTERIM but not DASD_BY_ACTIVITY
The width of the header and data list box contend is made equal, this way data and header columns remain better aligned when scrolling to the right.
You can define short-cut keys in PRFVIEW PROFILE to define menu items to quickly switch to selected reports.
Shift-F7 and -F8 can now be used to select the next interim report.
Selected reports, or parts of reports can be saved to disk.
A CP/CMS command shell has been added.

Changes for 1.2

 - Fix releasing VMPRF disks
 - Avoid running an INVOKE command if VMLINKing to a nickname
 - Also allow "fn ft userid cuu" as input parm
    (besides "fn ft fm" and "fn ft dirid")
 - Quite some smaller changes (such as avoiding WSA abend if first
   file that is automatically openen is an invalid one).

Changes for 1.1

 - Allow passing extra VMPRF report selections as input parameter
    Example: PRFVIEW VMPRF* LIST* Z
 - Additionally, "PRFVIEW fn ft fm" opens that file automatically
    (instead of opening the most recent one).

Changes for 1.0.a

 - Remove SFSD filepool from default file
 - Give better msg when GUI CSL libs not found, or no listings found

PRFVIEW helps you scanning through VMPRF LISTINGs: the CMS/GUI facility is used to present VMPRF's reports in a GUI.

Compared to using XEDIT, the benefits are the following:

PRFVIEW keeps the column headers visible while scrolling through a report
Using a small font, it becomes possible to view all 132 columns, no need to scroll left and right.
Jumping from one report to another is with a mouse click. Viewing interim reports may costs at most two mouse clicks.
If you save many VMPRF LISTINGs, comparing the same report in different listings costs you one mouse click.

People with CMS Pipelines knowledge can adapt the PRFVIEW code to view other reports in a similar way. The required CMS/GUI skills are small, some guidance is given in the online help.

Feedback Wanted

As tool author it is nice to get feedback from the tool users:

to get an idea of how many people actually use the tool
to learn what the shortcomings of the tool are

So, for my newest tool, PRFVIEW, I'd like you to spend a minute to send me some feedback. Some topics:

 - do you like PRFVIEW, will you use it a lot ?
 - what improvements do you want ?
 - what features do you hate ?
 - what about performance (should I try to keep the "active"
   VMPRF LISTING in storage; with other words: is switching between
   different reports of the same VMPRF LISTING slow ?)

I do know some improvements I personally want, but your input would be greatly appreciated. Some of my ideas:

  - provide GUI panels for all tailorable items
  - make PRFVIEW callable from PRFGUI (PRFGUI allows to make VMPRF graphs)
  - allow to run multiple copies of PRFVIEW, so it becomes easier to
    compare VMPRF reports of different dates.

When I get much feedback, I might spend more time to improve PRFVIEW.... My e-mail addresses:

 - click on the "Kris Buelens" link at the top of this page
 - inside IBM:           BUELENSC at BEVM
 - internet:             kris_buelens@be.ibm.com