TSO- TSO Commands

This page collects the TSO commands you will reach for every day: checking and changing your session profile, controlling the terminal, sending messages to other users, getting help, running CLISTs and REXX execs, and scheduling a command with WHEN.

The PROFILE command

• PROFILE displays and changes your TSO session options, such as message handling and prefix behavior.
• PROFILE with no operands shows the current settings.
• PROFILE PREFIX(userid) sets the default high-level qualifier used when you omit quotes.

The TERMINAL command

• TERMINAL controls how TSO talks to your screen: line length, prompt characters and message display.
• Common operands are LINESIZE, PROMPT, and MSGID (shows message numbers).

The SEND command

• SEND writes a message to another logged-on TSO user or to the system operator.
• USER(userid) names the recipient. LOGON saves the message if the user is not logged on.
• OPERATOR(n) routes the message to a console operator instead of a user.

The HELP command

• HELP shows the syntax and operands of any TSO command.
• HELP commandname FUNCTION lists what the command does; OPERANDS lists each operand in detail.
• Press Enter to page through long help text, or PF3 to exit.

The WHEN command

• WHEN runs a command automatically when a condition becomes true, typically a time of day.
• The command to run is given in single quotes.
• Use it to remind yourself or to kick off work at a fixed time.

The LISTBC command

• LISTBC redisplays the broadcast messages shown at logon.
• MSGNOW shows messages that arrived since logon.

The EXEC command

• EXEC runs a CLIST or REXX program stored in a PDS member.
• The PDS must be allocated to SYSPROC (CLIST) or SYSEXEC (REXX), or given as a fully quoted name.
• Pass parameters after the member name; they arrive as positional arguments in the program.

The TIME command

• TIME shows the current date and time from the system clock.
• Handy in CLISTs and REXX execs for timestamping log lines.