Clamoring For Attention

You know how to send a message to the system operator message queue. Here’s some code you can use when you need that message to stand out.

Here’s the CL code.

dcl  &Message   *char 434
dcl  &Line1     *char  74  stg(*defined)  defvar(&Message   1)
dcl  &Line2     *char  72  stg(*defined)  defvar(&Message  75)
dcl  &Line3     *char  72  stg(*defined)  defvar(&Message 147)
dcl  &Line4     *char  72  stg(*defined)  defvar(&Message 219)
dcl  &Line5     *char  72  stg(*defined)  defvar(&Message 291)
dcl  &Line6     *char  72  stg(*defined)  defvar(&Message 363)

ChgVar &Line1 '  **************************************+
                 *********************************'
ChgVar &Line2 '*'
ChgVar &Line3 '*  Test message -- please ignore. '
ChgVar &Line4 '*  More important information'
ChgVar &Line5 '*'
ChgVar &Line6 %sst(&Line1 3 72)
ChgVar %sst(&Line2  71 1) '*'
ChgVar %sst(&Line3  71 1) '*'
ChgVar %sst(&Line4  71 1) '*'
ChgVar %sst(&Line5  71 1) '*'

SndPgmMsg  msg(&Message) tomsgq(qsysopr)

Your message has six lines, cleverly named &LINE1 through &LINE6. Load whatever you like into them. Filling the last two lines, and the first and last characters of the other four lines, with asterisks really makes the message stand out.

Message queue CHUCK not found.
Journal receivers WXYZ00002 and *N detached.
Service Agent is analyzing your system product activity log entries.
From  . . . :   SOMEUSER          07/21/15   08:09:10
  ***********************************************************************
  *                                                                     *
  *  Test message -- please ignore.                                     *
  *  More important information                                         *
  *                                                                     *
  ***********************************************************************
Log version QHST000011 in QSYS closed and should be saved.

I recommend you use this technique sparingly. Remember the story of the boy who cried “Wolf!”

I realize this technique doesn’t qualify as rocket science, but that’s OK. Rocket science doesn’t ship product.