- Context-sensitive, structured Tutorial Help
- Easy access with F1 and navigation commands
- Organized around FM/CICS Primary Options menu
- Includes main topics, sub-topics, and index
- Enhances productivity and software understanding
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TranscriptIn the digital age, the complexity of software and systems demands that users have access to efficient and effective help documentation. The IBM File Manager for z/OS, particularly version fourteen point one, tailored for the CICS environment, exemplifies this need through its comprehensive Tutorial Help system. This system is ingeniously designed to be both context-sensitive and structurally organized, ensuring users can swiftly find the information they require, whether they are troubleshooting or seeking to deepen their understanding of the software.
Access to the Tutorial Help is straightforward and user-friendly. By placing the cursor on the Command Line or any non-field area of a panel and pressing F one, users are immediately taken to a Tutorial Help page relevant to their current context. This initial page may either be a main topic page, featuring a menu of associated sub-topics, or a specific sub-topic page, depending on the starting context. Navigation through the pages is facilitated by a set of commands, allowing users to explore the information at their own pace. Upon completion, pressing F three brings them back to their original panel.
The structure of the Tutorial Help is meticulously organized around the FM/CICS Primary Options menu, with a Table of Contents leading users to main topics and their corresponding sub-topics. Furthermore, an index is available, listing selected topics alphabetically by subject, enhancing the ease with which users can locate specific information.
To initiate their journey through the Tutorial Help, users can select the Help pull-down menu from any panel Action Bar, choosing their entry point from a variety of options. These range from accessing the help panel for the Tutorial Help system to viewing help for function keys active on the current FM/CICS panel. Additional options include accessing the Tutorial Help Table of Contents, viewing FM/CICS version and release information, and getting news about the current FM/CICS version or release.
Navigating through the Tutorial Help is facilitated by a series of commands and keys, each designed to streamline the user's experience. Commands like BACK or SKIP allow users to move through pages sequentially or jump over topics, while keys like ENTER and HELP provide quick access to sequential pages within a topic or the Help Tutorial page, respectively.
This structured and context-sensitive approach to tutorial help within IBM's File Manager for z/OS underscores the importance of accessible and navigable documentation in today's complex digital environment. Through such systems, users across various industries are empowered to enhance their productivity and deepen their understanding of the software, reflecting the critical role of effective help documentation in the digital age.
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