Prevent irritating SNDBRKMSG messages to *ALLWS

Let's face it; we're all out straight most of the time. There's no need to tear your hair out trying to dodge the break messages that keep interrupting your screen. Here's a way of preventing this long-standing frustration.

The solution, in a nutshell, is to create a Validity Checking program for the SNDBRKMSG command. This program will verify if the message-queue parameter specified has been specified as *ALLWS (while sending a message). If so, it will not allow the message to be sent. Thus, a user can send a break message only to a single workstation at a time. For convenience, a copy of the original command can be maintained in a separate library. This copy, which is allowed *ALLWS parameter, can be used only by the system operator/administrator to broadcast critical messages.


  
Program:  BRKVLDC

/***************************************************************************
**/      
/* SNDBRKMSG HAS 5 PARAMETERS. HENCE 5 DECLARATIONS ARE REQUIRED */

/* Length of all parameters - except T2 (Workstation MSGQ) - is immaterial
*/        
/***************************************************************************
**/      
 

PGM PARM(&T1 &T2 &T3 &T4 &T5)

 

             DCL        VAR(&T1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1)

             DCL        VAR(&T2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(20) /* MSGQ + Lib-name */

             DCL        VAR(&T3) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1)

             DCL        VAR(&T4) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1)

             DCL        VAR(&T5) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1)

             DCL        VAR(&T2SUB) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)

 

 

    /* Actual WS-MSGQ name starts from the 3rd char.  */

    /* 1st 2 character contains the number of entries on this parameter */

 

             CHGVAR     VAR(&T2SUB) VALUE(%SST(&T2 3 10))

     /************************************************************/

      /* If entry = *ALLWS, 'Escape' disallow message-sending */

 

              IF         COND(&T2SUB *EQ '*ALLWS') THEN(DO)

              SNDPGMMSG  MSGID(CPF0002) MSGF(QSYS/QCPFMSG) +

                           MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE)

 

         GOTO END

    ENDDO

    /*********************************************************/

 

    END:     ENDPGM

Compile above program. Attach it to SNDBRKMSG command:
CHGCMD CMD(SNDBRKMSG) VLDCKR(MYLIB/BRKVLDC)

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This was first published in January 2004

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