PROFDUMP: Dump an ISPF profile to a file

Ever wonder where ISPF saves a setting? PROFDUMP can dump the contents of your application profile to a file so that you can find variables that changed. The easiest way to use it is to dump the profile immediately before and after making a change to a setting. Then edit one of the files and use the edit COMPARE command to view the differences between the files.

PROFDUMP is available as source code.

To save the source code using Netscape or Internet Explorer, select the link above with the right mouse button and select 'Save Link As...' or Save Target as...'

Function

Dump the contents of the current application profile. This is usually used to find out what variables changed after a specific action.

Calling Syntax from ISPF:

  TSO PROFDUMP dsname appid

where dsname is the name of the data set to store the profile information in. Each variable is stored on a single line which includes the variable name, the length, and the variable value (as much as will fit on one line).

appid is optional and is the application id of the profile to dump (ISP, ISR, ISPS, etc)

Warning: The file you specify will be deleted and reallocated, so don't use a file that already has data you want to keep.

Output

Data set name pointed to by the cursor is edited.

Installation

1. Place profdump.txt in a library allocated to SYSEXEC or SYSPROC.

Samples

This example shows how to find where ISPF stores the setting to show or not show the edit entry panel in option 3.4. The steps I followed were:

1. =3.4 from the primary panel to enter the data set list
2. Enter a dsname level and press enter to show the list
3. Type TSO PROFDUMP FILE1 to save the original settings in 'userid.FILE1'
4. Use the Options pulldown, DSLIST Settings... choice to display the DSLIST settings panel.
5. Change the setting "Display edit/view entry panel' and press END
6. Type TSO PROFDUMP FILE2 to save the new settings.
7. Edit FILE1 and type COMPARE FILE2 X

The edit session, shown below, shows that the setting is stored in variable ZWPEP.