Rules for the operations and control panels

The WebSphere MQ Script (MQSC) Command Reference manual defines the general rules for WebSphere MQ character strings and names. However, there are some rules that apply only to the operations and control panels:

• Do not enclose strings, for example descriptions, in single or double quotes.

• If we need to use a quote mark in a description or other text field, for example:

  This is Maria's queue

  use just one quote. The panel processor doubles them for you to pass them to WebSphere MQ. However, if it has to truncate your data to do this, it does so.

• We can use uppercase or lowercase characters in most fields, and they are folded to uppercase characters when you press Enter. The exceptions are:

  • Storage class names and Coupling Facility structure names, which must start with uppercase A through Z and be followed by uppercase A through Z or numeric characters.

  • Certain fields that are not translated. These include:

    • Application ID

    • Description

    • Environment data

    • Object names (but if you use a lowercase object name, you might not be able to enter it at a z/OS console)

    • Remote system name

    • Trigger data

    • User data

• In names, leading blanks and leading underscores are ignored. Therefore, we cannot have object names beginning with blanks or underscores.

• Underscores are used to show the extent of blank fields. When you press Enter, trailing underscores are replaced by blanks.

• Many description and text fields are presented in multiple parts, each part being handled by WebSphere MQ independently. This means that trailing blanks are retained and the text is not contiguous.

 

Blank fields

When you specify the Define action for a WebSphere MQ object, each field on the define panel contains a value. See the general help (extended help) for the display panels for information on where WebSphere MQ gets the values. If you type over a field with blanks, and blanks are not allowed, WebSphere MQ puts the installation default value in the field or prompts you to enter the required value.

When you specify the Alter action for a WebSphere MQ object, each field on the alter panel contains the current value for that field. If you type over a field with blanks, and blanks are not allowed, the value of that field is left unchanged.