When you create or change a user profile, there are many optional parameters for which you can specify a value. Since we normally just clone an existing user profile to make a new one, most of us never get around to examining all of those optional parameters.

For example, did you know that you could specify the User Options parameter? You can use this parameter to do all sorts of things. Here, I'll discuss the User Options parameter in more detail.

When using the CRTUSRPRF, CHGUSRPRF, or CHGPRF command, one of the last parameters is User Options(USROPT).

The default value for USROPT is *NONE, so when we do not specify an alternate value, we get no special options for that user.

The alternate values we can specify include *CLKWD, *EXPERT, *ROLLKEY, *NOSTSMSG, *STSMSG, *HLPFULL, and *PRTMSG.

Here's an example of using the USROPT parameter.

CRTUSRPRF USRPRF(MYUSER)… USROPT(*HLPFULL *PRTMSG)

*CLKWD – Show CL keywords

F11 is a toggle switch to see choices or CL Keywords. *CLKWD simply changes the display you see first; choices or keywords.

When Prompting a Control Language command with F4=Prompt, we first see a textual description of the choices you can enter for the parameter on the right side of the parameter entry area. If we press F11=Keywords, we will see the CL keyword names to the left of the parameter entry area.

If we assign the user option *CLKWD to a user profile, these displays are reversed. In other words, you will first be prompted with the CL Keywords, and will see the choices after pressing F11=Choices.

As I recall from the old System/38 days, the CL prompter always prompted for CL keywords, and there was no F11 toggle to see the text for the choices. Choices were added in OS/400 V1R1. So, for those old hands who want to see things the old System/38 way, set the user option *CLKWD to see the keywords first. (I'm sure someone will correct me if I mis-remember the System/38 Command Prompt from 1988.)

*EXPERT – Use expert mode on certain displays

I really don't use this option. When I'm on the system, I need as much help as I can get, and *EXPERT mode removes the instructions on some operational screens. It is similar to setting the *ADVANCED assistance level on screens that support that level.

*ROLLKEY – Change page up/page down

This user option is a hoot! I guess some folks just don't get the metaphor of page up and page down. It seems backwards to some. So, if you set the *ROLLKEY option for a user, the functions of page up and page down are reversed.

You can have some real fun with that one.

*NOSTSMSG or *STSMSG – *Status message display

I guess some users get real confused when they see those status messages blinking at them from line 24 of the display. It happens a lot during Query operations, and will also show up in custom code where the programmer is sending *status messages to keep the user informed.

But as the programmer, you may not want the user to know what the code is doing, so sometimes you want to hide your *status messages.

If *STSMSG is selected, the user will see status messages. If *NOSTSMSG is selected, the user will not see *status messages. If neither of these values is selected, the user will see *status messages.

Caveat: There are other avenues to control the display of *status messages: the system value QSTSMSG and the job attribute STSMSG.

*HLPFULL – Full screen help text

The i/OS has great HELP facilities. Cursor-sensitive HELP text is available on all IBM displays, and IBM and 3rd party vendors have provided great tools to easily build HELP text for your own application screens.

When you use the F1=HELP key, you typically get a limited help text window, which you can then scroll through to view the entire help text.

The *HLPFULL user option changes that windowed help text to cover the entire screen instead of a fraction of the screen. So *HLPFULL means full screen help text. I like this user option.

*PRTMSG – Message on printing action

Don't you love it when you user calls you and asks, "Where is my report? Is it done yet?." Well, by turning on *PRTMSG for a user, they receive an interrupting message telling them when their report is done printing.

I like this option for end users.