Prompt action (<prompt> element)
The Prompt action provides a powerful way to send immediate user keyboard input into the 3270 or 5250 application or into a variable.
- The Prompt action types the input into an input field of the session window.
- The Prompt action interprets the input as a string and stores the input into a variable.
A typical use of this action, but by no means the only use, is to permit the user to provide a password. Many scenarios require that a macro log on to a host or start an application that requires a password for access. Because a password is sensitive data and also typically changes from time to time, you probably do not want to code the password as an immediate value into the macro.
With the Prompt action, you can display a message that prompts
the user for a password and that lets the user type the password into
the input field. After the user clicks OK, the macro runtime types
the input into the session window at the row and column location that
you specify. The input sequence can include action keys such as [enterreset],
so that if the user types MyPassword[enterreset]
the macro
runtime not only can type the password into the password field but
also can type the key that completes the logon or access action. (Or,
you can put the action key into an Input action that immediately follows
the Prompt action.)