Extensible definition of interactive system productivity facility (ispf) panels

A computer data processing system configured for extensibly defining interactive system productivity facility (ISPF) panels, the system comprising:

• an operating system executing in a host computer;
• an ISPF facility provided by the operating system;
• a plurality of panels each defined by a plurality of panel definition statements recognizable by the ISPF facility, the panel definition statements comprising at least one panel input exit facility referencing an external input exit facility;
• and,
• the ISPF facility comprising program code enabled to load a panel amongst the panels, to identify a panel input exit facility amongst the panel definition statements defining the loaded panel, to determine an external exit module referenced by the loaded panel input exit facility, and to pass records of the loaded panel to the external input exit facility for pre-processing of the panel outside of the ISPF facility.

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium embodying computer usable program code for extensibly defining interactive system productivity facility (ISPF) panels, the computer program product comprising:

• computer usable program code for loading a panel defined by a plurality of panel definition statements recognizable by an ISPF facility;
• computer usable program code for identifying a panel input exit facility amongst the panel definition statements defining the panel, the panel input exit facility referencing an external exit module;
• computer usable program code for determining an external exit module referenced by the panel input exit facility;
• and,
• computer usable program code for passing records of the panel to the external input exit facility for pre-processing of the panel outside of the ISPF facility.