Customize the PC5250 Popup Keypad

Published: July 18, 2007

Hey, Ted:

I just found out that I can change the function of the keys on the Personal Communications Popup Keypad, similar to the way I can map the keyboard. I created a new keypad with six functions on it. Here's how I did it.

From the PC5250 session within iSeries Access (Client Access), pull down the Edit menu, then select Preferences and Popup Keypad. (Editor's note: In some versions of Personal Communications, use the Assist menu and select Popup Keypad Setup.) Select the User-Defined keypad, rather than the IBM Default, and click on Customize.

At this point, you can expand the number of keypads and the number of keys on an existing keypad. You can map functions, macros, and characters to the buttons in much the same way that you map the keyboard.

I chose to add a third pad, to which I assigned the Copy, Paste, Copy Append, Paste, Next, Cut, Collect Print Screens, and Print Collected Screens functions. I also had to save the session because I don't have the Save-On-Exit option set. (I don't want any inadvertent changes to come back to haunt me.)

--George

I greatly appreciate George for taking the time to share his discovery with other readers of Four Hundred Guru. Even though the ability to customize the popup keypad has been there a long time, I suspect a lot of PC5250 users have never tried their hand at it.

--Ted

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