08
Tue, Oct
2 New Articles

TechTip: Keyboard Shortcuts for Remote System Explorer (RSE)

General
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

We all love our keyboard shortcuts, and RSE has a bunch you probably don't even know about.

susan_gantner.jpgBy Susan Gantner

If you use Remote System Explorer (RSE) as part of either WDSC or RDi to edit your RPG code, you probably already use a number of keyboard shortcuts to improve your productivity. Maybe you even have a cheat sheet of your own pinned up next to your workstation with your favorites on it. Have you ever wondered whether there are some shortcuts out there that you don't know about?

 

If you don't use many keyboard shortcuts currently, have you ever thought about how much faster you could get things done if you didn't need to keep moving your hands off the keyboard to use the mouse? In my experience teaching RSE classes for companies and giving sessions at conferences such as the RPG & DB2 Summit, I'm often asked about keyboard shortcuts for just that reason. After all, SEU users rarely have reason to touch a mouse while editing code.

 

From that experience was born the first list of "Favorite Keyboard Shortcuts for WDSC" a couple of years ago. When System i Developer published the keyboard shortcut list--both on hard copy cards and in PDF form--even I was surprised by the number of people who took advantage of the offer. Now, hot off the presses is the updated version of the shortcut list, this time renamed "Favorite Keyboard Shortcuts for RSE" because they are equally applicable to both RDi users and WDSC users. You may want to take a look at the new list yourself to see if you can pick up some handy new shortcuts.

 

There are other shortcut lists available, including in the RSE tool itself. As a matter of fact, there's even a shortcut key to provide a shortcut key list; Ctrl+Shift+L while in RSE brings up a list of keyboard shortcuts. But I found that the list was way too long (with shortcuts to many things I don't use), and finding the shortcuts I do need in the list was cumbersome.

 

The updated System i Developer shortcuts list is organized into four categories:

  • Standard Windows shortcuts are those that you may (or may not) already use when writing documents or emails. These include basic cut/copy/paste operations as well as undo/redo--ones that I particularly wanted years ago when coding with SEU! Some that may be a little less well-known include shortcuts to jump to the beginning or end of a line of code (Home/End) or of the entire source member (Ctrl+Home/Ctrl+End) as well as to display the context menu (aka right-click menu) via Shift+F10. One that I've lately become addicted to is the use of the right and left arrow keys to expand or collapse lists in trees, such as object or member lists in RSE or lists of fields or references to fields in the Outline View.
  • Navigation shortcuts are those that help you move around in the toolset. This list includes two ways to navigate between open members in the editor (Ctrl+F6 and Ctrl+E) as well as switch between Views (Ctrl+F7) or perspectives (Ctrl+F8). The most useful of all in this category may be F12, which allows you to jump to the editor after you have been working with your error list or perusing the Outline View.
  • Editing shortcuts are those that are useful for editing source code specifically. This is the biggest category and includes things like Ctrl+Shift+A to open a source member directly without drilling down through a list in RSE. One I use constantly is Ctrl+F5 to remove those lovely pink messages inserted into the source by the syntax checker, verifier, or compiler. Some new ones in the updated list include Ctrl+2, which opens up a split-screen view of the same source member, and F3, which jumps to the code for an internal subroutine or subprocedure when positioned on a reference to it (e.g., function call or EXSR). Alt+Q jumps back to the referenced location after you've seen what you need.
  • Nested logic help is a new category with this update. It covers the different ways to help navigate through nested logic by indicating the beginning and end of blocks of code. These include Ctrl+M to highlight an entire block of code when you're positioned on either the beginning (e.g., If or Do) or end (e.g., EndIf or EndDo) of a code block as well as Ctrl+Shift+O to draw arrows near the sequence numbers, indicating code block nesting.

Take a look at the new and improved System i Developer's Favorite Keyboard Shortcuts for RSE to see if you might become even more productive with RSE than you are already. Other tips as well as an RSE FAQ are available from the same page.

Susan Gantner

Susan Gantner's career has spanned over 30 years in the field of application development. She began as a programmer, developing applications for corporations in Atlanta, Georgia, and working with a variety of hardware and software platforms. She joined IBM in 1985 and quickly developed a close association with the Rochester laboratory during the development of the AS/400 system. She worked in Rochester, Minnesota, for five years in the AS/400 Technical Support Center. She later moved to the IBM Toronto Software Laboratory to provide technical support for programming languages and AD tools on the AS/400 and iSeries.

Susan left IBM in 1999 to devote more time to teaching and consulting. She co-authored one of the most popular System i Redbooks ever, Who Knew You Could Do That with RPG IV? She and partner Jon Paris make up Partner400, a consulting company focused on education and mentoring services related to application modernization. Susan is also part of System i Developer, a consortium of top educators on System i technology who produce the RPG & DB2 Summit events. Its members include Jon Paris, Paul Tuohy, Skip Marchesani, and Susan Gantner.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: