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Configure Auto Expand Dialog Box

How do I get to this dialog box?

  1. Open the Settings window.

    The steps depend on your user interface mode.

    User Interface Mode Steps
    Ribbon or Reflection Browser With a session open in Reflection, from the Quick Access Toolbar, click .
    TouchUx Tap the Gear icon and then select Document Settings.

  2. On the Settings dialog box, under Productivity, select Configure Auto Expand.

You can build a "dictionary" of Auto Expand definitions for the current session.

Use the Auto Expand feature to add acronyms or shortcuts for long words, phrases, or complex repeat commands. The shortcut, when typed and followed by the Spacebar, automatically expands to the full word or phrase.

note

  • This feature is not available with VT sessions.

  • Expansion does not occur in hidden-text fields such as passwords.

  • To use Auto Expand with uppercase only fields, clear the Use case sensitivity when expanding option. Uppercase only fields are required to support alpha data on Japanese systems. They are also common on IBM System i systems for which 5250 emulation is used.

Definitions

Select the row, or double-click in the fields to enable text entry.

Setting Description
Abbreviation Type the acronym or shortcut to enter on the host screen. The shortcut is expanded to the long word, phrase, or command entered in the Expansion field on the same row. Spaces are not permitted in the Abbreviation text box.
Expansion Type the long word, phrase, or command to associate with the acronym or shortcut entered in the Abbreviation field on the same row.

Options

Setting Description
Use case sensitivity when expanding Clear this check box to have Auto Expand ignore case when you are typing in a host field. Auto Expand abbreviations cannot be duplicated in the dictionary, regardless of case, even if this option is selected. To use Auto Expand with uppercase only fields, clear this option.
Wrap text into next field Select to prevent expansions from being truncated if they don't fit in the current field. Characters that don't fit are entered into the next unprotected field on the host screen.

Overwrite and Insert

These options determine how Auto Expand behaves when entering a definition into a field with pre-existing data.

Setting Description
Erase to the end of the field after inserting Auto Expand definition Select to have all other data in the field deleted after the Auto Expand definition is entered.
Insert mode Select to maintain existing field data, with the Auto Expand definition inserted at the cursor location. If the insertion pushes existing data past the end of the field, the data is truncated.
Overwrite mode Select to overwrite only the data that exists where the Auto Expand definition is being placed. Other data in the field is not affected.

More information