Technical Tips

Instructions for getting a PREFERENCE Trace

Method 1 - use for a development/test system with no (or few) users

1. Sign on to the PREFERENCE system as a supervisor.
2. At the type command line type 'ls' (line status command) and press ENTER. If there is just one or two users on the system, proceed with this method. Otherwise use "Method 2" below.
3. Type 'rules' and press ENTER to go to the SUPERVISOR RULES ADMINISTRATION screen.
4. Press F9 Trace Table.
5. If Trace is 'on' (lower right), clear the trace table (F5 Clear). If Trace is 'off', turn trace on (F9) and clear the trace table (F5 Clear).
6. The Terminal ID in the upper left should be *&. If not, press F6 Change TID. Type *& (this is a 'catch-all') as the TID and press ENTER.
7. Press F3 to End out of trace.
8. On another terminal session go to the application screen in question and invoke help.
9. Exit from the help screen.
10. On the first PREFERENCE session from the RULES ADMINISTRATION press F9 Trace Table. The trace should now contain data and 'Last trace' should reflect the current time/date.

1. On a terminal session go to the location where the user would invoke the application for which help is not working.
2. From a Clear screen enter the transaction to sign on to PREFERENCE and press ENTER for a standalone request (this transaction would normally be PRDP). The Terminal ID should be in the upper right of the signon frame. Copy or write down this TID.
3. Enter the supervisor signon ID and press ENTER to sign on as a supervisor.
4. At the type command line type 'rules' and press ENTER to go to the SUPERVISOR RULES ADMINISTRATION screen.
5. Press F9 Trace Table.
6. If Trace is 'on' (lower right), clear the trace table (F5 Clear). If Trace is 'off', turn trace on (F9) and clear the trace table (F5 Clear).
7. Press F6 Change TID, type the TID recorded in step 2. above and press ENTER.
8. F3 End out of Trace, F3 Quit out of SUPERVISOR RULES ADMINISTRATION and F3 until you are out of PREFERENCE.
9. Bring up the application screen and invoke help.
10. Exit from the help screen and out of the application.
11. Sign on to PREFERENCE as a supervisor.
12. At the type command line type 'rules' and press ENTER to go to the SUPERVISOR RULES ADMINISTRATION screen.
13. Press F9 Trace Table. The Trace should now contain data and 'Last trace' should reflect current time/date.