Ever wish you knew more about the Interactive System Productivity Facility (ISPF)? Join us at SHARE Sacramento, March 11-16, to learn from experts about this very important software product for z/OS®. Dan Dirkse, former ISPF/PDF developer and technical editor for the Edit and Edit Macros publication, will be on hand at SHARE Sacramento to share tips on how to write and edit macros to maximize efficiency and productivity.
We spoke to Dan to find out what he has in store for Sacramento, and to hear what he thinks about the state of mainframe education. If you haven’t already, register for SHARE Sacramento by visiting event.share.org/register.
- Could you describe your background in mainframe? How long have you been involved in SHARE?
I started working with mainframes in 1980 as an IBM intern and was privileged to become an architect for the ISPF/PDF product in the late 80s. During that time, I presented sessions on the editor at SHARE and GUIDE conferences. I have been consulting independently for the past 20 years and have recently started presenting again at SHARE conferences.
- Can you describe the focus of your lecture? Why is ISPF such an important topic to cover?
This is the first time I am presenting the “ISPF Master Class: Edit Macros” session. It is a follow up to the “ISPF Master Class: Edit – from A to .ZLAST” session that was recently presented at SHARE San Jose and SHARE Providence. ISPF is a product most mainframe professionals use every day, so it’s important to use it as effectively as possible. For example, edit macros can significantly increase your productivity while working with the editor.
- From your experience teaching ISPF courses, what are the biggest or most frequent roadblocks that mainframe pros run into?
It is easy to spend all our time focusing on our clients’ needs, and fail to spend the time needed to keep up with the latest developments in our field. That’s why SHARE is a great vehicle for continuous learning. It’s so critical to understand all the capabilities of the products we use, in order to maximize our own efficiency.
- What’s the next paradigm shift in mainframe and how do you hope to prepare mainframe pros for that?
The DevOps tools are maturing and are especially valuable in drawing the next generation of developers to the Z environment. For those not yet using the latest DevOps tools – and even for those that are – it’s important to understand all the tools and their capabilities to know which will provide the greatest value for the problem at hand.
- What do you hope attendees walk away with?
I would like to increase their awareness of the development tools available to them. I also want to give them the confidence to start developing tools both for their own use and for others.
Heading to SHARE Sacramento? Make sure to stop by Dan’s “ISPF Master Class: Edit Macros” session on Wednesday, March 14, from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm. Log in here to save his course to your SHARE profile. And there’s still time to register for SHARE Sacramento, March 11-16, if you haven’t already.