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1.0 Chapter 1. Introduction

   TSO/E is a base element of the OS/390* operating system that allows users 
   to interactively work with the system. 

   You can use TSO/E in any one of the following three environments: 

   o   The Information Center Facility 

       Perhaps the easiest way to use TSO/E is through the Information Center 
       Facility.  It uses panels and provides a way to display services such 
       as: 

       -   Office support - (mail, names directory) 
       -   Decision support - (data analysis) 
       -   Document preparation - (reports, charts, graphs). 

       More information about the Information Center Facility is in 
       Chapter 4, "Using the Information Center Facility". 

   o   ISPF/PDF 

       The Interactive System Productivity Facility (ISPF) and its Program 
       Development Facility (ISPF/PDF) work together with TSO/E to provide 
       panels with which users can interact.  ISPF provides the underlying 
       dialog management service that displays panels and enables a user to 
       navigate through the panels.  ISPF/PDF is a dialog of ISPF that helps 
       maintain libraries of information in TSO/E and allows a user to manage 
       the library through facilities such as browse, edit, and utilities. 

       More information about ISPF/PDF is in Chapter 5, "Using ISPF/PDF", 
       Chapter 7, "Using Data Sets", and Chapter 8, "Sending Data to a 
       Printer or to Another User". 

   o   Line Mode TSO/E 

       The way programmers originally communicated interactively with the MVS 
       operating system was with TSO/E commands typed on a terminal, one line 
       at a time.  It is a quick and direct way to use TSO/E. 

       More information about line mode TSO/E is in Chapter 6, "Using Line 
       Mode TSO/E", Chapter 7, "Using Data Sets", and Chapter 8, "Sending 
       Data to a Printer or to Another User". 


   TSO/E is a powerful tool for both programmers and non-programmers.  The 
   introduction of new products and the use of ISPF is moving TSO/E from a 
   programmer's tool to a highly flexible subsystem that delivers computing 
   resources to the end user.  Now anyone can use TSO/E to do many diverse 
   tasks in several environments.  This book shows you how to do some of the 
   basic tasks. 

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