In IBM z are display files (dspf) like in IBM i?

Question

In an IBM i/AS400 there are display files (DSPF) which is used to design / create screens. DSPF (display file) in AS/400 is a file with definitions to format a screen to show and to receive data.

Are there similar files in zOS?

Answer 1

Screens on z/OS are specific to a subsystem.

In ISPF you would use Dialog Tag Language and/or panel definition statements to create a screen (ISPF calls it a panel).

In CICS you would use Assembler macros to create a BMS map (the screen).

In IMS you would use Message Format Services to create a screen.

As indicated in @SteveIves answer, there exist products to "paint" a screen.

All of the above are used to create 3270 screens; these days of course almost all 3270 devices are emulated. This is not the only way to create a user interface for a z/OS application. CICS, for example, understands http and it is relatively common to have a web interface to a CICS application.

Answer 2

There are no such files by default in z/OS. There are software products that have screen definitions - ISPF and Telon being 2. ISPF (Interactive System Productivity Feature) is the ‘default’ UI under TSO and you can create your own screens, but these are not dsp files.

Telon is (I think) some sort of screen layout/definition utility used to create applications running under IBM’s CICS. These are also not dsp files.