Hyperlink
A hyperlink, or simply a link, is a reference within a digital document or web interface that, when activated, directs the user to another location within the same document, a different document, or an external resource. In the mainframe and z/OS context, hyperlinks are primarily encountered in web-based interfaces, online documentation, and web-enabled applications that interact with or run on z/OS.
Key Characteristics
-
- Web-Based Nature: Predominantly found in graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and web browsers used to access mainframe systems or documentation, such as z/OS Management Facility (z/OSMF) or product manuals.
- URL-Driven: Each hyperlink is associated with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that specifies the target resource's location on a network, leveraging z/OS's TCP/IP stack.
- Interactive Navigation: Allows users to navigate seamlessly between related information, tasks, or application screens with a single click or tap.
- Embedded Context: Often embedded within text or as graphical elements (buttons, images) to provide additional context, drill-down capabilities, or access to related functions.
- Modern z/OS Interfaces: Essential for the usability of modern z/OS tools and applications that provide web front-ends, moving beyond traditional green-screen interactions.
Use Cases
-
- z/OSMF Navigation: Navigating between different z/OSMF tasks, views, dashboards, or accessing integrated help documentation within the z/OS Management Facility web interface.
- Online Product Documentation: Clicking links within IBM Knowledge Center or other online manuals for z/OS, DB2, CICS, or IMS to jump to related topics, definitions, or external resources.
- Web-Enabled Mainframe Applications: User interfaces for applications hosted on z/OS (e.g., CICS web applications, Java EE applications on Liberty for z/OS) using hyperlinks for internal navigation, form submissions, or accessing external data.
- Reporting and Monitoring Tools: Interactive reports or monitoring dashboards generated by mainframe tools (e.g., OMEGAMON, SMF analysis tools) that are viewed in a web browser, allowing drill-down into detailed metrics via hyperlinks.
- API Documentation: Links within API documentation (e.g., for z/OS Connect APIs) to related endpoints, data models, or example requests and responses.
Related Concepts
Hyperlinks are fundamental to z/OS Management Facility (z/OSMF), which provides a web-based console for managing z/OS, making extensive use of links for navigation and task execution. They rely on TCP/IP for z/OS for network communication and HTTP/HTTPS protocols to retrieve the linked resources. Modern mainframe application development often involves CICS Web Support or IMS Web Services to serve web content, where hyperlinks are crucial for user interaction. The underlying structure for embedding hyperlinks is typically HTML or other markup languages rendered by web browsers.
- Descriptive Link Text: Ensure the text of a hyperlink clearly indicates its destination or purpose (e.g., "View Job Log" instead of "Click Here") for better usability and accessibility.
- Consistent URL Structures: Maintain logical and consistent URL naming conventions for web resources served from z/OS to improve navigability and maintainability.
- Broken Link Management: Regularly check and validate hyperlinks within z/OS-related web applications and documentation to prevent users from encountering "Page Not Found" errors.
- Security Considerations: For web interfaces on z/OS, ensure that hyperlinks point to trusted resources and use HTTPS for sensitive operations to encrypt data in transit.
- Accessibility Standards: When designing web interfaces for z/OS applications, adhere to web accessibility guidelines (e.g., WCAG) to ensure hyperlinks are usable by individuals with disabilities.