RE: message subfile in CL program - 2nd level text

>>>However, when I place the cursor on line 24 when the 
>>>message is showing and press F1, I am not getting 
>>>the screen that shows the entire message with 
>>>2nd level text.  Instead, control returns to the CL 
>>>program.  The display file has the ALTHELP 
>>>and HELP keywords defined.  

>>Try emulated Help key

>same problem.  Even on a dumb terminal. 

I think you want *SAME instead of *EXT

I have an old S/38 CL program that I use this with all the time.  Because it
was S/38, F1 = Exit.  Here's a snippet:
     A                                      DSPSIZ(24 80 *DS3)          
     A                                      MSGLOC(24)                  
     A                                      CF01(01 'CF01')             
     A          R BMENUR                                                
     A                                      CF03(03 'CALL QCL')         
     A                                      CF04(04 'Prompt, please')   
     A                                      CF06(06 'DSPMSG')           
     A                                      CF09(09 'Retrieve previous')
     A                                      HELP(12 'Help')             
...
     A          R BMENUS                    SFL

     A                                      SFLMSGRCD(20)

     A            WMSGK                     SFLMSGKEY

     A            WPGMQ                     SFLPGMQ

     A          R BMENUC                    SFLCTL(BMENUS)

     A                                      OVERLAY

     A                                      LOCK

     A                                      SFLDSP

     A                                      SFLINZ

     A                                      SFLSIZ(0006)

     A                                      SFLPAG(0003)

     A            WPGMQ                     SFLPGMQ


And the CL that goes with it:
             SNDF       RCDFMT(BMENUC) 
             SNDRCVF    RCDFMT(BMENUR)  
...
/* wrong library */
             SNDPGMMSG  MSG('Invalid library.  Please supply valid +   
                          library name in SRC or OBJ parameter.') +    
                          TOPGMQ(*SAME)                                
...

Buck