IBM Mainframe Forum

Hello, I need to execute a jcl who PARM exceed more than 100 characters, some of this parameters are variables like &CICS&DB2&COMP

I modified JCL to execute PARM by DDPARM on a file, but i am not able to insert values with &CICS&DB2&COMP.

I guess maybe it is possible to capture variables on PARM creating some new steps, but I dunno how.

Any suggestion?

As long as you are using z/OS 2.1 or higher, access the MVS JCL Reference manual for your version of z/OS and investigate the PARMDD statement. It allows you to pass parameters longer than 100 characters into a program, but not in the JCl -- the parameters go into the DD statement.

Thank you Robert , use more tha. 100 is not the problem, problem os use more tha. 100 with &variable strings

Are the &variable values supposed to remain &variable or are you expecting them to be substituted? Post (using the Code button) the JCL you are using and the message(s) you are getting when you try to execute that JCL, please.

jcdm wrote:Thank you Robert , use more tha. 100 is not the problem, problem os use more tha. 100 with &variable strings

Try this:
PARMDD parameter

Thank you so much sergeyken. It looks great, but now I am facing new issue.

JCL comes with 3 variables, and in this case one of the have data:

//STP0000 EXEC PROC=ELAXJCDM,
// CICS=,
// DB2=,
// COMP=',''SQL,CP(1148)'''

My PROC is like:

// EXPORT SYMLIST=(*)
// SET CICS=&CICS
// SET DB2=&DB2
// SET COMP=&COMP
//*
//COBOL EXEC PGM=IGYCRCTL,REGION=0M,TIME=1440,PARMDD=JCDM
...
//JCDM DD *,SYMBOLS=(JCLONLY)
ZD(NOPFD),VLR(COMPAT),LIST,MAP,DYN,TRUNC(BIN),APOST,
NOSQLC,AR(E),&CICS&DB2&COMP

But fails:

4 XX EXPORT SYMLIST=(*)
5 XX SET CICS=&CICS
IEFC653I SUBSTITUTION JCL - CICS=
6 XXCICS EXPORT EXPSET= GENERATED STATEME
7 XX SET DB2=&DB2
IEFC653I SUBSTITUTION JCL - DB2=
8 XXDB2 EXPORT EXPSET= GENERATED STATEME
9 XX SET COMP=&COMP
IEFC653I SUBSTITUTION JCL - COMP=,'SQL,CP(1148)'
10 XXCOMP EXPORT EXPSET= GENERATED STATEME
XX*
XX*

10 IEFC640I EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF POSITIONAL PARAMETERS IN THE VALUE FIELD OF THE SYMBOLIC PARAMETER

Please, start using the Code button for your samples!

jcdm wrote:JCL comes with 3 variables, and in this case one of the have data:

Select all

//STP0000 EXEC PROC=ELAXJCDM,  
// CICS=,                      
// DB2=,                        
// COMP=',''SQL,CP(1148)'''

jcdm wrote:My PROC is like:

Select all

// EXPORT SYMLIST=(*)                                        
//  SET    CICS=&CICS                                        
//  SET    DB2=&DB2                                          
//  SET    COMP=&COMP                                        
//*                                                                                                                
//COBOL    EXEC PGM=IGYCRCTL,REGION=0M,TIME=1440,PARMDD=JCDM
 ...                        
//JCDM     DD *,SYMBOLS=(JCLONLY)                            
  ZD(NOPFD),VLR(COMPAT),LIST,MAP,DYN,TRUNC(BIN),APOST,      
     NOSQLC,AR(E),&CICS&DB2&COMP

This doesn't make any sense.
You are trying to assign to your SET-variables CICS, DB2, and COMP some previous values of the same variables.
It looks like &CICS and &DB2 are not yet defined, while previous value of COMP is very strange (COMP=,'SQL,CP(1148)').

What did you mean while coding this?


1) There is no need to redefine the PROC parameters as new SET-variables within a procedure.
2) The complex value of COMP parameter cannot be assigned correctly to the new COMP variable according to the // SET statement requirements (RTFM)

Use the parameters of your PROC as they are, to substitute into your input stream

Thank you for quick reply.

First JCL:


comes from a compilation process. CICS; DB2 and COMP , could be filled or not and execute PROC ELAXJCDM where I am trying to get that variables.

In this case, comes in that way because I was using PARM value:





But I need to put more that 100 chars including &CICS&DB2&COMP

jcdm wrote:Thank you for quick reply.

But I need to put more that 100 chars including &CICS&DB2&COMP

Please, read again my initial response (post #5 in this thread).

I have no intention to repeat the same answer again, and again.

These users thanked the author sergeyken for the post:

jcdm (Thu Mar 31, 2022 12:25 pm)

I'm locking this topic. jcdm has not been able to explain just what is wanted and why the solutions we've provided won't work. Furthermore, the desire to have more than 100 characters in a PARM just plain won't work -- that's why IBM produced the PARMDD statement. From the MVS JCL Reference manual (SA23-1385):

Length: The length of the subparameters passed must not exceed 100 characters:
• Including any commas, which are passed to the processing program.
• Excluding any enclosing parentheses or apostrophes, which are not passed.
For example, PARM='P1,123,MT5' is received by the program as P1,123,MT5.
Commas: When you code more than one subparameter, separate the subparameters by commas and
enclose the subparameters in parentheses or apostrophes. For example, PARM=(P1,123,MT5) or
PARM='P1,123,MT5'.
Special characters and blanks: When a subparameter contains special characters or blanks, enclose it
in apostrophes and the other subparameters in parentheses, or enclose all the subparameters in
apostrophes. For example, PARM=(P50,'12+80') or PARM='P50,12+80'.
Code each apostrophe and ampersand that is part of the subparameter as two consecutive apostrophes
or ampersands. For example, code 3462&5 as PARM='3462&&5'.
However, if a subparameter contains a symbolic parameter, code a single ampersand. You can code the
symbolic parameter in apostrophes.