IBM Mainframe Forum

Can anyone please tell me about the control card and use of it...and if can one small example for that..

Thanks in advance..

Control cards are specific to the program or utility being executed, and as you didn't tell us that information I think that this will be about the best answer you can expect at this time

can you please give me example ..or some reference link to get if you can

If you look at the DFSORT manuals, everything you supply on the //SYSIN DD * is a "control card".

If you look at an IBM utility, it is highly likely that you tell it what to do with a "control card". Like IDCAMS, IEBCOPY, IEWL, etc, etc.

They are called "cards" because originally they were thin pieces of stiff cardboard with holes punched in them to represent characters. They are called "control" because you use them to tell a program, that can understand its own control cards, exactly what you want done. Or what you think you want done

control card

why not use a bit of good sense ...

a control card is a <card> which contains data to <control>/<manage> some process. AMEN

it is silly to ask/give examples...
every program whose process can be <parametrized> will need the appropriate parameters
provided by , old time remiscence - when paper cards were used for input, properly coded control card[s]/statement[s]

nothing more nothing less

The term "control card" just means a small file with parameters for given program. It's jargon.

In a lot of cases, they are stored in those special datasets that have multiple members. So in the JCL for a program, you will see something like:
//SYSIN DD DSN=WTSO.PROGRAM.PARM(MEMBER),DISP=SHR

The lines of data in the member are collectively called the "control cards".

Hello,

Can anyone please tell me about the control card and use of it...

If you explain what caused the question to be asked, we may be able to offer more useful replies.

Nearly every utility program can make use of "cards" to "control" the current execution of the utility.

i am new to mainframe....one of my friends asked what is control card...I dont know answer for that so trying to learn what is that...thanks for all

Hi !

I have two questions :

1 ) What exactly is called as JOB card ? Is the entire JCL called as Job card or the line that contains the job statement alone called as JOB card ?

2) Do we call the logical grouping of JCL into Job, Exec and DD as skeleton of JCL ? If not , what exactly is called as skeleton of JCL ?


Thanks

sethurajan79 wrote:Hi !

I have two questions :

1 ) What exactly is called as JOB card ? Is the entire JCL called as Job card or the line that contains the job statement alone called as JOB card ?

Neither; a job card can span many lines, but there must be at least one step in a job.

2) Do we call the logical grouping of JCL into Job, Exec and DD as skeleton of JCL ?

No.

If not , what exactly is called as skeleton of JCL ?

Nothing, SFAIK. A "skeleton" is a data set used by ISPF file tailoring. Whilst tailoring JCL is probably much the most likely instance, a skeleton need not have a single line in it that is intended to be JCL.