IBM Mainframe Forum

• JCL symbols. I think you mean JCL symbols in your query. There is a trick to pass JCL symbols to TSO commands, but I think this trick is inappropriate for DEFINE CLUSTER as a TSO command.
• System symbols. IDCAMS can retrieve selected system symbols when the symbol is used in a command. See DFSMS AMS for Catalogs for your z/OS release.

1. There is no such entity as a "VSAM file." There are "VSAM data sets" and "VSAM clusters."
2. In MVS systems, a "file" is the data
   • Between the beginning of a tape volume and the first "tape mark" OR
   • Between two "tape marks" on a tape volume.
   Period. End of story.
   
   DO NOT use the term "file" as a substitute for the term "data set." An MVS data set is divided into distinct physical and logical records. There is no use of embedded data to distinguish elements of a data set as is often true of "files" in Linux, Unix and Windows.

Enhancements for symbol processing in JCL in JES2 environments. This new
function is designed to make both JCL and system symbols available during
job execution. For example, you will be able to specify that symbols be used in
instream data sets, such as SYSIN data sets, and that symbols be retrieved from
the system using new programming services. This support is intended to make
symbols more usable and accessible and to make it easier to use identical copies
of JCL in multiple environments.

Ed Goodman wrote:Remind me...diff between JES2 and JES3?

dick scherrer wrote:Hello,

To get around your current "opportunity" you might create all of the DEFINEs you need in separate members and at run time specify which DEFINE member to use via the symbolic parameter.

Ed Goodman wrote:Remind me...diff between JES2 and JES3? (We're on JES3, that's why I ask)