IBM Mainframe Forum

Posted: **Tue Nov 25, 2014 10:13 pm**

I am brand new to JCL and am just trying to understand the difference between SYSIN and SORTIN and SYSOUT and SORTOUT. The documentation says that SYS is to do with program messages and control statements, however I am unsure what this means. It says that SORT is to do with input and output data sets?

Posted: **Tue Nov 25, 2014 10:49 pm**

You seem to have it right. Here's an example of a step to copy a data set:

Select all

//COPY EXEC PGM=SORT
//SYSOUT DD SYSOUT=*
//SORTIN DD DSN=hlq.xxxxxxx.PAYMENTS(0),
// DISP=SHR
//SORTOUT DD DSN=hlq.yyyyyyy.PAYMENTS.G0275,
// DISP=(NEW,CATLG,DELETE),
// LRECL=308,
// RECFM=FB,
// SPACE=(TRK,(1,1),RLSE),
// UNIT=DISK
//SYSIN DD *
OPTION COPY

SYSOUT: where the printed output goes
SORTIN: the input data set
SORTOUT: the output data set
SYSIN: the control cards to tell SORT what you want to do

Posted: **Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:02 pm**

Thank you for that. Why does SYSIN have just a * after DD? Also, is generating a report from a dataset the same process? Because that is what I want to do.

Posted: **Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:09 pm**

The * tells JCL that the control statements are inline instead of inside a data set.
For a formatted report, you'll want to specify statements to make it look the way you want it. If all you want is a printed report of the input data set, I'd use IEBGENER instead.

Posted: **Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:30 pm**

SORT has many functions and handy things for reports :-)

Posted: **Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:31 pm**

I'm still a little confused as to what a control statement actually is? The report does need to be formatted because one of the numbers in the different records of the data set is a 4 byte unsigned binary which needs to be displayed as 6 digits with zeroes in front if necessary.

Posted: **Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:39 pm**

BillyBoyo wrote:SORT has many functions and handy things for reports

But SORT is different from ICETOOL?

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2014 12:09 am**

SORT is a generic term. Your initial post should probably been posted in the DFSORT/ICETOOL/ICEGENER section or the Syncsort/Synctool section depending on which product you have. They are similar but competing products.

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2014 12:17 am**

Terry Heinze wrote:SORT is a generic term. Your initial post should probably been posted in the DFSORT/ICETOOL/ICEGENER section or the Syncsort/Synctool section depending on which product you have. They are similar but competing products.

Are you familiar with ICETOOL though?

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2014 2:01 am**

ICETOOL is explained in the DFSORT: Getting Started Manual that you are currently reading as indicated in the DFSORT section of this bulletin board.

IBM Mainframe Forum

Re: Difference between SYS and SORT in IN and OUT

Re: Difference between SYS and SORT in IN and OUT

Re: Difference between SYS and SORT in IN and OUT

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Re: Difference between SYS and SORT in IN and OUT

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Re: Re: Difference between SYS and SORT in IN and OUT

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Re: Difference between SYS and SORT in IN and OUT

Re: Difference between SYS and SORT in IN and OUT

Re: Difference between SYS and SORT in IN and OUT