On Sun, 20 Oct 2024 13:27:35 +0000, Peter Relson <[email protected]> wrote:
> At a minimum, programming interface would be clarified to "When not zero, > address of the first problem program save area". You should include if we can modify TCBFSA. Many times for debugging, I wish I could have the first savearea in my task managers data for each task (easier to scroll to see the tasks information. > while Jim Mulder says he doesn't mind your using it, you should really > be asking that it be designated as a programming interface before using it I don't think Jim Mulder was not condoning use of TCBFSA but instead a realization that we have used it for decades and simply accepts that it is now an unofficial programming interface. I believe Jim Mulder was saying he doesn't mind how we use the savearea pointed to by TCBFSA which made me chuckle. How we use savearea pointed to by R13 can be used however we wish (IBM only makes a recommendations. Do we need permission when accessed thru TCBFSA? ;) >Not knowing what the OP wants the ETXR to do, only generalities can be stated. Agreed but only a handful of obscure situations require the use of EXTR. Mentioning alternatives presents options the op may not have considered, can clarify the op's objective and spark alternative solutions. > trying to have the ETXR "do whatever cleanup is needed" for the attached task Let's talk about cleanup in terms of TSO because it's IKJTCB (TSO) instead of IEATCB (MVS). It's standard practice for an attached task to perform cleanup. Having robust error recovery ensures all cleanup is performed. Moving some or all of this cleanup to ETXR does not resolve the lack of error recovery. As a quick and dirty solution, ETXR ensures cleanup is at least attempted even if it dies from an error. It's standard practice for attacher cleanup to be performed when the task termination ECB has been posted. The attached task is gone and can't be used but shouldn't be a problem because the attacher and attached tasks are using a common design. When TSO attaches your command processor or program, it cannot easily inject its self into your cleanup nor recovery. For example, ETXR allows TSO to get the completion code from TCBCMPC. I'm not recommending anyone avoid ETXR but to consider ETXR may be avoiding a problem that could later require a redesign.
