The last time I needed to look at the reference data manual was recently when I had occasion to set up a translate table to replace all "non-printable" characters with periods in a COBOL application program (INSPECT ... CONVERTING) for some dump-formatted report output, so I used the character tables in the reference manual to pick out the right ones. I used the online IBM PDF for that, though somewhere around here I do have paper copies of green and yellow and maybe even one salmon physical reference card (if only I could remember where I last left them . . .).
I could just as easily have used one of the Wikipedia EBCDIC pages for that information. Still, my vote is yes for the reference summary to continue to be generated. Peter From: IBM Mainframe Assembler List <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Dan Greiner Sent: Monday, October 20, 2025 2:47 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Do you still use the IBM z/Architecture Reference Summary (SA22-7871)? We ancient fossils fondly remember the "IBM System/360 Reference Data" (X20-1703), better known as the green card ... a 12-panel folded document that summarized the instructions, mnemonics, operands, and hardware data structures of the original IBM S/360. The appearance of a green card in a shirt pocket – likely behind a pocket protector full of pens – identified the bearer as a true believer ... a programmer not to be trifled with. Over the decades as the architecture grew from 151 instructions to well over 1,200 in the current z/Architecture models, the green card grew into a reference-summary booklet (of varying colors) that now exceeds 100 pages. In this century, IBM eschewed hard copies by (a) providing these documents in a PDF for free, and (b) charging outrageous prices prices for hard copy; then about 10 years ago, they dropped hard copy completely. For the PoO, this was understandable ... it now consumes over two reams of paper and costs a bundle to ship. However, for the Reference Summary, this made the publication MUCH less useful. (I have actually printed a copy, trimmed it down to size, taken it to Kinko's for comb binding, and never looked at it again. ) Since all of the information in the Reference Summary can be found in the PoO – and it seems unlikely that IBM will come to their senses and make hard copy again – it seems ridiculous to bother producing it any more. I asked the current editor of the documents his opinion, and he agreed that it's unlikely that the Reference Summary is useful any more. This seemed like a great forum to solicit informed opinions. However I do hesitate, knowing that some will take this as an opportunity to vent their spleen about documentation in general. Please don't. I simply wish to provide feedback to the Systems Architecture group as to whether this document is used in its current online-only format. -- This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader of the message is not the intended recipient or an authorized representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail and delete the message and any attachments from your system.
