Tim Hare wrote: >"Open Letter" to Mr. Yaeger... Normally I would send this "off line" but >I'm guessing a lot of other shops may have the problem we do. > >We have programmers who last cracked a DF/SORT manual somewhere around >release 5 (I'm just guessing, so don't call me out on the version number). > They keep copying each other's JCL and sort examples, blissfully unaware of >the improvements and utility in the product (especially things like >ICETOOL, named fields, date handling..). > >Do you have any materials or good suggestions about how to present all of >the new capabilities to these people? I'm thinking of offering a one day >course on "Everything You Wanted to Know About DF/SORT But Were Too >Clueless To Ask". I am _not_ a DF/SORT expert, but somebody's gotta >provide the training.
Tim, I'm glad you asked. :-) There's a wealth of information available on the DFSORT website: http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/support/software/sort/mvs/srtmprd.html You can access all of the DFSORT books and papers online from: http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/support/software/sort/mvs/srtmpub.html I'd suggest having people read through the Dec, 2004 version of "z/OS DFSORT: Getting Started" (SC26-7527-01). It's an excellent tutorial, with lots of examples, that will show them how to use DFSORT, DFSORT's ICETOOL and DFSORT Symbols. The Dec, 2004 version is completely up-to-date with all of the new DFSORT features introduced up through the Dec, 2004 functional PTF. My paper "User Guide for PTFs UQ95214 and UQ95213" has complete details on all of the new DFSORT and ICETOOL functions available with the Dec, 2004 PTF. You can access it online from: http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/support/software/sort/mvs/pdug/index.html My paper "PTF UQ90053 User Guide" has complete details on all of the new DFSORT and ICETOOL functions available with the earlier Feb, 2003 PTF. You can access it online from: http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/support/software/sort/mvs/uq90053/index.html Note that on the day of availability for future new functional PTFs, I'll add a paper completely describing the new DFSORT and ICETOOL functions to the DFSORT website (followed by updates to the books and other papers at a later date). I always announce new DFSORT functional PTFs on ibm-main with a link to the appropriate paper. The following papers I wrote are also completely up-to-date with the Dec, 2004 features and should be helpful: "What's New in DFSORT" at: http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/support/software/sort/mvs/release_14/index.html "Beyond Sorting" at: http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/support/software/sort/mvs/beyond_sorting/index.html "ICETOOL Mini-User Guide" at: http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/support/software/sort/mvs/icetool/index.html And, of course, there's always "Smart DFSORT Tricks" at: http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/support/software/sort/mvs/tricks/index.html and "Ask Professor Sort" at: http://www.ibm.com/servers/storage/support/software/sort/mvs/professor_sort/index.html For those of you attending the next SHARE, Vicky Vezinaw of the DFSORT Team will be presenting a session on "What's New in DFSORT". Frank Yaeger - DFSORT Team (IBM) Specialties: ICETOOL, IFTHEN, OVERLAY, Symbols, Migration => DFSORT/MVS is on the Web at http://www.ibm.com/storage/dfsort/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
