----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Mason" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.ibm-main
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 1:06 PM
Subject: Re: Serializing changes to parmlib/proclib
<snippage>
Incidentally, with my large number of course-related libraries - and
non-partitioned data sets, I saw the need for a special hlq.$INDEX data
set,
where hlq was related to a group of courses, "schools". These data sets
performed a similar role of describing. typically in one line, what a
particular data set did. Again, if the data set didn't have a description
in
the $INDEX data set it didn't logically exist and could be erased during a
"clean-up" sweep. Also for those of my data sets subject to being
"migrated"
away, the $INDEX data set was a way of being sure that a particular data
set
really did exist when I remembered I'd done some work years ago similar to
something I now wanted to try again.
I dare say there are some products out there which address this sort of
problem. I just hope whatever technique they employ isn't too
overcomplicated ...
Mackinney's SimpList offers a very uncomplicated solution to this problem.
I simply enter comments next to the objects I work with. If you click the
link below you'll see an example of what I mean:
http://www.mackinney.com/products/SIM/simplistSCR1.htm
(Sorry, but I don't have access to my system at the moment, so I cannot
show you any of my actual examples, but this image from the vendor's website
illustrates the point)
I tend to use much more descriptive comments than those shown on the sample
screen. For example, I might do something like this:
OBJ 1 ===> 'PI00.PROD.JCLLIB(BKWJR1)' {WEEKLY BACKUP JOB
OBJ 2 ===> -P2PROD.CST_OS_TDB {DB2 TABLE OF OVERSEAS
CUSTOMERS
If a longer comment is required I usually enter it above the object as in
this example:
OBJ 3 ===> {THE FOLLOWING JOB SHOULD ONLY BE SUBMITTED ON FRIDAYS:
OBJ 4 ===> 'PI00.PROD.JCLLIB(BKFJR2)'
Another nice thing about entering comments is that I can use them to find
objects whose names I've forgotten. For example, I could enter the following
on any ISPF command line:
===> SL FIND WEEKLY
The 'SL' launches SimpList and 'FIND WEEKLY' searches through all my object
lists until 'WEEKLY' is found. It then opens the list and positions me to
the object name so I can select it if I want.
If I'm already in a SimpList session I don't need to enter 'SL', i.e. I
could just enter 'FIND WEEKLY'. To see this in action, take a look at the
following image where a FIND command has been entered on object list 'B'
(i.e. a personalized list of BookManager bookshelves), and the string being
searched for is found on list 'M':
http://www.mackinney.com/products/SIM/simplistSCR14.htm
Middle age has much to recommend it; the kids are (almost) grown, mortgage
is (almost) paid off, but my memory seems to be getting more sieve-like with
every passing year. There is no way I could possibly remember all the names
of
the objects I work with, never mind what each object contains. So for me,
the ability to enter comments and use them as a way to search through all my
object lists is invaluable. It also avoids the potential problem you
mentioned where an $$$INDEX data set or member might be deleted. Is this the
'simple' solution you were looking for? ;-)
Don Leahy
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