> -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Thompson, Steve > Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 10:06 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Data Areas Manuals to be dropped > /snip/ > > The following is their [IBM's] official policy and response: > > <direct quote from ETR> > ACTION TAKEN: > Received following information from Debbie N. (USS ID group). > --- > The strategic direction is to remove the data area books (JES2 and JES3 > data areas have already been deleted), and the data areas will be > generated automatically from the code. The z/OS USS ID group will look > into including the missing z/OS USS macros. > --- > </ direct quote from ETR> > > If this particular statement of direction sends chills through you as it > does me, then perhaps you need to make your voices heard. > > -- > Regards, > Steve Thompson /snip/
A large number of data areas are already documented in the manuals using programmatically obtained information. The commentary is lifted verbatim from the macro expansion (possibly using some form of ADATA analysis or list scraping software). Although it is an efficient way to gather documentation, the lack of "programming insight" (for lack of a better characterization) on how to use the data area is quite annoying. If it's not written inside the macro, then it won't appear in the data area manual. My humble interpretation (meaning it's probably wrong) of IBM's response is that they intend to stop using technical writers to interpret macro expansions then translating to a data area manual. Instead, the data area documentation will be generated exclusively by programmatic analysis of the macro expansion, and the burden for accurate documentation will fall upon the macro developers, rather than the technical writers. 2 cents worth. your mileage may vary. Jeffrey D. Smith Principal Product Architect Farsight Systems Corporation 700 KEN PRATT BLVD. #204-159 LONGMONT, CO 80501-6452 303-774-9381 direct 303-484-6170 FAX http://www.farsight-systems.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
