I have gone round and round with the manuals on this and I think I have the answer, but I just want to check my findings with others who have done similar things. These questions are for a normal z/OS LE/COBOL/Assembler non-authorized batch application environment not using Unix System Services or TSO/ISPF.
AFAICT, the dead simplest way to determine basic file attributes (e.g., DSORG, RECFM, LRECL) for an allocated DD is to issue an OPEN and look at the DCB fields. The context here is for an *existing* DSN, not NEW where the JCL will have some or all of the info. Think DISP=SHR,DSN=my.dataset and nothing else on the DD statement. OPEN with a DCB is not such a good thing to do if the file is actually a VSAM file of any kind, but you can issue RDJFCB first and check the VSAM bit in JFCDSRG2 to see if it is VSAM or not. Then you can OPEN an ACB instead of a DCB and find out what you need. My primary question is whether there is a relatively simple, efficient way to determine basic file attributes for an allocated DD *before* issuing an OPEN. I know I can get basic file information with OPEN, but is there a way to do it *without* OPEN? My reading took me to CVAFDIR and company, but there are all sorts of restrictions there, not least of which is that unauthorized users must have a DEB address pointing to the volume that the DSCB resides on. The only non-authorized way to get a DEB seems to be to open a DCB pointing to the VTOC, which requires knowing the initial volume serial for the dataset, which at least requires RDJCFB with ARL-info returned, and an OPEN TYPE=J with a DCB open exit to change the DSN to all X'04', etc., etc. Way messy, and it requires an OPEN anyway. Using a different path, once I have the DSN via a RDJFCB then Catalog Search (IGGCSI00) can tell me if a file is VSAM or PS, but not what its RECFM or LRECL are (though I can get maximum LRECL for a VSAM file, but not for a PS file). The LE manuals seem to have nothing on file attributes that I could find, either regular or vendor-interface. So, besides actually issuing an OPEN, is there any non-authorized facility or service that would simply let me discover some basic file attributes for an allocated DD? And if OPEN is indeed the simplest way, I can accept that. I would just like to confirm that I haven't missed another way of accomplishing this task. TIA for any help/info/RTFM's you can provide. Peter 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
