> -----Original Message-----
> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List 
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul Gilmartin
> Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 10:18 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: Calling idcams
> 
> On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 09:58:58 -0500, McKown, John wrote:
> 
> >IGGCSI00 is only for doing the equivalent of a LISTCAT type 
> function. You could call IDCAMS itself, with I/O exits to 
> feed it the required commands as if they had come from SYSIN. 
> Or you might want to set up a TSO environment and invoke the 
> TSO commands.
> >
> >If you want to do the former (call IDCAMS using I/O exits), 
> you can download file 864 from http://cbttape.org/updates.htm 
> . It is some UNIX commands, one of which is called "ams" 
> which uses IDCAMS with I/O exits to implement a z/OS UNIX 
> command which prompts the shell user for IDCAMS commands and 
> returns the result. ...
> >
> Why I/O exits?  What's wrong with POSIX pipes?

Easier for me to write I/O exits than to set up and allocate the pipes to SYSIN 
and SYSPRINT. Yes, I guess that I could have used pipes. But it is simplier FOR 
ME to use I/O exits. Especially in HLASM. Remember that I don't have a C 
compiler.

> 
> What are the APF constraints on IDCAMS?  I understand there are
> some, but not for all functions.  

I don't know what requires APF authorization. The "ams" command is APF 
authorized in my environment by doing an "exattr -p -a ams" to mark the "ams" 
command as APF authorized and PROGRAM controlled. Most functions in IDCAMS will 
still work even without these attributes. I envisioned the "ams" command mainly 
to do LISTCAT, DELETE, and DEFINE commands.

> Would BPX1EXM be a circumvention? (Does CBT 864 use BPX1EXM?)

No, my code uses an normal z/OS ATTACHX macro to run IDCAMS program 
asynchronously to the main program. It basically sets up the parameters, does 
the ATTACHX with an ECB operand, then does a WAIT on the ECB. It is simple and 
relatively efficient. I use ATTACHX to isolate the main code from any 
"problems" encountered by IDCAMS without the "trouble" of setting up an ESTAEX, 
which would be necessary if I did a LINKX instead. Actually, since I don't do 
much but echo the IDCAMS exit code, I wouldn't even need to ATTACHX or ESTAEX, 
just let the "ams" command abend.

> 
> -- gil



John McKown 

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