On Aug 8, 2012, at 09:11, Mike Schwab wrote:

> A zero byte VB record is expanded to 1 blank x'40' so the minimum is a
> block of 9 bytes including block size and record size field.
> 
???  No.

    
http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/dgt2d490/3.1.3.1.2

    Title: z/OS V1R12 DFSMS Using Data Sets
    Document Number: SC26-7410-10

    3.1.3.1.2 Record Descriptor Word (RDW)

    A variable-length logical record consists of a record descriptor
    word (RDW) followed by the data. The record descriptor word is a
    4 byte field describing the record. The first 2 bytes contain
    the length (LL) of the logical record (including the 4 byte
    RDW). The length can be from 4 to 32 760. All bits of the third
    and fourth bytes must be 0, because other values are used for
    spanned records.

A length of 4 implies zero bytes of data; no blank.  It's
easy to create such records with EXECIO, FTP, or vi.

I do not find a stated minimum for the BDW.  Absent firm
information, I'll assume 4-byte blocks (nothing but BDW)
are permissible.

> I tried to allocate a FB 6 0 to hold a list of volsers for a table,
> LRL under 10 would not work.
>  
I had no such problem:

                              Data Set Information                              
                                                                    More:     + 
 Data Set Name . . . . : user.SHORT.BLOCKS                                      
                                                                                
 General Data                           Current Allocation                      
  Management class . . : **None**        Allocated blocks  . : 86               
  Storage class  . . . : **None**        Allocated extents . : 1                
   Volume serial . . . : TSO005                                                 
   Device type . . . . : 3390                                                   
  Data class . . . . . : **None**                                               
   Organization  . . . : PS             Current Utilization                     
   Record format . . . : F               Used blocks . . . . : 3                
   Record length . . . : 6               Used extents  . . . : 1                
   Block size  . . . . : 6                                                      
 Command ===>                                                                   
  F1=Help    F3=Exit   F12=Cancel                                               
 .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
   File  Edit  Edit_Settings  Menu  Utilities  Compilers  Test  Help            
 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
 VIEW       user.SHORT.BLOCKS                               Columns 00001 00006 
 ****** ***************************** Top of Data ******************************
 =PROF> ....BLOCKS (FIXED - 6)....RECOVERY OFF WARN....NUMBER OFF...............
 000001 these                                                                   
 000002 are                                                                     
 000003 recrds                                                                  
 ****** **************************** Bottom of Data ****************************

-- gil

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