The problem for me starts with the incredibly inconsistent titling, which causes the manual titles to sort in no meaningful sequence, making it doubly hard to find the relevant manual. Many of the IBM bookshelves have this problem, but DFSMS is IMHO the worst.
Look at the list below and tell me "quick, which one of these manuals will tell you how to use the IDCAMS utility to delete all members of a PDS(E)?" z/OS DFSMS Software Support for IBM System Storage TS1130 and TS1120 Tape Drives (3592) SC26-7514-04 z/OS DFSMS Software Support for IBM TotalStorage Tape System Model E13HI10x/H13HI10x SC35-0484-00 z/OS V1R1.0 Distributed FileManager Guide and Reference SC26-7395-01 z/OS V1R1.10 DFSMShsm Managing Your Own Data SC35-0420-07 z/OS V1R10 DFSMS Installation Exits SC26-7396-10 z/OS V1R10 DFSMS OAM Planning, Installation, and Storage Administration Guide for Object Support SC35-0426-06 z/OS V1R10 DFSMS Using Data Sets SC26-7410-08 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMS AMS for Catalogs SC26-7394-08 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMS Implementing System-Managed Storage SC26-7407-05 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMS Introduction SC26-7397-03 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMS Macro Instructions for Data Sets SC26-7408-06 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMS Managing Catalogs SC26-7409-06 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMS OAM Application Programmer's Reference SC35-0425-05 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMS OAM Planning, Installation, and Storage Administration Guide for Tape Libraries SC35-0427-06 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMS Storage Administration Reference (for DFSMSdfp, DFSMSdss, DFSMShsm) SC26-7402-10 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMS Using ISMF SC26-7411-05 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMS Using the New Functions SC26-7473-05 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMSdfp Advanced Services SC26-7400-08 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMSdfp Diagnosis GY27-7618-09 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMSdfp Utilities SC26-7414-05 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMSdss Storage Administration Guide SC35-0423-10 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMShsm Diagnosis GC52-1083-04 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMShsm Implementation and Customization Guide SC35-0418-08 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMShsm Storage Administration Guide SC35-0421-08 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMSrmm Application Programming Interface SC26-7403-08 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMSrmm Diagnosis Guide GY27-7619-08 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMSrmm Guide and Reference SC26-7404-08 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMSrmm Implementation and Customization Guide SC26-7405-08 z/OS V1R10.0 DFSMSrmm Reporting SC26-7406-08 z/OS V1R3.0 DFSMS: Using Magnetic Tapes SC26-7412-01 z/OS V1R4.0 DFSMStvs Administration Guide GC26-7483-00 z/OS V1R4.0 DFSMStvs Planning and Operating Guide SC26-7348-00 z/OS V1R7.0 DFSMSdfp Checkpoint/Restart SC26-7401-02 z/OS V1R8.0 DFSMS: Using the Volume Mount Analyzer SC26-7413-02 z/OSV1R10 DFSMS Advanced Copy Services SC35-0428-14 Charles -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul Gilmartin Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2013 7:53 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Mislocated doc (was: ... STOW Initialize?) On Sun, 27 Jan 2013 07:04:32 -0800, Charles Mills wrote: >Re reader comment form: Yeah, you're right. I see the problem as hopeless. > >IDCAMS = AMS -- no problem with that. My confusion was over finding >documentation for deleting the members of a PDS under "AMS for Catalogs." > Somewhat analogous to finding documentation for BPXWDYN in "Using REXX and z/OS UNIX System Services" when BPXWDYN depends on neither Rexx nor USS (Although Ed J. might have some contrary opinions about the latter). I suspect there's some kind of corollary of Conway's Law involved here, but I can't precisely state it. -- gil ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
