It is SO counter-intuitive to put the name of a variable in quotes. You would
not code ENQ ('MYMAJOR','MYMINOR',E,8).
Once you realize that EXECIO is an external command, not a language keyword,
you start to get it.
Charles
-----Original Message-----
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf
Of Tony Thigpen
Sent: Friday, June 5, 2020 9:01 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Gratuitous EXECIO Documentation
In my experience, over 30 years of using REXX on first VM, then VSE and
now z/OS, I can't tell you how many times I have had to help people with
the EXECIO syntax as it relates to "what is a keyword" and "what is a
variable". I would put it at the top of the "common programming errors
in REXX" list.
I have seen the following error SOOOO many times:
... "STEM" line.
Which should be:
... "STEM LINE."
I would not consider this "gratuitous" documentation.
Tony Thigpen
Paul Gilmartin wrote on 6/5/20 11:29 AM:
> In:
> https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSLTBW_2.3.0/com.ibm.zos.v2r3.ikja300/dup0037.htm
>
> I see the verbiage:
> When you use EXECIO, you must ensure that you use quotation marks
> around any operands, such as DISKW, STEM, FINIS, or LIFO. Using
> quotation marks prevents the possibility of the operands being
> substituted
> as variables. For example, if you assign the variable stem to a value in
> the exec and then issue EXECIO with the STEM option, if STEM is not
> enclosed in quotation marks, it is substituted with its assigned value.
>
> Sheesh! A similar caution might be included for any command in the Ref.,
> but it doesn't belong.
>
> "must ensure"? Well, not always.
>
> I infer the etiology: A troublesome user once coded:
> STEM=SKIP /* perhaps */
> EXECIO ...
> ... got astonishing results; went to SR; got fully proper "REJ; RTFM";
> vindictively submitted RCF. A feckless tech writer acceded and added
> the paragraph.
>
> I strongly suspect the matter is covered properly earlier (citation needed)
> in the Ref., which shouldn't be cluttered with such errant rubbish.
>
> (I was reading that Ref. to see whether EXECIO assembles segments
> of V[B]S records. Didn't find it.)
>
> -- gil
>
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