"I think it would be Rexx abuse." On the border with whether I should laugh for this or not...
- KB ------- Original Message ------- On Monday, June 20th, 2022 at 9:17 PM, Charles Mills <[email protected]> wrote: > I think it would be possible to monitor the console ECB from Rexx, and > extract any MODIFY text -- you can do almost anything in Rexx with enough > C2D()'s -- but multiple levels of C2D() does not exactly make for a pretty > application. I think it would be Rexx abuse. > > Answering @kekronbekron's question, I don't think there is any "system" > facility that lets a program written in Rexx be aware of STOP or MODIFY. I > have two similar Rexx STC's -- one is essentially version zero of the app I > am designing here, and will be replaced by it -- and for both, I admit it, > the command to stop them is CANCEL. :-( > > I don't think there is any facility for Rexx running in batch-type > environments, whether compiled or interpreted, including as an STC, to > process HI (Halt Interpretation, not "Hello!"). I would be happy if someone > would correct me. > > What I keep meaning to do, and will do as part of this application, is write > a little assembler (sorry, David <g>) routine to solve this issue. All of > these STC's have the general flow > > > Do Forever > Perform some sort of processing > Delay several minutes > > (Watch out if the list folds those lines!) > > The assembler routine will take as input a delay time in hundredths of a > second (because of STIMER), do a WAIT ECBLIST, and return one of > > 'T' -- the time expired > 'P' -- the operator entered STOP > 'F modify command operand' -- the operator entered MODIFY > > That will make for an application that could be halted without CANCEL, and > also could potentially be re-parametized on the fly. > > Charles > > > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of David Crayford > Sent: Sunday, June 19, 2022 10:32 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Some UNIX file usage questions > > On 20/06/2022 12:08 pm, wrote: > > > Hey Charles, > > > > > I know exactly how to execute a Started Task written in Rexx, and I know > > > most of the gotchas. > > > Could you expand a bit on this please. > > > I have this compiled REXX called MON3B from IBM, from 2016. > > > https://ftpmirror.your.org/pub/misc/ftp.software.ibm.com/s390/zos/wlm/MonitorIIIBatch-v1.10.pdf > > > > Is cancelling it the only way to stop it, if the source for the REXX isn't > > available to modify? > > > If it's written in REXX I very much doubt it's handling operator > commands. That would require a console handler thread which is waaayyy > outside the limits of the language. I'm not familar with this product > and RMF is one of our products. > > > - KB > > > > ------- Original Message ------- > > On Sunday, June 19th, 2022 at 10:45 PM, Charles Mills [email protected] > > wrote: > > > > > > Why not use Python? Good question. > > > > > > 1. I can undoubtedly do it perfectly satisfactorily, and almost certainly > > > more quickly, in Rexx (because of the learning curve). I would have > > > trouble justifying billing the client for my Python learning time when > > > there is little benefit (that I know of -- correct me if I am wrong) for > > > the client who is paying the bills. > > > > > > Why not, then, learn Python on my own time? Don't I want to learn Python? > > > Yes I do, but there are only so many hours in a day, and there are other > > > things I want to learn more than I do Python. For example, I would rather > > > spend the time learning to make the Roman-Jewish fried artichokes that > > > are in the current Cooks Illustrated. Learning Python is just not very > > > high on my bucket list. It's there, but probably not high enough to ever > > > rise to the top. > > > > > > 2. I know exactly how to execute a Started Task written in Rexx, and I > > > know most of the gotchas. In my experience, THAT is the problem with the > > > "new tools" on z/OS. What would I have to do to execute a Started Task > > > written in Python? What are the gotchas? Heck, what do I have to do to > > > set up any Python environment at all? That is the time-consuming issue, > > > and it holds about zero personal gratification for me. I could probably > > > learn the Python language pretty readily, and it would be one more notch > > > in my belt. Solving the probable gotchas of getting Python to actually do > > > productive work on z/OS -- not so much. > > > > > > > it would trivial to serve those reports as a REST API > > > > > > Neat, but that is not what the client (who is paying the bills) wants. He > > > wants a trivial-to-read-on-his-iPhone email in his inbox every morning. > > > Again, it would be nice to have "how to write a REST API" in my toolkit, > > > but not nice enough for me to learn it on my own time. Frankly, I am in > > > an "I wish I had less work on my plate" mode and I would probably rather > > > learn that artichoke recipe than learn to write REST APIs even if I were > > > getting paid for the learning time. > > > > > > > use SQLite instead of a file which will significantly simplify writing > > > > reports > > > > > > Not for me, and probably not for the "report" (I am flattering the > > > requirement calling it a report -- maybe call it an "alert") that the > > > client wants. And again, a learning curve that is difficult to justify. > > > > > > So I think I will write it in Rexx, with perhaps a little bit of > > > Assembler. > > > > > > Charles > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On > > > Behalf Of David Crayford > > > Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2022 11:43 PM > > > To: [email protected] > > > Subject: Re: Some UNIX file usage questions > > > > > > On 19/06/2022 1:33 am, Paul Gilmartin wrote: > > > > > > > On Sat, 18 Jun 2022 09:51:45 -0700, Charles Mills wrote: > > > > > > > > > ... > > > > > I picture writing the started task in Rexx, so I would have to write > > > > > to a DD > > > > > name allocated to the UNIX file (either dynamically or with JCL), not > > > > > with > > > > > "native" C fopen(), fwrite(), etc. Does that change any of the > > > > > answers? > > > > > Why? In Rexx you can "address SYASCALL write ..." instead. > > > > > > Why REXX? Is it a case of knowing the banjo so you play Stairway to > > > Heaven in the style of Earl Schruggs? > > > > > > Why not use IBMs z/OS Python? You can then use SQLite instead of a file > > > which will significantly simplify writing reports. In fact, it would > > > trivial to serve those > > > reports as a REST API and put a nice WebUI on top using a simple > > > template that supports data tables. > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > 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 > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
