Using quotes around the DSNAME will allow any combination of Hex chars for a Dsname I think (possibly excluding 44X'04' which represents the VTOC). However these are not supported for SMS datasets, nor can they be catalogued, nor can they be protected by RACF. https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/3.1.0?topic=statement-dsname-parameter
Note particularly, "The system does not check data set names enclosed in apostrophes for valid characters. When SMS is not installed or active incorrect characters or length result in data set allocation, but the data set is not cataloged. When SMS is active, it will fail the job for incorrect characters or length." However, I think it is not possible to do this with a member name. Happy to learn more though, if someone knows better. Lennie Dymoke-Bradshaw https: //rsclweb.com -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Leonard D Woren Sent: 08 January 2024 06:29 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: allowed characters in member name I don't think anyone has mentioned that X'C0' (left brace in the U.S.) is valid in a member name. I didn't test to see whether it's allowed in the first position; probably not. X'C0' is also valid in a dsname on a non-SMS volume, but it's now broken in that you can't catalog it any more. Get "NOT CATLGD 9". Again, I didn't try it in the first position which almost certainly is not allowed. Regarding the limit of 8 characters between periods in a dsname, that was a requirement in OS CVOL days. Seems to me that that validity test can and should be removed now that CVOLs are long long dead dead. I could see requiring any levels in an MLA alias restricted to 8 characters. Why is left as an exercise to the reader. /Leonard ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
