Chuck, As Level-1 has indicated, you will have to read the entire TMC and do your executed compare (length of the DSN computed up to the .GnnnnV00) on every entry within the TMC. There are two ways to access the TMC (both documented in the Programming Guide); one is a sequential access method and one is a direct-read method that reads one specific record at a time. For performance reasons, you will want to read the entire TMC of course in the sequential access method. I know that other products read the TMC quite often (MXG of course comes to mind) mining it for information. And there is nothing that says you must use the CA 1 access methods (after all, the TMC is a simple flat-file that any program using QSAM can read). The CA 1 macros for sequential access will require an OPEN, a GET and a CLOSE.
One nice reason to use the CA 1 macro's for the sequential access is that the OPEN can specify if you want the active TMC used all the time (in which case we will dynamically allocate it and a DD statement is NOT allowed), optionally (in which case we will dynamically allocate the TMC if there is no DD statement) or none of the time (in which case a DD statement is required). So, if you only want to look at the active TMC you can eliminate the DD statement from your JCL and simply have the CA 1 OPEN macro dynamically allocate the ACTIVE TMC for you. Russell Witt CA 1 -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of Hardee, Chuck Sent: Friday, February 12, 2016 5:17 AM To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU Subject: Reading the CA-1 Tape Catalog Hello Everyone, I have posted this to the IBM Mainframe and IBM Assembler lists. I was wondering if anyone has ever written a program to read the CA-1 Tape Catalog for a generic name? In a nutshell, what I am wanting to do is look up in the catalog all entries for a GDG base name. Currently my program issues a call to the IBM Catalog Search Interface (CSI) program, IGGCSI00, passing the GDG name and I get back all entries that are currently cataloged. However, if I go to CA-1's TSO Inquiry panel and put in the GDG name modified to have a low level qualifier of "-" (CA-1's equivalent of "*"), I get back 621 entries. Since the GDG is defined to have 150 entries, that's all I'll ever get, via MVS services. However, as can be seen, there are more tapes available. I have read thru the CA-1 Tape Management Programming Guide, and there appear to be numerous macros that can be used to access the catalog, but the narratives for the macros leave something to be desired in the name of clarity when one isn't a CA-1 expert. And, before you ask, yes, I have asked CA-1 support for help but I am getting the run around from them. For whatever reason, they just don't want to seem to help. It may be a level 1 protecting level 2 situation, or it may just be they don't want to take the time to educate the user community. Whatever the reason, I need to look for alternative assistance. So, if anyone has a snippet or three of code to OPEN, READ and CLOSE the CA-1 catalog looking for a dataset name, I would appreciate it if you would be willing to share. Thanks in advance, Chuck Charles (Chuck) Hardee<mailto:chuck.har...@thermofisher.com> Senior Systems Engineer/Database Administration EAS Information Technology Thermo Fisher Scientific 300 Industry Drive | Pittsburgh, PA 15275 Phone +1 (724) 517-2633 | Mobile +1 (412) 877-2809 | FAX: +1 (412) 490-9230 chuck.har...@thermofisher.com<mailto:chuck.har...@thermofisher.com> | www.thermofisher.com WORLDWIDE CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: Dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail or the information herein by anyone other than the intended recipient, or an employee or agent of a system responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please inform the sender and delete all copies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
