JCL can submit further jobs to the internal reader to get around the 255
steps limit. Loops can be implemented in JCL by submitting a job that
then resubmits itself n times, based on a counter passed in a dataset
(and decremented at each resubmission) and on a same LPAR. A jobstep
that creates a new GDG entry would create it as *.GDG(+1) and all
subsequent steps would then refer to it as *.GDG(0) - hence there would
be no problem with restarting a same job from a subsequent step onwards.
A job's Boolean logic processing can be implemented through COND=
testing alone, using IEFBR14 'dummy' steps. The only useful purpose REXX
could serve would be to submit one or more jobs *as JCL* to the internal
reader, but in a same way that CONTROL-M already does. REXX could not
replace JCL: it would be unmaintainable. 
 
Chris Poncelet
 


On 14/07/2018 00:46, Robert Prins wrote:
> On 2018-07-13 01:29, CM Poncelet wrote:
>> What 'problem' with JCL is fixed by replacing it with REXX?
>
> REXX doesn't have a limit of 255 steps in a job, and that limit may be
> reached when doing regression tests. It also allows loops. Example I
> have is too long to post here (probably).
>
> Robert

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