> -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 10:22 AM > To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU > Subject: Re: 80 byte jcl record limit > > > While the 80 character limit has a long history, I have > problems with the > idea to change the length of a JCL card for what might be a > benefit. Not > having to learn how to code parameters that span more than > one "card image". > > > The biggest problem I see is that interactive device one uses > to view / edit > that JCL. While a mod-5 terminal exist (to display 133 > characters) the > standard 27 lines or is it 24 lines is very limiting. Not to > mention the > size of the characters on the screen. > > A long time ago I played with a source program written in PL/1. The > compiler supported input of more than 80 characters. At the > time I was > interested in writing code that had indentation to improve > readability and > the 80 character limit was causing a readability problems. > Taking two 80 > byte records and generating a longer input to the compiler > did help. But was > more of a problem than a benefit. While I did save the > source code, in a > longer than 80 byte LRECL dataset, editing the source code > was a big pain. > You had to always be shifting left and right to see the > complete line of > input. > > > Kenneth Leidner > Imagination is more important than knowledge.
You have hit the main reason that I am "concerned" about support >80 characters. The other one is sequence numbers. Almost all of our JCL has sequence numbers and everybody is used to having them. In most cases, this will not be a problem because the sequence number would be a comment. However, we do have a few jobs which extend out all the way to column 72. In that, relatively rare, case, the comment might be taken as more data for the JCL interpreter. I also agree that the historic limit of 80 columns on a 3270 screen could likely be a problem. I have a C source library which is VB/255. I run a mod-5 (27x132) and, like you, I tried to indent "properly". Even at 132, I had problems due to the length of some my lines. Perhaps I just too wordie as a programmer. (Example - in COBOL I almost alway use 'IS EQUAL TO' instead of a simple '='. I'm really weird.) -- John McKown Senior Systems Programmer UICI Insurance Center Information Technology This message (including any attachments) contains confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and its' content is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this message and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this transmission, or taking any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
