That's a common misconception. BAL is the assembler for BPS/360, called basic because it lack macros. With the exception of the oddball 20 and 44, BAL was the last basic assembler in the S/360 line.
-- Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3 ________________________________________ From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> on behalf of CM Poncelet <ponce...@bcs.org.uk> Sent: Friday, May 21, 2021 7:29 PM To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU Subject: Re: JCL COND vs IF/THEN - Best catch up resources for MVS / ZOS Technologies "BAL" means "Basic Assembler Language" and is short for everything that followed it, including HLASM and conditional macro assembler. Cheers ;-) On 21/05/2021 23:10, Seymour J Metz wrote: > I am proud to say that I have never used BAL. But I have used SOAP, TASS, > 7070 Autocoder, 1401 Autocoder, MODSAP. SAAL, COMPASS and the usual D, F, G, > H and HLASM. > > > -- > Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz > http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3 > > > ________________________________________ > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> on behalf of > CM Poncelet <ponce...@bcs.org.uk> > Sent: Friday, May 21, 2021 4:17 PM > To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU > Subject: Re: JCL COND vs IF/THEN - Best catch up resources for MVS / ZOS > Technologies > > I have used high level languages (PL/I, COBOL, Fortran, C) as well as > assemblers (6502, VAX-11/750 macro, ICL System 25, IBM BAL, intel) - and > also machine code for zaps and dumps - but I am now retired <grin>, > thanks😊 . > > On 20/05/2021 10:17, Lennie Dymoke-Bradshaw wrote: >> Can I deduce from this that you don’t use high level languages? >> But if so, then even using assembler is too easy. >> Let's write everything in machine code 😊. >> >> Lennie Dymoke-Bradshaw >> Reverse Sweep Consulting Limited >> https://secure-web.cisco.com/1GrJEZumsUB0Xhtb70F_IHF9RQ0b1o_upCMR8WG7ymbgKhAb4HlOAGCQgonDMu6noKnk3J9qMiPbbhRiln1e0G4laaTkG6Vi0v9ivcYX4HL45-cifUhBGtSPzQFHOqcPw3hYYcXt82cPthTnc6ESqIp9uD_DaC5hOyDhOp-LKfP9cnMsuZIlnsqob98zODS7HggxCKPLYqWAbw26r03xIp6D45k2MEGzhvu7y4MBFAgrnY88QupFDywQt_-N7YkT58t9C1tUeNAnfD9TGEeC1eE9UEukBjlKqDH7GckWxsGmcwEpX244LOer7sgOMz-DbfHviz-xxHLQE7tC2DZTkhK8jcL-XeruRwu2xQ5LHt5WHtatb8jisiUmoKNgVBbZUI0l8LAcpJdy52qKMfurS6GN84xeCdVTWddmAnZkgrgbV3gppN3A-rvAdyiWBMvSv/https%3A%2F%2Frsclweb.com >> ‘Dance like no one is watching; encrypt like everyone is’ >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On Behalf Of >> CM Poncelet >> Sent: 20 May 2021 02:50 >> To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU >> Subject: Re: JCL COND vs IF/THEN - Best catch up resources for MVS / ZOS >> Technologies >> >> Again and with all due respect, progress is made not by blunting the tool >> but by sharpening the user. >> >> "IF/THEN" does not handle all boolean AND/OR/NAND/XOR and steps-not-executed >> conditions. >> >> Let not those who cannot master playing the violin demand that the violin be >> made more easy, but let them try playing the banjo instead. >> >> And SMP/E? In the 1980's it was 'recommended' to use its dialogs. In the >> late 90's, its Custom-Pak etc. became 'de rigueur' and 'de facto'. And yet I >> continued to use only native SMP/E - and did so daily to track down and fix >> PTFEs etc. etc. >> >> Who gains from this progressive and continual stultification of mainframe >> systems programming? Is it not Windows for mainframes? >> >> As they say, "Use it or lose it." >> >> Cheers, Chris Poncelet (r) >> >> >> >> On 19/05/2021 01:55, Nash, Jonathan S. wrote: >>> Once I learned of the IF/THEN statements for JCL I never used COND= >>> again. IF/THEN is much easier to use and to explain to new people. >>> I have seen many people code COND statements incorrectly because they >>> did not acually understand how they worked. >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On >>> Behalf Of CM Poncelet >>> Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2021 8:19 PM >>> To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU >>> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: Best catch up resources for MVS / ZOS >>> Technologies >>> >>> With all due respect, anyone who has difficulty coding JCL COND= >>> statements should consider *not* working with IBM mainframe systems. >>> >>> All boolean conditional execution steps can be handled using only >>> COND= statements. I submitted a paper on this & it was published in >>> "Computing" in 1989. I would but cannot attach it, as uploading PDF >>> files to this discussion list is not permitted. >>> >>> No sysprog worth his salt has ever had a problem with coding JCL COND= >>> statements. >>> >>> Likewise IF/THEN statements belong in "JCL for dummies" - as do >>> symbols in JCL and SYSIN. Ditto IF/THEN <etc.> in assembler. >>> >>> Chris Poncelet (r) >>> >>> >>> . >>> On 18/05/2021 14:02, Charles Mills wrote: >>>> Yeah, and IF/THEN is slightly better than COND= >>>> >>>> Also symbols in SYSIN data. >>>> >>>> Charles >>>> >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU] >>>> On Behalf Of Steve Horein >>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2021 5:35 AM >>>> To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU >>>> Subject: Re: Best catch up resources for MVS / ZOS Technologies >>>> >>>> I would argue JCL got better when symbols were allowed! :-) >>>> https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/2.4.0?topic=es-symlist-parameter >>>> >>>> On Mon, May 17, 2021 at 10:46 PM Charles Mills <charl...@mcn.org> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Steve, let me wade in here and suggest some big picture. I think >>>>> SHARE and such is great for the details. >>>>> >>>>> What has changed since 2001? An idiosyncratic, IMHO list: >>>>> >>>>> - In 2001 SNA was yielding to TCP/IP. That transition has continued. >>>>> An awful lot of mainframe connectivity is now TCP/IP. Lots and lots >>>>> of Internet connectivity to the mainframe. >>>>> - Security is huge. Encryption is hot. Zero Trust is the buzzword of >>>>> the month. >>>>> - Everything is of course bigger. Z hardware goes up to what? 4TB real? >>>>> Someone will correct me if that is wrong. >>>>> - Tape drives have pretty much gone away. They live on as virtual, >>>>> emulated-on-DASD tape drives. >>>>> - The Cloud. Read any airline magazine for the latest. >>>>> - Remember VM? It was pretty moribund in 2001. It has found new life >>>>> hosting thousands of Linux instances. Yes, Linux running like a >>>>> champ on Z hardware. Mainframe Linux is huge. You can run Linux in a >>>>> region of MVS in a "container." >>>>> - Speaking of which, there is a Z box that will not IPL z/OS! It is >>>>> called Linux One. It's a mainframe with a bit hobbled somewhere such >>>>> that mainframe operating systems will not IPL, only Linux. >>>>> - Lots of new features in core MVS but you would fully recognize the >>>>> environment. If you sit down at a TSO/ISPF session it will seem like >>>>> nothing has changed. JCL has not gotten any better (or any worse, >>>>> thankfully). >>>>> - Remember the issue of "above the (24-bit) line"? It is still >>>>> there, but pretty much in the background. The new thing is data and >>>>> execution "above the (2GB/31-bit) bar." Lots of software products >>>>> are exploiting data above 2GB, and code can even run there, with lots of >>>>> limitations. AMODE/RMODE 64. >>>>> - IBM JES3 is dead. Long live Phoenix JES3 plus. IBM ditched JES3, >>>>> and Phoenix picked it up. >>>>> - More emphasis on high level languages. Hardware design is being >>>>> driven by the Java folks and the compiler folks. Lots of new >>>>> hardware instructions. Hardware cycle times are not getting any >>>>> faster, but instructions do more per cycle. Caching getting more >>>>> sophisticated and more critical. The concept of "how long does an LR >>>>> take" has totally disappeared. It is a question with no answer other than >>>>> "it depends." >>>>> >>>>> Anyone else want to weigh in? >>>>> >>>>> Charles >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List >>>>> [mailto:IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of Gibney, Dave >>>>> Sent: Monday, May 17, 2021 6:58 PM >>>>> To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU >>>>> Subject: Re: Best catch up resources for MVS / ZOS Technologies >>>>> >>>>> I would suggest SHARE presentations and perhaps Marna Walle's >>>>> migration guides >>>>> >>>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>>> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On >>>>>> Behalf Of Steve Estle >>>>>> Sent: Monday, May 17, 2021 6:42 PM >>>>>> To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU >>>>>> Subject: Best catch up resources for MVS / ZOS Technologies >>>>>> >>>>>> Hello Everyone in Mainframe Land, >>>>>> >>>>>> I've been out of the mainframe world since about 2001, but spent >>>>>> the >>>>> prior >>>>>> 20 years immersed in that world working with everything from >>>>>> MVS/370 to MVS/ESA and VM, performance and capacity planning >>>>>> disciplines across a variety of situations in the IT Services and >>>>>> consulting spaces. I, am, >>>>> now as a >>>>>> "IT Infrastructure Engineer- IBM z/OS Mainframe Engineer" after >>>>>> nearly 20 years of other activities (Project Mgmt, entrepreneur, >>>>>> etc) am about to potentially come back into a new mainframe role >>>>>> and I need to catch up as quickly as possible. Any suggestions on >>>>>> ways to fill in the gaps for >>>>> ZOS, ZVM, >>>>>> hardware, performance, etc? Bottom line I'm looking for that gap >>>>> education >>>>>> to as quickly as possible get up to speed with changes in platforms >>>>> since 2001. >>>>>> If prefer to call - all my info is below. >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks, >>>>>> Steve Estle >>>>>> 303-604-0925 >>>>>> sest...@gmail.com >>>>>> >>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>>> --- 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 >>>>> >>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> -- 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 >>>> >>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> - 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 >>> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> 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 >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> 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 > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
