DSN=&TEMPDSN could be treated as an exception. Any other undefined symbols could be identified and flagged as an error.
> -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On > Behalf Of Seymour J Metz > Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2021 2:58 PM > To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU > Subject: Re: Trying to use long parm= in started task > > FSVO show. The job will run and use the wrong dataset, with no warning. > Because of the ambiguous ampersand, there is only one place at which IBM > can catch the error. > > If you really want to complain, look at the CLIST change on OS/VS2 R3.6, with > its massive increase in the number of apostrophes needed for some > parameters. > > > -- > Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://mason.gmu.edu/*smetz3__;fg!!JmPEg > BY0HMszNaDT!- > whfbjddCjXBgD0sLyusLlbrpMpxz4_GtycDP79PVdaLXBVxM2JQ8oXUsSiCmw$ > > ________________________________________ > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU] on > behalf of Charles Mills [charl...@mcn.org] > Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 4:38 PM > To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU > Subject: Re: Trying to use long parm= in started task > > Okay, I get it, but this ship is not very ship-shape. > > Seeing as DSN=&MYPRM means what it means, then when IBM introduced > variable > symbols they should have used && or % or something, not a single > ampersand. > Yeah, yeah, that boat has departed the dock. > > The IEFC657I does not really do the job though, does it? If I have PROC > MYPARM='SYS1.FOO' and mistakenly code DSN=&MYPRM then I will not get > an > error on it assuming I have also coded something=&MYPARM elsewhere in > the > PROC. Right? > > I think I still say that two wrongs don't make a right. Flagging what (I > say) should be a non-error is not the answer to some other coding mistake. > If someone codes DSN=&MYPRM the error will show up somewhere, either > as a > DSN not found or as a "can't catalog a temp DSN" or something. > > Charles > > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU] > On > Behalf Of Seymour J Metz > Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 12:27 PM > To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU > Subject: Re: Trying to use long parm= in started task > > > 1. I fail to see the benefit. If I code the proc with MYPARM='FOO' and > then > > mistakenly code &MYPRM instead of &MYPARM in the body of the PROC, > then > the > > error is the undefined &MYPRM, > > //SYSBAR DD DSN=&MYPRM,DISP=(MOD,PASS) > > Is valid. At the time IBM defined the syntax, there were no symbolic > parameters. Changing that to invalid would break every job that used a > single ampersand for a temporary dataset name. > > Do I like it? No, but that ship has sailed. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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
