As the OP of the other thread on python documentation, let me answer that what I expected from IBM for python documentation was the same sort of Language Reference and Programmers Guide manuals as they provide for all of the other major programming languages that they support. My understanding at the moment is that that hasn't been done and is not likely to be done.
Where, for instance, in the documentation that you linked to is there information on whether the python "open()" function for files will or will not support direct access to MVS datasets without transferring them down to the Unix file system? I.E., are either of these calls to the open() function valid or not: Myfile = open("//'MVS.DATA.SET.NAME", "rt", ccsid="1047") Myfile = open("//:DDNAME", "rt", ccsid="1047") # This of course assumes that a call to "bpxunix" (or by other means) has been used to establish a DD allocation in the AS where the python program is executing In other words, where are the z/OS-specific enhancements to the standard python functions and libraries documented (assuming there are any such enhancements, which I am beginning to doubt)? For other IBM-supported programming languages, that information would probably be available in the Language Reference manual and practical examples and performance-enhancing advice would be provided in the Programmers Guide manual. The first link that you provided is fine for the systems programmer who installs the language on z/OS, but has basically nothing relevant for the python application programmer. The "zoautil_py" library does provide some "direct access" to MVS datasets for python programs, but the package is quite "heavyweight" and consumes a large amount of elapsed and CPU time to use, as recent experimentation I have performed clearly showed. I found that downloading an MVS dataset to the Unix file system with the "zowe" CLI interface and accessing that file with "normal" python file access functions proved far less expensive than using the "zoautil_py" functions to access the same data. Nowhere in the IBM-provided ZOAU documentation did I find any reference to performance characteristics or performance-enhancing advice. That separate python libraries for z/OS maintain separate python documentation of their functionality is OK, but then the IBM-specific library websites need to provide the same sort of automatic linking to the library documentation that the standard python documentation websites use. I.E., the IBM-specific libraries need to have their documentation directly available on the "<library-name>.readthedocs.io" website and linked to from their specific page on the Pypi indexing website and not just at their github location. ISTM that IBM is a day late and a dollar short on application-level documentation for this language on their systems. Peter -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On Behalf Of David Crayford Sent: Saturday, October 1, 2022 9:35 PM To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU Subject: Re: IBM SMF Export with Python On 2/10/22 01:31, Charles Mills wrote: > We LOVE Python. > > When is IBM going to love it enough to ship it and document it as though they > loved it? You can order Python via zShop and install it via SMP/E or download a pax file. That's choice right there. What's wrong with the doc? https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/python-zos/3.10 has all the information I need to install, customize and build extensions. For z/OS specific Python libraries the doc is either shipped with the product so as ZAOU or for open source projects with the code in a repository. For example, the Python DB2 library and doc can be found on Github https://github.com/ibmdb/python-ibmdb . z/OS specific doc here https://github.com/ibmdb/node-ibm_db*configure-odbc-driver-on-zos . This is standard for any open source project. I understand that may be uncomfortable to folks that have no experience working with open source. Another example is https://github.com/ambitus/pyzkiln which is maintained by IBMers from Poughkeepsie but part of the OMP. Anybody interested in writing Python libraries that include calling HLASM should take a look at that repo. Honestly, I don't see what the issue is with doc? It's no different to Java. If I need doc for the JRE I read the Oracle doc. If I need doc for Python I head on over to the Python doc. Everything I need for z/OS is covered. > > (Rhetorical question. I know that David does not know the answer.) > > Charles > > > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU] > On Behalf Of David Crayford > Sent: Friday, September 30, 2022 11:09 PM > To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU > Subject: IBM SMF Export with Python > > I know Python is not well received on this forum but as an example of > IBMs investment they have announced a new Python toolkit to process > SMF data using Jupyter notesbooks, an industry standard visualization > tool for analytics and machine learning. I understand many people > consider this stuff buzz words and fads but if you dig in a bit it's very > cool. > > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://zos-hot-topics.com/2022/SMF-Explor > er/__;!!Ebr-cpPeAnfNniQ8HSAI-g_K5b7VKg!MOPAkGKkKJZy2370bbp_YxYtD_tyt93 > x3LCeTXq7oDQMU30Ek0NS5KXliytjmf7z0s0cSc5sVoDMlT8NCCU5Lyk$ -- This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader of the message is not the intended recipient or an authorized representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. 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