It is common for IBM manuals for one component to give incorrect rules for another component instead of referring the reader to the relevant documentation. This is especially common when describing REXX or JCL requirements for using that component.
-- Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3 עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי נֵ֣צַח יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א יְשַׁקֵּ֖ר ________________________________________ From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> on behalf of Paul Gilmartin <0000042bfe9c879d-dmarc-requ...@listserv.ua.edu> Sent: Monday, January 8, 2024 10:10 AM To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU Subject: Re: allowed characters in member name On Mon, 8 Jan 2024 11:00:38 -0000, Lennie Dymoke-Bradshaw wrote: >Using quotes around the DSNAME will allow any combination of Hex chars for a >Dsname I think (possibly excluding 44X'04' which represents the VTOC). However >these are not supported for SMS datasets, nor can they be catalogued, nor can >they be protected by RACF. >https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/3.1.0?topic=statement-dsname-parameter > Where I read such as: - The system ignores blank characters at the end of a data set name. Wouldn't it be better to say, "data set names shorter than 44 ccharacters are padded with blanks to 44"? - Double ampersands to identify a temporary data set name. Note that if you use apostrophes, DSNAME='&&AB' and DSNAME='&AB' refer to the same data set. That doesn't belong here. It's described better in "Determining Equivalent JCL". It's incorrect here because it depends on the symbol AB being undefined. "Determining Equivalent JCL" states that double ampersands not enclsed in apostrophes are reduced to single. Does this suggest that within apostrophes they are nor so reduced? I once tried a DSN enclosed in apostrophes ("unqualified") beginning with a period. It failed with a syntax error. I have never found this restriction documented. The data set name should not contain the 44 special characters (X'04') created by hexadecimal editing or any operation that converts the value of characters to X'04'. The "created by ... converts" clause is improperly restrictive. It doesn't matter how they got there, "converted" or otherwise. And no one has mentioned DISABLE(DSNCHECK) before now. <https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/3.1.0?topic=functions-enabling-disabling-data-set-name-validity-checking> -- gil ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
