Re: [OT] EBCDIC to ASCII OPTCD=Q? (JCL)

A couple of answers (to you and other posts).

1) IBM mainframe (currently) only supports CODESET and OPTCD=Q for TAPE
datasets. I *think* that if you use BOTH CODESET clause and OPTCD=Q, then you
SHOULD be able to produce an ASCII TAPE output.

2) My best guess from the symptoms reported is that this MIGHT be a "label
records standard" issue. I think COBOL OPTCD=Q files. Check out:
http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/igy3pg31/1.9.7

3) Current COBOL supports producing ASCII output (after processing in EBCDIC)
without using USAGE NATIONAL but using DISPLAY-OF and NATIONAL-OF intrinsic
functions. Check out:
http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/igy3pg31/1.6.6.4

4) Will you have any COMP-3 or non-USAGE DISPLAY output (with sign is separate).
If so, make certain that you (or the person who signs your check) knows what is
REALLY wanted.

5) All of this assumes a COBOL application. If you want a DFSort answer, I can
make certain that Frank Yeager knows about your post and he can probably provide
additional DFSort information.

--
Bill Klein
wmklein <at> ix.netcom.com
<docdwarf@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:eem3rk$sqc$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

All righty... I've been asked about having a job on an IBM mainframe
(z/OS) produce ASCII output.

(To those who think to inquire 'Why don't you produce EBCDIC output and
then have ftp translate it during transfer to the target?' my response is
'I have made this suggestion and someone who signs my time*** responded
'That will be considered a possibility; right now you should look into
making the ASCII files on the mainframe.''... and yes, all fields are
either text or display numerics w/ sign leading separate.)

I recall - but my memory is, admittedly, porous - something about the DCB
parameter OPTCD=Q being able to accomplish this but it will require more
jiggery-pokery than I can come up with; when I code an IEBGENER or a
DFSORT with DD statements like:

//INDD DD DISP=SHR,
// DSN=INPUT.DATASET.INEBCDIC
//OUTDD DD DSN=OUTPUT.DATASET.INASCII,
// DISP=(,CATLG,CATLG),
// UNIT=TAPE,RETPD=0,
// DCB=(*.INDD,BUFNO=30,OPTCD=Q)

... I get an ABEND (in the case of DFSORT it is IEC141I 013-70, a problem
with the OPEN macro... but the QW text for Return Code 70 (for V=IBM
P=Z/OS SYSTEM MSGS R=V1R4 I=IEC141I) reads:

--begin quoted text:

An OPEN macro instruction was issued for a data set on magnetic tape. A
conflict exists between LABEL parameters on the DD statement, and the
DCBRECFM, DCBOPTCD, DCBBUFOF, and DCBUSASI fields, which give the
appearance of mixed ASCII and EBCDIC attributes for the data set; or TRTCH
was specified for a 9-track tape.

Some examples of conflicts are that for AL tapes the BLKSIZE must be less
than 2048, RECFM=V,U and VB cannot be used. For details about AL tape
restrictions see z/OS DFSMS: Using Magnetic Tapes . Note that most
utilities (except for IEHINITT) do not support ASCII.

--end quoted text

(changing UNIT=TAPE,RETPD=0 to UNIT=SYSDA,SPACE=(TRK,(6000,500),RLSE) does
not change the error but the salient text for 70 then appears to be 'An
OPEN macro instruction was issued for a data set not on magnetic tape.
Either OPTCD=Q was specified, or OPEN was issued for an ISAM data set
using QSAM.')

It appears obvious that under the conditions of my experiment DFSORT is
falling into the category of 'most utilities'. Might someone be so kind
as to point me towards a resource from which I may be able to glean a
solution?

Thanks much.

(Oh... and among a bunch of Other Stuff a Google search for '"EBCDIC ASCII
translation" jcl' (no ', " included) returns
http://www.dbforums.com/archive/index.php/t-327313.html ; this informs,
among other things, that 'answering a question with a question is no
answer at all'... it's on the Web, it's gotta be right, right?)

DD



.