Invoking another version from within a program

AmritrajKurup · New User Joined: 15 Aug 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Chicago IL

I have this requirement where I want to invoke a different version of a program based on the parameter value.

Example:
JCL:
//STEP010 EXEC PGM=PROGX,PARM='A'
//STEPLIB DD DSN=NEW.LOADLIB,DISP=SHR

PROGX is a REXX program (compiled and link-edited). If the PARM value is 'A', then the PROGX REXX program should invoke an older version of PROGX located in OLD.LOADLIB. Since the above REXX program executes in a non-TSO address space, I cannot use the TSO CALL statement(CALL statement allows us to specify the full path of a load module). So, I am trying to use the LINKMVS or ATTCHMVS command to invoke the old version of PROGX. However, it looks like we cannot include a load library in the LINKMVS and ATTCHMVS commands. Is there a way to accomplish this thru any other means?

Appreciate your help.

dick scherrer · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:08 pm

Hello,

Set a return code based on the parm and have 2 steps that conditionally execute - One with the "old" lib and The Other with the current lib specified in the STEPLIB.

Another way to accomplish this is to rename the old one to modnameo while the current module is modname.

Bill Dennis · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:39 pm

To elaborate on Dick's naming scheme, have the variable 'A' be the suffix of the old progam name. Both old and new in a common STEPLIB.

AmritrajKurup · New User Joined: 15 Aug 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Chicago IL

Thanks for the quick reply. But I am looking for a way in REXX that will enable me to invoke a program from a specific load library. I think I should have given some details about why I am trying to accomplish this. I have about 3000 batch jobs that use a particular vendor utility. We are trying to develop a wrapper program with the same name as the vendor utility so that we won't have to make any changes to the JCLs. The wrapper program will by default invoke the new utility but should also have the ability to invoke the old vendor utility if a different parm value is passed to it. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

Thanks.

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:20 am

Either the new program or the old vendor utility has to be renamed to a unique name. You can concatenate multiple libraries in your STEPLIB or JOBLIB DD statement but the first library to contain the named module is the library used and there's no way that I know of to change this. So using the same name for old and new means the one concatenated after the other one will never be available.

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:21 am

Hello,

You could rename the vendor utility and when your wrapper determined tha original version of the module be invoked, invoke the renamed module.

Before doing this with the "real" load module, a copy and some testing would be good. . .

Pedro · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:19 am

REXX is great, but not always the best tool for the job. I think you could easily do this by calling an assembler routine which:

1. opens vendor library DD name.
2. uses LINK macro specifying program name, with DCB parameter to specify DD name.

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:27 am

Hi Pedro,

AmritrajKurup · New User Joined: 15 Aug 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Chicago IL

Thank you. I will try the Assembler routine approach. Appreciate the quick responses from everyone.