COBOL File Declaration for RECFM=VBS in JCL !!

thinkmsk · New User Joined: 03 Apr 2015 Posts: 2 Location: India

Hi Friends,

We have used the MQ utility CSQUTIL to copy the messages from a local queue (MQ) to a GDG file which has below declaration in JCL. Now, we have been requested to write a new COBOL-MQ to program to copy the messages from the local queue which has maximum length of 4194304 and to write the same to a GDG file as it is doing for CSQUTIL:

DD DSN=TCC.TST.DOWNLOAD.QUEUE(+1),
DISP=(NEW,CATLG,DELETE),
UNIT=SYSDA, SPACE=(TRK,(1,1,0),RLSE),
DCB=(RECFM=VBS,BLKSIZE=23200)

We have written the COBOL-MQ program but we are not sure how to write a COBOL FD file declaration in our program for RECFM=VBS matching the above GDG file declaration in JCL.

Could you please help me in providing the COBOL FD File declaration for RECFM=VBS to write records with maximum length of 4194304 bytes ?

Thanks a lot in advance !!

Robert Sample · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 5:25 pm

thinkmsk · New User Joined: 03 Apr 2015 Posts: 2 Location: India

Hi Robert,

Thanks for your update. Could you please provide the FD File Declaration based on the below GDG file details used in JCL since this is the first time to work in batch program. So that I can give a try to execute and see..

DD DSN=TCC.TST.DOWNLOAD.QUEUE(+1),
DISP=(NEW,CATLG,DELETE),
UNIT=SYSDA, SPACE=(TRK,(1,1,0),RLSE),
DCB=(RECFM=VBS,BLKSIZE=23200)

Robert Sample · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 11:01 pm

Hopefully, you realize by now that any record over 32760 bytes long may not be readable on the mainframe. I wrote a program a few years back to read SMF data, which is VBS as well. The COBOL declarations for that data set are:

steve-myers · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 11:16 pm

The DD statement you show may not be valid anyway. A VBS data set opened for output must specify an LRECL that specifies the maximum length logical record you intend to write.

In theory an Assembler program can read or write variable length logical records > 32767 bytes, but I never got anything like that to work, though I'll admit I didn't try very hard.

I've done a number of Assembler programs to read and/or write SMF data. I specify LRECL=32767 in the program's DCB macro when writing SMF data - JCL won't accept the value - and don't have any real trouble. What Cobol does I have no idea.

natt.sut · New User Joined: 01 Nov 2017 Posts: 8 Location: Thailand

I would like to know that the concept and syntax to write VBS file is the same as VB file format?

Robert Sample · Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 8:26 am

First, when you have a new question do not add to the end of an old topic -- start a new one.

Second, do not post the same question multiple times in the forum; responses will be provided to the single question and posting additional questions on the same time usually just gets people upset at the waste of their time.

Topic locked.