System i
Programming
Control language
Version 5 Release 4


System i
Programming
Control language
Version 5 Release 4
 Note
Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices,” on
page 571.

Sixth Edition (February 2006)

This edition applies to version 5, release 4, modification 0 of IBM i5/OS (product number 5722-SS1) and to all
subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions. This version does not run on all
reduced instruction set computer (RISC) models nor does it run on CISC models.
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 1998, 2006. All rights reserved.
US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract
with IBM Corp.
Contents
Control language . . . . . . . . . . . 1 OBJ parameter . . . . . . . . . . 83
Overview: Control language . . . . . . . . . 1 OBJTYPE parameter . . . . . . . . 83
What’s new for V5R4 . . . . . . . . . . . 1 OUTPUT parameter . . . . . . . . 85
Printable PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 PRTTXT parameter . . . . . . . . . 85
CL concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 REPLACE parameter . . . . . . . . 86
System operation control . . . . . . . . . 4 JOBPTY, OUTPTY, and PTYLMT
Control language . . . . . . . . . . . 4 scheduling priority parameters . . . . . 88
Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 SEV parameter . . . . . . . . . . 89
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 SPLNBR parameter . . . . . . . . . 90
Message descriptions . . . . . . . . 5 TEXT parameter . . . . . . . . . . 91
Message queues . . . . . . . . . . 5 VOL parameter . . . . . . . . . . 91
CL commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 WAITFILE parameter . . . . . . . . 93
CL command names . . . . . . . . . . 6 Parameter values used for testing and
Abbreviations of CL commands and debugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Program-variable description . . . . . 94
CL command parts . . . . . . . . . . 39 Basing-pointer description . . . . . . 95
CL command syntax . . . . . . . . 39 Subscript description . . . . . . . . 95
CL command label . . . . . . . . . 40 Qualified-name description . . . . . . 96
CL command parameters . . . . . . . 41 Control language elements . . . . . . . . 97
CL command delimiters . . . . . . . 41 CL character sets and values . . . . . . . 97
CL command continuation . . . . . . 43 Character sets . . . . . . . . . . 97
CL command comments . . . . . . . 44 Special character use . . . . . . . . 98
CL command definition parts . . . . . . 44 Symbolic operators . . . . . . . . . 99
CL command coding rules . . . . . . . 45 Predefined values . . . . . . . . . 100
CL command information and documentation 47 Expressions in CL commands . . . . . . 100
CL command documentation format . . . 47 Arithmetic expressions . . . . . . . 101
CL command help . . . . . . . . . 50 Character string expressions . . . . . 101
Printing CL command descriptions on the Relational expressions . . . . . . . 103
system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Logical expressions . . . . . . . . 104
CL command prompters . . . . . . . 51 Operators in expressions . . . . . . 104
CL commands that operate on i5/OS objects 51 Priority of operators when evaluating
CL commands that operate on multiple objects 52 expressions . . . . . . . . . . . 106
CL programs and procedures . . . . . . . 53 Built-in functions for CL . . . . . . . . 106
CL procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Naming within commands . . . . . . . 107
CL module . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Folder and document names . . . . . 108
CL program . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 i5/OS objects . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Service program . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Library objects . . . . . . . . . . . 111
CL parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 External object types . . . . . . . . . 112
Parameter values . . . . . . . . . . 55 Simple and qualified object names . . . . 116
Constant value . . . . . . . . . . 55 Generic object names . . . . . . . . . 116
Variable name . . . . . . . . . . 60 Object naming rules . . . . . . . . . 118
Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Communication names (*CNAME) . . . 120
List of values . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Generic names (*GENERIC) . . . . . 120
Parameters in keyword and positional form 63 Names (*NAME) . . . . . . . . . 120
Required, optional, and key parameters . . . 64 Path names (*PNAME) . . . . . . . 121
Commonly used parameters . . . . . . . 65 Simple names (*SNAME) . . . . . . 123
AUT parameter . . . . . . . . . . 65 Additional rules for unique names . . . 124
CLS parameter . . . . . . . . . . 66 Database files and device files used by CL
COUNTRY parameter . . . . . . . . 67 commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
FILETYPE parameter . . . . . . . . 74 CL programming . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
FRCRATIO parameter . . . . . . . . 75 Process for creating a CL source program or CL
IGCFEAT parameter . . . . . . . . 76 procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
JOB parameter . . . . . . . . . . 76 Interactive entry . . . . . . . . . . 160
LABEL parameter . . . . . . . . . 78 Batch entry . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
LICOPT parameter . . . . . . . . . 79 Parts of a CL procedure . . . . . . . . 161
MAXACT parameter . . . . . . . . 82 Example: Simple CL procedure . . . . . 162

© Copyright IBM Corp. 1998, 2006 iii

 Commands used in CL procedures . . . . . 164 Example: Using the Retrieve Network
Common commands used in CL procedures 164 Attributes command . . . . . . . . 215
Operations performed by CL procedures . . . 167 Retrieving job attributes . . . . . . . . 215
Variables in CL commands . . . . . . . . 171 Example: Using the Retrieve Job
Declaring variables to a CL procedure . . . 172 Attributes command . . . . . . . . 215
| Uses for based variables . . . . . . . . 174 Retrieving user profile attributes . . . . . 216
| Uses for defined variables . . . . . . . 174 Example: Using the Retrieve User Profile
Variables to use for specifying a list or command . . . . . . . . . . . 216
qualified name . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Retrieving member description information 217
Cases of characters in variables . . . . . 176 Example: Using the Retrieve Member
Variables that replace reserved or numeric Description command . . . . . . . 217
parameter values . . . . . . . . . . 176 Compiling CL procedures . . . . . . . . 218
Changing the value of a variable . . . . . 177 Logging CL procedure commands . . . . 218
Trailing blanks on command parameters . . 179 CL module compiler listings . . . . . . 220
Writing comments in CL procedures . . . . 180 Common compilation errors . . . . . . 222
Controlling processing within a CL program or Obtaining a CL procedure dump . . . . . 223
CL procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Displaying module attributes . . . . . . 224
GOTO command and command labels in a Displaying program attributes . . . . . . 224
CL program or procedure . . . . . . . 182 Return code summary . . . . . . . . 225
IF command in a CL program or procedure 183 Compiling source programs for a previous
ELSE command in a CL program or release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Previous-release (*PRV) libraries . . . . . 226
Embedded IF commands in a CL program or Installing CL compiler support for a previous
procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
DO command and DO groups in a CL Controlling flow and communicating between
program or procedure . . . . . . . . 188 programs and procedures . . . . . . . . 227
DOUNTIL command in a CL program or Passing control to another program or
procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
DOWHILE command in a CL program or Using the Call Program command to pass
procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 control . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
DOFOR command in a CL program or Using the Call Bound Procedure
procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 command to pass control . . . . . . 229
ITERATE command in a CL program or Using the Return command to pass
procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 control . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
LEAVE command in a CL program or Passing parameters . . . . . . . . . 231
procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Using the Call Program command to pass
| CALLSUBR command in a CL program or control to a called program . . . . . . 234
| procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Common errors when calling programs
SELECT command and SELECT groups in a and procedures . . . . . . . . . . 236
CL program or procedure . . . . . . . 195 Communicating between programs and
| SUBR command and subroutines in a CL procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
| program or procedure . . . . . . . . 196 Using data queues . . . . . . . . . . 241
*AND, *OR, and *NOT operators . . . . . 197 Remote data queues . . . . . . . . 243
| %ADDRESS built-in function in a CL Comparisons with using database files as
| program or procedure . . . . . . . . 201 queues . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
%BINARY built-in function . . . . . . . 202 Similarities to message queues. . . . . 245
| %OFFSET built-in function . . . . . . . 204 Prerequisites for using data queues . . . 245
%SUBSTRING built-in function . . . . . 205 Managing the storage used by a data
%SWITCH built-in function . . . . . . 207 queue . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
%SWITCH with the IF command . . . . 208 Allocating data queues . . . . . . . 246
%SWITCH with the Change Variable Examples: Using a data queue . . . . . 246
command . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Creating data queues associated with an
Monitor Message command . . . . . . 209 output queue . . . . . . . . . . 251
Retrieving values that can be used as variables 211 Using data areas . . . . . . . . . . 251
Retrieving system values . . . . . . . 211 Local data area . . . . . . . . . . 252
Example: Retrieving QTIME system value 211 Group data area . . . . . . . . . 253
Retrieving the QDATE system value into a Program Initialization Parameter data area 253
CL variable . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Remote data areas . . . . . . . . . 254
Retrieving configuration source . . . . . 214 Creating a data area . . . . . . . . 254
Retrieving configuration status . . . . . 214 Data area locking and allocation . . . . 255
Retrieving network attributes . . . . . . 214 Displaying a data area . . . . . . . 255

iv System i: Programming Control language

 Changing a data area . . . . . . . . 256 Example: Saving specific objects in an
Retrieving a data area . . . . . . . 256 application (system operator) . . . . . . 346
Examples: Retrieving a data area . . . . 256 Example: Recovery from abnormal end
Example: Changing and retrieving a data (system operator) . . . . . . . . . . 346
area . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Example: Timing out while waiting for input
Defining and documenting commands . . . . 258 from a device display . . . . . . . . 346
Defining commands . . . . . . . . . 258 Example: Performing date arithmetic . . . 348
Command definition statements . . . . 258 Debugging CL programs and procedures . . . . 348
Command definition process . . . . . 261 Debugging ILE programs . . . . . . . . 349
Defining a command . . . . . . . . 265 Debug commands . . . . . . . . . . 350
Data type and parameter restrictions . . 271 Preparing a program object for a debug
Defining lists for parameters . . . . . 278 session . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Specifying prompt control . . . . . . 294 Using a root source view to debug ILE
Key parameters and prompt override programs . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
programs . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 Using a listing view to debug ILE
Creating commands . . . . . . . . 304 programs . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Displaying a command definition . . . 308 Using a statement view to debug ILE
Effect of changing the command definition programs . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
of a command in a procedure or program . 309 Starting the ILE source debugger . . . . . 353
Command processing program . . . . 313 Adding program objects to a debug session 353
Validity checking program . . . . . . 316 Removing program objects from a debug
Examples: Defining and creating session . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
commands . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Viewing the program source . . . . . . 356
Documenting command . . . . . . . . 324 Changing a module object . . . . . . 356
Commands and command help . . . . 324 Changing the module object view . . . 357
Writing command help . . . . . . . 326 Setting and removing breakpoints . . . . 358
Generating HTML source for command Setting and removing unconditional
documentation . . . . . . . . . . 327 breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . 358
| Proxy commands . . . . . . . . . . 328 Setting and removing conditional
Command-related APIs . . . . . . . . . 329 breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . 359
QCAPCMD program . . . . . . . . . 329 Using the Work with Breakpoints display 360
QCMDEXC program . . . . . . . . . 329 Using the BREAK and CLEAR debug
QCMDEXC program with DBCS data . . 332 commands to set and remove conditional
QCMDCHK program . . . . . . . . . 332 breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Prompting for user input at run time . . . . 334 National Language Sort Sequence . . . 361
Using the i5/OS prompter within a CL Examples: Conditional breakpoint . . . 362
procedure or program . . . . . . . . 334 Removing all breakpoints . . . . . . 363
Using selective prompting for CL commands 336 Using instruction stepping . . . . . . . 363
Using QCMDEXC with prompting in CL F10 (Step) to step over program objects or
procedures and programs . . . . . . . 339 F22 (Step into) to step into program
Entering program source . . . . . . . . 339 objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Using the Start Programmer Menu command 339 Using the STEP debug command to step
Using the EXITPGM parameter of the through a program object . . . . . . 364
Start Programmer Menu command . . . 340 Displaying variables . . . . . . . . . 364
Command analyzer exit points . . . . . . 340 Example: Displaying logical variable . . 365
Designing application programs for DBCS data 341 Examples: Displaying character variable 366
Designing DBCS application programs . . . 341 Example: Displaying decimal variable . . 366
Converting alphanumeric programs to Example: Displaying variables as
process DBCS data . . . . . . . . . 341 hexadecimal values . . . . . . . . 366
Using DBCS data in a CL program . . . . 341 Changing the value of variables . . . . . 367
Loading and running an application from tape Example: Changing logical variable . . . 367
or optical media . . . . . . . . . . . 342 Examples: Changing character variable 368
Example: QINSTAPP program . . . . . . 342 Examples: Changing decimal variable . . 368
Transferring control to improve performance 343 Displaying variable attributes . . . . . . 368
Example: Using the Transfer Control Equating a name with a variable, an
command . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 expression, or a command . . . . . . . 369
Passing parameters using the Transfer Source debug and i5/OS globalization . . . 370
Control command . . . . . . . . . . 344 Working with *SOURCE view . . . . . 370
Examples: CL programs and procedures . . . 345 Operations that temporarily remove steps 370
Example: Initial program for setup Debugging original program model programs 370
(programmer) . . . . . . . . . . . 346 Starting debug mode . . . . . . . . . 371

Contents v
 Adding programs to debug mode . . . 372 Placing objects in libraries . . . . . . . 407
Preventing updates to database files in Deleting and clearing libraries . . . . . . 408
production libraries . . . . . . . . 372 Displaying library names and contents . . . 409
Displaying the call stack . . . . . . . . 373 Displaying and retrieving library descriptions 410
Program activations . . . . . . . . 373 Changing national language versions . . . . 410
Handling unmonitored messages . . . . . 374 Describing objects . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 Displaying object descriptions . . . . . . . 411
Adding breakpoints to programs . . . . 375 Retrieving object descriptions . . . . . . . 415
Adding conditional breakpoints . . . . 378 Example: Using the Retrieve Object
Removing breakpoints from programs . . 379 Description command . . . . . . . . 417
Traces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 Creation information for objects . . . . . . 417
Adding traces to programs . . . . . . 380 Detecting unused objects on the system . . . 418
Using instruction stepping . . . . . . 382 Moving objects from one library to another . . 422
Using breakpoints within traces . . . . 383 Creating duplicate objects . . . . . . . . 425
Removing trace information from the Renaming objects . . . . . . . . . . . 426
system . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 Object compression or decompression . . . . 428
Removing traces from programs . . . . 383 Restrictions for compression of objects . . . 428
Displaying testing information . . . . . 383 Temporarily decompressed objects . . . . 429
Displaying the values of variables . . . . 384 Automatic decompression of objects . . . . 429
Changing the values of variables . . . . . 385 Deleting objects . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Reasons for using a job to debug another job 386 Allocating resources . . . . . . . . . . 431
Debugging batch jobs that are submitted Lock states for objects . . . . . . . . 432
to a job queue . . . . . . . . . . 386 Displaying the lock states for objects . . . 434
Debugging batch jobs that are not started Accessing objects in CL programs . . . . . 434
from job queues . . . . . . . . . 387 Accessing command definitions, files, and
Debugging a job that is running . . . . 387 procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Debugging another interactive job . . . 388 Accessing command definitions . . . . 436
Considerations when debugging one job Accessing files . . . . . . . . . . 436
from another job . . . . . . . . . 388 Accessing procedures . . . . . . . . 437
Debugging at the machine interface level . . 389 Checking for the existence of an object . . . 437
Security considerations . . . . . . . . 389 Working with files in CL procedures . . . . 438
Operations that temporarily remove Data manipulation commands . . . . . . 440
breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 Files in a CL procedure . . . . . . . . 441
Objects and libraries . . . . . . . . . . . 390 Opening and closing files in a CL procedure 441
Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 Declaring a file . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Object types and common attributes . . . . 390 Sending and receiving data with a display
Functions performed on objects . . . . . 391 file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
Functions the system performs Example: Writing a CL program to control a
automatically . . . . . . . . . . 391 menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Functions you can perform using The Override with Display File command to
commands . . . . . . . . . . . 391 override display files in a CL procedure or
Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 program . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Library lists . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 Working with multiple device display files 447
Functions of using a library list . . . . 394 The Receive File command to receive data
A job’s library list . . . . . . . . . 398 from a database file . . . . . . . . . 450
Changing the library list . . . . . . . 399 The Override with Database File command
Considerations for using a library list . . 401 to override database files in a CL procedure
Displaying a library list . . . . . . . 401 or program . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Using library lists to search for objects . . 401 Output files from display commands . . . 451
Using libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
Creating a library . . . . . . . . . . 403 Defining message descriptions . . . . . . . 453
Authority for libraries specification . . . . 404 Creating a message file . . . . . . . . 455
Object authority . . . . . . . . . 404 Message files in independent ASPs . . . 455
Data authority . . . . . . . . . . 404 Determining the size of a message file . . 455
Combined authority . . . . . . . . 405 Adding messages to a file . . . . . . . 456
Security considerations for objects . . . . 405 Assigning a message identifier . . . . 457
The Display Audit Journal Entries Defining messages and message help . . 458
command to generate security journal Defining substitution variables . . . . 458
audit reports . . . . . . . . . . 406 Assigning a severity code . . . . . . 460
Setting default public authority . . . . . 406 Specifying validity checking for replies 461
Setting default auditing attribute . . . . . 407

vi System i: Programming Control language

 Example: Sending an immediate message Watching for messages . . . . . . . . 513
and handling a reply . . . . . . . . 462 CL handling for unmonitored messages . . 513
Defining default values for replies . . . 464 Monitoring for notify messages . . . . . 515
Specifying default message handling for Monitoring for status messages . . . . . 516
escape messages . . . . . . . . . 464 Preventing the display of status messages 516
Example: Describing a message . . . . 466 | Receiving a message from a program or
Defining double-byte messages . . . . 466 | procedure that has ended . . . . . . . . 517
Viewing messages . . . . . . . . . . 467 Break-handling programs . . . . . . . . 520
Message file searching . . . . . . . . 467 Ways of handling replies to inquiry messages 522
System message file searches . . . . . 467 | Using a sender copy message to obtain a
Overriding message files . . . . . . 467 | reply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
Message queues . . . . . . . . . . . 471 | Finding the job that sent the reply . . . . 523
Types of message queues . . . . . . . 471 Using the system reply list . . . . . . . 523
Creating or changing a message queue . . . 473 Using the reply handling exit program . . . 526
Message queues in independent ASPs . . 474 Message subfiles in a CL program or procedure 527
Message queues in break mode . . . . 475 Log messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Placing a message queue in break mode Job log . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
automatically . . . . . . . . . . 475 Writing a job log to a file . . . . . . 527
Job message queues . . . . . . . . . 476 Controlling information written in a job
External message queue . . . . . . . 476 log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528
Call message queue . . . . . . . . 477 Job log message filtering . . . . . . 529
Commands used to send messages to a system Example: Controlling information written
user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479 in a job log . . . . . . . . . . . 529
Commands used to send messages from a CL Job log sender or receiver information . . 533
program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480 Displaying a job log . . . . . . . . 534
Inquiry and informational messages . . . . 482 Preventing the production of job logs . . 535
Completion and diagnostic messages . . . 482 Job log considerations . . . . . . . 535
Status messages . . . . . . . . . . 483 Interactive job log considerations . . . . 536
Escape and notify messages . . . . . . 483 Batch job log considerations . . . . . 537
Examples: Sending messages . . . . . . 484 Message filtering through the Control Job
Identifying a call stack entry . . . . . . 487 Log Output API . . . . . . . . . 538
Using the Send Program Message Job log output files . . . . . . . . 538
command as the base . . . . . . . . 488 QHST history log . . . . . . . . . . 546
Identifying the base entry by name . . . 490 Format of the history log . . . . . . 548
Using the program boundary as a base 493 QHST file processing . . . . . . . . 549
Using the most recently called procedure QHST job start and completion messages 550
as a base . . . . . . . . . . . . 497 QHST files deletion . . . . . . . . 551
Using a control boundary as a base . . . 498 QSYSMSG message queue . . . . . . . . 551
Considerations for service programs . . . 500 Messages sent to QSYSMSG message queue 552
Receiving messages into a CL procedure or Example: Receiving messages from
program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501 QSYSMSG . . . . . . . . . . . . 568
Receiving request messages . . . . . . 503
Writing request-processor procedures and Appendix. Notices . . . . . . . . . 571
programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505 Programming Interface Information . . . . . . 572
Determining if a request processor exists . . 506 Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572
Retrieving message descriptions from a message Terms and conditions . . . . . . . . . . . 573
file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
Removing messages from a message queue . . 509
Monitoring for messages in a CL program or
procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

Contents vii
viii System i: Programming Control language
Control language
Control language (CL) allows system programmers and system administrators to write programs using
i5/OS® commands and other IBM-supplied commands.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Overview: Control language

The control language topic collection contains information about all control language (CL) commands that
are part of the i5/OS operating system. It also includes many CL commands for licensed programs that
run on the i5/OS operating system.

Before using CL commands, you should be familiar with the CL programming concepts discussed in the
Control language topic collection.

Who should use commands

CL commands are typically used by programmers, data processing managers, and system administrators.
Through i5/OS command menus, powerful command prompter tools, and online command help,
nontechnical users can also use CL commands. To use commands, you should have a general
understanding of i5/OS operating system. If you want to combine several CL commands together to
create a CL program, some background in programming is helpful.

How this information is organized

In the CL command finder, you can search for commands by product, by command name, by descriptive
name, or by part of the name. You also can search for new commands and changed commands. You can
also view an alphabetical list of all of the command documentation.
Related reference
“Printable PDFs” on page 2
Use this to view and print groups of CL commands or concepts.

What’s new for V5R4

This topic highlights changes to Control language (CL) for IBM i5/OS V5R4.

New object types

The following object types are new in the i5/OS licensed program for Version 5 Release 4 Modification 0
(V5R4M0):
v *NWSCFG -- Network Server Configuration object

CL concept information

This release the CL Programming manual has been discontinued, and the information has been moved
and integrated with the CL concept information in the CL topic. See Control Language concepts and
reference to print this information.

The CL concept information includes new CL support for the following:

v subroutines

© Copyright IBM Corp. 1998, 2006 1

v pointer variables
v based variables
v defined variables
v %ADDRESS and %OFFSET built-in functions

New and changed commands

You can display a list of all new commands or all changed commands using the CL command finder.
However, the command information content is not marked to indicate what is new or changed.

How to see what’s new or changed

To help you see where technical changes have been made, this information uses:
v The image to mark where new or changed information begins.
v The image to mark where new or changed information ends.

To find other information about what’s new or changed this release, see the Memo to users.

Printable PDFs
Use this to view and print groups of CL commands or concepts.

The following links provide the PDF versions of the CL concepts and reference information, as well as
the CL command descriptions. (For information about printing command information from your system,
see “Printing CL command descriptions on the system” on page 51).

To view or download a PDF, select one of the following links.

CL PDF PDF download size (pages)

Control language 8340 KB (558 pages)
i5/OS commands starting with ADDACC (Add Access 6621 KB (664 pages)
Code)
i5/OS commands starting with AREXEC (Run Remote 7358 KB (738 pages)
Command)
i5/OS commands starting with CHGDSTL (Change 9103 KB (894 pages)
Distribution List)
i5/OS commands starting with CHGPRXCMD (Change 6485 KB (654 pages)
Proxy Command)
i5/OS commands starting with CPYIGCTBL (Copy DBCS 10 876 KB (992 pages)
Font Table)
i5/OS commands starting with CRTMSGF (Create 6374 KB (620 pages)
Message File)
i5/OS commands starting with DLTF (Delete File) 2712 KB (338 pages)
i5/OS commands starting with DSPAPPNINF (Display 3409 KB (378 pages)
APPN Information)
i5/OS commands starting with DSPNWSD (Display 3463 KB (378 pages)
Network Server Description)
i5/OS commands starting with ENDJOB (End Job) 4421 KB (474 pages)
i5/OS commands starting with MRGTCPHT (Merge 6376 KB (642 pages)
TCP/IP Host Table)

2 System i: Programming Control language

 CL PDF PDF download size (pages)
i5/OS commands starting with RMVDEVDMNE 3919 KB (404 pages)
(Remove Device Domain Entry)
i5/OS commands starting with RSTSYSINF (Restore 9176 KB (866 pages)
System Information)
i5/OS commands starting with SNDRPY (Send Reply) 5194 KB (532 pages)
i5/OS commands starting with VFYCMN (Verify 2769 KB (320 pages)
Communications)
i5/OS commands starting with WRKNTWAUTE (Work 2190 KB (248 pages)
with NetWare Authentication Entries)
Advanced Job Scheduler for iSeries™ commands 1618 KB (176 pages)
™
AFP Utilities for iSeries commands 410 KB (50 pages)
Backup Recovery and Media Services for iSeries 4701 KB (490 pages)
commands
Business Graphics Utility for AS/400® commands 275 KB (34 pages)
CICS® Transaction Server for iSeries commands 3024 KB (328 pages)
Communications Utilities for iSeries commands 1504 KB (176 pages)
Content Manager OnDemand for iSeries commands 1447 KB (166 pages)
Cryptographic Support for AS/400 commands 391 KB (50 pages)
® ™
DB2 DataPropagator for iSeries, V8.1 commands 866 KB (110 pages)
DB2 Query Manager and SQL Development Kit for 1981 KB (192 pages)
iSeries commands
Developer Kit for Java™ commands 262 KB (28 pages)
HTTP Server for iSeries commands 421 KB (50 pages)
®
Infoprint Server for iSeries commands 379 KB (48 pages)
® ™
IBM eServer iSeries Access for Web commands 208 KB (38 pages)
Managed System Services for iSeries commands 937 KB (112 pages)
Performance Tools for iSeries commands 2214 KB (256 pages)
Query for iSeries commands 92 KB (14 pages)
System Manager for iSeries commands 3766 KB (424 pages)
TCP/IP Connectivity Utilities for iSeries commands 1569 KB (182 pages)
®
WebSphere Development Studio commands 3309 KB (360 pages)

Saving PDF files

To save a PDF on your workstation for viewing or printing:

1. Right-click the PDF in your browser (right-click the link above).
| 2. Click the option that saves the PDF locally.
3. Navigate to the directory in which you want to save the PDF.
4. Click Save.

Downloading Adobe Reader

| You need Adobe Reader installed on your system to view or print these PDFs. You can download a free
| copy from the Adobe Web site (www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html) .

Control language 3
 Related concepts
“Overview: Control language” on page 1
The control language topic collection contains information about all control language (CL) commands
that are part of the i5/OS operating system. It also includes many CL commands for licensed
programs that run on the i5/OS operating system.
“Printing CL command descriptions on the system” on page 51
To print the parameter and value descriptions for a CL command, follow these instructions.

CL concepts
The control language (CL) is the set of all commands with which a user requests system functions. This
information describes the basic concepts of CL that you need to understand before you use the
commands.

System operation control

The control language (CL), menu options, and system messages control the operation of the system.

Control language
Control language (CL) is the primary interface to the operating system. CL can be used at the same time
by users at different workstations, in batch and interactive jobs and in CL programs and procedures.

A single control language statement is called a command. Commands can be entered in the following
ways:
v Individually from a workstation.
v As part of batch jobs.
v As source statements to create a CL program or procedure.

Commands can be entered individually from any command line or the Command Entry display.

To simplify the use of CL, all the commands use a consistent syntax. In addition, the operating system
provides prompting support for all commands, default values for most command parameters, and
validity checking to ensure that a command is entered correctly before the function is performed. Thus,
CL provides a single, flexible interface to many different system functions that can be used by different
system users.
Related concepts
“CL commands” on page 6
A control language (CL) command is a single statement to request a system function.

Menus
The system provides a large number of menus that allow users to perform many system functions just by
selecting menu options.

Menus provide the following advantages:

v Users do not need to understand CL commands and command syntax.
v The amount of typing and the chance of errors are greatly reduced.
Related information
Application Display Programming
i5/OS globalization

Messages
A message is a communication sent from one user, program, or procedure to another.

4 System i: Programming Control language

System messages can report both status information and error conditions. Most data processing systems
provide communications between the system and the operator to handle errors and other conditions that
occur during processing. The i5/OS operating system also provides message handling functions that
support two-way communications between programs and system users, between programs, between
procedures within a program, and between system users. Two types of messages are supported:
v Immediate messages, which are created by the program or system user when they are sent and are not
permanently stored in the system.
v Predefined messages, which are created before they are used. These messages are placed in a message
file when they are created, and retrieved from that file when they are used.

Because messages can be used to provide communications between programs, between procedures in a
program, and between programs and users, using the i5/OS message handling functions should be
considered when developing applications. The following concepts of message handling are important to
application development:
v Messages can be defined in messages files, which are outside the programs that use them, and variable
information can be provided in the message text when a message is sent. Because messages are defined
outside the programs, the programs do not have to be changed when the messages are changed. This
approach also allows the same program to be used with message files containing translations of the
messages into different languages.
v Messages are sent to and received from message queues, which are separate objects on the system. A
message sent to a queue can remain on the queue until it is explicitly received by a program or
workstation user.
v A program can send messages to a user who requested the program regardless of what workstation
that user has signed on to. Messages do not have to be sent to a specific device; one program can be
used from different workstations without change.
Related tasks
“Messages” on page 452
Messages are used to communicate between users and programs.
Related information
i5/OS globalization

Message descriptions:

A message description defines a message to the i5/OS operating system.

The message description contains the text of the message and information about replacement variables,
and can include variable data that is provided by the message sender when the message is sent.

Message descriptions are stored in message files. Each description must have an identifier that is unique
within the file. When a message is sent, the message file and the message identifier tell the system which
message description is to be used.

Message queues:

When a message is sent to a procedure, a program, or a system user, it is placed on a message queue
associated with that procedure, program, or user. The procedure, program, or user sees the message by
receiving it from the queue.

The i5/OS operating system provides message queues for the following items:
v Each workstation on the system
v Each user enrolled on the system
v The system operator
v The system history log

Control language 5
Additional message queues can be created to meet any special application requirements. Messages sent to
message queues are kept, so the receiver of the message does not need to process the message
immediately.

CL commands
A control language (CL) command is a single statement to request a system function.
Related concepts
“Control language” on page 4
Control language (CL) is the primary interface to the operating system. CL can be used at the same
time by users at different workstations, in batch and interactive jobs and in CL programs and
procedures.

CL command names
The command name identifies the function that will be performed by the program that is called when the
command is run. Most command names consist of a combination of a verb (or action) followed by a
noun or phrase that identifies the receiver of the action (or object being acted on): (command = verb +
object acted on).

Abbreviated words, typically one to three letters, make up the command name. This reduces the amount
of typing that is required to enter the command.

For example, you can create, delete, or display a library; so the verb abbreviations CRT, DLT, and DSP are
joined to the abbreviation for library, LIB. The result is three commands that can operate on a library:
CRTLIB, DLTLIB, and DSPLIB. In another example, one of the CL commands is the Send Message
command. You would use the Send Message (SNDMSG) command to send a message from a user to a
message queue.

The conventions for naming the combination verb and object commands are as follows:
v The primary convention (as just shown) is to use three letters from each word in the descriptive
command name to form the abbreviated command name that is recognized by the system.
v The secondary convention is to use single letters from the ending word or words in the command title
for the end of the command name, such as the three single letters DLO on the Delete Document
Library Object (DLTDLO) command.
v An occasional convention is to use single letters in the middle of the command name (typically
between commonly used three-character verbs and objects), such as the letters CL in the Create CL
Program (CRTCLPGM) command.

Some command names consist of the verb only, such as the Move (MOV) command, or an object only,
such as the Data (DATA) command. A few commands have an i5/OS command name, and can also be
called using one or more alternate names that may be familiar to users of systems other than the i5/OS
system. An alternate name is known as an alias, such as the name CD is an alias for the Change Current
Directory (CHGCURDIR) command.
Related concepts
“Simple and qualified object names” on page 116
The name of a specific object that is located in a library can be specified as a simple name or as a
qualified name.
“Object naming rules” on page 118
These rules are used to name all i5/OS objects used in control language (CL) commands. The
parameter summary table for each CL command shows whether a simple object name, a qualified
name, or a generic name can be specified.
Related reference

6 System i: Programming Control language

 “OBJTYPE parameter” on page 83
The object type (OBJTYPE) parameter specifies the types of i5/OS objects that can be operated on by
the command in which they are specified.

Abbreviations of CL commands and keywords:

Most CL command names that are part of the i5/OS operating system and other licensed programs that
run on the operating system follow a consistent naming style.

The first three letters of the command name (known as the command verb) represent the action that is
being performed. The remaining letters of the command name describe the object that is having the
action performed on it.
Related tasks
“Defining commands” on page 258
CL commands enable you to request a broad range of functions. You can use IBM-supplied
commands, change the default values for command parameters, and define your own commands.

CL command verb abbreviations:

The majority of all CL commands use one of these common command verbs.

Verb abbreviation Meaning

ADD add
CHG change
CRT create
DLT delete
DSP display
END end
RMV remove
STR start
WRK work with

The following table lists all the abbreviations that are used as command verbs.

Verb abbreviation Meaning

ADD add
ALC allocate
ALM alarm
ANS answer
ANZ analyze
APY apply
ASK ask
BLD build
CFG configure
CHG change
CHK check
CLO close
CLR clear
CMP compare
CNL cancel
CPH cipher
CPR compress
CPY copy
CRT create
CVT convert

Control language 7
Verb abbreviation Meaning
DCP decompress
DLC deallocate
DLT delete
DLY delay
DMP dump
DSC disconnect
DSP display
DUP duplicate
EDT edit
EJT eject
EML emulate
ENC encipher
END end
EXP export
EXT extract
FIL file
FMT format
FND find
GEN generate
GRT grant
HLD hold
IMP import
INS install
INZ initialize
LNK link
LOD load
MGR migrate
MON monitor
MOV move
MRG merge
OPN open
ORD order
OVR override
PAG paginate
PKG package
POS position
PRM promote
PRT print
PWR power
QRY query
RCL reclaim
RCV receive
RGZ reorganize
RLS release
RMV remove
RNM rename
RPL replace
RQS request
RRT reroute
RSM resume
RST restore
RTV retrieve
RUN run
RVK revoke

8 System i: Programming Control language

Verb abbreviation Meaning
SAV save
SBM submit
SET set
SLT select
SND send
STR start
TFR transfer
TRC trace
UPD update
VFY verify
VRY vary
WRK work with

CL command abbreviations:

This table lists all abbreviations that are used in CL command names, including command verb
abbreviations.

Command abbreviation Meaning

A (suffix) attributes
ABN abnormal
ACC access code
ACCGRP access group
ACG accounting
ACN action
ACNE action entry
ACT active, activity, activation
ADD add
ADM application development manager, administration, administrative
ADP adopt, adopting
ADPI adapter information
ADPP adapter profile
ADPT adapter
ADR address
ADSM ADSTAR distributed storage manager
AFP advanced function printing
AGR agreement
AGT agent
AJE autostart job entry
ALC allocate
ALR alert
ALRD alert description
ALRTBL alert table
ALS alias
ANS answer
ANZ analyze
AP access path
APAR authorized program analysis report
APF advanced printer function
APP application
APPC advanced program-to-program communications
APPN advanced peer-to-peer networking
APY apply
ARA area

Control language 9
Command abbreviation Meaning
ARC archive
ASC asynchronous
ASK ask
ASN association
ASP auxiliary storage pool
AST assistance
ATM asynchronous transfer mode
ATN attention
ATR attribute
AUD audit, auditing
AUT authority
AUTE authentication entry
AUTL authorization list
BACK back
BAL balance, balancing
BAS BASIC language
BCD barcode
BCH batch
BCK backup
BCKUP backup
BGU business graphics utility
BKP breakpoint
BKU backup
BND binding, bound
BP boot protocol
BRM BRMS (backup recovery and media services)
BSC binary synchronous
BSCF bsc file
BUF buffer
C C language
CAL calendar
CALL call
CAP capture
CBL COBOL language
CCS change control server
CCT IPX circuit
CCTRTE circuit route
CCTSRV circuit service
CDE code, coded
CDS coded data store
CFG configuration, configure
CFGL configuration list
CFGLE configuration list entry
CGY category
CHG change
CHK check
CHT chart
CICS customer information control system
CL control language
CLD C locale description
CLG catalog
CLNUP cleanup
CLO close
CLR clear

10 System i: Programming Control language

Command abbreviation Meaning
CLS class
CLT client
CLU cluster
CMD command
CMN communications
CMNE communications entry
CMNF communications file
CMP compare
CMT commit
CNL cancel
CNN connection
CNNL connection list
CNNLE connection list entry
CNR container
CNT contact
CNV conversation
CODE cooperative development environment
COL collection
COM community
COSD class-of-service description
CP check pending
CPH cipher
CPIC common programming interface for communications
CPP C++ language
CPR compress
CPT component
CPY copy
CPYSCN copy screen
CRG cluster resource group
CRL crawler
CRP cryptographic
CRQ change request
CRSDMN cross-domain
CRT create
CSI communications side information
CSL console
CST constraint, customization
CTG cartridge
CTL control
CTLD controller description
CUR current
CVG coverage
CVN conversion
CVT convert
D (suffix) description
DAT date
DB database
DBF database file
DBG debug
DCL declare
DCP decompress
DCT dictionary
DDI distributed data interface
DDM distributed data management

Control language 11
Command abbreviation Meaning
DDMF distributed data management file
DEP dependent
DEV device
DEVD device description
DFN definition
DFT default
DFU data file utility
DHCP dynamic host configuration protocol
DIR directory
DIRE directory entry
DIRSHD directory shadow
DKT diskette
DKTF diskette file
DL DataLink
DLC deallocate
DLF DataLink file
DLFM DataLink file manager
DLO document library object
DLT delete
DLY delay
DMN domain
DMP dump
DNS domain name service
DO do
DOC document
DOM Domino®
DPCQ DSNX/PC queue
DPR DataPropagator Relational
DSC disconnect
DSK disk
DSP display
DSPF display file
DST distribution
DSTL distribution list
DSTLE distribution list entry
DSTQ distribution queue
DSTSRV distribution services
DTA data
DTAARA data area
DTAQ data queue
DUP duplicate
DWN down
E (suffix) entry
EDT edit
EDTD edit description
EDU education
EJT eject
EML emulate, emulation
ENC encipher
END end
ENR enrollment
ENV environment
ENVVAR environment variable
EPM extended program model

12 System i: Programming Control language

 Command abbreviation Meaning
ERR error
ETH ethernet
EWC extended wireless controller
EWL extended wireless line
EXIT exit
| EXP expiration, expired, export
EXT extract
F (suffix) file
FAX facsimile
FCN function
FCT forms control table
FCTE forms control table entry
FD file description
FFD file field description
FIL file
FILL fill
FLR folder
FMT format
| FMW firmware
FNC finance
FND find
FNT font
FNTRSC font resource
FNTTBL font table
FORM form
FORMD form description
FORMDF form definition
FR frame relay
FRM from
FRW firewall
FTN FORTRAN language
FTP file transfer protocol
FTR filter
GDF graphics data format
GEN generate
GO go to
GPH graphics
GPHPKG graph package
GRP group
GRT grant
GSS graphic symbol set
HDB host database
HDW hardware
HDWRSC hardware resources
HLD hold, held
HLL high level language
HLP help
HLR holder
HOST host
HST history, historical
HTE host table entry
HTTP hypertext transfer protocol
I (suffix) information, item, ILE
ICF intersystem communications function

Control language 13
 Command abbreviation Meaning
ICFF icf file
IDD interactive data definition utility
IDLC ISDN data link control
IDX index
IDXE index entry
IFC interface
IMG image
IMP import
INF information
INP input
INS install
INT internal machine
INTR intrasystem
INZ initialize
IPI internet protocol over IPX
IPL initial program load
IPS internet protocol over SNA
IPX internetwork packet exchange
IPXD IPX description
ISDB interactive source debugger
ISDN integrated services digital network
ITF interactive terminal facility
ITG integrity
ITM item
IWS intelligent workstation
JOB job
JOBD job description
JOBE job entry
JOBQ job queue
JOBQE job queue entry
JRN journal
JRNRCV journal receiver
JS job scheduler
JVA Java
JVM Java virtual machine
KBD keyboard
KEY key
L (suffix) list
LAN local area network
LANG language
LBL label
LCK lock
LCL local
LCLA local attributes
LF logical file
LFM logical file member
LIB library
LIBL library list
LIBM library member
LIC license, licensed
LIN line
LIND line description
LNK link
| LNX Linux®

14 System i: Programming Control language

 Command abbreviation Meaning
LOC location
LOCALE locale
LOD load
LOF logical optical file
LOG log
LOGE log entries
LPD line printer daemon
LPDA link problem determination aid
LPR line printer requester
LWS local workstation
M (suffix) member
MAC message authentication code
MAIL mail
MAP map
MAX maximum
MBR member
MDL model
MED media
MEDDFN media definition
MEDI media information
| MEM memory
MFS mounted file system
MGD managed
MGR migrate, migration, manager
MGTCOL management collection
MLB media library
MLM media library media
MNT minutes, maintenance
MNU menu
MOD mode, module
MODD mode description
MON monitor
MOV move
MRG merge
MSF mail server framework
MSG message
MSGD message description
MSGF message file
MSGQ message queue
MST master
M36 AS/400 Advanced 36® machine
M36CFG AS/400 Advanced 36 machine configuration
NAM name
NCK nickname
NDSCTX NetWare directory services context
NET network
NETF network file
NFS network file system
NODGRP node group
NODL node list
NTB netbios
NTF NetFinity
NTS Notes
NTW NetWare

Control language 15
 Command abbreviation Meaning
NWI network interface
NWS network server
NWSAPP network server application
| NWSCFG network server configuration
NWSD network server description
| NWSH network server host adapter
OBJ object
OCL operation control language
OF optical file
OFC office
OFF off
OMC object management cycle
OPC opticonnect
OPN open
| OPT optical, options
ORD order
OUT out, outgoing, output
OUTQ output queue
OUTQD output queue description
OVL overlay
OVLU overlay utility
OVR override
OWN owner
PAG page, paginate
PAGDFN page definition
PAGS page segment
PAGSEG page segment
PARM parameter
PART part
PASTHR pass through
PC personal computer
PCD pc document
PCL protocol
PCO pc organizer
PCY policy
PDF portable document format
PDG print descriptor group
PDM programming development manager
PEX performance explorer
PF physical file
PFD printout format definition
PFM physical file member
PFR performance
PFRG performance graphics
PFRT performance tools
PFU print format utility
PFX prefix
PGM program
PGP primary group
PGR pager
PHS phase
PIN personal identification number
PJ prestart job
PJE prestart job entry

16 System i: Programming Control language

 Command abbreviation Meaning
PKG package
PLI PL/I (programming language one)
PMN permission
PMT prompt
PNLGRP panel group
POF physical optical file
POL pool
POP post office protocol
PORT port
POS position
PPP point-to-point protocol
PRB problem
| PRC procedure, processing
PRD product
PRF profile
PRFL profile list
PRJ project
PRM promote
PRP preparation
PRS personal
PRT print
PRTF printer file
PRTQ print queue
| PRX proxy
PSFCFG print services facility configuration
PTC portable transaction computer
PTF program temporary fix
PTP point-to-point
PTR pointer
PVD provider
| PVT private
PWD password
PWR power
PYM payment
QM query management
QRY query
QRYF query file
QSH Qshell interpreter
QST question
RBD rebuild
RCD record
RCL reclaim
RCV receive
RCY recovery
RDAR report/data archive and retrieval
RDB relational database
RDR reader
REF reference
REG registration
REX REXX (restructured extended executor language)
RGP ranking group
RGPE ranking group entry
RGZ reorganize
RJE rje

Control language 17
 Command abbreviation Meaning
RLS release
RLU report layout utility
RMC report management cycle
RMT remote
RMV remove
RNM rename
ROLL roll
RPC remote procedure call
RPDS VM/MVS bridge (formerly Remote Spooling Communications Subsystem
(RSCS)/PROFS distribution services)
RPG report program generator
RPL replace
RPT report
RPY reply
RPYL reply list
RQS request
RRT reroute
RSC resource
| RSE Remote Systems Explorer
RSI remote system information
RSM resume
RST restore
RTD RouteD (TCP/IP)
RTE route entry
RTGE routing entry
RTL retail
RTLF retail file
RTN return
RTV retrieve
RUN run
RVK revoke
RWS remote workstation
RXC REXEC (remote execution)
SAV save
SAVF save file
SAVRST save and restore
SBM submit, submitted
SBS subsystem
SBSD subsystem description
SCD schedule
SCDE schedule entry
SCHIDX search index
SCHIDXE search index entry
SCN screen
SDA screen design aid
SDLC synchronous data link control
SEC security
SET set
SEU source entry utility
SFW software
SHD shadow, shadowing
SHRPOOL shared pool
SIGN sign
SIT situation

18 System i: Programming Control language

 Command abbreviation Meaning
SLT select, selection
SLTE selection entry
SMG system manager
SMW system manager workstation
SMTP simple mail transfer protocol
SNA systems network architecture
SND send
SNI SNA over IPX
SNMP simple network management protocol
SNPT SNA pass through
SNUF SNA upline facility
SOC sphere of control
SPADCT spelling aid dictionary
SPL spooling
SPLF spooled file
SPT support
SPTN support network
SQL structured query language
SRC source
SRCF source file
SRV service
SRVPGM service program
SSN session
SSND session description
SST system service tools
STC statistics
STG storage
STGL storage link
STM stream, statement
STR start
STS status
| SUBR subroutine
SVR server
SWA save while active
SWL stop word list
SYS system
SYSCTL system control
SYSDIR system directory
SYSVAL system value
S34 System/34
S36 System/36™
S38 System/38™
TAP tape
TAPF tape file
TBL table
TBLE table entry
TCP TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol)
TDLC twinaxial data link control
TELN telnet
TFR transfer
TFTP trivial file transfer protocol
THD thread
THLD threshold
TIE technical information exchange

Control language 19
 Command abbreviation Meaning
TIEF tie file
TIMZON time zone
TNS transaction
TO to
TOS type of service
TPL template
TRC trace
TRG trigger
TRN token-ring network
TRP trap
TXT text
TYPE type
T1 transport class 1
UBC Ultimedia business conference
UDFS user-defined file system
UPD update
UPG upgrade
USF Ultimedia system facilities
USG usage
USR user
USRIDX user index
USRPRF user profile
USRPRTI user print information
USRQ user queue
USRSPC user space
VAL value
VAR variable
VFY verify
VLDL validation list
VOL volume
VRY vary
VT VT100 or VT220
VWS virtual workstation
WAIT wait
| WCH watch
WLS wireless
WNT Windows NT®
WP word processing
WRK work with
WSE workstation entry
WSG workstation gateway
WSO workstation object
WTR writer
| XREF cross-reference
X25 X.25

CL command keyword abbreviations:

Each command parameter has a keyword name associated with it. The keyword name can be up to 10
characters.

20 System i: Programming Control language

 Keyword names do not follow the same style as command names in that they do not necessarily begin
with a command verb. Where possible, use a single word or abbreviation. For example, common
keyword names in CL commands include OBJ (Object), LIB (Library), TYPE, OPTION, TEXT, and AUT
(Authority).

Construct a keyword name whenever using more than a single word or abbreviation to describe the
parameter. Construct the keyword name by using a combination of standard command abbreviations and
short unabbreviated words. For example, OBJTYPE is a common keyword name which combines the
abbreviation ’OBJ’ with the short word ’TYPE’.

The two primary goals for keyword names are to be recognizable and to be consistent between
commands that provide the same function. Use of simple words and standard abbreviations helps to
make the keyword names recognizable.

The following table contains a list of abbreviations that are used in CL command parameter keyword
names.

Keyword Abbreviation Meaning

A (suffix) attributes, activity, address
ABS abstract, absolute
ABN abnormal
AC autocall
ACC access, access code
ACCMTH access method
ACG accounting
ACK acknowledge, acknowledgement
ACN action
ACP accept
ACQ acquire
ACSE association control service element
ACT active, activate, activation, activity, action
ACTSNBU activate switched network backup
ADDR (or ADR) address
ADJ adjacent, adjust
ADL additional
ADM administration, Application Development Manager
ADMD administration domain
| ADMDMN administrative domain
ADP adopt, adaptive
ADPT adapter
ADR (or ADDR) address
ADV advance
AFN affinity
AIX® AIX operating system
AJE autostart job entry
| AFN affinity
AFP advanced function printing
ALC allocate
ALM alarm
ALR alert
ALRD alert description
ALS alias
ALW allow
ANET adjacent network entity title
ANS answer
ANZ analyze

Control language 21
Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
AP access path
APAR authorized program analysis report
APF advanced printer function
APPP application process
APW advanced print writer
APP application
APPC advanced program-to-program communications
APPN advanced peer-to-peer networking
APY apply
ARA area
ARP address resolution protocol
ASC asynchronous communications
ASCII American National Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASMT assignment
ASN assigned, association
ASP auxiliary storage pool
AST assistance
ASYNC asynchronous
ATD attended
ATN (or ATTN) attention
ATR (or ATTR) attribute
ATTACH attached
ATTN (or ATN) attention key
ATTR (or ATR) attribute
AUD audit, auditing
AUT authority, authorized, authorization
AUTL authorization list
AUTO automatic
AUX auxiliary
AVG average
AVL available
BAL balance
BAS BASIC language, base
BCD barcode, broadcast data
BCH batch
BCKLT backlight
BCKUP (or BKU) backup
BDY boundary
BEX branch extender
BGU business graphics utility
BIN binary
BIO block input/output
BITS data bits
BKP breakpoint
BKT bracket, backout
BKU (or BCKUP) backup
BLDG building
BLK block
BLN blinking cursor
BND binding, bind, bound
BNR banner
BOT bottom
BRK break
BSC binary synchronous communications

22 System i: Programming Control language

 Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
BSCEL binary synchronous communications equivalence link
BSP backspace
BUF buffer
C C language
CAB cabinet
CAL calendar
CAP capacity, capture
CB callback
CBL COBOL language
CCD call control data
CCSID coded character set identifier
CCT circuit
CDE code
CDR call detail records
CFG configuration
CFGL configuration list
CFGLE configuration list entry
CFM confirmation, confirm
CGU character generator utility
CHAR (or CHR) character
| CHAP challenge-handshake authentication protocol
CHG change
CHK check
CHKSUM checksum
CHKVOL check volume identifier
CHL channel
CHR (or CHAR) character
CHRSTR character string
CHT chart
CGY category
CKR checker
CKS checksum
CL control language
CLG catalog
CLN clean, cleaning, cleanup
CLNS connectionless-mode network service
CLNUP (or CLN) cleanup
CLO close
CLR clear
CLS class
CLSF class file
CLT client
CLU cluster
CMD command
CMN communications
CMNE communications entry
CMP compare
CMT commitment, comment
CNG congestion
CNL cancel
CNLMT (or CNNLMT) connection limit
CNN connection
CNNL connection list
CNNLMT connection limit

Control language 23
 Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
CNR container
CNS constant
CNT contact
CNTL (or CTL) control
CNTRY country
CNV conversation
COD code
CODPAG code page
CODE code, cooperative development environment
COL column, collect, collection
COM common, community
COMPACT compact, compaction
CON confidential
CONCAT concatenation
COND condition
CONS connection-mode network service
CONTIG contiguous
CONT continue
COS class-of-service
COSD class-of-service description
COSTBYTE cost per byte
COSTCNN cost per connection
COVER cover letter
CP control point
CPB change profile branch, compatibility
CPI characters per inch
CPL complete
CPP C++ language
CPR compressed, compress
CPS call progress signal
CPT component
CPU central processing unit
CPY copy
CPYRGT copyright
CRC cyclic redundancy check
CRDN credentials
CRG charges, charging, cluster resource group
CRL correlation
CRQ change request
CRQD change request description
CRSDMNK cross-domain key
CRT create
CSI communications side information
CSL console
CSR cursor
CST constraint, cost
CTG cartridge
CTL controller, control
CTLD controller description
| CTLP control port
CTN contention
CTS clear to send
CTX context
CUR current

24 System i: Programming Control language

Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
CVN conversion
CVR cover
CVT convert, converting
CXT (or CTX) context
CYC cycle
D (suffix) description
DAP directory access protocol
DAT date
DB database
DBCS double-byte character set
DBF database file
DBG debug
DBR database relations
DCE data communications equipment, distributed computing environment
DCL declare
DCP decompress
DCT dictionary
DDI distributed data interface
DDM distributed data management
DDMF distributed data management file
DDS data description specification
DEC decimal
DEGREE parallel processing degree
DEL delivery
DEP dependent
DEPT department
DES data encryption standard
DEST destination
DEV device
DEVD device description
DFN definition, defined
DFR defer
DFT default
DFU data file utility
DIAG dialogue
DIF differences
DIFF differentiated
DIR directory
DKT diskette
DLC deallocate
DLO document library object
DLT delete
DLVRY delivery
DLY delay
DMN domain
DMP dump
DN distinguished name
DOC document
DPR DataPropagator Relational
DRAWER drawers
DRT direct
DRV drive
DSA directory systems agent
DSAP destination service access point

Control language 25
 Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
DSB disable, disabled
DSC disconnect
DSK disk
DSP display
DST daylight savings time, dedicated service tools, distribution
DTA data
DTE data terminal equipment
DTL detail
DUP duplicate
DVL development
DWN down
E (suffix) entry
EBCDIC extended binary-coded decimal interchange code
ECN explicit congestion notification
EDT edit
EDU education
EIM enterprise identity mapping
EJT eject
ELAN ethernet LAN
ELEM element
ELY early
EML emulate, emulation
ENB enable
ENC encode
ENR enrollment
| ENT enter, entries
ENV environment
EOF end of file
EOR end of record
EOV end of volume
ERR error
| ESC escape
EST establish, established
ETH ethernet
EVT event
EXC exclude
EXCH exchange
EXD extend, extended
EXEC executive
EXIST existence
EXN extension
EXP expiration, expire
EXPR expression
EXT extract, extend, extended
F (suffix) file
FAIL failure
Fnn function key ’nn’
FA file attributes
FAX facsimile
FCL facilities
FCN function, functional
FCT forms control table
FCTE forms control table entry
FEA front end application

26 System i: Programming Control language

Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
FEA front end application
FEAT feature
FID file identifier
FIL file
FLD field
FLG flag
FLIB files library
FLR folder
FLW flow
FLV failover
FMA font management aid
FMT format
FNC finance
FNT font
FORMDF form definition
FP focal point
FRAC fraction
FRC force
FRI Friday
FRM from, frame
FRQ frequency
FSC fiscal
FSN file sequence number
FST first
FTAM file transfer, access, and management
FTP file transfer protocol (TCP/IP)
FTR filter
GC garbage collection
GCH garbage collection heap
GDF graphics data file
GDL guideline, guidelines
GEN generate, generation
GID group identifier number
GIV give
GLB global
GNL general
GPH graph
GRP group
GRT grant
GSS graphics symbol set
GVUP give up
HCP host command processor
HDL (or HNDL) handle
HDR header
HDW hardware
HEX hexadecimal
HFS hierarchical file systems
HLD hold, held
HLL high-level language
HLP help
HLR holder
HNDL (or HDL) handle
HPCP host to printer code page
HPFCS host to printer font character set

Control language 27
Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
HPR high performance routing
HRZ horizontal
HST history, historical
HTML hypertext markup language
HTTP hypertext transfer protocol (TCP/IP)
I (suffix) information, ILE
ICF intersystem communication function
ICV initial chaining value
ID identifier
IDD interactive data definition
IDL idle
IDLC integrated data link control
IDP interchange document profile
IDX index
IE information element
IFC interface
IGC ideographic (double-byte character set)
IGN ignore
IFC interface
ILE Integrated Language Environment®
IMG image
IN input
INAC (or INACT) inactivity
INACT (or INAC) inactivity
INC include
IND indirect
INF information
INFSKR Infoseeker
INH inhibit
INIT initiate
INL initial
INM intermediate
INP input
INPACING inbound pacing
INQ inquiry
INS install
INST instance
INT interactive, integer, internal
INTNET internet
INTNETA internet address
INTR intrasystem
INV invitee, inventory, invoke
INZ initialize, initialization
IP internet protocol
IPDS™ intelligent printer data stream
IPI IP over IPX
IPL initial program load
IPX internet packet exchange
ISDN integrated services digital network
ISP internet service provider
IT intermediate text, internal text
ITF interactive terminal facility
ITM item
ITV interval

28 System i: Programming Control language

Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
IW2 IPX WAN version 2 protocol
J (suffix) job
JDFT join default
JE (suffix) job entry
JFLD join field
JORDER join file order
JRN journal
JRNRCV journal receiver
JVA Java
KBD keyboard
KNW know, knowledge
KPF Kanji printer function
KWD keyword
L (suffix) list
LADN library assigned document name
LAN local area network
LANG (or LNG) language
LBL label
LCL local
LCLE local location entry
LCK lock
LDTIME lead time
LE (suffix) list entry
LEC LAN emulation client
LECS LAN emulation configuration server
LEN length
LES LAN emulation server
LF logical file
LFM logical file member
LFT left
LGL logical
LIB library
LIBL library list
LIC license, licensed, licensed internal code
LIFTM lifetime
LIN line, line description
LMI local management interface
LMT limit
LNG (or LANG) language
LNK link
LNR listener
LOC location
LOD load
LPI lines per inch
LRC longitudinal redundancy check
LRG large
LRSP local response
LST list, last
LTR letter
LVL level
LWS local workstation
LZYWRT lazy write
M (suffix) member, messages
MAC macro, medium access control

Control language 29
Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
MAINT maintenance
MAJ major
MAP map, manufacturing automation protocol
MAX maximum
MBR member
MBRS members
MCA message channel agent
MCH machine
MDL model
MDM modem
MDTA message data
MED media, medium
MEDI media information
METAFILE metatable file
MFR manufacturer
MFS mounted file system
MGR manager
MGRR manager registration
MGT management
MID middle
MIN minimal, minimize
MLB media library device
MLT multiplier, multiple
MM multimedia
MNG manage
MNT maintenance, mount, mounted
MNU menu
MOD mode, module
MODD mode description
MON monitor, Monday
MOV move
MQM Message Queue Manager
MRG merge
MRK mark
MRT multiple requester terminal
MSF mail server framework
MSG message
MSGS messages
MSGQ message queue
MSR measurement
MSS managed system services
MST master
MTD mounted
MTG meeting
MTU maximum transmission unit
MTH method
MULT (or MLT) multiple
M36 AS/400 Advanced 36 machine
M36CFG AS/400 Advanced 36 machine configuration
N (suffix) name, network
NAM name
NBR number
NCK nickname
NDE node

30 System i: Programming Control language

Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
NDM normal disconnect mode
NDS NetWare directory services
NEG negative, negotiation
NEP never-ending program
NET network
NFY notify
NL network-layer
NLSP NetWare link services protocol
NML namelist
NNAM (or NCK) nickname
NOD node
NODL node list
NORM normal
NOTVLD not valid
NPRD nonproductive
NRM normal, normal response mode
NRZI non-return-to-zero-inverted
NT network termination
NTB NetBIOS
NTBD NetBIOS description
NTC notice
NTF NetFinity
NTP network time protocol
NTS Notes
NTW NetWare
NTW3 NetWare 3.12
NUM numeric, number
NWI network interface
NWID network interface description
NWS network server
NWSD network server description
NXT next
OBJ object
OBS observable information
OFC office
OFSET offset
OMT omit
OPN open
OPR operator, operating
OPT option, optical, optimum
ORD order
ORG organization, organizational
ORGUNIT organizational unit
OS operating system
OSDB object store database
OUT output
OVF overflow
OVL overlay
OVR override
OVRFLW overflow
OWN owner, owned
PAD packet assembly/disassembly
PAG page, paginate
PAL product activity log

Control language 31
Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
PARM parameter
PASTHR pass-through
PBL probable
PBX private branch exchange
PC personal computer
PCD PC document
PCL protocol
PCO PC organizer
PCS personal computer support
PCT percent
PCTA personal computer text assist
PCY policy
PDF portable document format
PDG print descriptor group
PDM programming development manager
PDU protocol data unit
PENWTH pen width
PERS personal
PF physical file
PFnn program function key ’nn’
PFD printout format definition
PFM physical file member
PFVLM physical file variable-length member
PFR performance
PFX prefix
PGM program
PGP primary group
PGR pager
PHCP printer to host code page
PHFCS printer to host font character set
PHS phase
PHY physical
PIN personal identification number
PJE prestart job entry
PKA public key algorithm
PKG package
PKT packet
PL presentation-layer
PLC place
PLL poll, polling
PLT plotter
PMN permission
PMP point-to-multipoint
PMT prompt
PND pending
PNL panel
PNT point
POL pool
POLL polled, polling
POP post office protocol (TCP/IP)
PORT port number
POS positive, position
PPP point-to-point protocol
PP preprocessor

32 System i: Programming Control language

Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
PPR paper
PPW page printer writer
PRB problem
PRC procedure, procedural, process
PRD product, productive
PREBLT prebuilt
PRED predecessor
PREEST pre-established
PREF preference, preferred
PREOPR pre-operation
PREREQ prerequisite
PRF profile, profiling
PRI primary
PRJ project
PRM promote, parameters
PRMD private management domain
PRN parent
PRO proposed
PROC (or PRC) procedure, processing
PROD production
PROP property/properties
PRP prepare, propagate, propagation
PRS personal
PRT print, printer
PRTQ print queue
PRV previous
PRX proxy
PSAP presentation-layer service access point
PSF print services facility
PSN presentation
PSTOPR post-operation
PTC protected, protection, portable transaction computer
PTF program temporary fix
PTH path
PTL partial
PTN partition, partitioning
PTP point-to-point
PTR pointer
PTY priority
PUB public
PUNS punches
PVC permanent virtual circuit
PVD provider
PVT private
PWD password
PWR power
Q (suffix) queue
QE (suffix) queue entry
QLTY quality
QOS quality of service
QRY query
QST question
QSTDB question-and-answer database
QSTLOD question-and-answer load

Control language 33
Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
QUAL qualifier
RAR route addition resistance
RBD rebuild
RCD record
RCDS records
RCL reclaim
RCMS remote change management server
RCP recipient
RCR recursion, recurs
RCV receive
RCY recovery
RDB relational database
RDN relative distinguished name
RDR reader
RDRE reader entry
REACT reactivation
REASSM reassembly
REC record
RECNN reconnect
REF reference
REINZ reinitialize
REL relations, release
REP representation, representative
REQ (or RQS) required, request, requester
RES resident, resolution
RESYNC resynchronize
RET retention
REX REXX language
RFS refuse, refused
RGS registration
RGT right
RGZ reorganize
RINZ reinitialize
RIP routing information protocol
RJE remote job entry
RJT reject
RLS release
RMD remind, reminder
RMT remote
RMV remove
RNG range
RNM rename
RPG RPG language
RPL replace, replacement
RPT report
RPY reply
RQS (or REQ) request, requester
RQT requisite
RRSP remote response
RRT reroute
RSB reassembly
RSC resource, resources
RSL result, resolution
RSM resume

34 System i: Programming Control language

Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
RSP response
RSRC resource
RST restore
RSTD restricted
RTE route
RTG routing
RTL retail
RTM retransmit
RTN return, returned, retransmission
RTR router
RTT rotate
RTV retrieve
RTY retry
RU request unit
RVK revoke
RVS reverse
RWS remote workstation
SAA® systems application architecture
SADL saddle
SAP service access point
SAT Saturday
SAV save
SAVF save file
SBM submit, submitted
SBS subsystem
SCD schedule, scheduled
SCH search
SCN screen
SCT sector
SDLC synchronous data link control
SDU service data unit
SEC second, secure, security
SEG segment
SEGMENT segmentation
SEL (or SLT) select, selection
SENSITIV sensitivity
SEP separator
SEQ sequence, sequential
SEV severity
SFW software
SGN sign-on
SHD shadow, shadowing
SHF shift
SHM short hold mode
SHR shared
SHUTD shutdown
SI shift-in
SIG signature, signed
SIGN sign-on
SIZ size
SL session-layer
SLR selector
SLT (or SEL) select, selection
SMAE systems management application entity

Control language 35
 Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
SMG systems manager
SMTP simple mail transfer protocol
SMY summary
SNA systems network architecture
SNBU switched network back-up
SND send
SNG single
SNI SNA over IPX
SNP snap
SNPT SNA pass-through
SNUF SNA upline facility
SO shift-out
SOC sphere of control
| SP service processor
SPA spelling aid
SPC space, special
SPD supplied
SPF specific
SPID service provider identifier
SPL spooled, spooling
SPR superseded
SPT support, supported
SPTN support network
SPX sequenced packet exchange
SQL structured query language
SRC source
SRCH (or SCH) search
SRM system resource management
SRQ system request
SRT sort
SRV service
SSAP source service access point, session-layer service access point
SSCP system services control point
SSL secure sockets layer
SSN session
SSND session description
SSP suspend
SST system service tools
STAT statistical data records
STATION convenience station
STC statistics
STD standard
STG storage
STK stack
STM stream
STMF stream file
STMT statement
STN station
STP step
STPL staple
STR start, starting
STS status
STT state
STX start-of-text character

36 System i: Programming Control language

Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
SUB substitution, subject
SUBADR subaddress
SUBALC suballocation
SUBDIR subdirectory
SUBFLR subfolder
SUBNET subnetwork
SUBPGM subprogram
SUBST substitution
SUCC successor
SUN Sunday
SURNAM surname
SVC switched virtual circuit
SVR server
SWL stop word list
SWS switches
SWT switch, switched
SWTSET switch setting
SYM symbol, symbolic
SYN syntax
SYNC synchronous
SYS system
SYSLIBL system library list
S36 System/36
TAP tape
TAPDEV tape devices
TBL table
TCID transport connection identifier
TCP TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol)
TCS telephony connection services
TDC telephony data collector
TDLC twinaxial data link control
TEID terminal endpoint identifier
TEL telephone
TELN TELNET (TCP/IP)
TERM terminal
TFR transfer
TGT target
THD thread
THLD threshold
THR through, throughput
THRPUT throughput
THS thesaurus
THU Thursday
TIE technical information exchange
TIM time
TIMMRK timemark
TIMO timeout
TIMOUT (or TIMO) timeout
TIMZON time zone
TKN token
TL transport-layer
TM time
TMN transmission
TMP temporary

Control language 37
Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
TMPL (or TPL) template
TMR timer
TMS transmission
TMT transmit
TNS transaction
TOKN (or TKN) token
TOT total
TPDU transport-layer protocol data unit
TPL template, topology
TPT transport
TRANS transit, transaction
TRC trace
TRG trigger
TRM term
TRN token-ring network, translate
TRNSPY transparency
TRP trap
TRS transit
TRUNC truncate
TSE timeslice end
TSP timestamp
TSAP transport-layer service access point
TSK task
TST test
TUE Tuesday
TWR tower
TXP transport
TXT text
TYP type
T1 transport class 1
T2 transport class 2
T4 transport class 4
UDFS user-defined file system
UDP user datagram protocol
UI user interface, unnumbered information
UID user identifier number
UNC unclassified
UNL unlink
UNPRT unprintable
UNQ unique
UOM unit of measure
UPCE universal product code type E barcode
UPD update
UPG upgrade
URL uniform resource locator
USG usage
USR user
VAL value
VAR variable
VCT virtual circuit
VDSK virtual disk
VER (or VSN) version
VFY verify
VLD valid, validity, validation

38 System i: Programming Control language

Keyword Abbreviation Meaning
VND vendor
VOL volume
VRF verification
VRT virtual
VRY vary
VSN (or VER) version
VWS virtual workstation
WAN wide area network
WCH watch
WDW window
WED Wednesday
WIN winner
WK week
WNT Windows NT
WP word processing
WRD word
WRK work, working
WRT write
WS workstation
WSC workstation controller
WSCST workstation customization object
WSE workstation entry
WSG workstation gateway (TCP/IP)
WSO workstation object
WTR writer
WTRE writer entry
WTRS writers
X25 X.25
X31 X.31
X400 X.400
3270 3270 display

CL command parts
The parts of a command include a command label (optional), a command name (mnemonic), and one or
more parameters. The parameter includes a keyword and a value.

This figure illustrates the parts of a command:

CL command syntax:

A command name and parameters make up each CL command.

Control language 39
The parameters used in CL commands are keyword parameters. The keyword, typically abbreviated the
same way as commands, identifies the purpose of the parameter. However, when commands are entered,
some keywords may be omitted by specifying the parameters in a certain order (positional specification).

Commands have the following general syntax. The brackets indicate that the item within them is
optional; however, the parameter set may or may not be optional, depending upon the requirements of
the command.
[//] [?] [label-name:][library-name/]command-name
[parameter-set]

Note: The // is valid only for a few batch job control commands, such as the DATA command. The //
identifies those types of commands sent to the spooling reader that reads the batch job input
stream.

CL command label:

Command labels identify particular commands for branching purposes in a CL program. Labels can also
be used to identify statements in CL programs that are being debugged. They can identify statements
used either as breakpoints or as starting and ending statements for tracing purposes.

The label is typed just before the command name. The standard rules for specifying simple names
(*SNAME) apply. The label is immediately followed by a colon. Blanks are allowed, though not required,
between the colon and the command name. The label can contain as many as 10 characters, in addition to
the colon. START: and TESTLOOP: are examples of command labels.

Command labels are not required, but a label can be placed on any command. For labels that are placed
on commands that cannot be run (for example, the Declare CL Variable (DCL) command), when the
program branches to that label, the next command following the label is run. If the command following
the label cannot be run, the program will move to the next command that can be run. Similarly, you can
specify only one label on a line. If a command is not located on that line, the program will jump to the
next command that can be run.

To specify multiple labels, each additional label must be on a separate line preceding the command as
shown:
LABEL1:
LABEL2: CMDX

No continuation character (+ or -) is allowed on the preceding label lines.

Related concepts
“Additional rules for unique names” on page 124
Additional rules involve special characters (as an extra character) for object naming.
“Naming within commands” on page 107
The type of name you specify in control language (CL) determines the characters you can use to
specify a name.
“Communication names (*CNAME)” on page 120
A communications name has a restrictive name syntax. It is typically used to refer to a device
configuration object whose name length and valid character set is limited by one or more
communication architectures.
“Names (*NAME)” on page 120
When you create basic names and basic names in quoted form, follow these rules.
“Path names (*PNAME)” on page 121
A path name is a character string that can be used to locate objects in the integrated file system.

40 System i: Programming Control language

 “Simple names (*SNAME)” on page 123
Simple names are used for control language (CL) variables, labels, and keywords to simplify the
syntax of CL. Simple names are the same as unquoted basic names but with one exception: periods (.)
cannot be used.

CL command parameters:

Most CL commands have one or more parameters that specify the objects and values used to run the
commands.

When a command is entered, the user supplies the command object name, the parameter keyword
names, and the parameter values used by the command. The number of parameters specified depends
upon the command. Some commands (like the DO (Do) command and the ENDBCHJOB (End Batch Job)
command) have no parameters, and others have one or more.

In this topic, the word parameter typically refers to the combination of the parameter keyword and its
value. For example, the Move Object (MOVOBJ) command has a parameter called OBJ that requires an
object name to be specified. OBJ is the parameter keyword, and the name of the object is the value
entered for the OBJ parameter.
Related reference
“List of values” on page 62
A list of values is one or more values that can be specified for a parameter.
“Required, optional, and key parameters” on page 64
A CL command can have parameters that must be coded (required parameters) and parameters that
do not have to be coded (optional parameters).
“Parameters in keyword and positional form” on page 63
You can specify parameters in CL using keyword form, positional form, or in a combination of the
two.
“Parameter values” on page 55
A parameter value is user-supplied information that is used during the running of a command.

CL command delimiters:

Command delimiters are special characters or spaces that identify the beginning or end of a group of
characters in a command.

Delimiters are used to separate a character string into the individual parts that form a command:
command label, command name, parameter keywords, and parameter values. Parameter values can be
constants, variable names, lists, or expressions. The following figure shows various delimiters for a
command.

The following delimiters are used in the i5/OS control language:

v The colon (:) ends the command label, and it can be used to separate the command label from the
command name.

Control language 41
v Blank spaces separate the command name from its parameters and separate parameters from each
other. They also separate values in a list. Multiple blanks are treated as a single blank except in a
quoted character string or comment enclosed in single quotation marks. A blank cannot separate a
keyword and the left parenthesis for the value.
v Parentheses ( ) are used to separate parameter values from their keywords, to group lists of values, and
to group lists within lists.
v Slashes (/) connect the parts of a qualified name or the parts of a path name.
– For a qualified object name, the two parts are the library qualifier and the object name
(LIBX/OBJA).
– For a path name, the parts are the directory or directories searched and the object name
(’/Dir1/Dir2/Dir3/ObjA’).
v Either a period or a comma can be used as a decimal point in a decimal value (3.14 or 3,14). Only one
decimal point is allowed in a value.
v Single quotation marks specify the beginning and ending of a quoted character string, which is a
combination of any of the 256 extended binary-coded decimal interchange code (EBCDIC) characters
that can be used as a constant. For example, ’YOU CAN USE [email protected] ()*></ and lowercase letters’
is a valid quoted string that is a constant.
Because a single quotation mark inside a quoted string is paired with the opening single quotation
mark (delimiter) and is interpreted as the ending delimiter, a single quotation mark inside a quoted
string must be specified as two single quotation marks. A pair of adjacent single quotation marks used
this way is counted as a single character.
v A special character is used to separate a date into three parts: month, day, and year (two parts for
Julian dates: year and day). The special characters that may be used as date separators are the slash
(/), the hyphen (-), the period (.), a blank ( ), and the comma (,). The special character used to code as
separators in a command date must be the same as the special character specified as the date separator
for the job.
v The characters /* and */ can indicate the beginning and ending of a comment, or can be used in a
character string. To begin a comment, the characters /* must begin in the first position of the
command, be preceded by a blank, or be followed by either a blank or an asterisk. If the characters /*
or */ occur in a later position of a command, they will typically be enclosed in single quotation marks
and can represent, for example, all objects in the current directory for a path name.
v A question mark (?) preceding the command name indicates that the command is prompted. If the
command is specified with a label, the question mark may either precede the label, or it may follow
the label and precede the command name.
Within a CL program, when a question mark precedes a command name, a prompt display is
presented. You can enter parameter values not specified on the command in the program.
Prompting characters may be put into a command in two forms. A single question mark (?) may be
coded before the command name (either before or after the command label in a CL program) to cause
the entire command to be prompted. Selective prompt characters (?? or ?*) may be coded before any
parameter keyword to cause that parameter to be prompted when the command is run.
If a question mark is entered before the command name on the command entry display, the effect is
the same as pressing the F4 (Prompt) key after the command is entered.
Within a CL program, when a question mark precedes the command name, a prompt display is
presented. This display is of the same format as that presented when pressing the F4 key from the
command entry display. Parameters of the command for which the program has coded values are
shown for informational purposes, but the user cannot change the values supplied by the program.
Parameters for which no value was coded are shown as input fields so you can enter values to be used
in processing the command.
Selective prompting allows you to identify specific command parameters to be prompted. To call
selective prompting, the characters ??, ?*, or ?- are coded immediately preceding the keyword name of
the parameter(s) to be prompted.

42 System i: Programming Control language

 Notes:
1. Selective prompting is not allowed with command string (*CMDSTR) parameters.
2. Parameters of the command that are preceded by the characters ?* are shown, but you
cannot change the values that are supplied by the program. Parameters preceded by the
characters ?? are shown as input fields containing the values coded in the program or
command defaults so you can enter or change the values used in processing the command.
Parameters preceded by the characters ?- are omitted from the display. All selectively
prompted parameters must be coded in keyword or keyword-with-value form. Several
parameters may be selectively prompted within one command. When selective prompting is
called, only keywords that are immediately preceded by the selective prompt characters are
prompted. All other parameters are processed using the values as coded on the command
or, if not coded, using command defaults.
Either form of prompting, but not both, is allowed on a single command in a CL program.
If the character ? precedes the command name and selective prompt characters (except ?-)
precede any keyword, an error message is returned and the program is not created.
Related concepts
“Simple and qualified object names” on page 116
The name of a specific object that is located in a library can be specified as a simple name or as a
qualified name.
“CL command coding rules” on page 45
This summary of general information about command coding rules can help you properly code CL
commands.
“CL command definition parts” on page 44
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs. These commands are similar to the system commands.
Related tasks
“Specifying prompt control” on page 294
You can control which parameters are displayed for a command during prompting by using prompt
control specifications.
Related reference
“Command definition statements” on page 258
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs.
Related information
Integrated file system

CL command continuation:

Commands can be entered in free format. This means that a command does not have to begin in a
specific location on a coding sheet or on the display. A command can be contained entirely in one record,
or it can be continued on several lines or in several records.

Whether continued or not, the total command length cannot exceed 32 702 characters. Either of two
special characters, the plus sign (+) or the minus sign (-), is entered as the last non-blank character on the
line to indicate that a command is continued. Blanks immediately preceding a + or - sign are always
included; blanks immediately following a + or - in the same record are ignored. Blanks in the next record
that precede the first non-blank character in the record are ignored when + is specified but are included
when - is specified.

The + is generally useful between parameters or values. At least one blank must precede the sign when it
is used between separate parameters or values. The difference between the plus and minus sign usage is
particularly important when continuation occurs inside a quoted character string.

Control language 43
The example that follows shows the difference.
CRTLIB LIB(XYZ) TEXT(’This is CONT+
INUED’)

CRTLIB LIB(XYZ) TEXT(’This is CONT-

INUED’)

For + : CRTLIB LIB(XYZ) TEXT(’This is CONTINUED’)

For - : CRTLIB LIB(XYZ) TEXT(’This is CONT INUED’)

Notes:
1. The minus sign causes the leading blanks on the next line to be entered.
2. Use continuation characters + and - in CL programs only. An error occurs if + or - is used on a
command entry display.
3. The characters + and - are used for multiple-command examples, but not for single-command
examples.

CL command comments:

Comments within CL programs describe the expected behavior of the code.

Comments can be inserted either inside or outside a command’s character string wherever a blank is
permitted. However, because a continuation character must be the last non-blank character of a line (or
record), comments may not follow a continuation character on the same line.

For readability, it is recommended that each comment be specified on a separate line preceding or
following the command it describes, as shown here:
MOVOBJ OBJA TOLIB(LIBY)
/* Object OBJA is moved to library LIBY. */
DLTLIB LIBX
/* Library LIBX is deleted. */

Comments can include any of the 256 EBCDIC characters. However, the character combination */ should
not appear within a comment because these characters end the comment. To begin a comment, the
characters /* must be placed in the first position of the command, be preceded by a blank, or be followed
by either a blank or an asterisk.

CL command definition parts

Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs. These commands are similar to the system commands.
Related concepts
“CL command delimiters” on page 41
Command delimiters are special characters or spaces that identify the beginning or end of a group of
characters in a command.
“Simple and qualified object names” on page 116
The name of a specific object that is located in a library can be specified as a simple name or as a
qualified name.
“CL command coding rules” on page 45
This summary of general information about command coding rules can help you properly code CL
commands.
Related tasks
“Specifying prompt control” on page 294
You can control which parameters are displayed for a command during prompting by using prompt
control specifications.

44 System i: Programming Control language

 Related reference
“Command definition statements” on page 258
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs.
Related information
Integrated file system

CL command coding rules

This summary of general information about command coding rules can help you properly code CL
commands.

CL command coding rules for delimiters

v Blanks are the basic separators between the parts of a command:
– Between command label and command name (not required, because the colon [:] is the delimiter).
– Between command name and first parameter, and between parameters.
– Between values in a list of values (not required between ending and beginning parentheses that
enclose nested lists inside a list).
– Between the slashes and the name or label of some job control commands, like // DATA (not
required).
v Blanks cannot separate a parameter’s keyword from the left parenthesis preceding its values. When a
keyword is used, parentheses must be used to enclose the values; blanks can occur between the
parentheses and the values. For example, KWD( A ) is valid.
v Multiple blanks are treated as a single blank, unless they occur in a quoted string or a comment.
v A colon must immediately follow a command label. Only one label can be used on any command
(LABEL1: DCLF).
v Single quotation marks must be used to specify the beginning and end of a quoted character string. If a
character string contains special characters, such as blanks, single quotation marks are required. If a
single quotation mark must be used in the quoted string, two single quotation marks must be entered
consecutively to indicate that it is a single quotation mark and not the end of the quoted string.
v Parentheses must be used:
– On parameters that are specified (coded) in keyword form
– To group multiple values in a single list, in a positional parameter, or around expressions
– To indicate a list (of none, one, or several elements) nested inside another list
v Sets of parentheses inside parentheses can be entered as long as they are paired, up to the maximum of
five nested levels in logical expressions or three nested levels in lists of values.
v Comments can appear wherever blanks are permitted, except after a continuation character on the
same line or record.
v A plus or minus sign at the end of a line indicates that the command is continued on the following
line. Blanks following a + or - sign in the same record are ignored; blanks in the next record that
precede the first non-blank character are ignored when + is specified and included when - is specified.
One blank must precede the + sign when it is used between separate parameters or values.

CL command coding rules for parameters

v All required parameters must be coded.
v If an optional parameter is not coded, the system uses its default value if the parameter has one. A
default value is indicated by showing the value as bold and underlined text in the Choices column of
the parameter summary table.
v Words or abbreviations specified in capital letters in the command and parameter descriptions must be
coded as shown. This is true of all command names, the keywords of parameters (if used), and many

Control language 45
 parameter values. Lowercase letters not coded in quoted strings or in comments are translated to
uppercase letters. Lowercase letters specified for values on parameters defined as CASE(*MIXED) are
not translated to uppercase letters.
v If there are key parameters, the values for the key parameters must be entered on the prompt before
the remaining parameters will be shown. The Notes column in the parameter summary table indicates
which parameters, if any, are key parameters.
v Parameters cannot be coded in positional form past the positional parameter limit defined in the
command object. The Notes column in the parameter summary table indicates which parameters may
be specified in positional form.

CL command coding rules for parameter values

v The first character in all names must be an alphabetic character (A through Z, $, #, @, or a double
quotation mark (″)). Names must not exceed 10 characters (CL variable names and built-in function
names can have 11 characters maximum, including the preceding & or % characters). In some
commands, the names of objects can be specified in qualified form (library-name/object-name) or in
path name form (directory-name/object name).
v Predefined values that begin with an asterisk can be used only for the purposes intended, unless they
are included in comments or quoted strings. These include predefined parameter values (*ALL, for
example), symbolic operators (*EQ, for example), and the null value (*N).
v In a CL program, a variable can be specified for all parameters, except where that is explicitly
restricted. The user-specified value of the variable is passed as if it had been specified on the
command.
v In a CL program, a character string expression can be specified for any parameter defined with
EXPR(*YES). The resulting value of the expression is passed as if the value had been specified on the
command.
v Null (omitted) values are specified with the characters *N, which mean that no value was specified and
the default value, if one exists, should be used. *N is needed only when another value following the
omitted value is being specified as a positional parameter or an element in a list.
v Either a comma or a period can be used to indicate a decimal point in a numeric value. The decimal
point is the only special character allowed between digits in the numeric string; there is no delimiter
for indicating thousands.
v When repetition is indicated for a parameter:
– A predefined value is not coded more than once in a series of values.
– As many user-defined values (like names or numeric limits) can be entered as there are different
values or names, up to the maximum number of repetitions allowed. For example, if a parameter
description states ″Up to 20 repetitions,″ you can specify a maximum of 20 values.

Note: When you are using parameters that have the same name in different commands, the meaning of
(and the values for) that parameter in each command may be somewhat different. Refer to the
correct command description for the explanation of the parameter you are using.
Related concepts
“CL command delimiters” on page 41
Command delimiters are special characters or spaces that identify the beginning or end of a group of
characters in a command.
“CL command definition parts” on page 44
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs. These commands are similar to the system commands.
Related reference
“Command definition statements” on page 258
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs.

46 System i: Programming Control language

 “Commonly used parameters” on page 65
Some parameters are commonly used in many CL commands.
“Parameters in keyword and positional form” on page 63
You can specify parameters in CL using keyword form, positional form, or in a combination of the
two.
“Parameter values” on page 55
A parameter value is user-supplied information that is used during the running of a command.

CL command information and documentation

IBM provides documentation for CL commands. In addition, you can write documentation for your own
commands.
Related tasks
“Documenting command” on page 324
If you define and create your own CL commands, you can also create online command help to
describe your commands.

CL command documentation format:

Command documentation for CL commands is provided in the form of online help on the system and
topics in the i5/OS Information Center. In the information center, each command description follows the
same format.

Each command description includes the parts discussed in the following subtopics. At the beginning of
the command description documentation, there are links to the Parameters, Examples, and Error
messages sections.

It should be noted that, because a command is an i5/OS object, each command can be authorized for
specific users or authorized for use by the public (all users authorized in some way to use the system).
Because this is true for nearly every command, it is not stated in each command description.
Related information

iSeries Security Reference PDF

CL environment classification:

At the very top of the command description documentation is the environment classification. The
environment classification describes where the command is allowed to run.

Where allowed to run indicates in which environments the command can be entered. This information is
the same information that is shown in the output of the Display Command (DSPCMD) command, which
reflects what was specified for the ALLOW parameter when the command definition object was created.
The Where allowed to run value includes the symbolic special values specified for the ALLOW
parameter and a brief description that explains the environments where the command is allowed to run.

The majority of commands are created with ALLOW(*ALL); *ALL is also the shipped default value for
the ALLOW parameter. In this case, the description will be ″All environments (*ALL)″.

For commands that must be run interactively, the ALLOW values specified when the command was
created are typically (*INTERACT *IPGM *IREXX *EXEC) or (*INTERACT *IPGM *IMOD *IREXX *EXEC).
In these two cases, the description shown will be ″Interactive environments (*INTERACT *IPGM *IREXX
*EXEC)″ or ″Interactive environments (*INTERACT *IPGM *IMOD *IREXX *EXEC)″.

For commands that are created to be run only in a compiled CL or interpreted REXX program, the
ALLOW values specified when the command was created are typically (*BPGM *IPGM *BREXX *IREXX)
or (*BPGM *IPGM *BMOD *IMOD *BREXX *IREXX). In these two cases, the description shown will be

Control language 47
″Compiled CL program or interpreted REXX (*BPGM *IPGM *BREXX *IREXX)″ or ″Compiled CL or
interpreted REXX (*BPGM *IPGM *BMOD *IMOD *BREXX *IREXX)″.

If the combination of values specified for the ALLOW parameter when the command was created is not
one of the previous combinations, a bulleted list is shown that gives a brief description of each value that
was specified.
v Batch job (*BATCH)
v Interactive job (*INTERACT)
v Batch ILE CL module (*BMOD)
v Interactive ILE CL module (*IMOD)
v Batch program (*BPGM)
v Interactive program (*IPGM)
v Batch REXX procedure (*BREXX)
v Interactive REXX procedure (*IREXX)
v Using QCMDEXEC, QCAEXEC, or QCAPCMD API (*EXEC)

Note: Some command definition objects shipped as part of the i5/OS operating system are not intended
to be used as CL commands. For example, the CMD and PARM command definition objects are
used in command definition source. These special-purpose command objects will not have any
Where allowed to run information.
Related concepts
“CL threadsafe classification”
The threadsafe classification indicates whether a command is threadsafe. Each command has a
threadsafe classification.

CL threadsafe classification:

The threadsafe classification indicates whether a command is threadsafe. Each command has a threadsafe
classification.

The three types of threadsafe classifications are as follows:

v Threadsafe: Yes
This classification indicates that you can safely call the command simultaneously in multiple threads
without restrictions. This classification also indicates that all functions called by this command are
threadsafe.
v Threadsafe: Conditional
This classification indicates that not all functions provided by the command are threadsafe. The
Restrictions section of the command provides information relating to thread safety limitations. Many
commands are classified conditionally threadsafe because either some underlying system support is not
threadsafe or the command can cause an exit point to be called.
v Threadsafe: No
This classification indicates that the command is not threadsafe and should not be used in a
multithreaded program. While some thread unsafe commands may deny access, most thread unsafe
commands do not. A diagnostic message, CPD000D, may be sent to the job log to indicate that a
non-threadsafe command has been called. Whether the diagnostic message CPD000D is sent to the job
log depends on the ″multithreaded job action″ attribute of the command; that attribute can be
determined by using the Display Command (DSPCMD) command. The possible values and actions are:
– *SYSVAL - Action is based on system value QMLTTHDACN
– *RUN - Command runs. No messages are sent.
– *MSG - Diagnostic message CPD000D is sent to the job log. The command runs.

48 System i: Programming Control language

 – *NORUN - Diagnostic message CPD000D is sent to the job log, and escape message CPF0001 is sent.
The command does not run.
If the command is run, the results are unpredictable.

Note: Some command definition objects shipped as part of the i5/OS operating system are not intended
to be used as CL commands. For example, the CMD and PARM command definition objects are
used in command definition source. These special-purpose command objects will not have any
Threadsafe information.
Related concepts
“CL environment classification” on page 47
At the very top of the command description documentation is the environment classification. The
environment classification describes where the command is allowed to run.

CL command description:

The general description briefly explains the function of the command and any relationships it has with a
program or with other commands. If there are restrictions on the use of the command, they are described
under the heading Restrictions. The general description of the command follows the environment and
threadsafe classification.

CL parameters:

The Parameters section provides a parameter summary table.

The parameter summary table shows all the parameters and values that are valid for the command.
Possible values are indicated in the Choices column. The default value, as shipped by IBM, is underlined
in the Choices column. The default values are used by the system for parameters or parts of parameters
that are not coded.

Parameter descriptions

Parameter descriptions follow the parameter summary table. Parameter descriptions are presented in the
same order as the parameters are listed in the parameter summary table. Each parameter description
includes an explanation of the function of the parameter, followed by a description of each possible
parameter value. The default parameter value, if there is one, is typically described first and is shown as
an underlined heading at the beginning of the text that describes the value.

The description of each parameter explains what the parameter means, what it specifies, and the
dependent relationships it has with other parameters in the command. When the parameter has more
than one value, the information that applies to the parameter as a whole is covered first, then the specific
information for each of the values is described after the name of each value.

Parameter summary table

The parameter summary table summarizes parameters and values for CL commands.

Keyword column

This column shows the parameter keyword name. Every CL command parameter has a keyword name
associated with it. When you are viewing the command documentation using a browser, you can click on
the keyword name to link to the start of the information for the parameter within the command
documentation file.

Description column

Control language 49
This column shows the prompt text defined for the parameter, a parameter qualifier, or a parameter
element. Qualifiers are normally used for qualified object names or qualified job names. Elements are used
to define multiple input fields for a single parameter. The description for a qualifier or element contains
the qualifier or element number within the parameter.

Choices column

This column shows the possible values for the parameter, qualifier, or element.
v Predefined values, also known as special values, are listed in this column. Predefined values typically
begin with an asterisk (*) or Q, followed by all uppercase letters.
v If the parameter, qualifier, or element allows user-defined values, a description of the parameter type
appears in italics, for example Name.
v Default values may be defined for optional parameters. Default values are shown in bold, underlined
text, for example *NO .
v For complex parameters that have multiple qualifiers or elements, or if the parameter or element
supports a list of values, any single value choices are identified. Single value choices may be used only
once.
v Repeated values can be specified for some parameters. For repeated values, this column indicates the
number of allowed repetitions.

Notes column

This column shows additional information about each parameter.

v ″Required″ appears in this column to indicate required parameters, parameters for which you are always
required to specify an input value.
v ″Optional″ appears in this column to indicate optional parameters, parameters for which no input value
is required.
v ″Key″ appears in this column to indicate key parameters, which are used by commands that have
prompt override programs.
v ″Positional″ appears in this column if the parameter is allowed to be specified positionally (without the
associated parameter keyword) in a command string. The parameter’s positional number appears
following ″Positional″.

CL command coding examples:

The Examples section provides at least one coded example for the command. Where necessary, several
examples are provided for commands with many parameters and several logical combinations.

For clarity, examples are coded in keyword form only. The same examples could be coded either in
positional form or in a combination of keyword and positional forms, for commands that support one or
more positional parameters.

CL error messages:

The Error messages section lists error messages that can be issued for the command.

CL command help:

All CL commands have online help available.

Online help contains the parameter and value descriptions for the command. To display help for a
command, do one of the following:
v From an i5/OS command line, type the command name (for example, CRTUSRPRF) and press F1. The
display shows general help for the command and help for each command parameter.

50 System i: Programming Control language

v From an i5/OS command line, type the command name (for example, CRTUSRPRF) and press F4 to
display the command prompt display. On the prompt display, move the cursor to the top line and
press F1.

Printing CL command descriptions on the system:

To print the parameter and value descriptions for a CL command, follow these instructions.

To print help for an entire command, perform either of the following steps:
v From any command line, type the command name (for example, CRTUSRPRF) and press F1. The
display shows general help for the command and help for each command parameter. Press F14 to print
the command help.
v On a prompt display for a given command, move the cursor to the top line and press F1. Then press
F14.

To print the help for one CL command keyword parameter, perform the following steps:
v From a command line, type the CL command name and press F4 to display the command prompt
display. Position the cursor anywhere on the line of the keyword parameter for which you want help.
Press F1 to display the help for the keyword parameter. Press F14 to print the help.
Related reference
“Printable PDFs” on page 2
Use this to view and print groups of CL commands or concepts.

CL command prompters:

Command prompters allow you to prompt for CL command parameters and values.

Command prompters can be invoked directly or called from application programs. Using the prompters
allows you to easily build syntactically correct CL command strings, because the prompters insert
parameter keyword names and parameter delimiters, such as single quotation marks and parentheses, for
you. The CL prompters also provide access to online command help, which can be used to describe the
command, parameters and parameter values, command examples, and error messages signaled by the
command.

iSeries Navigator provides a graphical CL command prompter for use on a client PC. IBM eServer iSeries
Access for Web provides an HTML form-based CL command prompter for use in a Web browser. The
Remote System Explorer function also provides a graphical CL command prompter.

The i5/OS operating system provides a CL command prompter that you can use from the command line
by pressing F4. In addition, the Display Command Line Window (QUSCMDLN) API allows you display
a command line from within an application.

CL commands that operate on i5/OS objects

Each of the i5/OS object types has a set of commands that operates on that object type.

Most i5/OS object types have commands that perform the following actions:
v Create (CRT): Creates the object and specifies its attributes.
v Delete (DLT): Deletes the object from the system.
v Change (CHG): Changes the attributes, contents of the object, or both.
v Display (DSP): Displays the contents of the object. Display commands cannot be used to operate on
objects.
v Work with (WRK): Works with the attributes, contents of the object, or both. Unlike display commands,
work commands allow users to operate on objects and modify applications.

Control language 51
 Related reference
“CL commands that operate on multiple objects”
In addition to the commands that operate on single object types, there are commands that operate on
several object types. These commands are more powerful because they can operate on several objects
of different types at the same time.

CL commands that operate on multiple objects

In addition to the commands that operate on single object types, there are commands that operate on
several object types. These commands are more powerful because they can operate on several objects of
different types at the same time.

For example:
v Display object description (DSPOBJD or DSPLNK) displays the common attributes of an object.
v Save object (SAVOBJ or SAV) saves an object and its contents on tape, optical media, or in a save file.
v Restore object (RSTOBJ or RST) restores a saved version of the object from tape, optical media, or from
a save file.

Some of the commands operate on only one object at a time, but that object can be any one of several
i5/OS object types. For example:
v Move object (MOVOBJ or MOV) moves an object from one library or directory to another.
v Rename object (RNMOBJ or RNM) specifies the new name of an object.

The following tables list commands that perform an action on many of the object types.
Table 1. Commands operating on multiple object types (where object identified by object name, library and type)
Item Actions Identifier
Object ALC, CHK, CPR, CRTDUP, DCP, OBJ
DLC, DMP, MOV, RNM, RST, SAV,
SAVCHG, WRK,
Object access SET OBJACC
Object auditing CHG OBJAUD
Object authority DSP, EDT, GRT, RVK OBJAUT
| Object description CHG, DSP, RTV OBJD
Object journaling CHG, END, STR JRNOBJ
Object lock WRK OBJLCK
Object owner CHG, WRK OBJOWN
Object primary group CHG, WRK OBJPGP

Table 2. Commands operating on multiple object types (where object identified by path name)
Item Actions Identifier
Object CPY, MOV, RNM, RST, SAV not applicable
Object auditing CHG AUD
Object authority CHG, DSP, WRK AUT
Object description DSP, WRK LNK
Object integrity CHK OBJITG
Object journaling END, STR JRN
Object owner CHG OWN
Object primary group CHG PGP

52 System i: Programming Control language

 Related concepts
“CL commands that operate on i5/OS objects” on page 51
Each of the i5/OS object types has a set of commands that operates on that object type.
Related reference
“OBJTYPE parameter” on page 83
The object type (OBJTYPE) parameter specifies the types of i5/OS objects that can be operated on by
the command in which they are specified.

CL programs and procedures

CL programs and procedures are created from source statements that consist entirely of CL commands.

The commands are compiled into either an original program model (OPM) program or an Integrated
Language Environment (ILE) module that can be bound into programs made up of modules written in
CL or other languages.

Advantages of using CL programs and procedures include:

v Using CL programs and procedures is faster than entering and running the commands individually.
v CL programs and procedures provide consistent processing of the same set of commands and logic.
v Some functions require CL commands that cannot be entered individually and must be part of a CL
program or procedure.
v CL programs and procedures can be tested and debugged like other high-level language (HLL)
programs and procedures.
v Parameters can be passed to CL programs and procedures to adapt the operations performed by the
program or procedure to the particular requirements of that use.
v You can bind CL modules with other ILE high-level language modules into a program.

CL programs and procedures can be used for many kinds of applications. For example, CL procedures
can be used to:
v Provide an interface to the user of an interactive application through which the user can request
application functions without an understanding of the commands used in the program or procedure.
This makes the workstation user’s job easier and reduces the chances of errors occurring when
commands are entered.
v Control the operation of an application by establishing variables used in the application (such as date,
time, and external indicators) and specifying the library list used by the application. This ensures that
these operations are performed whenever the application is run.
v Provide predefined routines for the system operator, such as procedures to start a subsystem, to
provide backup copies of files, or to perform other operating functions. The use of CL programs and
procedures reduces the number of commands the operator uses regularly, and ensures that system
operations are performed consistently.

Most of the CL commands provided by the system can be used in CL programs and procedures. Some
commands are specifically designed for use in CL programs and procedures and are not available when
commands are entered individually. These commands include:
v Logic control commands that can be used to control which operations are performed by the program
or procedure according to conditions that exist when the program or procedure is run. For example, if
a certain condition exists, then do certain processing, else do some other operation. These logic
operations provide both conditional and unconditional branching within the CL program or procedure.
v Data operations that provide a way for the program or procedure to communicate with a workstation
user. Data operations let the program or procedure send formatted data to and receive data from the
workstation, and allow limited access to the database.
v Commands that allow the program or procedure to send messages to the display station user.
Control language 53
v Commands that receive messages sent by other programs and procedures. These messages can provide
normal communication between programs and procedures, or indicate that errors or other exceptional
conditions exist.
v The use of variables and parameters for passing information between commands in the program or
procedure and between programs and procedures.
v Commands that call other procedures. (Procedures cannot be called from the command line or in the
batch job stream.)

Using CL programs and procedures, applications can be designed with a separate program or procedure
for each function, and with a CL program or procedure controlling which programs or procedures are
run within the application. The application can consist of both CL and other HLL programs or
procedures. In this type of application, CL programs or procedures are used to:
v Determine which programs or procedures in the application are to be run.
v Provide system functions that are not available through other HLL languages.
v Provide interaction with the application user.

CL programs and procedures provide the flexibility needed to let the application user select what
operations to perform and run the necessary procedures.

There are four types of CL programs and procedures: procedure, module, program, and service program.

CL procedure
A procedure is a set of self-contained high-level language statements that performs a particular task and
then returns to the caller.

In CL, a procedure typically begins with a PGM statement and ends with an ENDPGM statement.

CL module
A module is the object that results from compiling high-level language source statements using an
Integrated Language Environment (ILE) compiler.

A CL module is created by compiling CL source using the Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) command. A
module must be bound into a program to run.

A CL module consists of two parts: A user-written procedure and a program entry procedure that is
generated by the CL compiler. In other high-level languages (HLLs) (for example, C), a single module can
contain multiple user-written procedures.

CL program
A control language (CL) program is a program that is created from source statements consisting entirely of
CL commands. The operating system supports two types of programs: ILE program and OPM CL
program.

An ILE program is a program written in an Integrated Language Environment (ILE)-conforming high-level

language. ILE programs are i5/OS objects that contain one or more modules. Modules cannot be run
until they are bound into programs. These programs must have a program entry procedure. The CL
compiler generates a program entry procedure in each module it creates. A single-module ILE program
can be created using the Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL) command. The Create Program
(CRTPGM) command can be used to create an ILE program that contains module objects generated by
different ILE compilers, including ILE CL.

An OPM CL program is a program that conforms to the original program model (OPM). OPM CL
programs are objects that result from compiling source using the Create CL Program (CRTCLPGM)
command.
Related information

54 System i: Programming Control language

 ILE Concepts PDF

Service program
A service program is an i5/OS object that contains one or more modules.

You can run programs that are not bound to service programs if they do not require any procedures from
the service program. However, you cannot run any procedures from a service program unless that service
program is bound to a program. In order to call procedures in a service program, you must export the
procedure name. A service program is created using the Create Service Program (CRTSRVPGM)
command

While a program has only one entry point, a service program can have multiple entry points. You cannot
call service programs directly. You can call procedures in a service program from other procedures in
programs and service programs.

CL parameters
A parameter is a value that is passed to a command or program to provide user input or control the
actions of the command or program.

Parameter values
A parameter value is user-supplied information that is used during the running of a command.

An individual value can be specified in a constant value, a variable name, an expression, or a list of
values. A parameter can specify one or a group of such values, depending on the parameter’s definition
in a command. If a group of values is specified, the parameter is called a list parameter because it can
contain a list of values.

On commands with key and positional parameters, values can be specified in keyword form, positional
form, or a combination of both forms. Parameter values must be enclosed in parentheses if any of the
following conditions are true:
v A keyword precedes the value.
v The value is an expression.
v A list of values is specified.

Note: If only one value is specified for a list, no parentheses are required.
Related concepts
“CL command coding rules” on page 45
This summary of general information about command coding rules can help you properly code CL
commands.
Related reference
“CL command parameters” on page 41
Most CL commands have one or more parameters that specify the objects and values used to run the
commands.

Constant value:

A constant value is the actual value. The types of constants are character string (includes names, date and
hexadecimal values), decimal, and logical.

A constant value is an actual numeric value or a specific character string whose value does not change.
Three types of constants can be used by the control language: character string (quoted or unquoted),
decimal, and logical.

Control language 55
Character string:

A character string is a string of any EBCDIC characters (alphanumeric and special) that are used as a
value.

These EBCDIC values can include date and hexadecimal values. A character string can have two forms:
quoted string or unquoted string. Either form of character string can contain as many as 5000 characters.

A quoted character string is a string of alphanumeric and special characters that are enclosed in single
quotation marks. For example, ’Credit limit has been exceeded’ is a quoted character string. The quoted
string is used for character data that is not valid in an unquoted character string. For example,
user-specified text can be entered in several commands to describe the functions of the commands. Those
descriptions must be enclosed in single quotation marks if they contain more than one word because
blanks are not allowed in an unquoted string.

An unquoted character string is a string consisting of only alphanumeric characters and the special
characters that are shown in the Unquoted String column in the following table. The table summarizes the
main EBCDIC characters that are valid in unquoted and quoted character string values. An X in the last
column indicates that the character on the left is valid; refer to the specific notes following the figure that
indicate why the character is valid as described. The special characters allow the following to be
unquoted character string values:
v Predefined values (* at the beginning)
v Qualified object names (/)
v Generic names (* at the end)
v Decimal constants (+, -, ., and ,)

Any of these unquoted strings can be specified for parameters defined to accept character strings. In
addition, some parameters are defined to accept predefined values, names, or decimal values either
singly or in combinations.
Table 3. Quoted and unquoted character strings
Name of character Character Unquoted string Quoted string
Ampersand & See Note 5 X
Single quotation mark ’ See Note 7 -
Asterisk (*) * See Notes 5, 6 X
At sign @ X X
Blank X
Colon : X
Comma , See Note 1 X
Digits 0-9 See Note 1 X
Dollar sign $ X X
Equal = See Notes 5, 8 X
Greater than > See Notes 5, 8 X
Left parenthesis ( See Note 4 X
Less than < See Notes 5, 8 X
Letters (lowercase) a-z See Note 2 X
Letters (uppercase) A-Z X X
Minus - See Notes 1, 5 X

56 System i: Programming Control language

Table 3. Quoted and unquoted character strings (continued)
Name of character Character Unquoted string Quoted string
Not See Notes 5, 8 X

Number sign # X X
Percent % X
Period . See Notes 1, 11 X
Plus + See Notes 1, 5 X
Question mark ? X
Quotation marks ″ ″ See Note 10 X
Right parenthesis ) See Note 4 X
Semicolon ; X
Slash / See Notes 3, 5 X
Underscore _ See Note 9 X
Vertical bar | See Notes 5, 8 X

Notes:
1. An unquoted string of all numeric characters, an optional single decimal point (. or ,), and
an optional leading sign (+ or -) are valid unquoted strings. Depending on the parameter
attributes in the command definition, this unquoted string is treated as either a numeric or
character value. On the CALL command or in an expression, this unquoted string is treated
as a numeric value; a quoted string is required if you want character representation. Numeric
characters used in any combination with alphanumeric characters are also valid in an
unquoted string.
2. In an unquoted string, lowercase letters are translated into uppercase letters unless the string
is specified for a parameter that has the attribute CASE(*MIXED).
3. A slash can be used as a connector in qualified names and path names.
4. In an unquoted string, parentheses are valid when used to delimit keyword values and lists,
or in expressions to indicate the order of evaluation.
5. In an unquoted string, the characters +, -, *, /, &, |, , <, >, and = are valid by themselves.
If they are specified on a parameter that is defined in the command definition with the
EXPR(*NO) attribute, they are treated as character values. If they are specified on a
parameter that is defined in the command definition with the EXPR(*YES) attribute, they are
treated as expression operators.
6. In an unquoted string, the asterisk is valid when followed immediately by a name (such as in
a predefined value) and when preceded immediately by a name (such as in a generic name).
7. Because a single quotation mark within a quoted string is paired with the opening single
quotation mark (delimiter) and is interpreted as the ending delimiter, an adjacent pair of
single quotation marks (’’) must be used inside a quoted string to represent a single
quotation mark that is not a delimiter. When characters are counted in a quoted string, a pair
of adjacent single quotation marks is counted as a single character.
8. In an unquoted string, the characters <, >, =, , and | are valid in some combinations with
another character in the same set. Valid combinations are: <=, >=, =, >, <, ||, |<,
and |>. If the combination is specified on a parameter that is defined in the command
definition with the EXPR(*NO) attribute, it is treated as a character value. If it is specified on
a parameter that is defined in the command definition with the EXPR(*YES) attribute, it is
treated as an expression operator.

Control language 57
 9. In an unquoted string, the underscore is not valid as the first character or when used by
itself.
10. Quotation marks are used to delimit a quoted name.
11. A period is valid in a basic name, except as the first character.

The following table contains examples of quoted string constants.

Table 4. Quoted string constants
Constant Value
’1,2,’ 1,2,
’DON’’T’ DON’T
’24 12 20’ 24 12 20

The following table contains examples of unquoted string constants.

Table 5. Unquoted string constants
Constant Meaning
CHICAGO CHICAGO
FILE1 FILE1
*LIBL Library list
LIBX/PGMA Program PGMA in library LIBX
1.2 1.2

Related reference
“Date values” on page 59
A date value is a character string that represents a date.
“Hexadecimal values”
A hexadecimal value is a constant that is made up of a combination of the hexadecimal digits A through
F and 0 through 9.
“Expressions” on page 61
An expression is a group of constants or variables, separated by operators, that produces a single
value.
“Character string expressions” on page 101
The operands in a character string expression must be quoted or unquoted character strings, character
variables, or the substring (%SUBSTRING or %SST) built-in function.

Hexadecimal values:

A hexadecimal value is a constant that is made up of a combination of the hexadecimal digits A through F
and 0 through 9.

All character strings except names, dates, and times can be specified in hexadecimal form. To specify a
hexadecimal value, the digits must be specified in multiples of two, be enclosed in single quotation
marks, and be preceded by an X. Examples are: X’F6’ and X’A3FE’.

Note: Care should be used when entering hexadecimal values in the range of 00 through 3F, or the value
FF. If these characters are shown or printed, they may be treated as device control characters
producing unpredictable results.
Related reference

58 System i: Programming Control language

 “Character string” on page 56
A character string is a string of any EBCDIC characters (alphanumeric and special) that are used as a
value.

Date values:

A date value is a character string that represents a date.

A date value’s format is specified by the system value QDATFMT. The length of the date value varies
with the format used and whether a separator character is used. For example, if no separator character is
used, the length of a date in a Julian format is five characters, and the length of a date in a non-Julian
format is six characters. If a separator character is used, the length will be greater.

The system value QDATSEP specifies the optional separator character that can be used when the date is
entered. If a separator character is used, the date must be enclosed in single quotation marks.

A date value can be specified for the parameters of type *DATE. A year value equal to or greater than 40
indicates a year from 1940 through 1999. A year value less than 40 indicates a year from 2000 through
2039.
Related reference
“Character string” on page 56
A character string is a string of any EBCDIC characters (alphanumeric and special) that are used as a
value.
Related information
System values
Data separator (QDATSEP) system value

Decimal values:

A decimal value is a numeric string of one or more digits, optionally preceded by a plus (+) or minus (-)
sign.

A decimal value can contain a maximum of 15 digits, of which no more than nine can follow the decimal
point (which can be either a comma or a period). Therefore, a decimal value can have no more than
17 character positions including the plus or minus sign and decimal point (if any). The following are
examples of decimal values.

Logical values:

A logical value is a single character (1 or 0) that is enclosed in single quotation marks.

Logical values are often used as a switch to represent a condition such as on or off, yes or no, and true or
false. When used in expressions, a logical value can be optionally preceded by *NOT or . The
following are examples of logical values:

Control language 59
Table 6. Logical values
Constant Value Meaning
’0’ 0 Off, no, or false
’1’ 1 On, yes, or true

Floating-point constants:

A floating-point constant is a representation of a numerical constant, shown as an optional sign followed

by one or more digits and a decimal point, which may be at the end.

This representation consists of:

v A significand sign: The significand sign may be + or -. The significand sign is optional; it is assumed to
be + if no sign is specified.
v A significand: The significand must contain a decimal point. The maximum number of digits that can
be specified for the significand is 253; however, only the first 17 significant digits are used.
v An exponent character: The exponent character must be E.
v An exponent sign: The exponent sign must be + or -. The significand sign is optional; it is assumed to
be + if no sign is specified.
v An exponent: The exponent must be an integer; numbers 0 through 9 are valid. The maximum number
of digits that can be specified is three.

All floating-point constants are stored as double-precision values. No blanks are allowed between any of
the parts of a floating-point constant, and the parts must be in the order listed previously.

Some commands have parameters for which floating-point constants can be specified:
v Call Program (CALL) or Call Procedure (CALLPRC) command: You can use the PARM parameter to
pass a floating-point constant to a called program. Any program you call must receive a floating-point
constant as a double precision value.
v Change Program Variable (CHGPGMVAR) command: You can use the VALUE parameter to change a
floating-point variable in a program.
v Copy File (CPYF) command: You can use floating-point construction in the FROMKEY, TOKEY, and
INCREL parameters to select which records are copied from a database file.
Related information
DDS

Variable name:

A variable contains a data value that can be changed when a program is run. A variable name is the name
of the variable that contains the value.

The variable is used in a command to pass the value that it contains at the time the command is run. The
change in value can result if one of the following conditions occur: the value is received from a data area,
a display device file field, or a message; the value is passed as a parameter; a Change Variable
(CHGVAR) command is run in the program; or another program that is called changes the value before
returning it.

The types of variables are character string (includes names), decimal, logical, and integer. Decimal and
logical values must match the type of value expected for the parameter. Character variables can specify
any type of value. For example, if a decimal value is expected, it can be specified by a character variable
as well as by a decimal variable.

60 System i: Programming Control language

The variable name identifies a value to be used; the name points to where the actual data value is.
Because CL variables are valid only in CL programs, they are often called CL program variables or CL
variables. CL variable names must begin with an ampersand (&).

CL variables can be used to specify values for almost all parameters of CL commands. When a CL
variable is specified as a parameter value and the command containing it is run, the current value of the
variable is used as the parameter value. That is, the variable value is passed as if the user had specified
the value as a constant.

Because it is generally true that CL variables can be used for most parameters of commands in CL
programs, the command descriptions typically do not mention CL variables. For parameters that are
restricted to constants only (such as in the DCL command), to CL variables only (such as all of the
parameters of the Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) command), or to specific types of variables (such as
on the RTVJOBA or Retrieve Message (RTVMSG) command), the individual parameter descriptions
specify those limitations. Otherwise, if the command is allowed in a CL program, CL variables can be
used in place of a value, even with parameters that accept only predefined values. For example, a KEEP
parameter having only predefined values of *YES and *NO can have a CL variable specified instead; its
value can then be changed to *YES or *NO, depending on its value when the command is run.

A CL variable must contain only one value; it may not contain a list of values separated by blanks.

The value of any CL program variable can be defined as one of the following types:
v Character: A character string that can contain a maximum of 9999 characters. The character string can
be coded in quoted or unquoted form, but only the characters in the string itself are stored in the
variable.
v Decimal: A packed decimal value that can contain a maximum of 15 digits, of which no more than nine
can be decimal positions.
v Logical: A logical value of ’1’ or ’0’ that represents on/off, true/false, or yes/no.
v Integer: A two-byte or four-byte binary integer value that can be either signed (value may be positive
or negative) or unsigned (value is always positive).
Table 7. CL program variables
If value is: CL variable can be declared as:
Name Character
Date or time Character
Character string Character
Numeric Decimal or integer or character
Logical Logical or character

Related concepts
“Additional rules for unique names” on page 124
Additional rules involve special characters (as an extra character) for object naming.

Expressions:

An expression is a group of constants or variables, separated by operators, that produces a single value.

The operators specify how the values are combined to produce the single value or result. The types of
expressions are arithmetic, character string, relational, and logical. An expression can be used as a value
for a CL command parameter only in CL programs and CL procedures.

Control language 61
The operators can be arithmetic, character string, relational, or logical. The constants or variables can be
character, decimal, integer, or logical. For example, the expression (&A + 1) specifies that the result of
adding 1 to the value in the variable &A is used in place of the expression.

Character string expressions can be used in certain command parameters defined with EXPR(*YES) in CL
programs. An expression can contain the built-in functions %BINARY (or %BIN), %SUBSTRING (or
%SST), and %SWITCH. The types of expressions and examples of each are described there.
Related concepts
“Symbolic operators” on page 99
A variety of characters can be used as symbolic operators in CL commands.
Related reference
“Character string” on page 56
A character string is a string of any EBCDIC characters (alphanumeric and special) that are used as a
value.
“Expressions in CL commands” on page 100
A character string expression can be used for any parameter, element, or qualifier that is defined with
EXPR(*YES) in the command definition object.

List of values:

A list of values is one or more values that can be specified for a parameter.

Not all parameters can accept a list of values. A list parameter can be defined to accept a specific set of
multiple values that can be of one or more types. Values in the list must be separated by one or more
blanks. Each list of values is enclosed by parentheses, indicating that the list is treated as a single
parameter. Parentheses are used even when a parameter is specified in positional form. To determine
whether a list can be specified for a parameter, and what kind of list it can be, refer to the parameter
description under the appropriate command description.

A list parameter can be defined to accept a list of multiple like values (a simple list) or a list of multiple
unlike values (a mixed list). Each value in either kind of list is called a list element. List elements can be
constants, variables, or other lists; expressions are not allowed.
v A simple list parameter accepts one or more values of the type allowed by a parameter. For example,
(RSMITH BJONES TBROWN) is a simple list of three user names.
v A mixed list parameter accepts a fixed set of separately defined values that are in a specific order. Each
value can be defined with specific characteristics such as type and range. For example, LEN(5 2) is a
mixed list in which the first element (5) gives the length of a field and the second element (2) gives the
number of decimal positions in that field.
v For many parameters defined to accept lists, predefined single values can be specified in place of a list
of values. One of these single values can be the default value, which can be either specified or assumed
if no list is specified for a simple or mixed list. To determine what defaults are accepted for a given list
parameter, refer to the description of the parameter in the description of the command for which the
parameter is defined and used.
Note: *N cannot be specified in a simple list, but it can be specified in a mixed list. Also, individual
parameters passed on the CALL and CALLPRC commands cannot be lists.
v The maximum level of nesting of lists inside lists is three, including the first. These are indicated by
three nested levels of parentheses.

62 System i: Programming Control language

Here are examples of lists.

The last two examples contain two lists nested inside a list: the first list contains values of A and B, and
the second list contains values of 1 and 2. The space between the two nested lists is not required. Blanks
are the separators between the values inside each nested list, and the sets of parentheses group the nested
values into larger lists.
Related reference
“CL command parameters” on page 41
Most CL commands have one or more parameters that specify the objects and values used to run the
commands.

Parameters in keyword and positional form

You can specify parameters in CL using keyword form, positional form, or in a combination of the two.

Parameters in keyword form

A parameter in keyword form consists of a keyword followed immediately by a value (or a list of values
separated by blank spaces) enclosed in parentheses. You cannot use blanks between the keyword and the
left parenthesis preceding the parameter value. You can place blanks between the parentheses and the
parameter value. For example, LIB(MYLIB) is a keyword parameter specifying that MYLIB is the name of
the library that is used in some way, depending upon the command in which this LIB parameter is used.

When command parameters are all specified in keyword form, they can be placed in any order. For
example, the following two commands are the same:
CRTLIB LIB(MYLIB) TYPE(*TEST)
CRTLIB TYPE(*TEST) LIB(MYLIB)

Parameters in positional form

A parameter in positional form does not have its keyword coded; it contains only the value (or values, if it
is a list) whose function is determined by its position in the parameter set for that command. The
parameter values are separated from each other and from the command name by one or more blank
spaces. Because there is only one positional sequence in which parameters can be coded, the positional
form of the previous CRTLIB (Create Library) command first example is:
Control language 63
CRTLIB MYLIB *TEST

If you do not want to enter a value for one of the parameters, the predefined value *N (null) can be
entered in that parameter’s position. The system recognizes *N as an omitted parameter, and either
assigns a default value or leaves it null. In the previous CRTLIB command second example, if you coded
*N instead of *TEST for the TYPE parameter, the default value *PROD is used when the command is run,
and a production library named MYLIB is created. The description of the CRTLIB command contains the
explanation for each parameter.

Notes:
v Parameters cannot be coded in positional form beyond the positional coding limit. If you
attempt to code parameters in positional form beyond that point, the system returns an error
message.
v Using positional form in your CL program source may save time when writing the program,
but will be more difficult for you or someone else to maintain. Commands written using
keyword form are generally easier to understand and enhance.

Combining keyword and positional forms

A CL command can also have its parameters coded in a combination of keyword and positional forms.
The following examples show three ways to code the Declare CL Variable (DCL) command.

Keyword form:
DCL VAR(&QTY) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5) VALUE(0)

Positional form:
DCL &QTY *DEC 5 0

Positional and keyword forms together:

DCL &QTY *DEC VALUE(0)

In the last example, because the optional LEN parameter was not coded, the VALUE parameter must be
coded in keyword form.

Note: You cannot specify parameters in position form after a parameter specified in keyword form.
Related concepts
“CL command coding rules” on page 45
This summary of general information about command coding rules can help you properly code CL
commands.
Related reference
“CL command parameters” on page 41
Most CL commands have one or more parameters that specify the objects and values used to run the
commands.

Required, optional, and key parameters

A CL command can have parameters that must be coded (required parameters) and parameters that do
not have to be coded (optional parameters).

Optional parameters are typically assigned a system-defined default value if another value is not
specified for the parameter when the command is entered.

A command can also have key parameters which are the only parameters shown on the display when a
user prompts for the command. After values are entered for the key parameters, the remaining
parameters are shown with actual values instead of the default values (such as *SAME or *PRV).

64 System i: Programming Control language

 Related reference
“CL command parameters” on page 41
Most CL commands have one or more parameters that specify the objects and values used to run the
commands.

Commonly used parameters

Some parameters are commonly used in many CL commands.

These commonly used parameters meet one or both of the following criteria:
v There is extensive information about how they are used.
v They are used in many of the CL commands (such as the AUT parameter), and the parameter
description in the individual command description gives only the essential information.

The expanded descriptions of the applicable command parameters have been placed here for several
reasons:
v To reduce the amount of material needed in the individual commands. Normally programmers familiar
with a parameter’s main function do not need the details.
v To provide the supplemental information that is useful to programmers in some instances.

The format for this information is designed for easy reference and includes a general description of each
parameter that explains its function, states the rules for its use, and provides other helpful information.
The values that can be specified for each parameter are also listed. Each value is followed by an
explanation of what it means and (possibly) in which commands it is used. Not all of the values appear
in every command. Refer to the individual command descriptions for the specific use of the value in that
command parameter.
Related concepts
“CL command coding rules” on page 45
This summary of general information about command coding rules can help you properly code CL
commands.

AUT parameter:

The authority (AUT) parameter is used in create, grant, and revoke commands. It specifies the authority
granted to all users of an object.

The AUT parameter also specifies an authorization list that is used to secure the object. Four object types
allow the AUT parameter to contain an authorization list: LIB, PGM, DTADCT, and FILE. Public
authority is an i5/OS object attribute that controls the base set of rights to that object for all users having
access to the system. These rights can be extended or reduced for specific users. If you specify an
authorization list, the public authority in the authorization list is the public authority for the object. The
owner of an object has all authority to the object at its creation.

If the object is created as a private object or with the limited authority given to all users, the owner can
grant more or less authority to specific users by specifically naming them and stating their authority in
the Grant Object Authority (GRTOBJAUT) command. The owner also can withdraw specific authority
from specific users, or from all users (publicly authorized, specifically authorized, or both) by using the
Revoke Object Authority (RVKOBJAUT) command or the Edit Object Authority (EDTOBJAUT) command.

Values allowed
*LIBCRTAUT
The public authority for the object is taken from the value on the CRTAUT parameter of the
target library (the library that is to contain the object). The public authority is determined when
the object is created. If the CRTAUT value for the library changes after the object is created, the
new value does not affect any existing objects.

Control language 65
*USE You can perform basic operations on the object, such as running a program or reading a file. The
user cannot change the object. *USE authority provides object operational authority, read
authority, and execute authority.
*CHANGE
You can perform all operations on the object except those limited to the owner or controlled by
object existence authority and object management authority. You can change and perform basic
functions on the object. Change authority provides object operational authority and all data
authority.
*ALL You can perform all operations except those limited to the owner or controlled by authorization
list management authority. Your can control the object’s existence, specify the security for the
object, change the object, and perform basic functions on the object. You also can change
ownership of the object.
*EXCLUDE
You cannot access the object.
*EXECUTE
You can run a program or procedure or search a library or directory.
authorization-list-name
Specify the name of the authorization list whose authority is used.
Related information

iSeries Security Reference PDF

CLS parameter:

The class (CLS) parameter identifies the attributes that define the run time environment of a job.

The following attributes are defined in each class:

v Run priority: A number that specifies the priority level assigned to all jobs running that use the class.
The priority level is used to determine which job, of all the jobs competing for system resources, is run
next. The value can be 1 through 99, where 1 is the highest priority (all jobs having a 1 priority are run
first).
v Time slice: The maximum amount of processor time that the system allows the job to run when it is
allowed to begin. The time slice indicates the amount of time needed for the job to accomplish a
meaningful amount of work (the time used by the system for reading auxiliary storage is not charged
against the time slice). When the time slice ends, the job waits while other queued jobs of the same or
higher priority are allowed to run (up to the time specified in their time slices); then the job is given
another time slice.
v Purge value: Indicates whether the job step is eligible to be moved from main storage to auxiliary
storage while the job is waiting for some resource before it can continue, or when its time slice is used
up and equal or higher priority jobs are waiting.
v Default wait time: The default amount of time that the system waits for the completion of an
instruction that performs a wait. This wait time applies to times when an instruction is waiting for a
system action, not to the time an instruction is waiting for a response from a user. Normally, this
would be the amount of time you are willing to wait for the system before ending the request. If the
wait time is exceeded, an error message is passed to the job. This default wait time applies only when
a wait time is not specified in the CL command that causes the wait.
The wait time used for allocating file resources is specified in the file description and can be
overridden by an override command. It specifies that the wait time specified in the class object is used.
If file resources are not available when the file is opened, the system waits for them until the wait time
ends.

66 System i: Programming Control language

 Note: The class attributes apply to each routing step of a job. Most jobs have only one routing step,
but if the job is rerouted (because of something like the Remote Job or Transfer Job command)
the class attributes will be reset.
v Maximum CPU time: The maximum amount of processor time (the sum of the time slices if they differ,
or time slice period multiplied by number of time slices if they are equal) allowed for a job’s routing
step to complete processing. If the job’s routing step is not completed in this amount of time, it is
ended, and a message is written to the job log.
v Maximum temporary storage: The maximum amount of temporary storage that can be used by a job’s
routing step. This temporary storage is used for the programs that run in the job, for the system objects
used to support the job, and for temporary objects created by the job.

The system is shipped with a set of classes that define the attributes for several job processing
environments. Other classes can be created by the Create Class (CRTCLS) command; any class can be
displayed or deleted by the respective Display Class (DSPCLS) and Delete Class (DLTCLS) commands.

Values allowed
qualified-class-name
Specify the name of the class, optionally qualified by the name of the library in which the class is
stored. If the class name is not qualified and the CLS parameter is in the CRTCLS command, the
class object is stored in *CURLIB; otherwise, the library list (*LIBL) is used to find the class name.

Classes

The following classes (by name) are supplied with the system:
QGPL/QBATCH
For use by batch jobs
QSYS/QCTL
For use by the controlling subsystem
QGPL/QINTER
For use by interactive jobs
QGPL/QPGMR
For use by the programming subsystem
QGPL/QSPL
For use by the spooling subsystem printer writer
QGPL/QSPL2
For general spooling use in the base system pool

COUNTRY parameter:

The COUNTRY parameter specifies the country or region code.

The country or region code is part of the X.400 O/R name. An ISO 3166 Alpha-2 code or an ITU-T
country or region code can be specified. (The ITU-T country or region code is the data country or region
or geographical area code published in the ″International Numbering Plan for Public Data Networks,″
Recommendation X.121 (09/92), by the ITU-T (formerly CCITT). The following table contains a list of the
possible country or region codes that can be specified.

Values allowed
*NONE
No country or region code is specified.

Control language 67
country-code
Specify an ISO 3166 Alpha-2 code or a CCITT (also known as ITU-2) country or region code from
the following table.
Table 8. ISO X.400 country or region codes
Country or region ISO 3166 alpha-2 code ITU-T 1 country or region code
Afghanistan AF 412
Albania AL 276
Algeria DZ 603
American Samoa AS 544
Andorra AD
Angola AO 631
Anguilla AI
Antarctica AQ
Antigua and Barbuda AG 344
Argentina AR 722
Armenia AM 283
Aruba AW 362
Australia AU 505
Austria AT 232
Azerbaijan AZ 400
Bahamas BS 364
Bahrain BH 426
Bangladesh BD 470
Barbados BB 342
Belarus BY 257
Belgium BE 206
Belize BZ 702
Benin BJ 616
Bermuda BM 350
Bhutan BT
Bolivia BO 736
Bosnia and Herzegovina BA
Botswana BW 652
Bouvet Island BV
Brazil BR 724
British Indian Ocean Terr. IO
Brunei Darussalam BN 528
Bulgaria BG 284
Burkina Faso BF 613
Burundi BI 642
Cambodia KH 456
Cameroon CM 624

68 System i: Programming Control language

Table 8. ISO X.400 country or region codes (continued)
Country or region ISO 3166 alpha-2 code ITU-T 1 country or region code
Canada CA 302, 303
Cape Verde CV 625
Cayman Islands KY 346
Central African Republic CF 623
Chad TD 622
Chile CL 730
China CN 460
Christmas Island CX
Cocos (Keeling) Islands CC
Colombia CO 732
Comoros KM 654
Congo CG 629
Cook Islands CK 548
Costa Rica CR 712
Cote d’Ivoire CI 612
Croatia HR
Cuba CU 368
Cyprus CY 280
Czech Republic CZ 230
Denmark DK 238
Djibouti DJ 638
Dominica DM 366
Dominican Republic DO 370
East Timor TP
Ecuador EC 740
Egypt EG 602
El Salvador SV 706
Equatorial Guinea GQ 627
Eritrea ER
Estonia EE 248
Ethiopia ET 636
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) FK
Faroe Islands FO 288
Fiji FJ 542
Finland FI 244
France FR 208, 209
France, Metropolitan FX
French Antilles 340
French Guiana GF 742
French Polynesia PF 547

Control language 69
Table 8. ISO X.400 country or region codes (continued)
Country or region ISO 3166 alpha-2 code ITU-T 1 country or region code
French Southern Terr. TF
Gabon GA 628
Gambia GM 607
Georgia GE 282
Germany DE 262 - 265
Ghana GH 620
Gibralter GI 266
Greece GR 202
Greenland GL 290
Grenada GD 352
Guadeloupe GP
Guam GU 535
Guatemala GT 704
Guinea GN 611
Guinea-Bissau GW 632
Guyana GY 738
Haiti HT 372
Heard and Mc Donald Islands HM
Honduras HN 708
China (Hong Kong S.A.R.) HK 453, 454
Hungary HU 216
Iceland IS 274
India IN 404
Indonesia ID 510
Iran IR 432
Iraq IQ 418
Ireland IE 272
Israel IL 425
Italy IT 222
Jamaica JM 338
Japan JP 440 - 443
Jordan JO 416
Kazakhstan KZ 401
Kenya KE 639
Kiribati KI 545
Korea, Democratic People’s Republic KP 467
Korea, Republic of KR 450, 480, 481
Kuwait KW 419
Kyrgyzstan KG 437
Lao People’s Democratic Rep. LA 457

70 System i: Programming Control language

Table 8. ISO X.400 country or region codes (continued)
Country or region ISO 3166 alpha-2 code ITU-T 1 country or region code
Latvia LV 247
Lebanon LB 415
Lesotho LS 651
Liberia LR 618
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya LY 606
Liechtenstein LI
Lithuania LT 246
Luxembourg LU 270
China (Macau S.A.R.) MO 455
2 2
Macedonia MK
Madagascar MG 646
Malawi MW 650
Malaysia MY 502
Maldives MV 472
Mali ML 610
Malta MT 278
Marshall Islands MH
Martinique MQ
Mauritania MR 609
Mauritius MU 617
Mayotte YT
Mexico MX 334
Micronesia FM 550
Moldova, Republic of MD 259
Monaco MC 212
Mongolia MN 428
2 2
Montenegro ME
Montserrat MS 354
Morocco MA 604
Mozambique MZ 643
Myanmar MM 414
Namibia NA 649
Nauru NR 536
Nepal NP 429
Netherlands NL 204, 205
Netherlands Antilles AN 362
New Caledonia NC 546
New Zealand NZ 530
Nicaragua NI 710
Niger NE 614

Control language 71
Table 8. ISO X.400 country or region codes (continued)
Country or region ISO 3166 alpha-2 code ITU-T 1 country or region code
Nigeria NG 621
Niue NU
Norfolk Island NF
Northern Mariana Islands MP 534
Norway NO 242
Oman OM 422
Pakistan PK 410
Palau PW
Panama PA 714
Papua New Guinea PG 537
Paraguay PY 744
Peru PE 716
Philippines PH 515
Pitcairn PN
Poland PL 260
Portugal PT 268
Puerto Rico PR 330
Qatar QA 427
Reunion RE 647
Romania RO 226
Russian Federation RU 250, 251
Rwanda RW 635
St. Helena SH
St. Kitts and Nevis KN 356
St. Lucia LC 358
St. Pierre and Miquelon PM 308
St. Vincent and the Grenadines VC 360
Samoa, Western WS 549
San Marino SM 292
Sao Tome and Principe ST 626
Saudi Arabia SA 420
Senegal SN 608
2 2
Serbia SP
Seychelles SC 633
Sierra Leone SL 619
Singapore SG 525
Slovakia SK
Slovenia SI
Solomon Islands SB 540
Somalia SO 637

72 System i: Programming Control language

Table 8. ISO X.400 country or region codes (continued)
Country or region ISO 3166 alpha-2 code ITU-T 1 country or region code
South Africa ZA 655
South Georgia and the S.S.I GS
Spain ES 214
Sri Lanka LK 413
Sudan SD 634
Suriname SR 746
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Is. SJ
Swaziland SZ 653
Sweden SE 240
Switzerland CH 228
Syrian Arab Republic SY 417
Taiwan TW 466
Tajikistan TJ 436
Tanzania, United Republic of TZ 640
Thailand TH 520
Togo TG 615
Tokelau TK
Tonga TO 539
Trinidad and Tobago TT 374
Tunisia TN 605
Turkey TR 286
Turkmenistan TM 438
Turks and Caicos Islands TC 376
Tuvalu TV
Uganda UG 641
Ukraine UA 255
United Arab Emirates AE 424, 430, 431
United Kingdom GB 234, 235, 236, 237
United States US 310 - 316
United States Minor Outlying Is. UM
Uruguay UY 748
Uzbekistan UZ 434
Vanuatu VU 541
Vatican City State (Holy See) VA 225
Venezuela VE 734
Viet Nam VN 452
Virgin Is. (Brit.) VG 348
Virgin Is. (U.S.) VI 332
Wallis and Futuna Is. WF 543
Western Sahara EH

Control language 73
Table 8. ISO X.400 country or region codes (continued)
Country or region ISO 3166 alpha-2 code ITU-T 1 country or region code
Yemen YE 421, 423
Yugoslavia, territories of the former YU 220
Zaire ZR 630
Zambia ZM 645
Zimbabwe ZW 648
Notes:
1. This International Telecommunication Union (ITU) committee was formerly known as CCITT.
2. At the time of publication, the ISO 3166 Alpha-2 Code for this country or region could not be confirmed. Before
using this code, be sure to confirm with the latest ISO 3166 standard.

FILETYPE parameter:

The FILETYPE parameter specifies whether the database file description describes data records or source
records.

Further, the FILETYPE parameter specifies whether each member of a database file being created is to
contain data records or source records (statements). For example, the file could contain RPG source
statements for an RPG program or data description source (DDS) statements for another device or
database file.

Note: If you are creating a source type physical database file and are not providing field-level descriptions
of the file (through data description specifications (DDS)), you can use either the Create Physical
File (CRTPF) command or the Create Source Physical File (CRTSRCPF) command. However, the
CRTSRCPF command is typically more convenient and efficient, because it is designed to be used
to create source physical files. If DDS is provided when you are creating a source type database
file, you should use the CRTPF command or the Create Logical File (CRTLF) command, which
both have the SRCFILE and SRCMBR parameters for specifying source input.

Records in a source file must have at least three fields: the first two are the source sequence number field
and the date field; the third field contains the source statement. These three fields are automatically
provided by the i5/OS operating system when a source file is created for which no DDS is provided;
additional source fields can be defined in DDS. The length of the sequence number field must be six
zoned digits with two decimal places. The length of the date field must be six zoned digits with no
decimal places.

The source sequence number and date fields are added to the source record when:
v Records are read into the system.
v Records are created by the Source Entry Utility (which is part of the licensed WebSphere Development
Studio program).

The fields are added when an inline data file (specified as the standard source file format) is read from
the device. The spooling reader places a sequence number in the source sequence number field and sets
up a zeroed date field.

If those fields already exist in records read from the device, they are not changed. If the records in a
database file are in source format and are being read as an inline data file in data format, the source
sequence number and date fields are removed.

74 System i: Programming Control language

Values allowed
*DATA
The file created contains or describes data records.
*SRC The file created contains or describes source records. If the file is keyed, the 6-digit source
sequence number field must be used as the key field.
Related information
Database programming

FRCRATIO parameter:

The force write ratio (FRCRATIO) parameter specifies the maximum number of records that can be
inserted, updated, or deleted before they are forced into auxiliary (permanent) storage.

The force write ratio ensures that all inserted, updated, or deleted records are written into auxiliary
storage at least as often as this parameter specifies. In the event of system failure, the only records likely
to be lost would be those that were inserted, updated, or deleted since the last force write operation.

The force write ratio is applied to all records inserted, updated, or deleted in the file through the open
data path (ODP) to which the force write ratio applies. If two programs are sharing the file,
SHARE(*YES), the force write ratio is not applied separately to the set of records inserted, updated, or
deleted by each program. It is applied to any combination of records (from both programs) that equals
the specified force write ratio parameter value. For example, if a force write ratio of 5 was specified for
the file, any combination of five records from the two programs (such as four from one program and one
from the other) forces the records to be written to auxiliary storage. If two or more programs are using
the file through separate ODPs, the insertions, updates, and deletions from each program are
accumulated individually for each ODP.

Each database file can have a force write ratio assigned to it. Logical files, which can access data from
more than one physical file, can specify a more restrictive force write ratio (a smaller number of records)
than that specified for the based-on physical files. However, a logical file cannot specify a less restrictive
force write ratio. If a logical file specifies a less restrictive force write ratio than that specified for any of
the physical files, the most restrictive force write ratio from the physical files is used for the logical file.
For example, if the force write ratios of three physical files are 2, 6, and 8, the force write ratio of a logical
file based on these physical files cannot be greater than 2. If no force write ratio is specified for the
logical file, 2 is assumed. Thus, each time a program inserts, updates, or deletes two records in the logical
file (regardless of which physical files are affected), those records are forced into auxiliary storage.

The FRCRATIO number overrides the SEQONLY number specified. For example, if you specify:
OVRDBF ... SEQONLY(*YES 20) FRCRATIO(5)

The value of 20 is overridden and a buffer of five records is used. When FRCRATIO(1) is used, a buffer
still exists, but it contains only a single record.

Access paths associated with the inserted, updated, and deleted records are written to auxiliary storage
only when all the records covered by the access path have been written to auxiliary storage. If only one
ODP exists for the file, the access path is forced to auxiliary storage whenever a forced write occurs. If
two or more ODPs to the file exist, the access path is written to auxiliary storage whenever all the
inserted, updated, and deleted records for all the ODPs have been forced.

Notes:
1. These rules apply only when a force write ratio of 2 or higher is specified. When a force write
ratio of 1 is specified, the access path is not written to auxiliary storage until all the ODPs
have been closed.
2. If the file is being recorded in a journal, FRCRATIO(*NONE) should be specified.

Control language 75
Values allowed
*NONE
There is no specified ratio; the system determines when the records are written to auxiliary
storage.
number-of-records-before-force
Specify the number of updated, inserted, or deleted records that are processed before they are
explicitly forced to auxiliary storage.
Related information
Journal management and system performance

IGCFEAT parameter:

The IGCFEAT parameter specifies which double-byte character set (DBCS) table is used, according to
device and language.

The following table indicates the corresponding IGCFEAT parameter and DBCS font table for the
double-byte character set device being configured.
Table 9. DBCS features configurable on the IGCFEAT parameter
Type of physical DBCS Configure with DBCS
Language/device workstation Configure as type-model feature
Japanese Display Stations 5295-001 Display 5295-002 5555-B01 5555-B01 ((2424J4 55FE)) ((2424J4
Display InfoWindow® 5555-B01, C01 5555-B01 68FE)) ((2424J4 68FE))
3477-J Display PS/55 5555-G01 5555-G02 ((2424J4 68FE)) ((2424J4
with 5250PC PS/55* with 5555-E01 3279-0 5555-B01 68FE)) ((2424J4 68FE))
graphics 5250PC PS/55* ((2424J0 (1))) ((2424J0 (1)))
with graphics 5250PC ((2424J0 (1)))
PS/55 with 5250PC/2
3270-type Display PS/55
with iSeries Access
Japanese 24x24 Printers Attached to 5295-001 5553-B01 5553-B01 5553-B01 ((2424J1 55FE)) ((2424J1
Display Attached to 5553-B01 5553-B01 68FE)) ((2424J1 68FE))
5295-002 Display Attached ((2424J2 55FE)) ((2424J2
to PS/55 5227-001 Printer 68FE))
5327-001 Printer
Japanese 32x32 Printers 5337-001 Printer 5383-200 5553-B01 5583-200 ((3232J0 (1))) ((3232J0 (1)))
Printer
Korean Display Stations 5250-Type Display 5555-B01 3279-0 ((2424K0 (1))) ((2424K0 (1)))
3270-Type Display
Korean 24x24 Printers Attached to 5295 Display 5553-B01 5553-B01 5553-B01 ((2424K0 (1))) ((2424K0 (1)))
Attached to PS/55 5227-002 ((2424K2 52FE))
Printer
Traditional Chinese Display 5250-Type Display 5555-B01 3279-0 ((2424C0)) ((2424C0))
Stations 3270-Type Display
Traditional Chinese 24x24 Attached to 5295 Display 5553-B01 5553-B01 5553-B01 ((2424C0)) ((2424C0))
Printers Attached to PS/55 5227-003 ((2424C2 5CFE))
Printer
Simplified Chinese Display 5250-Type Display 5555-B01 3279-0 ((2424S0)) ((2424S0))
Stations 3270-Type Display
Simplified Chinese 24x24 Attached to PS/55 5227-005 5553-B01 5553-B01 ((2424S0)) ((2424S2 6FFE))
Printers Printer

JOB parameter:

76 System i: Programming Control language

The JOB parameter specifies the name of the job to which the command is applied.

The job name identifies all types of jobs on the system. Each job is identified by a qualified job name,
which has the following format:

job-number/user-name/job-name

Note: Although the syntax is similar, job names are qualified differently than i5/OS object names.

The following list describes the pieces of the qualified job name:
v Job number: The job number is a unique 6-digit number that is assigned to each job by the system. The
job number provides a unique qualifier if the job name is not otherwise unique. The job number can be
determined by means of the Display Job (DSPJOB) command. If specified, the job number must have
exactly six digits.
v User name: The user name identifies the user profile under which the job is to run. The user name is
the same as the name of the user profile and contains a maximum of 10 alphanumeric characters. The
name can come from one of several sources, again, depending on the type of job:
– Batch job: The user name is specified on the SBMJOB command, or it is specified in the job
description referenced by the BCHJOB or SBMJOB commands.
– Interactive job: The user name is specified at sign-on, or the user name is provided from the default
in the job description referred to by the work station’s job entry.
– Autostart job: The user name is specified in the job description referred to by the job entry for the
autostart job.
v Job name: The job name can contain a maximum of 10 alphanumeric characters, of which the first
character must be alphabetic. The name can come from one of three sources, depending on the type of
job:
– Batch job: The job name is specified on the Batch Job (BCHJOB) or Submit Job (SBMJOB) commands
or, if not specified there, the unqualified name of the job description is used.
– Interactive job: The job name is the same as the name of the device (work station) from which the
sign-on was performed.
– Autostart job: The job name is provided in the autostart job entry in the subsystem description
under which the job runs. The job name was specified in the Add Autostart Job Entry (ADDAJE)
command.

Commands only require that the simple name be used to identify the job. However, additional
qualification must be used if the simple job name is not unique.

Duplicate job names

If a duplicate job name is specified in a command in an interactive job, the system displays all of the
duplicates of the specified job name to the user in qualified form. The job names are displayed in
qualified form along with the user name and job number so that you can further identify the job that is
to be specified in a command. You can then enter he correct qualified job name.

If a duplicate job name is used in a command in a batch job, the command is not processed. Instead, an
error message is written to the job log.

The JOB parameter can have one or more of the following values, depending upon the command:

Values allowed
* The job is the one in which the command is entered; that is, the command with JOB(*) specified
on it.

Control language 77
*JOBD
The simple job name is the unqualified name of the job description.
*NONE
No job name is specified as in the Display Log (DSPLOG) command.
job-name
A simple job name is specified.
qualified-job-name
You must specify a qualified job name. If no job qualifier (user name and job number) is given,
all of the jobs currently in the system are searched for the job name. If duplicates of the specified
name are found, a qualified job name must be specified.
Related concepts
“Simple and qualified object names” on page 116
The name of a specific object that is located in a library can be specified as a simple name or as a
qualified name.

LABEL parameter:

The LABEL parameter specifies the data file identifier of the data file on tape used in input and output
operations.

The data file can be in either the exchange format or the save/restore format.

Note: The device file commands are used for tapes that are in the exchange format only, not for those in
the save/restore format; user-defined device files are not used in save/restore operations.

Each data file on tape has its data file identifier stored in its own file label. The data file label (or header
label) of each data file is stored on the tape just before the data in the file. That is, each file on the tape
has its own header label and its own data records together as a unit, and one file follows another. In
addition to the data file identifier, each label also contains other information about the file, such as the
file sequence number, record and block attributes, and whether it is a multivolume data file.

Generally, the data file identifier is an alphanumeric character string that contains no more than 8
characters. However, the maximum length actually depends on several things: what data format is used
for the files and CL commands in which the identifiers are specified. The unused portion of the file
identifier field should be left blank.

The first character of the data file identifier must be alphabetic (A through Z, $, #, or @) and the rest of
the characters should be alphanumeric (A through Z, 0 through 9, $, #, _, ., and @). You can use special
characters if the identifier is enclosed in single quotation marks. However, if the tape is used on an
operating system other than i5/OS, the requirements for specifying identifiers must be considered.

Tape data file identifiers

Tape data file identifiers can have as many as 17 characters. However, if the tape is used on an operating
system other than i5/OS, a maximum of 8 characters or a qualified identifier of no more than 17
characters should be used. If more than 8 characters are used, the identifier should be qualified and
enclosed in single quotation marks so that no more than 8 characters occur in either part, and the parts
are separated by a period; for example, LABEL(’TAXES.JAN1980’). This limitation applies to the
following commands: Create Tape File (CRTTAPF), Change Tape File (CHGTAPF), Override Tape File
(OVRTAPF), and Display Tape (DSPTAP).

The data file identifier is put on the volume when the data file is put on the volume. For input/output
operations, the identifier can be specified in one of tape device file commands, or it can be passed as a
parameter when the device file is opened by the high-level language program that uses the file.

78 System i: Programming Control language

Save/restore format

For tapes in the save/restore format, the identifier can have a maximum of 17 characters. If a library
name is used to generate the label, the identifier cannot exceed 10 characters. You may specify a label
other than a library name.

Values allowed

One of the following values can be specified for the LABEL parameter, depending upon the command.
*ALL Labels for all the data file identifiers in the specified tape volumes are shown on the display.
*NONE
The data file identifier is not specified. It must be supplied before the device file, database file, or
both are opened to be used in the tape operation.
*SAME
The data file identifier already present in the tape device file does not change.
data-file-identifier
Specify the identifier of the data file used or displayed with the device file description.
*LIB The file label is created by the system and the name of the library specified on the LIB parameter
is used as the qualifier for the file name.
*SAVLIB
The file label is created by the system, and the name of the library specified on the SAVLIB
parameter is used as the qualifier for the file name.

LICOPT parameter:

The Licensed Internal Code options (LICOPT) parameter allows you to specify individual compile-time
options.

This parameter is intended for the advanced programmer who understands the potential benefits and
drawbacks of each selected type of compiler option.

The following table shows the strings that are recognized by the Licensed Internal Code option (LICOPT)
parameter. These strings are not case sensitive, but they are shown as mixed case for readability.
Table 10. LICOPT parameter strings
String Description
AllFieldsVolatile If set, treats all fields as volatile.
NoAllFieldsVolatile If set, no fields are treated as volatile.
AllowBindingToLoadedClasses Indicates that temporary class representations that were created as a
result of defineClass calls within a running Java virtual machine may be
tightly bound to other class representations within the same Java virtual
machine.
NoAllowBindingToLoadedClasses Indicates that temporary class representations that were created as a
result of defineClass calls within a running Java virtual machine may not
be tightly bound to other class representations within the same Java
virtual machine.
AllowClassCloning When multiple Java programs are generated for a JAR file, allows copies
of classes from one program to be included in the generated code for
another program. Facilitates aggressive inlining.
NoAllowClassCloning Does not allow copies of classes from one program to be included in the
generated code for another program.

Control language 79
Table 10. LICOPT parameter strings (continued)
String Description
AllowInterJarBinding Allows tight binding to classes outside the class or JAR file being
compiled. Facilitates aggressive optimizations.
NoAllowInterJarBinding Does not allow tight binding to classes outside the class or JAR file being
compiled. This overrides the presence of the CLASSPATH and JDKVER
parameters on CRTJVAPGM.
AllowMultiThreadedCreate CRTJVAPGM uses multiple threads, if they are available, during creation.
On multiprocessor systems this enables the use of more than one
processor at a time, reducing the overall time required for a long
CRTJVAPGM operation. However, the CRTJVAPGM will use more
system resources, leaving fewer resources available for other
applications.
NoAllowMultiThreadedCreate Indicates that CRTJVAPGM performs as usual, using only one thread.
AnalyzeObjectLifetimes Performs analysis using visible classes to determine which objects are
short-lived. A short-lived object does not outlive the method in which it
is allocated, and may be subject to more aggressive optimizations.
NoAnalyzeObjectLifetimes Does not perform analysis of short-lived objects.
AllowBindingWithinJar Indicates that class representations within a ZIP file or JAR file may be
tightly bound to other class representations within the same ZIP file or
JAR file.
NoAllowBindingWithinJar Indicates that class representations within a ZIP file or JAR file may not
be tightly bound to other class representations within the same ZIP file
or JAR file.
AllowInlining Tells the translator that it is permitted to inline local methods. This is the
default for optimization levels 30 and 40.
NoAllowInlining Does not tell the translator that it is permitted to inline local methods.
AssumeUnknownFieldsNonvolatile When the attributes of a field in an external class cannot be determined,
this parameter generates code by assuming that the field is non-volatile.
NoAssumeUnknownFieldsNonvolatile When the attributes of a field in an external class cannot be determined,
this parameter generates code by assuming that the field is volatile.
BindErrorHandling Specifies what action should be taken if, as a result of honoring the
AssumeUnknownFieldsNonvolatile, PreresolveExtRef, or PreLoadExtRef
Licensed Internal Code option, the Java virtual machine class loader
detects that a class representation contains method representations,
which cannot be used in the current context.
BindInit Uses bound call to local init methods.
NoBindInit Does not use bound call to local init methods.
BindSpecial Uses bound call to local special methods.
NoBindSpecial Does not use bound call to local special methods.
BindStatic Uses bound call to local static methods.
NoBindStatic Does not use bound call to local static methods.
BindTrivialFields Binds trivial field references during program creation.
NoBindTrivialFields Resolves field references at first touch.
BindVirtual Uses bound call to local final virtual methods.
NoBindVirtual Does not use bound call to local final virtual methods.

80 System i: Programming Control language

Table 10. LICOPT parameter strings (continued)
String Description
DeferResolveOnClass Takes a string parameter that is presumed to be the name of a class (for
example, java.lang.Integer). When you set PreresolveExtRef to
optimization level 40, classes that are specified with
DeferResolveOnClass are not in the preresolve operation. This is useful if
some classes in unused paths in the code are not in the CLASSPATH. It
allows you to use optimization level 40 regardless of this by specifying a
″DeferResolveOnClass=’somepath.someclass’″ for each missing class.
Multiple DeferResolveOnClass entries are allowed.
DevirtualizeFinalJDK Allows CRTJVAPGM to use knowledge of the standard JDK to
devirtualize calls to those JDK methods that are known to be final
methods or members of final classes. It is the default at optimization
levels 30 and 40.
NoDevirtualizeFinalJDK Does not allow CRTJVAPGM to use knowledge of the standard JDK to
devirtualize calls to those JDK methods that are known to be final
methods or members of final classes.
DevirtualizeRecursive Causes special code to be generated in the case of some recursive
methods and eliminates much of the overhead of the recursive method
calls. However, additional checking logic is generated on initial entry to
the recursive method, so performance may not improve in cases of
shallow recursion.
NoDevirtualizeRecursive Does not cause special code to be generated in the case of some recursive
methods.
DisableIntCse Causes certain common subexpression optimizations to be disabled when
generating code for certain types of integer expressions. This may
improve overall optimization by exposing other optimization
opportunities to the Optimizing Translator.
NoDisableIntCse Causes certain common subexpression optimizations to not be disabled
when generating code for certain types of integer expressions. This
generally results in better performing code at lower optimization levels.
DoExtBlockCSE Performs extended basic block common subexpression elimination.
NoDoExtBlockCSE Does not perform extended basic block common subexpression
elimination.
DoLocalCSE Performs local common subexpression elimination.
NoDoLocalCSE Does not perform local common subexpression elimination.
EnableCseForCastCheck If set, generates code for castcheck that can be DAGed to an earlier
instance.
NoEnableCseForCastCheck Is not set; does not generate code for castcheck that can be DAGed to an
earlier instance.
ErrorReporting Runtime error reporting field**: Provides the option to fail the compile
when encountering verification or class format errors. 0=Report all errors
immediately; 0=Report all errors immediately; 1=Defer reporting of
bytecode verification errors; 2=Defer reporting of bytecode verification
errors and class format errors to runtime.
HideInternalMethods Causes methods in cloned classes to be made internal, allowing the
methods to be omitted if there are no references to them or if all
references are inlined. The default is HideInternalMethods for
optimization 40 and NoHideInternalMethods for optimization between 0
and 30.
InlineArrayCopy Causes the inlining of the System.arraycopy method in some cases of
scalar arrays.

Control language 81
Table 10. LICOPT parameter strings (continued)
String Description
NoInlineArrayCopy Prevents the inlining of the System.arraycopy method.
InlineInit Inlines init methods for java.lang classes.
NoInlineInit Does not inline init methods.
InlineMiscFloat Inlines miscellaneous float/double methods from java.lang.Math.
NoInlineMiscFloat Does not inline miscellaneous float/double methods.
InlineMiscInt Inlines miscellaneous int/long methods from java.lang.Math.
NoInlineMiscInt Does not inline miscellaneous int/long methods.
InlineStringMethods Permits inlining of certain methods from java/lang/String.
NoInlineStringMethods Inhibits inlining of certain methods from java/lang/String.
InlineTransFloat Inlines transcendental float/double methods from java.lang.Math.
NoInlineTransFloat Does not inline transcendental float/double methods.
OptimizeJsr Generates better code for ″jsr″ bytecodes that have a single target.
NoOptimizeJsr Suppresses generation of better code for ″jsr″ bytecodes that have a
single target.
PreloadExtRef Indicates that referenced classes may be preloaded (without class
initialization) upon method entry.
NoPreloadExtRef Indicates that referenced classes may not be preloaded upon method
entry. However, the PreresolveExtRef parameter overrides this setting
and causes referenced classes to be preloaded and initialized.
PreresolveExtRef Preresolves referenced methods at method entry.
NoPreresolveExtRef Resolves method references at first touch. Use to resolve ″class not
found″ exceptions on programs that run on other machines.
ProgramSizeFactor When a JAR file may be large enough to require multiple Java programs,
this numeric value (default 100) is used to determine how large each
program can grow.
ShortCktAthrow If set, attempt to short-circuit athrows.
NoShortCktAthrow Is not set, does not attempt to short-circuit athrows.
ShortCktExSubclasses If set, recognizes some subclasses of Exception and short-circuit them
directly.
NoShortCktExSubclasses If not set, does not recognize some subclasses of Exception and
short-circuit them directly.
StrictFloat Inhibits floating-point optimizations that are not strictly compliant with
the Java specification.
NoStrictFloat Permits floating-point optimizations that are not strictly compliant with
the Java specification.

The double asterisk (**) signifies that these strings require a numerical value for input in the syntax of
stringname=number (with no spaces in between).

MAXACT parameter:

The maximum activity level (MAXACT) parameter specifies the maximum number of jobs that can be
concurrently started and that remain active through a job queue entry, communications entry, routing
entry, or workstation entry.

A job is considered active from the time it starts running until it is completed. This includes time when:

82 System i: Programming Control language

v The job is actually being processed.
v The job is waiting for a response from a workstation user.
v The job is started and available for processing but is not actually using the processor. For example, it
might have used up its time slice and is waiting for another time slice.
v The job is started but is not available for processing. For example, it could be waiting for a message to
arrive on its message queue.

Values allowed
*NOMAX
There is no maximum number of jobs that can be active at the same time.
maximum-active-jobs
Specify a value that indicates the maximum number of jobs that can be concurrently active
through this entry.
Related information
Work management

OBJ parameter:

The object (OBJ) parameter specifies the names of one or more objects affected by the command in which
this parameter is used.

If the OBJ parameter identifies objects that must exist in an i5/OS library, all of the objects must be in one
of the following, depending upon which command is used:
v the library specified in the LIB parameter,
v the SAVLIB parameter,
v the library qualifier in the OBJ parameter,
v or the library part of the path name in the OBJ parameter

On some commands, the generic name of a group of objects can be specified. To form a generic name,
add an asterisk (*) after the last character in the common group of characters; for example, ABC*. If an *
is not included with the name, the system assumes that the name is a complete object name.

Values allowed

Depending on the command, the following types of values can be specified on the OBJ parameter:
v *ALL
v Simple object name
v Qualified object name
v Generic object name
v Qualified generic object name
v Path name
Related concepts
“Path names (*PNAME)” on page 121
A path name is a character string that can be used to locate objects in the integrated file system.

OBJTYPE parameter:

The object type (OBJTYPE) parameter specifies the types of i5/OS objects that can be operated on by the
command in which they are specified.

The object types that can be specified in the OBJTYPE parameter vary from command to command.

Control language 83
The object-related commands allow you to perform general functions on most objects without knowing
the special commands related to the specific object type. For example, you could use the Create Duplicate
Object (CRTDUPOBJ) command to create a copy of a file or library instead of the specific commands
Copy File (CPYF) or Copy Library (CPYLIB).

Object-related commands

This section lists commands containing the OBJTYPE parameter. See the information for the individual
commands listed to find out which object types can be operated on using the commands.

The following commands contain the OBJTYPE parameter but operate on only a few object types.
v CHKDLO operates on *DOC and *FLR.
v CPROBJ and DCPOBJ operate on *FILE, *MENU, *MODULE, *PGM, *PNLGRP, and *SRVPGM.
v CRTSQLPKG operates on *PGM and *SRVPGM.
v DSPPGMADP operates on *PGM, *SQLPKG, and *SRVPGM.
v DSPPGMREF operates on *PGM and *SQLPKG.
v RSTCFG operates on *CFGL, *CNNL, *COSD, *CTLD, *DEVD, *LIND, *MODD, and *NWID.
v SAVLICPGM operates on *LNG and *PGM.
v SETOBJACC operates on *FILE and *PGM.

The DSPLNK and WRKLNK commands operate on all object types.

The ALCOBJ and DLCOBJ commands also require that an object type value is specified. However, for
these commands, the object type value is specified as one of four values (in a list of values) on the
required parameter OBJ.

The following object-related commands operate on many object types.

Object Object authority Save/restore Journal Other

CHGOBJD CHKOBJ CHGOBJAUD RSTOBJ SAVCHGOBJ CHGJRNOBJ DMPOBJ
CRTDUPOBJ CHGOBJOWN SAVOBJ ENDJRNOBJ DMPSYSOBJ
DSPOBJD MOVOBJ CHGOBJPGP STRJRNOBJ PRTDSKINF
RNMOBJ RTVOBJD DSPOBJAUT WRKOBJLCK
WRKOBJ EDTOBJAUT
GRTOBJAUT
RVKOBJAUT

Related concepts
“External object types” on page 112
Many types of external objects are stored in libraries.
Related reference
“CL command names” on page 6
The command name identifies the function that will be performed by the program that is called when
the command is run. Most command names consist of a combination of a verb (or action) followed by
a noun or phrase that identifies the receiver of the action (or object being acted on): (command = verb
+ object acted on).
“TEXT parameter” on page 91
The TEXT parameter specifies the user-defined description that briefly describes the object that is
being created or changed.
“CL commands that operate on multiple objects” on page 52
In addition to the commands that operate on single object types, there are commands that operate on
several object types. These commands are more powerful because they can operate on several objects
of different types at the same time.

84 System i: Programming Control language

OUTPUT parameter:

The OUTPUT parameter specifies whether the output from the display command is displayed, printed, or
written to an output file.

Basically, the same information is provided whether the output is displayed, printed, or written; only the
format is changed as necessary to present the information in the best format for the device. For example,
because there are more lines on a printed page than on a display, column headings are not repeated as
often in printed output.

If the output is to be shown on the display, it will be sent to the workstation that issued the display
command. It will be shown in the format specified in the display device file used by that display
command. A different device file is used for the output of each display command, and the file is different
for displayed, printed, or written file output. In most cases, the name of the command is part of the file
names of either type of device file.

If the output will be printed, it is spooled and an entry is placed on the job’s output queue. The output
can be printed depending on which device is specified in the Start Printer Writer (STRPRTWTR)
command.

Note: Although the IBM -supplied printer files are shipped with SPOOL(*YES) specified, they can be
changed to SPOOL(*NO) by the Override with Printer File (OVRPRTF) and Change Printer File
(CHGPRTF) commands.

If the OUTPUT parameter is not specified in the display command, the default value * is assumed. The
output resulting from this value depends on the type of job that entered the command. The following
table shows how the output is produced for interactive and batch jobs.
Table 11. Output for interactive and batch
Output Interactive job Batch job
* Displayed Printed
*PRINT Printed Printed

Values allowed
* Output requested by an interactive job is shown on the display. Output requested by a batch job
is printed with the job’s spooled output.
*PRINT
The output is printed with the job’s spooled output.
*OUTFILE
The only output is to be written to a specified database file.

PRTTXT parameter:

The print text (PRTTXT) parameter specifies the text that appears at the bottom of listings and on
separator pages.

Print text is copied from the job attribute when the job enters the system. Print files that originate on
another system do not use the print text on the target system. Print text exists as a job attribute (PRTTXT)
for defining the print text of a specific job, and as a system value (QPRTTXT) for the default of jobs with
*SYSVAL specified. QPRTTXT is the system-wide default for all jobs.

The print text can be up to 30 characters in length. The text should be centered in the form’s width and
printed in the overflow area. You should center the required text within the 30 character field.

Control language 85
If the print text is not blank, the system prints 30 characters of text on the bottom of each page. This text
normally follows the overflow line and is preceded by a blank line (if the form’s length permits). If the
user prints past the overflow line, the print text follows the last line of the user text, again preceded by a
blank line when possible. If the overflow line is the last line of the form, the print text also prints on the
last line of the form, which may result in the typing over of user text.

The print text for job and file separators is put on the first line of the separator page. A job separator
contains print text of the job that created the separator at the time the file was printed. A file separator
contains the same print text as the spooled file it precedes.

The print text can be specified for all job types. System and subsystem monitor jobs use the system value.
Reader and writer jobs use the system value unless print text is changed in the QSPLxxxx job description
associated with the reader or writer.

The print text is determined from several places by using the following hierarchical order. If print text is
not specified in one place, the next place in the order is used.

The hierarchical order, beginning with the highest priority, is as follows:

v Override print file value
v Print file value
v Job attribute changed by the Change Job (CHGJOB) command
v Job attribute set by the Submit Job (SBMJOB) or Batch Job (BCHJOB) command
v Job description
v System value

Values allowed

For the system value QPRTTXT, any character string can be specified, with the exception of *SYSVAL. If
*BLANK is specified, there will be no print text. For PRTTXT, some of the following values can be
selected, depending on the command:
*SAME
The print text does not change.
*CURRENT
The print text is taken from the submitting job.
*JOBD
The print text is taken from the job description under which the job is run.
*SYSVAL
The print text is taken from the system value QPRTTXT.
*BLANK
There is no text or blanks printed.
’print-text’
Specify 30 characters of text. If there are blanks in the text, then single quotation marks must be
used around the entry. The text should be centered within the field for the text to be centered on
the page.

REPLACE parameter:

The replace (REPLACE) parameter is used on create commands. It specifies that the existing object, if one
exists, is replaced by the object of the same name, library, and object type that is being created.

The user of the new object is granted the same authority as for the object being replaced. If the object
being replaced is secured by an authorization list, then the new object is secured by the same
86 System i: Programming Control language
authorization list. The public authority of the new object is the same as the public authority of the
replaced object. The AUT parameter from the create command is ignored. All private authorities from the
replaced object are copied to the new object. The owner of the new object is not copied from the replaced
object. The owner of the new object is the creator of the new object or the creator’s group profile. Some
objects such as panel groups, display files, and menus cannot be replaced if they are in use by the current
job or another job.

If the object being created is a program or service program, then the user profile (USRPRF parameter)
value from the replaced program is used. The user profile (USRPRF parameter) value from the Create
Program (CRTPGM) or Create Service Program (CRTSRVPGM) command is ignored. If the value of the
user profile (USRPRF parameter) of the program or service program being replaced is *OWNER, then
only the current owner of the program or service program being replaced can create the new program or
service program that replaces the existing program or service program. If the owner of the existing object
and the object being created do not match, the object is not created and message CPF2146 is sent.

If the object being created is a program or service program, then the use adopted authority
(USEADPAUT) value from the replaced program or service program is used as long as the user creating
the object can create programs/service programs with the USEADPAUT(*YES) attribute. The
QUSEADPAUT system value determines whether users can create programs or service programs to use
adopted authority. For example, if the existing object being replaced has USEADPAUT(*YES) and you do
not have authority to create a program or service program that uses adopted authority, the program or
service program created will have USEADPAUT(*NO). In this case, the USEADPAUT value was not
copied. If you have authority to create programs or service programs that use adopted authority, the
created program or service program will have the same USEADPAUT value as the program or service
program being replaced. An informational message is sent which indicates whether the USEADPAUT
value was copied to the object being replaced.

If the object being created is a file, and the default, or *YES, is specified on the REPLACE parameter, an
existing device file other than save file and a DDM file with the same qualified name will be replaced by
the new file. For example, an existing display file can be replaced by a new printer file, tape file, and so
on.

Object management (*OBJMGT), object existence (*OBJEXIST), and read (*READ) authorities are required
for the existing object to allow replacement of the existing object with a new object.

The existing object is renamed and moved to library QRPLOBJ or library QRPLxxxxx if the object resides
on an Independent ASP (where ’xxxxx’ is the number of the primary ASP of the ASP group) when the
creation of the new object is successful. The replaced object is renamed with a Q appended to a time
stamp and moved to library QRPLOBJ or library QRPLxxxxx if the object resides on an Independent ASP.
If the existing object could not be moved to the QRPLOBJ library because QRPLOBJ was locked by
another job, for example, the existing object will be moved to the QTEMP library for the job. If the
existing object could not be moved to the QTEMP library for the job, the existing object will be deleted. If
the existing object could not be moved to the QRPLxxxxx library because QRPLxxxxx was locked by
another job, for example, the existing object will be deleted.

Restriction

Programs can be replaced while they are being run; however, if the replaced program refers to the
program message queue after the renaming of the replaced program to the Qtimestamp name, the
program fails and an error message is sent stating that the program message queue is not found.

A database file, physical or logical, and a save file cannot be replaced by any file.

Library QRPLOBJ is cleared when an initial program load (IPL) of the system is done. Library
QRPLxxxxx is cleared when the primary ASP of the ASP group is varied on.

Control language 87
Values allowed
*YES The system replaces the existing object with the new object being created that has the same name,
library, and object type.
*NO The system does not replace the existing object that has the same name, library, and object type
with the object being created.

JOBPTY, OUTPTY, and PTYLMT scheduling priority parameters:

The scheduling priority parameters specify the priority values used by the system to determine the order
in which the jobs and spooled files are selected for processing.

Each job is given a scheduling priority that is used for both job selection and spooled file output. The job
scheduling priority is specified by the JOBPTY parameter in commands like the Batch Job (BCHJOB),
Submit Job (SBMJOB), Create Job Description (CRTJOBD), and Change Job Description (CHGJOBD)
commands. The priority for producing the spooled output from a job is specified by the OUTPTY
parameter in the same commands.

In addition, because every job is processed under a specific user profile, the priority for jobs can be
limited by the PTYLMT parameter specified on the Create User Profile (CRTUSRPRF) and Change User
Profile (CHGUSRPRF) commands. This parameter value controls the maximum job scheduling priority
and output priority that any job running under a user profile can have; that is, the priority specified in
the JOBPTY and OUTPTY parameters of any job command cannot exceed the priority specified in the
PTYLMT parameter for that user profile. The scheduling priority is used to determine the order in which
jobs are selected for processing and is not related to the process priority specified in the class object.

The three scheduling priority parameters specify the following:

v The PTYLMT parameter specifies the highest scheduling priority for any job that you submit. In the
commands that affect the user profile, the PTYLMT parameter specifies the highest priority that can be
specified in another JOBPTY parameter on commands relating to each specific job. You can specify a
lower priority for a job on the command used to submit the job. If you specify a higher priority for
JOBPTY in the BCHJOB or SBMJOB command than is specified for PTYLMT in the associated user
profile, an error message is shown on the display and the maximum priority specified in PTYLMT is
assumed. If a higher job priority is specified in the CHGJOB or CHGJOBD command, an error message
is shown and the attributes are not changed.
v The JOBPTY parameter specifies the priority value to be used for a specific job being submitted. In the
commands relating to a specific job being submitted, the JOBPTY parameter specifies the actual
scheduling priority for the job.
v The OUTPTY parameter specifies the priority for producing the output from all spooled output files
from the job. The priority value specified in the OUTPTY parameter determines the order in which
spooled files are handled for output. The same value is applied to all the spooled files produced by the
job.

The scheduling priority can have a value ranging from 0 through 9, where 1 is the highest priority and 9
is the lowest priority. Any job with a priority of 0 is scheduled for processing before all other jobs that are
waiting and that have priorities of 1 through 9.

The priority parameters can be specified on the following commands.

Table 12. Priority parameter
Priority parameter Commands on which it can be specified
JOBPTY ADDJOBJS, BCHJOB, CHGJOB, CHGJOBD, CHGJOBJS, CRTJOBD, SBMJOB, SBMJOBJS

88 System i: Programming Control language

Table 12. Priority parameter (continued)
Priority parameter Commands on which it can be specified
OUTPTY ADDJOBJS, BCHJOB, CHGDKTF, CHGJOBD, CHGJOBJS, CHGJOB, CHGJOBD,
CHGJOBJS, CHGPJ, CHGPRTF, CHGSPLFA, CRTDKTF, CRTJOBD, CRTPRTF, OVRDKTF,
OVRPRTF, SBMJOB, SBMJOBJS
PTYLMT CHGUSRPRF, CRTUSRPRF, RTVUSRPRF

Values allowed

Depending upon the command, one or more of the following values apply to the parameter.
5 If a value is not specified in the CRTUSRPRF command, five is the default value that is assumed
for the priority limit for the user profile. That would be the highest priority that the user could
specify for any job he submits for processing. If not specified in the CRTJOBD command, five is
the default value for both the job scheduling priority and the output priority.
*SAME
The priority assigned, or the highest priority that can be assigned, does not change.
*JOBD
The scheduling priority for the job is obtained from the job description under which the job runs.
scheduling-priority:
Specify a priority value ranging from 0 through 9, where 0 is the highest priority and 9 is the
lowest priority. Priority 0 is allowed only on CHGJOB.

SEV parameter:

The severity (SEV) parameter specifies a severity code.

The severity (SEV) parameter specifies the severity code that:

v Describes the level of severity associated with an error message.
v Indicates the minimum severity level that causes a message to be returned to a user or program.
v Causes a batch job to end.
v Causes processing of a command to end if a syntax error of sufficient severity occurs.

Note: The LOG parameter on some commands also uses these severity codes for logging purposes (to
control which job activity messages and error messages are logged in the job log).

The severity code is a 2-digit number that can range from 00 through 99. The higher the value, the more
severe or important the condition. The severity code of a message that is sent to a user indicates the
severity of the condition described by the message. More than one message can have the same severity
code. If a severity code is not specified for a predefined message, it is assumed to be 00 (information
only).

You can specify a severity code for any message when it is defined by the Add Message Description
(ADDMSGD) command. To change the severity code of a message, use the Change Message Description
(CHGMSGD) command.

IBM -defined severity codes are used in all of the IBM -supplied messages that are shipped with the
system.
00 - Information:
A message of this severity is for information purposes only; no error was detected and no reply is
needed. The message could indicate that a function is in progress or that it has reached a
successful completion.

Control language 89
10 - Warning:
A message of this severity indicates a potential error condition. The program may have taken a
default, such as supplying missing input. The results of the operation are assumed to be what
was intended.
20 - Error:
An error has been detected, but it is one for which automatic recovery procedures probably were
applied, and processing has continued. A default may have been taken to replace input that was
in error. The results of the operation may not be valid. The function may be only partially
complete; for example, some items in a list may be processed correctly while others may fail.
30 - Severe Error:
The error detected is too severe for automatic recovery, and no defaults are possible. If the error
was in source data, the entire input record was skipped. If the error occurred during program
processing, it leads to an abnormal end of the program (severity 40). The results of the operation
are not valid.
40 - Abnormal End of Program or Function:
The operation has ended, possibly because it was unable to handle invalid data, or possibly
because the user ended it.
50 - Abnormal End of Job:
The job was ended or was not started. A routing step may have ended abnormally or failed to
start, a job-level function may not have been performed as required, or the job may have been
ended.
60 - System Status:
A message of this severity is issued only to the system operator. It gives either the status of or a
warning about a device, a subsystem, or the whole system.
70 - Device Integrity:
A message of this severity is issued only to the system operator. It indicates that a device is
malfunctioning or in some way is no longer operational. You may be able to restore system
operation, or the assistance of a service representative may be required.
80 - System Alert:
A message of this severity is issued only to the system operator. It warns of a condition that,
although not severe enough to stop the system now, could become more severe unless preventive
measures are taken.
90 - System Integrity:
A message of this severity is issued only to the system operator. It describes a condition that
renders either a subsystem or the whole system inoperative.
99 - Action:
A message of this severity indicates that some manual action is required, such as specifying a
reply or changing printer forms.
Related tasks
“Assigning a severity code” on page 460
The severity code you assign to a message on the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command
indicates how important the message is.

SPLNBR parameter:

The spooled file number (SPLNBR) parameter is used when more than one spooled file is created by a
job and the files all have the same name. The files are numbered, starting with 1, in the order that they
are opened by the job.

The job log is always the last file for a job.

90 System i: Programming Control language

A file number is generated for each file when it is opened within a job (when output records are
produced) and it is used by the system as long as the job, the files, or both are on the system. If the files
are not uniquely named because they were opened more than once, this file number is used to specify
which file (or group of records, if the complete file has not yet been produced) is acted upon by a CL
command.

TEXT parameter:

The TEXT parameter specifies the user-defined description that briefly describes the object that is being
created or changed.

The description can include up to 50 characters; if it is a quoted string (that is, enclosed in single
quotation marks), any of the 256 EBCDIC characters can be used. The single quotation marks are not
required if the string does not contain any blanks or other special characters. Any of the 50 character
positions not filled by the specified description are padded with blanks.

The description is used to describe any of the i5/OS objects when the named object is shown on the
display by the Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) command. Only objects for which object
operational authority has been obtained can be displayed by a user.

For commands that use a database source file to create some type of object, you can (by default) use the
text from the source file member as the text for the newly-created object. For example, if you use the
Create Control Language Program (CRTCLPGM) command to create a CL program, but you do not
specify a description in the TEXT parameter, the text specified for the source file member (SRCMBR
parameter) of the source file (SRCFILE parameter) is assumed as the descriptive text for the CL program.

Values allowed

Depending upon the command, one or more of the following values apply to the TEXT parameter.
*SRCMBRTXT
For commands that create objects based on database source files only, the text is taken from the
source member. If a device or an inline file is used for source input or if source is not used, the
text is left blank.
*BLANK
The user description of the object being created or changed is left blank.
*SAME
The user-defined description does not change.
’description’
Specify the description of the object being created or changed. Up to 50 characters enclosed in
single quotation marks (required for blanks and other special characters) can be specified to
describe the object. If a single quotation mark is one of the 50 characters, two single quotation
marks (’’) must be used instead of one to represent the single quotation mark character.
Related reference
“OBJTYPE parameter” on page 83
The object type (OBJTYPE) parameter specifies the types of i5/OS objects that can be operated on by
the command in which they are specified.

VOL parameter:

The volume (VOL) parameter specifies the volume identifiers of the volumes used in a tape or optical
operation.

Control language 91
A tape volume consists of a tape cartridge or reel. An optical volume consists of a single side of an
optical cartridge or a single CD-ROM. Optical cartridges are dual-sided and each side is a separate
volume.

The volume identifier is the identifier stored on each tape or optical disk (in the volume label area) that it
identifies. An inquiry message is sent to the system operator if a volume identifier is missing or out of
order.

Tape volumes must be on the tape units in the same order as their identifiers are specified in the VOL
parameter and as the device names are specified in the DEV parameter of the tape device file commands.
However, if the tapes are read backward (a function supported in COBOL), the volumes must be in
reverse order to that specified in the VOL parameter. Nevertheless, the device names are still specified in
forward order in the DEV parameter.

In general, the rule for specifying tape volume identifiers is that as many as 6 characters, containing any
combination of letters and digits, can be used. Special characters can be used if the identifier is enclosed
in single quotation marks. However, if the tape is used on an operating system other than the i5/OS
operating system, the requirements for specifying identifiers must be considered.

Optical volume identifiers can be up to 32 characters long and can contain any combination of digits and
uppercase letters. Each optical volume identifier must be unique. No two optical volumes with the same
identifier can be present on the system at the same time.

For labeled tapes, the following rules apply:

v Characters: A maximum of 6 characters, or fewer, can be specified for each volume identifier.
Alphabetic and numeric characters can be used in any order.
v Uniqueness: More than one volume can have the same identifier. You may have a file using the same
identifier for several volumes; in this case, the system keeps track of the order internally with a
sequence number written on the volumes. However, volume identifiers should be unique whenever
possible.
v Order: When multiple volumes (with different identifiers) are used in a single operation, they must be
in the same order as the volume identifiers specified in the VOL parameter.

Multivolume files

If multiple volumes (tapes) are used in an operation and all have the same volume identifier, that
identifier must be specified in the VOL parameter once for each volume used. For example, if three tapes
named QGPL are used in a save operation, VOL(QGPL QGPL QGPL) must be specified.

When a multivolume file on tape is processed and multiple tape units are used, the tape volumes must be
placed in the tape devices in the same order as they are specified in the VOL parameter. For example, if
five volumes and three tape units are used, they are mounted as follows: VOL1 on unit 1, VOL2 on unit
2, VOL3 on unit 3, VOL4 on unit 1, and VOL5 on unit 2.

Values allowed
*MOUNTED
The volume currently placed in the device is used.
*NONE
No volume identifier is specified.
*SAME
Previously specified volume identification does not change.
*SAVVOL
The system, using the save/restore history information, determines which tape volumes contain

92 System i: Programming Control language

 the most recently saved version. If the device specified in the DEV parameter of the restore
command does not match the device of the most recently saved version of the object, an error
message is returned to the user, and the function is ended. If the wrong volume is mounted in
the unit specified by the command, a message is returned to the system operator that identifies
the first volume that must be placed in the device before the restore operation can begin.
volume-identifier
Specify the identifiers of one or more volumes in the order in which they are put on the device
and used. Each tape volume identifier contains a maximum of 6 alphanumeric characters. Each
optical volume identifier contains a maximum of 32 characters. A blank is used as a separator
character when listing multiple identifiers.
Related information
Optical device programming

WAITFILE parameter:

The WAITFILE parameter allows you to specify whether and how long a program waits for resources.

You use the WAITFILE parameter to specify the maximum number of seconds that a program waits for
the following:
v File resources to be allocated when the file is opened
v Session resources when the evoke function is issued for an APPC device
v The device to be allocated when an acquire operation is performed to read the file

If the program must wait, it will be placed in a wait state until the resources are available or until the
wait time expires. If two or more file resources are needed and are not available because they are being
used by different system users, the acquisition of each resource might require a wait. This maximum is
applied to each wait.

The length of the wait can be specified in this parameter, or the default wait time of the class that applies
to the object can be used. If the file resources cannot be allocated in the specified number of seconds, an
error message is returned to the program.

The file resources that must be allocated depend on the type of file being opened. File resources consist
of the following.
v For device files that are not spooled (SPOOL(*NO)), the file resources include the file description and
device description. Because the device description must be allocated, the device itself must also be
available.
v For device files that are spooled (SPOOL(*YES)), the file resources include the file description, the
specified output queue, and storage in the system for the spooled data. Because the data is spooled, the
device description (and thus the device itself) need not be available.
v For database files, the file resources consist of the file and member data. The file’s associated member
paths are not accessed, and therefore, the system does not wait for them. A file open exception error
can occur before the WAITFILE time has expired when an access path is not available (for example,
when the access path is being rebuilt).
The Allocate Object (ALCOBJ) command can be used to allocate specific file resources before the file is
opened.

The session resources that were allocated for an APPC device conversation can be lost between the time
the application issues a detach function or receives a detach indication and the time another evoke
function is issued. If the session resource is lost, this parameter is used to determine the length of time
that the system waits for another session resource.

Control language 93
Values allowed
*IMMED
The program does not wait; when the file is opened, an immediate allocation of the file resources
is required.
*CLS The default wait time specified in the class description is used as the wait time for the file
resources to be allocated.
1-32767
Specify the number of seconds that the program waits for the file resources to be allocated.

Parameter values used for testing and debugging

The operating system includes functions that let a programmer observe operations performed as a
program runs.

Testing functions can be used to locate operations that are not performing as intended. These functions
can be used in either batch or interactive jobs from a workstation. In either case, the program being
observed must be in the testing environment, called debug mode.

The testing functions narrow the search for errors that are difficult to find in the procedure’s source
statements. Often, an error is apparent only because the output produced is not what is expected. To find
those errors, you need to be able to stop the program at a given point (called a breakpoint) and examine
variable information in the program to see if it is correct. You might want to make changes to those
variables before letting the program continue running.

You do not need to know machine language instructions, nor is there a need to include special
instructions in the program to use the testing functions. The i5/OS testing functions let you:
v Stop a running program at any named point in the program’s source statements.
v Display information about procedure variables at any point where the program can be stopped. You
can also change the variable information before continuing procedure processing.

This section contains expanded descriptions of the program variable, basing pointer, subscript, and
qualified-name parameter values. These values can be specified on the Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP), Add
Trace (ADDTRC), Change High-Level Language Pointer (CHGHLLPTR), Change Program Variable
(CHGPGMVAR), and Display Program Variable (DSPPGMVAR) commands.

See the appropriate Integrated Language Environment (ILE) guide for debugging information with other
ILE languages.
Related tasks
“Debugging ILE programs” on page 349
To debug your Integrated Language Environment (ILE) programs, use the ILE source debugger.
“Debugging original program model programs” on page 370
To debug your original program model (OPM) programs, use testing functions. These functions are
available through a set of commands that can be used interactively or in a batch job.

Program-variable description:

The program variable must be enclosed in single quotation marks if it contains special characters. Up to
132 characters can be specified for a program variable name. This includes any subscripts, embedded
blanks, parentheses, and commas. It does not include the enclosing single quotation marks when special
characters are used.
Program Variable

.-------------------.
V |
>>-qualified-name---subscript------,subscript-------+----------><

94 System i: Programming Control language

Note: The maximum is 14 repetitions.

Some examples follow:

COUNTA
’VAR1(2,3)’
’A.VAR1(I,3,A.J,1)’
’VAR1 OF A(I,3,J OF A)’
’&LIBNAME’

Basing-pointer description:

The basing pointer must be enclosed in single quotation marks if it contains special characters. Up to 132
characters can be specified for a basing pointer name. This includes any subscripts, embedded blanks,
parentheses, and commas. It does not include the enclosing single quotation marks when special
characters are used.
Basing Pointer

.-------------------.
V |
>>-qualified-name---subscript------,subscript-------+----------><

Note: The maximum is 14 repetitions.

Some examples follow:

PTRVAR1
’ABC.PGMPTR(5,B.I)’

If more than one basing pointer is specified for a variable, the list of basing pointers must be enclosed in
parentheses. When multiple basing pointers are specified, they must be listed in order, from the first
basing pointer to the last, when used to locate the variable. In the following example, the PTR_1 basing
pointer is the first basing pointer used to locate the variable; it either must have a declared basing
pointer, or it must not be a based variable. The address contained in the PTR_1 pointer is used to locate
the A.PTR_2 pointer (which must be declared as a based pointer variable). The contents of the A.PTR_2
pointer are used to locate the PTR_3 pointer array (which must also be declared based), and the contents
of the specified element in the last pointer array are used to locate the variable. An example is:
(’PTR_1’ ’A.PTR_2’ ’PTR_3(1,B.J)’)

Subscript description:

An integer number contains from 1 through 15 digits with an optional leading sign (either plus or
minus). A decimal point is not allowed in an integer-number subscript. If a decimal point is specified, the
subscript value is not interpreted as the correct numeric value by the system, and an error message is
returned.
Subscript

.-integer-number--.
>>-+-qualified-name--+-----------------------------------------><
’-*---------------’

An asterisk (*) can be used to request a single-dimensional cross-section display of an array program
variable. An asterisk can only be specified for a subscript on the primary variable (not on a basing
pointer) for the PGMVAR keyword on the Add Break Point (ADDBKP), Add Trace (ADDTRC), and
Display Program Variable (DSPPGMVAR) commands. In addition, if the variable has multiple
dimensions, only one of the subscript values can be an asterisk. An example of a request to display an
array cross-section is as follows:
DSPPGMVAR PGMVAR(’X1(*,5,4)’)

Control language 95
This display shows the values of all elements of the array that have the second subscript equal to five,
and the third subscript equal to four.

Qualified-name description:

Some high-level languages might allow you to declare more than one variable with the same fully
qualified name (although you generally are not able to refer to these variables in the high-level language
program after they are declared). If you attempt to refer to such a variable using an i5/OS test facility
command, the system selects one of the variables and uses it for the operation. No error is reported when
a duplicate fully qualified name is selected.
Qualified-Name

>>--+-/ODV-number------------------------------+---------------><
| .------------------------. |
| V | |
’-variable-+----+-OF-+--variable-------+-+-’
| ’-IN-’ |
| .---------------. |
| V | |
’---variable-------+----------’

Note: The maximum is 19 repetitions.

Rules for qualified name description

v An ODV number is a slash (/) followed by 1 to 4 hexadecimal digits (0 through 9, and A through F).
v The variable-name must be the name of a variable in the program. This name must be specified the
same way in the high-level language. Some high-level languages introduce qualifier variable names in
addition to the ones you specified in the source for your program. See the appropriate high-level
language manual for more information about variable names.
v Blanks must separate the variable-names from the special words OF and IN.
v When a period is used to form a qualified name, no blanks can appear between it and the
variable-names.
– The ordering of the variable names must follow these rules:
- For qualified names that contain no embedded period, the variable names are assumed to be
specified from the lowest to the highest levels in the structure.
- For qualified names that contain one or more embedded periods, the variable names are assumed
to be specified from the highest to the lowest levels in the structure.
– When an ODV number is not used for the qualified name, enough qualifier variable names must be
specified so that a single unique variable can be identified in the program. Whether the qualified
name is a simple name (only one variable name specified) or a name with multiple qualifier variable
names, the variable in the program is uniquely identified if either of the following conditions is true
(these conditions may require you to specify more qualifier variable names for i5/OS test facility
commands than you need to specify in the high-level language program to uniquely select a
program variable):
- A variable is uniquely identified if there is one and only one variable in the program with a set of
qualifier variables matching the qualified variable name specified.
- A variable is uniquely identified in the program if it has exactly the same set of qualifier variables
as the qualifier variable names specified. When the complete set of qualifiers is specified, the
variable name is said to be fully qualified. A variable that is a fully qualified match for the
qualified-name is selected even if there are other variables with names that match the qualified
name but have additional qualifier variables which were not specified.

96 System i: Programming Control language

Control language elements
Control language (CL) contains elements such as character sets and values, expressions, built-in functions,
and naming within commands.

CL character sets and values

The EBCDIC character sets, special characters, and IBM-defined fixed values called predefined values can
be used in CL.

Character sets:

Control language (CL) uses the extended binary-coded decimal interchange code (EBCDIC) character set.

For convenience in describing the relationship between characters used in the control language and those
in the EBCDIC character set, the following control language categories contain the EBCDIC characters
shown.

Category Characters included

1
Alphabetic 26 letters (A through Z), $, #, and @
Numeric 10 digits (0-9)
1,2
Alphanumeric A through Z, 0 through 9, $, #, @, period (.), and underscore (__)
Special Characters All other EBCDIC characters
Notes:
1. Lowercase letters (a through z) are accepted, but they are translated into the corresponding uppercase letters by
the system except when they are included within a quoted character string or a comment, or they are specified
for a value on a parameter that has the character (*CHAR) or the path name (*PNAME) attribute for its TYPE
parameter and the mixed case (*MIXED) attribute for its CASE parameter in the command definition.
2. The underscore (__) is an alphanumeric connector that can be used in i5/OS CL to connect words or
alphanumeric characters to form a name (for example, PAYLIB__01). This use of the underscore might not be
valid in other high-level languages.

The first three categories contain the characters that are allowed in quoted and unquoted character
strings, in comments, and in CL names, such as in names of commands, labels, keywords, variables, and
i5/OS objects. Special characters in the last category can only be used in quoted character strings and
comments; they cannot be used in unquoted strings. However, some have special syntactical uses when
coded in the proper place in CL commands.
Related concepts
“Special character use” on page 98
Special characters can be used only in these special ways or inside quoted character strings or
comments.

Double-byte character text in CL commands:

You can use double-byte character data anywhere in a CL command that descriptive text can be used.

Enter double-byte character text as follows:

1. Begin the double-byte character text with a single quotation mark (’).
2. Enter a shift-out character.
3. Enter the double-byte character text.
4. Enter a shift-in character.
5. End the double-byte character text with a single quotation mark (’).

Control language 97
For example, to enter the double-byte character literal ABC, enter the following, where represents the
shift-out character and represents the shift-in character:

’ ABC ’

Limit the length of a double-byte character text description of an object to 14 double-byte characters, plus
the shift control characters, to make sure that the description is properly displayed and printed.

Special character use:

Special characters can be used only in these special ways or inside quoted character strings or comments.

The special EBCDIC characters are used by the CL in various ways. They are most frequently used as
delimiters and as symbolic operators in expressions. The special characters, as shown in the following
table, have assigned meanings when coded in control language commands.
Table 13. Delimiters
Name Symbol Meanings
Single quotation mark ’ ’ A single quotation mark delimiters indicate the beginning
and end of a quoted character string (a constant).
Begin and end comment /* */ Indicates the beginning and end of a comment.
b 1
Blank Basic delimiter for separating parts of a command (label,
command name, and its parameters), and for separating
values inside lists.
Colon : Ending delimiter for command labels. Separates parts of
time values. 3
Comma , In many countries, used as decimal point in numeric
values. Separates parts of date values. 2
Left and right parentheses ( ) Grouping delimiter for lists and parameter values, and for
evaluating the order of expressions.
Period . Decimal point. Used to separate the name and extension of
a document and folder name and to separate the parts of
date values. 2
Quote ″ ″ Start of a quoted object name.
Slash / Connects parts of qualified names or path names.
Slashes // Identifying characters used in positions 1 and 2 of
BCHJOB, ENDBCHJOB, and DATA commands in the job
stream. Also, used as a default delimiter on inline data
files.
Notes:
b
1. Because this character does not resolve in the online version of this book, is used to represent a blank space
only when the character cannot be clearly explained in another manner.
2. Valid only when the job date separator value specifies the same character.
3. Valid only when the job time separator value specifies the same character.

Related concepts
“Character sets” on page 97
Control language (CL) uses the extended binary-coded decimal interchange code (EBCDIC) character
set.
“Symbolic operators” on page 99
A variety of characters can be used as symbolic operators in CL commands.

98 System i: Programming Control language

 Related reference
“Operators in expressions” on page 104
Operators are used in expressions to indicate an action to be performed on the operands in the
expression or the relationship between the operands.

Symbolic operators:

A variety of characters can be used as symbolic operators in CL commands.

The following characters are used as symbolic operators in CL commands.

Table 14. Symbolic operators in CL commands
Name Symbol Meanings
And & Symbolic logical operator for AND.
Asterisk * Multiplication operator. It indicates a generic name when it is the last
character in the name. It indicates i5/OS reserved values (predefined
parameter values and expression operators) when it is the first
character in a string.
3
Concatenation |>, |<, and || Character string operator (indicates both values are to be joined).
Equal = Symbolic equal relational operator.
Greater than > Symbolic greater than relational operator.
Less than < Symbolic less than relational operator.
Minus (hyphen) - Subtraction operator, command continuation operator, and negative
signed value indicator. Separates parts of date values. 1
2
Not ¬ Symbolic NOT relational operator.
3
Or | Symbolic logical operator for OR.
Plus + Addition operator, command continuation character, and positive
signed value indicator.
Slash / Division operator. Separates parts of date values. 1 Used as the
separator between parts of a qualified name.
Notes:
1. Valid only when the job date separator value specifies the same character.
2. In some character sets, including the multinational character set, the character ^ replaces the ¬ character. Either ^
or *NOT can be used as the logical NOT operator in those character sets.
3. In some character sets, including the multinational character set, the character ! replaces the | character. Either !
or *OR can be used as the logical OR operator, and either || or *CAT can be used as the concatenation operator
in those character sets.

Note: The symbolic operators can also be used in combinations.

Symbolic operators can also be used in the following ways.

Table 15. Symbolic operators: Other uses
Name Symbol Meanings
Ampersand & It identifies a CL variable name when it is the first character in the
string.
Percent % It identifies a built-in system function when it is the first character in
the string.
Question mark ? It specifies a prompt request when it precedes a command name or
keyword name.

Control language 99
 Related concepts
“Special character use” on page 98
Special characters can be used only in these special ways or inside quoted character strings or
comments.
Related reference
“Expressions” on page 61
An expression is a group of constants or variables, separated by operators, that produces a single
value.
“Operators in expressions” on page 104
Operators are used in expressions to indicate an action to be performed on the operands in the
expression or the relationship between the operands.

Predefined values:

Predefined values are IBM-defined fixed values that have predefined uses in control language (CL) and
are considered to be reserved in the i5/OS operating system.

Predefined values have an asterisk (*) as the first character in the value followed by a word or
abbreviation, such as *ALL or *PGM. The purpose of the * in predefined values is to prevent possible
conflicts with user-specified values, such as object names. Each predefined value has a specific use in one
or more command parameters, and each is described in detail in the command description.

Some predefined values are used as operators in expressions, such as *EQ and *AND. The predefined
value *N is used to specify a null value and can be used to represent any optional parameter. A null value
(*N) indicates a parameter position for which no value is being specified; it allows other parameters that
follow it to be entered in positional form. To specify the characters *N as a character value (not as a null),
the string must be enclosed in single quotation marks (’*N’) to be passed. Also, when the value *N
appears in a CL program variable at the time it is run, it is always treated as a null value.

Expressions in CL commands
A character string expression can be used for any parameter, element, or qualifier that is defined with
EXPR(*YES) in the command definition object.

Any expression can be used as a single parameter in the Change Variable (CHGVAR) and If (IF)
commands. An expression in its simple form is a single constant, a variable, or a built-in function. An
expression typically contains two operands and an operator that indicates how the expression is to be
evaluated. Two or more expressions can be combined to make a complex expression.

The following types of expressions are supported in CL programs:

v Arithmetic (&VAR + 15)
v Character string (SIX || TEEN)
v Relational (&VAR > 15)
v Logical (&VAR & &TEST)

A complex expression contains multiple operands, operators that indicate what operation is performed on
the operands, and parentheses to group them. Only one operator is allowed between operands, except for
the + and - signs when they immediately precede a decimal value (as a signed value), and the *NOT
operator when it is used in a logical expression.No complex expression can have more than five nested
levels of parentheses, including the outermost (required) level.

Arithmetic and character string expressions can be used together in a complex expression if they are used
with relational and logical operators; for example: (A=B&(1+2)=3). A pair of arithmetic expressions or a
pair of character string expressions can be compared within a relational expression. Also, relational
expressions can be used within a logical expression

100 System i: Programming Control language

 Related reference
“Expressions” on page 61
An expression is a group of constants or variables, separated by operators, that produces a single
value.

Arithmetic expressions:

The operands in an arithmetic expression must be decimal constants, decimal, or integer CL variables.

An arithmetic operator (only in symbolic form) must be between the operands. The results of all
arithmetic expressions are decimal values, which may be stored in a CL variable.

Note: The division operator (/) must be preceded by a blank if the operand that precedes it is a variable
name. (For example, &A /2, not &A/2.) All other arithmetic operators may optionally be preceded or
followed by a blank.

Arithmetic operands can be signed or unsigned; that is, each operand (whether it is a numeric constant
or a decimal or integer CL variable) can be immediately preceded by a plus (+) or minus (-) sign, but a
sign is not required. When used as a sign, no blanks can occur between the + or - and its value. For
example, a decimal constant of 23.7 can be expressed as +23.7 or -23.7 (signed) or as 23.7 (unsigned).

The following are examples of arithmetic expressions:

(&A + 1) (&A + &B -15)
(&A - &F) (&A+&B-15)
(&A + (-&B))

If the last non-blank character on a line is a + or -, it is treated as a continuation character and not as an
arithmetic operator.

Character string expressions:

The operands in a character string expression must be quoted or unquoted character strings, character
variables, or the substring (%SUBSTRING or %SST) built-in function.

The value associated with each variable or built-in function must be a character string. The result of
concatenation is a character string.

There are three operators that can be used in character string expressions. These operators concatenate (or
join) two character strings, but each has a slightly different function. They are:
*CAT (concatenation, symbol ||) operator
The *CAT operator concatenates two character strings. For example: ABC *CAT DEF becomes
ABCDEF
Blanks are included in the concatenation. For example: ’ABC ’ *CAT ’DEF ’ becomes ’ABC DEF ’
*BCAT (concatenation with blank insertion, symbol |>) operator
The *BCAT operator truncates all trailing blanks in the first character string; one blank is inserted,
then the two character strings are concatenated. Leading blanks on the second operand are not
truncated. For example: ABC *BCAT DEF becomes ABC DEF ’ABC ’ *BCAT DEF becomes ’ABC DEF’
*TCAT (concatenation with trailing blank truncation, symbol |<) operator
The *TCAT operator truncates all trailing blanks in the first character string, then the two
character strings are concatenated. All leading blanks on the second operand are not truncated.
For example: ABC *TCAT DEF becomes ABCDEF ’ABC ’ *TCAT DEF becomes ’ABCDEF’ ABC *TCAT ’
DEF’ becomes ’ABC DEF’ ’ABC ’*TCAT ’ DEF’ becomes ’ABC DEF’

Control language 101

All blanks that surround the concatenation operator are ignored, but at least one blank must be on each
side of the reserved value operator (*CAT, *BCAT, or *TCAT). If multiple blanks are wanted in the
expression, a quoted character string (a character string enclosed within single quotation marks) must be
used.
Related reference
“Character string” on page 56
A character string is a string of any EBCDIC characters (alphanumeric and special) that are used as a
value.

Example: Character string expressions:

This example shows the variables and their corresponding character string expressions.

Assume the following variables.

Variable Value
&AA ’GOOD ’
&BB ’REPLACEMENT’
&CC ’ALSO GOOD’
&DD ’METHOD’

The following table shows character string expressions and the result.

Expression Result
(&AA || &BB) GOOD REPLACEMENT
(&AA||&BB) GOOD REPLACEMENT
(&AA *CAT &BB) GOOD REPLACEMENT

(&CC |> &DD) ALSO GOOD METHOD

(&CC *BCAT &DD) ALSO GOOD METHOD

(A *CAT MOUSE) AMOUSE

(’A ’ *CAT MOUSE) A MOUSE

(FAST *CAT MOUSE) FASTMOUSE

(’FAST ’ *BCAT MOUSE) FAST MOUSE
(’FAST ’ *TCAT MOUSE) FASTMOUSE

(’AB’ *CAT ’CD’) ABCD

(’AB’ *BCAT ’CD’) AB CD
(’AB’ *TCAT ’CD’) ABCD

(%SST(&AA 1 5) *CAT (%SST(&BB GOOD PLACE

3 5))
(%SST(&CC 1 9) *BCAT (%SST(&BB ALSO GOOD PLACE
3 5))

102 System i: Programming Control language

Expression Result
(&AA *CAT ’ TIME’) GOOD TIME
(&CC *BCAT TIME) ALSO GOOD TIME

Example: Using character strings and variables:

This example shows how several character variables and character strings can be concatenated to produce
a message for a workstation operator.

The example assumes that the variables &DAYS and &CUSNUM were declared as character variables,
not decimal variables.
DCL VAR(&MSG)TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(100)
*
*
CHGVAR &MSG (’Customer’ *BCAT &CUSNAMD +
*BCAT’Account Number’ *BCAT +
&CUSNUM *BCAT ’is overdue by’ +
*BCAT &DAYS *BCAT ’days.’)

After the appropriate variables have been substituted, the resulting message might be:
Customer ABC COMPANY Account Number 12345
is overdue by 4 days.

If the variables &DAYS and &CUSNUM had been declared as decimal variables, two other CHGVAR
commands would have to change the decimal variables to character variables before the concatenation
could be performed. If, for example, two character variables named &DAYSALPH and &CUSNUMALPH
were also declared in the program, the CHGVAR commands would be:
CHGVAR &DAYSALPH &DAYS

CHGVAR &CUSNUMALPH &CUSNUM

Then instead of &DAYS and &CUSNUM, the new variables &DAYSALPH and &CUSNUMALPH would
be specified in the CHGVAR command used to concatenate all the variables and character strings for
&MSG.

Relational expressions:

The operands in a relational expression can be arithmetic or character string expressions. They can also
be logical constants and logical variables.

Only two operands can be used with each relational operator. The data type (arithmetic, character string,
or logical) must be the same for the pair of operands. The result of a relational expression is a logical
value ’0’ or ’1’.

Refer to the table in Operators in expressions for the meanings of the relational operators, which can be
specified by symbols (=, >, <, >=, <=, =, >, <) or their reserved values (*EQ, *GT, *LT, *GE, *LE,
*NE, *NG, *NL).

If an operation involves character fields of unequal length, the shorter field is extended by blanks added
to the right.

Arithmetic fields are compared algebraically; character fields are compared according to the EBCDIC
collating sequence.

Control language 103

When logical fields are compared, a logical one (’1’) is greater than logical zero (’0’). Symbolically, this is
(’1’ > ’0’).

The following are examples of relational expressions:

(&X *GT 25)
(&X > 25)
(&X>25)

(&NAME *EQ GSD)

(&NAME *EQ &GSD)
(&NAME *EQ ’GSD’)
(&BLANK *EQ ’ ’)

Logical expressions:

The operands in a logical expression consist of relational expressions, logical variables, or constants that
are separated by logical operators.

Two or more of these types of operands can be used in combinations, making up two or more
expressions within expressions, up to the maximum of five nested levels of parentheses. The result of a
logical expression is a ’0’ or ’1’ that can be used as part of another expression or saved in logical
variables.

The logical operators used to specify the relationship between the operands are *AND and *OR (as
reserved values), and & and | (as symbols). The AND operator indicates that both operands (on either
side of the operator) have to be a certain value to produce a particular result. The OR operator indicates
that one or the other of its operands can determine the result.

The logical operator *NOT (or ) is used to negate logical variables or logical constants. All *NOT
operators are evaluated before the *AND or *OR operators are evaluated. All operands that follow *NOT
operators are evaluated before the logical relationship between the operands is evaluated.

The following are examples of logical expressions:

((&C *LT 1) *AND (&TIME *GT 1430))
(&C *LT 1 *AND &TIME *GT 1430)
((&C < 1) & (&TIME *GT 1430))
((&C<1)&(&TIME>1430))

(&A *OR *NOT &B)

(&TOWN *EQ CHICAGO *AND &ZIP *EQ 60605)

Two examples of logical expressions used in the IF command are:

IF &A CALL PROG1
IF (&A *OR &B) CALL PROG1

Operators in expressions:

Operators are used in expressions to indicate an action to be performed on the operands in the
expression or the relationship between the operands.

There are four kinds of operators, one for each of the four types of expressions:
v Arithmetic operators (+, -, *, /)
v Character operator (||, |>, |<)
v Logical operators (&, |, ¬)
v Relational operators (=, >, <, >=, <=, ¬=, ¬>, ¬<)

104 System i: Programming Control language

Each operator must be between the operands of the expression in which it is used; for example, (&A + 4).
Operators can be specified as a predefined value (for example, *EQ) or as a symbol (for example, =).
v All predefined value operators must have a blank on each side of the operator:
(&VAR *EQ 7)
v Except for the division operator (/), symbolic operators need no blanks on either side. For example,
either (&VAR=7) or (&VAR = 7) is valid.
Where the division operator follows a variable name, the division operator must be preceded by a
blank. For example, (&VAR / 5) or (&VAR /5) is valid; (&VAR/5) is not valid.

The following character combinations are the predefined values and symbols that represent the four
kinds of operators; they should not be used in unquoted strings for any other purpose.
Table 16. Predefined values and symbols representing the four kinds of operators
Predefined value Predefined symbol Meaning Type
+ Addition Arithmetic operator
- Subtraction Arithmetic operator
* Multiplication Arithmetic operator
/ Division Arithmetic operator
1
*CAT || Concatenation Character string operator
1
*BCAT |> Blank insertion with Character string operator
concatenation
1
*TCAT |< Blank truncation with Character string operator
concatenation
*AND & AND Logical operator
1
*OR | OR Logical operator
2
*NOT ¬ NOT Logical operator
*EQ = Equal Relational operator
*GT > Greater than Relational operator
*LT < Less than Relational operator
*GE >= Greater than or equal Relational operator
*LE <= Less than or equal Relational operator
*NE ¬= 2 Not equal Relational operator
*NG ¬> 2 Not greater than Relational operator
*NL ¬< 2 Not less than Relational operator
Notes:
1. In some national character sets and in the multinational character set, the character | (hexadecimal 4F) is
replaced by the character ! (exclamation point). Either ! or *OR can be used as the OR operator and either || or
*CAT, !> or *BCAT, and !< or *TCAT can be used for concatenation in those character sets.
2. In some national character sets and in the multinational character set, the character ¬ (hexadecimal 5F) is
replaced by the character *. Either * or *NOT can be used as the NOT operator in those character sets.

Related concepts
“Special character use” on page 98
Special characters can be used only in these special ways or inside quoted character strings or
comments.
“Symbolic operators” on page 99
A variety of characters can be used as symbolic operators in CL commands.
Related tasks

Control language 105

 “Adding conditional breakpoints” on page 378
To add a conditional breakpoint to a program that is being debugged, use the Add Breakpoint
(ADDBKP) command to specify the statement and condition.

Priority of operators when evaluating expressions:

When multiple operators occur in an expression, the expression is evaluated in a specific order
depending upon the operators in the expression.

Parentheses can be used to change the order of expression evaluation. The following table shows the
priority of all the operators used in expressions, including signed decimal values.
Table 17. Priority of operators
Priority Operators
1 signed (+ and -) decimal values, *NOT, ¬
2 *,/
3 +, - (when used between two operands)
4 *CAT, ||, *BCAT, |>, *TCAT, |<
5 *GT, *LT, *EQ, *GE, *LE, *NE, *NG, *NL, >, <, =, >=, <=, ¬=, ¬>, ¬<
6 *AND, &
7 *OR, |

A priority of 1 is the highest priority (signed values are evaluated first); a priority of 7 is the lowest
priority (OR relationships are evaluated last). When operators with different priority levels appear in an
expression, operations are performed according to priorities.

When operators of the same priority appear in an expression, operations are performed from left to right
within the expression. Parentheses can always be used to control the order in which operations are
performed. The value of a parenthetical expression is determined from the innermost level to the
outermost level, following the previous priorities stated within matching sets of parentheses.

Built-in functions for CL

Control language (CL) provides several built-in functions. Built-in functions are used in arithmetic,
relational, or logical expressions.

CL provides the following built-in functions:

v %ADDRESS
v %BINARY
v %OFFSET
v %SUBSTRING
v %SWITCH
Related concepts
“Additional rules for unique names” on page 124
Additional rules involve special characters (as an extra character) for object naming.
Related reference
“%ADDRESS built-in function in a CL program or procedure” on page 201
The address built-in function (%ADDRESS or %ADDR) can be used to change or test the memory
address stored in a CL pointer variable and can only be used within a CL procedure.

106 System i: Programming Control language

 “%BINARY built-in function” on page 202
The binary built-in function (%BINARY or %BIN) interprets the contents of a specified CL character
variable as a signed binary integer.
“%OFFSET built-in function” on page 204
The offset built-in function (%OFFSET or %OFS) can be used to store or change the offset portion of a
CL pointer variable and can only be used within a CL procedure.
“%SUBSTRING built-in function” on page 205
The substring built-in function (%SUBSTRING or%SST) produces a character string that is a subset of
an existing character string and can only be used within a CL procedure.
“%SWITCH built-in function” on page 207
The switch built-in function (%SWITCH) compares one or more of eight switches with the eight
switch settings already established for the job and returns a logical value of ’0’ or ’1’.

Naming within commands

The type of name you specify in control language (CL) determines the characters you can use to specify a
name.

For certain types of names, there are restrictions on the use of certain characters to represent the name.
Those types of names are *NAME, *SNAME, and *CNAME.

Note: For a description of how to specify these names when you use command definitions to create
commands, see the PARM (parameter) and ELEM (element) statements in “Defining a command”
on page 265.

The characters allowed for the *NAME, *SNAME, and *CNAME names and the rules you use to specify
them are shown in the following table.
Table 18. Allowable characters for *NAME, *SNAME, and *CNAME
Type of name First character Other characters Min. length Max. length
1
*NAME A-Z, A-Z, 0-9, $, 1 256
$, #, #, @, _, .
@
1
*SNAME A-Z, A-Z, 0-9, 1 256
$, #, $, #, @, _
@
1
*CNAME A-Z, A-Z, 0-9,
$, #, $, #, @
@
2
Quoted name "3 Any except blank, *, 3 256
?, ’, ",
X’00’-X’3F’, and
X’FF’
Notes:
1. The system converts lowercase letters to uppercase letters.
2. Quotation marks can only be used for basic names (*NAME).
3. Both the first and last characters must be a quotation mark (″).

Related concepts
“Object naming rules” on page 118
These rules are used to name all i5/OS objects used in control language (CL) commands. The
parameter summary table for each CL command shows whether a simple object name, a qualified
name, or a generic name can be specified.
Related reference

Control language 107

 “Command definition statements” on page 258
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs.
“CL command label” on page 40
Command labels identify particular commands for branching purposes in a CL program. Labels can
also be used to identify statements in CL programs that are being debugged. They can identify
statements used either as breakpoints or as starting and ending statements for tracing purposes.

Folder and document names:

Folder and document names should describe the contents of the folder or document.

Folder names must be unique and should be easy to type, as well as descriptive to a user. To find a
particular folder on the system and change a document stored in it, you must either supply the folder
name or select it from a list of names.

Document names must be unique in the folder and should be easy to type, as well as descriptive. You
should give careful consideration to the names you use to help you find the document later.

The name you use for a folder or a document must follow these rules:
v The name must be unique within a folder.
v A document or folder name can be 1 to 12 characters long, including an optional extension. If no
extension is included, a document or folder name can have a maximum of eight characters. If an
extension is included, the extension must start with a period and can have up to three additional
characters. An extension in the document name allows you to identify the document by using specific
information that can help you do a selective listing of documents on your system.

v A document or folder name can include any single-byte EBCDIC character except for the following
special characters that the system uses for other purposes.

Character Special uses

Asterisk (*) Multiplication operator, indicates generic names, and indicates i5/OS reserved
values
Slash (/) Division operator, delimiter within system values, and separates parts of qualified
object names
Question mark (?) Initiates requests for system help

v When a folder is stored in another folder, both folder names are used, separated by a slash (/). That
combination of names is called a folder path. For example, if a folder named FOLDR2 is stored in
FOLDR1, the path for FOLDR2 is FOLDR1/FOLDR2. FOLDR1 is the first-level folder. FOLDR2 is the

108 System i: Programming Control language

 next-level folder. The name of a single folder can be 1 to 12 characters long, including an optional
extension. A folder path can contain a maximum of 63 characters.
Folder names should not begin with Q because the system-supplied folder names begin with Q. The
following are examples of permitted folder names and folder paths:
@LETTERS
FOLDER.PAY
PAYROLL/FOLDER.PAY
#TAX1/FOLD8.TAX/$1988/PAYROLL/FOLDER.PAY

Notes:
1. In CL commands, folder path names must be enclosed in single quotation marks to prevent
the system from processing them as qualified (library/object) names. If a single quotation
mark is to be part of the name, it must be specified as two consecutive single quotation marks.
2. A number of CL commands act on either documents or folders, and some act on both. The
abbreviation DLO (document library object) is used when referring to either a document or
folder.
3. In CL commands, folder and document names must be enclosed in single quotation marks if
they contain characters that are CL delimiters.
4. The system does not recognize graphic characters; it recognizes only code points and uses the
following assumptions:
v All folder and document names are encoded using single-byte EBCDIC code pages. Since
code points hex 41 through FE represent graphic characters in those code pages, they are
the only code points that can be used in folder and document names.
v Code point hexadecimal 5C represents the asterisk (*); 61 represents the slash (/); and 6F
represents the question mark (?). They cannot be used in folder and document names.
v The code points for lowercase letters in English are converted to the code points for
uppercase letters. Hexadecimal 81 through 89 are converted to C1 through C9; 91 through
99 are converted to D1 through D9; and A2 through A9 are converted to E2 through E9.

In addition to the folder and document names previously described, folders and documents are internally
classified in the system by their system object names. These are 10-character names derived from
date/time stamps, and, while they are generally not known to the user, they may be specified on some
CL commands by specifying *SYSOBJNAM for the folder or document name and by specifying the
system object name in a separate parameter.
Related concepts
“Object naming rules” on page 118
These rules are used to name all i5/OS objects used in control language (CL) commands. The
parameter summary table for each CL command shows whether a simple object name, a qualified
name, or a generic name can be specified.
Related information

Local device configuration

Create Device Desc (Display) (CRTDEVDSP) command

i5/OS objects
An i5/OS object is a named unit that exists (occupies space) in storage, and on which operations are
performed by the operating system. i5/OS objects provide the means through which all data processing
information is stored and processed by the i5/OS operating system.

Objects are the basic units on which commands perform operations. For example, programs and files are
objects. Through objects you can find, maintain, and process your data on the system. You need only to
know what object and what function (command) you want to use; you do not need to know the storage
address of your data to use it.

Control language 109

CL commands perform operations on the i5/OS objects. Several types of i5/OS objects are created and
used in the control language. i5/OS objects have the following characteristics in common:
v Objects have a set of descriptive attributes that are defined when the object is created.
v Objects that have to be used by the system to perform a specific function must be specified in the CL
command that performs that function.
v Objects have a set of attributes that describe it and give the specific values assigned for those
attributes.
v Generally, objects are independent of all other objects. However, some objects must be created before
other objects can be created; for example, a logical file cannot be created if the physical file it must be
based on does not exist.
v Objects must be created before other operations that use the object are performed. Descriptions of the
create commands (those commands that begin with the letters CRT) give more information about the
object types that they create.
v Every i5/OS object that is used by the control language has a name. The object name specified in a CL
command identifies which object is used by the operating system to perform the function of the
command.
v Objects have either a simple, qualified, or generic name.

The system supports various unique types of objects. Some types identify objects common to many data
processing systems, such as:
v Files
v Programs
v Commands
v Libraries
v Queues
v Modules
v Service programs

Other object types are less familiar, such as:

v User profiles
v Job descriptions
v Subsystem descriptions
v Device descriptions

Different object types have different operational characteristics. These differences make each object type
unique. For example, because a file is an object that contains data, its operational characteristics differ
from those of a program, which contains instructions.

Each object has a name. The object name and the object type are used to identify an object. The object
name is assigned by the user creating the object. The object type is determined by the command used to
create the object. For example, if a program was created and given the name OEUPDT (for order entry
update), the program could always be referred to by that name. The system uses the object name
(OEUPDT) and object type (program) to locate the object and perform operations on it. Several objects
can have the same name, but they must either be different object types or be stored in different libraries.

The system maintains integrity by preventing the misuse of certain functions, depending on the object
type. For example, the command CALL causes a program object to run. If you specified CALL and
named a file, the command would fail unless there happened to be a program with the same name.
Related concepts

110 System i: Programming Control language

 “Objects and libraries” on page 390
Tasks and concepts specific to objects and libraries include performing functions on objects, creating
libraries, and specifying object authority.

Library objects
A library is an object that is used to group related objects, and to find objects by name when they are
used. Thus, a library is a directory to a group of objects.

You can use libraries to group the objects into any meaningful collection. For example, you can group
objects according to security requirements, backup requirements, or processing requirements. The amount
of available disk storage limits the number of objects that a library can contain, and the number of
libraries on the system.

The object grouping performed by libraries is a logical grouping. When a library is created, you can
specify into which user auxiliary storage pool (ASP) or independent auxiliary storage pool (independent
disk pool) the library should be created. All objects created into the library are created into the same ASP
as the library. Objects in a library are not necessarily physically adjacent to each other. The size of a
library, or of any other object, is not restricted by the amount of adjacent space available in storage. The
system finds the necessary storage for objects as they are stored in the system.

Most types of objects are placed in a library when they are created. The AUT parameter on CRTLIB
defines the public authority of the library. The CRTAUT parameter specifies the default authority for
objects that are created into the library. If the command creating the object specifies *LIBCRTAUT for the
AUT parameter, the object’s public authority is the create authority that was specified for the library. You
can move most object types from one library to another, but a single object cannot be in more than one
library at the same time. When you move an object to a different library, the object is not moved in
storage. You now locate the object through the new library. You can also rename and copy most object
types from one library into another.

A library name can be used to provide another level of identification to the name of an object. As
described earlier, an object is identified by its name and its type. The name of the library further qualifies
the object name. The combination of an object name and the library name is called the qualified name of
the object. The qualified name tells the system the name of the object and the library it is in.

The following figure shows two libraries and the qualified names of the objects in them.

Two objects with the same name and type can exist in different libraries. Two different objects with the
same name cannot exist in the same library unless their object types differ. This design allows a program
that refers to objects by name to work with different objects (objects with the same name but stored in
different libraries) in successive runs of the program without changing the program itself. Also, a
workstation user who is creating a new object does not need to be concerned about names used for
objects in other libraries. For example, in the following figure, a new file named MONTHUPD (monthly
update) could be added to the library OELIB, but not to the library ACCTLIB. The creation of the file into

Control language 111

ACCTLIB would fail because another object named MONTHUPD and of type file already exists in library
ACCTLIB.

An object is identified within a library by the object name and type. Many CL commands apply only to a
single object type, so the object type does not have to be explicitly identified. For those commands that
apply to many object types, the object type must be explicitly identified.

Objects that use the integrated file system are located in directories and can be found by using path
names or object name patterns instead of searching libraries. You can also use these directories to locate
objects.
Related concepts
Integrated file system
Related tasks
“Using libraries” on page 403
A library is an object used to group related objects and to find objects by name. Thus, a library is a
directory to a group of objects.
Related information
Independent disk pool examples

External object types

Many types of external objects are stored in libraries.

Some types of objects can only be stored in a specific library. For those object types, the library where the
objects are created is shown in the Default user library column in Table 19 on page 113.

Other types of objects allow a library name to be specified when the object is created. The default value
for the library name qualifier on the CL commands that create those types of objects is the special value
*CURLIB. The *CURLIB value causes the name of the current library to be used. The current library for a
job or thread can be set as a user profile attribute or job attribute or by running the Change Current
Library (CHGCURLIB) command. If there is no current library in effect when the object is created, library
QGPL is used.

The other types of objects, identified by N/A (not applicable) in the Default user library column, cannot
be stored in libraries.

With the exception of the Dump System Object (DMPSYSOBJ) command, you cannot specify the object
type in the format shown in the hexadecimal format column with commands.

112 System i: Programming Control language

Table 19. Predefined values and default library locations for external i5/OS object types
Value Object type Hexadecimal format Default user library
*ALRTBL Alert table 0E09 *CURLIB
*AUTL Authorization list 1B01 QSYS
*BLKSF Block special file 1E05 N/A
*BNDDIR Binding directory 1937 *CURLIB
*CFGL Configuration list 1918 QSYS
*CHRSF Character special file 1E06 N/A
*CHTFMT Chart format 190D *CURLIB
®
*CLD C/400 locale description 190B *CURLIB
*CLS Class 1904 *CURLIB
*CMD Command 1905 *CURLIB
*CNNL Connection list 1701 QSYS
*COSD Class-of-service description 1401 QSYS
*CRG Cluster resource group 192C QUSRSYS
*CRQD Change request description 0E0F *CURLIB
*CSI Communications side 1935 *CURLIB
information
*CSPMAP Cross-system product map 1922 *CURLIB
*CSPTBL Cross-system product table 1923 *CURLIB
*CTLD Controller description 1201 QSYS
*DDIR Distributed file directory 1F02 N/A
*DEVD Device description 1001 QSYS
*DIR Directory 0C01 N/A
*DOC Document 190E QDOC
*DSTMF Distributed stream file 1F01 N/A
*DTAARA Data area 190A *CURLIB
*DTADCT Data dictionary 1920 library with same name as data
dictionary
*DTAQ Data queue 0A01 *CURLIB
*EDTD Edit description 1908 QSYS
*EXITRG Exit registration 1913 QUSRSYS
*FCT Forms control table 0E04 *CURLIB
*FIFO First-in-first-out special file 1E07 N/A
*FILE File 1901 *CURLIB
*FLR Folder 1912 QDOC
*FNTRSC Font resources 1926 *CURLIB
*FNTTBL Font mapping table 192B *CURLIB
*FORMDF Form definition 1928 *CURLIB
*FTR Filter 0E0B *CURLIB
*GSS Graphics symbol set 190C *CURLIB
*IGCDCT Double-byte character set 0E06 *CURLIB
(DBCS) conversion dictionary

Control language 113

 Table 19. Predefined values and default library locations for external i5/OS object types (continued)
Value Object type Hexadecimal format Default user library
*IGCSRT Double-byte character set 191A *CURLIB
(DBCS) sort table
*IGCTBL Double-byte character set 1910 QSYS
(DBCS) font table
*IMGCLG Image Catalog 192E QUSRSYS
*IPXD Internetwork packet exchange 191E QSYS
description
*JOBD Job description 1903 *CURLIB
*JOBQ Job queue 0E01 *CURLIB
*JOBSCD Job schedule 0E0C *CURLIB
*JRN Journal 0901 *CURLIB
*JRNRCV Journal receiver 0701 *CURLIB
*LIB Library 0401 QSYS
*LIND Line description 1101 QSYS
*LOCALE Locale 1921 *CURLIB
*MEDDFN Media definition 191C *CURLIB
*MENU Menu description 1916 *CURLIB
*MGTCOL Management collection 192D NA, or QPFRDATA if library specified
using QYPSCSCA API
*MODD Mode description 1501 QSYS
*MODULE Compiler unit 0301 *CURLIB
*MSGF Message file 0E03 *CURLIB
*MSGQ Message queue 1902 *CURLIB
*M36 AS/400 Advanced 36 machine 1E04 *CURLIB
*M36CFG AS/400 Advanced 36 machine 1924 *CURLIB
configuration
*NODGRP Node group 192A *CURLIB
*NODL Node list 0E0E *CURLIB
*NTBD NetBIOS description 1914 QSYS
*NWID Network interface description 1601 QSYS
| *NWSCFG Network server configuration 1939 QUSRSYS
*NWSD Network server description 1D01 QSYS
*OUTQ Output queue 0E02 *CURLIB
*OVL Overlay 1929 *CURLIB
*PAGDFN Page definition 1936 *CURLIB
*PAGSEG Page segment 1927 *CURLIB
*PDFMAP Portable Document Format map 0E11 *CURLIB
*PDG Print Descriptor Group 1930 *CURLIB
*PGM Program 0201 *CURLIB
*PNLGRP Panel group definition 1915 *CURLIB
*PRDAVL Product availability 1933 QSYS

114 System i: Programming Control language

Table 19. Predefined values and default library locations for external i5/OS object types (continued)
Value Object type Hexadecimal format Default user library
*PRDDFN Product definition 191B QSYS
*PRDLOD Product load 191D QSYS
™
*PSFCFG Print Services Facility 1925 *CURLIB
configuration
*QMFORM Query management form 1932 *CURLIB
*QMQRY Query management query 1931 *CURLIB
*QRYDFN Query definition 1911 QGPL
*RCT Reference code translate table 0E08 QGPL
*SBSD Subsystem description 1909 *CURLIB
*SCHIDX Search index 0E07 QGPL
*SOCKET Local socket 1E03 N/A
*SPADCT Spelling aid dictionary 1C01 QGPL
*SQLPKG Structured Query Language 0202 *CURLIB
package
*SQLUDT User-defined SQL type 191F *CURLIB
*SRVPGM Service program 0203 *CURLIB
*SSND Session description 0E05 QGPL
*STMF Bytestream file 1E01 N/A
*SVRSTG Server storage space 1917 QUSRSYS
*SYMLNK Symbolic link 1E02 N/A
*S36 System/36 machine description 1919 QGPL
*TBL Table 1906 *CURLIB
*TIMZON Time zone description 192F QSYS
*USRIDX User index 0E0A *CURLIB
*USRPRF User profile 0801 QSYS
*USRQ User queue 0A02 *CURLIB
*USRSPC User space 1934 *CURLIB
*VLDL Validation list 0E10 *CURLIB
*WSCST Workstation user customization 1938 *CURLIB
object

Related concepts
“Object types and common attributes” on page 390
Each type of object on the system has a unique purpose within the system, and each object type has a
common set of attributes that describes the object.
Related reference
“OBJTYPE parameter” on page 83
The object type (OBJTYPE) parameter specifies the types of i5/OS objects that can be operated on by
the command in which they are specified.
Related information
Change System Collector Attributes (QYPSCSCA, QypsChgSysCollectorAttributes) API

Control language 115

Simple and qualified object names
The name of a specific object that is located in a library can be specified as a simple name or as a
qualified name.

A simple object name is the name of the object only. A qualified object name is the name of the library where
the object is stored followed by the name of the object. In a qualified object name, the library name is
connected to the object name by a slash (/).

Either the simple name or the qualified name of an object can be specified if the object exists in one of
the libraries named in the job’s library list; the library qualifier is optional in this case. A qualified name
must be specified if the named object is not in a library named in the library list.

Note: Although a job name also has a qualified form, it is not a qualified object name because a job is
not an i5/OS object. A job name is qualified by a user name and a job number, not by a library
name.

The following table shows how simple and qualified object names are formed.
Table 20. Simple and qualified object names
Name type Name syntax Example
Simple object name object-name OBJA
Qualified object name library-name/object-name LIB1/OBJB

Related concepts
“CL command delimiters” on page 41
Command delimiters are special characters or spaces that identify the beginning or end of a group of
characters in a command.
“CL command definition parts” on page 44
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs. These commands are similar to the system commands.
Related reference
“CL command names” on page 6
The command name identifies the function that will be performed by the program that is called when
the command is run. Most command names consist of a combination of a verb (or action) followed by
a noun or phrase that identifies the receiver of the action (or object being acted on): (command = verb
+ object acted on).
“Command definition statements” on page 258
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs.
“JOB parameter” on page 76
The JOB parameter specifies the name of the job to which the command is applied.

Generic object names

Generic object names can be used when referring to multiple objects with similar names.

A generic object name can refer to more than one object. That is, a generic name contains one or more
characters that are the first group of characters in the names of several objects; the system then searches
for all the objects that have those characters at the beginning of their names and are in the libraries
named in the library list. A generic name is identified by an asterisk (*) as the last character in the name.

A quoted generic name consists of a generic name enclosed in quotation marks. Unlike quoted names, if
there are no special characters between the quotation marks, the quotation marks are not removed. The
generic name ″ABC*″ causes the system to search for objects whose name begins with ″ABC.″

116 System i: Programming Control language

A generic name can also be qualified by a library name. If the generic name is qualified, the system will
search only the specified library for objects whose names begin with that generic name.

Note: A generic name also can be qualified by one or more directories if it is a path name. In a path
name, letters can be specified before and after the asterisk (*).

When you specify a generic name, the system performs the required function on all objects whose names
begin with the specified series of characters. You must have the authority required to perform that
function on every object the generic name identifies. If you do not have the required authority for an
object, the function is not performed and a diagnostic message is issued for each instance that the
attempted generic function failed. A completion message is issued for each object the generic function
operates on successfully. You must view the online low-level messages to see the completion messages.
After the entire generic function is completed, a completion message is issued that states that all objects
were operated on successfully. If one or more objects cannot be successfully operated on, an escape
message is issued. If an override is in effect for a specific device file, the single object name specified on
the override, rather than the generic name, is used to perform the operation.

You might not be able to use a generic name for delete, move, or rename commands if the library
containing the objects is already locked. A search for generic object names requires a more restrictive lock
on the library containing the objects than a search for full object names. The more restrictive lock is
necessary to prevent another user from creating an object with the same name as the generic search string
in the library while the delete, move, or rename command is running. You can circumvent this problem
by using the full name of the objects instead of a generic name. Or you can end the job or subsystem that
has a lock on the library.

Note: Use the Work with Object Locks (WRKOBJLCK) command to determine which jobs or subsystems
have a lock on the library.

For some commands, a library qualifier can be specified with the generic name to limit the scope of the
operation. For example, a Change Print File (CHGPRTF) command with FILE(LIB1/PRT*) performs the
operation on printer files that begin with PRT in library LIB1 only; printer files in other libraries are not
affected.

The limitations associated with the various library qualifiers are as follows:
v library-name: The operation is performed on generic object names only in the specified library.
v *LIBL: The operation is performed on generic object names in the library list associated with the job
that requested the generic operation.
v *CURLIB: The operation is performed on generic object names in the current library.
v *ALL: The operation is performed on generic object names in all libraries for which you are
authorized.
v *USRLIBL: The operation is performed on generic object names in the user part of the library list for
the job.
v *ALLUSR: The operation is performed on all nonsystem libraries (libraries that do not start with the
letter Q), with some exceptions.

Note: A different library name, of the form QUSRVxRxMx, can be created by the user for each release
that IBM supports. VxRxMx is the version, release, and modification level of the library.
Table 21. Generic object name
Name type Name syntax Example
Simple generic name generic-name* OBJ*
Qualified generic name library-name/generic-name* LIB1/OBJ*
Quoted generic name ″generic-name*″ ″ABC*″

Control language 117

 Related concepts
Integrated file system
Generic library names
“Object naming rules”
These rules are used to name all i5/OS objects used in control language (CL) commands. The
parameter summary table for each CL command shows whether a simple object name, a qualified
name, or a generic name can be specified.
“Generic names (*GENERIC)” on page 120
A generic name is one that contains at least one initial character that is common to a group of objects,
followed by an asterisk.

Object naming rules

These rules are used to name all i5/OS objects used in control language (CL) commands. The parameter
summary table for each CL command shows whether a simple object name, a qualified name, or a
generic name can be specified.
Naming a Single Object
In the name of a single object, each part (the simple name and the library qualifier name) can
have a maximum of 10 characters.
Naming a User-Created Object
To distinguish a user-created object from an IBM-supplied object, you should not begin
user-created object names with Q because the names of all IBM-supplied objects (except
commands) begin with Q. Although you can use as many as 10 characters in CL object names,
you might need to use fewer characters to be consistent with the naming rules of the particular
high-level language that you are also using. Also, the high-level language might not allow
underscores in the naming rules. For example, RPG limits file names to eight characters and does
not allow underscores.
Naming a Generic Object
In a generic name, a maximum of nine alphanumeric characters can be used, not including the
asterisk (*) that must immediately follow the last character.
INV and INV* are valid values where a generic name is accepted. When the name INV is
specified, only the object INV is referenced. When the generic name INV* is specified, objects that
begin with INV are referred to, such as INV, INVOICE, INVENTORY, and INVENPGM1. When
the quoted generic name ″INV*″ is specified, objects that begin with ″INV″ are referred to, such
as ″INV%1″ and ″INV>.″
Object Library Qualifier Limitations
No library qualifier can be specified with the object name if the object being created is a library,
user profile, line description, controller description, device description, mode description,
class-of-service description, or configuration list. A library name can never be qualified because a
library cannot be placed in a library. The other object types (*USRPRF, *LIND, *CTLD, *DEVD,
*MODD, *COSD, and *CFGL) appear to be types that exist only in the QSYS library. When only
the name of an object of these object types is accepted, a library qualifier cannot be specified with
the object name. On the Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) command, where any object name
is accepted, QSYS can be specified.
Library List Qualifiers
The predefined value *LIBL (and others, such as *CURLIB) can be used in place of a library name
in most commands. *LIBL indicates that the libraries named in the job’s library list are used to
find the object named in the second part of the qualified name.
Duplicate Object Names
Duplicate names are not allowed for objects of the same type in the same library.
Two objects with the same name cannot be stored in the same library unless their object types are
different. Two objects named OBJA can be stored in the library LIBx only if, for example, one of

118 System i: Programming Control language

 the objects is a program and the other is a file. The following combinations of names and object
types could all exist on the system at the same time.

If more than one library contains an object with the same name (and both libraries are in the same library
list) and a library qualifier is not specified with the object name, the first object found by that name is
used. Therefore, when you have multiple objects with the same name, you should specify the library
name with the object name or ensure that the appropriate library occurs first in the library list. For
example, if you are testing and debugging and choose not to qualify the names, ensure that your test
library precedes your production library in the library list.

Default libraries

In a qualified object name, the library name is typically optional. If an optional library qualifier is not
specified, the default given in the command’s description is used (typically either *CURLIB or *LIBL). If
the named object is being created, the current library is the default; when the object is created, it is placed
either in the current library or in the QGPL (the general purpose library ) if no current library is defined.
For objects that already exist, *LIBL is the default for most commands, and the job’s library list is used to
find the named object. The system searches all of the libraries currently in the library list until it finds the
object name specified.
Related concepts
“Naming within commands” on page 107
The type of name you specify in control language (CL) determines the characters you can use to
specify a name.
“Generic object names” on page 116
Generic object names can be used when referring to multiple objects with similar names.
“Folder and document names” on page 108
Folder and document names should describe the contents of the folder or document.
Related reference
“CL command names” on page 6
The command name identifies the function that will be performed by the program that is called when
the command is run. Most command names consist of a combination of a verb (or action) followed by
a noun or phrase that identifies the receiver of the action (or object being acted on): (command = verb
+ object acted on).

Control language 119

Communication names (*CNAME):

A communications name has a restrictive name syntax. It is typically used to refer to a device
configuration object whose name length and valid character set is limited by one or more communication
architectures.

Communications names are the same as unquoted basic names with some exceptions:
1. Periods (.) and underscores (_) cannot be used.
2. For IBM commands, *CNAME is limited to 8 characters.

An example of a communications name is shown as follows:

APPN3@@

Because restricted character sets are sometimes used by other IBM systems, use caution when choosing
names that use the special characters #, $, and @. These special characters might not be on the remote
system’s keyboard. The names that can be exchanged with the remote systems include the following
names:
v Network IDS
v Location names
v Mode names
v Class-of-service names
v Control point names
Related concepts
“Names (*NAME)”
When you create basic names and basic names in quoted form, follow these rules.
Related reference
“CL command label” on page 40
Command labels identify particular commands for branching purposes in a CL program. Labels can
also be used to identify statements in CL programs that are being debugged. They can identify
statements used either as breakpoints or as starting and ending statements for tracing purposes.

Generic names (*GENERIC):

A generic name is one that contains at least one initial character that is common to a group of objects,
followed by an asterisk.

The asterisk identifies the series of common characters as a generic name; otherwise, the system
interprets the series of characters as the name of a specific object.
Related concepts
“Generic object names” on page 116
Generic object names can be used when referring to multiple objects with similar names.

Names (*NAME):

When you create basic names and basic names in quoted form, follow these rules.

*NAME (basic name in unquoted form)

Every basic name can begin with the characters A-Z, $, #, or @ and can be followed by up to nine
characters. The remaining characters can include the same characters as the first but can also include
numbers 0-9, underscores (_), and periods (.). Lowercase letters are changed to uppercase letters by the
system. Basic names used in IBM-supplied commands can be no longer than 10 characters. However, in

120 System i: Programming Control language

your own commands, you can define parameters of type *NAME (specified on the TYPE parameter of
the PARM or ELEM statements) with up to 256 characters.

Examples of basic names are shown as follows:

[email protected]# ONE_NAME LIB_0690 $LIBX

Names can be entered in quoted or unquoted form. If you use the quoted form, the following rules and
considerations also apply:

*NAME (basic name in quoted form)

Every quoted name must begin and end with a quotation mark (″). The middle characters of a quoted
name can contain any character except , *, ?, ’, ″, hex 00 through 3F, or hex FF, and is delimited by a
slash. Quoted names allow you to use graphic characters in the name. The quoted form of basic names
used in IBM-supplied commands can be no longer than 8 characters (not including the quotation marks).
In your own commands, you can define parameters of type *NAME in quoted form with up to 254
characters (not including the quotation marks).

Note: Only basic names can be used in quoted form.

Examples of quoted names are shown as follows:

"A" "AA%abc" "ABC%%abc"

When you use quoted names, you should be aware of certain restrictions:
v Code points in a name might not be addressable from all keyboards.
v Characters in a quoted name might not be valid in a high-level language.
v The System/38 environment supports only simple (*SNAME) names. If other characters are used, the
objects cannot be accessed as System/38 environment objects.
v Names that are longer than eight characters cannot be accessed by the System/36 environment unless
control language overrides are used.
v A Structured Query Language (SQL) name that contains a period must be specified in an SQL
statement in quotation marks.

If a name enclosed in quotation marks is a valid unquoted basic name, the quotation marks are removed.
Thus, ″ABC″ is equivalent to ABC. Because the quotation marks are removed, they are not included in
the length of the name. ″ABCDEFGHIJ″ is, therefore, a valid name on IBM* commands even though it is
longer than 10 characters.
Related concepts
“Communication names (*CNAME)” on page 120
A communications name has a restrictive name syntax. It is typically used to refer to a device
configuration object whose name length and valid character set is limited by one or more
communication architectures.
“Simple names (*SNAME)” on page 123
Simple names are used for control language (CL) variables, labels, and keywords to simplify the
syntax of CL. Simple names are the same as unquoted basic names but with one exception: periods (.)
cannot be used.
Related reference
“CL command label” on page 40
Command labels identify particular commands for branching purposes in a CL program. Labels can
also be used to identify statements in CL programs that are being debugged. They can identify
statements used either as breakpoints or as starting and ending statements for tracing purposes.

Path names (*PNAME):

Control language 121

 A path name is a character string that can be used to locate objects in the integrated file system.

The string can consist of one or more elements, each separated by a slash (/). Each element is typically a
directory or equivalent, except for the last element, which can be a directory, another object such as a file,
or a generic presentation of an object or objects to be located.

| Note: Some CL commands also allow the backslash (\) to be used as a separator by automatically
| converting the backslash (\) to a slash (/). Some other CL commands, however, treat the backslash
| (\) no differently than any other character. Therefore, the backslash (\) separator should be used
| with caution.

The / and \ characters and nulls cannot be used in the individual components of the path name when
the / and \ characters are used as separators. The name can or cannot be changed to uppercase,
depending on whether the file system containing the object is case-sensitive and whether the object is
being created or searched for. If the parameter is defined as CASE(*MONO) (the default), any values that
are not enclosed in single quotation marks will be changed to uppercase by the command analyzer.

A separator character (for example, /) at the beginning of a path name means that the path begins at the
top most directory, the root (/) directory. If the path name does not begin with a separator character, the
path is assumed to begin at the current directory of the user entering the command.

The path name must be represented in the CCSID currently in effect for the job. If the CCSID of the job is
65535, the path name must be represented in the default CCSID of the job. Hard-coded path names in
programs are encoded in CCSID 37. Therefore, the path name should be converted to the job CCSID
before being passed to the command. The maximum length of the path name character string on the CL
commands is 5000 characters.

When operating on objects in the QSYS.LIB file system, the component names must be of the form
name.object-type; for example:
’/QSYS.LIB/PAY.LIB/TAX.FILE’

If the objects are in an independent ASP QSYS.LIB file system, the name must be of the form:
’/asp-name/QSYS.LIB/PAY.LIB/TAX.FILE’

where asp-name is the name of the independent ASP.

Path names must be enclosed in single quotation marks (’) when entered on a command line if they
contain special characters. These marks are optional when path names are entered on displays. If the path
name includes any quoted strings or special characters; however, the enclosing ’’ marks must be
included. The following are rules for using special characters:
v A tilde (~) character followed by a separator character (for example, /) at the beginning of a path name
means that the path begins at the home directory of the user entering the command.
v A tilde (~) character followed by a user name and then a separator character (for example, /) at the
beginning of a path name means that the path begins at the home directory of the user identified by
the user name.
v In some commands, an asterisk (*) or a question mark (?) can be used in the last component of a path
name to search for patterns of names. The * tells the system to search for names that have any number
of characters in the position of the * character. The ? tells the system to search for names that have a
single character in the position of the ? character.
v To avoid confusion with i5/OS special values, path names cannot start with a single asterisk (*)
character. To perform a pattern match at the beginning of a path name, use two asterisks (**).

Note: This only applies to relative path names where there are no other characters before the asterisk.

122 System i: Programming Control language

v The path name must be enclosed in single quotation marks (’) and quotation marks (″) if any of the
following characters are used in a component name:
– Asterisk (*)

Note: To avoid confusion with i5/OS special values, do not start path names with a single asterisk
(*) character.
– Question mark (?)
– Single quotation mark (’)
– Quotation mark (″)
– Tilde (~), if used as the first character in the first component name of the path name (if used in any
other position, the tilde is interpreted as just another character)

Note: Using the previous characters as the first character in the first component name of the path
name is not recommended because the meaning of the character in a command string could be
confused and it is more likely that the command string will be entered incorrectly.
v Do not use a colon (:) in path names. It has a special meaning within the system.
v The processing support for commands and associated user displays does not recognize code points
below hexadecimal 40 as characters that can be used in command strings or on displays. If these code
points are used, they must be entered as a hexadecimal representation, such as the following example:
crtdir dir(X’02’)
Therefore, use of code points below hexadecimal 40 in path names is not recommended. This
restriction applies only to commands and associated displays, not to APIs. In addition, a value of
hexadecimal 00 is not allowed in path names.
Related tasks
Specifying the device name
Accessing the integrated file system
Related reference
“OBJ parameter” on page 83
The object (OBJ) parameter specifies the names of one or more objects affected by the command in
which this parameter is used.
“CL command label” on page 40
Command labels identify particular commands for branching purposes in a CL program. Labels can
also be used to identify statements in CL programs that are being debugged. They can identify
statements used either as breakpoints or as starting and ending statements for tracing purposes.

Simple names (*SNAME):

Simple names are used for control language (CL) variables, labels, and keywords to simplify the syntax of
CL. Simple names are the same as unquoted basic names but with one exception: periods (.) cannot be
used.

Some examples of simple names are as follows:

NEWCMD LIB_2
Related concepts
“Names (*NAME)” on page 120
When you create basic names and basic names in quoted form, follow these rules.
Related reference
“CL command label” on page 40
Command labels identify particular commands for branching purposes in a CL program. Labels can
also be used to identify statements in CL programs that are being debugged. They can identify
statements used either as breakpoints or as starting and ending statements for tracing purposes.

Control language 123

Additional rules for unique names:

Additional rules involve special characters (as an extra character) for object naming.
v A command label must be immediately followed by a colon (:). Blanks can follow the colon, but none
can precede it. A command label name cannot be a quoted name.
v A CL variable name must be preceded by an ampersand (&) to indicate that it is a CL variable used in
a CL program.
v The built-in functions for CL must be preceded by a percent sign (%) to indicate that it is an
IBM-supplied built-in function that can be used in an expression. A built-in function name cannot be a
quoted name.

These special characters are not part of the name; each is an additional character attached to a name
(making a maximum of 11 characters) indicating to the system what the name identifies.

The names of i5/OS objects, CL program variables, system values, and built-in functions can be specified
in the parameters of individual commands. Instead of specifying a constant value, a CL variable name
can be used on most parameters in CL programs to specify a value that can change during the running of
programs. It is the contents of the variable that identify the objects and variables that are used when the
command is run.
Related reference
“CL command label” on page 40
Command labels identify particular commands for branching purposes in a CL program. Labels can
also be used to identify statements in CL programs that are being debugged. They can identify
statements used either as breakpoints or as starting and ending statements for tracing purposes.
“Variable name” on page 60
A variable contains a data value that can be changed when a program is run. A variable name is the
name of the variable that contains the value.
“Built-in functions for CL” on page 106
Control language (CL) provides several built-in functions. Built-in functions are used in arithmetic,
relational, or logical expressions.

Database files and device files used by CL commands

Many of the IBM-supplied CL commands use database files and device files during processing.

All of the commands and files for all licensed programs that meet the criteria are included:
v The types of files included are:
– Database files: physical (PF) and logical (LF), including files with data and files used as model files
(no data)
– Device files: tape (TAPF) and printer (PRTF)
v The files are included only if a user might have a reason to use them, such as declaring them in a
program so they can be overridden with another file. Two examples:
– You want to change some attributes for a printer device file, such as the font to be used or the
printed lines per inch (the FONT or LPI parameter).
– You want to override the IBM-supplied file with your own output file (when valid).

The types of files not included in this section are:

v i5/OS-provided display (DSPF) device files, because they should not be changed or overridden.
v Most of the i5/OS-provided database files used by directory commands, document library object
commands, and optical index database files, because they cannot be overridden.

As mentioned, IBM-supplied physical (PF) or logical (LF) files that are used as model files for certain
commands are included in the following table. (Examples are the model files listed under the DSPFD,

124 System i: Programming Control language

DSPJRN, and STRPFRMON commands.) In most cases, these model files do not contain data; instead,
they contain the definitions (or record formats) of the files to be created for storing the actual output data
resulting from use of these commands. For the record formats of these files, you can display the file’s
description online or you can refer to the topic collection that documents that command.

Additionally, some files considered to be IBM-supplied files do not actually exist on the system until
some function is used that requires the file and so creates it at that time.

The following notes describe how the table of commands and files are sorted and explain the meanings
of the superscripts used in Table 22.

Notes:
1. The first column of the table lists the CL commands that use the i5/OS-provided files shown
in the third column. The table entries are in alphabetic order by command name first. If there is
more than one library for a command, they are further ordered by the file library name and
then by file name within each library.
2. A superscript 1 ( 1) following the description of a file indicates that the file is used only when
the output from the command is directed to that form of output-by an output-related
parameter on the command.
v The superscript 1 is used at the end of printer file (PRTF) descriptions to show that use of the
printer file is dependent on the job environment and the print-related value specified (or
assumed) on the command. For commands with an OUTPUT parameter (primarily DSPxxx
and WRKxxx commands), the output is printed either when OUTPUT(*) is specified in a
batch job, or when OUTPUT(*PRINT) is specified in a batch or interactive job. For other
commands, the output is printed if a *PRINT, *LIST, or *SRC value is specified on a
different parameter.
v The superscript 1 is used at the end of database file (PF or LF) descriptions to show that use
of the database file is dependent on the print-related value specified (or assumed) on the
command. For commands with an OUTPUT parameter (primarily DSPxxx and SAVxxx
commands), the output is directed to the database file when OUTPUT(*OUTFILE) is
specified. The same is true for other commands that specify a value similar to *OUTFILE on
one of its parameters.
3. A superscript 2 ( 2) following a file’s description indicates that the file is a model file and not
an output file. As a model file, it defines the record format of the file created to contain the
actual output.
4. Those files showing ″user-lib″ as the file library do not exist on the system until the user
creates them. When the command is used, the file is created in the user’s specified library with
the file name shown.
Table 22. Files used by CL commands (part 1)
Command File library File name File type File usage
name
ADDDOCCVN QUSRSYS QAO1CRL LF Document conversion logical file for input or
output.
QUSRSYS QAO1CVNP PF Document conversion physical file for input
or output.
QUSRSYS QAO1DCVN PRTF Document conversion printer file.
ADDDSTQ QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS distribution queues table.
ADDDSTRTE QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS distribution queues table.
QUSRSYS QASNADSR PF SNADS routing table.
ADDDSTSYSN QUSRSYS QASNADSA PF SNADS secondary node ID table.
ADDNETJOBE QUSRSYS QANFNJE PF Network job entry database file.

Control language 125

Table 22. Files used by CL commands (part 1) (continued)
Command File library File name File type File usage
name
ADDSOCE QUSRSYS QAALSOC PF Sphere of control file.
ADDTAPCTG QUSRSYS QATAMID PF Cartridge ID db file.
QUSRSYS QLTAMID LF Cartridge ID logical file.
QUSRSYS QATACGY PF Category db file.
QUSRSYS QLTACGY LF Category logical file.
ADDTCPHTE QUSRSYS QATOCHOST PF TCP/IP host file.
ADDTCPIFC QUSRSYS QATOCIFC PF TCP/IP configuration file.
ADDTCPPORT QUSRSYS QATOCPORT PF TCP/IP configuration file.
ADDTCPRSI QUSRSYS QATOCRSI PF TCP/IP configuration file.
ADDTCPRTE QUSRSYS QATOCRTE PF TCP/IP configuration file.
ANSQST QSYS QPQAPRT PRTF Q & A printer file.
ANZACCGRP QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QAPTPAGD PF Performance database input file of files and
programs in a process access group (PAG).
QPFR QPPTPAG PRTF Printer file of PAG data containing
environment, job, file, and program
summary data.
ANZDBF QPFR QAPTAZDR PF Performance data collection file: analyze
application database files data.
QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QPPTANZD PRTF Performance printer file showing
physical-to-logical and logical-to-physical
database file relationships.
ANZDBFKEY QPFR QAPTAZDR PF Performance input file of analyze
application database files data showing
logical file key structures.
QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QPPTANKM PRTF Performance printer file containing logical
file key structure data.
QPFR QPPTANZK PRTF Performance printer file containing access
path and record selection data.
ANZPFRDTA QSYS QAPMxxxx PF QAPMxxxx performance data collection
files, where xxxx = ASYN, BSC, CIOP,
CONF, DIOP, DISK, ECL, ETH, HDLC,
IDLC, JOBS, LAPD, LIOP, MIOP, POOL,
SYS, and X25. 2
QPFR QPAVPRT PRTF Performance printer file containing the
advisor report. 1
ANZPGM QPFR QAPTAZPD PF Performance data collection file: analyze
application programs data.
QPFR QPPTANZP PRTF Performance printer file showing
program-to-file and file-to-program
relationships.
APYJRNCHG QSYS QAJRNCHG PF Model output file for apply journaled
changes.

126 System i: Programming Control language

Table 22. Files used by CL commands (part 1) (continued)
Command File library File name File type File usage
name
APYJRNCHGX QSYS QAJRNCHG PF Model output file for apply journaled
changes extend.
ASKQST QSYS QPQAPRT PRTF Q & A printer file.
CFGDSTSRV QUSRSYS QASNADSA PF SNADS secondary node ID table.
QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS destination queues table.
QUSRSYS QASNADSR PF SNADS destination systems routing table.
CFGTCP QUSRSYS QATOCHOST PF TCP/IP hostname file.
QUSRSYS QATOCIFC PF TCP/IP interface file.
QUSRSYS QATOCPORT PF TCP/IP port restrictions file.
QUSRSYS QATOCPS PF TCP/IP services file.
QUSRSYS QATOCRSI PF TCP/IP RSI file.
QUSRSYS QATOCRTE PF TCP/IP route file.
QUSRSYS QATOCTCPIP PF TCP/IP attributes file.
CFGTCPSMTP QUSRSYS QATMSMTP PF TCP/IP SMTP file.
QUSRSYS QATMSMTPA PF TCP/IP SMTP file.
CHGDOCCVN QUSRSYS QAO1CRL LF Document conversion logical file for input or
output.
CHGDTA QIDU QDTALOG PRTF Audit control log printer file.
QIDU QDTAPRT PRTF Record and accumulator total printer file.
QSYS QPDZDTALOG PRTF DFU runtime audit log.
QSYS QPDZDTAPRT PRTF DFU runtime printer data file.
CHGDSTQ QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS distribution queues table.
CHGDSTRTE QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS distribution queues table.
QUSRSYS QASNADSR PF SNADS routing table.
CHGFTPA QUSRSYS QATMFTP PF TCP/IP FTP configuration file.
CHGHTTPA QUSRSYS QATMHTTP PF TCP/IP HTTP file.
CHGLPDA QUSRSYS QATMLPD PF TCP/IP LPD configuration file.
CHGPOPA QUSRSYS QATMPOPA PF POP server configuration file.
CHGPRB QUSRSYS QASXNOTE PF Problem log user notes file.
QUSRSYS QASXPROB PF Problem log problem file.
CHGQSTDB QSYS QPQAPRT PRTF Q & A printer file.
CHGSMTPA QUSRSYS QATMSMTP PF TCP/IP SMTP configuration file.
CHGTAPCTG QUSRSYS QATAMID PF Cartridge ID database file.
QUSRSYS QATAMID LF Cartridge ID logical database file.
CHGTCPA QUSRSYS QATOCTCPIP PF TCP/IP attributes file.
CHGTCPHTE QUSRSYS QATOCHOST PF TCP/IP host file.
CHGTCPIFC QUSRSYS QATOCIFC PF TCP/IP interface file.
CHGTCPRTE QUSRSYS QATOCRTE PF TCP/IP routes file.
CHGTELNA QUSRSYS QATMTELN PF TCP/IP TELNET configuration file.
CHKTAP QSYS QSYSTAPE TAPF Printer file for tape output.

Control language 127

Table 22. Files used by CL commands (part 1) (continued)
Command File library File name File type File usage
name
CMPJRNIMG QSYS QPCMPIMG PRTF Compare journal images printer file.
1
CPYF QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Copy file printer file.
1
CPYFRMDKT QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Copy file printer file.
1
CPYFRMQRYF QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Copy file printer file.
1
CPYFRMTAP QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Copy file printer file.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input and output.
CPYPFRDTA QSYS QAPMxxxx PF QAPMxxxx performance data collection
files, where xxxx = ASYN, BSC, BUS, CIOP,
CONF, DIOP, DISK, DMPT, ECL, ETH,
HDLC, IOBS, JOBS, LIOP, MIOP, POOL,
RESP, RWS, SBSD, SYS, TSK, and X25. 2
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input and output.
1
CPYSRCF QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Copy file printer file.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
CRTBNDC QGPL QCSRC PF ILE C source default input file.
CRTBNDCBL QGPL QCBLLESRC PF ILE COBOL source default input file.
QSYS QSYSPRT PF ILE COBOL source listing printer file.
CRTBNDCL QGPL QCLSRC PF CL source default input file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF CL source listing printer file.
CRTBNDRPG QGPL QRPGLESRC PF ILE RPG source default input file
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF ILE RPG source listing printer file.
CRTCBLMOD QGPL QCBLLESRC PF ILE COBOL source default input file.
QSYS QSYSPRT PF ILE COBOL source listing printer file.
CRTCBLPGM QGPL QLBLSRC PF OPM COBOL source default input file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF OPM COBOL source listing printer file.
CRTCLD QGPL QCLDSRC PF C locale description default source input file.
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF C locale description source listing printer
file. 1
CRTCLMOD QGPL QCLSRC PF CL source default input file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF CL source listing printer file.
CRTCLPGM QGPL QCLSRC PF CL source default input file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF CL source listing printer file.
CRTCMD QGPL QCMDSRC PF Command definition source default input
file.
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Command definition source listing printer
file.
CRTCMOD QGPL QCSRC PF ILE C source default input file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF ILE C source listing printer file.
CRTDSPF QGPL QDDSSRC PF DDS source default input file.
1
QSYS QPDDSSRC PRTF DDS source listing printer file.
CRTICFF QGPL QDDSSRC PF DDS source default input file.

128 System i: Programming Control language

Table 22. Files used by CL commands (part 1) (continued)
Command File library File name File type File usage
name
1
QSYS QPDDSSRC PRTF DDS source listing printer file.
CRTLF QGPL QDDSSRC PF DDS source default input file.
1
QSYS QPDDSSRC PRTF DDS source listing printer file.
CRTMNU QGPL QMNUSRC PF Default menu source input file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Menu source listing printer file.
CRTMSGFMNU QGPL QDDSSRC PF DDS source created for menu by $BMENU.
QGPL QS36DDSSRC PF DDS source created for menu by $BMENU.
QSSP QPUTMENU PRTF $BMENU source listing printer file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Pascal source listing printer file.
CRTPF QGPL QDDSSRC PF DDS source default input file.
1
QSYS QPDDSSRC PRTF DDS source listing printer file.
1
CRTPGM QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Program source listing printer file.
CRTPNLGRP QGPL QPNLSRC PF Default panel group source input file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Panel group source listing printer file.
CRTPRTF QGPL QDDSSRC PF DDS source default input file.
1
QSYS QPDDSSRC PRTF DDS source listing printer file.
2
CRTQSTDB QSYS QAQA00xxxx LF Q & A database model files.
2
QSYS QAQA00xxxx PF Q & A database model files.
CRTQSTLOD QSYS QPQAPRT PRTF Q & A printer file.
CRTRJEBSCF QRJE QRJESRC PF DDS source file used to create RJE BSC file.
CRTRJECFG QRJE QRJESRC PF DDS source file used to create RJE BSC or
RJE communications file.
CRTRJECMNF QRJE QRJESRC PF DDS source file used to create RJE
communications file.
CRTRPGMOD QGPL QRPGLESRC PF ILE RPG source default input file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF ILE RPG source listing printer file.
CRTRPGPGM QGPL QRPGSRC PF RPG source default input file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF RPG source listing printer file.
CRTRPTPGM QGPL QRPGSRC PF RPG source default input file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF RPG source listing printer file.
CRTSQLC QGPL QCSRC PF SQL C source file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF SQL C printer file.
CRTSQLCI QGPL QCSRC PF SQL C source file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF SQL C printer file.
CRTSQLCBL QGPL QLBLSRC PF SQL COBOL source file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF SQL COBOL printer file.
CRTSQLCBLI QGPL QCBLLESRC PF SQL COBOL source file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF SQL COBOL printer file.
CRTSQLFTN QGPL QFTNSRC PF SQL FORTRAN source file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF SQL FORTRAN printer file.

Control language 129

Table 22. Files used by CL commands (part 1) (continued)
Command File library File name File type File usage
name
CRTSQLPLI QGPL QPLISRC PF SQL PLI source file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF SQL PLI printer file.
CRTSQLRPG QGPL QRPGSRC PF SQL RPG source file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF SQL RPG printer file.
CRTSQLRPGI QGPL QRPGLESRC PF SQL RPG source file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF SQL RPG printer file.
1
CRTSRVPGM QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Service program source listing printer file.
CRTS36CBL #LIBRARY QS36SRC PF S/36-compatible COBOL source default
input file.
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF S/36-compatible COBOL source listing
printer file. 1
CRTS36DSPF QGPL QDDSSRC PF DDS source created for display file by
$SFGR.
QGPL QS36DDSSRC PF DDS source created for display file by
$SFGR.
QSSP QPUTSFGR PRTF $SFGR source listing printer file.
CRTS36MNU QGPL QDDSSRC PF DDS source created for menu by $BMENU.
QGPL QS36DDSSRC PF DDS source created for menu by $BMENU.
QSSP QPUTMENU PRTF $BMENU source listing printer file.
CRTS36RPG #LIBRARY QS36SRC PF System/36 RPG II source default input file.
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF System/36 RPG II source listing printer file.
1

CRTS36RPGR #LIBRARY QS36SRC PF System/36 RPG II source default input file.

CRTS36RPT #LIBRARY QS36SRC PF System/36 RPG II Auto Report source
default input file.
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF System/36 RPG II Auto Report source
listing printer file. 1
CRTTAPCGY QUSRSYS QATACGY PF Library device database file.
QUSRSYS QLTACGY LF Library device logical database file.
CRTTBL QGPL QTBLSRC PF Table source default input file.
CVTPFRDTA QPFR QACPxxxx PF QACPxxxx performance data collection files,
where xxxx = CNFG, GPHF, PROF, and
RESP.
QPFR QAITMON PF Performance data collection file: job and
Licensed Internal Code task data.
QSYS QAPMyyyy PF QAPMyyyy performance data collection
files, where yyyy = CIOP, CONF, DIOP,
DISK, JOBS, LIOP, POOL, RESP, RWS, and
SYS. 2
QSYS QAPMzzzz PF QAPMzzzz performance data collection files,
where zzzz = ASYN, BSC, BUS, DMPT, ECL,
ETH, HDLC, MIOP, and X25. 2
QPFR QAPTAPGP PF Performance data collection file for
functional area data.

130 System i: Programming Control language

Table 22. Files used by CL commands (part 1) (continued)
Command File library File name File type File usage
name
CVTRPGSRC QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF ILE RPG listing printer file.
user-lib QRNCVTLG PF ILE RPG conversion log file.
user-lib QRPGLESRC PF ILE RPG source file (to file).
user-lib QRPGSRC PF RPG/400® source file (from file).
DLTALR QUSRSYS QAALERT PF Alert database file.
DLTPFRDTA QPFR QAPGSUMD PF Performance data collection file for graphics
data.
QSYS QAPMxxxx PF QAPMxxxx performance data collection
files, where xxxx = ASYN, BSC, BUS, CIOP,
CONF, DIOP, DISK, DMPT, ECL, ETH,
HDLC, IOBS, JOBS, LIOP, MIOP, POOL,
RESP, RWS, SBSD, SYS, TSK, and X25. 2
QPFR QAPTLCKD PF Performance data collection file: lock and
seizure conflict data.
QPFR QTRxxxx PF QTRxxxx performance data collection files,
where xxxxx = IDX, JOBT, JSUM, SLWT, and
TSUM.
DLTPRB QUSRSYS QASXxxxx PF All 8 of the QASXxxxx files for the DLTPRB
command are the same subset of files that
are shown in the QUSRSYS library for the
DSPPRB command.
DLTQST QSYS QPQAPRT PRTF Q & A printer file.
DLTQSTDB QSYS QPQAPRT PRTF Q & A printer file.
DLTTAPCGY QUSRSYS QATACGY PF Library device database file.
QUSRSYS QLTACGY LF Library device logical database file.
DMPCLPGM QSYS QPPGMDMP PRTF CL program dump printer file.
DMPJOB QSYS QPSRVDMP PRTF Service dump printer file.
DMPOBJ QSYS QPSRVDMP PRTF Service dump printer file.
DMPSYSOBJ QSYS QPSRVDMP PRTF Service dump printer file.
DMPTAP QSYS QPTAPDMP PRTF Tape dump printer file.
DMPTRC QSYS QAPMDMPT PF Performance trace file.
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF SDA source printer file.
1
DSPACC QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display access codes printer file.
1
DSPACCAUT QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display access code authority printer file.
DSPACCGRP QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QAPTPAGD PF Performance data collection file: data about
files and programs in a process access group
(PAG).
1
QPFR QPPTPAG PRTF Display process access group printer file.
QPFR QPPTPAGD PRTF Performance printer file containing files and
programs in a process access group (PAG).
1
DSPACTPJ QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display active prestart jobs printer file.

Control language 131

Table 22. Files used by CL commands (part 1) (continued)
Command File library File name File type File usage
name
DSPAPPNINF QUSRSYS QALSxxx PF Set of 4 QALSxxx model database files that
contain the record formats used for storing
APPN information, where xxx = DIR, END,
INM, and TDB. 2
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display APPN information printer file.
DSPAUTHLR QSYS QADSHLR PF Model database file that contains the record
format for the authority holder object
entries. 2
1
QSYS QPSYDSHL PRTF Display authority holders printer file.
DSPAUTL QSYS QAOBJAUT PF Model database file that contains the record
format for the authorization list entries. 2
1
QSYS QPOBJAUT PRTF Authorization list entries printer file.
1
DSPAUTLDLO QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Authorization list printer file.
DSPAUTLOBJ QSYS QADALO PF Model database file that contains the record
format for the authorization list object
entries. 2
QSYS QPSYDALO PRTF Display authorization list objects printer file.
1

1
DSPAUTUSR QSYS QPAUTUSR PRTF Authorized users printer file.
1
DSPBCKSTS QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display backup status printer file.
1
DSPBCKUP QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display backup options printer file.
1
DSPBCKUPL QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display backup list printer file.
1
DSPBKP QSYS QPDBGDSP PRTF Breakpoint (debug mode) printer file.
DSPBNDDIR QSYS QABNDBND PF Model database file that contains the record
format for the binding directory entries. 2
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Displays the contents of the binding
directory printer file. 1
1
DSPCFGL QSYS QPDCCFGL PRTF Configuration list printer file.
1
DSPCHT QSYS QPGDDM PRTF BGU-defined chart output printer file.
1
DSPCLS QSYS QPDSPCLS PRTF Class printer file.
1
DSPCMD QSYS QPCMD PRTF Command values printer file.
1
DSPCNNL QSYS QPDCCNNL PRTF Connection list printer file.
1
DSPCNNSTS QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Connection status printer file.
1
DSPCOSD QSYS QPDCCOS PRTF Class-of-service description printer file.
DSPCSI QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Communications side information printer
file. 1
1
DSPCTLD QSYS QPDCCTL PRTF Controller description printer file.
1
DSPDBG QSYS QPDBGDSP PRTF Debug display (debug mode) printer file.
DSPDBR QSYS QADSPDBR PF Model database file that defines the record
format of the file created to store
information about database file
relationships. 2
QSYS QPDSPDBR PRTF Printer file that contains information about
database file relationships. 1

132 System i: Programming Control language

Table 22. Files used by CL commands (part 1) (continued)
Command File library File name File type File usage
name
DSPDDMF QSYS QPDSPDDM PRTF Distributed data management (DDM) file
listing printer file. 1
1
DSPDEVD QSYS QPDCDEV PRTF Device description printer file.
QSYS QAOSDIRO PF Display directory output file:
OUTFILFMT(*TYPE1)
QSYS QAOSDIRB PF Display directory output file:
OUTFILFMT(*TYPE2) DETAIL(*BASIC)
QSYS QAOSDIRF PF Display directory output file:
OUTFILFMT(*TYPE2) DETAIL(*FULL)
QSYS QAOSDIRX PF Display directory output file:
OUTFILFMT(*TYPE3) DETAIL(*FULL)
QSYS QPDSPDDL PRTF Printer file for full details of displayed
directory entries. 1
QSYS QPDSPDSM PRTF Printer file for basic details of displayed
directory entries. 1
DSPDLOAUT QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display document library object authority
printer file. 1
DSPDLONAM QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display document library object printer file.
1

DSPDSTL QSYS QAOSDSTO PF Distribution list output file.

1
QSYS QPDSPLDL PRTF Distribution list details printer file.
1
QSYS QPDSPLSM PRTF Distribution list summary printer file.
DSPDSTCLGE QSVMSS QACQFVOF PF Output file model for MSS/400 Display
Distribution Catalog Entries command. 2
1
DSPDSTLOG QSYS QPDSTDLG PRTF Display distribution log printer file.
1
DSPDSTSRV QSYS QPDSTSRV PRTF Distribution services printer file.
QUSRSYS QASNADSA PF SNADS secondary node ID table.
QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS destination queues table.
QUSRSYS QASNADSR PF Routing table database file.
DSPDTA QIDU QDTAPRT PRTF DFU audit control printer file.
QSYS QPDZDTALOG PRTF DFU runtime audit log.
QSYS QPDZDTAPRT PRTF DFU runtime printer data file.
1
DSPDTAARA QSYS QPDSPDTA PRTF Data area printer file.
1
DSPDTADCT QSYS QPDSPFFD PRTF Data dictionary printer file.
1
DSPEDTD QSYS QPDCEDSP PRTF Edit description printer file.
DSPFD For the DSPFD command, all of the following entries having a file type of PF are physical files
(model files that are not actual output files) that define the record formats of created files used to
store a specific type of information about a type (or group) of files. Therefore, the common part of
each model file’s description begins here and the unique part of each description continues under
the File usage column:

2
QSYS QAFDACCP PF ...access path file information.
QSYS QAFDBASI PF ...basic file information common to all files.
2

Control language 133

 QSYS QAFDBSC PF ...BSC file and mixed file device attribute
information. 2
QSYS QAFDCMN PF ...communications file and mixed file device
attribute information. 2
2
QSYS QAFDCSEQ PF ... collating sequence information.
2
QSYS QAFDCST PF ... constraint relationship information.
QSYS QAFDDDM PF ...distributed data management (DDM) file
attribute information. 2
QSYS QAFDDSP PF ...display file and mixed file display device
attribute information. 2
2
QSYS QAFDICF PF ...ICF file attribute information.
2
QSYS QAFDJOIN PF ...join logical file information.
2
QSYS QAFDLGL PF ...logical file attribute information.
2
QSYS QAFDMBR PF ...database member information.
2
QSYS QAFDMBRL PF ...database member list information.
2
QSYS QAFDNGP PF ... node group information.
2
QSYS QAFDPHY PF ...physical file attribute information.
2
QSYS QAFDPRT PF ...printer file attribute information.
2
QSYS QAFDRFMT PF ...record format information.
2
QSYS QAFDSAV PF ...save file information.
2
QSYS QAFDSELO PF ...select/omit information.
2
QSYS QAFDSPOL PF ...device file spooled information.
2
QSYS QAFDTAP PF ...tape file attribute information.
2
QSYS QAFDTRG PF ... trigger information.
1
QSYS QPDSPFD PRTF File description printer file.
DSPFFD QSYS QADSPFFD PF Model database file that defines the record
format of the file created to store file field
descriptions. 2
1
QSYS QPDSPFFD PRTF File field description printer file.
DSPFLR QSYS QADSPDOC PF Document list output database file.
QSYS QADSPFLR PF Folder list output database file.
1
QSYS QPDSPFLR PRTF Display folder printer file.
1
DSPFNTRSCA QSYS QPDSPFNT PRTF Font resource attributes printer file.
1
DSPGDF QSYS QPGDDM PRTF BGU-defined graphics data printer file.
1
DSPGNDDIR QSYS QABNDBND PF System-supplied output file.
DSPHDWRSC For the DSPHDWRSC command, all of the following entries having a file type of PF are physical
files (model files that are not actual output files) that define the record formats of created files
used to store a specific type of hardware resource information. Therefore, the common part of
each model file’s description begins here and the unique part of each description continues under
the File usage column:
2
QSYS QARZDCMN PF ...communications resources.
2
QSYS QARZDLWS PF ...local workstation resources.
2
QSYS QARZDPRC PF ...processor resources.
QSYS QARZDTRA PF ...token-ring local area network (TRLAN)
adapter resources. 2

134 System i: Programming Control language

 2
QSYS QARZDSTG PF ...storage device resources.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Hardware resources printer file.
DSPHFS QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display hierarchical file systems printer file.
1

1
DSPHSTGPH QPFR QPPGGPH PRTF Display historical graph printer file.
1
DSPIGCDCT QSYS QPDSPDCT PRTF DBCS printer file.
1
DSPJOB QSYS QPDSPJOB PRTF Display job printer file.
1
DSPJOBD QSYS QPRTJOBD PRTF Job description printer file.
1
DSPJOBLOG QSYS QPJOBLOG PRTF Job log printer file.
QSYS QPJOBLOGO PRTF Job log printer file for jobs before Version 2
Release 3 of the AS/400 . 1
2
QSYS QAMHJLPR PF Primary job log model file.
2
QSYS QAMHJLSC PF Secondary job log model file.
DSPJRN All of the following files for the DSPJRN command having a file type of PF are physical files
(model files, not actual output files) that define the record formats of files created to store a group
of journal entries retrieved and converted from journal receivers. The retrieved group of entries
can be a specific type of information or all types of information that was journaled. Each created
file stores the retrieved journal entries after they are converted into one of four basic formats
(*TYPE1, *TYPE2, *TYPE3 or *TYPE4) or into the format defined for the specific type of data
being retrieved.
v *TYPE1: the basic file format is described in the Journal Management topic collection.
v *TYPE2: all of *TYPE1 plus the user profile field.
v *TYPE3: all of *TYPE2 plus the null value indicators.
v *TYPE4: all of *TYPE3 plus the JID, referential integrity, and trigger information.
v *TYPE5: all of *TYPE4 plus more information.
v Type-dependent format - the format associated with the specific type (as described as follows
for the fourth and following files) of information being retrieved. For example, the model file
QASY AFJE has a unique format for storing all retrieved journal entries related to authority
failures ( AF) on the system.

For the DSPJRN PF files listed as follows, the common part of all the model files’ descriptions
begins here and the unique part of each file’s description continues under the File usage column:
QSYS QADSPJRN PF ...a specific type (or all types) of
2
information; stored in the *TYPE1 format.
QSYS QADSPJR2 PF ...a specific type (or all types) of
2
information; stored in the *TYPE2 format.
QSYS QADSPJR3 PF ...a specific type (or all types) of
2
information; stored in the *TYPE3 format.
QSYS QADSPJR4 PF ...a specific type (or all types) of
2
information; stored in the *TYPE4 format.
QSYS QADSPJR5 PF ...a specific type (or all types) of
2
information; stored in the *TYPE5 format.
2
QSYS QADXERLG PF ...DSNX logged errors.
QSYS QADXERL4 PF ...DSNX logged errors; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
2
QSYS QADXJRNL PF ...DSNX logged data.
QSYS QADXJRN4 PF ...DSNX logged data; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
2
QSYS QAJBACG PF ...job accounting.

Control language 135

 QSYS QAJBACG4 PF ...job accounting; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
2
QSYS QALZALK PF ...invalid license keys.
QSYS QALZALK4 PF ...invalid license keys; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
2
QSYS QALZALL PF ...usage limit increases.
QSYS QALZALL4 PF ...usage limit increases; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
2
QSYS QALZALU PF ...licensed users that exceed usage limits.
QSYS QALZALU4 PF ...licensed users that exceed usage limits;
stored in the *TYPE4 format. 2
2
QSYS QAPTACG PF ...print job accounting.
QSYS QAPTACG4 PF ...print job accounting; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QAPTACG5 PF ...print job accounting; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
2
QSYS QASYADJE PF ...changes to auditing attributes.
QSYS QASYADJ4 PF ...changes to auditing attributes; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYADJ5 PF ...changes to auditing attributes; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYAFJE PF ...authority failures.
QSYS QASYAFJ4 PF ...authority failures; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYAFJ5 PF ...authority failures; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
2
QSYS QASYAPJE PF ...use of adopted authority.
QSYS QASYAPJ4 PF ...use of adopted authority; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYAPJ5 PF ...use of adopted authority; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYAUJ5 PF ...security attribute changed; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYCAJE PF ...changes to object authority (authorization
list or object). 2
QSYS QASYCAJ4 PF ...changes to object authority (authorization
list or object); stored in the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYCAJ5 PF ...changes to object authority (authorization
list or object); stored in the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYCDJE PF ...command strings.
QSYS QASYCDJ4 PF ...command strings; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYCDJ5 PF ...command strings; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
2
QSYS QASYCOJE PF ...objects created on the system.
QSYS QASYCOJ4 PF ...objects created on the system; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2

136 System i: Programming Control language

QSYS QASYCOJ5 PF ...objects created on the system; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYCPJE PF ...create, change, and restore user profile
operations. 2
QSYS QASYCPJ4 PF ...create, change, and restore user profile
2
operations; stored in the *TYPE4 format.
QSYS QASYCPJ5 PF ...create, change, and restore user profile
2
operations; stored in the *TYPE5 format.
2
QSYS QASYCQJE PF ...changes to *CRQD object.
QSYS QASYCQJ4 PF ...changes to *CRQD object; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYCQJ5 PF ...changes to *CRQD object; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYCUJ4 PF ...cluster operation; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYCUJ5 PF ...cluster operation; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
QSYS QASYCVJ4 PF ...connection verification; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYCVJ5 PF ...connection verification; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYCYJ4 PF ...Cryptographic configuration; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYCYJ5 PF ...Cryptographic configuration; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYDIJ4 PF ...Directory services; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYDIJ5 PF ...Directory services; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
2
QSYS QASYDOJE PF ...objects deleted from the system.
QSYS QASYDOJ4 PF ...objects deleted from the system; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYDOJ5 PF ...objects deleted from the system; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYDSJE PF ...resetting the DST security officer
password. 2
QSYS QASYDSJ4 PF ...resetting the DST security officer
2
password; stored in the *TYPE4 format.
QSYS QASYDSJ5 PF ...resetting the DST security officer
2
password; stored in the *TYPE5 format.
QSYS QASYEVJ4 PF ...Environment variable; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYEVJ5 PF ...Environment variable; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYGRJ4 PF ...General purpose audit record; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYGRJ5 PF ...General purpose audit record; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYGSJE PF ...gives of descriptors.

Control language 137

 QSYS QASYGSJ4 PF ...gives of descriptors; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYGSJ5 PF ...gives of descriptors; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
2
QSYS QASYIPJE PF ...interprocess communications.
QSYS QASYIPJ4 PF ...interprocess communications; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYIPJ5 PF ...interprocess communications; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYIRJ4 PF ...IP rules actions; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYIRJ5 PF ...IP rules actions; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
QSYS QASYISJ5 PF ...Internet security management; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYJDJE PF ...changes to the USER parameter of job
descriptions. 2
QSYS QASYJDJ4 PF ...changes to the USER parameter of job
2
descriptions; stored in the *TYPE4 format.
QSYS QASYJDJ5 PF ...changes to the USER parameter of job
2
descriptions; stored in the *TYPE5 format.
2
QSYS QASYJSJE PF ...job changes.
QSYS QASYJSJ4 PF ...job changes; stored in the *TYPE4 format.
2

QSYS QASYJSJ5 PF ...job changes; stored in the *TYPE5 format.

2

QSYS QASYKFJ4 PF ...Key ring file; stored in the *TYPE4 format.

2

QSYS QASYKFJ5 PF ...Key ring file; stored in the *TYPE5 format.

2

2
QSYS QASYLDJE PF ...link/unlink/lookup directory.
QSYS QASYLDJ4 PF ...link/unlink/lookup directory; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYLDJ5 PF ...link/unlink/lookup directory; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYMLJE PF ...mail actions.
QSYS QASYMLJ4 PF ...mail actions; stored in the *TYPE4 format.
2

QSYS QASYMLJ5 PF ...mail actions; stored in the *TYPE5 format.

2

2
QSYS QASYNAJE PF ...changes to network attributes.
QSYS QASYNAJ4 PF ...changes to network attributes; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYNAJ5 PF ...changes to network attributes; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYNDJE PF ...directory search violations.
QSYS QASYNDJ4 PF ...directory search violations; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2

138 System i: Programming Control language

QSYS QASYNDJ5 PF ...directory search violations; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYNEJE PF ...end point violations.
QSYS QASYNEJ4 PF ...end point violations; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYNEJ5 PF ...end point violations; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
2
QSYS QASYOMJE PF ...object move and rename operations.
QSYS QASYOMJ4 PF ...object move and rename operations;
stored in the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYOMJ5 PF ...object move and rename operations;
stored in the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYORJE PF ...object restore operations.
QSYS QASYORJ4 PF ...object restore operations; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYORJ5 PF ...object restore operations; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYOWJE PF ...changes to object ownership.
QSYS QASYOWJ4 PF ...changes to object ownership; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYOWJ5 PF ...changes to object ownership; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYO1JE PF ...single optical object accesses.
QSYS QASYO1J4 PF ...single optical object accesses; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYO1J5 PF ...single optical object accesses; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYO2JE PF ...dual optical object accesses.
QSYS QASYO2J4 PF ...dual optical object accesses; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYO2J5 PF ...dual optical object accesses; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYO3JE PF ...optical volume accesses.
QSYS QASYO3J4 PF ...optical volume accesses; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYO3J5 PF ...optical volume accesses; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYPAJE PF ...changes to programs (CHGPGM) that will
now adopt the owner’s authority. 2
QSYS QASYPAJ4 PF ...changes to programs (CHGPGM) that will
now adopt the owner’s authority; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYPAJ5 PF ...changes to programs (CHGPGM) that will
now adopt the owner’s authority; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYPGJE PF ...changes to object primary group.
QSYS QASYPGJ4 PF ...changes to object primary group; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2

Control language 139

 QSYS QASYPGJ5 PF ...changes to object primary group; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYPOJE PF ...printer output actions.
QSYS QASYPOJ4 PF ...printer output actions; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYPOJ5 PF ...printer output actions; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYPSJE PF ...profile swapping.
QSYS QASYPSJ4 PF ...profile swapping; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYPSJ5 PF ...profile swapping; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
QSYS QASYPWJE PF ...attempted usage of invalid passwords or
user profile names. 2
QSYS QASYPWJ4 PF ...attempted usage of invalid passwords or
user profile names; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYPWJ5 PF ...attempted usage of invalid passwords or
user profile names; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
QSYS QASYRAJE PF ...restore of objects when authority changes.
2

QSYS QASYRAJ4 PF ...restore of objects when authority changes;

stored in the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYRAJ5 PF ...restore of objects when authority changes;
stored in the *TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYRJJE PF ...restore of job descriptions that contain
user profile names. 2
QSYS QASYRJJ4 PF ...restore of job descriptions that contain
user profile names; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYRJJ5 PF ...restore of job descriptions that contain
user profile names; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
QSYS QASYROJE PF ...restore of objects when ownership was
changed to QDFTOWN. 2
QSYS QASYROJ4 PF ...restore of objects when ownership was
changed to QDFTOWN; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYROJ5 PF ...restore of objects when ownership was
changed to QDFTOWN; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYRPJE PF ...restore of programs that adopt their
owner’s authority. 2
QSYS QASYRPJ4 PF ...restore of programs that adopt their
owner’s authority; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYRPJ5 PF ...restore of programs that adopt their
owner’s authority; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2

140 System i: Programming Control language

 2
QSYS QASYRQJE PF ...restores of *CRQD object.
QSYS QASYRQJ4 PF ...restores of *CRQD object; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYRQJ5 PF ...restores of *CRQD object; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYRUJE PF ...operations restoring authority for user
profiles, using the RSTAUT command. 2
QSYS QASYRUJ4 PF ...operations restoring authority for user
profiles, using the RSTAUT command;
stored in the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYRUJ5 PF ...operations restoring authority for user
profiles, using the RSTAUT command;
stored in the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYRZJE PF ...changes on primary group restores.
QSYS QASYRZJ4 PF ...changes on primary group restores; stored
in the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYRZJ5 PF ...changes on primary group restores; stored
in the *TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYSDJE PF ...changes to the system distribution
directory. 2
QSYS QASYSDJ4 PF ...changes to the system distribution
2
directory; stored in the *TYPE4 format.
QSYS QASYSDJ5 PF ...changes to the system distribution
2
directory; stored in the *TYPE5 format.
2
QSYS QASYSEJE PF ...changes to subsystem routings.
QSYS QASYSEJ4 PF ...changes to subsystem routings; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYSEJ5 PF ...changes to subsystem routings; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYSFJE PF ...actions with spooled files.
QSYS QASYSFJ4 PF ...actions with spooled files; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYSFJ5 PF ...actions with spooled files; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYSGJ4 PF ...Asynchronous signals; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYSGJ5 PF ...Asynchronous signals; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYSKJ4 PF ...secure sockets connections; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYSKJ5 PF ...secure sockets connections; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYSMJE PF ...system management changes.
QSYS QASYSMJ4 PF ...system management changes; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYSMJ5 PF ...system management changes; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYSOJE PF ...server security changes.

Control language 141

 QSYS QASYSOJ4 PF ...server security changes; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYSOJ5 PF ...server security changes; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYSTJE PF ...use of system service tools.
QSYS QASYSTJ4 PF ...use of system service tools; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYSTJ5 PF ...use of system service tools; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYSVJE PF ...changes to system values.
QSYS QASYSVJ4 PF ...changes to system values; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYSVJ5 PF ...changes to system values; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYVAJE PF ...changes to access control list.
QSYS QASYVAJ4 PF ...changes to access control list; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYVAJ5 PF ...changes to access control list; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYVCJE PF ...connection starts and ends.
QSYS QASYVCJ4 PF ...connection starts and ends; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYVCJ5 PF ...connection starts and ends; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYVFJE PF ...closes of server files.
QSYS QASYVFJ4 PF ...closes of server files; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYVFJ5 PF ...closes of server files; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
2
QSYS QASYVLJE PF ...exceeding account limit.
QSYS QASYVLJ4 PF ...exceeding account limit; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYVLJ5 PF ...exceeding account limit; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYVNJE PF ...network logons and logoffs.
QSYS QASYVNJ4 PF ...network logons and logoffs; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYVNJ5 PF ...network logons and logoffs; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYVOJ4 PF ...actions on validation lists; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYVOJ5 PF ...actions on validation lists; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYVPJE PF ...network password errors.
QSYS QASYVPJ4 PF ...network password errors; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYVPJ5 PF ...network password errors; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2

142 System i: Programming Control language

 2
QSYS QASYVRJE PF ...accesses to network resources.
QSYS QASYVRJ4 PF ...accesses to network resources; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYVRJ5 PF ...accesses to network resources; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYVSJE PF ...server session starts and ends.
QSYS QASYVSJ4 PF ...server session starts and ends; stored in
the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYVSJ5 PF ...server session starts and ends; stored in
the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYVUJE PF ...changes to network profiles.
QSYS QASYVUJ4 PF ...changes to network profiles; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYVUJ5 PF ...changes to network profiles; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYVVJE PF ...changes to service status.
QSYS QASYVVJ4 PF ...changes to service status; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYVVJ5 PF ...changes to service status; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYXOJ4 PF ...network authentication; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYXOJ5 PF ...network authentication; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYYCJE PF ...changes to document library objects.
QSYS QASYYCJ4 PF ...changes to document library objects;
stored in the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYYCJ5 PF ...changes to document library objects;
stored in the *TYPE5 format. 2
QSYS QASYYRJE PF ...read operations of document library
objects. 2
QSYS QASYYRJ4 PF ...read operations of document library
objects; stored in the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYYRJ5 PF ...read operations of document library
objects; stored in the *TYPE5 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYZCJE PF ...changes to objects.
QSYS QASYZCJ4 PF ...changes to objects; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QASYZCJ5 PF ...changes to objects; stored in the *TYPE5
format. 2
2
QSYS QASYZMJE PF ...object method access.
QSYS QASYZMJ4 PF ...object method access; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
2
QSYS QASYZRJE PF ...read operations of objects.
QSYS QASYZRJ4 PF ...read operations of objects; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QASYZRJ5 PF ...read operations of objects; stored in the
*TYPE5 format. 2

Control language 143

 2
QSYS QATOFIPF PF ...IP filter rule actions.
2
QSYS QATOFNAT PF ...IP NAT rule actions.
2
QSYS QATOQQOS PF ...modification of QoS policies.
2
QSYS QATOSLOG PF ...SNMP log entries.
QSYS QATOSLOG PF ...SNMP log entries; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
2
QSYS QATOVSOF PF ...VPN information.
2
QSYS QAWCTPJE PF ...performance tuning.
QSYS QAWCTPJ4 PF ...performance tuning; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
2
QSYS QAZDALLG PF ...SNADS alert logging.
QSYS QAZDCFLG PF ...configuration changes to SNADS
distribution queues table. 2
QSYS QAZDCFL4 PF ...configuration changes to SNADS
distribution queues table; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
2
QSYS QAZDERLG PF ...SNADS logged errors.
QSYS QAZDERL4 PF ...SNADS logged errors; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
2
QSYS QAZDJRNL PF ...SNADS logged data.
QSYS QAZDJRN4 PF ...SNADS logged data; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QAZDRTLG PF ...changes to SNADS routing and secondary
system name tables. 2
QSYS QAZDRTL4 PF ...changes to SNADS routing and secondary
system name tables; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
QSYS QAZDSYLG PF ...SNADS miscellaneous logged system-level
occurrences. 2
QSYS QAZDSYL4 PF ...SNADS miscellaneous logged system-level
occurrences; stored in the *TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QAZMFCF PF ...Mail server framework (MSF)
configuration changes logging. 2
QSYS QAZMFCF4 PF ...Mail server framework (MSF)
configuration changes logging; stored in the
*TYPE4 format. 2
QSYS QAZMFER PF ...Mail server framework (MSF) error
logging. 2
QSYS QAZMFER4 PF ...Mail server framework (MSF) error
2
logging; stored in the *TYPE4 format.
QSYS QAZMFLG PF ...Mail server framework (MSF) data
logging. 2
QSYS QAZMFLG4 PF ...Mail server framework (MSF) data
2
logging; stored in the *TYPE4 format.
QSYS QAZMFSY PF ...Mail server framework (MSF) system
information logging. 2

144 System i: Programming Control language

 QSYS QAZMFSY4 PF ...Mail server framework (MSF) system
information logging; stored in the *TYPE4
format. 2
1
QSYS QPDSPJRN PRTF Display journal printer file.

1
DSPJRNRCVA QSYS QPDSPRCV PRTF Journal receiver attributes printer file.
1
DSPLIB QSYS QPDSPLIB PRTF Library printer file.
1
DSPLIBD QSYS QPRTLIBD PRTF Library description printer file.
1
DSPLIBL QSYS QPRTLIBL PRTF Library list printer file.
1
DSPLIND QSYS QPDCLINE PRTF Line description printer file.
1
DSPLOG QSYS QPDSPLOG PRTF Log display printer file.
1
DSPMNUA QSYS QPDSPMNU PRTF Menu attributes printer file.
DSPMOD For the DSPMOD command, all of the following entries having a file type of files used to store a
specific type of information about a type (or group) of files. Therefore, the common part of each
model file’s description begins here and the unique part of each description continues under the
File usage column:
QSVMSS QACQSRC PRTF ...contains sources of example security exit
programs. 1
QSYS QABNDMBA PF ...basic information and compatibility
sections. 1
1
QSYS QABNDMSI PF ...decompressed size and size limits.
QSYS QABNDMEX PF ...symbols defined in this module and
exported to others. 1
QSYS QABNDMIM PF ...defined symbols that are external to this
module. 1
1
QSYS QABNDMPR PF ...a list of procedure names and types.
QSYS QABNDMRE PF ...a list of system objects referred to by the
module at the time the module is bound
into a program or service program. 1
QSYS QABNDMCO PF ...module copyright information.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF ...module printer file.
1
DSPMODD QSYS QPDCMOD PRTF Mode description printer file.
1
DSPMODSTS QSYS QPDCMOD PRTF Mode status printer file.
1
DSPMSG QSYS QPDSPMSG PRTF Message display printer file.
1
DSPMSGD QSYS QPMSGD PRTF Message description printer file.
DSPNETA QSYS QANFDNTF PF Model database file used to define the
record format for network file entries. 2
1
QSYS QPDSPNET PRTF Display network attributes printer file.
1
QSYS QPNFNJE PRTF Display network job entries printer file.
1
DSPNWID QSYS QPDCNWID PRTF Network interface description printer file.
DSPOBJAUT QSYS QAOBJAUT PF Model database file that defines the record
format for the object authority entries. 2
1
QSYS QPOBJAUT PRTF Object authority printer file.
DSPOBJD QSYS QADSPOBJ PF Model database file that defines the record
format for the object description entries. 2
1
QSYS QPRTOBJD PRTF Object description printer file.

Control language 145

 1
DSPOVR QSYS QPDSPOVR PRTF Display overrides printer file.
DSPPDGPRF QGPL QPCJPDGPRF PRTF Printer file for print descriptor group
profile. 1
DSPPFRGPH QPFRDATA QAPGGPHF PF Performance database file: graph format
data.
QPFRDATA QAPGPKGF PF Performance database file: graph package
data.
1
QPFR QPPGGPH PRTF Performance graphs printer file.
1
DSPPGM QSYS QPDPGM PRTF Display program printer file.
DSPPGMADP QSYS QADPGMAD PF Model database file that defines the record
format of the file created to store the names
of programs that adopt the specified
profile. 2
QSYS QPPGMADP PRTF Printer file that lists the programs that
adopt the specified profile. 1
DSPPGMREF QSYS QADSPPGM PF Model database file that defines the record
format of the file created to store program
references. 2
QSYS QPDSPPGM PRTF Printer file that contains program
references. 1
DSPPGMVAR QSYS QPDBGDSP PRTF Program variable (debug mode) printer file.
1

DSPPRB All 8 of the QASXxxxx files shown as follows in the QUSRSYS library are also used by the
DLTPRB and WRKPRB commands. The following other files (in QSYS) are not used by those
commands.
QSYS QASXxxxx PF Set of 5 QASXxxxx model database files
that contain the layouts for problem output
files, where xxxx = CAOF, FXOF, PBOF,
SDOF, and TXOF. 2
1
QSYS QSXPRTD PRTF Problem log detail printer file.
1
QSYS QSXPRTL PRTF Problem log summary printer file.
3
The following 8 files are also used by the DLTPRB and WRKPRB commands.
QUSRSYS QASXCALL 3 PF Problem log call override file.
3
QUSRSYS QASXDTA PF Problem log data identifier file.
3
QUSRSYS QASXEVT PF Problem log event file.
3
QUSRSYS QASXFRU PF Problem log possible cause file.
3
QUSRSYS QASXNOTE PF Problem log user notes file.
3
QUSRSYS QASXPROB PF Problem log problem file.
3
QUSRSYS QASXPTF PF Problem log PTF file.
3
QUSRSYS QASXSYMP PF Problem log symptom string file.
DSPPTF QSYS QADSPPTF PF Model database file that defines the record
format of the file created to store program
temporary fix (PTF) information. 2
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display programming temporary fix (PTF)
printer file. 1
1
DSPPWRSCD QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display power schedule printer file.
1
DSPRCDLCK QSYS QPDSPRLK PRTF Record locks display printer file.

146 System i: Programming Control language

DSPRCYAP QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display recovery for access paths printer
file.
DSPRDBDIRE QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Distributed relational database directory
printer file. 1
QSYS QADSPDE PF Model database file that defines the record
format for the RDB directory entries.
1
DSPRJECFG QRJE QPRTCFGC PRTF RJE configuration printer file.
DSPSAVF QSYS QPSRODSP PRTF Printer file for save file save/restore
information. 1
1
DSPSBSD QSYS QPRTSBSD PRTF Subsystem description printer file.
DSPSFWRSC QSYS QARZLCOF PF Model database file of the file created to
store information about IBM licensed
programs and SystemView® packaged
applications. 2
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Software resources printer file.
1
DSPSOCSTS QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Sphere of control status printer file.
QUSRSYS QAALSOC PF Sphere of control database file.
1
DSPSRVPGM QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Service program printer file.
1
DSPSYSSTS QSYS QPDSPSTS PRTF Display system status printer file.
1
DSPSYSVAL QSYS QPDSPSVL PRTF System value printer file.
1
DSPTAP QSYS QPTAPDSP PRTF Printer file for tape output.
QSYS QPSRODSP PRTF Printer file for tapes in save/restore format.
1

QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file for input.

DSPTAPCGY QSYS QTAPCGY PRTF Printer file for tape categories 1.
QSYS QATACOF PF Model output file for tape categories 2.
QUSRSYS QATACGY PF Library device database file.
QUSRSYS QLTACGY LF Library device logical database file.
DSPTAPCTG QSYS QPTACTG PRTF Printer file for tape cartridge identifiers 1.
QSYS QATAVOF PF Model output file for tape cartridge
identifiers 2.
QUSRSYS QATAMID PF Library device database file.
QUSRSYS QATAMID LF Library device logical database file.
DSPTAPSTS QSYS QPTAPSTS PRTF Printer file for tape library
QSYS QATAIOF PF Model output file for tape
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file or input
QSYS QPTYSWTD PRTF Printer file for printing a telephony switch
entry. 1
DSPTRAPRF QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Printer file containing a token-ring network
adapter profile. 1
1
DSPTRC QSYS QPDBGDSP PRTF Trace (debug mode) printer file.
1
DSPTRCDTA QSYS QPDBGDSP PRTF Trace data (debug mode) printer file.
1
DSPTRNSTS QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Token-ring network status printer file.
1
DSPUSRPMN QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Display document authority printer file.

Control language 147

DSPUSRPRF QSYS QADSPUPA PF Model database file that defines the record
format of user profiles for TYPE(*OBJAUT).
2

QSYS QADSPUPB PF Model database file that defines the record

format of user profiles for TYPE(*BASIC). 2
QSYS QADSPUPO PF Model database file that defines the record
format of user profiles for
TYPE(*OBJOWN). 2
1
QSYS QPUSRPRF PRTF User profile printer file.
1
DSPWSUSR QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Workstation user printer file.
DUPTAP QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input and output.
EDTIGCDCT QSYS QPDSPDCT PRTF DBCS printer file.
EDTQST QSYS QPQAPRT PRTF Q & A printer file.
EJTEMLOUT QSYS QPEMPRTF PRTF Emulation printer file.
ENDDSKCOL QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QAPTDSKD PF Performance data collection file: disk
activity data.
ENDJOBTRC QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QAPTTRCJ PF Performance data collection file: job trace
data.
QPFR QPPTTRCD PRTF Performance printer file containing job
trace analysis detail data.
QPFR QPPTTRC1 PRTF Performance printer file containing job
trace analysis summary data of physical
disk activity.
QPFR QPPTTRC2 PRTF Performance printer file containing job
trace analysis I/O summary data.
ENDPRTEML QSYS QPEMPRTF PRTF Emulation printer file.
QPFR QAPTSAMH PF Performance data collection file: high-level
sampled address monitor (SAM) data.
QPFR QAPTSAMV PF Performance data collection file: low-level
sampled address monitor (SAM) data.
FMTDTA QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Data format printer file.
QGPL QFMTSRC PF Sort source default input file.
FNDSTRPART QPDA QPUOPRTF PRTF PDM printer output file for user’s find
string requests.
FNDSTRPDM QPDA QPUOPRTF PRTF PDM printer output file for user’s find
string requests.
HLDDSTQ QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS distribution queues table.
INZTAP QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input.
2
LODQSTDB QQALIB QAQAxxxx00 PF Q & A supplied model database files.
2
QSYS QAQA00xxxx LF Q & A database model files.
2
QSYS QAQA00xxxx PF Q & A database model files.
QSYS QPQAPRT PRTF Q & A printer file.
MRGFORMD QPDA QPAPFPRT PRTF Merge form description printer file.

148 System i: Programming Control language

MRGTCPHT QUSRSYS QATOCHOST PF TCP/IP hosts file.
PRTACTRPT user-lib QAITMON PF Performance data collection file: job and
Licensed Internal Code task data.
QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QPITACTR PRTF Performance printer file containing job and
Licensed Internal Code task data.
PRTAFPDTA QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Advanced Function Printing™ data printer
file.
PRTCMDUSG QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Command usage printer file.
PRTCMNTRC QSYS QASCCMNT PF Model database file that defines the record
format of the file created to store
communications trace records. 2
QSYS QPCSMPRT PRTF Communications trace printer file
(concurrent service monitor). 1
PRTCPTRPT QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QPPTCPTR PRTF Performance printer file containing
component-level activity data.
QSYS QAPMxxxx PF QAPMxxxx performance data collection
files, where xxxx = ASYN, BSC, CIOP,
CONF, DIOP, DISK, ECL, ETH, HDLC,
JOBS, LIOP, MIOP, POOL, RESP, RWS, and
SYS. 2
PRTDEVADR QSYS QPDDEVA PRTF Print device address printer file.
1
PRTDOC QSYS QAOPOUFL PF Document output database file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Print document printer file.
PRTDSKINF QSYS QAEZDISK PF Model outfile for disk space information.
QUSRSYS QAEZDISK PF Database input file of disk space
information.
QSYS QPEZDISK PRTF Disk space report printer file.
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Disk space report printer file. This file must
be specified if using OVRPRTF.
PRTDSKRPT QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QAPTDSKD PF Performance database input file of disk
activity collection data.
QPFR QPPTDSK PRTF Printer file of disk unit I/O activity data.
PRTERRLOG QSYS QAPRTELG PF Model database file that defines the record
format of the file created to store error log
records. 2
QSYS QAVOLSTA PF Model database file that defines the record
format of the file created to store volume
statistics. 2
QSYS QPCSMPRT PRTF Error log (for concurrent service monitor)
printer file. 1
PRTINTDTA QSYS QPCSMPRT PRTF Internal data (for concurrent service
monitor) printer file.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
PRTJOBRPT QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.

Control language 149

 QPFR QPPTITVJ PRTF Performance printer file containing job
interval collection data.
QSYS QAPMxxxx PF QAPMxxxx performance data collection
files, where xxxx = CONF and JOBS. 2
PRTJOBTRC QPFR QAJOBTRC PF Performance data collection file: job trace
data.
QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QAPTTRCJ PF Performance data collection file: job trace
data.
QPFR QPPTTRCD PRTF Performance printer file containing job
trace analysis detail data.
QPFR QPPTTRC1 PRTF Performance printer file containing job
trace analysis summary data of physical
disk activity.
QPFR QPPTTRC2 PRTF Performance printer file containing job
trace analysis I/O summary data.
PRTLCKRPT user-lib QAPTLCKD PF Performance data collection output file
containing lock and seizure conflict data.
QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QPPTLCK PRTF Performance data collection printer file
containing lock and seizure conflict data.
QSYS QAPMDMPT PF Performance data collection input file
containing system lock and seizure conflict
trace data. 2
PRTPOLRPT QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QPPTITVP PRTF Performance printer file containing
subsystem and pool activity interval data.
QSYS QAPMxxxx PF QAPMxxxx performance data collection
files, where xxxx = CONF, JOBS, and
POOL. 2
PRTRSCRPT QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QPPTITVR PRTF Performance printer file containing disk
and communications line activity interval
data.
QSYS QAPMxxxx PF QAPMxxxx performance data collection
files, where xxxx = ASYN, BSC, CIOP,
CONF, DIOP, DISK, ECL, ETH, HDLC,
LIOP, MIOP, RESP, RWS, and SYS. 2
QPFR QAPTSAMH PF Performance data collection file: high-level
sampled address monitor (SAM) data.
QPFR QAPTSAMV PF Performance data collection file: low-level
sampled address monitor (SAM) data.
QPFR QPPTSAM PRTF Printer file of SAM performance data.
PRTSYSRPT QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QPPTSYSR PRTF Performance printer file containing system
workload and resource utilization data.
QSYS QAPMxxxx PF QAPMxxxx performance data collection
files, where xxxx = ASYN, BSC, CONF,
DISK, ECL, ETH, HDLC, JOBS, POOL, SYS,
and X25. 2

150 System i: Programming Control language

PRTTNSRPT QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QPFR QPSPDJS PRTF Performance printer file containing job
summary data.
QPFR QPSPDTD PRTF Performance printer file containing job state
transition data.
QPFR QPSPDTS PRTF Performance printer file containing job
transaction data.
QSYS QAPMxxxx PF QAPMxxxx performance data collection
files, where xxxx = DMPT and JOBS. 2
1
PRTTRC QSYS QPSRVTRC PRTF Job trace printer output file.
PRTTRCRPT user-lib QTRTJOBT PF Performance data collection input file
containing batch job trace data.
QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
QSYS QAPMDMPT PF Performance data collection input file
containing system trace data. 2
QRYDOCLIB QSYS QAOSIQDL PF Query document library output file.
QRYDST QSYS QAOSILIN PF Incoming distribution output file.
QSYS QAOSILOT PF Outgoing distribution output file.
RCLSTG QSYS QPRCLDMP PRTF Reclaim dump output listing.
RCVDST QSYS QAOSIRCV PF Receive incoming mail distribution model
database file. 2
1
RCVTIEF QSYS QPTIRCV PRTF Received files summary printer file.
RLSDSTQ QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS distribution queues table.
RMVDSTQ QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS distribution queues table.
QUSRSYS QASNADSR PF SNADS routing table.
RMVDSTRTE QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS distribution queues table.
QUSRSYS QASNADSR PF SNADS routing table.
RMVDSTSYSN QUSRSYS QASNADSA PF SNADS secondary node ID table.
RMVJRNCHG QSYS QAJRNCHG PF Model output file for remove journaled
changes.
RMVNETJOBE QUSRSYS QANFNJE PF Network job entry database file.
RMVSOCE QUSRSYS QAALSOC PF Sphere of control file.
RMVTAPCTG QUSRSYS QATAMID PF Cartridge ID database file.
QUSRSYS QLTAMID LF Cartridge ID logical database file.
QUSRSYS QATACGY PF Category database file.
QUSRSYS QLTACGY LF Category logical file.
RMVTCPHTE QUSRSYS QATOCHOST PF TCP/IP host file.
RMVTCPIFC QUSRSYS QATOCIFC PF TCP/IP interface file.
RMVTCPPORT QUSRSYS QATOCPORT PF TCP/IP port restrictions file.
RMVTCPRSI QUSRSYS QATOCRSI PF TCP/IP remote system information file.
RMVTCPRTE QUSRSYS QATOCRTE PF TCP/IP route file.
RNMTCPHTE QUSRSYS QATOCHOST PF TCP/IP host file.
RST QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input.
2
RSTCFG QSYS QASRRSTO PF Model output file for configuration.

Control language 151

 1
QSYS QPSRLDSP PRTF Restored objects status printer file.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input.
RSTDLO QSYS QAOJRSTO PF Model output file for restored document
library objects. 2
QSYS QPRSTDLO PRTF Printer file for restored documents and
folders. 1
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input.
2
RSTLIB QSYS QASRRSTO PF Model output file for libraries.
1
QSYS QPSRLDSP PRTF Restored objects status printer file.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input.
1
RSTLICPGM QSYS QPSRLDSP PRTF Restored objects status printer file.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input.
2
RSTOBJ QSYS QASRRSTO PF Model output file for restored objects.
1
QSYS QPSRLDSP PRTF Restored objects status printer file.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input.
2
RSTUSRPRF QSYS QASRRSTO PF Model output file for user profiles.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for input.
RTVDOC QSYS QAOSIRTV PF Retrieve document from document library
output file.
RTVDSKINF QSYS QAEZDISK PF Model file for disk information.
QUSRSYS QAEZDISK PF Database output file for disk information.
1
RUNQRY QSYS QPQUPRFIL PRTF Printer file used for query output.
SAV QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
2
SAVCFG QSYS QASAVOBJ PF Model output file for saved objects.
1
QSYS QPSAVOBJ PRTF Printer file for saved objects.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
2
SAVCHGOBJ QSYS QASAVOBJ PF Model output file for saved objects.
1
QSYS QPSAVOBJ PRTF Printer file for saved objects.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
SAVDLO QSYS QAOJSAVO PF Model output file for saved documents and
folders. 2
QSYS QPSAVDLO PRTF Printer file for saved documents and
folders. 1
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
2
SAVLIB QSYS QASAVOBJ PF Model output file for saved objects.
1
QSYS QPSAVOBJ PRTF Printer file for saved objects.
QUSRSYS QSRPNTWK PRTF Printer file for saved database file
networks.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
2
SAVOBJ QSYS QASAVOBJ PF Model output file for saved objects.
1
QSYS QPSAVOBJ PRTF Printer file for saved objects.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
2
SAVSAVFDTA QSYS QASAVOBJ PF Model output file for saved objects.

152 System i: Programming Control language

 1
QSYS QPSAVOBJ PRTF Printer file for saved objects.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
2
SAVSECDTA QSYS QASAVOBJ PF Model output file for saved objects.
1
QSYS QPSAVOBJ PRTF Printer file for saved objects.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
2
SAVSYS QSYS QASAVOBJ PF Model output file for saved objects.
1
QSYS QPSAVOBJ PRTF Printer file for saved objects.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file used for output.
SBMFNCJOB QSYS QDFNDATA DSPF Non-ICF finance display file.
QUSRSYS QFNDEVTBL PF File containing data for device tables.
QUSRSYS QFNPGMTBL PF File containing data for program tables.
QUSRSYS QFNUSRTBL PF File containing data for user tables.
SETTAPCGY QUSRSYS QATACGY PF Category database file.
QUSRSYS QLTACGY LF Category logical file.
SNDDSTQ QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS distribution queues table.
SNDFNCIMG QSYS QCRFDWNL ICFF ICF file used for communication with 4701
controller.
SNDPTFORD QGPL Qnnnnnnn SAVF PTF save file, where nnnnnnn is the PTF
number.
QSYS QESPRTF PRTF Printer file for PTF cover letters.
SNDSRVRQS QGPL Qnnnnnnn SAVF PTF save file, where nnnnnnn is the PTF
number.
QSYS QESPRTF PRTF Printer file for PTF cover letters.
QUSRSYS QAEDCDBPF PF File containing service contact data.
STRCODE user-lib EVFCICFF ICFF ICF file used for communication with
workstation.
STRCPYSCN QSYS QASCCPY PF Pattern for copy screen output file.
STRDFU QSYS QDFUPRT PRTF DFU printer file.
QSYS QPDZDTALOG PRTF DFU runtime audit log.
QSYS QPDZDTAPRT PRTF DFU runtime printer data file.
QUSRSYS QABBxxxxx PF See Note E.
STRPDM QPDA QPUOPRTF PRTF Printer file for displayed lists in PDM.

CRTPFRDTA All of the following files for the CRTPFRDTA command are physical files (PF) or logical files (LF)
that are used as model files (not actual output files) to define the record formats of files created
to store performance data collected by this command. All of these model files are in the QSYS
library, and the files they create are in a library determined by the user (sets to the same library
specified for the *MGTCOL object as the default- typically QPFRDATA). Each created file stores
the specific type of performance data in the format defined for the specific type of data being
collected.

For the files listed as follows, the common part of each model file’s description begins here and
the unique part of each description continues under the File usage column:
2
QSYS QAPMAPPN PF ...APPN data.
2
QSYS QAPMASYN PF ...asynchronous data.
2
QSYS QAPMBSC PF ...binary synchronous data.

Control language 153

 QSYS QAPMJOBMI PF ...job data from MI.
QSYS QAPMJOBOS PF ...job data from the i5/OS operating system.
2
QSYS QAPMJOBWT PF ...Job wait bucket data.
2
QSYS QAPMJOBWTD PF ...Job wait bucket descriptions.
QSYS QAPMJSUM PF ...job data summarized.
2
QSYS QAPMBUS PF ...bus counter data.
2
QSYS QAPMCIOP PF ...communications controller data.
2
QSYS QAPMCONF PF ...system configuration data.
2
QSYS QAPMDDI PF ...DDI distributed interface data.
2
QSYS QAPMDIOP PF ...storage device controller data.
2
QSYS QAPMDISK PF ...disk storage (DASD) data.
2
QSYS QAPMDOMINO PF ...Domino data.
2
QSYS QAPMECL PF ...ECL or token-ring LAN data.
2
QSYS QAPMETH PF ...Ethernet statistics data.
2
QSYS QAPMFRLY PF ...frame relay data.
2
QSYS QAPMHDLC PF ...HDLC and SDLC control data.
QSYS QAPMHTTPB PF ...HTTP server (powered by Apache) base
data. 2
QSYS QAPMHTTPD PF ...HTTP server (powered by Apache) detail
data. 2
2
QSYS QAPMIDLC PF ...ISDN data link control file entries data.
QSYS QAPMJOBL LF ...logical view of job data from
2
QAPMJOBMI and QAPMJOBOS.
2
QSYS QAPMLAPD PF ...ISDN LAPD file entries data.
2
QSYS QAPMLIOP PF ...local workstation controller (WSC) data.
2
QSYS QAPMMIOP PF ...multifunction controller data.
2
QSYS QAPMPOOLB PF ...main storage pool data.
2
QSYS QAPMPOOLT PF ...pool tuning data.
2
QSYS QAPMPOOLL LF ...logical view as pool data.
2
QSYS QAPMPPP PF ...PPP protocol data.
2
QSYS QAPMRESP PF ...local workstation response data.
QSYS QAPMSAP PF ...token-ring LAN, Ethernet, Distributed
Data Interface, and frame relay service
access point. 2
2
QSYS QAPMSBSD PF ...subsystem description data.
2
QSYS QAPMSNA PF ...SNA data.
2
QSYS QAPMSNADS PF ...SNADS data.
2
QSYS QAPMSTND PF ...DDI station data.
2
QSYS QAPMSTNE PF ...Ethernet station data.
2
QSYS QAPMSTNL PF ...token-ring LAN station data.
2
QSYS QAPMSTNY PF ...frame relay station data.
2
QSYS QAPMSYSCPU PF ...system CPU data.
2
QSYS QAPMSYSL LF ...log view CPU sys data.

154 System i: Programming Control language

 2
QSYS QAPMSYSTEM PF ...system performance data.
2
QSYS QAPMTCP PF ...TCP system data.
2
QSYS QAPMTCPIFC PF ...TCP interface data.
2
QSYS QAPMTSK PF ...system internal data.
2
QSYS QAPMUSRTNS PF ...User defined transaction data .
2
QSYS QAPMX25 PF ...X.25 communications data.
STRPRTEML QSYS QPEMPRTF PRTF Emulation printer file.
STRPRTWTR QSYS QPSPLPRT PRTF Printer device file used for all printer
writing.
1
STRQMQRY QSYS QPQXPRTF PRTF Printer file used by Query CPI.
2
STRQST QQALIB QAQAxxxx00 PF Q & A supplied model database files.
2
QSYS QAQA00xxxx LF Q & A database model files.
2
QSYS QAQA00xxxx PF Q & A database model files.
QSYS QPQAPRT PRTF Q & A printer file.
QUSRSYS QABBxxxxx PF See Note F.
STRSDA QGPL QDDSSRC PF DDS source default input file.
STRSEU QGPL QTXTSRC PF SEU source default input file.
QPDA QPSUPRTF PRTF SEU source member printer file.
1
STRSST QSYS QPCSMPRT PRTF Service tools printer file.
QTY QATYALMF PF Telephony database model file of alarm
record formats.
QUSRSYS QATYSWTE PF Telephony database file of user-created
switch entries.
QTY QATYCDRF PF Telephony database model file of alarm
record formats.
QUSRSYS QATYSWTE PF Telephony database file of user-created
switch entries.
QUSRSYS QABBADMTB PF ...administration table.
QUSRSYS QABBCAN PF ...candidates file.
QUSRSYS QABBCOX PF ...context index.
QUSRSYS QABBDEX PF ...external document index identifiers.
QUSRSYS QABBDIC PF ...dictionary.
QUSRSYS QABBDIX PF ...internal document index identifiers.
QUSRSYS QABBDOX PF ...document index table.
QUSRSYS QABBFIX PF ...fragment index.
QUSRSYS QABBIQTB PF ...scheduling queue.
4
QUSRSYS QABBLADN PF ...list of indexed LADNs (library-assigned
document names).
TRCCNN QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Connection trace printer file.
4
This QABBLADN file is not used by the STRRGZIDX and STRIDXMON commands.
TRCCPIC QSYS QACM0TRC PF Trace CPI-Communications database model
output file. 2
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Trace CPI-Communications printer file.
TRCICF QSYS QAIFTRCF PF Trace ICF database output file.

Control language 155

 1
QSYS QPIFTRCF PRTF Trace ICF printer file.
TRCINT QSYS QPCSMPRT PRTF Internal trace (for concurrent service
monitor) printer file.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file for output.
TRCJOB QSYS QATRCJOB PF Database file that defines the record format
of the file created to store trace records. 2
1
QSYS QPSRVTRC PRTF Job trace printer output file.
UPDDTA QSYS QPDZDTALOG PRTF DFU runtime audit log.
QSYS QPDZDTAPRT PRTF DFU runtime printer data file.
VFYLNKLPDA QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Verify link supporting LPDA -2 printer file.
1

1
WRKACTJOB QSYS QPDSPAJB PRTF Active jobs display printer file.
WRKALR QUSRSYS QAALERT PF Alert database file.
1
QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Alert printer file.
1
WRKCFGSTS QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Configuration status printer file.
WRKCNTINF QUSRSYS QAEDCDBPF PF Database file containing contact data.
WRKDDMF QSYS QPWRKDDM PRTF Distributed data management (DDM) file
attributes printer file. 1
WRKDEVTBL QUSRSYS QFNDEVTBL PF File containing data for device tables.
WRKDIR QSYS QPDSPDDL PRTF Directory entry details printer file.
QSYS QPDSPDSM PRTF Directory entry summary printer file.
WRKDOCCVN QUSRSYS QAO1CRL LF Document conversion logical file for input
or output.
QUSRSYS QAO1CVNP PF Document conversion physical file for input
or output.
QUSRSYS QAO1DCVN PRTF Document conversion printer file.
WRKDPCQ QSYS QPDXWRKD PRTF Printer file for DSNX/PC queued
distribution requests. 1
1
WRKDSKSTS QSYS QPWCDSKS PRTF Disk status printer file.
WRKDSTL QSYS QPDSPLDL PRTF Distribution list details printer file.
QSYS QPDSPLSM PRTF Distribution list summary printer file.
1
WRKDSTQ QSYS QPDSTSTS PRTF Distribution status printer file.
QUSRSYS QASNADSQ PF SNADS destination queues table.
1
WRKFCT QRJE QPDSPFCT PRTF Forms control table printer file.
1
WRKGRPPDM QPDA QPUOPRTF PRTF Printer file for displayed lists in PDM.
WRKHDWRSC QSYS QASUPTEL PF Hardware resources locking database file.
WRKHTTPCFG QUSRSYS QATMHTTPC PF TCP/IP HTTP file.
1
WRKJOB QSYS QPDSPJOB PRTF Job display printer file.
1
WRKJOBQ QSYS QPRTSPLQ PRTF Job queue printer file (spooling queue).
1
WRKJOBSCDE QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Job schedule entries printer file.
1
WRKJRNA QSYS QPDSPJNA PRTF Journal attributes printer file.
1
WRKLIBPDM QPDA QPUOPRTF PRTF Printer file for displayed lists in PDM.
1
WRKMBRPDM QPDA QPUOPRTF PRTF Printer file for displayed lists in PDM.
1
WRKMSG QSYS QPDSPMSG PRTF Printer file for message queue messages.

156 System i: Programming Control language

WRKMSGD QSYS QPMSGD PRTF Message description printer file.
WRKNAMSMTP QSYS QATMSMTP PF TCP/IP SMTP personal alias table.
QSYS QATMSMTPA PF TCP/IP SMTP system alias table.
1
WRKNETF QSYS QANFDNTF PF Database file for display network files.
1
QSYS QPNFDNTF PRTF Printer file for display network files.
1
WRKNETJOBE QUSRSYS QANFNJE PF Database file for network job entries.
1
QSYS QPNFNJE PRTF Printer file for network job entries.
1
WRKOBJLCK QSYS QPDSPOLK PRTF Object locks display printer file.
1
WRKOBJPDM QPDA QPUOPRTF PRTF Printer file for displayed lists in PDM.
1
WRKOUTQ QSYS QPRTSPLQ PRTF Output spooling queue printer file.
1
WRKOUTQD QSYS QPDSPSQD PRTF Output queue description.
WRKPARTPDM QPDA QPUOPRTF PRTF Printer file for displayed lists in PDM.
WRKPGMTBL QUSRSYS QFNPGMTBL PF File containing data for program tables.
WRKPRB All 8 of the QASXxxxx files shown in the QUSRSYS library for the WRKPRB command are the
same subset of files that are shown in the QUSRSYS library for the DSPPRB command.
QSYS QSXPRTD PRTF Problem log detail printer file.
QSYS QSXPRTL PRTF Problem log summary printer file.
QUSRSYS QASXxxxx PF See the DSPPRB command for these 8 files
in the QUSRSYS library.
1
WRKPRJPDM QPDA QPUOPRTF PRTF Printer file for displayed lists in PDM.
WRKQRY QSYS QPQUPRFIL PRTF Printer file used for query output.
WRKQST QSYS QPQAPRT PRTF Q & A printer file.
WRKRDBDIRE QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Distributed relational database directory
printer file. 1
1
WRKRDR QSYS QPRTRDWT PRTF Reader display printer file.
1
WRKRJESSN QRJE QPRJESTS PRTF Active status printer file for RJE session.
1
WRKRPYLE QSYS QPRTRPYL PRTF System reply list printer file.
1
WRKSBMJOB QSYS QPDSPSBJ PRTF Submitted jobs printer file.
1
WRKSBS QSYS QPDSPSBS PRTF Subsystem display printer file.
1
WRKSBSJOB QSYS QPDSPSBJ PRTF Subsystem jobs display printer file.
1
WRKSHRPOOL QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Shared storage pools printer file.
WRKSOC QUSRSYS QAALSOC PF Sphere of control database file.
1
WRKSPLF QSYS QPRTSPLF PRTF Spooled file printer file.
1
WRKSPLFA QSYS QPDSPSFA PRTF Spooled file attributes printer file.
1
WRKSPTPRD QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Supported products printer file.
WRKSRVPVD QUSRSYS QAEDSPI PF Service provider information file.
WRKSRVRQS QUSRSYS QANSSRI PF Service requester file.
1
WRKSSND QRJE QPRTSSND PRTF Session description printer file.
WRKSYSACT user-lib QAITMON PF Performance data collection file: job and
Licensed Internal Code task data. 1
QPFR QAPTDDS PF Performance data DDS source file.
1
WRKSYSSTS QSYS QPDSPSTS PRTF System status printer file.
1
WRKSYSVAL QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF System values printer file.

Control language 157

WRKTAPCTG QUSRSYS QATAMID PF Cartridge ID database file.
QUSRSYS QATAMID LF Cartridge ID logical database file.
QUSRSYS QATACGY PF Category database file.
QUSRSYS QLTACGY LF Category logical file.
QSYS QSYSTAP TAPF Tape device file for input.
WRKTCPPTP QUSRSYS QATOCPTP PF TCP/IP point-to-point profile configuration.
QUSRSYS QATOCMODEM PF TCP/IP point-to-point modem
configuration.
WRKTIE QSYS QPTIRCV PRTF Printer file summary of files received.
WRKTRA QSYS QSYSPRT PRTF Printer file containing list of token-ring
network adapters. 1
1
WRKUSRJOB QSYS QPDSPSBJ PRTF User jobs display printer file.
WRKUSRTBL QUSRSYS QFNUSRTBL PF File containing data for user tables.
1
WRKWTR QSYS QPRTRDWT PRTF Writer display printer file.

Related information
Display Problems (DSPPRB) command

CL programming
To program using CL, you must understand the procedures and concepts specific to CL programming.

A CL source program or CL procedure is a group of CL commands that tells the system where to get input,
how to process it, and where to place the results. The program or procedure is assigned a name by which
it can then be called by other procedures or bound into a program and called. As with other kinds of
procedures, you must enter CL procedure source statements, compile, and bind them before you can run
the procedure.

When you enter CL commands individually (from the Command Entry display, for instance, or as
individual commands in an input stream), each command is separately processed. When you enter CL
commands as source statements for a CL procedure, the source remains for later modification if you
choose, and the commands are compiled into a module. This module remains as a permanent system
object that can be bound into other programs and run. Thus, CL is actually a high-level programming
language for system functions. CL procedures ensure consistent processing of groups of commands. You
can perform functions with a CL procedure that you cannot perform by entering commands individually,
and the CL program or procedure provides better performance at run time than the processing of several
separate commands.

CL procedures can be used in batch or interactive processing. Certain commands or functions are
restricted to either batch or interactive jobs. CL source statements consist of CL commands. You cannot
use all CL commands as CL source statements, and you can use some of them only in CL procedures or
original program model (OPM) programs. CL source statements can be entered in a database source
member either interactively from a workstation or in a batch job input stream from a device. To create a
program using CL source statements, you must enter the source statements into a database source
member. You can then create an Integrated Language Environment (ILE) program by compiling the
source member into a module and binding the module into a program object.

CL procedures can be written for many purposes, including:

v To control the sequence of processing and calling of other programs or procedures.
v To display a menu and run commands based on options selected from that menu. This makes the
workstation user’s job easier and reduces errors.

158 System i: Programming Control language

v To read a database file.
v To handle error conditions issued from commands, programs or procedures, by monitoring for specific
messages.
v To control the operation of an application by establishing variables used in the application, such as
date, time, and external indicators.
v To provide predefined functions for the system operator, such as starting a subsystem or saving files.
This reduces the number of commands the operator uses regularly, and it ensures that system
operations are performed consistently.

There are many advantages in using CL procedures for an application. For example:
v Because the commands are stored in a form that can be processed when the program is created, using
programs is faster than entering and running the commands individually.
v CL procedures are flexible. Parameters can be passed to CL procedures to adapt the operations
performed by the procedure to the requirements of a particular use.
v CL procedures can be tested and debugged like other high-level language programs and procedures.
v CL procedures and programs can incorporate conditional logic and special functions not available
when commands are entered individually.
v CL procedures can be bound with procedures of other languages.

You cannot use CL procedures to:

v Add or update records in database files.
v Use printer or ICF files.
v Use subfiles within display files.
v Use program-described display files.
Related tasks
“Using CL or other HLLs for mixed lists” on page 283
When a command is run using CL or another high-level language (HLL), the elements in a mixed list
are passed to the command processing program in this format.

Process for creating a CL source program or CL procedure

All programs are created in steps: source creation, module creation, and program creation.
1. Source creation. CL procedures consist of CL commands. In most cases, source statements are entered
into a database file in the logical sequence determined by your application design.
2. Module creation. Using the Create Control Language Module (CRTCLMOD) command, this source is
used to create a system object. The created CL module can be bound into programs. A CL module
contains one CL procedure. Other high-level language (HLL) languages can contain multiple
procedures for each module.
3. Program creation. Using the Create Program (CRTPGM) command, this module (along with other
modules and service programs) is used to create a program.

Note: If you want to create a program consisting of only one CL module, you can use the Create Bound
CL Program (CRTBNDCL) command, which combines steps 2 and 3. If you want to create an
original program model (OPM) CL program from the CL source statements, you can use the Create
CL Program (CRTCLPGM) command.
Related information
Create Program (CRTPGM) command
Create CL Program (CRTCLPGM) command
Create Bound CL Program (CRTCLPGM) command

Control language 159

Interactive entry
Interactive entry allows you to enter commands individually.

The i5/OS operating system provides many menus and displays to allow interactive entry, including the
Programmer Menu, the Command Entry display, command prompt displays, and the Programming
Development Manager (PDM) Menu. If you use the i5/OS security functions described in Security

reference , your ability to use these displays is controlled by the authority given to you in your user
profile. User profiles are generally created and maintained by a system security officer.

A frequently used source entry method is the source entry utility (SEU), which is part of the WebSphere
Development Studio. You can also use the Edit File (EDTF) command to enter or change CL commands
in a database source file. However, EDTF does not provide the integrated CL command prompting
support that is built into SEU.
Related information
Edit File (EDTF) command

Batch entry
You can create CL source, a CL module, and a program in one batch input stream.

The following example shows the basic parts of the input stream. The input is submitted to a job queue
using the Submit Job (SBMJOB) command. The input stream should follow this format:
// BCHJOB
CRTBNDCL PGM(QGPL/EDUPGM) SRCFILE(PERLIST)
// DATA FILE(PERLIST) FILETYPE(*SRC)
.
. (CL Procedure Source)
.
//
/*
// ENDINP

This stream creates a program from inline source. If you want to keep the source inline, a Copy File
(CPYF) command could be used to copy the source into a database file. The program could then be
created using the database file.

You can also create a CL module directly from CL source on external media, such as tape, using an
IBM-supplied device file. The IBM-supplied tape source file is QTAPSRC. Assume, for instance, that the
CL source statements are in a source file on tape named PGMA.

The first step is to identify the location of the source on tape by using the following override command
with LABEL attribute override:
OVRTAPF FILE(QTAPSRC) LABEL(PGMA)

Now you can consider the QTAPSRC file as the source file on the Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD)
command. To create the CL module based on the source input from the tape file, enter the following
command:
CRTCLMOD MODULE(QGPL/PGMA) SRCFILE(QTAPSRC)

When the CRTCLMOD command is processed, it treats the QTAPSRC source file like any database source
file. Using the override, the source is located on tape. PGMA is created in QGPL, and the source for that
module remains on tape.
Related information
Submit Job (SBMJOB) command
Copy File (CPYF) command

160 System i: Programming Control language

 Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) command

Parts of a CL procedure
While each source statement entered as part of a CL procedure is actually a CL command, the source can
be divided into the basic parts that are used in many typical CL procedures.
PGM command
PGM PARM(&A)
Optional PGM command beginning the procedure and identifying any parameters received.
Declare commands
(DCL, DCLF, COPYRIGHT, DCLPRCOPT)
Mandatory declaration of procedure variables when variables are used, and optional definition of
the size of the subroutine stack. The declare commands must precede all other commands except
the PGM command.
CL processing commands
CHGVAR, SNDPGMMSG, OVRDBF, DLTF, ...
CL commands used as source statements to manipulate constants or variables (this is a partial
list).
Logic control commands
IF, THEN, ELSE, DO, ENDDO, DOWHILE, DOUNTIL, DOFOR, LEAVE, ITERATE, GOTO, SELECT,
ENDSELECT, WHEN, OTHERWISE, CALLSUBR, SUBR, RTNSUBR, ENDSUBR
Commands used to control processing within the CL procedure.
Built-in functions
| %SUBSTRING (%SST), %SWITCH, %BINARY (%BIN), %ADDRESS (%ADDR), %OFFSET (%OFS)
Built-in functions and operators used in arithmetic, relational or logical expressions.
Program control commands
CALL, RETURN
CL commands used to pass control to other programs.
Procedure control commands
CALLPRC, RETURN
CL commands used to pass control to other procedures.
ENDPGM command
ENDPGM
Optional End Program command.

The sequence, combination, and extent of these components are determined by the logic and design of
your application.

A CL procedure can refer to other objects that must exist when the procedure is created, when the
command is processed, or both. In some circumstances, for your procedure to run successfully, you might
need:
v A display file. Use display files to format information on a device display. If your procedure uses a
display, you must enter and create the display file and record format by using the Create Display File
(CRTDSPF) command before creating the module. You must declare it to the procedure in the declare
section by using the Declare File (DCLF) command.
v A database file. Records in a database file can be read by a CL procedure. If your procedure uses a
database file, the file must be created using the Create Physical File (CRTPF) command or the Create
Logical File (CRTLF) command before the module is created. You can use Data Description

Control language 161

 Specifications (DDS), Structured Query Language (SQL), or interactive data definition utility (IDDU) to
define the format of the records in the file. The file must also be declared to the procedure in the DCL
section using the Declare File (DCLF) command.
v Other programs. If you use a CALL command, the called program must exist before running the CALL
command. It does not have to exist when compiling the calling module.
v Other procedures. If you use the CALLPRC command, the called procedure must exist at the time
CRTPGM is run. It does not have to exist when CRTCLMOD is run.
Related tasks
“Accessing objects in CL programs” on page 434
To access an object from a CL program, the object must be in the specified library when the command
that refers to it runs.
“Working with files in CL procedures” on page 438
Two types of files are supported in CL procedures and programs: display files and database files.
“Controlling flow and communicating between programs and procedures” on page 227
The Call Program (CALL), Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC), and Return (RETURN) commands pass
control back and forth between programs and procedures.
Related information
Create Physical File (CRTPF) command
Create Logical File (CRTLF) command
Create Display File (CRTDSPF) command
Declare File (DCLF) command
Call Program (CALL) command
Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command

Example: Simple CL procedure

This example is a procedure that calls several programs.

A CL program can be as simple or as complex as you want. To consolidate several activities normally
done by the system operator at the beginning of the day (to call programs A, B, and C, for example), you
can create a CL procedure STARTUP with the following code:
PGM /* STARTUP */
CALL PGM(A)
CALL PGM(B)
CALL PGM(C)
ENDPGM

In this example, the Programmer Menu is used to create the program. You could also use the
programming development manager (PDM), which is part of the WebSphere Development Studio.

To enter, create, and use this program, follow these steps.

162 System i: Programming Control language

To enter CL source, follow these steps:
1. Select option 8 (Edit source) on the Programmer Menu and specify STARTUP in the Parm field. (This
option creates a source member named STARTUP that will also be the name of the program.)
2. Specify CLLE in the Type field and press the Enter key.
3. On the SEU display, use the I (insert) line command to enter the CL commands (CALL is a CL
command).
Columns........: 1 71 Edit QGPL/QCLSRC
Find......: _____________________________________________ STARTUP
FMT A* .....A*. 1 ...+... 2 ...+... 3 ...+... 4 ...+... 5 ...+... 6 ...+... 7
************** Beginning of data ***********************************
.......
.......
.......
.......
.......
.......

When you have finished entering the source statements, complete these steps:
1. Press F3 to exit from SEU.
2. Accept the default on the exit display (option 2, Exit and update member) and press the Enter key to
return to the Programmer Menu.
3. Select option 3 (Create object) to create a program from the source statements you entered. You do not
have to change any other information on the display.

Note: The referenced programs (A, B, and C) do not have to exist when the program STARTUP is
created.

Control language 163

When the program is created, you can call it from the Programmer Menu by selecting option 4 (Call
program) and specifying STARTUP in the Parm field. If you attempt to run this sample program,
however, the referenced programs must exist by the time the CALL commands are run.
Related information
Call Program (CALL) command

Commands used in CL procedures

A CL procedure contains only CL commands. These can be IBM-supplied commands or commands
defined by you.

You cannot use some IBM-supplied commands in CL procedures. For information concerning the
individual command descriptions and their applicability in CL procedures, see the information for a
particular command using the CL command finder or the online help.

Commands entered on the RQSDTA and CMD parameters

Certain CL commands, such as Transfer Job (TFRJOB) and Submit Job (SBMJOB) have RQSDTA or CMD
parameters that can use another CL command as the parameter value. Commands that can only be used
within CL procedures cannot be used as values on the RQSDTA or CMD parameter.
Related information
Transfer Job (TFRJOB) command
Submit Job (SBMJOB) command

Common commands used in CL procedures

The list contains the commands frequently used in CL procedures. You can use this list to select the
appropriate command for the function you want.

System function Command Command function

Change procedure Call (CALL) Calling a program.
control 1
Call Procedure (CALLPRC) Calling a procedure.
Return (RETURN) Returning to the command following the command that
caused a program or procedure to be run.
1
CL procedure Program (PGM) Indicating the start of CL procedure source.
limits 1
End Program (ENDPGM) Indicating the end of CL procedure source.

164 System i: Programming Control language

System function Command Command function
1
CL procedure If (IF) Processing commands based on the value of a logical
logic expression.
1
Else (ELSE) Defining the action to be taken for the else (false)
condition of an IF command.
1
Do (DO) Indicating the start of a Do group.
1
Do While (DOWHILE) Indicating the start of a Do group that processes a set of
commands while the value of a logical expression
remains true.
Do Until (DOUNTIL)1 Indicating the start of a Do group that processes a set of
commands until the value of a logical expression is true.
Do For (DOFOR)1 Indicating the start of a Do group that processes
commands zero or more times based on specified
values.
1
Leave (LEAVE) Ending processing of commands in a Do While, Do
Until, or Do For group.
1
Iterate (ITERATE) Ending processing of commands in a Do While, Do
Until, or Do For group, and evaluates the group
conditions again.
1
End Do (ENDDO) Indicating the end of a Do group.
1
Go To (GOTO) Branching to another command.
1
Select (SELECT) Indicating the start of a Select group, which allows
conditional processing of command groups.
When (WHEN)1 Processing commands in a Select group when the value
of a logical expression is true.
1
Otherwise (OTHERWISE) Defining the commands to be processed if no conditions
on a When command in a Select group are true.
1
End Select (ENDSELECT) Indicating the end of a Select group.
1
Call Subroutine (CALLSUBR) Passing control to a subroutine defined within the same
procedure.
Subroutine (SUBR)1 Delimiting the group of commands which define a
subroutine.
Return Subroutine (RTNSUBR)1 Exiting a subroutine.
1
End Subroutine (ENDSUBR) Ending a subroutine.
1
CL procedure Change Variable (CHGVAR) Changing the value of a CL variable.
variables 1
Declare (DCL) Declaring a variable.
1
Conversion Change Variable (CHGVAR) Changing the value of a CL variable.
1
Convert Date (CVTDAT) Changing the format of a date.
Data areas Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) Changing a data area.
Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA) Creating a data area.
Delete Data Area (DLTDTAARA) Deleting a data area.
Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA) Displaying a data area.
1
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) Copying the content of a data area to a CL variable.

Control language 165

System function Command Command function
1
Files End Receive (ENDRCV) Canceling a request for input previously issued by a
RCVF, SNDF, or SNDRCVF command to a display file.
1
Declare File (DCLF) Declaring a display or database file.
1
Receive File (RCVF) Reading a record from a display or database file.
Retrieve Member Description Retrieving a description of a specific member of a
(RTVMBRD) 1 database file.
1
Send File (SNDF) Writing a record to a display file.
1
Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) Writing a record to a display file and reads that record
after the user has replied.
1
Wait (WAIT) Waiting for data to be received from an SNDF, RCVF, or
SNDRCVF command issued to a display file.
1
Messages Monitor Message (MONMSG) Monitoring for escape, status, and notify messages sent
to a program’s message queue.
1
Receive Message (RCVMSG) Copying a message from a message queue into CL
variables in a CL procedure.
1
Remove Message (RMVMSG) Removing a specified message from a specified message
queue.
1
Retrieve Message (RTVMSG) Copying a predefined message from a message file into
CL procedure variables.
Send Program Message Sending a program message to a message queue.
(SNDPGMMSG) 1
1
Send Reply (SNDRPY) Sending a reply message to the sender of an inquiry
message.
Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG) Sending an informational or inquiry message to a
display station or system operator.
Miscellaneous Check Object (CHKOBJ) Checking for the existence of an object and, optionally,
commands the necessary authority to use the object.
Print Command Usage Producing a cross-reference listing for a specified group
(PRTCMDUSG) of commands used in a specified group of CL
procedures.
Retrieve Configuration Source Generating CL command source for creating existing
(RTVCFGSRC) configuration objects and placing the source in a source
file member.
Retrieve Configuration Status Giving applications the capability to retrieve
(RTVCFGSTS) 1 configuration status from three configuration objects:
line, controller, and device.
1
Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) Retrieving the value of one or more job attributes and
placing the values in a CL variable.
Retrieve System Value (RTVSYSVAL) Retrieving a system value and placing it into a CL
1
variable.
1
Retrieve User Profile (RTVUSRPRF) Retrieving user profile attributes and placing them into
CL variables.

166 System i: Programming Control language

System function Command Command function
Program creation Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) Creating a CL module.
commands
Delete Module (DLTMOD) Deleting a module.
Delete Program (DLTPGM) Deleting a program.
Create Bound Control Language Creating a bound CL program.
Program (CRTBNDCL)
Create CL Program (CRTCLPGM) Creating an original program model (OPM) CL
program.
Create Program (CRTPGM) Creating a program from one or more modules.
Create Service Program Creating a service program from one or more modules.
(CRTSRVPGM)
1
Indicates the commands that you can use only in CL programs and procedures.

Related information
CL command finder

Operations performed by CL procedures

This is an overview of the types of operations that can be performed by using CL procedures.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

In general, you can perform the following operations:

v Use variables, logic control commands, expressions, and built-in functions to manipulate and process
data within a CL procedure:
PGM
DCL &C *LGL
DCL &A *DEC VALUE(22)
DCL &B *CHAR VALUE(ABCDE)
•
•
•
CHGVAR &A (&A + 30)
•
•
•
IF (&A < 50) THEN(CHGVAR &C ’1’)
•
DSPLIB (’Q’ ∨∨ &B)
•
IF (%SST(&B 5 1)=E) THEN(CHGVAR &A 12)
•
•
•
ENDPGM
v Use a system value as a variable in a CL procedure.

Control language 167

v Use a job attribute as a variable in a CL procedure.

v Send and receive data to and from a display file with a CL procedure.

v Create a CL procedure to monitor error messages for a job, and take corrective action if necessary.

168 System i: Programming Control language

 PGM

MONMSG MSGID(CPF0001) EXEC(GOTO ERROR)

CALL PROGA
CALL PROGB
RETURN
ERROR: SNDPGMMSG MSG(’A CALL command failed’) MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE)
ENDPGM
v Control processing among procedures and programs and pass parameters from a CL procedure to
other procedures or programs to override files.

Control language 169

Used as a controlling procedure, a CL procedure can call procedures written in other languages. The
preceding illustration shows how control can be passed between a CL procedure and RPG IV* and
Integrated Language Environment (ILE) COBOL procedures in an application. To use the application, a
workstation user would request program A, which controls the entire application. The illustration shows
a single bound program (PGMA) that is called using the CALL command with PGMA. PGMA consists of:
v A CL procedure (PGMA) calling an RPG IV procedure (PGMB)
v An RPG IV procedure (PGMB) calling another RPG IV procedure (PGMC)

170 System i: Programming Control language

v An RPG IV procedure (PGMB) calling a CL procedure (PGMD)
v A CL procedure (PGMA) calling an ILE COBOL procedure (PGME)
v An ILE COBOL procedure (PGME) calling a CL procedure (PGMF)

The procedures can be created as indicated in the following example. You can enter source for procedures
in separate source members.
CRTCLMOD PGMA
CRTRPGMOD PGMB
CRTRPGMOD PGMC
CRTCLMOD PGMD
CRTCBLMOD PGME
CRTCLMOD PGMF
CRTPGM PGM(PGMA) +
MODULE(PGMA PGMB PGMC PGMD PGME PGMF) +
ENTMOD(*FIRST)

Variables in CL commands
CL procedures consist of CL commands. Each command consists of the command name, parameter
keyword names, and parameter values.

Parameter values can be expressed as variables, constants, or expressions. A variable is a named

changeable value that can be accessed or changed by referring to its name. Variables can be used as
substitutes for most parameter values on CL commands. When a CL variable is specified as a parameter
value and the command containing it is run, the value of the variable is used as the parameter value.
Every time the command is run, a different value can be substituted for the variable. Variables and
expressions can be used as parameter values only in CL procedures and programs.

Variables are not stored in libraries; they are not objects; and their values are destroyed when the
procedure that contains them is no longer active. The use of variables as values gives CL programming a

Control language 171

special flexibility, because this allows high-level manipulation of objects whose content may change by
specific applications. You might, for instance, write a CL procedure to direct the processing of other
programs or the operation of several workstations without specifying which programs or workstations
are to be controlled. The system identifies these as variables in the CL procedure. You can define (specify)
the value of the variables when running the CL procedure.

In addition to the uses discussed in this section, variables can be used to:
v Pass information between procedures and jobs.
v Pass information between procedures and device displays.
v Conditionally process commands.
v Create objects. A variable can be used in place of an object name or library name, or both. The
following example shows the Create Physical File (CRTPF) command used with a specified library in
the first line, and with a variable replacing the library name in the second line:
CRTPF FILE(DSTPRODLB/&FILE)
CRTPF FILE(&LIB/&FILE)

Variables cannot be used to change a command name or keyword or to specify a procedure name for the
CALLPRC command. Command parameters, however, can be changed during the processing of a CL
procedure through the use of the prompting function.

It is also possible to assemble the keywords and parameters for a command and process it using the
QCAPCMD API or QCMDEXC API.
Related tasks
“Controlling flow and communicating between programs and procedures” on page 227
The Call Program (CALL), Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC), and Return (RETURN) commands pass
control back and forth between programs and procedures.
“Working with multiple device display files” on page 447
A multiple device display configuration occurs when a single job called by one requester
communicates with multiple display stations through one display file. While only one display file can
be handled by a CL procedure, the display file, or different record formats within it, can be sent to
several device displays.
“Prompting for user input at run time” on page 334
With most CL procedures and programs, the workstation user provides input to the procedure or
program by specifying command parameter values passed to the procedure or program or by typing
into input-capable fields on a display prompt.
“QCAPCMD program” on page 329
The Process Commands (QCAPCMD) API performs command analyzer processing on command
strings.
“QCMDEXC program” on page 329
The Execute Command (QCMDEXC) API is an IBM-supplied program that runs a single command.
“Data type errors using the CALL command” on page 236
When you use the Call Program (CALL) command, data type errors might occur.
Related reference
“Controlling processing within a CL program or CL procedure” on page 181
You can use commands to change the flow of logic within your CL procedure.

Declaring variables to a CL procedure

All variables must be declared (defined) to the CL procedure before they can be used by the procedure.

There are two ways of declaring variables:

v Declare variable. Defining it is accomplished using the Declare CL Variable (DCL) command and
consists of defining the attributes of the variable. These attributes include type, length, and initial
value.
172 System i: Programming Control language
 DCL VAR(&AREA) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) VALUE(BOOK)
v Declare file. If your CL procedure uses a file, you must specify the name of the file in the FILE
parameter on the Declare File (DCLF) command. The file contains a description (format) of the records
in the file and the fields in the records. During compilation, the DCLF command implicitly declares CL
variables for the fields and indicators defined in the file.
For example, if the DDS for the file has one record in it with two fields (F1 and F2), then two variables,
&F1 and &F2, are automatically declared in the program.
DCLF FILE(MCGANN/GUIDE)
If the file is a physical file which was created without DDS, one variable is declared for the entire
record. The variable has the same name as the file, and its length is the same as the record length of
the file.

The declare commands must precede all other commands in the procedure (except the PGM command),
but they can be intermixed in any order.

Rules for using the Declare CL Variable command

In its simplest form, the Declare CL Variable (DCL) command has the following parameters.

When you use a DCL command, you must use the following rules:
v The CL variable name must begin with an ampersand (&) followed by as many as 10 characters. The
first character following the & must be alphabetic and the remaining characters alphanumeric. For
example, &PART.
v The CL variable value must be one of the following:
– A character string as long as 5000 characters.
– A packed decimal value totaling up to 15 digits with as many as 9 decimal positions.
– A logical value ’0’ or ’1’, where ’0’ can mean off, false, or no, and ’1’ can mean on, true, or yes. A
logical variable must be either ’0’ or ’1’.
– An integer value of two bytes or four bytes. The value can be negative if *INT is specified for the
TYPE parameter.
| – A pointer value which can hold the location of data in storage.
v If you do not specify an initial value, the following is assumed:
– ’0’ for decimal variables.
– Blanks for character variables.
– ’0’ for logical variables.
– ’0’ for integer variables.
| – Null for pointer variables.
For decimal and character types, if you specify an initial value and do not specify the LEN parameter,
the default length is the same as the length of the initial value. For type *CHAR, if you do not specify
the LEN parameter, the string can be as long as 5000 characters. For type *INT or *UINT, if you do not
specify the LEN parameter, the default length is 4.
v Declare the parameters as variables in the program DCL statements.
Related information
Declare CL Variable (DCL) command

Control language 173

| Uses for based variables
| Based variables can be used to map variables passed to the program or manipulate arrays of values.

| The basing pointer must be set using the ADDRESS keyword on the Declare (DCL Command) or with
| the %ADDRESS built-in function before being used. After the basing pointer is set, the variables will
| work like local variables.

| In the following example, the basing pointer &PTR is declared to be equal to the address of &AUTO. The
| variable &BASED then has the value of the first 10 bytes addressed by the pointer variable &PTR. Later
| in the procedure, the value of variable &BASED is checked for equality against the first 10 bytes of
| variable &AUTO. If the values are the same, meaning pointer &PTR addresses the first byte of &AUTO,
| the pointer offset is changed to address byte 11 of variable &AUTO. Now variable &BASED has a value
| equal to bytes 11-20 of variable &AUTO.

| Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
| information” on page 569.
| PGM
| DCL &AUTO *CHAR 20
| DCL &PTR *PTR ADDRESS(&AUTO)
| DCL &BASED *CHAR 10 STG(*BASED) BASPTR(&PTR)
| :
| IF COND(%SST(&AUTO 1 10) *EQ &BASED) +
| THEN(CHGVAR %OFS(&PTR) (%OFS(&PTR) + 10))
| :
| ENDPGM
| Related information
| Declare CL Variable (DCL) command

| Uses for defined variables

| Defined variables make it easy to manage complex data structures in control language (CL) by
| eliminating the need to substring values out of a large variable.

| Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
| information” on page 569.

| Defined variables can be used to map different parts of the defined on variable or the same part of a
| given variable in different ways.

| In the following example, the variables &LIBNAME will always be equal to the first 10 bytes of
| &OBJECT. Using the defined variable &LIBNAME will improves the readability of the code and makes it
| easier to work with. The variable &OBJECT provides the storage for the &LIBNAME and &OBJNAME
| variables.
| PGM
| DCL &OBJECT *CHAR 20
| DCL &LIBNAME *CHAR 10 STG(*DEFINED) DEFVAR(&OBJECT)
| DCL &OBJNAME *CHAR 10 STG(*DEFINED) DEFVAR(&OBJECT 11)
| :
| IF COND(%SST(&OBJECT 11 10) *EQ &OBJNAME) +
| THEN(...))
| :
| ENDPGM

| You can also make the same storage with multiple definitions. In this example, the variables &BINLEN
| and &CHARLEN both refer to the same 4 bytes of variable &STRUCT. The program can then use the
| definition that best suits its requirements.

174 System i: Programming Control language

| PGM
| DCL &STRUCT *CHAR 50
| DCL &BINLEN *INT 4 STG(*DEFINED) DEFVAR(&STRUCT)
| DCL &CHARLEN *CHAR 4 STG(*DEFINED) DEFVAR(&STRUCT)
| :
| ENDPGM

| This example shows how a defined variable can be used to change values in a variable. This example
| also makes use of the %OFFSET built-in function and a based variable to navigate the library list. This is
| not the optimal way to do message substation but illustrates some of the capabilities of defined variables.
| PGM
| DCL &MESSAGE *CHAR 25 VALUE(’LIBRARY NNN IS XXXXXXXXXX’)
| DCL &SEQUENCE *CHAR 3 STG(*DEFINED) DEFVAR(&MESSAGE 9)
| DCL &MSGLIBN *CHAR 10 STG(*DEFINED) DEFVAR(&MESSAGE 16)
| DCL &COUNTER *INT 2
| DCL &LIBL *CHAR 165
| DCL &PTR *PTR ADDRESS(&LIBL)
| DCL &LIBLNAME *CHAR 10 STG(*BASED) BASPTR(&PTR)
| :
| RTVJOBA SYSLIBL(&LIBL)
| CHGVAR &COUNTER 0
| DOFOR &COUNTER FROM(1) TO(15)
| IF (&LIBLNAME *EQ ’ ’) THEN(LEAVE)
| CHGVAR &SEQUENCE &COUNTER
| CHGVAR &MSGLIBN &LIBLNAME
| SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF9898) MSGF(QSYS/QCPFMSG) MSGDTA(&MESSAGE)
| CHGVAR %OFS(&PTR) (%OFS(&PTR) + 11)
| ENDDO
| :
| ENDPGM

| Variables to use for specifying a list or qualified name

Variables can be used to specify a list or qualified name.

The value on a parameter can be a list. For example, the Change Library List (CHGLIBL) command
requires a list of libraries on the LIBL parameter, each separated by blanks. The elements in this list can
be variables:
CHGLIBL LIBL(&LIB1 &LIB2 &LIB3)

When variables are used to specify elements in a list, each element must be declared separately:
DCL VAR(&LIB1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) VALUE(QTEMP)
DCL VAR(&LIB2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) VALUE(QGPL)
DCL VAR(&LIB3) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) VALUE(DISTLIB)
CHGLIBL LIBL(&LIB1 &LIB2 &LIB3)

Variable elements cannot be specified in a list as a character string.

Incorrect:
DCL VAR(&LIBS) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(20) +
VALUE(’QTEMP QGPL DISTLIB’)
CHGLIBL LIBL(&LIBS)

When presented as a single character string, the system does not view the list as a list of separate
elements, and an error will occur.

You can also use variables to specify a qualified name, if each qualifier is declared as a separate variable.
DCL VAR(&PGM) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&LIB) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
CHGVAR VAR(&PGM) VALUE(MYPGM)
CHGVAR VAR(&LIB) VALUE(MYLIB)
.

Control language 175

.
.
DLTPGM PGM(&LIB/&PGM)
ENDPGM

In this example, the program and library name are declared separately. The program and library name
cannot be specified in one variable, as in the following example.

Incorrect:
DCL VAR(&PGM) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(11)
CHGVAR VAR(&PGM) VALUE(’MYLIB/MYPGM’)
DLTPGM PGM(&PGM)

Here again the value is viewed by the system as a single character string, not as two objects (a library
and an object). If a qualified name must be handled as a single variable with a character string value, you
can use the built-in function %SUBSTRING and the *TCAT concatenation function to assign object and
library names to separate variables.
Related tasks
“Defining commands” on page 258
CL commands enable you to request a broad range of functions. You can use IBM-supplied
commands, change the default values for command parameters, and define your own commands.
Related reference
“%SUBSTRING built-in function” on page 205
The substring built-in function (%SUBSTRING or%SST) produces a character string that is a subset of
an existing character string and can only be used within a CL procedure.

Cases of characters in variables

There are restrictions on the cases used for characters in variables.

Reserved values, such as *LIBL, that can be used as variables must always be expressed in uppercase
letters, especially if they are presented as character strings enclosed in single quotation marks. For
instance, if you wanted to substitute a variable for a library name on a command, the correct code is as
follows:
DCL VAR(&LIB) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) VALUE(’*LIBL’)
DLTPGM &LIB/MYPROG;

However, it would be incorrect to specify the VALUE parameter this way:

DCL VAR(&LIB) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) VALUE(’*libl’)

Note that if this VALUE parameter had not been enclosed in single quotation marks, it would have been
correct, because without the single quotation marks it would be translated to uppercase automatically.
This error frequently occurs when the parameter is passed as input to a procedure or program from a
display as a character string, and the display entry is made in lowercase.

Note: The previous paragraph does not take into account the fact that conversion to uppercase is
language dependent. Remember to rely on the system to convert values to uppercase can produce
unexpected results.

Variables that replace reserved or numeric parameter values

Character variables can be used for some commands to represent a value on the command parameter.

Some CL commands allow both numeric or predefined (reserved) values on certain parameters. Where
this is true, you can also use character variables to represent the value on the command parameter.

Each parameter on a command can accept only certain types of values. The parameter can allow an
integer, a character string, a reserved value, a variable of a specified type, or some mixture of these, as

176 System i: Programming Control language

values. Some types of values are required for parameters. If the parameter allows numeric values (if the
value is defined in the command as *INT2, *INT4, *UINT2, *UINT4, or *DEC) and also allows reserved
values (a character string preceded by an asterisk), you can use a variable as the value for the parameter.
The variable must be declared as TYPE(*CHAR) if you intend to use a reserved value.

For example, the Change Output Queue (CHGOUTQ) command has a job separator (JOBSEP) parameter
that can have a value of either a number (0 through 9) or the predefined default, *SAME. Because both
the number and the predefined value are acceptable, you can also write a CL procedure that substitutes a
character variable for the JOBSEP value.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
DCL &NRESP *CHAR LEN(6)
DCL &SEP *CHAR LEN(4)
DCL &FILNAM *CHAR LEN(10)
DCL &FILLIB *CHAR LEN(10)
DCLF.....
.
.
.
LOOP: SNDRCVF.....
IF (&SEP *EQ IGNR) GOTO END
ELSE IF (&SEP *EQ NONE) CHGVAR &NRESP ’0’
ELSE IF (&SEP *EQ NORM) CHGVAR &NRESP ’1’
ELSE IF (&SEP *EQ SAME) CHGVAR &NRESP ’*SAME’
CHGOUTQ OUTQ(&FILLIB/&FILNAM) JOBSEP(&NRESP)
GOTO LOOP
END: RETURN
ENDPGM

In the preceding example, the display station user enters information on a display describing the number
of job separators required for a specified output queue. The variable &NRESP is a character variable
manipulating numeric and predefined values (note the use of single quotation marks). The JOBSEP
parameter on the Change Output Queue (CHGOUTQ) command will recognize these values as if they
had been entered as numeric or predefined values. The DDS for the display file used in this program
should use the VALUES keyword to restrict the user responses to IGNR, NONE, NORM, or SAME.

If the parameter allows a numeric type of value (*INT2, *INT4, *UINT2, *UINT4, or *DEC) and you do
not intend to enter any reserved values (such as *SAME), then you can use a decimal or integer variable
in that parameter.

Another alternative for this function is to use the prompter within CL procedures.
Related tasks
“Defining commands” on page 258
CL commands enable you to request a broad range of functions. You can use IBM-supplied
commands, change the default values for command parameters, and define your own commands.

Changing the value of a variable

You can change the value of a CL variable using the Change Variable (CHGVAR) command.

The value can be changed:

v To a constant, shown in this example:
CHGVAR VAR(&INVCMPLT) VALUE(0)
&INVCMPLT is set to 0.
You could also use this notation:
CHGVAR &INVCMPLT 0

Control language 177

v To the value of another variable, shown in this example:
CHGVAR VAR(&A) VALUE(&B)
&A is set to the value of the variable &B
You could also use this notation:
CHGVAR &A &B
v To the value of an expression after it is evaluated, shown in the following example:
CHGVAR VAR(&A) VALUE(&A + 1)
The value of &A is increased by 1.
You could also use this notation:
CHGVAR &A (&A + 1)
v To the value produced by the built-in function %SST, shown in the following example:
CHGVAR VAR(&A) VALUE(%SST(&B 1 5))
&A is set to the first five characters of the value of the variable &B
v To the value produced by the built-in function %SWITCH, shown in the following example:
CHGVAR VAR(&A) VALUE(%SWITCH(0XX111X0))
&A is set to 1 if job switches 1 and 8 are 0 and job switches 4, 5 and 6 are 1; otherwise, &A is set to 0.
v To the value produced by the built-in function %BIN:
CHGVAR VAR(&A) VALUE(%BIN((%B 1 4))
The first four characters of variable &B are converted to the decimal equivalent and stored in variable
&A.

The CHGVAR command can be used to retrieve and to change the local data area also. For example, the
following commands blank out 10 bytes of the local data area and retrieve part of the local data area:
CHGVAR %SST(*LDA 1 10) ’ ’

CHGVAR &A %SST(*LDA 1 10)

The following table shows valid assignments to variables from values (literals or variables).
Table 23. Valid assignments to variables from values
Logical value Character value Decimal value Signed integer Unsigned integer
value value
Logical variable X
Character X X X X X
variable
Decimal variable X X X X
Signed integer X X X X
variable
Unsigned integer X X X X
variable

Notes:
1. When specifying a numeric value for a character variable, remember the following:
v The value of the character variable is right-aligned and, if necessary, padded with leading
zeros.
v The character variable must be long enough to contain a decimal point and a minus (-) sign,
when necessary.
v When used, a minus (-) sign is placed in the leftmost position of the value.

178 System i: Programming Control language

 For example, &A is a character variable to be changed to the value of the decimal variable &B.
The length of &A is 6. The length of &B is 5 and decimal positions is 2. The current value of
&B is 123. The resulting value of &A is 123.00.
2. When specifying a character value for a numeric variable, remember the following:
v The decimal point is determined by the placement of a decimal point in the character value.
If the character value does not contain a decimal point, the decimal point is placed in the
rightmost position of the value.
v The character value can contain a minus (-) sign or plus (+) sign immediately to the left of
the value; no intervening blanks are allowed. If the character value has no sign, the value is
assumed to be positive.
v If the character value contains more digits to the right of the decimal point than can be
contained in the numeric variable, the digits are truncated if it is a decimal variable, or
rounded if it is an integer variable. If the excess digits are to the left of the decimal point,
they are not truncated and an error occurs.
For example, &C is a decimal variable to be changed to the value of the character variable
&D. The length of &C is 5 with 2 decimal positions. The length of &D is 10 and its current
value is +123.1bbbb (where b=blank). The resulting value of &C is 123.10.
Related reference
“%ADDRESS built-in function in a CL program or procedure” on page 201
The address built-in function (%ADDRESS or %ADDR) can be used to change or test the memory
address stored in a CL pointer variable and can only be used within a CL procedure.
“%OFFSET built-in function” on page 204
The offset built-in function (%OFFSET or %OFS) can be used to store or change the offset portion of a
CL pointer variable and can only be used within a CL procedure.
“%SUBSTRING built-in function” on page 205
The substring built-in function (%SUBSTRING or%SST) produces a character string that is a subset of
an existing character string and can only be used within a CL procedure.
“%SWITCH built-in function” on page 207
The switch built-in function (%SWITCH) compares one or more of eight switches with the eight
switch settings already established for the job and returns a logical value of ’0’ or ’1’.
“%BINARY built-in function” on page 202
The binary built-in function (%BINARY or %BIN) interprets the contents of a specified CL character
variable as a signed binary integer.
Related information
Change Variable (CHGVAR) command

Trailing blanks on command parameters

In certain command parameters, you can define how trailing blanks are processed.

Some command parameters are defined with the parameter value of VARY(*YES). This parameter value
causes the length of the value passed to be the number of characters between the single quotation marks.
When a CL variable is used to specify the value for a parameter defined in this way, the system removes
trailing blanks before determining the length of the variable to be passed to the command processor
program. If the trailing blanks are present and are significant for the parameter, you must take special
actions to ensure that the length passed includes them. Most command parameters are defined and used
in ways that do not cause this condition to occur. An example of a parameter defined where this
condition is likely to occur is the key value element of the POSITION parameter on the Override with
Database File (OVRDBF) command.

When this condition occurs, the result that you want can be attained for these parameters by constructing
a command string that delimits the parameter value with single quotation marks and passing the string
to QCMDEXC or QCAPCMD for processing.

Control language 179

Here is an example of a program that can be used to run the Override with Database File (OVRDBF)
command so that the trailing blanks are included as part of the key value. This same technique can be
used for other commands that have parameters defined using the parameter VARY(*YES); trailing blanks
must be passed with the parameter.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM PARM(&KEYVAL &LEN)
/* PROGRAM TO SHOW HOW TO SPECIFY A KEY VALUE WITH TRAILING */
/* BLANKS AS PART OF THE POSITION PARAMETER ON THE OVRDBF */
/* COMMAND IN A CL PROGRAM. */
/* THE KEY VALUE ELEMENT OF THE POSITION PARAMETER OF THE OVRDBF */
/* COMMAND IS DEFINED USING THE VARY(*YES) PARAMETER. */
/* THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS PARAMETER ON THE ELEM COMMAND */
/* DEFINITION STATEMENT SPECIFIES THAT IF A PARAMETER */
/* DEFINED IN THIS WAY IS SPECIFIED AS A CL VARIABLE THE */
/* LENGTH IS PASSED AS THE VARIABLE WITH TRAILING BLANKS */
/* REMOVED. A CALL TO QCMDEXC USING APOSTROPHES TO DELIMIT */
/* THE LENGTH OF THE KEY VALUE CAN BE USED TO CIRCUMVENT */
/* THIS ACTION. */
/* PARAMETERS-- */
DCL VAR(&KEYVAL) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(32) /* THE VALUE +
OF THE REQUESTED KEY. NOTE IT IS DEFINED AS +
32 CHAR. */
DCL VAR(&LEN) TYPE(*INT) /* THE LENGTH +
OF THE KEY VALUE TO BE USED. ANY VALUE OF +
1 TO 32 CAN BE USED */
/* THE STRING TO BE FINISHED FOR THE OVERRIDE COMMAND TO BE */
/* PASSED TO QCMDEXC (NOTE 2 APOSTROPHES TO GET ONE). */
DCL VAR(&STRING) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(100) +
VALUE(’OVRDBF FILE(X3) POSITION(*KEY 1 FMT1 ’’ ’)
/* POSITION MARKER 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 */
DCL VAR(&END) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(15 5) /* A VARIABLE +
TO CALCULATE THE END OF THE KEY IN &STRING */

CHGVAR VAR(%SST(&STRING 40 &LEN)) VALUE(&KEYVAL) /* +

PUT THE KEY VALUE INTO COMMAND STRING FOR +
QCMDEXC IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE APOSTROPHE. */
CHGVAR VAR(&END) VALUE(&LEN + 40) /* POSITION AFTER +
LAST CHARACTER OF KEY VALUE */
CHGVAR VAR(%SST(&STRING &END 2)) VALUE(’’)’) /* PUT +
A CLOSING APOSTROPHE & PAREN TO END +
PARAMETER */
CALL PGM(QCMDEXC) PARM(&STRING 100) /* CALL TO +
PROCESS THE COMMAND */
ENDPGM

Note: If you use VARY(*YES) and RTNVAL(*YES) and are passing a CL variable, the length of the
variable is passed rather than the length of the data in the CL variable.
Related information
Override with Data Base File (OVRDBF) command

Writing comments in CL procedures

To write comments in your CL procedures or add comments to commands in your procedures, use the
character pairs /* and */. The comment is written between these symbols.

The starting comment delimiter, /*, requires three characters unless the /* characters appear in the first
two positions of the command string. In the latter situation, /* can be used without a following blank
before a command.

You can enter the three-character starting comment delimiters in any of the following ways (b represents
a blank):

180 System i: Programming Control language

 /*b
b/*
/**

Therefore, the starting comment delimiter can be entered in different ways. The starting comment
delimiter, /*, can:
v Begin in the first position of the command string
v Be preceded by a blank
v Be followed by a blank
v Be followed by an asterisk (/**)

Note: A comment cannot be embedded within a comment.

For example, in the following procedure, comments are written to describe possible user responses to a
set of menu options.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

PGM /* ORD040C ORDER DEPT GENERAL MENU */

DCLF FILE(ORD040CD)
START: SNDRCVF RCDFMT(MENU)
SELECT
WHEN (&RESP=1) THEN(CALL CUS210) /* CUSTOMER INQUIRY */
WHEN (&RESP=2) THEN(CALL ITM210) /* ITEM INQUIRY */
WHEN (&RESP=3) THEN(CALL CUS210) /* CUSTOMER NAME SEARCH */
WHEN (&RESP=4) THEN(CALL ORD215) /* ORDERS BY CUST */
WHEN (&RESP=5) THEN(CALL ORD220) /* EXISTING ORDER */
WHEN (&RESP=6) THEN(CALL ORD410C) /* ORDER ENTRY */
WHEN (&RESP=7) THEN(RETURN)
ENDSELECT
GOTO START
ENDPGM

Controlling processing within a CL program or CL procedure

You can use commands to change the flow of logic within your CL procedure.

Commands in a CL procedure are processed in consecutive sequence. Each command is processed, one
after another, in the sequence in which it is encountered. You can alter this consecutive processing using
commands that change the flow of logic in the procedure. These commands can be conditional or
unconditional.

Unconditional branching means that you can instruct processing to branch to commands or sets of
commands located anywhere in the procedure without regard to what conditions exist at the time the
branch instruction is processed. Unconditional processing commands include:
v GOTO
v ITERATE
v LEAVE
v CALLSUBR

Conditional branching means that under certain specified conditions, processing can branch to sections or
commands that are not consecutive within the procedure. The branching can be to any statement in the
procedure. This is called conditional processing because the branching only occurs when the specified
condition is true. Conditional processing is typically associated with the IF command. With the ELSE
command, you can specify alternative processing if the condition is not true.The simple DO command

Control language 181

allows you to create groups of commands that are always processed together, as a group, under specified
conditions. Conditional processing commands include:
v IF and THEN
v SELECT, WHEN, and OTHERWISE
v DOFOR
v DOWHILE
v DOUNTIL
Related tasks
“Variables in CL commands” on page 171
CL procedures consist of CL commands. Each command consists of the command name, parameter
keyword names, and parameter values.
Related information
CL command finder

GOTO command and command labels in a CL program or procedure

The Go To (GOTO) command processes an unconditional branch.

With the GOTO command, processing is directed to another part (identified by a label) of the procedure
whenever the GOTO command is encountered. This branching does not depend on the evaluation of an
expression. After the branch to the labeled statement, processing begins at that statement and continues
in consecutive sequence; it does not return to the GOTO command unless specifically directed back by
another instruction. You can branch forward or backward. You cannot use GOTO to go to a label outside
the procedure, nor can you use a GOTO to branch into or out of a subroutine defined within the
procedure. The GOTO command has one parameter, which contains the label of the statement branched
to:
GOTO CMDLBL(label)

A label identifies the statement in the procedure to which processing is directed by the GOTO command.
To use a GOTO command, the command you are branching to must have a label.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
.
.
.
START: SNDRCVF RCDFMT(MENU)
IF (&RESP=1) THEN(CALL CUS210)
.
.
.
GOTO START
.
.
.
ENDPGM

The label in this example is START. A label can have as many as 10 characters and must be immediately
followed by a colon, but blanks can occur between the label and the command name.
Related information
CL command finder
Go To (GOTO) command

182 System i: Programming Control language

IF command in a CL program or procedure
The If (IF) command is used to state a condition that, if true, specifies a statement or group of statements
in the procedure to be run.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

The Else (ELSE) command can be used with the IF command to specify a statement or group of
statements to be run if the condition expressed by the IF command is false.

The command includes an expression, which is tested (true or false), and a THEN parameter that
specifies the action to be taken if the expression is true. The IF command is formatted as follows:
IF COND(logical-expression) THEN(CL-command)

The logical expression on the COND parameter can be a single logical variable or constant, or it must
describe a relationship between two or more operands; the expression is then evaluated as true or false.

If the condition described by the logical expression is evaluated as true, the procedure processes the CL
command on the THEN parameter. This may be a single command, or a group of commands. If the
condition is not true, the procedure runs the next sequential command.

Both COND and THEN are keywords on the command, and they can be omitted for positional entry. The
following are syntactically correct uses of this command:
IF COND(&RESP=1) THEN(CALL CUS210)
IF (&A *EQ &B) THEN(GOTO LABEL)
IF (&A=&B) GOTO LABEL

Blanks are required between the command name (IF) and the keyword (COND) or value (&A). No blanks
are permitted between the keyword, if specified, and the left parenthesis enclosing the value.

The following example is about conditional processing with an IF command. Processing branches in
different ways depending on the evaluation of the logical expression in the IF commands. Assume, for
instance, that at the start of the following code, the value of &A is 2 and the value of &C is 4.
IF (&A=2) THEN(GOTO FINAL)
IF (&A=3) THEN(CHGVAR &C 5)
.
.
.
FINAL: IF (&C=5) CALL PROGA
ENDPGM

In this case, the procedure processes the first IF command before branching to FINAL, skipping the
intermediate code. It does not return to the second IF command. At FINAL, because the test for &C=5
fails, PROGA is not called. The procedure then processes the next command, ENDPGM, which signals the
end of the procedure, and returns control to the calling procedure.

Processing logic would be different if, using the same code, the initial values of the variables were
different. For instance, if at the beginning of this code the value of &A is 3 and the value of &C is 4, the
first IF statement is evaluated as false. Instead of processing the GOTO FINAL command, the procedure
ignores the first IF statement and moves on to the next one. The second IF statement is evaluated as true,
and the value of &C is changed to 5. Subsequent statements, not shown here, are also processed
consecutively. When processing reaches the last IF statement, the condition &C=5 is evaluated as true, and
PROGA is called.

A series of consecutive IF statements are run independently. For instance:

Control language 183

 PGM /* IFFY */
DCL &A..
DCL &B..
DCL &C..
DCL &D..
DCL &AREA *CHAR LEN(5) VALUE(YESNO)
DCL &RESP..
IF (&A=&B) THEN(GOTO END) /* IF #1 */
IF (&C=&D) THEN(CALL PGMA) /* IF #2 */
IF (&RESP=1) THEN(CHGVAR &C 2) /* IF #3 */
IF (%SUBSTRING(&AREA 1 3) *EQ YES) THEN(CALL PGMB) /* IF #4 */
CHGVAR &B &C
.
.
.
END: ENDPGM

If, in this example, &A is not equal to &B, the next statement is run. If &C is equal to &D, PGMA is
called. When PGMA returns, the third IF statement is considered, and so on. An embedded command is a
command that is completely enclosed in the parameter of another command.

In the following examples, the Change Variable (CHGVAR) command and the DO command are
embedded:
IF (&A *EQ &B) THEN(CHGVAR &A (&A+1))

IF (&B *EQ &C) THEN(DO)

.
.
.
ENDDO
Related reference
“*AND, *OR, and *NOT operators” on page 197
The logical operators *AND and *OR specify the relationship between operands in a logical
expression. The logical operator *NOT is used to negate logical variables or constants.
“DO command and DO groups in a CL program or procedure” on page 188
The Do (DO) command allows you to process a group of commands together.
“ELSE command in a CL program or procedure”
The Else (ELSE) command is a way of specifying alternative processing if the condition on the
associated If (IF) command is false.
“Embedded IF commands in a CL program or procedure” on page 187
An If (IF) command can be embedded in another IF command.
Related information
CL command finder
If (IF) command

ELSE command in a CL program or procedure

The Else (ELSE) command is a way of specifying alternative processing if the condition on the associated
If (IF) command is false.

The IF command can be used without the ELSE command:

IF (&A=&B) THEN(CALLPRC PROCA)
CALLPRC PROCB

In this case, PROCA is called only if &A=&B, but PROCB is always called.

184 System i: Programming Control language

If you use an ELSE command in this procedure, however, the processing logic changes. In the following
example, if &A=&B, PROCA is called, and PROCB is not called. If the expression &A=&B is not true, PROCB
is called.
IF (&A=&B) THEN(CALLPRC PROCA)
ELSE CMD(CALLPRC PROCB)
CHGVAR &C 8

The ELSE command must be used when a false evaluation of an IF expression leads to a distinct branch
(that is, an exclusive either/or branch).

The real usefulness of the ELSE command is best demonstrated when combined with Do groups. In the
following example, the Do group might not be run, depending on the evaluation of the IF expression, but
the remaining commands are always processed.

With the ELSE command you can specify that a command or set of commands be processed only if the
expression is not true, thus completing the logical alternatives.

Control language 185

Each ELSE command must have an associated IF command preceding it. If nested levels of IF commands
are present, each ELSE command is matched with the innermost IF command that has not already been
matched with another ELSE command.
IF ... THEN ...
IF ...THEN(DO)
IF ...THEN(DO)
.
.
.
ENDDO
ELSE DO
IF ...THEN(DO)
.
.
.
ENDDO
ELSE DO
.
.
.
ENDDO
ENDDO
ELSE IF ... THEN ...
IF ... THEN ...
IF ... THEN ...

In reviewing your procedure for matched ELSE commands, always start with the innermost set.

The ELSE command can be used to test a series of mutually exclusive options. In the following example,
after the first successful IF test, the embedded command is processed and the procedure processes the
Reclaim Resources (RCLRSC) command.

186 System i: Programming Control language

IF COND(&OPTION=1) THEN(CALLPRC PRC(ADDREC))
ELSE CMD(IF COND(&OPTION=2) THEN(CALLPRC PRC(DSPFILE)))
ELSE CMD(IF COND(&OPTION=3) THEN(CALLPRC PRC(PRINTFILE)))
ELSE CMD(IF COND(&OPTION=4) THEN(CALLPRC PRC(DUMP)))
RCLRSC
RETURN
Related reference
“IF command in a CL program or procedure” on page 183
The If (IF) command is used to state a condition that, if true, specifies a statement or group of
statements in the procedure to be run.
“*AND, *OR, and *NOT operators” on page 197
The logical operators *AND and *OR specify the relationship between operands in a logical
expression. The logical operator *NOT is used to negate logical variables or constants.
Related information
CL command finder
Else (ELSE) command

Embedded IF commands in a CL program or procedure

An If (IF) command can be embedded in another IF command.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Embedding an IF command can occur when the command to be processed under a true evaluation (the
CL command placed on the THEN parameter) is itself another IF command:
IF (&A=&B) THEN(IF (&C=&D) THEN(GOTO END))
GOTO START

This can be useful when several conditions must be satisfied before a certain command or group of
commands is run. In the preceding example, if the first expression is true, the system then reads the first
THEN parameter; within that, if the &C=&D expression is evaluated as true, the system processes the
command in the second THEN parameter, GOTO END. Both expressions must be true to process the
GOTO END command. If one or the other is false, the GOTO START command is run. Note the use of
parentheses to organize expressions and commands.

Up to 25 levels of such embedding are permitted in CL programming.

As the levels of embedding increase and logic grows more complex, you might want to enter the code in
free-form design to clarify relationships:
PGM
DCL &A *DEC 1
DCL &B *CHAR 2
DCL &RESP *DEC 1
IF (&RESP=1) +
IF (&A=5) +
IF (&B=NO) THEN(DO)
.
.
.
ENDDO
CHGVAR &A VALUE(8)
CALL PGM(DAILY)
ENDPGM

The preceding IF series is handled as one embedded command. Whenever any one of the IF conditions
fails, processing branches to the remainder of the code (Change Variable (CHGVAR) and subsequent

Control language 187

commands). If the purpose of this code is to accumulate a series of conditions, all of which must be true
for the Do group to process, it could be more easily coded using *AND with several expressions in one
command.

In some cases, however, the branch must be different depending on which condition fails. You can
accomplish this by adding an ELSE command for each embedded IF command:
PGM
DCL &A ...
DCL &B ...
DCL &RESP ...
IF (&RESP=1) +
IF (&A=5) +
IF (&B=NO) THEN(DO)
.
.
.
SNDPGMMSG ...
.
.
.
ENDDO
ELSE CALLPRC PROCA
ELSE CALLPRC PROCB
CHGVAR &A 8
CALLPRC PROC(DAILY)
ENDPGM

Here, if all conditions are true, the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command is processed,
followed by the Change Variable (CHGVAR) command. If the first and second conditions (&RESP=1 and
&A=5) are true, but the third (&B=NO) is false, PROCA is called; when PROCA returns, the CHGVAR
command is processed. If the second conditions fails, PROCB is called (&B=NO is not tested), followed by
the CHGVAR command. Finally, if &RESP does not equal 1, the CHGVAR command is immediately
processed. The ELSE command has been used to provide a different branch for each test.

Note: The following three examples are correct syntactical equivalents to the embedded IF command in
the preceding example:
IF (&RESP=1) THEN(IF (&A=5) THEN(IF (&B=NO) THEN(DO)))

IF (&RESP=1) THEN +
(IF (&A=5) THEN +
(IF (&B=NO) THEN(DO)))

IF (&RESP=1) +
(IF (&A=5) +
(IF (&B=NO) THEN(DO)))
Related reference
“IF command in a CL program or procedure” on page 183
The If (IF) command is used to state a condition that, if true, specifies a statement or group of
statements in the procedure to be run.
“*AND, *OR, and *NOT operators” on page 197
The logical operators *AND and *OR specify the relationship between operands in a logical
expression. The logical operator *NOT is used to negate logical variables or constants.
Related information
CL command finder
If (IF) command

DO command and DO groups in a CL program or procedure

The Do (DO) command allows you to process a group of commands together.

188 System i: Programming Control language

The group is defined as all those commands between the DO command and the corresponding End Do
Group (ENDDO) command.

Processing of the group is typically conditioned on the evaluation of an associated command. Do groups
are most frequently associated with the IF, ELSE, or MONMSG commands. Here is an example of a Do
group.

If the logical expression (&A=&B) is true, then the Do group is processed. If the expression is not true, then
processing starts after the ENDDO command; the Do group is skipped.

In the following procedure, if &A is not equal to &B, the system calls PROCB. PROCA is not called, nor
are any other commands in the Do group processed.

Do groups can be nested within other Do groups, up to a maximum of 25 levels of nesting.

There are three levels of nesting in the following example. Note how each Do group is completed by an
ENDDO command.

Control language 189

In this example, if &A in the first nest does not equal 5, PGMC is called. If &A equals 5, the statements in
the second Do group are processed. If &AREA in the second Do group does not equal YES, procedure
ACCTSPAY is called, because processing moves to the next command after the Do group.

The CL compiler does not indicate the beginning or ending of Do groups. If the CL compiler notes any
unbalanced conditions, it is not easy to detect the actual errors.
Related reference
“IF command in a CL program or procedure” on page 183
The If (IF) command is used to state a condition that, if true, specifies a statement or group of
statements in the procedure to be run.
Related information
CL command finder
Do Group (DO) command

DOUNTIL command in a CL program or procedure

The Do Until (DOUNTIL) command processes a group of CL commands one or more times.

The group of commands is defined as those commands between the DOUNTIL and the matching End Do
(ENDDO) command.

After the group of commands is processed, the stated condition is evaluated. If the condition is true, the
DOUNTIL group will be exited and processing will resume with the next command following the
associated ENDDO. If the condition is false, the group will continue processing with the first command
in the group.

The logical expression on the COND parameter can be a single logical variable or constant, or it must
describe a relationship between two or more operands; the expression is then evaluated as true or false.

190 System i: Programming Control language

The following example is about conditional processing with a DOUNTIL command.
DOUNTIL (&LGL)
.
.
.
CHGVAR &INT (&INT + 1)
IF (&INT *GT 5) (CHGVAR &LGL ’1’)
ENDDO

The body of the DOUNTIL group will be run at least one time. If the initial value of the &INT variable is
5 or more, &LGL will be set to true on the first time and processing will continue following the ENDDO
when the expression is evaluated at the end of the group. If the initial value is less than 5, the body of
the group will continue to be repeated until the value of &INT is greater than 5 and the value of &LGL is
changed to true.

The Leave (LEAVE) command can be used to exit the DOUNTIL group and resume processing following
the ENDDO. The ITERATE command can be used to skip the remaining commands in the group and
evaluate the stated condition immediately.
Related reference
“*AND, *OR, and *NOT operators” on page 197
The logical operators *AND and *OR specify the relationship between operands in a logical
expression. The logical operator *NOT is used to negate logical variables or constants.
Related information
CL command finder
Do Until (DOUNTIL) command

DOWHILE command in a CL program or procedure

The Do While (DOWHILE) command lets you process a group of commands zero or more times while
the value of a logical expression is true.

The DOWHILE command is used to state a condition that, if true, specifies a command or group of
commands in the procedure to run. The group of commands is defined as those commands between the
DOWHILE and the matching End Do (ENDDO) command.

After the group of commands is processed, the stated condition is evaluated. If the condition is false, the
DOWHILE group will be exited and processing will resume with the next command following the
associated ENDDO. If the condition is true, the group will continue processing with the first command in
the group. When the ENDDO command is reached, control returns to the DOWHILE command to again
evaluate the condition.

The logical expression on the COND parameter can be a single logical variable or constant, or it must
describe a relationship between two or more operands; the expression is then evaluated as true or false.

The following example is about conditional processing with a DOWHILE command.

DOWHILE (&LGL)
.
.
.
IF (&INT *EQ 2) (CHGVAR &LGL ’0’)
ENDDO

When the DOWHILE group is processed, the stated condition will be evaluated. If the condition is true,
the group of commands in the DOWHILE group is processed. If the condition is false, processing
continues with the command following the associated ENDDO command.

Control language 191

If the value of &LGL is true, the commands in the DOWHILE group will be run until &INT is equal to 2
causing the &LGL variable value to be set to false.

The Leave (LEAVE) command can be used to exit the DOWHILE group and resume processing following
the ENDDO. The ITERATE command can be used to skip the remaining commands in the group and
evaluate the stated condition immediately.
Related reference
“*AND, *OR, and *NOT operators” on page 197
The logical operators *AND and *OR specify the relationship between operands in a logical
expression. The logical operator *NOT is used to negate logical variables or constants.
Related information
CL command finder
Do While (DOWHILE) command

DOFOR command in a CL program or procedure

The Do For (DOFOR) command lets you process a group of commands a specified number of times.

The DOFOR command specifies a variable, its initial value, an increment or decrement amount, and a
terminal value condition. The format of the DOFOR command is:
DOFOR VAR(integer-variable) FROM(initial-value) TO(end-value) BY(integer-constant)

When processing of a DOFOR group is begun, the integer-variable specified on the VAR parameter is
initialized to the initial-value specified on the FROM parameter. The value of the integer-variable is
compared to the end-value as specified on the TO parameter. When the integer-constant on the BY
parameter is positive, the comparison checks for integer-variable greater than the end-value. If the
integer-constant on the BY parameter is negative, the comparison checks for integer-variable less than the
end-value.

If the condition is not true, the body of the DOFOR group is processed. When the ENDDO is reached, the
integer-constant from the BY parameter is added to the integer-value and the condition is evaluated
again.

The following example is about conditional processing with a DOFOR command.

CHGVAR &INT2 0
DOFOR VAR(&INT) FROM(2) TO(4) BY(1)
.
.
.
CHGVAR &INT2 (&INT2 + &INT)
ENDDO
/* &INT2 = 9 after running the DOFOR group 3 times */

When the DOFOR group is processed, &INT is initialized to 2 and the value of &INT is checked to see if
it is greater than 4. It is not, so the body of the group is processed. On the second iteration of the group,
one is added to &INT and the check is repeated. It is less than 4, so the DOFOR group is processed
again. On reaching the ENDDO the second time, the value of &INT is again incremented by 1. &INT
now has a value of 4. Because &INT is still less than or equal to 4, the DOFOR group is processed again.
On reaching the ENDDO the third time, the value of &INT is again incremented by 1. This time, the
value is 5, and processing continues with the command following the ENDDO.

The LEAVE command can be used to exit the DOFOR group and resume processing following the
ENDDO. The ITERATE command can be used to skip the remaining commands in the group, increment
the controlling variable, and evaluate the end-value condition immediately.
Related information
CL command finder

192 System i: Programming Control language

 Do For (DOFOR) command

ITERATE command in a CL program or procedure

The Iterate (ITERATE) command can be used to skip the remaining commands in an active DOWHILE,
DOUNTIL, or DOFOR group.

ITERATE is not valid with simple DO command groups.

An ITERATE command without a label will skip to the ENDDO of the innermost active DO group.
Specifying a label skips to the ENDDO of the DO associated with the label.

The following example illustrates use of the ITERATE command:

DO_1:
DO_2:DOWHILE &LGL
DO_3: DOFOR &INT FROM(0) TO(99)
.
.
.
IF (&A *EQ 12) THEN (ITERATE DO_1)
.
. /* Not processed if &A equals 12 */
.
IF (&A *GT 12) ITERATE
.
. /* Not processed if &A greater than 12 */
.
ENDDO
.
.
.
IF (&A *LT 0) (ITERATE DO_1)
.
. /* Not processed if &A less than zero */
.
ENDDO

In this example, the labels DO_1 and DO_2 are associated with the DOWHILE group. They can be
specified on an ITERATE command appearing in either the DOWHILE or DOFOR group. When &A is
equal to 12, the ITERATE DO_1 command is run. Processing continues at the ENDDO associated with the
DOWHILE command. The value of &LGL is evaluated and, if true, continues with the DOFOR following
the DOWHILE. If &LGL is false, processing continues with the CL command following the second
ENDDO.

If &A is not equal to 12 but is greater than 12, processing continues with the ENDDO of the DOFOR
group. The value of &INT is incremented and compared to the ending value of 99. If &INT is less than or
equal to 99, processing continues with the first command following the Do For (DOFOR) command. If
&INT is greater than 99, processing continues with the next command following the first ENDDO.

When the third IF command is processed and &A is less than zero, processing continues with the second
ENDDO. The value of &LGL is evaluated and, if false, control passes to the command following the
ENDDO. If true, processing resumes with the Do For (DOFOR) command following the DOWHILE.
Related information
CL command finder
Iterate (ITERATE) command

LEAVE command in a CL program or procedure

The Leave (LEAVE) command can be used to exit an active DOWHILE, DOUNTIL, or DOFOR group.

Control language 193

 It provides a structured manner to leave an active group without resorting to the use of the Goto (GOTO)
command. LEAVE is not valid with simple Do (DO) command groups.

A LEAVE command without a label will leave the innermost active DO group. Specifying a label allows
the processing to break out of one or more enclosing groups.

The following illustrates use of the LEAVE command:

DO_1:
DO_2:DOWHILE &LGL
DO_3: DOFOR &INT FROM(0) TO(99)
.
.
.
IF (&A *EQ 12) THEN(LEAVE DO_1)
.
. /* Not processed if &A equals 12 */
.
IF (&A *GT 12) LEAVE
.
. /* Not processed if &A greater than 12 */
.
ENDDO
.
.
.
IF (&A *LT 0) (LEAVE DO_1)
.
. /* Not processed if &A less than zero */
.
ENDDO

In this example, the labels DO_1 and DO_2 are associated with the DOWHILE group. They can be
specified on a LEAVE command appearing in either the DOWHILE or DOFOR group. When &A is equal
to 12, the LEAVE DO_1 command is run and processing continues with the CL command following the
second ENDDO.

If &A is not equal to 12 but is greater than 12, the DOFOR group is exited and processing continues with
next command following the first ENDDO.

When the third If (IF) command is processed and &A is less than zero, processing continues with the next
command following the first ENDDO.
Related information
CL command finder
Leave (LEAVE) command

| CALLSUBR command in a CL program or procedure

| The Call Subroutine (CALLSUBR) command is used in a CL procedure for passing control to a subroutine
| defined within the same procedure.

| The CALLSUBR command has two parameters: Subroutine (SUBR), which contains the name of the
| subroutine to which control is to be transferred to, and Return value (RTNVAL), which specifies the
| variable that will contain the return value from the called subroutine. See the following example:
| CALLSUBR SUBR(mysubr) RTNVAL(&myrtnvar)

| The subroutine mysubr must be defined in the procedure by the Subroutine (SUBR) parameter of a SUBR
| command. The variable &myrtnvar must be defined as TYPE(*INT) LEN(4), and will contain the value
| from the Return value (RTNVAL) parameter of either a Return from Subroutine (RTNSUBR) or the End
| Subroutine (ENDSUBR) command found in subroutine ’mysubr’. If no RTNVAL parameter is defined, the
| return value from the subroutine is ignored.

194 System i: Programming Control language

| The CALLSUBR command can be placed anywhere within the procedure, including other subroutines,
| with the exception of a program-level Monitor Message (MONMSG) command. Each CALLSUBR
| command, when run, places a return address onto the subroutine stack, and the size of the stack can be
| changed with the use of the Subroutine Stack (SUBRSTACK) parameter of the Declare Process Options
| (DCLPRCOPT) command. If a globally monitored message causes a GOTO command to be run, the
| subroutine stack will be reset by the next CALLSUBR command that is run. See the following example.

| Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
| information” on page 569.
| PGM
| DCL VAR(&myrtnvar) TYPE(*INT) LEN(4)
| MONMSG MSGID(CPF0000) EXEC(GOTO CMDLBL(DUMP))
| :
| CALLSUBR SUBR(SUBR1) RTNVAL(&myrtnvar)
| :
| DUMP: DMPCLPGM
| CALLSUBR SUBR(SUBR2)
| :
| SUBR SUBR(SUBR1)
| :
| ENDSUBR RTNVAL(12)
| :
| SUBR SUBR(SUBR2)
| :
| ENDSUBR
| ENDPGM

| In this example, the first CALLSUBR command will pass control to the subroutine SUBR1, and the return
| value of 12 will be placed into the variable &myrtnvar when control returns. If a message is monitored by
| the MONMSG command, the Goto (GOTO) command will be run and control will branch to label DUMP,
| the CL procedure will be dumped by DMPCLPGM, and the next CALLSUBR to subroutine SUBR2 will
| reset the subroutine stack.
| Related reference
| “SUBR command and subroutines in a CL program or procedure” on page 196
| The Subroutine (SUBR) command is used in a CL procedure, along with the End Subroutine
| (ENDSUBR) command, to delimit the group of commands that define a subroutine.
| Related information
| Declare Processing Options (DCLPRCOPT) command
| CL command finder
| Call Subroutine (CALLSUBR) command

SELECT command and SELECT groups in a CL program or procedure

The Select (SELECT) command is used to identify one or more conditions and an associated group of
commands to process when that condition is true.

A special group of commands can also be specified to be processed when none of the stated conditions
are true. Only one of the groups of commands identified by When (WHEN) or Otherwise (OTHERWISE)
commands will be processed within the group.

The general structure of the SELECT command is as follows:

SELECT
WHEN (condition-1) THEN(command-1)
.
.
.
WHEN (condition-n) THEN(command-n)
OTHERWISE command-x
ENDSELECT

Control language 195

 A SELECT group must specify at least one WHEN command. The WHEN command includes an
expression, which is tested (true or false), and an optional THEN parameter that specifies the action to
take if the condition is true.

The logical expression on the COND parameter can be a single logical variable or constant, or it must
describe a relationship between two or more operands; the expression is then evaluate as true or false.

If the condition described by the logical expression is evaluated as true, the procedure processes the CL
command on the THEN parameter. This can be a single command or a group of commands specified by
the DO, DOWHILE, DOUNTIL, or DOFOR commands. If the condition is not true, the condition
specified on the next WHEN command in the SELECT group is evaluated. If there is no WHEN
command following this one, the command identified by the OTHERWISE command, if any, is processed.
If there is no next WHEN and no OTHERWISE command, processing continues with the next command
following the associated ENDSELECT command.
SELECT
WHEN (&LGL)
WHEN (&INT *LT 0) THEN(CHGVAR &INT 0)
WHEN (&INT *GT 0) (DOUNTIL (&INT *EQ 0))
CHGVAR &INT (&INT - 1)
ENDDO
OTHERWISE (CHGVAR &LGL ’1’)
ENDSELECT

If the initial value of &LGL is true (’1’), processing continues with the command following the
ENDSELECT, because there is no THEN parameter.

If the initial value of &LGL is false (’0’), the COND of the second WHEN is evaluated. If &INT is less
than zero, the CHGVAR is processed, setting the value of &INT to zero. Processing then continues with
the command following the ENDSELECT.

If the first two conditions are not met, the value of &INT is checked to determine if it is greater than
zero. If the value is greater than zero, the DOUNTIL group is entered and the value of &INT
decremented until it reaches zero. When &INT reaches zero, the DOUNTIL group is exited and
processing continues with the next command following the ENDSELECT.

If none of the conditions on any of the WHEN commands is evaluated as true, the CHGVAR specified on
the CMD parameter of the OTHERWISE command is processed. The value of &INT remains unchanged
while &LGL is set to true. Processing then continues with the next command following the ENDSELECT.
Related reference
“*AND, *OR, and *NOT operators” on page 197
The logical operators *AND and *OR specify the relationship between operands in a logical
expression. The logical operator *NOT is used to negate logical variables or constants.
Related information
CL command finder
Select (SELECT) command

| SUBR command and subroutines in a CL program or procedure

| The Subroutine (SUBR) command is used in a CL procedure, along with the End Subroutine (ENDSUBR)
| command, to delimit the group of commands that define a subroutine.

| The name of the subroutine, as used by the CALLSUBR command, is defined by the SUBR parameter on
| the SUBR command.

| The first SUBR command that is encountered in a procedure also marks the end of the mainline of that
| procedure. All commands from this point forward, with the exception of the ENDPGM command, must
| be contained within a subroutine, in other words, between SUBR and ENDSUBR commands. The SUBR

196 System i: Programming Control language

| and ENDSUBR commands must be matched pairs, and subroutines cannot be nested; in other words, no
| SUBR SUBR - ENDSUBR ENDSUBR nesting of subroutines is allowed.

| Both the ENDSUBR and RTNSUBR commands can be used to exit a subroutine, and when processed,
| control is returned to the command immediately following the Call Subroutine (CALLSUBR) command
| that called the subroutine. Both commands have an optional RTNVAL parameter, which can be anything
| that can be stored in a CL variable of TYPE(*INT) and LEN(4). If no RTNVAL parameter is defined on the
| Return Subroutine (RTNSUBR) or ENDSUBR command, a value of zero is returned.

| The following example is about the general structure of a CL procedure that contains a subroutine.

| Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
| information” on page 569.
| PGM
| DCLPRCOPT SUBRSTACK(25)
| DCL VAR(&RTNVAR) TYPE(*INT) LEN(4)
| :
| CALLSUBR SUBR(SUBR1) RTNVAL(&RTNVAR)
| :
| SUBR SUBR(SUBR1)
| :
| RTNSUBR RTNVAL(-1)
| :
| ENDSUBR
| ENDPGM

| In this example, the Declare Processing Options (DCLPRCOPT) command was used to specify the size of
| the subroutine stack to be 25. The variable &RTNVAR is used to contain the return value from the
| subroutine. The CALLSUBR command will transfer control to the subroutine SUBR1, as defined by the
| SUBR command. If the RTNSUBR command is run, the value of &RTNVAR will be -1, if the ENDSUBR
| command is run, &RTNVAR will equal 0. If no RTNVAL parameter was defined on the CALLSUBR
| command, the return value from the subroutine would be ignored.
| Related reference
| “CALLSUBR command in a CL program or procedure” on page 194
| The Call Subroutine (CALLSUBR) command is used in a CL procedure for passing control to a
| subroutine defined within the same procedure.
| Related information
| CL command finder
| Subroutine (SUBR) command
| End Subroutine (ENDSUBR) command

*AND, *OR, and *NOT operators

The logical operators *AND and *OR specify the relationship between operands in a logical expression.
The logical operator *NOT is used to negate logical variables or constants.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

*AND and *OR are the reserved values used to specify the relationship between operands in a logical
expression. The ampersand symbol (&) can replace the reserved value *AND, and the vertical bar (|) can
replace *OR. The reserved values must be preceded and followed by blanks. The operands in a logical
expression consist of relational expressions or logical variables or constants separated by logical
operators. The *AND operator indicates that both operands (on either side of the operator) have to be
true to produce a true result. The *OR operator indicates that one or the other of its operands must be
true to produce a true result.

Control language 197

Note: Using the ampersand symbol or the vertical bar can cause problems because the symbols are not at
the same code point for all code pages. To avoid this, use *AND and *OR instead of the symbols.

Use operators other than logical operators in expressions to indicate the actions to perform on the
operands in the expression or the relationship between the operands. There are three kinds of operators
other than logical operators:
v Arithmetic (+, -, *, /)
v Character (*CAT, ||, *BCAT, |>, *TCAT, |<)
v Relational (*EQ, =, *GT, >, *LT, <, *GE, >=, *LE, <=, *NE, ¬=, *NG, ¬>, *NL, ¬<)

The following examples are about logical expressions:

((&C *LT 1) *AND (&TIME *GT 1430))
(&C *LT 1 *AND &TIME *GT 1430)
((&C < 1) & (&TIME>1430))
((&C< 1) & (&TIME>1430))

In each of these cases, the logical expression consists of three parts: two operands and one operator
(*AND or *OR, or their symbols). It is the type of operator (*AND or *OR) that characterizes the
expression as logical, not the type of operand. Operands in logical expressions can be logical variables or
other expressions, such as relational expressions. (Relational expressions are characterized by &gt, &lt, or
= symbols or corresponding reserved values.) For instance, in following example the entire logical
expression is enclosed in parentheses, and both operands are relational expressions, also enclosed
separately in parentheses:
((&C *LT 1) *AND (&TIME *GT 1430))

As you can see from the second example of logical expressions, the operands need not be enclosed in
separate parentheses, but it is recommended for clarity. Parentheses are not needed because *AND and
*OR have different priorities. *AND is always considered before *OR. For operators of the same priority,
parentheses can be used to control the order in which operations are performed.

A simple relational expression can be written as the condition in a command:

IF (&A=&B) THEN(DO)
.
.
.
ENDDO

The operands in this relational expression could also be constants.

If you want to specify more than one condition, you can use a logical expression with relational
expressions as operands:
IF ((&A=&B) *AND (&C=&D)) THEN(DO)
.
.
.
ENDDO

The series of dependent IF commands cited as an example in “Embedded IF commands in a CL program

or procedure” on page 187 could be coded:
PGM
DCL &RESP *DEC 1
DCL &A *DEC 1
DCL &B *CHAR 2
IF ((&RESP=1) *AND (&A=5) *AND (&B=NO)) THEN(DO)
.
.
.

198 System i: Programming Control language

 ENDDO
CHGVAR &A VALUE(8)
CALLPRC PROC(DAILY)
ENDPGM

Here the logical operators are again used between relational expressions.

Because a logical expression can also have other logical expressions as operands, quite complex logic is
possible:
IF (((&A=&B) *OR (&A=&C)) *AND ((&C=1) *OR (&D=’0’))) THEN(DO)

In this case, &D is defined as a logical variable.

The result of the evaluation of any relational or logical expression is a ’1’ or ’0’ (true or false). The
dependent command is processed only if the complete expression is evaluated as true (’1’). The following
command is interpreted in these terms:
IF ((&A = &B) *AND (&C = &D)) THEN(DO)

((true’1’) *AND (not true’0’))

(not true ’0’)

The expression is finally evaluated as not true (’0’), and, therefore, the DO is not processed. For an
explanation of how this evaluation was reached, see the matrices later in this section.

This same process is used to evaluate a logical expression using logical variables, as in this example:
PGM
DCL &A *LGL
DCL &B *LGL
IF (&A *OR &B) THEN(CALL PGM(PGMA))
.
.
.
ENDPGM

Here the conditional expression is evaluated to see if the value of &A or of &B is equal to ’1’ (true). If
either is true, the whole expression is true, and PGMA is called.

The final evaluation arrived at for all these examples of logical expressions is based on standard matrices
comparing two values (referred to here as &A and &B) under an *OR or *AND operator.

Use the following matrix when using *OR with logical variables or constants:
If &A is:
’0’ ’0’ ’1’ ’1’
and &B is:
’0’ ’1’ ’0’ ’1’
the OR expression is:
’0’ ’1’ ’1’ ’1’

In short, for multiple OR operators with logical variables or constants, the expression is false (’0’) if all
values are false. The expression is true (’1’) if any values are true.
PGM
DCL &A *LGL VALUE(’0’)
DCL &B *LGL VALUE(’1’)
DCL &C *LGL VALUE(’1’)
IF (&A *OR &B *OR &C) THEN(CALL PGMA)

Control language 199

.
.
.
ENDPGM

Here the values are not all false; therefore, the expression is true, and PGMA is called.

Use the following matrix when evaluating a logical expression with *AND with logical variables or
constants:
If &A is:
’0’ ’0’ ’1’ ’1’
and &B is:
’0’ ’1’ ’0’ ’1’
the ANDed expression is:
’0’ ’0’ ’0’ ’1’

For multiple AND operators with logical variables or constants, the expression is false (’0’) when any
value is false, and true when they are all true.
PGM
DCL &A *LGL VALUE(’0’)
DCL &B *LGL VALUE(’1’)
DCL &C *LGL VALUE(’1’)
IF (&A *AND &B *AND &C) THEN(CALL PGMA)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

Here the values are not all true; therefore, the expression is false, and PGMA is not called.

These logical operators can only be used within an expression when the operands represent a logical
value, as in the preceding examples. It is incorrect to attempt to use OR or AND for variables that are not
logical. For instance:
PGM
DCL &A *CHAR 3
DCL &B *CHAR 3
DCL &C *CHAR 3

Incorrect: IF (&A *OR &B *OR &C = YES) THEN...

The correct coding for this would be:

IF ((&A=YES) *OR (&B=YES) *OR (&C=YES)) THEN...

In this case, the ORing occurs between relational expressions.

The logical operator *NOT (or ¬) is used to negate logical variables or constants. Any *NOT operators
must be evaluated before the *AND or *OR operators are evaluated. Any values that follow *NOT
operators must be evaluated before the logical relationship between the operands is evaluated.
PGM
DCL &A *LGL ’1’
DCL &B *LGL ’0’
IF (&A *AND *NOT &B) THEN(CALL PGMA)

In this example, the values are all true; therefore, the expression is true, and PGMA is called.

200 System i: Programming Control language

 PGM
DCL &A *LGL
DCL &B *CHAR 3 VALUE(’ABC’)
DCL &C *CHAR 3 VALUE(’XYZ’)
CHGVAR &A VALUE(&B *EQ &C)
IF (&A) THEN(CALLPRC PROCA)

In this example, the value is false, therefore, PROCA is not called.

Related reference
“IF command in a CL program or procedure” on page 183
The If (IF) command is used to state a condition that, if true, specifies a statement or group of
statements in the procedure to be run.
“ELSE command in a CL program or procedure” on page 184
The Else (ELSE) command is a way of specifying alternative processing if the condition on the
associated If (IF) command is false.
“DOUNTIL command in a CL program or procedure” on page 190
The Do Until (DOUNTIL) command processes a group of CL commands one or more times.
“DOWHILE command in a CL program or procedure” on page 191
The Do While (DOWHILE) command lets you process a group of commands zero or more times while
the value of a logical expression is true.
“SELECT command and SELECT groups in a CL program or procedure” on page 195
The Select (SELECT) command is used to identify one or more conditions and an associated group of
commands to process when that condition is true.

| %ADDRESS built-in function in a CL program or procedure

| The address built-in function (%ADDRESS or %ADDR) can be used to change or test the memory
| address stored in a CL pointer variable and can only be used within a CL procedure.

| In a CHGVAR command, you can specify the %ADDRESS function to change the value of a pointer
| variable. On the IF command, %ADDRESS function can be specified on the COND parameter to check
| the value stored in a pointer variable.

| The format of the address built-in function is:

| %ADDRESS(variable name)

| or
| %ADDR(variable name)

| In the following example, pointer variable &P1 is initialized to the address of the first byte of character
| variable &C1. Later in the procedure, the pointer is checked using the %ADDRESS function to see if it
| still points to &C1 and, if not, resets &P1 to the first byte of CL variable &C1 using the %ADDRESS
| function.

| Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
| information” on page 569.
| PGM
| DCL &C1 *CHAR 10
| DCL &P1 *PTR ADDRESS(&C1)
| :
| IF COND(&P1 *NE %ADDRESS(&C1)) +
| THEN(CHGVAR &P1 %ADDRESS(&C1))
| :
| ENDPGM

| Note: The %ADDRESS function cannot be used to store the address offset stored in a pointer variable. To
| store the address offset in a pointer variable, you need to use the %OFFSET built-in function.

Control language 201

| Related tasks
| “Changing the value of a variable” on page 177
| You can change the value of a CL variable using the Change Variable (CHGVAR) command.
| Related reference
| “Built-in functions for CL” on page 106
| Control language (CL) provides several built-in functions. Built-in functions are used in arithmetic,
| relational, or logical expressions.

%BINARY built-in function

The binary built-in function (%BINARY or %BIN) interprets the contents of a specified CL character
variable as a signed binary integer.

The starting position begins at the position specified and continues for a length of 2 or 4 characters.

The syntax of the binary built-in function is shown in the following example:
%BINARY(character-variable-name starting-position length)

You can also code it like this example:

%BIN(character-variable-name starting-position length)

The starting position and length are optional. However, if the starting position and length are not
specified, a starting position of 1 and length of the character variable that is specified are used. In that
case, you must declare the length of the character variable as either 2 or 4.

If the starting position is specified, you must also specify a constant length of 2 or 4. The starting position
must be a positive number equal to or greater than 1. If the sum of the starting position and the length is
greater than the length of the character variable, an error occurs. (A CL decimal or integer variable can
also be used for the starting position.)

You can use the binary built-in function with both the If (IF) and Change Variable (CHGVAR) commands.
It can be used by itself or as part of an arithmetic or logical expression. You can also use the binary
built-in function on any command parameter that is defined as numeric (TYPE of *DEC, *INT2, *INT4,
*UINT2, or *UINT4) with EXPR(*YES).

When the binary built-in function is used with the condition (COND) parameter on the IF command or
with the VALUE parameter on the Change Variable (CHGVAR) command, the contents of the character
variable is interpreted as a binary-to-decimal conversion.

When the binary built-in function is used with the VAR parameter on the Change Variable (CHGVAR)
command, the decimal value in the VALUE parameter is converted to a 2-byte or 4-byte signed binary
integer and the result stored in the character variable at the starting position specified. Decimal fractions
are truncated.

The system uses the binary built-in function on the RTNVAL parameter of the Call Bound Procedure
(CALLPRC) command to indicate that the calling procedure expects the called procedure to return a
signed binary integer.

A 2-byte character variable can hold signed binary integer values from -32 768 through 32 767. A 4-byte
character variable can hold signed binary integer values from -2 147 483 648 through 2 147 483 647.

The following examples are about the binary built-in function:

v
DCL VAR(&B2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(2) VALUE(X’001C’)
DCL VAR(&N) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3 0)
CHGVAR &N %BINARY(&B2)

202 System i: Programming Control language

 The contents of variable &B2 is treated as a 2-byte signed binary integer and converted to its decimal
equivalent of 28. It is then assigned to the decimal variable &N.
v
DCL VAR(&N) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 0) VALUE(107)
DCL VAR(&B4) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
CHGVAR %BIN(&B4) &N
The value of the decimal variable &N is converted to a 4-byte signed binary number and is placed in
character variable &B4. Variable &B4 will have the value of X’0000006B’.
v
DCL VAR(&P) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(100)
DCL VAR(&L) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 0)
CHGVAR &L VALUE(%BIN(&P 1 2) * 5)
The first two characters of variable &P is treated as a signed binary integer, converted to its decimal
equivalent, and multiplied by 5. The product is assigned to the decimal variable &L.
v
DCL VAR(&X) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(50)
CHGVAR %BINARY(&X 15 2) VALUE(122.56)
The number 122.56 is truncated to the whole number 122 and is then converted to a 2-byte signed
binary integer and is placed at positions 15 and 16 of the character variable &X. Positions 15 and 16 of
variable &X will contain the hexadecimal equivalent of X’007A’.
v
DCL VAR(&B4) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
CHGVAR %BIN(&B4) VALUE(-57)
The value -57 is converted to a 4-byte signed binary integer and assigned to the character variable &B4.
The variable &B4 will then contain the value X’FFFFFFC7’.
v
DCL VAR(&B2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(2) VALUE(X’FF1B’)
DCL VAR(&C5) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5)
CHGVAR &C5 %BINARY(&B2)
The contents of variable &B2 is treated as a 2-byte signed binary integer and converted to its decimal
equivalent of -229. The number is converted to character form and stored in the variable character
&C5. The character variable &C5 will then contain the value ’-0229’.
v
DCL VAR(&C5) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5) VALUE(’ 1253’)
DCL VAR(&B2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(2)
CHGVAR %BINARY(&B2) VALUE(&C5)
The character number 1253 in character variable &C5 is converted to a decimal number. The decimal
number 1253 is then converted to a 2-byte signed binary integer and stored in the variable &B2. The
variable &B2 will then have the value X’04E5’.
v
DCL VAR(&S) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(100)
IF (%BIN(&S 1 2) *GT 10)
THEN( SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Too many in list.’) )
The first 2 bytes of the character variable &S are treated as a signed binary integer when compared to
the number 10. If the binary number has a value larger than 10, then the Send Program Message
(SNDPGMMSG) command is run.
v
DCL VAR(&RTNV) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
CALLPRC PRC(PROCA) RTNVAL(%BIN(&RTNV 1 4))
Procedure PROCA returns a 4-byte integer which is stored in variable &RTNV.
Related tasks

Control language 203

 “Changing the value of a variable” on page 177
You can change the value of a CL variable using the Change Variable (CHGVAR) command.
Related reference
“Built-in functions for CL” on page 106
Control language (CL) provides several built-in functions. Built-in functions are used in arithmetic,
relational, or logical expressions.
Related information
CL command finder
If (IF) command
Change Variable (CHGVAR) command
Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command
Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command

| %OFFSET built-in function

| The offset built-in function (%OFFSET or %OFS) can be used to store or change the offset portion of a CL
| pointer variable and can only be used within a CL procedure.

| In a CHGVAR command, the %OFFSET function can be used two different ways:
| v You can specify the %OFFSET function for the variable (VAR parameter) to set the offset portion of a
| pointer variable.
| v You can specify the %OFFSET function for the value (VALUE parameter) to which the variable is to be
| changed.
| In an IF command, the %OFFSET function can be specified in the expression (COND parameter) and is
| treated like a four-byte unsigned integer value.

| The format of the offset built-in function is:

| %OFFSET(variable name)

| or
| %OFS(variable name)

| In the following example, pointer variable &P1 has no initial value specified and therefore is initialized to
| null. The first CHGVAR command stores the offset from the null pointer value in integer variable &OFF1;
| the command runs without an error, and the value of &OFF1 is probably zero, though the offset for a
| null pointer is not defined. The second CHGVAR command sets &P1 to the address of local character
| variable &C1; pointer &P1 now points to byte 1 of variable &C1. The third CHGVAR command stores the
| offset portion of &P1 into the integer variable &OFF2. Note that the offset is from the start of the storage
| for all automatic variables for the current thread and not from the start of automatic storage for the
| current program or from the start of variable &C1. The fourth CHGVAR command takes the integer value
| stored in &OFF2, adds one hundred, and stores the resulting number into the integer variable &OFF3.
| The fifth CHGVAR command changes the offset portion of pointer &P1 using integer variable &OFF3;
| pointer &P1 now points to byte 101 of variable &C1. The sixth CHGVAR command calculates the integer
| expression for the VALUE parameter by storing the offset portion of pointer &P1 into a temporary integer
| variable and subtracting 20, and then uses this calculated value to reset the offset portion of pointer &P1;
| pointer &P1 now points to byte 81 of variable &C1.

| Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
| information” on page 569.
| PGM
| DCL &C1 *CHAR 30000
| DCL &P1 *PTR
| DCL &P2 *PTR
| DCL &OFF1 *UINT 4

204 System i: Programming Control language

| DCL &OFF2 *UINT 4
| DCL &OFF3 *UINT 4
| CHGVAR &OFF1 %OFFSET(&P1) /* 1 */
| CHGVAR &P1 %ADDRESS(&C1) /* 2 */
| CHGVAR &OFF2 %OFFSET(&P1) /* 3 */
| CHGVAR &OFF3 (&OFF2+100) /* 4 */
| CHGVAR %OFFSET(&P1) &OFF3 /* 5 */
| CHGVAR %OFFSET(&P1) (%OFFSET(&P1)-20) /* 6 */
| ENDPGM

| The %OFFSET built-in function cannot be used with a pointer variable that addresses teraspace storage.
| Related tasks
| “Changing the value of a variable” on page 177
| You can change the value of a CL variable using the Change Variable (CHGVAR) command.
| Related reference
| “Built-in functions for CL” on page 106
| Control language (CL) provides several built-in functions. Built-in functions are used in arithmetic,
| relational, or logical expressions.
| Related information
| CL command finder
| Change Variable (CHGVAR) command

%SUBSTRING built-in function

The substring built-in function (%SUBSTRING or%SST) produces a character string that is a subset of an
existing character string and can only be used within a CL procedure.

In a Change Variable (CHGVAR) command, the %SST function can be specified in place of the variable
(VAR parameter) to be changed or the value (VALUE parameter) to which the variable is to be changed.
In an If (IF) command, the %SST function can be specified in the expression.

The format of the substring built-in function is shown in this example:

%SUBSTRING(character-variable-name starting-position length)

It can also be formatted as shown in this example:

%SST(character-variable-name starting-position length)

You can code *LDA in place of the character variable name to indicate that the substring function is
performed on the contents of the local data area.

The substring function produces a substring from the contents of the specified CL character variable or
the local data area. The substring begins at the specified starting position (which can be a variable name)
and continues for the length specified (which can also be a variable name). Neither the starting position
nor the length can be 0 or negative. If the sum of the starting position and the length of the substring are
greater than the length of the entire variable or the local data area, an error occurs. The length of the local
data area is 1024.

The following examples are about the substring built-in function:

v If the first two positions in the character variable &NAME are IN, the program INV210 is called. The
entire value of &NAME is passed to INV210 and the value of &ERRCODE is unchanged. Otherwise,
the value of &ERRCODE is set to 99.
DCL &NAME *CHAR VALUE(INVOICE)
DCL &ERRCODE *DEC (2 0)
IF (%SST(&NAME 1 2) *EQ ’IN’) +
THEN(CALL INV210 &NAME)
ELSE CHGVAR &ERRCODE 99

Control language 205

v If the first two positions of &A match the first two positions of &B, the program CUS210 is called.
DCL &A *CHAR VALUE(ABC)
DCL &B *CHAR VALUE(DEF)
IF (%SST(&A 1 2) *EQ %SUBSTRING(&B 1 2)) +
CALL CUS210
v Position and length can also be variables. This example changes the value of &X beginning at position
&Y for the length &Z to 123.
CHGVAR %SST(&X &Y &Z) ’123’
v If &A is ABCDEFG before this CHGVAR command is run, &A is
CHGVAR %SST(&A 2 3) ’123’
A123EFG after the command runs.
v In this example, the length of the substring, 5, exceeds the length of the operand YES to which it is
compared. The operand is padded with blanks so that the comparison is between YESNO and YESbb
(where b is a blank). The condition is false.
DCL VAR(&NAME) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5) VALUE(YESNO)
.
.
.
IF (%SST (&NAME 1 5) *EQ YES) +
THEN(CALL PROGA)
If the length of the substring is shorter than the operand, the substring is padded with blanks for the
comparison. For example:
DCL VAR(&NAME) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5) VALUE(YESNO)
.
.
.
IF (%SST(&NAME 1 3 ) *EQ YESNO) THEN(CALL PROG)
This condition is false because YESbb (where bb is two blanks) does not equal YESNO.
v The value of the variable &A is placed into positions 1 through 10 of the local data area.
CHGVAR %SST(*LDA 1 10) &A
v If the concatenation of positions 1 through 3 of the local data area plus the constant ’XYZ’ is equal to
variable &A, then PROCA is called. For example, if positions 1 through 3 of the local data area contain
’ABC’ and variable &A has a value of ABCXYZ, the test is true and PROCA is called.
IF (((%SST*LDA 1 3) *CAT ’XYZ’) *EQ &A) THEN(CALLPRC PROCA)
v This procedure scans the character variable &NUMBER and changes any leading zeros to blanks. This
can be used for simple editing of a field before displaying in a message.
DCL &NUMBER *CHAR LEN(5)
DCL &X *DEC LEN(3 0) VALUE(1)
.
.
LOOP:IF (%SST(&NUMBER &X 1) *EQ ’0’) DO
CHGVAR (%SST(&NUMBER &X 1)) ’ ’ /* Blank out */
CHGVAR &X (&X + 1) /* Increment */
IF (&X *NE 4) GOTO LOOP
ENDDO

The following procedure uses the substring built-in function to find the first sentence in a 50-character
field &INPUT and to place any remaining text in a field &REMAINDER. It assumes that a sentence must
have at least 2 characters, and no embedded periods.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM (&INPUT &REMAINDER) /* SEARCH */
DCL &INPUT *CHAR LEN(50)
DCL &REMAINDER *CHAR LEN(50)
DCL &X *INT /* INDEX */

206 System i: Programming Control language

 DCL &L *INT /* REMAINING LENGTH */

DOFORL:
DOFOR &X 3 50
IF (%SST(&INPUT &X 1) *EQ ’.’) THEN(DO)
CHGVAR &L (50-&X)
CHGVAR &X (&X+1)
CHGVAR &REMAINDER %SST(&INPUT &X &L)
LEAVE
ENDDO
ENDDO
ENDPGM

The procedure starts by checking the third position for a period. Note that the substring function checks
&INPUT from position 3 to a length of 1, which is position 3 only (length cannot be zero). If position 3 is
a period, the remaining length of &INPUT is calculated. The value of &X is advanced to the beginning of
the remainder, and the remaining portion of &INPUT is moved to &REMAINDER.

If position 3 is not a period, the procedure checks to see if it is at position 49. If so, it assumes that
position 50 is a period and returns. If it is not at position 49, the procedure advances &X to position 4
and repeats the process.
Related tasks
“Variables to use for specifying a list or qualified name” on page 175
Variables can be used to specify a list or qualified name.
“Changing the value of a variable” on page 177
You can change the value of a CL variable using the Change Variable (CHGVAR) command.
Related reference
“Built-in functions for CL” on page 106
Control language (CL) provides several built-in functions. Built-in functions are used in arithmetic,
relational, or logical expressions.
Related information
CL command finder
If (IF) command
Change Variable (CHGVAR) command

%SWITCH built-in function

The switch built-in function (%SWITCH) compares one or more of eight switches with the eight switch
settings already established for the job and returns a logical value of ’0’ or ’1’.

The initial values of the switches for the job are determined first by the Create Job Description
(CRTJOBD) command; the default value is 00000000. You can change this if necessary using the SWS
parameter on the Submit Job (SBMJOB), Change Job (CHGJOB), or JOB command; the default for these is
the job description setting. Other high-level languages can also set job switches.

If, in the comparison of your %SWITCH values against the job values, every switch is the same, a logical
value of ’1’ (true) is returned. If any switch tested does not have the value indicated, the result is a ’0’
(false).

The syntax of the %SWITCH built-in function is:

%SWITCH(8-character-mask)

The 8-character mask is used to indicate which job switches are to be tested, and what value each switch
is to be tested for. Each position in the mask corresponds with one of the eight job switches in a job.
Position 1 corresponds with job switch 1, position 2 with switch 2, and so on. Each position in the mask
can be specified as one of three values: 0, 1, or X.

Control language 207

0 The corresponding job switch is to be tested for a 0 (off).
1 The corresponding job switch is to be tested for a 1 (on).
X The corresponding job switch is not to be tested. The value in the switch does not affect the result
of %SWITCH.

If %SWITCH(0X111XX0) is specified, job switches 1 and 8 are tested for 0s; switches 3, 4, and 5 are tested for
1s; and switches 2, 6, and 7 are not tested. If each job switch contains the value (1 or 0 only) shown in the
mask, the result of %SWITCH is true ’1’.

Switches can be tested in a CL procedure to control the flow of the procedure. This function is used in CL
procedures with the If (IF) and Change Variable (CHGVAR) commands. Switches can be changed in a CL
procedure by the Change Job (CHGJOB) command. For CL procedures, these changes take effect
immediately.
Related tasks
“Changing the value of a variable” on page 177
You can change the value of a CL variable using the Change Variable (CHGVAR) command.
Related reference
“Built-in functions for CL” on page 106
Control language (CL) provides several built-in functions. Built-in functions are used in arithmetic,
relational, or logical expressions.
Related information
CL command finder
Change Job (CHGJOB) command
Submit Job (SBMJOB) command
Change Job Description (CHGJOBD) command
Change Variable (CHGVAR) command

%SWITCH with the IF command:

On the If (IF) command, %SWITCH can be specified on the COND parameter as the logical expression to
be tested.

In the following example, 0X111XX0 is compared to the predetermined job switch setting:
IF COND(%SWITCH(0X111XX0)) THEN(GOTO C)

If job switch 1 contains 0, job switch 3 contains 1, job switch 4 contains 1, job switch 5 contains 1, and job
switch 8 contains 0, the result is true and the procedure branches to the command having the label C. If
one or more of the switches tested do not have the values indicated in the mask, the result is false, and
the branch does not occur.

In the following example, switches control conditional processing in two procedures.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
SBMJOB JOB(APP502) JOBD(PAYROLL) CMD(CALL APP502)
SWS(11000000)

PGM /* CONTROL */
IF (%SWITCH(11XXXXXX)) CALLPRC PROCA
IF (%SWITCH(10XXXXXX)) CALLPRC PROCB
IF (%SWITCH(01XXXXXX)) CALLPRC PROCC
IF (%SWITCH(00XXXXXX)) CALLPRC PROCD
ENDPGM

208 System i: Programming Control language

PGM /* PROCA */
CALLPRC TRANS
IF (%SWITCH(1XXXXXXX)) CALLPRC CUS520
ELSE CALLPRC CUS521
ENDPGM
Related information
If (IF) command

%SWITCH with the Change Variable command:

On the Change Variable (CHGVAR) command, you can specify %SWITCH to change the value of a
logical variable.

The value of the logical variable is determined by the results of comparing your %SWITCH settings with
the job switch settings. If the result of the comparison is true, the logical variable is set to ’1’. If the result
is false, the variable is set to ’0’. For instance, if the job switch is set to 10000001 and this procedure is
processed, then the variable &A has a value of ’1’:
PGM
DCL &A *LGL
CHGVAR VAR(&A) VALUE(%SWITCH(10000001))
.
.
.
ENDPGM
Related information
Change Variable (CHGVAR) command

Monitor Message command

The Monitor Message (MONMSG) command is used to monitor for escape, notify, or status messages
sent to the call stack of the procedure in which the MONMSG command is used.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Escape messages are sent to CL procedures by the commands in the CL procedures and by the programs
and procedures they call. These escape messages are sent to tell the procedures that errors were detected
and requested functions were not performed. CL procedures can monitor for the arrival of escape
messages, and you can specify through commands how to handle the messages. For example, if a CL
procedure tries to move a data area that has been deleted, an object-not-found escape message is sent to
the procedure by the Move Object (MOVOBJ) command.

Using the MONMSG command, you can direct a procedure to take predetermined action if specific errors
occur during the processing of the immediately preceding command. The MONMSG command has the
following parameters:
MONMSG MSGID(message-identifier) CMPDTA(comparison-data) +
EXEC(CL-command)

Each message that is sent for a specific error has a unique identifier. You can enter as many as 50
message identifiers on the MSGID parameter. (See the online help for messages and identifiers). The
CMPDTA parameter allows even greater specification of error messages because you can check for a
specific character string in the MSGDTA portion of the message. On the EXEC parameter, you can specify
a CL command (such as a Call Program (CALL), Do (DO), or a Go To (GOTO)), which directs the
procedure to perform error recovery.

In the following example, the MONMSG command follows the Receive File (RCVF) command and,
therefore, is only monitoring for messages sent by the RCVF command:

Control language 209

READLOOP: RCVF /* Read a file record */
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0864) EXEC(GOTO CMDLBL(EOF))
/* Process the file record */
GOTO CMDLBL(READLOOP) /* Get another record */
EOF: /* End of file processing */

The escape message, CPF0864, is sent to the procedure’s invocation queue when there are no more
records in the file to read. Because the example specifies MSGID(CPF0864), the MONMSG monitors for
this condition. When it receives the message, the GOTO CMDLBL(EOF) command is run.

You can also use the MONMSG command to monitor for messages sent by any command in a CL
procedure. The following example includes two MONMSG commands. The first MONMSG command
monitors for the messages CPF0001 and CPF1999; these messages might be sent by any command run
later in the procedure. When either message is received from any of the commands running in the
procedure, control branches to the command identified by the label EXIT2.

The second MONMSG command monitors for the messages CPF2105 and MCH1211. Because no
command is coded for the EXEC parameter, these messages are ignored.
PGM
DCL
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0001 CPF1999) EXEC(GOTO EXIT2)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF2105 MCH1211)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

Message CPF0001 states that an error was found in the command that is identified in the message itself.
Message CPF1999, which can be sent by many of the debugging commands, such as Change Program
Variable (CHGPGMVAR), states that errors occurred on the command, but it does not identify the
command in the message.

All error conditions monitored for by the MONMSG command with the EXEC parameter specified
(CPF0001 or CPF1999) are handled in the same way at EXIT2, and it is not possible to return to the next
sequential statement after the error. You can avoid this by monitoring for specific conditions after each
command and branching to specific error correction procedures.

All error conditions monitored for by the MONMSG command without the EXEC parameter specified
(CPF2105 or MCH1211) are ignored, and procedure processing continues with the next command.

If the error occurs when evaluating the expression on an IF command, the condition is considered false.
In the following example, MCH1211 (divide by zero) could occur on the IF command. The condition
would be considered false, and PROCA would be called.
IF(&A / &B *EQ 5) THEN(DLTF ABC)
ELSE CALLPRC PROCA

If you code the MONMSG command at the beginning of your CL procedure, the messages you specify
are monitored throughout the program, regardless of which command produces these messages. If the
EXEC parameter is used, only the GOTO command can be specified. If the GOTO command is run in
your program, the subroutine stack will be reset.

You can specify the same message identifier on a procedure-level or a command-level MONMSG
command. The command-level MONMSG commands take precedence over the procedure-level
MONMSG commands. In the following example, if message CPF0001 is received on CMDB, CMDC is
run. If message CPF0001 is received on any other command in the procedure, the procedure branches to
EXIT2. If message CPF1999 is received on any command, including CMDB, the procedure branches to
EXIT2.

210 System i: Programming Control language

PGM
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0001 CPF1999) EXEC(GOTO EXIT2)
CMDA
CMDB
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0001) EXEC(CMDC)
CMDD
EXIT2: ENDPGM

Because many escape messages can be sent to a procedure, you must decide which ones you want to
monitor for and handle. Most of these messages are sent to a procedure only if there is an error in the
procedure. Others are sent because of conditions outside the procedure. Generally, a CL procedure should
monitor for those messages that pertain to its basic function and that it can handle appropriately. For all
other messages, the i5/OS operating system assumes an error has occurred and takes appropriate default
action.
Related tasks
“Defining message descriptions” on page 453
Predefined messages are stored in a message file.
“Messages” on page 452
Messages are used to communicate between users and programs.
“Checking for the existence of an object” on page 437
Before attempting to use an object in a program, check to determine if the object exists and if you
have the authority to use it.
Related information
CL command finder
Monitor Message (MONMSG) command

Retrieving values that can be used as variables

You can retrieve values, such as system values and job attributes, to use as variables in a procedure. Note
that not every retrievable value is included.
Related information
CL command finder

Retrieving system values

A system value contains control information for the operation of certain parts of the system.

IBM supplies several types of system values. For example, QDATE and QTIME are date and time system
values, which you set when the i5/OS operating system is started.

You can bring system values into your procedure and manipulate them as variables using the Retrieve
System Value (RTVSYSVAL) command:
RTVSYSVAL SYSVAL(system-value-name) RTNVAR(CL-variable-name)

The RTNVAR parameter specifies the name of the variable in your CL procedure that is to receive the
value of the system value.

The type of the variable must match the type of the system value. For character and logical system
values, the length of the CL variable must equal the length of the value. For decimal values, the length of
the variable must be greater than or equal to the length of the system value.
Related information
System values

Example: Retrieving QTIME system value:

Control language 211

In this example, QTIME is received and moved to a variable, which is then compared with another
variable.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
DCL VAR(&PWRDNTME) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(6) VALUE(’162500’)
DCL VAR(&TIME) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(6)
RTVSYSVAL SYSVAL(QTIME) RTNVAR(&TIME)
IF (&TIME *GT &PWRDNTME) THEN(DO)
SNDBRKMSG(’Powering down in 5 minutes. Please sign off.’)
PWRDWNSYS OPTION(*CNTRLD) DELAY(300) RESTART(*NO) +
IPLSRC(*PANEL)

ENDDO
ENDPGM
Related information
System values

Retrieving the QDATE system value into a CL variable:

In many applications, you might want to use the current date in your procedure by retrieving the system
value QDATE and placing it in a variable. You might also want to change the format of that date for use
in your procedure.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

To convert the format of a date in a CL procedure, use the Convert Date (CVTDAT) command.

The format for the system date is the system value QDATFMT. The included value of QDATFMT varies
according to country or region. For example, 062488 is the MDY (monthdayyear) format for June 24 1988.
You can change this format to the YMD, DMY, or the JUL (Julian) format. For Julian, the QDAY value is a
3-character value from 001 to 366. It is used to determine the number of days between two dates. You can
also delete the date separators or change the character used as a date separator with the Convert Date
(CVTDAT) command.

The format for the Convert Date (CVTDAT) command is:

CVTDAT DATE(date-to-be-converted) TOVAR(CL-variable) +
FROMFMT(old-format) TOFMT(new-format) +
TOSEP(new-separators)

The DATE parameter can specify a constant or a variable to be converted. After the date has been
converted, it is placed in the variable named on the TOVAR parameter. In the following example, the
date in variable &DATE, which is formatted as MDY, is changed to the DMY format and placed in the
variable &CVTDAT.
CVTDAT DATE(&DATE) TOVAR(&CVTDAT) FROMFMT(*MDY) TOFMT(*DMY)
TOSEP(*SYSVAL)

The date separator remains as specified in the system value QDATSEP.

The Convert Date (CVTDAT) command can be useful when creating objects or adding a member that
uses a date as part of its name. For example, assume that a member must be added to a file using the
current system date. Also, assume that the current date is in the MDY format and is to be converted to
the Julian format.

212 System i: Programming Control language

PGM
DCL &DATE6 *CHAR LEN(6)
DCL &DATE5 *CHAR LEN(5)
RTVSYSVAL QDATE RTNVAR(&DATE6)
CVTDAT DATE(&DATE6) TOVAR(&DATE5) TOFMT(*JUL) TOSEP(*NONE)
ADDPFM LIB1/FILEX MBR(’MBR’ *CAT &DATE5)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

If the current date is 5 January 1988, the added member would be named MBR88005.

Remember the following when converting dates:

v The length of the value in the DATE parameter and the length of the variable on the TOVAR
parameter must be compatible with the date format. The length of the variable on the TOVAR
parameter must be at least:
v
1. For Non-Julian Dates possessing 2 digit years
a. Use 6 characters when using no separators.
July 28, 1978 would be written as 072878.
b. Use 8 characters when using separators.
July 28, 1978 would be written as 07-28-78.
2. For Non-Julian Dates with 4–digit years
a. Use 8 characters when using no separators.
July 28, 1978 would be written as 07281978.
b. Use 10 characters when using separators.
July 28, 1978 would be written as 07-28-1978.
3. For Julian dates with 2–digit years
a. Use 5 characters when using no separators.
December 31, 1996 would be written as 96365.
b. Use 6 characters when using separators.
December 31, 1996 would be written as 96-365.
4. For Julian dates with 4–digit years,
a. 7 characters are required when no separators are used.
February 4, 1997 would be written as 1997035.
b. 8 characters are required when separators are used.
February 4, 1997 would be written as 1997-035.
Error messages are sent for converted characters that do not fit in the variable. If the converted date is
shorter than the variable, it is padded on the right with blanks.
v In every date format except Julian, the month and day are 2-byte fields no matter what value they
contain. The year can be either 2-byte or 4-byte fields. All converted values are right-aligned and, when
necessary, padded with leading zeros.
v In the Julian format, day is a 3-byte field, and year is a 2-byte or 4-byte field. All converted values are
right-aligned and, when necessary, padded with leading zeros.

The following is an alternative program that uses the ILE bindable API, Get Current Local Time
(CEELOCT), to convert a date to Julian format. To create this program, you must use the Create Bound
Control Language Program (CRTBNDCL) command alone, or the Create Control Language Module
(CRTCLMOD) command and the Create Program (CRTPGM) command together.

Control language 213

PGM
DCL &LILDATE *INTLEN(4)
DCL &PICTSTR *CHAR
LEN(5) VALUE(YYDDD)
DCL &JULDATE *CHAR
LEN(5)
DCL &SECONDS *CHAR
8 /* Seconds from CEELOCT */
DCL &GREG *CHAR
23 /* Gregorian date from CEELOCT */
/* */
CALLPRC PRC(CEELOCT) /* Get current date and time */ +
PARM(&LILDATE /* Date in Lilian format */ +
&SECONDS /* Seconds field will not be used */ +
&GREG /* Gregorian field will not be used */ +
*OMIT) /* Omit feedback parameter */ +
/* so exceptions are signalled */

CALLPRC PRC(CEEDATE) +
PARM(&LILDATE /* Today’s date */ +
&PICTSTR /* How to format */ +
&JULDATE /* Julian date */ +
*OMIT)

ADDPFM LIB1/FILEX MBR(’MBR’ *CAT &JULDATE’)

ENDPGM
Related information
Application Programming Interfaces (API)

Retrieving configuration source

Using the Retrieve Configuration Source (RTVCFGSRC) command, you can generate CL command source
for creating existing configuration objects and place the source in a source file member.

The CL command source that is generated can be used for the following purposes:
v Moving configurations from system to system
v Maintaining on-site configurations
v Saving configurations (without using SAVSYS)
Related information
Retrieve Configuration Source (RTVCFGSRC) command

Retrieving configuration status

Using the Retrieve Configuration Status (RTVCFGSTS) command, you can give applications the capability
to retrieve configuration status from three configuration objects: line, controller, and device.

The Retrieve Configuration Status (RTVCFGSTS) command can be used in a CL procedure to check the
status of a configuration description.
Related information
Retrieve Configuration Status (RTVCFGSTS) command

Retrieving network attributes

Using the Retrieve Network Attributes (RTVNETA) command, you can retrieve the network attributes of
the system.

These attributes can be changed using the Change Network Attributes (CHGNETA) command and
displayed using the Display Network Attributes (DSPNETA) command.
Related information
Retrieve Network Attributes (RTVNETA) command
Change Network Attributes (CHGNETA) command
Display Network Attributes (DSPNETA) command

214 System i: Programming Control language

 Retrieve Network Attributes (QWCRNETA) API

Example: Using the Retrieve Network Attributes command:

This example shows how to retrieve network attributes by using the Retrieve Network Attributes
(RTVNETA) command.

In the following example, the default network output queue and the library that contains it are retrieved,
changed to QGPL/QPRINT, and later changed back to the previous value.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
DCL VAR(&OUTQNAME) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&OUTQLIB) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
RTVNETA OUTQ(&OUTQNAME) OUTQLIB(&OUTQLIB)
CHGNETA OUTQ(QGPL/QPRINT)
.
.
.
CHGNETA OUTQ(&OUTQLIB/&OUTQNAME)
ENDPGM

Retrieving job attributes

To retrieve the job attributes and place their values in a CL variable to control your applications, use the
Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) command. With this command you can retrieve all job attributes or
any combination of them.

In the following CL procedure, a Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) command retrieves the name of the
user who called the procedure.
PGM
/* ORD410C Order entry program */
DCL &CLKNAM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &NXTPGM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(3)
.
.
.
RTVJOBA USER(&CLKNAM)
BEGIN: CALL ORD410S2 PARM(&NXTPGM &CLKNAM)
/* Customer prompt */
IF (&NXTPGM *EQ ’END’) THEN(RETURN)
.
.
.

The variable &CLKNAM, in which the user name is to be passed, is first declared using a DCL
command. The Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) command follows the declare commands. When the
program ORD410S2 is called, two variables, &NXTPGM and &CLKNAM, are passed to it. &NXTPGM is
passed as blanks but could be changed by ORD410S2.
Related information
Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) command

Example: Using the Retrieve Job Attributes command:

This example shows how to retrieve job attributes by using the Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA)
command.

Control language 215

Assume in the following CL procedure, an interactive job submits a program including the CL procedure
to batch. A Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) command retrieves the name of the message queue to
which the job’s completion message is sent, and uses that message queue to communicate with the user
who submitted the job.
PGM
DCL &MSGQ *CHAR 10
DCL &MSGQLIB *CHAR 10
DCL &MSGKEY *CHAR 4
DCL &REPLY *CHAR 1
DCL &ACCTNO *CHAR 6
.
.
.
RTVJOBA SBMMSGQ(&MSGQ) SBMMSGQLIB(&MSGQLIB)
IF (&MSGQ *EQ ’*NONE’) THEN(DO)
CHGVAR &MSGQ ’QSYSOPR’
CHGVAR &MSGQLIB ’QSYS’
ENDDO
.
.
.
IF (. . . ) THEN(DO)
SNDMSG:SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Account number ’ *CAT &ACCTNO *CAT ’is +
not valid. Do you want to cancel the update +
(Y or N)?’) TOMSGQ(&MSGQLIB/&MSGQ) MSGTYPE(*INQ) +
KEYVAR(&MSGKEY)
RCVMSG MSGQ(*PGMQ) MSGTYPE(*RPY) MSGKEY(&MSGKEY) +
MSG(&REPLY) WAIT(*MAX)
IF (&REPLY *EQ ’Y’) THEN(RETURN)
ELSE IF (&REPLY *NE ’N’) THEN(GOTO SNDMSG)
ENDDO
.
.
.

Two variables, &MSGQ and &MSGQLIB, are declared to receive the name and library of the message
queue to be used. The Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) command is used to retrieve the message
queue name and library name. Because it is possible that a message queue is not specified for the job, the
message queue name is compared to the value *NONE. If the comparison is equal, no message queue is
specified, and the variables are changed so that message queue QSYSOPR in library QSYS is used. Later
in the procedure, when an error condition is detected, an inquiry message is sent to the specified message
queue and the reply is received and processed. Some of the other possible uses of the Retrieve Job
Attributes (RTVJOBA) command are:
v Retrieve one or more of the job attributes (such as output queue, library list) so that they can be
changed temporarily and later restored to their original values.
v Retrieve one or more of the job attributes for use in the Submit Job (SBMJOB) command, so that the
submitted job will have the same attributes as the submitting job.

Retrieving user profile attributes

Using the Retrieve User Profile (RTVUSRPRF) command, you can retrieve the attributes of a user profile
(except for the password) and place their values in CL variables to control your applications.

On this command, you can specify either the 10-character user profile name or *CURRENT. You can also
monitor for escape messages after running the Retrieve User Profile(RTVUSRPRF) command.
Related information
Retrieve User Profile (RTVUSRPRF) command

Example: Using the Retrieve User Profile command:

216 System i: Programming Control language

This example shows how to retrieve user profile information by using the Retrieve User Profile
(RTVUSRPRF) command.

In the following CL procedure, a Retrieve User Profile(RTVUSRPRF) command retrieves the name of the
user who called the procedure and the name of a message queue to which to send messages for that user:
DCL &USR *CHAR 10
DCL &USRMSGQ *CHAR 10
DCL &USRMSGQLIB *CHAR 10
.
.
.
RTVUSRPRF USRPRF(*CURRENT) RTNUSRPRF(&USR) +
MGSQ(&USRMSGQ) MSGQLIB(&USRMSGQLIB)

The following information is returned to the procedure:

v &USR contains the user profile name of the user who called the program.
v &USRMSGQ contains the name of the message queue specified in the user profile.
v &USRMSGQLIB contains the name of the library containing the message queue associated with the
user profile.

Retrieving member description information

Using the Retrieve Member Description (RTVMBRD) command, you can retrieve information about a
member of a database file for use in your applications.
Related information
Retrieve Member Description (RTVMBRD) command

Example: Using the Retrieve Member Description command:

This example shows how to retrieve member description information by using the Retrieve Member
Description (RTVMBRD) command.

In the following CL procedure, a Retrieve User Profile Attributes (RTVUSRPRF) command retrieves the
description of a specific member. Assume a database file called MFILE exists in the current library
(MYLIB) and contains 3 members (AMEMBER, BMEMBER, and CMEMBER).
DCL &LIB TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &MBR TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &SYS TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
DCL &MTYPE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5)
DCL &CRTDATE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(13)
DCL &CHGDATE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(13)
DCL &TEXT TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(50)
DCL &NBRRCD TYPE(*DEC) LEN(10 0)
DCL &SIZE TYPE(*DEC) LEN(10 0)
DCL &USEDATE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(13)
DCL &USECNT TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 0)
DCL &RESET TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(13)
.
.
.
RTVMBRD FILE(*CWeb siteIB/MYFILE) MBR(AMEMBER *NEXT) +
RTNLIB(&LIB) RTNSYSTEM(&SYS) RTNMBR(&MBR) +
FILEATR(&MTYPE) CRTDATE(&CRTDATE) TEXT(&TEXT) +
NBRCURRCD(&NBRRCD) DTASPCSIZ(&SIZE) USEDATE(&USEDATE) +
USECOUNT(&USECNT) RESETDATE(&RESET)

The following information is returned to the procedure:

v The current library name (MYLIB) is placed into the CL variable name &LIB.

Control language 217

v The system that MYFILE was found on is placed into the CL variable name &SYS (*LCL means the file
was found on the local system, and *RMT means the file was found on a remote system).
v The member name (BMEMBER), since BMEMBER is the member immediately after AMEMBER in a
name ordered member list (*NEXT), is placed into the CL variable named &MBR.
v The file attribute of MYFILE is placed into the CL variable named &MTYPE (*DATA means the
member is a data member, and *SRC means the file is a source member).
v The creation date of BMEMBER is placed into the CL variable called &CRTDATE.
v The text used to describe BMEMBER is placed into the CL variable called &TEXT.
v The current number of records in BMEMBER is placed into the CL variable called &NBRRCD.
v The size of BMEMBER’s data space (in bytes) is placed into the CL variable called &SIZE.
v The date that BMEMBER was last used is placed into the CL variable called &USEDATE.
v The number of days that BMEMBER has been used is placed into the CL variable called &USECNT
The start date of this count is the value placed into the CL variable called &RESET.

Compiling CL procedures
A CL source procedure must be compiled into a module and bound into a program before it can be run.

To create a CL program in one step, you can use the Create Bound Control Language Program
(CRTBNDCL) command and create a bound program with one module.

You can also create a module with the Create Control Language Module (CRTCLMOD) command. The
module must then be bound into a program or service program using the Create Program (CRTPGM) or
Create Service Program (CRTSRVPGM) command.

The following example creates the module ORD040C and places it in library DSTPRODLB:
CRTCLMOD MODULE(DSTPRODLB/ORD040C) SRCFILE(QCLSRC)
TEXT(’Order dept general menu program’)

The source commands for ORD040C are in the source file QCLSRC, and the source member name is
ORD040C. By default, a compiler listing is created.

On the Create Bound Control Language Program (CRTBNDCL) command, you can specify listing options
and whether the program should operate under the program owner’s user profile.

A program can run using either the owner’s user profile or the user’s user profile.

CL procedures and programs are created using options on the Programming Development Manager
(PDM) menu or the Programmer Menu so the Create Control Language Module (CRTCLMOD) command
or Create Bound Control Language Program (CRTBNDCL) command does not have to be directly
entered.
Related information
CL command finder
Create Program (CRTPGM) command
Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL) command
Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) command
Create Service Program (CRTSRVPGM) command

Logging CL procedure commands

You can specify that most CL commands run in a CL procedure be written (logged) to the job log.

218 System i: Programming Control language

 This can be done by specifying one of the following values on the LOG parameter on the Create Control
Language Module (CRTCLMOD) command or the Create Bound Control Language Program
(CRTBNDCL) command when the procedure is compiled:
*JOB This default value indicates that logging is to occur when the job’s logging option is on. The
option is initially set for no logging, but it can be changed by the LOGCLPGM parameter on the
Change Job (CHGJOB) command. Therefore, if you create the module or program with this value,
you can alter the logging option for each job or several times within a job.
*YES This value indicates that logging is to occur each time the CL procedure is run. It cannot be
changed by the CHGJOB command.
*NO This value indicates that no logging is to occur. It cannot be changed by the CHGJOB command.

Because these values are part of the Create Control Language Module (CRTCLMOD) and the Create
Bound Control Language Program (CRTBNDCL) commands, you must recompile the module or program
to change them.

When you specify logging, you should use the Remove Message (RMVMSG) command with care in order
not to remove any logged commands from the job log. If you specify CLEAR(*ALL) on the RMVMSG
command, any commands logged before running the RMVMSG command do not appear in the job log.
This affects only the CL procedure containing the RMVMSG command and does not affect any logged
commands for the preceding or following recursion levels.

Not all commands are logged to the job log. The following list is about commands that are not logged.

| CALLPRC CALLSUBR CHGVAR

| DCL DCLF DCLPRCOPT
DO DOFOR DOUNTIL
DOWHILE ELSE ENDDO
| ENDPGM ENDSELECT ENDSUBR
GOTO IF ITERATE
LEAVE MONMSG OTHERWISE
| PGM RTNSUBR SELECT
| SUBR WHEN

If the logging option is on, logging messages are sent to the CL procedure’s message queue. If the CL
procedure is running interactively, and the message level on the job’s LOG parameter is set to 4, you can
press F10 (Display detail messages) to view the logging of all commands. You can print the log if the
message level is 4 and you specify *PRINT when you sign off.

The log includes the time, program and procedure names, message texts, and command names.
Command names are qualified as they are on the original source statement. Command parameters are
also logged; if the parameter information is a CL variable, the contents of the variable are printed (except
for the RTNVAL parameter).

Logging of commands affects performance.

Related concepts
“Job log” on page 527
Each job has an associated job log.
Related information
CL command finder
Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) command
Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL) command
Change Job (CHGJOB) command

Control language 219

 Remove Message (RMVMSG) command

CL module compiler listings

When you create a CL module, you can create various types of listings using the OPTION and OUTPUT
parameters on the Create Control Language Module (CRTCLMOD) command.

The OPTION parameter values and their meanings are:

v *GEN or *NOGEN
Whether a module is to be created (*GEN is the default).
v *XREF or *NOXREF
Whether a listing of cross-references to variables and data references in the source input is to be
produced (*XREF is the default).

The OUTPUT parameter values and their meanings are:

v *PRINT - print listing
v *NONE - no compiler listing

The listing created by specifying the OUTPUT parameter is called a compiler listing. The following
example is about compiler listing. The callout numbers refer to descriptions following the listing.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

220 System i: Programming Control language

 1 2 3
5722SS1 V5R3M0 041231 Control Language MYLIB/DUMPER SYSNAME 05/06/00 11:12:55 Page 1
Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : DUMPERR
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : MYLIB
Source file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : QCLSRC
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : MYLIB
Source member name . . . . . . . . . . . . . : DUMPERR 05/06/94 10:42:26 4
Source printing options . . . . . . . . . . . : *XREF *NOSECLVL *NOEVENTF
Module logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *JOB
Replace module object . . . . . . . . . . . . : *YES
Target release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : V5R3M0
Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *LIBCRTAUT
Sort sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *HEX
Language identifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *JOBRUN
Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : Test program
Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NONE
Debugging view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *STMT
Enable performance collection . . . . . . . . : *PEP
Compiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : IBM i5/OS Control Language Compiler 5
6 Control Language Source
SEQNBR *...+... 1 ...+... 2 ...+... 3 ...+... 4 ...+... 5 ...+... 6 ...+... 7 ...+... 8 ...+... 9 ...+. DATE 8
100- PGM 05/06/94
200- DCL &ABC *CHAR 10 VALUE(’THIS’) 05/06/94
300- DCL &XYZ *CHAR 10 VALUE(’THAT’) 7 05/06/94
400- DCL &MNO *CHAR 10 VALUE(’OTHER’) 05/06/94
500- CRTLIB LB(LARRY) 05/06/94
* CPD0043 30 Keyword LB not valid for this command. 9
600- DLTLIB LIB(MOE 05/06/94
* CPD0013 30 A matching parenthesis not found.
700- MONMSG CPF0000 EXEC(GOTO ERR) 05/06/94
800- ERROR: 05/06/94
900- CHGVAR &ABC ’ONE’ 05/06/94
1000- CHGVAR &XYZ ’TWO’ 05/06/94
1100- CHGVAR &MNO ’THREE’ 05/06/94
1200- DMPCLPGM 05/06/94
1300- ENDPGM 05/06/94
* * * * * E N D O F S O U R C E * * * * *
5722SS1 V5R3M0 040201 Control Language MYLIB/DUMPER SYSNAME 05/06/00 11:12:55 Page 2
Cross Reference
Declared Variables
Name Defined Type Length References
&ABC 200 *CHAR 10 900
&MNO 400 *CHAR 10 1100
10
&XYZ 300 *CHAR 10 1000
Defined Labels
Label Defined References 11
ERR ****** 700
* CPD0715 30 Label ’ERR ’ does not exist.
ERROR 800
* * * * * E N D O F C R O S S R E F E R E N C E * * * * *
5722SS1 V5R3M0 040201 Control Language MYLIB/DUMPER SYSNAME 05/06/04 11:12:55 Page 3
Message Summary
Severity
Total 0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 90-99 12
3 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Module DUMPERR not created in library MYLIB. Maximum error severity 30. 13
* * * * * E N D O F M E S S A G E S U M M A R Y * * * * *
* * * * * E N D O F C O M P I L A T I O N * * * * *

Title:
1 The program number, release, modification level and date of the i5/OS operating system.
2 The date and time of the compiler run.
3 The page number in the listing.

Prolog:
4 The parameter values specified (or defaults if not specified) on the Create Control Language
Module (CRTCLMOD) command. If the source is not in a database file, the member name, date,
and time are omitted.
5 The name of the compiler.

Source:
6 The sequence numbers of lines (records) in the source. A dash following a sequence number
indicates that a source statement begins at that sequence number. The absence of a dash indicates
that a statement is the continuation of the previous statement.
Comments between source statements are handled like any other source statement and have
sequence numbers.

Control language 221

7 The source statements.
8 The last date the source statement was changed or added. If the source is not in a database file,
or the dates have been reset using RGZPFM, the date is omitted.
9 If an error is found during compilation and can be traced to a specific source statement, the error
message is printed immediately following the source statement. An asterisk (*) indicates the line
contains an error message. The line contains the message identifier, severity, and the text of the
message.

Cross-References:
10 The symbolic variable table is a cross-reference listing of the variables validly declared in the
program. The table lists the variable, the sequence number of the statement where the variable is
declared, the variable’s attributes, and the sequence numbers of statements that refer to the
variable.
11 The label table is a cross-reference listing of the labels validly defined in the program. The table
lists the label, the sequence number of the statement where the label is defined, and the sequence
numbers of statements that refer to the label.

Messages:

This section is not included in the sample listing because no general error messages were issued for the
sample module. If there were general error messages for this module, this section would contain, for each
message, the message identifier, the severity, and the message.

Message Summary:
12 A summary of the number of messages issued during compilation. The total number is given
along with totals by severity.
13 A completion message is printed following the message summary.

The title, prologue, source, and message summary sections are always printed for the *SOURCE option.
The cross-reference section is printed if the *XREF option is specified. The message section is printed only
if general errors are found.
Related concepts
“Common compilation errors”
The types of errors that are detected at compile time include syntax errors, references to variables and
labels not defined, and missing statements.
Related information
Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) command

Common compilation errors

The types of errors that are detected at compile time include syntax errors, references to variables and
labels not defined, and missing statements.

In the compiler listing of a module, an error condition that relates directly to a specific command is listed
after that command. Messages that do not relate to a specific command but are more general in nature
are listed in a messages section of the listing, not inline with source statements.

The following types of errors stop the procedure from being created (severity codes are ignored).
v Value errors
v Syntax errors
v Errors related to dependencies between parameters within a command
v Errors detected during validity checking

222 System i: Programming Control language

Even after an error that stops the procedure from being created is encountered, the compiler continues to
check the source for errors. This lets you see and correct as many errors as possible before you try to
create the module or program again.
Related reference
“CL module compiler listings” on page 220
When you create a CL module, you can create various types of listings using the OPTION and
OUTPUT parameters on the Create Control Language Module (CRTCLMOD) command.

Obtaining a CL procedure dump

You can obtain a CL procedure dump during procedure processing.

The CL procedure dump consists of a listing of all messages on the procedure’s message queue and the
values of all variables used in the procedure. This information may be useful in determining the cause of
a problem affecting procedure processing.

To obtain a CL procedure dump, complete one of the following tasks:

v Run the Dump CL Program (DMPCLPGM) command. This command can only be used in a CL
procedure and does not end the CL procedure.
v Enter D in response to inquiry message CPA0701 or CPA0702. The system sends this message
whenever it receives an unmonitored escape message from a CL procedure. If the program is running
in an interactive job, the system sends the message to the job’s external message queue. If the program
is running as a batch job, the system sends the message to the system operator message queue,
QSYSOPR.
v Specify INQMSGRPY(*SYSRPYL) for the job. The IBM-supplied system reply list specifies a reply of D
for message CPA0702 or CPA0701. The system will print a dump if it receives one of the inquiry
messages.
v Change the default reply for message CPA0701 or CPA0702 from C (cancel program) to D (dump
procedure). This prints a procedure dump whenever a function check occurs in a CL procedure. To
change the default, enter the following command:
CHGMSGD MSGID(CPA0702) MSGF(QCPFMSG) DFT(D)

Note: The security officer, or another user with update authority to the QCPFMSG file, must enter the
CHGMSGD command.

Changing the message default causes a dump to be printed under any of the following conditions:
v The system operator message queue is in default mode and the message is sent from a batch job.
v The display station user presses the Enter key without typing a response, causing the message default
to be used.
v INQMSGRPY(*DFT) is specified for the job.

Control language 223

 1
5722SS1 V5R3M0 040201 Control Language MYLIB/DUMPER SYSNAME 05/06/00 11:05:032 Page 1

Job name . . . . . . . . : DSP043 User name . . . . . . : SMITH 3 Job number . . . . . . : 01329 3

Program name . . . . . . : DUMP4 Library . . . . . . . : MYLIB4 Statement . . . . . . . : 1200 5
Module name . . . . . . : DUMP Procedure name . . . : DUMP

Messages

Message 6 Message From To

Time ID Sev Type Text Program Inst Program Inst
110503 CPC2102 00 COMP Library LARRY created. QLICRLIB *N DUMP *N
110503 CPF2110 40 ESC Library MOE not found. QLICLLIB *N DUMP *N

Variables 7

Variable Type Length Value Value in Hexadecimal

*...+....1....+....2....+ * . . . + . . . . 1 . . . . + . . . . 2 . . . . +
&ABC *CHAR 10 ’ONE ’ D6D5C540404040404040
&XYZ *CHAR 10 ’TWO ’ E3E6D640404040404040

* * * * * E N D O F D U M P * * * * *

1 The program number, release, modification level and date of the i5/OS operating system.
2 The date and time the dump was printed.
3 The fully qualified name of the job in which the procedure was running.
4 The name and library of the program.
5 The number of the statement running when the dump was taken. If the command is a nested
command, the statement number is that of the outer command.
6 Each message on the call message queue, including the time the message was sent, message ID,
severity, type, text, sending program and instruction number, and receiving program and
instruction number.
7 All variables declared in the procedure, including variable name, type, length, value, and
hexadecimal value.
If a decimal variable contains decimal data that is not valid, the character and hexadecimal values
are printed as *CHAR variables.
If the value for the variable cannot be located, *NOT ADDRESSABLE is printed. This can occur if
the CL procedure is used in a command processing program for a command that has a parameter
with either TYPE(*NULL) or PASSVAL(*NULL) specified, or if RTNVAL(*YES) was specified for
the parameter and a return variable is not coded on the command.
If a variable is declared as TYPE(*LGL), it is shown on the dump as *CHAR with a length of 1.
Related information
Controlling the default reply to the query governor inquiry message
Dump CL Program (DMPCLPGM) command

Displaying module attributes

To display the attributes of a module, use the Display Module (DSPMOD) command.

The information displayed or printed can be used to determine the options specified on the command
used to create the module.
Related information
Display Module (DSPMON) command

Displaying program attributes

To display the attributes of a program, use the Display Program (DSPPGM) command.

The information displayed or printed can be used to determine the options specified on the command
used to create the program.

224 System i: Programming Control language

You can use the Display Program (DSPPGM) command to display the attributes of a program. To retrieve
some of the attributes (such as program type, source member, text, creation date) into CL variables, you
can use the Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) command to build an output file. The system can then
read a CL procedure or program that uses the Declare File (DCLF) and Receive File (RCVF) commands.
To access other attributes of the DSPPGM command (such as USRPRF), you can use the Retrieve program
information (QCLRPGMI) API.
Related information
Display Program (DSPPGM) command

Return code summary

A return code can be returned using the (RTNCDE) parameter on the Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA)
command .

The return code is a 5-digit decimal value with no decimal positions (12345. for example). The decimal
value indicates the status of called programs. CL programs do not set the return code. However, you can
retrieve the current value of the return code as set by another program in a CL program. You can do this
by using the RTNCDE parameter of the Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) command.

The following list summarizes the return codes used by languages supported on the i5/OS operating
system:
v RPG IV programs
The return codes sent by the RPG IV compiler are:
0 When the program is created
2 When the program is not created
The return codes sent by running RPG IV programs are:
0 When a program is started, or by the CALL operation before a program is called
1 When a program ends with LR set on
2 When a program ends with an error (response of C, D, F, or S to an inquiry message)
3 When a program ends because of a halt indicator (H1-H9)
RPG IV return codes are tested only after a CALL:
– 0 or 1 indicate no error
– 3 gives an RPG IV status code of 231
– Any other value gives an RPG IV status code 202 (call ended in error)
The return code cannot be tested directly by the user in the RPG IV program.
v ILE COBOL and OPM COBOL programs
The return codes sent by running COBOL programs are:
0 By each CALL statement before a program is called
2 When a program receives a function check (CPF9999) or the generic I/O exception handler gets
control and there is no applicable USE procedure
COBOL programs cannot retrieve these return codes. For OPM COBOL, a return code value of 2 sends
message LBE9001. For ILE COBOL, a return code value of 2 sends message CEE9001.
v ILE C programs
The current value of the integer return code is returned by the last ILE C return statement in an ILE C
program.
Related information
Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) command
Reclaim Resources (RCLRSC) command

Control language 225

Compiling source programs for a previous release
The Create Control Language Program (CRTCLPGM) command allows you to compile CL source
programs to use on a previous release by using the target release (TGTRLS) parameter.

The TGTRLS parameter specifies on which release of the i5/OS licensed program the CL program object
created intends to run. You can specify *CURRENT, *PRV, or a specific release level.

A CL program compiled with TGTRLS(*CURRENT) runs only on the current release or later releases of
the operating system. A CL program compiled with a specified TGTRLS value other than *CURRENT can
run on the specified release value and on later releases.
Related information
Create CL Program (CRTCLPGM) command

Previous-release (*PRV) libraries

The CL compiler retrieves information about previous-release commands and files from CL
previous-release (*PRV) libraries.

Two types of libraries contain previous-release support: system libraries and user libraries. The libraries
have the names QSYSVxRxMx and QUSRVxRxMx. (VxRxMx represents the version, release, and
modification level of the supported previous release). For example, the QUSRV4R5M0 library supports a
system that runs Version 4 Release 5 Modification level 0 of the i5/OS licensed program.

When the CL compiler compiles for a supported previous release, it first checks for commands and files
in the previous-release libraries. When failing to find the command or file in the previous-release
libraries, the system performs a search of the library list (*LIBL) or the qualified library.

QSYSVxRxMx Libraries: The QSYSVxRxMx libraries install at the same time as the CL compiler support
for a previous release installs. The QSYSVxRxMx libraries include the command definition objects and
output files (*OUTFILE) that are found in library QSYS for that particular previous release.

QUSRVxRxMx Libraries: You can create your own QUSRVxRxMx libraries to hold copies of your
commands and files as they existed in the supported previous release. This is especially important if the
commands or files have changed on the current release.

When the compiler looks for previous-release commands and files, it checks the QUSRVxRxMx library (if
it exists) before checking the QSYSVxRxMx library.

Note: Use the QUSRVxRxMx libraries to hold previous-release user commands and files, instead of the
QSYSVxRxMx libraries. When installing future releases of the CL compiler, support for previous
releases install as well. After the previous-release support is installed, the QUSRVxRxMx libraries
for releases that are no longer supported can be deleted.

Do not add previous-release libraries to the library list (*LIBL). They contain commands and files that
support earlier releases and cannot run on the current system. Only the CL compiler refers to and uses
the commands and files in the previous-release libraries. The system commands that are supplied for a
previous release are in the primary language for the system. There are no secondary national language
versions available.

Note: CL programs that are compiled in the System/38 environment cannot be saved for a previous
release.
Related information
Save Object (SAVOBJ) command
Save Changed Object (SAVCHGOBJ) command
Save Library (SAVLIB) command

226 System i: Programming Control language

 Installing CL compiler support for a previous release
You can install the *PRV CL compiler support and QSYSVxRxMx libraries.

To install the *PRV CL compiler support, follow these steps:

1. To view the Licensed Program Menu, enter the following command:
GO LICPGM
2. Select option 11 (Install licensed programs).
3. Select the option that is named *PRV CL Compiler Support. This causes the QSYSVxRxMx libraries to
install.

If you are not using the CL compiler support for a previous release, you can remove this support by
entering the following command:
| DLTLICPGM LICPGM(5722SS1) OPTION(9)

| When the CL compiler support is removed, the QSYSVxRxMx libraries get removed from the system, but
the QUSRVxRxMx libraries do not. If no need exists for the QUSRVxRxMx libraries, you must explicitly
delete them using the Delete Library (DLTLIB) command.

Controlling flow and communicating between programs and

procedures
The Call Program (CALL), Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC), and Return (RETURN) commands pass
control back and forth between programs and procedures.

Each command has slightly different characteristics. Information may be passed to called programs and
procedures as parameters when control is passed.

Special attention should be given to programs created with USRPRF(*OWNER) that run CALL or
CALLPRC commands. Security characteristics of these commands differ when they are processed in
programs running under an owner’s user profile.
Related concepts
“Parts of a CL procedure” on page 161
While each source statement entered as part of a CL procedure is actually a CL command, the source
can be divided into the basic parts that are used in many typical CL procedures.
Related tasks
“Variables in CL commands” on page 171
CL procedures consist of CL commands. Each command consists of the command name, parameter
keyword names, and parameter values.
“Displaying the call stack” on page 373
To display the call stack, use the Display Debug (DSPDBG) command.
Related information
Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command
Call Program (CALL) command
Return (RETURN) command

iSeries Security Reference PDF

Passing control to another program or procedure

To pass control to another program or procedure, you can select different options.

Using the Call Program command to pass control:

The Call Program (CALL) command calls a program named on the command and passes control to it.

Control language 227

The CALL command has the following format:
CALL PGM(library-name/program-name) PARM(parameter-values)

The program name or library name may be a variable. If the called program is in a library that is not on
the library list, you must specify the qualified name of the program on the PGM parameter. When the
called program finishes running, control returns to the next command in the calling program.

The sequence of CALL commands in a set of programs calling each other is the call stack. For example,
look at this series.

In this series, the call stack is as follows.

228 System i: Programming Control language

When PROGC finishes processing, control returns to PROGB at the command after the call to PROGC.
Control is thus returned up the call stack. This occurs whether PROGC ends with a RETURN or an
ENDPGM command.

A CL program can call itself.

Related tasks
“Passing parameters” on page 231
When you pass control to another program or procedure, you can also pass information to it for
modification or use within the receiving program or procedure.
“Using the Call Program command to pass control to a called program” on page 234
When the Call Program (CALL) command is issued by a CL procedure, each parameter value passed
to the called program can be a character string constant, a numeric constant, a logical constant, or a
CL variable.
Related information
Call Program (CALL) command

Using the Call Bound Procedure command to pass control:

The Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command calls a procedure named on the command, and passes
control to it.

The CALLPRC command has the following format:

CALLPRC PRC(procedure-name) PARM(parameter-values)
RTNVAL(return-value-variable)

The procedure name may not be a variable. When the called procedure finishes running, control returns
to the next command in the calling procedure.

The sequence of CALLPRC commands in a set of procedures calling each other is the call stack. For
example, look at this series.

Control language 229

In this series, the call stack is as follows.

When PROGC finishes processing, control returns to PROGB at the command after the call to PROGC.
Control is thus returned up the call stack. This occurs whether PROGC ends with a Return (RETURN) or
an End Program (ENDPGM) command.

A CL procedure can call itself.

Related tasks
“Passing parameters” on page 231
When you pass control to another program or procedure, you can also pass information to it for
modification or use within the receiving program or procedure.
Related information
Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command

Using the Return command to pass control:

The Return (RETURN) command in a CL procedure or original program model (OPM) program removes
that procedure or OPM program from the call stack.

If the procedure containing the RETURN command was called by a Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC)
command, control is returned to the next sequential statement after that CALLPRC command in the
calling program.

If a Monitor Message (MONMSG) command specifies an action that ends with a RETURN command,
control is returned to the next sequential statement after the statement that called the procedure or
program containing the MONMSG command.

The RETURN command has no parameters.

230 System i: Programming Control language

Note: If you have a RETURN command in an initial program, the command entry display is shown. You
may want to avoid this for security reasons.
Related information
Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command
Monitor Message (MONMSG) command
Return (RETURN) command

Passing parameters
When you pass control to another program or procedure, you can also pass information to it for
modification or use within the receiving program or procedure.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

You can specify the information to be passed on the PARM parameter on the Call (CALL) command or
the Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command. The characteristics and requirements for these
commands are slightly different.

For instance, if PROGA contains the following command:

CALL PROGB PARM(&AREA)

then it calls PROGB and passes the value of &AREA to it. PROGB must start with the PGM command,
which also must specify the parameter it is to receive:
PGM PARM(&AREA) /* PROGB */

For the Call (CALL) command or the Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command, you must specify the
parameters passed on the PARM parameter, and you must specify them on the PARM parameter of the
PGM command in the receiving program or procedure. Because parameters are passed by position, not
name, the position of the value passed in the Call (CALL) command or the Call Bound Procedure
(CALLPRC) command must be the same as its position on the receiving PGM command. For example, if
PROGA contains the following command:
CALL PROGB PARM(&A &B &C ABC)

it passes three variables and a character string, and if PROGB starts with:
PGM PARM(&C &B &A &D) /*PROGB*/

then the value of &A in PROGA is used for &C in PROGB, and so on; &D in PROGB is ABC. The order of
the DCL statements in PROGB is unimportant. Only the order in which the parameters are specified on
the PGM statement determines what variables are passed.

In addition to the position of the parameters, you must pay careful attention to their length and type.
Parameters listed in the receiving procedure or program must be declared as the same length and type as
they are in the calling procedure or program. Decimal constants are always passed with a length of
(15 5).

When you use the Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command and pass character string constants, you
must specify the exact number of bytes, and pass exactly that number. The called procedure can use the
information in the operational descriptor to determine the exact number of bytes passed. You can use the
API CEEDOD to access the operational descriptor.

When you use the CALL command, character string constants of 32 bytes or less are always passed with
a length of 32 bytes. If the string is longer than 32, you must specify the exact number of bytes, and pass
exactly that number.

Control language 231

The following is an example of a procedure or program that receives the value &VAR1:
PGM PARM(&VAR1) /*PGMA*/
DCL VAR1 *CHAR LEN(36)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

The CALL command or Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command must specify 36 characters:
CALLPRC PGMA(ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJ)

The following example specifies the default lengths:

PGM PARM(&P1 &P2)
DCL VAR(&P1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(32)
DCL VAR(&P2) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(15 5)
IF (&P1 *EQ DATA) THEN(CALL MYPROG &P2)
ENDPGM

To call this program, you could specify:

CALL PROG (DATA 136)

The character string DATA is passed to &P1; the decimal value 136 is passed to &P2

Referring to locally defined variables incurs less overhead than referring to passed variables. Therefore, if
the called procedure or program frequently refers to passed variables, performance can be improved by
copying the passed values into a local variable and referring to the locally defined value rather than the
passed value.

When calling an original program model (OPM) CL program, the number of parameters that are passed
to it must exactly match the number that is expected by the program. The number that is expected is
determined at the time the program is created. (The operating system prevents you from calling a
program with more or fewer parameters than the program expects). When calling an ILE program or
procedure, the operating system does not check the number of parameters that are passed on the call. In
addition, the space where the operating system stores the parameters is not reinitialized between
procedure calls. Calling a procedure that expects ″n″ parameters with ″n-1″ parameters makes the system
use whatever is in the parameter space to access the ″nth″ parameter. The results of this action are very
unpredictable. This also applies to procedures written in other ILE languages that call CL procedures or
are called by CL procedures.

This also gives you more flexibility when you write ILE CL procedures, because you can write
procedures that have variable length parameter lists. For example, based on the value of one parameter, a
parameter that is specified later in the list may not be required. If the controlling parameter indicated an
unspecified optional parameter, the called procedure should not attempt to refer to the optional
parameter.

You can also specify the special value *OMIT for any parameter that you want to omit from the
parameter list. If you specify *OMIT for a parameter, the calling procedure passes a null pointer. The
procedure that is called has to be prepared to handle a null pointer if it refers to a parameter that is
omitted. In control language (CL), you can check for a null pointer by monitoring for MCH3601 on the
first reference to the omittable parameter. The procedure must take appropriate action if it receives a
MCH3601.

When calling procedures, you can pass arguments by reference and by value.

The following example has two CL procedures. The first procedure expects one parameter; if that
parameter remains unspecified, results will be unpredictable. The first procedure calls another procedure,
PROC1. PROC1 expects one or two parameters. If the value of the first parameter is ’1’, it expects the

232 System i: Programming Control language

second parameter as specified. If the value of the second parameter is ’0’, it assumes that the second
parameter remained unspecified and used a default value instead. PROC1 also uses the CEEDOD API to
determine the actual length that is passed for the second parameter.

MAIN: PGM PARM(&TEXT)/* &TEXT must be specified. Results will be +

unpredictable if it is omitted.*/
DCL VAR(&TEXT) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
CALLPRC PRC(PROC1) PARM(’0’)
CALLPRC PRC(PROC1) PARM(’1’ &TEXT)
CALLPRC PRC(PROC1) PARM(’1’ ’Goodbye’)
ENDPGM

PROC1: PGM PARM(&P1 &P2) /* PROC1 - Procedure with optional +

parameter &P2 */
DCL VAR(&P1) TYPE(*LGL) /*Flag which indicates +
whether or not &P2 will be specified. If +
value is ’1’, then &P2 is specified */
DCL VAR(&P2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&MSG) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&PARMPOS) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) /* +
Parameter position for CEEDOD*/
DCL VAR(&PARMDESC) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) /* +
Parameter description for CEEDOD*/
DCL VAR(&PARMTYPE) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) /* +
Parameter datatype from CEEDOD*/
DCL VAR(&PARMINFO1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) /* +
Parameter information from CEEDOD */
DCL VAR(&PARMINFO2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) /* +
Parameter information from CEEDOD */
DCL VAR(&PARMLEN) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) /* +
Parameter length from CEEDOD*/
DCL VAR(&PARMLEND) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3 0) /* +
Decimal form of parameter length*/
IF COND(&P1) THEN(DO) /* Parm 2 is+
specified, so use the parm value for the +
message text*/
CHGVAR VAR(%BIN(&PARMPOS 1 4)) VALUE(2) /* Tell +
CEEDOD that we want the operational +
descriptor for the second parameter*/
CALLPRC PRC(CEEDOD) PARM(&PARMPOS &PARMDESC +
&PARMTYPE &PARMINFO1 &PARMINFO2 &PARMLEN) +
/* Call CEEDOD to get the length of data +
specified for &P2*/
CHGVAR VAR(&PARMLEND) VALUE(%BIN(&PARMLEN 1 4)) /* +
Convert the length returned by CEEDOD to +
decimal format*/
CHGVAR VAR(&MSG) VALUE(%SST(&P2 1 &PARMLEND)) /* +
Copy the data passed in to a local variable*/
ENDO
ELSE CMD(CHGVAR VAR(%MSG) VALUE(’Hello’)) /* Use +
"Hello" for the message text*/
SNDPGMMSG MSG(&MSG)
ENDPGM

Related tasks
“Using the Call Program command to pass control” on page 227
The Call Program (CALL) command calls a program named on the command and passes control to it.
“Using the Call Bound Procedure command to pass control” on page 229
The Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command calls a procedure named on the command, and
passes control to it.
“Example: Using the Transfer Control command” on page 343
This is an example of transferring control to improve performance.
Related information

Control language 233

 Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command
Call Program (CALL) command
Retrieve Operational Descriptor Information (CEEDOD) API

ILE Concepts PDF

Using the Call Program command to pass control to a called program:

When the Call Program (CALL) command is issued by a CL procedure, each parameter value passed to
the called program can be a character string constant, a numeric constant, a logical constant, or a CL
variable.

A maximum of 255 parameters can be passed to the called program. The values of the parameters are
passed in the order in which they appear on the CALL command, and this must match the order in
which they appear in the parameter list of the called program. The names of the variables passed do not
have to be the same as the names on the receiving parameter list. The names of the variables receiving
the values in the called program must be declared to the called program, but the order of the declare
commands is not important.

No association exists between the storage in the called program and the variables it receives. Instead,
when the calling program passes a variable, the storage for the variable is in the program in which it was
originally declared. The system passes variables by address. When passing a constant, the calling
program makes a copy of the constant, and passes the address of that copy to the called program.

The result is that when a variable is passed, the called program can change the value of the variable, and
the change is reflected in the calling program. The new value does not have to be returned to the calling
program for later use; it is already there. Thus no special coding is needed for a variable that is to be
returned to the calling program. When a constant is passed, and its value is changed by the called
program, the changed value is not known to the calling program. Therefore, if the calling program calls
the same program again, it reinitializes the values of constants, but not of variables.

An exception to the previous description is when the CALL command calls an Integrated Language
Environment (ILE) C program. When using the CALL command to call an ILE C program and pass
character or logical constants, the system adds a null character (x’00’) after the last non-blank character. If
the constant is a character string that is enclosed in single quotation marks or a hexadecimal constant, the
null character is added after the last character that was specified. This preserves the trailing blanks (x ’40’
characters). Numeric values are not null-terminated.

If a CL program might be called using a CALL command that has not been compiled (an interactive
CALL command or through the SBMJOB command), the decimal parameters (*DEC) should be declared
with LEN(15 5), and the character parameters (*CHAR) should be declared LEN(32) or less in the
receiving program.

A CALL command that is not in a CL procedure or program cannot pass variables as arguments. Be
careful when specifying the CALL command as a command parameter that is defined as
TYPE(*CMDSTR). This converts the contents of any variables that are specified on the PARM parameter
to constants. The command (CMD) parameters on the Submit Job (SBMJOB) command, Add Job Schedule
Entry (ADDJOBSCDE) command, or Change Job Schedule Entry (CHGJOBSCDE) command are examples.

Parameters can be passed and received as follows:

v Character string constants of 32 bytes or less are always passed with a length of 32 bytes (padded on
the right with blanks). If a character constant is longer than 32 bytes, the entire length of the constant
is passed. If the parameter is defined to contain more than 32 bytes, the CALL command must pass a
constant containing exactly that number of bytes. Constants longer than 32 characters are not padded
to the length expected by the receiving program.

234 System i: Programming Control language

 The receiving program can receive less than the number of bytes passed. For example, if a program
specifies that 4 characters are to be received and ABCDEF is passed (padded with blanks in 26 positions),
only ABCD are accepted and used by the program.
If the receiving program receives more than the number of bytes passed, the results may be
unexpected. Numeric values passed as characters must be enclosed in single quotation marks.
v Decimal constants are passed in packed form and with a length of LEN(15 5), where the value is 15
digits long, of which 5 digits are decimal positions. Thus, if a parameter of 12345 is passed, the
receiving program must declare the decimal field with a length of LEN(15 5); the parameter is received
as 12345.00000.
If you need to pass a numeric constant to a program and the program is expecting a value with a
length and precision other than 15 5, the constant can be coded in hexadecimal format. The following
CALL command shows how to pass the value 25.5 to a program variable that is declared as LEN(5 2):
CALL PGMA PARM(X’02550F’)
v Logical constants are passed with a length of 32 bytes. The logical value 0 or 1 is in the first byte, and
the remaining bytes are blank. If a value other than 0 or 1 is passed to a program that expects a logical
value, the results may be unexpected.
v A floating point literal or floating point special value (*NAN, *INF, or *NEGINF) is passed as a double
precision value, which occupies 8 bytes. Although a CL program cannot process floating point
numbers, it can receive a floating point value into a character variable and pass that variable to an
high-level language (HLL) program that can process floating point values.
v The system can pass a variable if the call is made from a CL procedure or program. In this case the
receiving program should declare the field to match the variable that is defined in the calling CL
procedure or program. For example, assume that a CL procedure or program defines a decimal
variable that is named &CHKNUM as LEN(5 0). Then the receiving program should declare the field
as packed with 5 digits total, with no decimal positions. When running a CALL command in batch
mode by using the SBMJOB command in a CL procedure or program, the system treats any variables
that are passed as arguments like constants.
v If either a decimal constant or a program variable can be passed to the called program, the parameter
should be defined as LEN(15 5), and any calling program must adhere to that definition. If the type,
number, order, and length of the parameters do not match between the calling and receiving programs
(other than the length exception noted previously for character constants), results cannot be predicted.
v In order for an integer constant to be passed to an integer variable, the constant must be specified in
hexadecimal format. The size of the hexadecimal constant and integer variable must be the same.
v The value *N cannot be used to specify a null value because a null value cannot be passed to another
program.

In the following example, program A passes six parameters: one logical constant, three variables, one
character constant, and one numeric constant.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM /* PROGRAM A */
DCL VAR(&B) TYPE(*CHAR)
DCL VAR(&C) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(15 5) VALUE(13.529)
DCL VAR(&D) TYPE(*CHAR) VALUE(’1234.56’)
CHGVAR VAR(&B) VALUE(ABCDEF)
CALL PGM(B) PARM(’1’ &B &C &D XYZ 2) /* Note blanks between parms */
.
.
.
ENDPGM
PGM PARM(&A &B &C &W &V &U) /* PROGRAM B */
DCL VAR(&A) TYPE(*LGL)
DCL VAR(&B) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
DCL VAR(&C) TYPE(*DEC)

Control language 235

 /* Default length (15 5) matches DCL LEN in program A */
DCL VAR(&W) TYPE(*CHAR)
DCL VAR(&V) TYPE(*CHAR)
DCL VAR(&U) TYPE(*DEC)
.
.
. ENDPGM

Note: If the fifth parameter passed to PGMB was 456 instead of XYZ and was intended as alphanumeric
data, the value would have been specified as ’456’ in the parameter.

The logical constant ’1’ does not have to be declared in the calling program. It is declared as type logical
and named &A in program B.

Because no length is specified on the DCL command for &B, the default length, which is 32 characters, is
passed. Only 6 characters of &B are specified (ABCDEF). Because &B is declared with only 4 characters in
program B, only those 4 characters are received. If they are changed in program B, those 4 positions for
&B will also be changed in program A for the remainder of this call.

The length (LEN) parameter must be specified for &C in program A. If it were not specified, the length
would default to the specified value’s length, which would be incompatible with the default length
expected in program B. &C has a value of 13.52900.

&W in program B (&D in program A) is received as a character because it is declared as a character.

Single quotation marks are not necessary to indicate a string if TYPE is *CHAR. In program A, the length
defaults to the value’s length of 7 (the decimal point is considered a position in a character string).
Program B expects a length of 32. The first 7 characters are passed, but the contents past the position 7
cannot be predicted.

The variable &V is a character string XYZ, padded with blanks on the right. The variable &U is numeric
data, 2.00000.
Related concepts
“Length of parameter value” on page 270
The length (LEN) parameter is used to specify the length of a parameter.
Related tasks
“Using the Call Program command to pass control” on page 227
The Call Program (CALL) command calls a program named on the command and passes control to it.
Related information
Call Program (CALL) command
CL command finder

Common errors when calling programs and procedures:

In passing values on a Call Program (CALL) command or a Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC)
command, you might encounter some errors. Some of these errors can be very difficult to debug, and
some have serious consequences for program functions.

Data type errors using the CALL command:

When you use the Call Program (CALL) command, data type errors might occur.

The total length of the command string includes the command name, spaces, parameter names,
parentheses, contents of variables and single quotation marks used. For most commands, the command
string initiates the command processing program as expected. However, for some commands some
variables may not be passed as expected.

236 System i: Programming Control language

When the Call Program (CALL) command is used with the CMD parameter on the Submit Job (SBMJOB)
command, unexpected results might occur. Syntactically, the CALL command appears the same when
used with the CMD parameter as it does when used as the compiler directive for the CALL command.
When used with the CMD parameter, the Call Program (CALL) command is converted to a command
string that is run at a later time when the batch subsystem initiates it. When the Call Program (CALL)
command is used by itself, the CL compiler generates code to perform the call.

Common problems with decimal constants and character variables often occur. In the following cases, the
command string is not constructed as needed:
v When decimal numbers are converted to decimal constants.
When the command string is run, the decimal constant is passed in a packed form with a length of
LEN(15 5). It is not passed in the form specified by the CL variable.
v When a character variable is declared longer than 32 characters.

The contents of the character variable is passed as described previously, typically as a quoted character
constant with the trailing blanks removed. As a result, the called program may not be passed enough
data.

The following methods can be used to correct errors in constructing command strings:
v Create the Call Program (CALL) command string to be submitted by concatenating the various
portions of the command together into one CL variable. Submit the command string using the request
data (RQSDTA) parameter of the Submit Job (SBMJOB) command.
v For CL character variables larger than 32 characters where trailing blanks are significant, create a
variable that is one character larger than needed and substring a non-blank character into the last
position. This prevents the significant blanks from being truncated. The called program should ignore
the extra character because it is beyond the length expected.
v Create a command that will initiate the program to be called. Submit the new command instead of
using the Call Program (CALL) command. The command definition ensures the parameters are passed
to the command processing program as expected.
Related tasks
“Variables in CL commands” on page 171
CL procedures consist of CL commands. Each command consists of the command name, parameter
keyword names, and parameter values.
Related information
Call Program (CALL) command
Submit Job (SBMJOB) command
CL command finder

Data type errors when passing parameters:

In addition to errors that occur using the Call Program (CALL) command, other types of data type errors
can occur.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

When passing a value, the data type (TYPE parameter) must be the same (*CHAR, *DEC, or *LGL) in the
calling procedure or program and in the called procedure or program. Errors frequently occur in this area
when you attempt to pass a numeric constant. If the numeric constant is enclosed in single quotation
marks, it is passed as a character string. However, if the constant is not enclosed in single quotation
marks, it is passed as a packed numeric field with LEN(15 5).

Control language 237

In the following example, a quoted numeric value is passed to a program that expects a decimal value. A
decimal data error (escape message MCH1202) occurs when variable &A is referred to in the called
program (PGMA):
CALL PGMA PARM(’123’) /* CALLING PROGRAM */
PGM PARM(&A) /* PGMA */
DCL &A *DEC LEN(15 5) /* DEFAULT LENGTH */
.
.
.
IF (&A *GT 0) THEN(...) /* MCH1202 OCCURS HERE */

In the following example, a decimal value is passed to a program defining a character variable. Generally,
this error does not cause runtime failures, but incorrect results are common:
CALL PGMB PARM(12345678) /* CALLING PROG */

PGM PARM(&A) /* PGMB */

DCL &A *CHAR 8
.
.
.
ENDPGM

Variable &A in PGMB has a value of hex 001234567800000F.

Generally, data can be passed from a logical (*LGL) variable to a character (*CHAR) variable, and vice
versa, without error, so long as the value is expressed as ’0’ or ’1’.

Decimal length and precision errors:

When a decimal value is passed with incorrect decimal length and precision, errors might occur.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

If a decimal value is passed with an incorrect decimal length and precision (either too long or too short),
a decimal data error (MCH1202) occurs when the variable is referred to. In the following examples, the
numeric constant is passed as LEN(15 5), but is declared in the called procedure or program as LEN(5 2).
Numeric constants are always passed as packed decimal (15 5).
CALL PGMA PARM(123) /* CALLING PROG */

PGM PARM(&A) /* PGMA */

DCL &A *DEC (5 2)
.
.
.
IF (&A *GT 0) THEN(...) /* MCH1202 OCCURS HERE */

If a decimal variable had been declared with LEN(5 2) in the calling program or procedure and the value
had been passed as a variable instead of as a constant, no error would occur.

If you need to pass a numeric constant to a procedure or program and the procedure or program is
expecting a value with a length and precision other than 15 5, the constant can be coded in hexadecimal
format. The following CALL command shows how to pass the value 25.5 to a program variable that is
declared as LEN(5 2):
CALL PGMA PARM(X’02550F’)

If a decimal value is passed with the correct length but with the wrong precision (number of decimal
positions), the receiving procedure or program interprets the value incorrectly. In the following example,
the numeric constant value (with length (15 5)) passed to the procedure is handled as 25124.00.

238 System i: Programming Control language

CALL PGMA PARM(25.124) /* CALLING PGM */

PGM PARM(&A) /* PGMA */

DCL &A *DEC (15 2) /* LEN SHOULD BE 15 5*/
.
.
.
ENDPGM

These errors occur when the variable is first referred to, not when it is passed or declared. In the next
example, the called program does not refer to the variable, but instead places a value (of the detected
wrong length) in the variable returned to the calling program. The error is not detected until the variable
is returned to the calling program and first referred to. This kind of error can be especially difficult to
detect.
PGM /* PGMA */
DCL &A *DEC (7 2)
CALL PGMB PARM(&A) /* (7 2) PASSED TO PGMB */
IF (&A *NE 0) THEN(...) /* *MCH1202 OCCURS HERE */
.
.
.
ENDPGM
PGM PARM(&A) /* PGMB */
DCL &A *DEC (5 2) /* WRONG LENGTH */
.
.
.
CHGVAR &A (&B-&C) /* VALUE PLACED in &A */
RETURN
When control returns to program PGMA and &A is referred to, the error occurs.

Character length errors:

When you pass character values with incorrect length, errors might occur.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

If you pass a character value longer than the declared character length of the receiving variable, the
receiving procedure or program cannot access the excess length. In the following example, PGMB
changes the variable that is passed to it to blanks. Because the variable is declared with LEN(5), only 5
characters are changed to blanks in PGMB, but the remaining characters are still part of the value when
referred to in PGMA.
PGM /* PGMA */
DCL &A *CHAR 10
CHGVAR &A ’ABCDEFGHIJ’
CALL PGMB PARM(&A) /* PASS to PGMB */
.
.
.
IF (&A *EQ ’ ’) THEN(...) /* THIS TEST FAILS */
ENDPGM

PGM PARM(&A) /* PGMB */

DCL &A *CHAR 5 /* THIS LEN ERROR*/
CHGVAR &A ’ ’ /* 5 POSITIONS ONLY; OTHERS UNAFFECTED */
RETURN

While this kind of error does not cause an escape message, variables handled this way may function
differently than expected.

Control language 239

If the value passed to a procedure or program is shorter than its declared length in the receiving
procedure or program, there may be more serious consequences. In this case, the value of the variable in
the called procedure or program consists of its values as originally passed, and whatever follows that
value in storage, up to the length declared in the called procedure or program. The content of this
adopted storage cannot be predicted. If the passed value is a variable, it could be followed by other
variables or by internal control structures for the procedure or program. If the passed value is a constant,
it could be followed in storage by other constants passed on the CALL or CALLPRC command or by
internal control structures.

If the receiving procedure or program changes the value, it operates on the original value and on the
adopted storage. The immediate effect of this could be to change other variables or constants, or to
change internal structures in such a way that the procedure or program fails. Changes to the adopted
storage take effect immediately.

In the following example, two 3-character constants are passed to the called program. Character constants
are passed with a minimum of 32 characters for the Call (CALL) command. (Normally, the value is
passed as 3 characters left-adjusted with trailing blanks.) If the receiving program declares the receiving
variable to be longer than 32 positions the extra positions use adopted storage of unknown value. For
this example, assume that the two constants are adjacent in storage.
CALL PGMA (’ABC’ ’DEF’) /* PASSING PROG */

PGM PARM(&A &B) /* PGMA */

DCL &A *CHAR 50 /* VALUE:ABC+29’ ’+DEF+15’ ’ */
DCL &B *CHAR 10 /* VALUE:DEF+7’ ’ */
CHGVAR VAR(&A) (’ ’) /* THIS ALSO BLANKS &B */
.
.
.
ENDPGM

Values passed as variables behave in exactly the same way.

In the following example, two 3-character constants are passed to the called procedure. Only the number
of characters specified are passed for the Call Procedure (CALLPRC) command. If the receiving program
declares the receiving variable to be longer than the length of the passed constant, the extra positions use
adopted storage of unknown value.

In the following example, assume the two constants are adjacent in storage.
CALLPRC PRCA (’ABC’ ’DEF’) /* PASSING PROG */

PGM PARM(&A &B) /* *PRCA */

DCL &A *CHAR 5 /* VALUE:’ABC’ + ’DE’ */
DCL &B *CHAR 3 /* VALUE:’DEF’ */
CHGVAR &A ’ ’ /* This also blanks the first two bytes of &B */
.
.
.
ENDPGM
Related information
Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) command
Call Program (CALL) command

Communicating between programs and procedures

Programs and procedures can communicate by using data queues and data areas.

240 System i: Programming Control language

Using data queues
Data queues are a type of system object that you can create, to which one high-level language (HLL)
procedure or program can send data, and from which another HLL procedure or program can receive
data.

The receiving program can be already waiting for the data, or can receive the data later.

The advantages of using data queues are:

v Using data queues frees a job from performing some work. If the job is an interactive job, this can
provide better response time and decrease the size of the interactive program and its process access
group (PAG). This, in turn, can help overall system performance. For example, if several workstation
users enter a transaction that involves updating and adding to several files, the system can perform
better if the interactive jobs submit the request for the transaction to a single batch processing job.
v Data queues are the fastest means of asynchronous communication between two jobs. Using a data
queue to send and receive data requires less overhead than using database files, message queues, or
data areas to send and receive data.
v You can send to, receive from, and retrieve a description of a data queue in any HLL procedure or
program by calling the QSNDDTAQ, QRCVDTAQ, QMHRDQM, QCLRDTAQ, and QMHQRDQD
programs without exiting the HLL procedure or program or calling a CL procedure or program to
send, receive, clear, or retrieve the description.
v When receiving data from a data queue, you can set a time out such that the job waits until an entry
arrives on the data queue. This differs from using the EOFDLY parameter on the OVRDBF command,
which causes the job to be activated whenever the delay time ends.
v More than one job can receive data from the same data queue. This has an advantage in certain
applications where the number of entries to be processed is greater than one job can handle within the
required performance restraints. For example, if several printers are available to print orders, several
interactive jobs could send requests to a single data queue. A separate job for each printer could
receive from the data queue, either in first-in-first-out (FIFO), last-in-first-out (LIFO), or in keyed-queue
order.
v Data queues have the ability to attach a sender ID to each message being placed on the queue. The
sender ID, an attribute of the data queue which is established when the queue is created, contains the
qualified job name and current user profile.

In addition to these advantages, you can journal your data queues. This allows you to recover the object
to a consistent state, even if the object was in the middle of some change action when the abnormal
initial program load (IPL) or crash occurred. Journaling also provides for replication of the data queue
journal to a remote system (using remote journal for instance). This lets the system reproduce the actions
in a similar environment to replicate the application work.

The following example shows how data queues work. Several jobs place entries on a data queue. The
entries are handled by a server job. This might be used to have jobs send processed orders to a single job
that would do the printing. Any number of jobs can send to the same queue.

Another example using data queues follows. A primary job gets the work requests and sends the entries
to a data queue (by calling the QSNDDTAQ program). The server jobs receive the entries from the data
queue (by calling the QRCVDTAQ program) and process the data. The server jobs can report status back
to the primary job using another data queue.

Control language 241

Data queues allow the primary job to route the work to the server jobs. This frees the primary job to
receive the next work request. Any number of server jobs can receive from the same data queue.

When no entries are on a data queue, server jobs have the following options:
v Wait until an entry is placed on the queue
v Wait for a specific period of time; if the entry still has not arrived, then continue processing
v Do not wait, return immediately.

Data queues can also be used when a program needs to wait for input from display files, ICF files, and
data queues at the same time. When you specify the DTAQ parameter for the following commands:
v Create Display File (CRTDSPF) command
v Change Display File (CHGDSPF) command
v Override Display File (OVRDSPF) command
v Create ICF File (CRTICFF) command
v Change ICF File (CHGICFF) command
v Override ICF File (OVRICFF) command

you can indicate a data queue that will have entries placed on it when any of the following happens:
v An enabled command key or Enter key is pressed from an invited display device
v Data becomes available from an invited ICF session

Support is available to optionally associate a data queue to an output queue by using the Create Output
Queue (CRTOUTQ) or Change Output Queue (CHGOUTQ) command. The system logs entries in the
data queue when spooled files are in ready (RDY) status on the output queue. A user program can
determine when a spooled file is available on an output queue by using the Receive Data Queue
(QRCVDTAQ) API to receive information from a data queue.

Jobs running on the system can also place entries on the same data queue as the one specified in the
DTAQ parameter by using the QSNDDTAQ program.

An application calls the QRCVDTAQ program to receive each entry placed on the data queue and then
processes the entry based on whether it was placed there by a display file, an ICF file, or the
QSNDDTAQ program.
Related concepts

242 System i: Programming Control language

 Basic printing
Related reference
“Example: Waiting for input from a display file and an ICF file” on page 247
This example shows a program waiting for input from a display file and an ICF file, using a data
queue.
“Example: Waiting for input from a display file and a data queue” on page 249
This example shows a program in a job waiting for input from a display file and for input on a data
queue in another job.
Related information
CL command finder
Journal management
Change Output Queue (CHGOUTQ) command
Create Output Queue (CRTOUTQ) command

Remote data queues:

Remote data queues are data queues that reside on a remote system.

You can access remote data queues with distributed data management (DDM) files. DDM files make it
possible for a program residing on one system to access a data queue on a remote system to perform any
of the following functions:
v Send data to a data queue
v Receive data from a data queue
v Clear data from a data queue

An application program that currently uses a standard data queue can also access a remote DDM data
queue without changing or compiling the application again. To ensure the correct data queue is accessed,
you may need to do one of the following:
v Delete the standard data queue and create a DDM data queue that has the same name as the original
standard data queue.
v Rename the standard data queue.

You can create a DDM data queue with the following command:
CRTDTAQ DTAQ(LOCALLIB/DDMDTAQ) TYPE(*DDM)
RMTDTAQ(REMOTELIB/REMOTEDTAQ) RMTLOCNAME(SYSTEMB)
TEXT(’DDM data queue to access data queue on SYSTEMB’)

You can also use an expansion of the previous example (″Master Job/Server Job″) to create a DDM data
queue to use with remote data queues. The master job resides on SystemA; the data queues and server
jobs are moved to SystemB. After creating two DDM data queues (INPUT and STATUS), the master job
continues to communicate asynchronously with the server jobs that reside on SystemB. The following
example shows how to create a DDM data queue with remote data queues:
CRTDTAQ DTAQ(LOCALLIB/INPUT) TYPE(*DDM)
RMTDTAQ(REMOTELIB/INPUT) RMTLOCNAME(SystemB)
TEXT(’DDM data queue to access INPUT on SYSTEMB’)

CRTDTAQ DTAQ(LOCALLIB/STATUS) TYPE(*DDM)

RMTDTAQ(REMOTELIB/STATUS) RMTLOCNAME(SystemB)
TEXT(’DDM data queue to access STATUS on SYSTEMB’)

The master job calls QSNDDTAQ, then passes the data queue name of LOCALLIB/INPUT and sends the
data to the remote data queue (REMOTELIB/INPUT) on SystemB. To receive data from the remote data
queue, (REMOTELIB/STATUS), the master job passes the data queue name of LOCALLIB/STATUS for

Control language 243

the call to QRCVDTAQ.

Figure 1. Example of accessing a remote data queue

Related information
CRTDTAQ (Create Data Queue) command in DDM
Distributed data management

Comparisons with using database files as queues:

Using data queues and using database files differ in many ways.
v Data queues have been improved to communicate between active procedures and programs, not to
store large volumes of data or large numbers of entries. For these purposes, use database files as
queues.
v Data queues should not be used for long-term storage of data. For this purpose, you should use
database files.
v When using data queues, you should include abnormal end routines in your programs to recover any
entries not yet completely processed before the system is ended.
v It is good practice to periodically (such as once a day) delete and re-create a data queue at a safe point.
Performance can be affected if too many entries exist without being removed. Recreating the data
queue periodically will return the data queue to its optimal size. A more efficient approach may be to
use the auto reclaim feature.
Related tasks

244 System i: Programming Control language

 “Managing the storage used by a data queue”
Because smaller data queues have better performance than large ones, it is important to manage the
size of the storage allocated to a data queue.

Similarities to message queues:

Data queues are similar to message queues, in that procedures and programs can send data to the queue
that is received later by another procedure or program.

However, more than one program can have a receive pending on a data queue at the same time, while
only one program can have a receive pending on a message queue at the same time. (Only one program
receives an entry from a data queue, even if more than one program is waiting.) Entries on a data queue
are handled in either first-in-first-out, last-in-first-out, or keyed-queue order. When an entry is received, it
is removed from the data queue.

Prerequisites for using data queues:

Before using a data queue, you must first create it using the Create Data Queue (CRTDTAQ) command.

The following is an example:

CRTDTAQ DTAQ(MYLIB/INPUT) MAXLEN(128)
TEXT(’Sample data queue’)

The required MAXLEN parameter specifies the maximum length (1 to 64 512 characters) of the entries
that are sent to the data queue.
Related information
Create Data Queue (CRTDTAQ) command

Managing the storage used by a data queue:

Because smaller data queues have better performance than large ones, it is important to manage the size
of the storage allocated to a data queue.

Each entry receives a storage allocation when sent to a data queue. The storage allocated will be the
value that is specified for the maximum entry length of the data queue that was specified on the Create
Data Queue (CRTDTAQ) command. When receiving an entry from a data queue, the data queue removes
the entry, but it does not free the auxiliary storage. The system uses the auxiliary storage again when
sending a new entry to the data queue. The queue grows larger when not receiving entries that are sent
to the queue. Smaller queues that have not been extended past the initial number of entries have better
performance. If a data queue has grown too large, delete the data queue by using the Delete Data Queue
(DLTDTAQ) command. On completion of the data queue deletion, re-create the queue by using the
Create Data Queue (CRTDTAQ) command.

There is another way to manage the size of a data queue on Release V4R5M0 and beyond. This consists
of using the SIZE and AUTORCL keywords on the Create Data Queue (CRTDTAQ) command. You can
use the SIZE keyword to specify the maximum number of entries and the initial number of entries for the
data queue. You can use the AUTORCL keyword for a queue that has been extended to indicate if the
data queue should have storage automatically reclaimed when the queue is empty. The amount of storage
that remains allocated to the queue equals the initial number of entries specified for the queue when it
was created. If AUTORCL contains a value of *NO, which is the default, the system does not
automatically reclaim storage from unused space. To reclaim the storage the data queue uses, you would
need to delete and re-create it as described in the preceding paragraph. Auto reclaim may be expensive
depending on the size of the queue, so the initial number of entries specified on the Create Data Queue
(CRTDTAQ) command should be set to the largest typical number of entries that are expected to be on
the data queue. If the initial number of entries is set too small, the system will run the reclaim function
more frequently.

Control language 245

 Related concepts
“Comparisons with using database files as queues” on page 244
Using data queues and using database files differ in many ways.
Related information
Create Data Queue (CRTDTAQ) command
Delete Data Queue (DLTDTAQ) command

Allocating data queues:

If all users of a data queue allocate it before using it, this helps to ensure that a data queue is not
accessed by more than one job at a time.

If your application requires that a data queue is not accessed by more than one job at a time, it should be
coded to include an Allocate Object (ALCOBJ) command before using a data queue. The data queue
should then be deallocated using the Deallocate Object (DLCOBJ) command when the application is
finished using it.

The ALCOBJ command does not, by itself, restrict another job from sending or receiving data from a data
queue or clearing a data queue. However, if all applications are coded to include the ALCOBJ command
before any use of a data queue, the allocation of a data queue already allocated to another job will fail,
preventing the data queue from use by more than one job at a time.

When an allocation fails because the data queue is already allocated to another job, the system issues an
error message, CPF1002. The Monitor Message (MONMSG) command can be used in the application
procedure to monitor for this message and respond to the error message. Possible responses include
sending a message to the user and attempting to allocate the data queue again.
Related tasks
“Monitoring for messages in a CL program or procedure” on page 510
Messages that can be monitored are *ESCAPE, *STATUS, and *NOTIFY messages that are issued by
each CL command used in the program or procedure.
Related information
Allocate Object (ALCOBJ) command
Deallocate Object (DLCOBJ) command
Monitor Message (MONMSG) command

Examples: Using a data queue:

These examples illustrate various methods for processing data queues.

Example: Waiting up to two hours to receive data from data queue:

This example shows a program waiting up to two hours to receive an entry from a data queue.

In the following example, program B specifies to wait up to two hours (7200 seconds) to receive an entry
from the data queue. Program A sends an entry to data queue DTAQ1 in library QGPL. If program A
sends an entry within two hours, program B receives the entries from this data queue. Processing begins
immediately. If two hours elapse without procedure A sending an entry, program B processes the
time-out condition because the field length returned is 0. Program B continues receiving entries until this
time-out condition occurs. The programs are written in CL; however, either program could be written in
any high-level language.

The data queue is created with the following command:

CRTDTAQ DTAQ(QGPL/DTAQ1) MAXLEN(80)

246 System i: Programming Control language

In this example, all data queue entries are 80 bytes long.

In program A, the following statements relate to the data queue:

PGM
DCL &FLDLEN *DEC LEN(5 0) VALUE(80)
DCL &FIELD *CHAR LEN(80)
.
.(determine data to be sent to the queue)
.
CALL QSNDDTAQ PARM(DTAQ1 QGPL &FLDLEN &FIELD)
.
.
.

In program B, the following statements relate to the data queue:

PGM
DCL &FLDLEN *DEC LEN(5 0) VALUE(80)
DCL &FIELD *CHAR LEN(80)
DCL &WAIT *DEC LEN(5 0) VALUE(7200) /* 2 hours */
.
.
.
LOOP: CALL QRCVDTAQ PARM(DTAQ1 QGPL &FLDLEN &FIELD &WAIT)
IF (&FLDLEN *NE 0) DO /* Entry received */
.
. (process data from data queue)
.
GOTO LOOP /* Get next entry from data queue */
ENDDO
.
. (no entries received for 2 hours; process time-out condition)
.

Example: Waiting for input from a display file and an ICF file:

This example shows a program waiting for input from a display file and an ICF file, using a data queue.

The following example is different from the typical use of data queues because there is only one job. The
data queue serves as a communications object within the job rather than between two jobs.

In this example, a program is waiting for input from a display file and an ICF file. Instead of alternately
waiting for one and then the other, a data queue is used to allow the program to wait on one object (the
data queue). The program calls QRCVDTAQ and waits for an entry to be placed on the data queue that
was specified on the display file and the ICF file. Both files specify the same data queue. Two types of
entries are put on the queue by display data management and ICF data management support when the
data is available from either file. ICF file entries start with *ICFF and display file entries start with *DSPF.

Control language 247

The display file or ICF file entry that is put on the data queue is 80 characters in length and contains the
field attributes described in the following list. Therefore, the data queue that is specified using the
CRTDSPF, CHGDSPF, OVRDSPF, CRTICFF, CHGICFF, and OVRICFF commands must have a length of at
least 80 characters.
Position (and Data Type)
Description
1 through 10 (character)
The type of file that placed the entry on the data queue. This field will have one of two values:
v *ICFF for ICF file
v *DSPF for display file
If the job receiving the data from the data queue has only one display file or one ICF file open,
then this is the only field needed to determine what type of entry has been received from the
data queue.
11 through 12 (binary)
The unique identifier for the file. The value of the identifier is the same as the value in the open
feedback area for the file. This field should be used by the program receiving the entry from the
data queue only if there is more than one file with the same name placing entries on the data
queue.
13 through 22 (character)
The name of the display file or ICF file. This is the name of the file actually opened, after all
overrides have been processed, and is the same as the file name found in the open feedback area
for the file. This field should be used by the program receiving the entry from the data queue
only if there is more than one display file or ICF file that is placing entries on the data queue.
23 through 32 (character)
The library where the file is located. This is the name of the library, after all overrides have been
processed, and is the same as the library name found in the open feedback area for the file. This
field should be used by the program receiving the entry from the data queue only if there is more
than one display file or ICF file that is placing entries on the data queue.
33 through 42 (character)
The program device name, after all overrides have been processed. This name is the same as that
found in the program device definition list of the open feedback area. For file type *DSPF, this is
the name of the display device where the command or Enter key was pressed. For file type *ICFF,
this is the name of the program device where data is available. This field should be used by the
program receiving the entry from the data queue only if the file that placed the entry on the data
queue has more than one device or session invited before receiving the data queue entry.
43 through 80 (character)
Reserved.

The following example shows coding logic that the program previously described might use:
.
.
.
.
OPEN DSPFILE ... /* Open the Display file. DTAQ parameter specified on*/
/* CRTDSPF, CHGDSPF, or OVRDSPF for the file. */

OPEN ICFFILE ... /* Open the ICF file. DTAQ parameter specified on */
/* CRTICFF, CHGICFF, or OVRICFF for the file. */

.
.
DO
WRITE DSPFILE /* Write with Invite for the Display file */
WRITE ICFFILE /* Write with Invite for the ICF file */

248 System i: Programming Control language

 CALL QRCVDTAQ /* Receive an entry from the data queue specified */
/* on the DTAQ parameters for the files. Entries */
/* are placed on the data queue when the data is */
/* available from any invited device or session */
/* on either file. */
/* After the entry is received, determine which file */
/* has data available, read the data, process it, */
/* invite the file again and return to process the */
/* next entry on the data queue. */
IF ’ENTRY TYPE’ FIELD = ’*DSPF ’ THEN /* Entry is from display */
DO /* file. Since this entry*/
/* does not contain the */
/* data received, the data*/
/* must be read from the */
/* file before it can be */
READ DATA FROM DISPLAY FILE /* processed. */
PROCESS INPUT DATA FROM DISPLAY FILE
WRITE TO DISPLAY FILE /* Write with Invite */
END
ELSE /* Entry is from ICF */
/* file. Since this entry*/
/* does not contain the */
/* data received, the data*/
/* must be read from the */
/* file before it can be */
/* processed. */
READ DATA FROM ICF FILE
PROCESS INPUT DATA FROM ICF FILE
WRITE TO ICF FILE /* Write with Invite */
LOOP BACK TO RECEIVE ENTRY FROM DATA QUEUE
.
.
.
END
Related tasks
“Using data queues” on page 241
Data queues are a type of system object that you can create, to which one high-level language (HLL)
procedure or program can send data, and from which another HLL procedure or program can receive
data.

Example: Waiting for input from a display file and a data queue:

This example shows a program in a job waiting for input from a display file and for input on a data
queue in another job.

The program in Job B is waiting for input from a display file that it is using and for input to arrive on
the data queue from Job A. Instead of alternately waiting for the display file and then the data queue, the
program waits for one object, the data queue.

Control language 249

The program calls QRCVDTAQ and waits for the placement of an entry on the data queue that was
specified on the display file. Job A is also placing entries on the same data queue. There are two types of
entries that are put on this queue, the display file entry, and the user-defined entry. Display data
management places the display file entry on the data queue when data is available from the display file.
Job A places the user-defined entry on the data queue.

The structure of the display file entry is described in the previous example.

The structure of the entry placed on the queue by Job A is defined by the application programmer.

The following example shows coding logic that the application program in Job B might use:
.
.
.
.
OPEN DSPFILE ... /* Open the Display file. DTAQ parameter specified on*/
/* CRTDSPF, CHGDSPF, or OVRDSPF for the file. */

.
.
DO
WRITE DSPFILE /* Write with Invite for the Display file */

CALL QRCVDTAQ /* Receive an entry from the data queue specified */

/* on the DTAQ parameter for the file. Entries */
/* are placed on the data queue either by Job A or */
/* by display data management when data is */
/* available from any invited device on the display */
/* file. */
/* After the entry is received, determine what type */
/* of entry it is, process it, and return to receive */
/* the next entry on the data queue. */
IF ’ENTRY TYPE’ FIELD = ’*DSPF ’ THEN /* Entry is from display */
DO /* file. Since this entry*/
/* does not contain the */
/* data received, the data*/
/* must be read from the */
/* file before it can be */
READ DATA FROM DISPLAY FILE /* processed. */
PROCESS INPUT DATA FROM DISPLAY FILE
WRITE TO DISPLAY FILE /* Write with Invite */
END
ELSE /* Entry is from Job A. */
/* This entry contains */
/* the data from Job A, */

250 System i: Programming Control language

 /* so no read is required*/
/* before processing the */
/* data. */
PROCESS DATA QUEUE ENTRY FROM JOB A
LOOP BACK TO RECEIVE ENTRY FROM DATA QUEUE
.
.
.
END
Related tasks
“Using data queues” on page 241
Data queues are a type of system object that you can create, to which one high-level language (HLL)
procedure or program can send data, and from which another HLL procedure or program can receive
data.

Creating data queues associated with an output queue:

When a spooled file on the output queue goes to a READY status, an entry is sent to the data queue. To
view the layout or content of the data queue entry that is sent, see the record type 01 data queue entry
format.

Use the Create Data Queue (CRTDTAQ) command to create the data queue. Specify the maximum
message length (MAXLEN) parameter value as at least 128. The sequence (SEQ) parameter value should
be *FIFO or *LIFO.
Related information
Create Data Queue (CRTDTAQ) command
Data queue support
Record type 01 data queue entry format

Using data areas

A data area is an object used to hold data for access by any job running on the system.

A data area can be used whenever you need to store information of limited size, independent of the
existence of procedures or files. Typical uses of data areas are:
v To provide an area (perhaps within each job’s QTEMP library) to pass information within a job.
v To provide a field that is easily and frequently changed to control references within a job, such as:
– Supplying the next order number to be assigned
– Supplying the next check number
– Supplying the next save/restore media volume to be used
v To provide a constant field for use in several jobs, such as a tax rate or distribution list.
v To provide limited access to a larger process that requires the data area. A data area can be locked to a
single user, thus preventing other users from processing at the same time.

To create a data area other than a local or group data area, use the Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA)
command. By doing this, you create a separate object in a specific library, and you can initialize it to a
value. To use the value in a CL procedure or program, use a Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA)
command to bring the current value into a variable in your procedure or program. If you change this
value in your CL procedure or program and want to return the new value to the data area, use the
Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command.

To display the current value, use the Display Data Area (DSODTAARA) command. You can delete a data
area using the Delete Data Area (DLTDTAARA) command.

Control language 251

You can journal your data areas. This allows you to recover the object to a consistent state, even if the
object was in the middle of some change action when the abnormal IPL or crash occurred. Journaling also
provides for replication of the data area journal to a remote system (using remote journal for instance).
This lets the system reproduce the actions in a similar environment to replicate the application work.
Related information
Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA) command
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command
Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command
Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA) command
Delete Data Area (DLTDTAARA) command
Journal management

Local data area:

A local data area is created for each job in the system, including autostart jobs, jobs started on the system
by a reader, and subsystem monitor jobs.

The system creates a local data area, which is initially filled with blanks, with a length of 1024 and type
*CHAR. When you submit a job using the SBMJOB command, the value of the submitting job’s local data
area is copied into the submitted job’s local data area. You can refer to your job’s local data area by
specifying *LDA for the DTAARA keyword on the CHGDTAARA, RTVDTAARA, and DSPDTAARA
commands or *LDA for the substring built-in function (%SST).

The following is true of a local data area:

v The local data area cannot be referred to from any other job.
v You cannot create, delete, or allocate a local data area.
v No library is associated with the local data area.
v You cannot change the local data area in a secondary thread.
v The ILE CL compiler generates code to ensure that a procedure running in a secondary thread cannot
access the local data area while a procedure running in the initial thread is changing it.

The local data area contents exist across routing step boundaries. Therefore, using a Transfer Job
(TFRJOB), Transfer Batch Job (TFRBCHJOB), Reroute Job (RRTJOB), or Return (RETURN) command does
not affect the contents of the local data area.

You can use the local data area to:

v Pass information to a procedure or program without the use of a parameter list.
v Pass information to a submitted job by loading your information into the local data area and
submitting the job. Then, you can access the data from within your submitted job.
v Improve performance over other types of data area accesses from a CL procedure or program.
v Store information without the overhead of creating and deleting a data area yourself.

Most high-level languages can also use the local data area. The SBMxxxJOB and STRxxxRDR commands
cause jobs to start with a local data area initialized to blanks. Only the SBMJOB command allows the
contents of the submitting job’s local data area to be passed to the new job.
Related information
Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA) command
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command
Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command
Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA) command
Delete Data Area (DLTDTAARA) command
252 System i: Programming Control language
Group data area:

The system creates a group data area when an interactive job becomes a group job (using the Change
Group Attributes (CHGGRPA) command).

Only one group data area can exist for a group. The group data area is deleted when the last job in the
group is ended (with the ENDJOB, SIGNOFF, or ENDGRPJOB command, or with an abnormal end), or
when the job is no longer part of the group job (using the CHGGRPA command with GRPJOB(*NONE)
specified).

A group data area, which is initially filled with blanks, has a length of 512 and type *CHAR. You can use
a group data area from within a group job by specifying *GDA for the DTAARA parameter on the
CHGDTAARA, RTVDTAARA, and DSPDTAARA commands. A group data area is accessible to all of the
jobs in the group.

The following are true for a group data area:

v You cannot use the group data area as a substitute for a character variable on the substring built-in
function (%SUBSTRING or %SST). (You can, however, move a 512-byte character variable used by the
substring function into or out of the group data area.)
v A group data area cannot be referred to by jobs outside the group.
v You cannot create, delete, or allocate a group data area.
v No library is associated with a group data area.

The contents of a group data area are unchanged by the Transfer to Group Job (TFRGRPJOB) command.

In addition to using the group data area as you use other data areas, you can use the group data area to
communicate information between group jobs in the same group. For example, after issuing the Change
Group Job Attributes (CHGGRPA) command, the following command can be used to set the value of the
group data area:
CHGDTAARA DTAARA(*GDA) VALUE(’January1988’)

This command can be run from a program or can be issued by the workstation user.

Any other CL procedure or program in the group can retrieve the value of the group data area with the
following CL command:
RTVDTAARA DTAARA(*GDA) RTNVAR(&GRPARA)

This command places the value of the group data area (January1988) into CL variable &GRPARA.
Related information
CL command finder
Change Group Attributes (CHGGRPA) command
Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA) command
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command
Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command
Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA) command
Delete Data Area (DLTDTAARA) command

Program Initialization Parameter data area:

A Program Initialization Parameter (PIP) data area (PDA) is created for each prestart job when the job is
started.

Control language 253

The object sub-type of the PDA is different than a regular data area. The PDA can only be referred to by
the special value name *PDA. The size of the PDA is 2000 bytes but the number of parameters contained
in it is not restricted.

The RTVDTAARA, CHGDTAARA, and DSPDTAARA CL commands and the RTVDTAARA and
CHGDTAARA macro instructions support the special value *PDA for the data area name parameter.
Related information
Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA) command
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command
Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command
Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA) command
Delete Data Area (DLTDTAARA) command

Remote data areas:

A remote data area is a data area on a remote system.

You can access remote data areas by using distributed data management (DDM). You do not need to
change or recompile an application program that resides on one system when it retrieves data that
resides on a remote system. To ensure that you are accessing the correct data area, you might need to do
one of the following tasks:
v Delete the standard data area and create a DDM data area that has the same name as the original
standard data area
v Rename the standard data area

You can create a DDM data area by doing the following:

CRTDTAARA DTAARA(LOCALLIB/DDMDTAARA) TYPE(*DDM)
RMTDTAARA(REMOTELIB/RMTDTAARA) RMTLOCNAME(SYSTEMB)
TEXT(’DDM data area to access data area on SYSTEMB’)

To use a value from a data area on a remote system in a CL program, use the Retrieve Data Area
(RTVDTAARA) command. Specify the name of a DDM data area to bring the current value into a
variable in your program. If you change this value in your CL program and want to return the new value
to the remote data area, use the Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command and specify the same DDM
data area.

If you specify the name of a DDM data area when using the Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA)
command, the value of the DDM data area is displayed, rather than the value of the remote data area.
You can delete a DDM data area using the Delete Data Area (DLTDTAARA) command.
Related information
Distributed data management
Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA) command
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command
Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command
Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA) command
Delete Data Area (DLTDTAARA) command

Creating a data area:

Unlike variables, data areas are objects and must be created before they can be used.

A data area can be created as:

254 System i: Programming Control language

v A character string that can be as long as 2000 characters.
v A decimal value with different attributes, depending on whether it is used only in a CL program or
procedure or also with other high-level language programs or procedures. For CL procedures and
programs, the data area can have as many as 15 digits to the left of the decimal point and as many as 9
digits to the right, but only 15 digits total. For other languages, the data area can have as many as 15
digits to the left of the decimal point and as many as 9 to the right, for a total of up to 24 digits.
v A logical value ’0’ or ’1’, where ’0’ can mean off, false, or no; and ’1’ can mean on, true, or yes.

When you create a data area, you can also specify an initial value for the data area. If you do not specify
one, the following is assumed:
v 0 for decimal.
v Blanks for character.
v ’0’ for logical.

To create a data area, use the Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA) command. In the following example, a
data area is created to pass a customer number from one program to another:
CRTDTAARA DTAARA(CUST) TYPE(*DEC) +
LEN(5 0) TEXT(’Next customer number’)
Related information
Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA) command

Data area locking and allocation:

Locking and allocating a data area helps to ensure that the data area is not accessed by more than one job
at a time.

The Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command uses a *SHRUPD (shared for update) lock on the data
area during command processing. The Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) and Display Data Area
(DSPDTAARA) commands use a *SHRRD (shared for read) lock on the data area during command
processing. If you are performing more than one operation on a data area, you may want to use the
Allocate Object (ALCOBJ) command to prevent other users from accessing the data area until your
operations are completed. For example, if the data area contains a value that is read and incremented by
jobs running at the same time, the ALCOBJ command can be used to protect the value in both the read
and update operations.

For information about handling data areas in other (non-CL) languages, refer to the appropriate
high-level language (HLL) reference manual.
Related concepts
“Objects and libraries” on page 390
Tasks and concepts specific to objects and libraries include performing functions on objects, creating
libraries, and specifying object authority.
Related information
Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA) command
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command
Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA) command

Displaying a data area:

By using the Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA) command, you can display the attributes (name, library,
type, length, data area text description) and the value of a data area. The display uses the 24-digit format
with leading zeros suppressed.
Related information

Control language 255

 Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA) command

Changing a data area:

To change the value of a data area, use the Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command.

The CHGDTAARA command changes all or part of the value of a specified data area. It does not change
any other attributes of the data area. The new value can be a constant or a CL variable. If the command
is in a CL procedure, the data area does not need to exist when the program is created.
Related information
Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command

Retrieving a data area:

You can retrieve a data area and copy it to a variable by using the Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA)
command.

The Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command retrieves all or part of a specified data area and copies
it into a CL variable. The data area does not need to exist at compilation time, and the CL variable need
not have the same name as the data area. Note that this command retrieves, but does not alter, the
contents of the specified data area.
Related information
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command

Examples: Retrieving a data area:

These examples show different ways of retrieving a data area.

Example: Retrieving data area ORDINFO:

This is an example of using a data area to track the status of an order file.

Assume that you are using a data area named ORDINFO to track the status of an order file. This data
area is designed so that:
v Position 1 contains an O (open), a P (processing), or a C (complete).
v Position 2 contains an I (in-stock) or an O (out-of-stock).
v Positions 3 through 5 contain the initials of the order clerk.

You would declare these fields in your procedure as follows:

DCL VAR(&ORDSTAT) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1)
DCL VAR(&STOCKC) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1)
DCL VAR(&CLERK) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(3)

To retrieve the order status into &ORDSTAT, you would enter the following:
RTVDTAARA DTAARA(ORDINFO (1 1)) RTNVAR(&ORDSTAT)

To retrieve the stock condition into &STOCK, you would enter the following:
RTVDTAARA DTAARA(ORDINFO (2 1)) RTNVAR(&STOCKC)

To retrieve the clerk’s initials into &CLERK, you would enter the following:
RTVDTAARA DTAARA(ORDINFO (3 3)) RTNVAR(&CLERK)

256 System i: Programming Control language

Each use of the RTVDTAARA command requires the data area to be accessed. If you are retrieving many
subfields, it is more efficient to retrieve the entire data area into a variable, then use the substring built-in
function to extract the subfields.

Example: Retrieving data area DA1:

This example shows how to retrieve a data area and copy it into a variable.

The following example of the Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command places the specified contents
of a 5-character data area into a 3-character variable. This example:
v Creates a 5-character data area named DA1 (in library MYLIB) with the initial value of ’ABCDE’
v Declares a 3-character variable named &CLVAR1
v Copies the contents of the last three positions of DA1 into &CLVAR1

To do this, the following commands would be entered:

CRTDTAARA DTAARA(MYLIB/DA1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5) VALUE(ABCDE)
.
.
.
DCL VAR(&CLVAR1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(3)
RTVDTAARA DTAARA(MYLIB/DA1 (3 3)) RTNVAR(&CLVAR1)

&CLVAR1 now contains ’CDE’.

Related information
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command

Example: Retrieving data area DA2:

This example shows how to retrieve a decimal data area and copy it into a decimal variable.

The following example of the Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command places the contents of a
5-digit decimal data area into a 5-digit decimal digit variable. This example:
v Creates a 5-digit data area named DA2 (in library MYLIB) with two decimal positions and the initial
value of 12.39
v Declares a 5-digit variable named &CLVAR2 with one decimal position
v Copies the contents of DA2 into &CLVAR2

To do this, the following commands would be entered:

CRTDTAARA DTAARA(MYLIB/DA2) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 2) VALUE(12.39)
.
.
.
DCL VAR(&CLVAR2) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 1)
RTVDTAARA DTAARA(MYLIB/DA2) RTNVAR(&CLVAR2)

&CLVAR2 now contains 0012.3 (fractional truncation occurred).

Related information
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command

Example: Changing and retrieving a data area:

This example shows how to change and retrieve a data area.

The following is an example of using the Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) and Retrieve Data Area
(RTVDTAARA) commands for character substring operations.

Control language 257

This example:
v Creates a 10-character data area named DA1 (in library MYLIB) with initial value ABCD5678IJ
v Declares a 5-character variable named &CLVAR1
v Changes the contents of data area DA1 (starting at position 5 for length 4) to the value EFG padding
after the G with 1 blank)
v Retrieves the contents of data area DA1 (starting at position 5 for length 5) into the CL variable
&CLVAR1

To do this, the following commands would be entered:

DCL VAR(&CLVAR1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5)
.
CRTDTAARA DTAARA(MYLIB/DA1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) +
VALUE(’ABCD5678IJ’)
.
.
.
CHGDTAARA DTAARA((MYLIB/DA1) (5 4)) VALUE(’EFG’)
RTVDTAARA DTAARA((MYLIB/DA1) (5 5)) RTNVAR(&CLVAR1)

The variable &CLVAR1 now contains ’EFG I’.

Related information
Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command
Change Data Area (CHGDTAARA) command

Defining and documenting commands

This information helps you define your own commands and provide documentation for them.

Defining commands
CL commands enable you to request a broad range of functions. You can use IBM-supplied commands,
change the default values for command parameters, and define your own commands.

A CL command is a statement that requests that the system perform a function. Entering the command
starts a program that performs the function. CL commands allow you to request a broad range of
functions. You can use these IBM-supplied commands, change the default values that are supplied by
IBM, and even define your own commands.

When you define and create your own CL commands, you might also want to provide documentation for
them.
Related concepts
“Variables that replace reserved or numeric parameter values” on page 176
Character variables can be used for some commands to represent a value on the command parameter.
Related tasks
“Variables to use for specifying a list or qualified name” on page 175
Variables can be used to specify a list or qualified name.
“Documenting command” on page 324
If you define and create your own CL commands, you can also create online command help to
describe your commands.
Related reference
“Abbreviations of CL commands and keywords” on page 7
Most CL command names that are part of the i5/OS operating system and other licensed programs
that run on the operating system follow a consistent naming style.

Command definition statements:

258 System i: Programming Control language

Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs.

These commands are similar to the system commands. The defined command calls a program to perform
some function. Users can define commands by using command definition statements. The defined
command can include the following:
v Keyword notation parameters for passing data to programs
v Default values for omitted parameters
v Parameter validity checking so the program performing the function will have correct input
v Prompt text for prompting interactive users

Each command on the system has a Command definition object and a command processing program
(CPP).

The CPP is the program called when the command is entered. Because the system performs validity
checking when the command is entered, the CPP does not always have to check the parameters passed to
it.

The command definition functions can be used to:

v Create unique commands needed by system users while keeping a consistent interface for CL
command users.
v Define alternative versions of CL commands to meet the requirements of system users. This function
might include having different defaults for parameter values, or simplifying the commands so that
some parameters would not need to be entered. Constant values can be defined for those parameters.
The IBM-supplied commands should not be changed.
Table 24. Statements for defining CL commands
Statement Statement Description
type name Related command
Command CMD Command Definition (CMD) Specifies the prompt text for the command being
command created. The CMD statement can be anywhere in the
source file referred to by the Create Command
(CRTCMD) command; one and only one CMD
statement must be used in the source file, even if no
prompt text is specified for the created command.
Parameter PARM Parameter Definition (PARM) Defines a parameter of a command being created. A
command parameter is the means by which a value is passed to
the command processing program (CPP). One PARM
statement must be used for each parameter that
appears in the command being defined.
Element ELEM Element Definition (ELEM) Used to define the elements of a mixed list (list
command elements) parameter on a command. A list parameter
is a parameter that accepts multiple values that are
passed together as consecutive values pointed to by a
single keyword.
Qualifier QUAL Qualifier Definition (QUAL) Describes one part of a qualified name. If a name is
command the allowed value of a parameter or list element
defined in a PARM or ELEM statement, it can be
changed to a qualified name by using a QUAL
statement for each qualifier used to qualify the name.

Control language 259

Table 24. Statements for defining CL commands (continued)
Statement Statement Description
type name Related command
Dependency DEP Dependent Definition (DEP) Defines a required relationship between parameters
command and parameter values that must be checked. This
relationship can refer to either the specific value of a
parameter or parameters or to the required presence
of parameters.
Prompt PMTCTL Prompt Control Definition Specifies a condition that is tested to determine if
control (PMTCTL) command prompting is done for the parameters whose PARM
statement refers to the PMTCTL statement.

Related concepts
“CL command delimiters” on page 41
Command delimiters are special characters or spaces that identify the beginning or end of a group of
characters in a command.
“Simple and qualified object names” on page 116
The name of a specific object that is located in a library can be specified as a simple name or as a
qualified name.
“CL command coding rules” on page 45
This summary of general information about command coding rules can help you properly code CL
commands.
“CL command definition parts” on page 44
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs. These commands are similar to the system commands.
“Naming within commands” on page 107
The type of name you specify in control language (CL) determines the characters you can use to
specify a name.
“Command definition object” on page 263
The command definition object is the object that is checked by a system program to ensure that the
command is valid and that the correct parameters were entered.
Related tasks
“Specifying prompt control” on page 294
You can control which parameters are displayed for a command during prompting by using prompt
control specifications.
“Documenting command” on page 324
If you define and create your own CL commands, you can also create online command help to
describe your commands.
Related information
Integrated file system

Creating user-defined commands:

You can define a command by entering command definition statements into a source file and running a
Create Command (CRTCMD) command using the source file as input.

The command definition statement of each command contains one or more command statements.

One and only one Command (CMD) statement must be somewhere in the source file. A Parameter
(PARM) statement must be provided for each parameter that appears on the command being created.
Complex parameters can be defined by using Element (ELEM) statement and Qualifier (QUAL) statement
to define the parts of the parameter. If any special keyword relationships need checking, the Dependent
(DEP) statement is used to define the relationships. The DEP statement can refer only to parameters that

260 System i: Programming Control language

have been previously defined. These statements can appear in any order. Prompt Control (PMTCTL)
statements can be used to selectively prompt command parameters.

Only one command can be defined in each source member in the source file. The Create Command
(CRTCMD) command is run to create the command definition object from the command definition
statements in one source file member. Other users can then be authorized to use the new command by
the Grant Object Authority (GRTOBJAUT) command or the Edit Object Authority (EDTOBJAUT)
command.

Command definition process:

The overall process to define your own command involves several different phases, some of which are
optional.

The following illustration shows the process of creating a command. The text that follows the illustration
describes each phase of the process.

Control language 261

Writing your own validity checking and prompt override programs are optional steps.

The command definition statements contain the information that is necessary to prompt the workstation
user for input, to validate that input, and to define the values to be passed to the program that is called
when the command is run.

Create Command command:

The Create Command (CRTCMD) command processes the command definition statements to create the
command definition object.

The Create Command (CRTCMD) command may be run interactively or in a batch job.
Related information

262 System i: Programming Control language

 Create Command (CRTCMD) command

Command definition object:

The command definition object is the object that is checked by a system program to ensure that the
command is valid and that the correct parameters were entered.

The command definition object defines the command, including:

v The command name
v The CPP
v The parameters and values that are valid for the command
v Validity checking information the system can use to validate the command when it is entered
v Prompt text to be displayed if a prompt is requested for the command.
v Online help information
Related reference
“Command definition statements” on page 258
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs.

Validity checking:

The system performs validity checking on commands. You can also write your own validity checking
program although it is not required.

The validity checking performed by the system ensures that:

v Values for the required parameters are entered.
v Each parameter value meets data type and length requirements.
v Each parameter value meets optional requirements specified in the command definition of:
– A list of valid values
– A range of values
– A relational comparison to a value
v Conflicting parameters are not entered.

The system performs validity checking when:

v Commands are entered interactively from a display station.
v Commands are entered from a batch input stream using spooling.
v Commands are entered into a database file through the source entry utility (SEU).
v A command is passed to the QCMDEXC, QCMDCHK, or QCAPCMD program by a call from a
high-level language (HLL).
v A CL module or original program model (OPM) program is created.
v Commands are run by a CL procedure or program or a REXX procedure.
v A command is run using the C language system function.

If you need more validity checking than the system performs, you can write a program called a validity
checking program or you can include the checking in the command processing program. You specify the
names of both the command processing and validity checking programs on the CRTCMD command.

If a command has a validity checking program, the system passes the command parameter values to the
validity checking program. This happens before the system calls the command processing program. A
validity checking program runs during syntax checking during the following conditions:

Control language 263

v When running the command.
v When using the source entry utility (SEU) to enter commands into a CL source member and the
programmer uses constants instead of variables for the parameters that are specified on the command.
v When compiling a CL program or procedure that uses constants instead of variables for all the
parameters that are specified on the command.

When the program finds an error, the user receives a message to allow immediate correction of errors.
The command processing program can assume that the data that is passed to it is correct.
Related concepts
“Command-related APIs” on page 329
Some application programming interface programs can be used with commands.
Related tasks
“Validity checking program” on page 316
To detect syntax errors and send diagnostic messages for your command, write a validity checking
program.

Prompt override program:

You can write prompt override programs to supply current values for parameter defaults when
prompting the command.

For example, prompt override programs are frequently used on Change commands to supply values for
parameters with a default value of *SAME. A prompt override program is optional.
Related tasks
“Key parameters and prompt override programs” on page 297
The prompt override program allows current values rather than defaults to be displayed when a
command is prompted. Key parameters are parameters, such as the name of an object, that uniquely
identify the object.

Command processing program:

The command processing program (CPP) is the program that the command analyzer calls to perform the
function requested.

The CPP can be a CL program, another high-level language (HLL) program, or a REXX procedure. For
example, it can be an application program that your command calls, or it can be a CL program or REXX
procedure that contains a system command or series of commands.

The CPP must accept the parameters as defined by the command definition statements.

Command exit programs and independent ASPs:

Command exit programs needed by a command cannot be in a different independent auxiliary storage
pool (ASP).

Any exit program, including the command processing program, validity checking program, prompt
override program, choices program, or prompt control program, needed by a command must be in the
same independent auxiliary storage pool (ASP) as the command, or in the system ASP (ASP 1), or in a
basic ASP (ASPs 2-32). The command must not be in one independent ASP and the exit programs in
another independent ASP. Problems could occur when running the command if the independent ASP
where these exit programs reside is not available (for example, if the independent ASP device is varied
off).

Authority needed for defining commands:

264 System i: Programming Control language

When creating a command, you need certain authorities to programs and libraries.

For users to use a command you create, they must have operational authority to the command and data
authority to the command processing program and optional validity checking program. They also must
have read authority to the library that contains the command, to the command processing program, and
to the validity checking program. If the command processing program or the validity checking program
refers to any service programs, the user must have execute authority to the service programs and to the
service program libraries. The user must have execute authority to the programs that are listed as
follows.
v Command Processing Program (CPP).
v Validity Checking Program (VCP).
v Any service programs that are used by the CPP or VCP.
v The libraries that contain the CPP, VCP, and service programs.

The user must also have the correct authority to any other commands run in the command processing
programs. The user must also have authority to the files to open them.

Example: Creating a command:

This example shows how to create a command to allow the system operator to call a program to start the
system.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

This example assumes you are using IBM-supplied source files. Do the following.
1. Enter the command definition source statement into the source file QCMDSRC using the member
name of STARTUP.
CMD PROMPT(’S Command for STARTUP’)
2. Create the command by entering the following command.
CRTCMD CMD(S) PGM(STARTUP) SRCMBR(STARTUP)
3. Enter the source statements for the STARTUP program (the command processing program).
PGM
STRSBS QINTER
STRSBS QBATCH
STRSBS QSPL
STRPRTWTR DEV(QSYSPRT) OUTQ(QPRINT) WTR(WTR)
STRPRTWTR DEV(WSPR2) OUTQ(WSPRINT) WTR(WTR2)
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’STARTUP procedure completed’) MSGTYPE(*COMP)
ENDPGM
4. Create the program using the Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL) command.
CRTBNDCL STARTUP

In the previous example, S is the name of the new command (specified by the CMD parameter).
STARTUP is the name of the command processing program (specified by the PGM parameter) and also
the name of the source member that contains the command definition statement (specified by the
SRCMBR parameter). Now the system operator can either enter S to call the command or CALL STARTUP to
call the command processing program.
Related information
Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL) command

Defining a command:

To create a command, you must first define the command through command definition statements.

Control language 265

The general format of the command definition statements and a summary of the coding rules follow.

Statement Coding rules

CMD Only one CMD statement must be used. The CMD statement can be placed anywhere in the source file.
PARM A maximum of 99 PARM statements is allowed. The order in which you enter the PARM statements
into the source file determines the order in which the parameters are passed to the command
processing program (CPP) and validity checking program (VCP). One PARM statement is required for
each parameter that is to be passed to the command processing program. To specify a parameter as a
key parameter, you must specify KEYPARM(*YES) for the PARM statement. The number of parameters
coded with KEYPARM(*YES) should be limited to the number needed to uniquely define the object to
be changed. To use key parameters, the prompt override program must be specified when creating the
command. Key parameters cannot be defined with PMTCTL(*PMTRQS) or PMTCTL(label).
ELEM A maximum of 300 ELEM statements is allowed in one list. The order in which you enter the ELEM
statements into the source file determines the order of the elements in the list. The first ELEM statement
must have a statement label that matches the statement label on the TYPE parameter on the PARM or
ELEM statement for the list.
QUAL A maximum of 300 qualifiers is allowed for a qualified name. The order in which you enter the QUAL
statements into the source file determines the order in which the qualifiers must be specified and the
order in which they are passed to the validity checking program and command processing program.
DEP The DEP statement must be placed after all PARM statements it refers to. Therefore, the DEP statements
are normally placed near the end of the source file.
PMTCTL The PMTCTL statement must be placed after all PARM statements it refers to. Therefore, the PMTCTL
statements are normally placed at the end of the source file.

At least one PARM statement must precede any ELEM or QUAL statements in the source file. The source
file in which you enter the command definition statements is used by the CRTCMD command when you
create a command. Use WebSphere Development Studio to enter statements into a source file. For
information about entering statements into a source file, see the Application Development ToolSet for

AS/400: Source Entry Utility book.

Using the CMD statement:

When you define a command, you must include only one CMD statement with your command definition
statements.

When you define a command, you can provide command prompt text for the user. If the user chooses to
be prompted for the command instead of entering the entire command, the user types in the command
name and presses F4 (Prompt). The command prompt is then displayed with the command name and the
heading prompt text on line 1 of the display.

If you want to specify prompt text for the command, use the PROMPT parameter on the CMD statement
to specify the heading for the prompt. You then specify the prompts for the parameters, elements of a list,
and qualifiers on the PROMPT parameters for the PARM, ELEM, and QUAL statements.

On the PROMPT parameter for the CMD statement, you can specify the actual prompt heading text as a
character string 30 characters maximum, or you can specify the message identifier of a message
description. In the following example, a character string is specified for the command ORDENTRY.
CMD PROMPT(’Order Entry’)

Line 1 of the prompt looks like this after the user types in the command name and presses F4.
Order Entry (ORDENTRY)

If you do not provide prompt text for the command you are defining, you only need to use the word
CMD for the CMD statement. However, you may want to use the PROMPT keyword for documentation
purposes.

266 System i: Programming Control language

Defining parameters:

To define a parameter, you must use the PARM statement.

You can define as many as 99 parameters for each command.

On the PARM statement, you specify the following:

v Name of the keyword for the parameter
v Whether the parameter is a key parameter
v Type of parameter value that can be passed
v Length of the value
v If needed, the default value for the parameter.

In addition, you must consider the following information when defining parameters. (The associated
PARM statement parameter is given in parentheses.)
v Whether a value is returned by the command processing program (RTNVAL). If RTNVAL (*YES) is
specified, a return variable must be coded on the command when it is called, if you want to have the
value returned. If no variable is specified for a RTNVAL(*YES) parameter, a null pointer is passed to
the command processing program.
v Whether the parameter is not to appear on the prompt to the user but is to be passed to the command
processing program as a constant (CONSTANT).
v Whether the parameter is restricted (RSTD) to specific values (specified on the VALUES, SPCVAL, or
SNGVAL parameter) or can include any value that matches the parameter type, length, value range,
and a specified relationship.
v What the specific valid parameter values are (VALUES, SPCVAL, and SNGVAL).
v What tests should be performed on the parameter value to determine its validity (REL and RANGE).
v Whether the parameter is optional or required (MIN).
v How many values can be specified for a parameter that requires a simple list (MIN and MAX).
v Whether unprintable data (any character with a value of hexadecimal 00 through 3F or FF can be
entered for the parameter value (ALWUNPRT).
v Whether a variable name can be entered for the parameter value (ALWVAR).
v Whether the value is a program name (PGM).
v Whether the value is a data area name (DTAARA).
v Whether the value is a file name (FILE).
v Whether the value must be the exact length specified (FULL).
v Whether the length of the value should be given with the value (VARY).
v Whether expressions can be specified for a parameter value (EXPR).
v Whether attribute information should be given about the value passed for the parameter (PASSATR).
v Whether to pass a value to the command processing program or validity checking program if the
parameter being defined is not specified (PASSVAL).
v Whether the case value is preserved or the case value is converted to uppercase (CASE).
v Whether list within list displacements (LISTDSPL) are 2-byte or 4-byte binary values.
v What the message identifier is or what the prompt text for the parameter is (PROMPT).
v What valid values are shown in the possible choices field on the prompt display (CHOICE).
v Whether the choice values are provided by a program (CHOICEPGM).
v Whether prompting for a parameter is controlled by another parameter (PMTCTL).
v Whether values for a PMTCTL statement are provided by a program (for parameters referred to in CTL
keywords) (PMTCTLPGM).

Control language 267

v Whether the value is to be hidden in the job log or hidden when the command is being prompted
(DSPINPUT).
Related tasks
“Using CL or other HLLs for simple lists” on page 280
When a command is run using CL or another high-level language (HLL), the elements in a simple list
are passed to the command processing program in this format.
“Using CL or other HLLs for mixed lists” on page 283
When a command is run using CL or another high-level language (HLL), the elements in a mixed list
are passed to the command processing program in this format.
“Defining a qualified name” on page 289
A qualified name is the name of an object preceded by the name of the library in which the object is
stored.
“Using REXX for a qualified name” on page 292
When a command is run using REXX, a qualified name is passed to the command processing program
just as the value is entered for the parameter. Trailing blanks are not passed.

Naming the keyword for the parameter:

The name of the keyword that you choose for a parameter should be descriptive of the information that
is requested in the parameter value.

For example, USER for user name, CMPVAL for compare value, and OETYPE for order entry type. The
keyword can be as long as 10 alphanumeric characters, the first of which must be alphabetic.

Parameter types:

Different types of parameters are used for processing basic commands and IBM-supplied commands.

The basic parameter types are (parameter TYPE value given in parentheses) as follows:
v Decimal (*DEC). The parameter value is a decimal number, which is passed to the command
processing program as a packed decimal value of the length specified on the LEN parameter. Values
specified with more fractional digits than defined for the parameter are truncated.
v Logical (*LGL). The parameter value is a logical value, ’1’ or ’0’, which is passed to the command
processing program as a character string of length 1 (F1 or F0).
v Character (*CHAR). The parameter value is a character string, which can be enclosed in single
quotation marks and which is passed to the command processing program as a character string of the
length specified on the LEN parameter. The value is passed with its single quotation marks removed, is
left-aligned, and is padded with blanks.
v Name (*NAME). The parameter value is a character string that represents a basic name. The maximum
length of the name is 256 characters. The first character is alphabetic (A-Z), $, #, or @. The remaining
characters are the same as the first character, but can also include the numbers 0 through 9,
underscores (_), and periods (.). The name can also be a string of characters that begin and end with
double quotation marks (″). The system passes the value to the command processing program as a
character string of the length specified in the LEN parameter. The value is left-aligned and padded
with blanks. Normally, you use the *NAME type for object names. If you can enter a special value such
as *LIBL or *NONE for the name parameter, you must describe the special value on the SPCVAL
parameter. Then, if the display station user enters one of the allowed special values for the parameter,
the system bypasses the rules for name verification.
v Simple name (*SNAME). The parameter value is a character string that follows the same naming rules
as *NAME, except that no periods (.) are allowed.
v Communications name (*CNAME). The parameter value is a character string that follows the same
naming rules as *NAME, except that no periods (.) or underscores (_) are allowed.

268 System i: Programming Control language

v Path name (*PNAME). The parameter value is a character string, which can be enclosed in single
quotation marks and which is passed to the command processing program as a character string of the
length specified on the LEN parameter. The value is passed with its single quotation marks removed, is
left-aligned, and is padded with blanks.
v Generic name (*GENERIC). The parameter value is a generic name, which ends with an asterisk (*). If
the name does not end with an asterisk, then the generic name is assumed to be a complete object
name. A generic name identifies a group of objects whose names all begin with the characters
preceding the asterisk. For example, INV* identifies the objects whose names begin with INV, such as
INV, INVOICE, and INVENTORY. The generic name is passed to the command processing program so
that it can find the object names beginning with the characters in the generic name.
v Date (*DATE). The parameter value is a character string that is passed to the command processing
program. The character string uses the format cyymmdd (c = century digit, y = year, m = month, d = day).
The system sets the century digit based on the year specified on the date parameter for the command.
If the specified year contained 4 digits, the system sets the century digit to 0 for years that start with
19. The system sets the century digit to 1 for years that start with 20. For years that are specified with 2
digits, the system sets the century digit to 0 if yy equals a number from 40 to 99. However, if yy equals
a number from 00 through 39, the system sets the century digit to 1. The user must enter the date on
the date parameter of the command in the format that is specified by the date format (DATFMT) job
attribute. The date separator (DATSEP) job attribute determines the optional separator character to use
for entering the date. Use the Change Job (CHGJOB) command to change the DATFMT and DATSET
job attributes . The program reads dates with 2–digit years to be in the range of January 1, 1940, to
December 31, 2039. Dates with 4–digit years must be in the range of August 24, 1928, to May 9, 2071.
v Time (*TIME). The parameter value is a character string. The system passes this string to the command
processing program in the format hhmmss (h = hour, m = minute, s = second). The time separator
(TIMSEP) job attribute determines the optional separator to use for entering the time. Use the Change
Job (CHGJOB) command to change the TIMSEP job attribute.
v Hexadecimal (*HEX). The parameter value is a hexadecimal value. The characters specified must be 0
through F. The value is passed to the CPP as hexadecimal (EBCDIC) characters (2 hexadecimal digits
per byte), and is right adjusted and padded with zeros. If the value is enclosed in single quotation
marks, an even number of digits is required.
v Zero elements (*ZEROELEM). The parameter value is considered to be a list of zero elements for which
no value can be specified in the command. This parameter type is used to prevent a value from being
entered for a parameter that is a list even though the command processing program (CPP) expects a
value. For example, if two commands use the same CPP, one command could pass a list for a
parameter, and the other command may not have any values to pass. The parameter for the second
command would be defined with TYPE(*ZEROELEM).
v Integer (*INT2 or *INT4). The parameter value is an integer that is passed as a 2-byte or 4-byte signed
binary number. You can declare binary numbers in a CL procedure or program as variables of
TYPE(*INT). You can also use TYPE(*CHAR) and process them with the %BINARY built-in function.
v Unsigned integer (*UINT2 or *UINT4). The parameter value is an integer that is passed as a 2-byte or
4-byte unsigned binary number. You can declare binary numbers in a CL procedure or program as
variables of TYPE(*UINT). You can also use TYPE(*CHAR) and process them with the %BINARY
built-in function.
v Null (*NULL). The parameter value is a null pointer, which is always passed to the command
processing program as a place holder. The only PARM keywords valid for this parameter type are
KWD, MIN, and MAX.
v Command string (*CMDSTR). The parameter value is a command. You can use CL variables to specify
parameters in the command that are specified in the *CMDSTR parameter. However, you cannot use
them to specify the entire *CMDSTR parameter. For example, ″SBMJOB CMD(DSPLIB LIB(&LIBVAR))″
is valid in a CL Program or procedure, but ″SBMJOB CMD(&CMDVAR)″ is not.
v Statement label. The statement label identifies the first of a series of QUAL or ELEM statements that
further describe the qualified name or the mixed list being defined by this PARM statement.

Control language 269

The following parameter types are for IBM-supplied commands only.
v Expression (*X). The parameter value is a character string, variable name, or numeric value. The value
is passed as a numeric value if it contains only digits, a plus or minus sign, a decimal point, or all of
them; otherwise, it is passed as a character string.
v Variable name (*VARNAME). The parameter value is a variable name, which is passed to the
command processing program as a character string. The value is left-aligned and is padded with
blanks. A variable is a name that refers to an actual data value during processing. A variable name can
be as long as 10 alphanumeric characters (the first of which must be alphabetic) preceded by an
ampersand (&); for example, &PARM. If the name of your variable does not follow the naming
convention used on the i5/OS operating system, you must enclose the name in single quotation marks.
v Command (*CMD). The parameter value is a command. For example, the CL command IF has a
parameter named THEN whose value must be another command.

Length of parameter value:

The length (LEN) parameter is used to specify the length of a parameter.

For parameter types of date or time, date is always 7 characters long and time is always 6 characters
long. The following shows the maximum length for each parameter type and the default length for each
parameter type for which you can specify a length.

Data type Maximum length Default length

*DEC 24 (9 decimal positions) 15 (5 decimal positions)
*LGL 1 1
*CHAR 5000 32
*NAME 256 10
*SNAME 256 10
*CNAME 256 10
*GENERIC 256 10
*HEX 256 1
*X (256 24 9) (1 15 5)
*VARNAME 11 11
*CMDSTR 20K 256
*PNAME 5000 32

The maximum length that is shown here is the maximum allowed length for these parameter types when
the command runs. However, the maximum length that is allowed for character constants in the
command definition statements is 32 characters. This restriction applies to the CONSTANT, DFT,
VALUES, REL, RANGE, SPCVAL, and SNGVAL parameters. There are specific lengths for input fields
available when prompting for a CL command. The input field lengths are 1 through 12 characters and 17,
25, 32, 50, 80, 132, 256, and 512 characters. If a particular parameter has a length that is not allowed,the
input field displays with the next larger field length. The prompter displays a 512–character input field
for parameters that can be longer than 512 characters.
Related tasks
“Using the Call Program command to pass control to a called program” on page 234
When the Call Program (CALL) command is issued by a CL procedure, each parameter value passed
to the called program can be a character string constant, a numeric constant, a logical constant, or a
CL variable.

Default values:

270 System i: Programming Control language

If you are defining an optional parameter, you can define a value on the DFT parameter to be used if the
user does not enter the parameter value on the command.

This value is called a default value. The default value must meet all the value requirements for that
parameter (such as type, length, and special values). If you do not specify a default value for an optional
parameter, the following default values are used.

Data type Default value

*DEC 0
*INT2 0
*INT4 0
*UINT2 0
*UINT4 0
*LGL ’0’
*CHAR Blanks
*NAME Blanks
*SNAME Blanks
*CNAME Blanks
*GENERIC Blanks
*DATE Zeros (’F0’)
*TIME Zeros (’F0’)
*ZEROELEM 0
*HEX Zeros (’00’)
*NULL Null
*CMDSTR Blanks
*PNAME Blanks

Example: Defining a parameter:

This example shows how to define a parameter used in calling an application.

The following example defines a parameter OETYPE for a command to call an order entry application.
PARM KWD(OETYPE) TYPE(*CHAR) RSTD(*YES) +
VALUES(DAILY WEEKLY MONTHLY) MIN(1) +
PROMPT(’Type of order entry:’)

The OETYPE parameter is required (MIN parameter is 1) and its value is restricted (RSTD parameter is
*YES) to the values DAILY, WEEKLY, or MONTHLY. The PROMPT parameter contains the prompt text
for the parameter. Since no LEN keyword is specified and TYPE(*CHAR) is defined, a length of 32 is the
default.
Related tasks
“Creating commands” on page 304
After you have defined your command through the command definition statements, use the Create
Command (CRTCMD) command to create the command.

Data type and parameter restrictions:

These tables show the valid combinations of parameters according to the parameter type.

Control language 271

An X indicates that the combination is valid, a number refers to a restriction noted at the bottom of the
table.
LEN RTNVAL CONSTANT RSTD DFT VALUES REL RANGE SPCVAL SNGVAL
*DEC X 2 X X X X X X 3 1
*LGL X 2 X X X X 3 1
*CHAR X 2 X X X X X X 3 1
*NAME X X X X X X X 3 1
*SNAME X X X X X X X 3 1
*CNAME X X X X X X X 3 1
*PNAME X 2 X X X X X X 3 1
*GENERIC X X X X X X X 3 1
*DATE X X X X X X 3 1
*TIME X X X X X X 3 1
*HEX X X X X X X X 3 1
*ZEROELEM
*INT2 2 X X X X X X 3 1
*INT4 2 X X X X X X 3 1
*UINT2 2 X X X X 3 1
*UINT4 2 X X X X 3 1
*CMDSTR X X X
*NULL X
STMT LABEL X X X
Notes:
1. Valid only if the value for MAX is greater than 1. Also, To-values are ignored when CPP is a REXX procedure. Values passed
as REXX procedure parameters are the values typed or the defaults for each parameter.
2. Not valid when the command CPP is a REXX procedure.
3. To-values are ignored when CPP is a REXX procedure. Values passed as REXX procedure parameters are the values typed or
the default values for each parameter.

MIN MAX ALWUNPRT ALWVAR PGM DTAARA FILE FULL EXPR VARY
*DEC X X X X
*LGL X X X X X 1
*CHAR X X X X X X X X X 1
*NAME X X X X X X X X 1
*SNAME X X X X X X X X 1
*CNAME X X X X X X X X 1
*PNAME X X X X X X X X X 1
*GENERIC X X X X X X X X 1
*DATE X X X X
*TIME X X X X
*HEX X X X X X
*ZEROELEM X X
*INT2 X X X X
*INT4 X X X X
*UINT2 X X X X
*UINT4 X X X X
*CMDSTR 2 3 4 1

272 System i: Programming Control language

 MIN MAX ALWUNPRT ALWVAR PGM DTAARA FILE FULL EXPR VARY
*NULL 2 3
STMT LABEL X X X
Notes:
1. Parameter is ignored when CPP is a REXX procedure.
2. The value for MIN cannot exceed 1 for TYPE(*NULL).
3. The value for MAX cannot exceed 1 for TYPE(*NULL) or TYPE(*CMDSTR).
4. The ALWVAR value is ignored for this type of parameter. CL variables are not allowed when the parameter type is *CMDSTR.

PASSATR PASSVAL CASE LISTDSPL DSPINPUT

*DEC 1 X X X
*LGL 1 X X X
*CHAR 1 X 3 X X
*NAME 1 X X X
*SNAME 1 X X X
*CNAME 1 X X X
*PNAME 1 X 3 X X
*GENERIC 1 X X X
*DATE 1 X X X
*TIME 1 X X X
*HEX 1 X X X
*ZEROELEM
*INT2 1 X X X
*INT4 1 X X X
*UINT2 1 X X X
*UINT4 1 X X X
*CMDSTR 1 X X
*NULL
STMT LABEL 2

CHOICE CHOICEPGM PMTCTL PMTCTLPGM PROMPT INLPMTLEN

*DEC X X X X X
*LGL X X X X X
*CHAR X X X X X 4
*NAME X X X X X 4
*SNAME X X X X X 4
*CNAME X X X X X 4
*PNAME X X X X X 4
*GENERIC X X X X X 4
*DATE X X X X X
*TIME X X X X X
*HEX X X X X X 4
*ZEROELEM
*INT2 X X X X X
*INT4 X X X X X
*UINT2 X X X X X
*UINT4 X X X X X

Control language 273

 CHOICE CHOICEPGM PMTCTL PMTCTLPGM PROMPT INLPMTLEN
*CMDSTR X X X X X 4
*NULL
STMT LABEL X X X X X X

Notes:
1. Parameter is ignored when CPP is a REXX procedure.
2. PASSVAL passes a keyword with no blanks or other characters between parentheses when
CPP is a REXX procedure.
3. Case (*MIXED) is allowed only with type *CHAR and *PNAME.
4. You can use INLPMTLEN(*PWD) only with types *CHAR, *NAME, *SNAME, *CNAME, and
*PNAME.

The next table shows the valid parameter combinations and restrictions for the PARM, ELEM, and QUAL
statements. For example, the intersection of the row for LEN and the column for DFT are blank;
therefore, there are no restrictions and combination of LEN(XX) and DFT(XX) is valid. However, the
intersection of the row for DFT and the column for CONSTANT contains a 4, which refers to a note that
describes the restriction at the bottom of the table.
LEN RTNVAL CONSTANT RSTD DFT VALUES REL RANGE SPCVAL SNGVAL
LEN
RTNVAL 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
CONSTANT 1 4 16
RSTD 1 7 9 9 7 7
DFT 1 4
VALUES 1 7
REL 1 9 9
RANGE 1 9 9
SPCVAL 1 7
SNGVAL 1 21 7
MIN 8
MAX 2 2 10
ALWUNPRT
ALWVAR 12
PGM 1
DTAARA 1
FILE 1
FULL 1
EXPR 1 5
VARY 3
PASSATR 3
PASSVAL 13 11
CASE
LISTDSPL
CHOICE 14
CHOICEPGM
PMTCTL 15
PMTCTLPGM 15

274 System i: Programming Control language

 LEN RTNVAL CONSTANT RSTD DFT VALUES REL RANGE SPCVAL SNGVAL
PROMPT 6
INLPMTLEN 17 17 17
Notes:
1. The RTNVAL parameter cannot be used with any of the following parameters: CONSTANT, RSTD, DFT, VALUES, REL,
RANGE, SPCVAL, SNGVAL, PGM, DTAARA, FILE, FULL, or EXPR. The RTNVAL parameter cannot be used on any
command using a REXX procedure as a CPP.
2. A MAX value greater than 1 is not allowed.
3. If RTNVAL(*YES) and PASSATR(*YES) are specified, VARY(*YES) must also be specified. If RTNVAL(*YES) and VARY(*YES)
are specified, you must use either *INT2 or *INT4. Combinations of *INT2 and *INT4 are not valid.
4. The CONSTANT and DFT parameters are mutually exclusive.
5. The EXPR(*YES) and CONSTANT parameters are mutually exclusive.
6. The PROMPT parameter is not allowed.
7. If the RSTD parameter is specified, one of the following parameters must also be specified: VALUES, SPCVAL, or SNGVAL.
8. The MIN value must be 0.
9. The REL, RANGE, and RSTD(*YES) parameters are mutually exclusive.
10. Either the MAX value must be greater than 1 or the parameter type must be a statement label, or both.
11. The parameter may not refer to a parameter defined with the parameter PASSVAL(*NULL). A range between parameters is
not valid on a PARM statement defined with PASSVAL(*NULL).
12. If RTNVAL(*YES) is specified, ALWVAR(*NO) cannot be specified.
13. PASSVAL(*NULL) is not allowed with RTNVAL(*YES) or a value greater than 0 for MIN.
14. The CHOICE and CONSTANT parameters are mutually exclusive.
15. CONSTANT is mutually exclusive with the PMTCTL and PMTCTLPGM parameters.
16. The CONSTANT parameter cannot be defined on the ELEM/QUAL statement if a SNGVAL parameter is defined on the
PARM statement.
17. You cannot use the INLPMTLEN parameter with CONSTANT. You must specify INLPMTLEN(*CALC) or use it as the default
if you have specified FULL(*YES), RTNVAL(*YES), or RSTD(*YES).

MIN MAX ALWUNPRT ALWVAR PGM DTAARA FILE FULL EXPR VARY
LEN
RTNVAL 2 8 1 1 1 1 1 3
CONSTANT 2 4
RSTD
DFT 5
VALUES
REL
RANGE
SPCVAL
SNGVAL 7
MIN 6
MAX 6
ALWUNPRT
ALWVAR
PGM 9 9
DTAARA 9 9
FILE 9 9
FULL
EXPR
VARY
PASSATR 3

Control language 275

 MIN MAX ALWUNPRT ALWVAR PGM DTAARA FILE FULL EXPR VARY
PASSVAL 10
CASE
LISTDSPL
CHOICE
CHOICEPGM
PMTCTL 11
PMTCTLPGM
PROMPT
INLPMTLEN 12
Notes:
1. The RTNVAL parameter cannot be used with any of the following parameters: CONSTANT, RSTD, DFT, VALUES, REL,
RANGE, SPCVAL, SNGVAL, PGM, DTAARA, FILE, FULL, or EXPR. The RTNVAL parameter cannot be used on any
command using a REXX procedure as a CPP.
2. A MAX value greater than 1 is not allowed.
3. If RTNVAL(*YES) and PASSATR(*YES) are specified, VARY(*YES) must also be specified. If RTNVAL(*YES) and VARY(*YES)
are specified, you must use either *INT2 or *INT4. Combinations of *INT2 and *INT4 are not valid.
4. The EXPR(*YES) and CONSTANT parameters are mutually exclusive.
5. The MIN value must be 0.
6. The value specified for the MIN parameter must not exceed the value specified for the MAX parameter.
7. Either the MAX value must be greater than 1 or the parameter type must be a statement label, or both.
8. If RTNVAL(*YES) is specified, ALWVAR(*NO) cannot be specified.
9. PGM(*YES), DTAARA(*YES), and a value other than *NO for the FILE parameters are mutually exclusive.
10. PASSVAL(*NULL) is not allowed with RTNVAL(*YES) or a value greater than 0 for MIN.
11. PMTCTL is not allowed with a value greater than 0 for MIN.
12. You must specify INLPMTLEN(*CALC) or use it as the default if you specified FULL(*YES), RTNVAL(*YES), or RSTD(*YES).

PASSATR PASSVAL CASE LISTDSPL DSPINPUT

LEN
RTNVAL 1 4
CONSTANT 9 5
RSTD
DFT
VALUES
REL
RANGE 3
SPCVAL
SNGVAL
MIN 4
MAX
ALWUNPRT
ALWVAR
PGM
DTAARA
FILE
FULL

276 System i: Programming Control language

 PASSATR PASSVAL CASE LISTDSPL DSPINPUT
EXPR
VARY 1
PASSATR
PASSVAL
CASE 10
LISTDSPL 11
CHOICE
CHOICEPGM
PMTCTL
PMTCTLPGM
PROMPT
INLPMTLEN

CHOICE CHOICEPGM PMTCTL PMTCTLPGM PROMPT INLPMTLEN

LEN
RTNVAL 12
CONSTANT 7 7 2 12
RSTD 12
DFT
VALUES
REL
RANGE
SPCVAL
SNGVAL
MIN 8
MAX
ALWUNPRT
ALWVAR
PGM
DTAARA
FILE
FULL 12
EXPR
VARY
PASSATR
PASSVAL
CASE
LISTDSPL
CHOICE 6
CHOICEPGM 6
PMTCTL

Control language 277

 CHOICE CHOICEPGM PMTCTL PMTCTLPGM PROMPT INLPMTLEN
PMTCTLPGM
PROMPT
INLPMTLEN

Notes:
1. If RTNVAL(*YES) and PASSATR(*YES) are specified, VARY(*YES) must also be specified. If
RTNVAL(*YES) and VARY(*YES) are specified, you must use either *INT2 or *INT4.
Combinations of *INT2 and *INT4 are not valid.
2. The PROMPT parameter is not allowed.
3. The parameter may not refer to a parameter defined with the parameter PASSVAL(*NULL).
A range between parameters is not valid on a PARM statement defined with
PASSVAL(*NULL).
4. PASSVAL(*NULL) is not allowed with RTNVAL(*YES) or a value greater than 0 for MIN.
5. The CHOICE and CONSTANT parameters are mutually exclusive.
6. CHOICE(*PGM) requires a name for CHOICEPGM.
7. CONSTANT is mutually exclusive with the PMTCTL and PMTCTLPGM parameters.
8. PMTCTL is not allowed with a value greater than 0 for MIN.
9. CONSTANT is mutually exclusive with DSPINPUT(*NO) and DSPINPUT(*PROMPT).
10. The CASE parameter is valid only on PARM and ELEM statements. CASE is not valid on the
QUAL statement.
11. The LISTDSPL parameter is valid only on the PARM statement.
12. You cannot use the INLPMTLEN parameter with CONSTANT. You must specify
INLPMTLEN(*CALC) or use it as the default if you specified FULL(*YES), RTNVAL(*YES), or
RSTD(*YES).

Defining lists for parameters:

You can define a parameter to accept a list of values instead of just a single value.

You can define the following types of lists:

v A simple list, which allows one or more values of the same type to be specified for a parameter
v A mixed list, which allows a set of separately defined values to be specified for a parameter
v A list within a list, which allows a list to be specified more than once for a parameter or which allows
a list to be specified for a value within a mixed list

The following sample command source illustrates the different types of lists:
CMD PROMPT(’Example of lists command’)

/* THE FOLLOWING PARAMETER IS A SIMPLE LIST. IT WILL ACCEPT UP TO */

/* 5 NAMES. */
PARM KWD(SIMPLST) TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) DFT(*ALL) +
SPCVAL((*ALL)) MAX(5) PROMPT(’Simple list +
of up to 5 names’)

/* THE FOLLOWING PARAMETER IS A MIXED LIST OF 3 VALUES, EACH OF A */

/* DIFFERENT TYPE AND/OR LENGTH. EACH ELEMENT MAY NOT BE REPEATED. */
PARM KWD(MXDLST) TYPE(MLSPEC) PROMPT(’This is a +
mixed list of 3 val’)

278 System i: Programming Control language

MLSPEC: ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) PROMPT(’Elem 1 of 3’)
ELEM TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3 0) PROMPT(’Second of three’)
ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) PROMPT(’Last of three +
elements’)

/* THE FOLLOWING PARAMETER IS A LIST WITHIN A LIST. IT CONTAINS A */

/* LIST OF UP TO 2 ELEMENTS, WHICH MAY BE REPEATED UP TO 3 TIMES. */
PARM KWD(LWITHINL1) TYPE(LWLSPECA) MAX(3) +
PROMPT(’Repeatable list of 2 elements’)
LWLSPECA: ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) PROMPT(’1st part of +
repeatable list’)
ELEM TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 0) PROMPT(’2nd part of +
repeatable list’)

/* THE FOLLOWING PARAMETER IS A LIST WITHIN A LIST. IT CONTAINS A */

/* LIST OF UP TO 2 ELEMENTS, THE FIRST OF WHICH MAY BE REPEATED */
/* UP TO 3 TIMES. */
PARM KWD(LWITHINL2) TYPE(LWLSPECB) MAX(1) +
PROMPT(’Repeated simple within mixed’)
LWLSPECB: ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) MAX(3) PROMPT(’Simple +
list within a list’)
ELEM TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 0) PROMPT(’Single parm +
within a list’)

The following display shows the prompt for the preceding sample command.

Example of lists command (LSTEXAMPLE)

Type choices, press Enter.

Simple list of up to 5 names . . SIMPLST *ALL

+ for more values
This is a mixed list of 3 val MXDLST
Elem 1 of 3 . . . . . . . . .
Second of three . . . . . . .
Last of three elements . . . .
Repeatable list of 2 elements LWITHINL1
1st part of repeatable list .
2nd part of repeatable list .
+ for more values
Repeatable simple within mixed LWITHINL2
Simple list within a list . .
+ for more values
Single parm within a list . .

Bottom
F3=Exit F4=List F5=Refresh F12=Cancel F13=Prompter help
F24=More keys

Defining a simple list:

A simple list can accept one or more values of the type specified by the parameter.

For example, if the parameter is for the user name, a simple list means that more than one user name can
be specified on that parameter.
USER(JONES SMITH MILLER)

If a parameter’s value is a simple list, you specify the maximum number of elements the list can accept
using the MAX parameter on the PARM statement. For a simple list, no command definition statements
other than the PARM statement need be specified.

Control language 279

The following example defines a parameter USER for which the display station user can specify up to
five user names (a simple list).
PARM KWD(USER) TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) MIN(0) MAX(5) +
SPCVAL(*ALL) DFT(*ALL)

The parameter is an optional parameter as specified by MIN(0) and the default value is *ALL as specified
by DFT(*ALL).

When the elements in a simple list are passed to the command processing program, the format varies
depending on whether you are using CL or another high-level language (HLL), or REXX.

Using CL or other HLLs for simple lists:

When a command is run using CL or another high-level language (HLL), the elements in a simple list are
passed to the command processing program in this format.

The number of values passed is specified by a binary value that is two characters long. This number
indicates how many values were actually entered (are being passed), not how many can be specified. The
values are passed by the type of parameter just as a value of a single parameter is passed. For example, if
two user names (BJONES and TBROWN) are specified for the USER parameter, the following is passed.

The user names are passed as 10-character values that are left-adjusted and padded with blanks.

When a simple list is passed, only the number of elements specified on the command are passed. The
storage immediately following the last element passed is not part of the list and must not be referred to
as part of the list. Therefore, when the command processing program (CPP) processes a simple list, it
uses the number of elements passed to determine how many elements can be processed.

The following example shows a CL procedure using the binary built-in function to process a simple list.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

280 System i: Programming Control language

 PGM PARM (...&USER..)
.
.
.
/* Declare space for a simple list of up to five */
/* 10-character values to be received */
DCL VAR(&USER) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(52)
.
DCL VAR(&CT) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3 0)
DCL VAR(&USER1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&USER2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&USER3) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&USER4) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&USER5) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
.
.
.
CHGVAR VAR(&CT) VALUE(%BINARY(&USER 1 2))
.
IF (&CT > 0) THEN(CHGVAR &USER1 %SST(&USER 3 10))
IF (&CT > 1) THEN(CHGVAR &USER2 %SST(&USER 13 10))
IF (&CT > 2) THEN(CHGVAR &USER3 %SST(&USER 23 10))
IF (&CT > 3) THEN(CHGVAR &USER4 %SST(&USER 33 10))
IF (&CT > 4) THEN(CHGVAR &USER5 %SST(&USER 43 10))
IF (&CT > 5) THEN(DO)
/* If CT is greater than 5, the values passed */
/* is greater than the program expects, and error */
/* logic should be performed */
.
.
.
ENDDO
ELSE DO
/* The correct number of values are passed */
/* and the program can continue processing */
.
.
.
ENDDO
ENDPGM

Figure 2. Simple list example

The same technique can be used to process other lists in a CL procedure or program.

For a simple list, a single value such as *ALL or *NONE can be entered on the command instead of the
list. Single values are passed as an individual value. Similarly, if no values are specified for a parameter,
the default value, if any is defined, is passed as the only value in the list. For example, if the default
value *ALL is used for the USER parameter, the following is passed.

*ALL is passed as a 10-character value that is left-adjusted and padded with blanks.

If no default value is defined for an optional simple list parameter, the following is passed.

Control language 281

 Related tasks
“Defining parameters” on page 267
To define a parameter, you must use the PARM statement.

Using REXX for simple lists:

When the same command is run, the elements in a simple list are passed to the REXX procedure in the
argument string in the format where valueN is the last value in the simple list.
. . . USER(value1 value2
. . . valueN) . . .

For example, if two user names (BJONES and TBROWN) are specified for the USER parameter, the
following is passed:
. . . USER(BJONES
TBROWN) . . .

When a simple list is passed, only the number of elements specified on the command are passed.
Therefore, when the CPP processes a simple list, it uses the number of elements passed to determine how
many elements can be processed.

The following REXX example produces the same result as the CL procedure in “Example: Creating a
command” on page 265:

.
.
.
PARSE ARG . ’USER(’ user ’)’ .
.
.
CT = WORDS(user)
IF CT > 0 THEN user1 = WORD(user,1) else user1 = ’
IF CT > 1 THEN user2 = WORD(user,2) else user2 = ’
IF CT > 2 THEN user3 = WORD(user,3) else user3 = ’
IF CT > 3 THEN user4 = WORD(user,4) else user4 = ’
IF CT > 4 THEN user5 = WORD(user,5) else user5 = ’
IF CT > 5 THEN
DO
/* If CT is greater than 5, the values passed
is greater than the program expects, and error
logic should be performed */
.
.
.
END
ELSE
DO
/* The correct number of values are passed
and the program can continue processing */
END
EXIT

Figure 3. REXX simple list example

This same procedure can be used to process other lists in a REXX program.

282 System i: Programming Control language

For a simple list, a single value such as *ALL or *NONE can be entered on the command instead of the
list. Single values are passed as an individual value. Similarly, if no values are specified for a parameter,
the default value, if any is defined, is passed as the only value in the list. For example, if the default
value *ALL is used for the USER parameter, the following is passed:
. . . USER(*ALL) . . .

If no default value is defined for an optional simple list parameter, the following is passed:
. . . USER() . . .
Related information

REXX/400 Programmer’s Guide PDF

REXX/400 Reference PDF

Defining a mixed list:

A mixed list accepts a set of separately defined values.

These values typically have different meanings, are of different types, and are in a fixed position in the
list. For example, LOG(4 0 *SECLVL) could specify a mixed list. The first value, 4, identifies the message
level to be logged; the second value, 0, is the lowest message severity to be logged. The third value,
*SECLVL, specifies the amount of information to be logged (both first- and second-level messages). If a
parameter’s value is a mixed list, the elements of the list must be defined separately using an Element
(ELEM) statement for each element.

The TYPE parameter on the associated PARM statement must have a label that refers to the first ELEM
statement for the list.
PARM KWD(LOG) TYPE(LOGLST) ...

LOGLST: ELEM TYPE(*INT2) ...

ELEM TYPE(*INT2) ...
ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(7)

The first ELEM statement is the only ELEM statement that can have a label. Specify the ELEM statements
in the order in which the elements occur in the list.

Note that when the MAX parameter has a value greater than 1 on the PARM statement, and the TYPE
parameter refers to ELEM statements, the parameter being defined is a list within a list.

Parameters that you can specify on the ELEM statement include TYPE, LEN, CONSTANT, RSTD, DFT,
VALUES, REL, RANGE, SPCVAL, SNGVAL, MIN, MAX, ALWUNPRT, ALWVAR, PGM, DTAARA, FILE,
FULL, EXPR, VARY, PASSATR, CHOICE, CHOICEPGM, and PROMPT.

In the following example, a parameter CMPVAL is defined for which the display station user can specify
a comparison value and a starting position for the comparison (a mixed list).
PARM KWD(CMPVAL) TYPE(CMP) SNGVAL(*ANY) DFT(*ANY) +
MIN(0)
CMP: ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(80) MIN(1)
ELEM TYPE(*DEC) LEN(2 0) RANGE(1 80) DFT(1)

When the elements in a mixed list are passed to the command processing program, the format varies
depending on whether you are using CL or high-level language (HLL), or REXX.

Using CL or other HLLs for mixed lists:

When a command is run using CL or another high-level language (HLL), the elements in a mixed list are
passed to the command processing program in this format.
Control language 283
The number of values in the mixed list is passed as a binary value of length 2. This value always
indicates how many values have been defined for the mixed list, not how many were actually entered on
the command. This value may be 1 if the SNGVAL parameter is entered or is passed as the default value.
If the user does not enter a value for an element, a default value is passed. The elements are passed by
their types just as single parameter values are passed. For example, if, in the previous example the user
enters a comparison value of QCMDI for the CMPVAL parameter, but does not enter a value for the
starting position, whose default value is 1, the following is passed.

The data QCMDI is passed as an 80-character value that is left-adjusted and padded with blanks. The
number of elements is sent as a binary value of length 2.

When the display station user enters a single value or when a single value is the default for a mixed list,
the value is passed as the first element in the list. For example, if the display station user enters *ANY as
a single value for the parameter, the following is passed.

*ANY is passed as an 80-character value that is left-adjusted and padded with blanks.

Mixed lists can be processed in CL programs. Unlike simple lists, the binary value does not need to be
tested to determine how many values are in the list because this value is always the same for a given
mixed list unless the SNGVAL parameter was passed to the command processing program. In this case,
the value is 1. If the command is entered with a single value for the parameter, only that one value is
passed. To process the mixed list in a CL procedure, you must use the substring built-in function.

In one case, only a binary value of 0000 is passed as the number of values for a mixed list. If no default
value is defined on the PARM statement for an optional parameter and the first value of the list is
required (MIN(1)), then the parameter itself is not required; but if any element is specified the first
element is required. In this case, if the command is entered without specifying a value for the parameter,
the following is passed.

An example of such a parameter is:

PARM KWD(KWD1) TYPE(E1) MIN(0)
E1: ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) MIN(1)
ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(2) MIN(0)

284 System i: Programming Control language

If this parameter were to be processed by a CL procedure, the parameter value could be received into a
14-character CL variable. The first 2 characters could be compared to either of the following:
v a 2-character variable initialized to hex 0000 using the %SUBSTRING function.
v a decimal 0 using the %BINARY built-in function.
Related concepts
“CL programming” on page 158
To program using CL, you must understand the procedures and concepts specific to CL programming.
Related tasks
“Defining parameters” on page 267
To define a parameter, you must use the PARM statement.

Using REXX for mixed lists:

When a command is run using REXX, elements in a mixed list are passed to the command processing
program in the format where valueN is the last value in the mixed list.
. . . CMPVAL(value1 value2
. . . valueN) . . .

If the user does not enter a value for an element, a default value is passed. For example, if in the
previous example, the user enters a comparison value of QCMDI for the CMPVAL parameter, but does
not enter a value for the starting position, whose default value is 1, the following is passed:
. . . CMPVAL(QCMDI 1)
. . .

Note that trailing blanks are not passed with REXX values.

When a display station user enters a single value or when a single value is the default for a mixed list,
the value is passed as the first element in the list. For example, if the display station user enters *ANY as
a single value for the parameter, the following is passed:
. . . CMPVAL(*ANY) . . .

Again note that trailing blanks are not passed with REXX values.

If no default value is defined on the PARM statement for an optional parameter and the first value of the
list is required (MIN(1)), then the parameter itself is not required. But if any element is specified, the first
element is required. In this case, if the command is entered without specifying a value for the parameter,
the following is passed:
. . . CMPVAL() . . .

Defining lists within lists:

A list within a list can be either a list that can be specified more than once for a parameter (simple or
mixed list), or a list that can be specified for a value within a mixed list.

The following is an example of lists within a list.

STMT((START RESPND) (ADDDSP CONFRM))

The outside set of parentheses enclose the list that can be specified for the parameter (the outer list) while
each set of inner parentheses encloses a list within a list (an inner list).

In the following example, a mixed list is defined within a simple list. A mixed list is specified, and the
MAX value on the PARM statement is greater than 1; therefore, the mixed list can be specified up to the
number of times specified on the MAX parameter.

Control language 285

 PARM KWD(PARM1) TYPE(LIST1) MAX(5)
LIST1: ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
ELEM TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3 0)

In this example, the two elements can be specified up to five times. When a value is entered for this
parameter, it could appear as follows:
PARM1((VAL1 1.0) (VAR2 2.0) (VAR3 3.0))

In the following example, a simple list is specified as a value in a mixed list. In this example, the MAX
value on the ELEM statement is greater than 1; therefore, the element can be repeated up to the number
of times specified on the MAX parameter.
PARM KWD(PARM2) TYPE(LIST2)
LIST2: ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) MAX(5)
ELEM TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3 0)

In this example, the first element can be specified up to five times, but the second element can be
specified only once. When a value is entered for this parameter, it could appear as follows.
PARM2((NAME1 NAME2 NAME3) 123.0)

When lists within lists are passed to the command processing program, the format varies depending on
whether you are using CL or high-level language (HLL), or REXX.

Using CL or other HLLs for lists within lists:

When a command is run using CL or another high-level language (HLL), a list within a list is passed to
the command processing program in this format.

The number of lists is passed as a binary value of length 2. Following the number of lists, the
displacement to the lists is passed (not the values that were entered in the lists). Each displacement is
passed as a binary value of length 2 or length 4 depending on the value of the LISTDSPL parameter.

The following example shows a definition for a parameter KWD2 (which is a mixed list within a simple
list) how the parameter can be specified by the display station user, and what is passed. The parameter
definition is:
PARM KWD(KWD2) TYPE(LIST) MAX(20) MIN(0) +
DFT(*NONE) SNGVAL(*NONE) LISTDSPL(*INT2)
LIST: ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) MIN(1) /*From value*/
ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5) MIN(0) /*To value*/

The display station user enters the KWD2 parameter as:

KWD2((A B))

The following is passed to the command processing program.

286 System i: Programming Control language

If the display station user enters the following instead:
KWD2((A B) (C D))

the following is passed to the command processing program.

Lists within a list are passed to the command processing program in the order n (the last one entered by
the display station user) to 1 (the first one entered by the display station user). The displacements,
however, are passed from 1 to n.

The following is a more complex example of lists within lists. The parameter definition is:

Control language 287

 PARM KWD(PARM1) TYPE(LIST3) MAX(25)
LIST3: ELEM TYPE(LIST4)
ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(3)
ELEM TYPE(*NAME) LEN(2) MAX(5)
LIST4: ELEM TYPE(*DEC) LEN(7 2)
ELEM TYPE(*TIME)

If the display station user enters the PARM1 parameter as shown in the following example:
PARM1(((11.1 120900) A (A1 A2)) ((-22.2 131500) B (B1 B2)))

the following is passed to the command processing program.

Using REXX for lists within lists:

When a command is run using REXX, a list within a list is passed to the command processing program
just as the values are entered for the parameters. Trailing blanks are not passed.

The following example shows a definition for a parameter KWD2, which is a mixed list within a simple
list, how the parameter can be specified by the display station user, and what is passed. The parameter
definition is:

288 System i: Programming Control language

 PARM KWD(KWD2) TYPE(LIST) MAX(20) MIN(0) +
DFT(*NONE) SNGVAL(*NONE)
LIST: ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) MIN(1) /*From value*/
ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5) MIN(0) /*To value*/

The display station user enters the KWD2 parameter as:

KWD2((A B))

The following is passed to the command processing program:

KWD2(A B)

If the display station user enters the following instead:

KWD2((A B) (C D))

The following is passed to the command processing program:

KWD2((A B) (C D))

The following is a more complex example of lists within lists. The parameter definition is:
PARM KWD(PARM1) TYPE(LIST3) MAX(25)
LIST3: ELEM TYPE(LIST4)
ELEM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(3)
ELEM TYPE(*NAME) LEN(2) MAX(5)
LIST4: ELEM TYPE(*DEC) LEN(7 2)
ELEM TYPE(*TIME)

The display station user enters the PARM1 parameter as:

PARM1(((11.1 12D900) A (A1 A2)) ((-22.2 131500) B (B1 B2)))

The following is passed to the command processing program:

PARM1(((11.1 12D900) A (A1 A2)) ((-22.2 131500) B (B1 B2)))

Defining a qualified name:

A qualified name is the name of an object preceded by the name of the library in which the object is
stored.

If a parameter value or list item is a qualified name, you must define the name separately using Qualifier
(QUAL) statements. Each part of the qualified name must be defined with a QUAL statement. The parts
of a qualified name must be described in the order in which they occur in the qualified name. You must
specify *NAME or *GENERIC in the first QUAL statement. The associated PARM or ELEM statement
must identify the label that refers to the first QUAL statement for the qualified name.

The following command definition statements define the most common qualified name. A qualified object
consists of the library name that contains an object followed by the name of the object itself. The QUAL
statements must appear in the order in which they are to occur in the qualified name.

Many of the parameters that can be specified for the QUAL statement are the same as those described for
the PARM statement. However, only the following values can be specified for the TYPE parameter:

Control language 289

v *NAME
v *GENERIC
v *CHAR
v *INT2
v *INT4

When a qualified name is passed to the command processing program, the format varies depending on
whether you are using CL or high-level language (HLL), or REXX.
Related tasks
“Defining parameters” on page 267
To define a parameter, you must use the PARM statement.

Using CL or other HLLs for a qualified name:

A qualified name is passed to the command processing program in this format when you use CL or
another high-level language (HLL).

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

For example, if the display station user enters NAME(USER/A) for the previously defined QUAL statements,
the name is passed to the command processing program as follows.

Qualifiers are passed to the command processing program consecutively by their types and length just as
single parameter values are passed (as described under “Defining parameters” on page 267). The
separator characters (/) are not passed. This applies regardless of whether a single parameter, an element
of a mixed list, or a simple list of qualified names is passed.

If the display station user enters a single value for a qualified name, the length of the value passed is the
total of the length of the parts of the qualified name. For example, if you define a qualified name with
two values each of length 10, and if the display station user enters a single value, the single value passed
is left-adjusted and padded to the right with blanks so that a total of 20 characters is passed. If the
display station user enters *NONE as the single value, the following 20-character value is passed.

290 System i: Programming Control language

Qualified names can be processed in CL programs using the Substring built-in function as shown in the
following example.

The substring built-in function (%SUBSTRING or %SST) is used to separate the qualified name into two
values.
PGM PARM(&QLFDNAM)
DCL &QLFDNAM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(20)
DCL &OBJ TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &LIB TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
CHGVAR &OBJ %SUBSTRING(&QLFDNAM 1 10) /* First 10 */
CHGVAR &LIB %SST(&QLFDNAM 11 10) /* Second 10 */
.
.
.
ENDPGM

You can then specify the qualified name in the proper CL syntax. For example, OBJ(&LIB/&OBJ).

You can also separate the qualified name into two values using the following method:
PGM PARM(&QLFDNAM)
DCL &QLFDNAM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(20)
CHKOBJ (%SST(&QLFDNAM 11 10)/%SST(&QLFDNAM 1 10)) *PGM
.
.
.
ENDPGM

A simple list of qualified names is passed to the command processing program in the following format.

For example, assume that MAX(3) were added as follows to the PARM statement for the NAME
parameter.
PARM KWD(NAME) TYPE(NAME1) SNGVAL(*NONE) MAX(3)
NAME1: QUAL TYPE(*NAME)
QUAL TYPE(*NAME)

If the display station user enters the following:

NAME(QGPL/A USER/B)

then the name parameter would be passed to the command processing program as follows.

If the display station user enters the single value NAME(*NONE), the name parameter is passed as
follows.

Control language 291

Using REXX for a qualified name:

When a command is run using REXX, a qualified name is passed to the command processing program
just as the value is entered for the parameter. Trailing blanks are not passed.

For example, if a display station user enters the following for the QUAL statements defined previously in
this section:
NAME(USER/A)

the qualified name is passed to the command processing program in the following format:
NAME(USER/A)

Qualifiers are passed to the command processing program consecutively by their types and length just as
single parameter values are passed.

If the display station user enters *NONE as the single value, the following 20-character value is passed:
NAME(*NONE)

The following example shows how a display station user would enter a simple list of qualified names:
NAME(QGPL/A USER/B)

Using REXX, the name parameter would be passed to the command processing program as the following:
NAME(QGPL/A USER/B)
Related tasks
“Defining parameters” on page 267
To define a parameter, you must use the PARM statement.

Defining a dependent relationship:

A dependent relationship is a required relationship between parameters.

If a required relationship exists between parameters, and if parameter values must be checked when the
command is run, use the Dependent (DEP) statement to define that relationship. Using the DEP
statement, you can perform the functions that are listed as follows:
v Specify the controlling conditions that must be true before the parameter relationships defined in the
PARM parameter need to be true (CTL).
v Specify the parameter relationships that require testing if the controlling conditions defined by CTL are
true (PARM).
v Specify the number of parameter relationships that are defined on the associated PARM statement that
must be true if the control condition is true (NBRTRUE).
v Specify the message identifier of an error message in a message file that the system is to send to the
display station user if the parameter dependencies have not been satisfied.

In the following example, if the display station user specifies the TYPE(LIST) parameter, the display
station user must also specify the ELEMLIST parameter.
DEP CTL(&TYPE *EQ LIST) PARM(ELEMLIST)

292 System i: Programming Control language

In the following example, the parameter &WRITER must never be equal to the parameter &NEWWTR. If
this condition is not true, message USR0001 is issued to the display station user.
DEP CTL(*ALWAYS) PARM((&WRITER *NE &NEWWTR)) MSGID(USR0001)

In the following example, if the display station user specifies the FILE parameter, the display station user
must also specify both the VOL and LABEL parameters.
DEP CTL(FILE) PARM(VOL LABEL) NBRTRUE(*EQ 2)

Possible choices and values for parameter definitions:

To determine the choices and values for parameters that can be defined, refer to this information.

The prompter will display possible choices for parameters to the right of the input field on the prompt
displays. The text to be displayed can be created automatically, specified in the command definition
source, or created dynamically by an exit program. Text describing possible choices can be defined for
any PARM, ELEM, or QUAL statement, but because of limitations in the display format, the text is
displayed only for values with a field length of 12 or less, 10 or less for all but the first qualifier in a
group.

The text for possible choices is defined by the CHOICE parameter. The default for this parameter is
*VALUES, which indicates that the text is to be created automatically from the values specified for the
TYPE, RANGE, VALUES, SPCVAL, and SNGVAL keywords. The text is limited to 30 characters; if there
are more values than can fit in this size, an ellipsis (...) is added to the end of the text to indicate that it is
incomplete.

You can specify that no possible choices should be displayed (*NONE), or you can specify either a text
string to be displayed or the ID of a text message which is retrieved from the message file specified in
the PMTFILE parameter of the CRTCMD command.

You can also specify that an exit program to run during prompting to provide the possible choices text.
This could be done if, for example, you want to show the user a list of objects that currently exist on the
system. The same exit program can be used to provide the list of permissible values shown on the
Specify Value for Parameter display. To specify an exit program, specify *PGM for the CHOICE
parameter, and the qualified name of the exit program in the CHOICEPGM parameter on the PARM,
ELEM, or QUAL statement.

The exit program must accept the following two parameters:

v Parameter 1: A 21-byte field that is passed by the prompter to the choice program, and contains the
following:
Positions
Descriptions
1-10 Command name. Specifies the name of the command being processed that causes the program
to run.
11-20 Keyword name. Specifies the keyword for which possible choices or permissible values are
being requested.
21 C or P character indicating the type of data being requested by prompter. The letter C indicates
that this is a 30-byte field into which the text for possible choices is to be returned. The letter P
indicates that this a 2000-byte field into which a permissible values list is to be returned.
v Parameter 2: A 30- or 2000-byte field for returning one of the following:
– If C is in byte 21 of the first parameter, this indicates that the text for possible choices will return.
Additionally, this is a 30-byte field where the program places the text to the right of the input field
on the prompt display.

Control language 293

 – If P is in byte 21 of the first parameter (indicating that a permissible values list is to be returned),
this is a 2000-byte field into which the program is to place the list. The first two bytes of the list
must contain the number of entries (in binary) in the list. This value is followed by entries that
consist of a 2-byte binary length followed by the value, which must be 1 to 34 bytes long.
If a binary zero value is returned in the first two bytes, no permissible values are displayed.
If a binary negative value is returned in the first two bytes, the list of permissible values is taken
from the command.

If any exception occurs when the program is called, the possible choices text is left blank, and the list of
permissible values is taken from the command.

Specifying prompt control:

You can control which parameters are displayed for a command during prompting by using prompt
control specifications.

This control can simplify prompting for a command by displaying only the parameters that you want to
see.

You can specify that a parameter be displayed depending on the value specified for other parameters.
This specification is useful when a parameter has meaning only when another parameter (called a
controlling parameter) has a certain value.

You can also specify that a parameter be selected for prompting only if additional parameters are
requested by pressing a function key during prompting. This specification can be used for parameters
that are seldom specified by the user, either because the default is normally used or because they control
seldom-used functions.

If you want to show all parameters for a command that has prompt control specified, you can request
that all parameters be displayed by pressing F9 during prompting.
Related concepts
“CL command delimiters” on page 41
Command delimiters are special characters or spaces that identify the beginning or end of a group of
characters in a command.
“CL command definition parts” on page 44
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs. These commands are similar to the system commands.
Related reference
“Command definition statements” on page 258
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs.

Specifying conditional prompting:

You can specify that a parameter is prompted for only when certain conditions are met.

When prompting the user for a command, a parameter that is conditioned by other parameters is
displayed if:
v It is selected by the value specified for the controlling parameter.
v The value specified for the controlling parameter is in error.
v A value was specified for the conditioned parameter.
v A function key was pressed during prompting to request that all parameters be displayed.

294 System i: Programming Control language

When a user is to be prompted for a conditioned parameter and no value has yet been specified for its
controlling parameter, all parameters previously selected are displayed. When the user presses the Enter
key, the controlling parameter is then tested to determine if the conditioned parameter should be
displayed or not.

To specify conditional prompting in the command definition source, specify a label name in the PMTCTL
parameter on the PARM statement for each parameter that is conditioned by another parameter. The label
specified must be defined on a PMTCTL statement which specifies the controlling parameter and the
condition being tested to select the parameter for prompting. More than one PARM statement can refer to
the same label.

On the PMTCTL statement, specify the name of the controlling parameter, one or more conditions to be
tested, and the number of conditions that must be true to select the conditioned parameters for
prompting. If the controlling parameter has special value mapping, the value entered on the PMTCTL
statement must be the to-value. If the controlling parameter is a list or qualified name, only the first list
item or qualifier is compared.

In the following example, parameters OUTFILE and OUTMBR is selected only if *OUTFILE is specified
for the OUTPUT parameter, and parameter OUTQ is selected only if *PRINT is specified for the OUTPUT
parameter.
PARM OUTPUT TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1) DFT(*) RSTD(*YES) +
SPCVAL((*) (*PRINT P) (*OUTFILE F))
PARM OUTFILE TYPE(Q1) PMTCTL(OUTFILE)
PARM OUTMBR TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) PMTCTL(OUTFILE)
PARM OUTLINK TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
PARM OUTQ TYPE(Q1) PMTCTL(PRINT)
Q1: QUAL TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10)
QUAL TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) SPCVAL(*LIBL) DFT(*LIBL)
OUTFILE: PMTCTL CTL(OUTPUT) COND((*EQ F)) NBRTRUE(*EQ 1)
PRINT: PMTCTL CTL(OUTPUT) COND((*EQ P)) NBRTRUE(*EQ 1)

In this previous example, the user is prompted for the OUTLINK parameter after the condition for
OUTMBR parameter has been tested. In some cases, the user should be prompted for the OUTLINK
parameter before the OUTMBR parameter is tested. To specify a different prompt order, either reorder the
parameters in the command definition source or use the PROMPT keyword on the PARM statement for
the OUTLINK parameter.

A label can refer to a group of PMTCTL statements. This allows you to condition a parameter with more
than one controlling parameter. To specify a group of PMTCTL statements, enter the label on the first
statement in the group. No other statements can be placed between the PMTCTL statements in the group.

Use the LGLREL parameter to specify the logical relationship between the statements in the group. The
LGLREL parameter is not allowed on the first PMTCTL statement in a group. For subsequent PMTCTL
statements, the LGLREL parameter specifies the logical relationship (*AND or *OR) to the PMTCTL
statement or statements preceding it. Statements in a group can be logically related in any combination of
*AND and *OR relationships (*AND relationships are checked first, then *OR relationships).

The following example shows how the logical relationship is used to group multiple PMTCTL statements.
In this example, parameter P3 is selected when any one of the following conditions exists:
v *ALL is specified for P1.
v *SOME is specified for P1 and *ALL is specified for P2.
v *NONE is specified for P1 and *ALL is not specified for P2.
PARM P1 TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5) RSTD(*YES) VALUES(*ALL *SOME *NONE)
PARM P2 TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) SPCVAL(*ALL)
PARM P3 TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) PMTCTL(PMTCTL1)
PMTCTL1:PMTCTL CTL(P1) COND((*EQ *ALL))

Control language 295

 PMTCTL CTL(P1) COND((*EQ *SOME)) LGLREL(*OR)
PMTCTL CTL(P2) COND((*EQ *ALL)) LGLREL(*AND)
PMTCTL CTL(P1) COND((*EQ *NONE)) LGLREL(*OR)
PMTCTL CTL(P2) COND((*NE *ALL)) LGLREL(*AND)

An exit program can be specified to perform additional processing on a controlling parameter before it is
tested. The exit program can be used to condition prompting based on:
v The type or other attribute of an object
v A list item or qualifier other than the first one
v An entire list or qualified name

To specify an exit program, specify the qualified name of the program in the PMTCTLPGM parameter on
the PARM statement for the controlling parameter. The exit program is run during prompting when
checking a parameter. The conditions on the PMTCTL statement are compared with the value returned by
the exit program rather than the value specified for the controlling parameter.

When the system cannot find or successfully run the exit program, the system assumes any conditions
that would use the returned value as true.

The exit program must be written to accept three parameters:

v A 20-character field. The prompter passes the name of the command in the first 10 characters and the
name of the controlling parameter in the last 10 characters. This field should not be changed.
v The value of the controlling parameter. This field is in the same format as it is when passed to the
command processing program and should not be changed.
v If the controlling parameter is defined as VARY(*YES) the value is not preceded by a length value. If
the controlling parameter is PASSATR(*YES), the attribute byte is not included.
v A 32-character field into which the exit program places the value to be tested in the PMTCTL
statements.
The value being tested in the PMTCTL statement must be returned in the same format as the declared
data type.

In the following example, OBJ is a qualified name which may be the name of a command, program, or
file. The exit program determines the object type and returns the type in the variable &RTNVAL:
CMD
PARM OBJ TYPE(Q1) PMTCTLPGM(CNVTYPE)
Q1: QUAL TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10)
QUAL TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) SPCVAL(*LIBL) DFT(*LIBL)
PARM CMDPARM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) PMTCTL(CMD)
PARM PGMPARM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) PMTCTL(PGM)
PARM FILEPARM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) PMTCTL(FILE)
CMD: PMTCTL CTL(OBJ) COND((*EQ *CMD) (*EQ *)) NBRTRUE(*EQ 1)
PGM: PMTCTL CTL(OBJ) COND((*EQ *PGM) (*EQ *)) NBRTRUE(*EQ 1)
FILE: PMTCTL CTL(OBJ) COND((*EQ *FILE) (*EQ *)) NBRTRUE(*EQ 1)

The source for the exit program is shown here.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM PARM(&CMD &PARMVAL &RTNVAL)
DCL &CMD *CHAR 20 /* Command and parameter name */
DCL &PARMVAL *CHAR 20 /* Parameter value */
DCL &RTNVAL *CHAR 32 /* Return value */
DCL &OBJNAM *CHAR 10 /* Object name */
DCL &OBJLIB *CHAR 10 /* Object type */
CHGVAR &OBJNAM %SST(&PARMVAL 1 10)
CHGVAR &OBJLIB %SST(&PARMVAL 11 10)
CHGVAR &RTNVAL ’*’ /* Initialize return value to error*/

296 System i: Programming Control language

CHKOBJ &OBJLIB/&OBJNAM *CMD /* See if command exists */
MONMSG CPF9801 EXEC(GOTO NOTCMD) /* Skip if no command */
CHGVAR &RTNVAL ’*CMD’ /* Indicate object is a command */
RETURN /* Exit */
NOTCMD:
CHKOBJ &OBJLIB/&OBJNAM *PGM /* See if program exists */
MONMSG CPF9801 EXEC(GOTO NOTPGM) /* Skip if no program */
CHGVAR &RTNVAL ’*PGM’ /* Indicate object is a program */
RETURN /* Exit */
NOTPGM:
CHKOBJ &OBJLIB/&OBJNAM *FILE /* See if file exists */
MONMSG CPF9801 EXEC(RETURN) /* Exit if no file */
CHGVAR &RTNVAL ’*FILE’ /* Indicate object is a file */
ENDPGM

Additional parameters for prompting:

If you want a parameter that is infrequently used not to be prompted for unless the user requests
additional parameters by pressing a function key during prompting, specify PMTCTL(*PMTRQS) on the
PARM statement for the parameter.

When prompting for a command, parameters with PMTCTL(*PMTRQS) coded will not be prompted
unless a value was specified for them or the user presses F10 to request the additional parameters.

The prompter displays a separator line before the parameters with PMTCTL(*PMTRQS) to distinguish
them from the other parameters. By default, all parameters with PMTCTL(*PMTRQS) are prompted last,
even though they are not defined in that order in the command definition source. You can override this
by specifying a relative prompt number in the PROMPT keyword. If you do this, however, it can be
difficult to see what parameters were added to the prompt when F10 is pressed.
Related tasks
“Key parameters and prompt override programs”
The prompt override program allows current values rather than defaults to be displayed when a
command is prompted. Key parameters are parameters, such as the name of an object, that uniquely
identify the object.

Key parameters and prompt override programs:

The prompt override program allows current values rather than defaults to be displayed when a
command is prompted. Key parameters are parameters, such as the name of an object, that uniquely
identify the object.

If a prompt override program is defined for a command, you can see the results of calling the prompt
override program in the following two ways:
v Type the name of the command without parameters on any command line and press F4=Prompt. The
next screen shows the key parameters for the command.
Complete all fields shown and press the Enter key. The next screen shows all command parameters,
and the parameter fields that are not key parameter fields contain current values rather than defaults
(such as *SAME and *PRV).
For example, if you type CHGLIB on a command line and press F4=Prompt, you see only the Library
parameter. If you then type *CURLIB and press the Enter key, the current values for your current library
are displayed.
v Type the name of the command and the values for all key parameters on any command line. Press
F4=Prompt. The next screen shows all command parameters, and the parameter fields that are not key
parameter fields will contain current values rather than defaults (such as *SAME and *PRV).
For example, if you type CHGLIB LIB(*CURLIB) on a command line and press F4=Prompt, the current
values for your current library are displayed.

Control language 297

When F10=Additional parameters is pressed, any parameters defined with PMTCTL(*PMTRQS) are
displayed with current values.

To exit the command prompt, press F3=Exit.

Related concepts
“Prompt override program” on page 264
You can write prompt override programs to supply current values for parameter defaults when
prompting the command.
“Additional parameters for prompting” on page 297
If you want a parameter that is infrequently used not to be prompted for unless the user requests
additional parameters by pressing a function key during prompting, specify PMTCTL(*PMTRQS) on
the PARM statement for the parameter.

Using a prompt override program:

A prompt override program can be used to allow current values rather than defaults to be displayed
when a command is prompted.

To use a prompt override program, follow these steps:

1. Specify any parameters that are to be key parameters on the PARM statement in the command
definition source.
2. Write a prompt override program.
3. Specify the name of the prompt override program on the PMTOVRPGM parameter when you create
or change the command.

Identifying key parameters:

The number of key parameters should be limited to the number of parameters that is needed to uniquely
define the object that is to be changed.

To ensure that a key parameter is coded correctly in the command definition source, consider these
requirements:
v Specify KEYPARM(*YES) on the PARM statement in the command definition source.
v Define all parameters that specify KEYPARM(*YES) before all parameters that specify KEYPARM(*NO).

Note: If a PARM statement specifies KEYPARM(*YES) after a PARM statement that specifies
KEYPARM(*NO), the parameter is not treated as a key parameter and a warning message is
issued.
v Do not specify a MAX value greater than one in the PARM statement.
v Do not specify a MAX value greater than one for ELEM statements associated with key parameters.
v Do not specify *PMTRQS or a prompt control statement for the PMTCTL keyword on the PARM
statement.
v Place key parameters in the command definition source in the same order you want them to appear
when prompted.

Prompt override program:

A prompt override program needs to have certain information passed to return current values when a
command is prompted.

You must consider both the passed information and the returned values when you write a prompt
override program.
Related concepts

298 System i: Programming Control language

 “Example: Using a prompt override program” on page 302
This example shows the command source for a command and the prompt override program.

Parameters passed to the prompt override program:

The prompt override program is passed several parameters.

v A 20-character field. The first 10 characters of the field contain the name of the command and the last
10 characters contain the name of the library.
v A value for each key parameter, if any. If more than one key parameter is defined, the parameter
values are passed in the order that the key parameters are defined in the command definition source.
v A 32676-byte (32K) space to hold the command string that is created by the prompt override program.
The first two bytes of this field must contain the hexadecimal length of the command string that is
returned. The actual command string follows the first two bytes.
For example, when defining two key parameters for a command, four parameters pass to the prompt
override program as follows:
– One parameter for the command.
– Two parameters for the key parameters.
– One parameter for the command string space.

Information returned from the prompt override program:

Based on the values passed, the prompt override program retrieves the current values for the parameters
that are not key parameters.

These values are placed into a command string, where the length of the string is determined and
returned.

Use the following guidelines to ensure your command string is correctly defined:
v Use the keyword format for the command string just as you would on the command line.
v Do not include the command name and the key parameters in the command string.
v Precede each keyword with a selective prompt character to define how to display the parameter and
what value to pass to the CPP.
When using selective prompts, do the following:
– If a parameter is defined as MIN(1) in the command definition source (that is, the parameter is
required), you must use the ?? selective prompt character for that keyword in the command string
from the prompt override program.
– Do not use the ?- selective prompt character in the prompt override program command string.
The following example shows a command string returned from a prompt override program:
??Number(123456) ?<Qualifier(CLIB/CFILE) ?<LIST(ITEM1
ITEM2 ITEM3) ?<TEXT(’Carol’s file’)
v Make sure that the specified value in the first two bytes of the space the program passes is the actual
hexadecimal length of the command string.

Control language 299

v Include only the parameters in the command string whose current values you want displayed when
the command is prompted. Parameters not included in the command string have their defaults
displayed.
v Use character form for any numbers that appear in the command string. Do not use binary or packed
form. Do not include any hexadecimal numbers in the command string.
v Do not put blank spaces between the library and the qualifier or the qualifier and the object. For
example:
??KWD1(library /object)
Not valid
??KWD1(library/ object)
Not valid
??KWD1(library/object)
Valid
??KWD1( library/object )
Valid
v If you use special values or single values, make sure they are translated into the from-value defined in
the command definition source.
For example, a keyword has a special value defined as SPCVAL(*SPECIAL *) in the command
definition source. *SPECIAL is the from-value and * is the to-value. When the current value is retrieved
for this keyword, * is the value retrieved, but *SPECIAL must appear in the command string returned
from the prompt override program. The correct from-value must be placed into the command string
since more than one special value or single value can have the same to-value. For example, if KWD1
SPCVAL((*SPC *) (*SPECIAL *)) is specified, the prompt override program must determine whether *
is the to-value for *SPC or *SPECIAL.
v Define the length of fields used to retrieve text as follows:
(2*(field length defined in command definition source)) + 2
This length allows for the maximum number of quotation marks allowed in the text field. For example,
if the TEXT parameter on the CHGxxx command is defined in the command definition source as
LEN(50), then the parameter is declared as CHAR(102) in its prompt override program.
If the parameter for a text field is not correctly defined in the prompt override program and the text
string retrieved by the prompt override program contains a quote, the command does not prompt
correctly.
v Make sure that you double any embedded single quotation marks, for example:
?<TEXT(’Carol’’s library’)

Some commands can only be run in certain modes (such as DEBUG) or job status (such as *BATCH) but
can still be prompted for from other modes or job statuses. When the command is prompted, the prompt
override program is called regardless of the user’s environment. If the prompt override program is called
in a mode or environment that is not valid for the command, the defaults are displayed for the command
and a value of 0 is returned for the length. Using the debug commands Change Debug (CHGDBG) and
Add Program (ADDPGM) when not in debug mode are examples of this condition.
Related concepts
“Example: Using a prompt override program” on page 302
This example shows the command source for a command and the prompt override program.
Related tasks
“Using selective prompting for CL commands” on page 336
Selective prompting for CL commands is especially helpful when you are using some of the longer
commands and do not want to be prompted for certain parameters.
Related information
Change Debug (CHGDBG) command

300 System i: Programming Control language

 Add Program (ADDPGM) command

Allowing for errors in a prompt override program:

Your prompt override program should include error handling.

If the prompt override program detects an error, it should follow these steps to handle the error:
1. Set the command string length to zero so that the defaults rather than current values are displayed
when the command is prompted.
2. Send a diagnostic message to the previous program on the call stack.
3. Send escape message CPF0011.

For example, if you need a message saying that a library does not exist, add a message description
similar to the following :
ADDMSGD MSG(’Library &2 does not exist’) +
MSGID(USR0012) +
MSGF(QGPL/ACTMSG) +
SEV(40) +
FMT((*CHAR 4) (*CHAR 10))

Note: The substitution variable &1 is not in the message but is defined in the FMT parameter as 4
characters. &1 is reserved for use by the system and must always be 4 characters. If the
substitution variable &1 is the only substitution variable defined in the message, you must ensure
that the fourth byte of the message data does not contain a blank when you send the message. The
fourth byte is used by the system to manage messages during command processing and
prompting.

This message can be sent to the calling program of the prompt override program by specifying the
following in the prompt override program:
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(USR0012) MSGF(QGPL/ACTMSG) +
MSGDTA(’0000’ ∨∨ &libname) MSGTYPE(*DIAG)

After the prompt override program sends all the necessary diagnostic messages, it should then send
message CPF0011. To send message CPF0011, use the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command
as follows:
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF0011) MSGF(QCPFMSG) +
MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE)

When message CPF0011 is received, message CPD680A is sent to the calling program and displayed on
the prompt screen to indicate that errors have been found. All diagnostic messages are placed in the
user’s job log.
Related information
Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command

Specifying the prompt override program when creating or changing commands:

To use a prompt override program for a command that you want to create, specify the program name
when you use the Create Command (CRTCMD) command. You can also specify the program name when
you change the command using the Change Command (CHGCMD) command.

For both the CRTCMD and CHGCMD commands, specify the name of the prompt override program on
the PMTOVRPGM parameter.

Control language 301

If key parameters are defined in the command definition source but the prompt override program is not
specified when the command is created or changed, warning message CPD029B results. The key
parameters are ignored, and when the command is prompted, it is displayed using the defaults specified
in the command definition source.

Sometimes a prompt override program is specified when a command is created but when no key
parameters are defined in the command definition source. In these cases, the prompt override program is
called before the command is prompted; informational message CPD029A is sent when the command is
created or changed.
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command
Change Command (CHGCMD) command

Example: Using a prompt override program:

This example shows the command source for a command and the prompt override program.

The following command allows the ownership and text description of a library to be changed. The
prompt override program for this command receives the name of the library; retrieves the current value
of the library owner and the text description; and then places these values into a command string and
returns it.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Command source
CHGLIBATR: CMD PROMPT(’Change Library Attributes’)
PARM KWD(LIB) +
TYPE(*CHAR) MIN(1) MAX(1) LEN(10) +
KEYPARM(*YES) +
PROMPT(’Library to be changed’)
PARM KWD(OWNER) +
TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) MIN(0) MAX(1) +
KEYPARM(*NO) +
PROMPT(’Library owner’)
PARM KWD(TEXT) +
TYPE(*CHAR) MIN(0) MAX(1) LEN(50) +
KEYPARM(*NO) +
PROMPT(’Text description’)

Prompt override program

The following prompt override program uses the ″?^″ selective prompt characters.
PGM PARM(&cmdname &keyparm1 &rtnstring)
/*********************************************************************/
/* */
/* Declarations of parameters passed to the prompt override program */
/* */
/*********************************************************************/
DCL VAR(&cmdname) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(20)
DCL VAR(&keyparm1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&rtnstring) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5700)
/********************************************************************/
/* */
/* Return command string structure declaration */
/* */
/********************************************************************/

/* Length of command string generated */

302 System i: Programming Control language

DCL VAR(&stringlen) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 0) VALUE(131)
DCL VAR(&binlen) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(2)
/* OWNER keyword */
DCL VAR(&ownerkwd) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(8) VALUE(’?<OWNER(’)
DCL VAR(&name) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
/* TEXT keyword */
DCL VAR(&textkwd) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(8) VALUE(’ ?<TEXT(’)
DCL VAR(&descript) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(102)
/********************************************************************/
/* */
/* Variables related to command string declarations */
/* */
/********************************************************************/
DCL VAR(&quote) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1) VALUE(’’’’)
DCL VAR(&closparen) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1) VALUE(’)’)
/********************************************************************/
/* */
/* Start of operable code */
/* */
/********************************************************************/
/********************************************************************/
/* */
/* Monitor for exceptions */
/* */
/********************************************************************/
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0000) +
EXEC(GOTO CMDLBL(error))
/********************************************************************/
/* */
/* Retrieve the owner and text description for the library specified*/
/* on the LIB parameter. Note: This program assumes there are */
/* no apostrophes in the TEXT description, such as (Carol’s) */
/* */
/********************************************************************/
RTVOBJD OBJ(&keyparm1) OBJTYPE(*LIB) OWNER(&name) TEXT(&descript)

CHGVAR VAR(%BIN(&binlen)) VALUE(&stringlen)

/********************************************************************/
/* */
/* Build the command string */
/* */
/********************************************************************/
CHGVAR VAR(&rtnstring) VALUE(&binlen)
CHGVAR VAR(&rtnstring) VALUE(&rtnstring *TCAT &ownerkwd)
CHGVAR VAR(&rtnstring) VALUE(&rtnstring *TCAT &name)
CHGVAR VAR(&rtnstring) VALUE(&rtnstring *TCAT &closparen)
CHGVAR VAR(&rtnstring) VALUE(&rtnstring *TCAT &textkwd)
CHGVAR VAR(&rtnstring) VALUE(&rtnstring *TCAT &quote)
CHGVAR VAR(&rtnstring) VALUE(&rtnstring *TCAT &descript)
CHGVAR VAR(&rtnstring) VALUE(&rtnstring *TCAT &quote)
CHGVAR VAR(&rtnstring) VALUE(&rtnstring *TCAT &closparen)

GOTO CMDLBL(pgmend)
ERROR:
VALUE(0)
CHGVAR VAR(%BIN(&rtnstring 1 2)) VALUE(&stringlen)
VALUE(&binlen)
/********************************************************************/
/* */
/* Send error message(s) */
/* */
/* NOTE: If you want to send a diagnostic message as well as CPF0011*/
/* you will have to enter a valid error message ID in the */
/* MSGID parameter and a valid message file in the MSGF */
/* parameter for the first SNGPGMMSG command listed below. */
/* If you do not want to send a diagnostic message, do not */

Control language 303

/* include the first SNDPGMMSG in your program. However, in */
/* error conditions, you must ALWAYS send CPF0011 so the */
/* second SNDPGMMSG command must be included in your program. */
/* */
/********************************************************************/
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(XXXXXXX) MSGF(MSGLIB/MSGFILE) MSGTYPE(*DIAG)
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF0011) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE)

PGMEND:
ENDPGM
Related concepts
“Information returned from the prompt override program” on page 299
Based on the values passed, the prompt override program retrieves the current values for the
parameters that are not key parameters.
Related tasks
“Prompt override program” on page 298
A prompt override program needs to have certain information passed to return current values when a
command is prompted.

Creating commands:

After you have defined your command through the command definition statements, use the Create
Command (CRTCMD) command to create the command.

Besides specifying the command name, library name, and command processing program name for CL or
high-level languages (HLL), or the source member, source file, command environment, and exit program
for REXX, you can define the following attributes of the command:
v The validity checking used by the command
v The modes in which the command can be run
– Production
– Debug
– Service
v Where the command can be used
– Batch job
– Interactive job
– ILE CL module in a batch job
– CL program in a batch job
– ILE CL module in an interactive job
– CL program in an interactive job
– REXX procedure in a batch job
– REXX procedure in an interactive job
– As a command interpretively processed by the system through a call to QCMDEXC or QCAPCMD.
v The maximum number of parameters that can be specified by position
v The message file containing the prompt text
v The help panel group that is used as help for promptable parameters
v The help identifier name for the general help module used on this command
v The message file containing the messages identified on the DEP statement
v The current library to be active during command processing
v The product library to be active during command processing
v Whether an existing command with the same name, type, and library is replaced if REPLACE(*YES) is
specified.

304 System i: Programming Control language

v The authority given to the public for the command and its description
v Text that briefly describes the command and its function

For commands with REXX CPPs, you can also specify the following:
v The initial command environment to handle commands when the procedure is started
v Exit programs to control running of your procedure

The following example defines a command named ORDENTRY to call an order entry application. The
CRTCMD command defines the preceding attributes for ORDENTRY and creates the command using the
parameter definitions contained in the member ORDENTRY in the IBM-supplied source file QCMDSRC.
ORDENTRY contains the PARM statement used in the example under “Example: Defining a parameter”
on page 271.
CRTCMD CMD(DSTPRODLB/ORDENTRY) +
PGM(*LIBL/ORDENT) +
TEXT(’Calls order entry application’)

The resulting command is as follows where the value can be DAILY, WEEKLY, or MONTHLY:
ORDENTRY OETYPE(value)

After you have created a command, you can perform the following tasks:
v Display the attributes of the command by using the Display Command (DSPCMD) command
v Change the attributes of the command by using the Change Command (CHGCMD) command
v Delete the command by using the Delete Command (DLTCMD) command
Related concepts
“Command-related APIs” on page 329
Some application programming interface programs can be used with commands.
Related tasks
“Example: Defining a parameter” on page 271
This example shows how to define a parameter used in calling an application.
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command
CL command finder

Command definition source listing:

When you create a command, a source list is produced.

Here is a sample source list. The numbers refer to descriptions following the list.

Control language 305

5722SS1 V5R3M0 0312311 Command Definition DSTPRODLB/ORDENTRY SYSNAME 11/20/98 14:53:322Page 13

Command name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : ORDENTRY

Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : DSTPRODLB
Command processing program . . . . . . . . . : ORDENT 4
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *LIBL
Source file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : QCMDSRC
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : QGPL
Source file member . . . . . . . . . . . . . : ORDENTRY 11/20/98 14:54:32
Validity checker program . . . . . . . . . . : *NONE
Mode in which valid . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *PROD
*DEBUG
*SERVICE
Environment allowed . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *IREXX
*BREXX
*BPGM
*IPGM
*EXEC
*INTERACT
*BATCH
*BMOD
*IMOD
Allow limited user . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NO
Max positional parameters . . . . . . . . . . : *NOMAX
Prompt file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NONE
Message file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : QCPFMSG
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *LIBL
Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *LIBCRTAUT
Replace command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *YES
Enable graphical user interface . . . . . . . : *NO
Threadsafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NO
Multithreaded job action . . . . . . . . . . : *SYSVAL
Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : Calls order entry application
Help book name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NONE
Help bookshelf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NONE
Help panel group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NONE
Help identifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NONE
Help search index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NONE
Current library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NOCHG
Product library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *NOCHG
Prompt override program . . . . . . . . . . . : *NONE
Compiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : IBM Command Definition Compiler 5

Command Definition Source

6
SEQNBR *...+... 1 ...+... 2 ...+... 3 ...+... 4 ...+... 5 ...+... 6 ...+... 7 ...+... 8 ...+... 9 ...+. DATE 8
100- CMD PROMPT(’Order entry command’) 11/20/98
7
200- PARM KWD(OETYPE) TYPE(*CHAR) RSTD(*YES) + 11/20/98
300 VALUES(DAILY WEEKLY MONTHLY) MIN(1) + 11/20/98
400 PROMPT(’Type of order entry:’) 11/20/98
* * * * * E N D O F S O U R C E * * * * *

5769SS1 V4R4M0 990521 Command Definition DSTPRODLB/ORDENTRY 11/20/98 14:54:32 Page 2

Cross Reference

Defined Keywords 9
Keyword Number Defined References
OETYPE 001 200
* * * * * E N D O F C R O S S R E F E R E N C E * * * * *

5769SS1 V4R4M0 990521 Command Definition DSTPRODLB/ORDENTRY 11/20/98 14:54:32 Page 3

Final Messages

Message Sequence
ID Number Sev Text 10

Message Summary
Total Info Error
0 0 0 11
* CPC0202 00 Command ORDENTRY created in library DSTPRODLB. 12
* * * * * E N D O F C O M P I L A T I O N * * * * *

Title:
1 The program number, version, release, modification level, and date of the i5/OS operating
system.
2 The date and time of this run.
3 The page number in the list.

Prologue
4 The parameter values specified (or defaults if not specified) on the CRTCMD command. If the
source is not in a database file, the member name, date, and time are omitted.
5 The name of the create command definition compiler.

306 System i: Programming Control language

Source:
6 The sequence number of lines (records) in the source file. A dash following a sequence number
indicates that a source statement begins at that sequence number. The absence of a dash indicates
that a statement is the continuation of the previous statement. For example, a PARM source
statement starts at sequence number 200 and continues at sequence numbers 300 and 400. (Note
the continuation character of + on the PARM statement at sequence number 200 and 300.)
Comment source statements are handled like any other source statement and have sequence
numbers.
7 The source statements.
8 The last date the source statement was changed or added. If the statement has not been changed
or added, no date is shown. If the source is not in a database file, the date is omitted.
If an error is found during processing of the command definition statements and can be traced to
a specific source statement, the error message is printed immediately following the source
statement. An asterisk (*) indicates that the line contains an error message. The line contains the
message identifier, severity, and the text of the message.

Cross-references:
9 The keyword table is a cross-reference list of the keywords validly defined in the command
definition. The table lists the keyword, the position of the keyword in the command, the sequence
number of the statement where the keyword is defined, and the sequence numbers of statements
that refer to the keyword.
If valid labels are defined in the command definition, a cross-reference list of the labels (label
table) is provided. The table lists the label, the sequence number of the statement where the label
is defined, and the sequence numbers of statements that refer to the label.

Messages:
10 A list of the general error messages not listed in the source section that were encountered during
processing of the command definition statements, if any. For each message, this section contains
the message identifier, the sequence number of where the error occurred, the severity, and the
message.

Message summary:
11 A summary of the number of messages issued during processing of the command definition
statements. The total number is given along with totals by severity.
12 A completion message is printed following the message summary.
Related concepts
“Command errors when processing command definition statements”
The types of errors that are caught during processing of the command definition statements include
syntax errors, references to keywords and labels not defined, and missing statements.

Command errors when processing command definition statements:

The types of errors that are caught during processing of the command definition statements include
syntax errors, references to keywords and labels not defined, and missing statements.

The following types of errors detected by the command definition compiler stop the command from
being created (severity codes are ignored).
v Value errors
v Syntax errors

Control language 307

Even after an error is encountered that stops the command from being created, the command definition
compiler continues to check the source for other errors. Syntax errors and fixed value errors prevent final
checking that identifies errors in user names and values or references to keywords or labels. Checking for
syntax errors and fixed value errors does continue. This lets you see and correct as many errors as
possible before you try to create the command again. To correct errors made in the source statements, use
the EDTF (Edit File) command, or you can use the Source Entry Utility (SEU), which is part of the
WebSphere Development Studio.

In the command definition source list, an error condition that relates directly to a specific source
statement is listed after that command. Messages that do not relate to a specific source statement but are
more general in nature are listed in a messages section of the list, not inline with source statements.
Related reference
“Command definition source listing” on page 305
When you create a command, a source list is produced.
Related information

Application Development ToolSet for AS/400: Source Entry Utility PDF

Displaying a command definition:

To display or print the values that are specified as parameters on the Create Command (CRTCMD)
command, use the Display Command (DSPCMD) command.

The DSPCMD command displays the following information for your commands or for IBM-supplied
commands:
v Qualified command name. The library name is the name of the library in which the command being
displayed is located.
v Qualified name of the command processing program. The library name is the name of the library in
which the command processing program resided when the command was created if a library name
was specified on the CRTCMD or CHGCMD command. If a library name was not specified, *LIBL is
displayed as the library qualifier. If the CPP is a REXX procedure, *REXX is shown.
v Qualified source file name, if the source file was a database file. The library name is the name of the
library in which the source file was located when the CRTCMD command was processed. This field is
blank if the source file was not a database file.
v Source file member name, if the source file was a database source file.
v If the CPP is a REXX procedure, the following information is shown:
– REXX procedure member name
– Qualified REXX source file name where the REXX procedure is located
– REXX command environment
– REXX exit programs
v Qualified name of the validity checking program. The library name is the name of the library in which
the program resided when the command was created if a library name was specified on the CRTCMD
or CHGCMD command. If a library name was not specified, *LIBL is displayed as the library qualifier.
v Valid modes of operation.
v Valid environments in which the command can be run.
v The positional limit for the command. *NOMAX is displayed if no positional limit exists for the
command.
v Qualified name of the prompt message file. The library name is the name of the library in which the
message file was located when the CRTCMD command was run. *NONE is displayed if no prompt
message file exists for the command.

308 System i: Programming Control language

v Qualified name of the message file for the DEP statement. If a library name was specified for the
message file when the command was created, that library name is displayed. If the library list was
used when the command was created, *LIBL is displayed. *NONE is displayed if no DEP message file
exists for the command.
v Qualified name of the help panel group.
v The help identifier name for the command.
v Qualified name for the prompt override program.
v Text associated with the command. Blanks are displayed if no text exists for the command.
v Indicator for whether the command prompt is enabled for conversion to a graphical user interface.
v Threadsafe indicator.
v Multithreaded job action, if the command is not threadsafe.

You can use the Retrieve Command Information (QCDRCMDI) API to return command attributes that
were specified on the CRTCMD command when the command was created. You can also use the Retrieve
Command Definition (QCDRCMDD) API to retrieve the structure of a command definition object,
including parameter information, inter-parameter dependency information, and conditional prompting
information.
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command
Change Command (CHGCMD) command
Display Command (DSPCMD) command
Retrieve Command Information (QCDRCMDI) API
Retrieve Command Definition (QCDRCMDD) API

Effect of changing the command definition of a command in a procedure or program:

Some changes can be made to the command definition of a command with no further action. Other
changes might require the program or procedure to be re-created, or might cause the program or
procedure to function differently.

When a CL module or program is created, the command definitions of the commands in the procedure or
program are used to generate the module or program. When the CL procedure or program is run, the
command definitions are also used. If you specify a library name for the command in the CL procedure
or program, the command must be in the same library at procedure creation time and at run time. If you
specify *LIBL for the command in the CL procedure or program, the command is found, both at
procedure creation and run time, using the library list (*LIBL).

You can make the following changes to the command definition statements for a command without
recreating the modules and programs that use the command. Some of these changes are made to the
command definition statements source, which requires the command to be re-created. Other changes can
be made with the Change Command (CHGCMD) command.
v Add an optional parameter in any position. Adding an optional parameter before the positional limit
may affect any procedures, programs, and batch input streams that have the parameters specified in
positional form.
v Change the REL and RANGE checks to be less restrictive.
v Add new special values. However, this could change the action of the procedure or program if the
value could be specified before the change.
v Change the order of the parameters. However, changing the order of the parameters that precede the
positional limit will affect any procedures, programs, and batch input streams that have the parameters
specified in positional form.
v Increase the number of optional elements in a simple list.

Control language 309

v Change default values. However, this may affect the operation of the procedure or program.
v Decrease the number of required list items in a simple list.
v Change a parameter from required to optional.
v Change RSTD from *YES to *NO.
v Increase the length when FULL(*NO) is specified.
v Change FULL from *YES to *NO.
v Change the PROMPT text.
v Change the ALLOW value to be less restrictive.
v Change the name of the command processing program if the new command processing program
accepts the correct number and type of parameters.
v Change the name of the validity checking program if the new validity checking program accepts the
correct number and type of parameters.
v Change the mode in which the command can be run as long as the new mode does not affect the old
mode of the same command that is used in a CL procedure or program.
v Change the TYPE to a compatible and less restrictive value. For example, change the TYPE from
*NAME to *CHAR.
v Change the MAX value to greater than 1.
v Change the PASSATR and VARY values.

The following changes can be made to the command definition statements depending on what was
specified in the CL procedure or program in which the command is used:
v Remove a parameter.
v Change the RANGE and REL values to be more restrictive.
v Remove special values.
v Decrease the number of elements allowed in a list.
v Change the TYPE value to be more restrictive or incompatible with the original TYPE value. For
example, change the TYPE value from *CHAR to *NAME or change *PNAME to *CHAR.
v Add a SNGVAL parameter that was previously a list item.
v Change the name of an optional parameter.
v Remove a value from a list of values.
v Increase the number of required list items.
v Change a SNGVAL parameter to a SPCVAL parameter.
v Change a simple list to a mixed list of like elements.
v Change an optional parameter to a constant.
v Change RTNVAL from *YES to *NO, or from *NO to *YES.
v Change case value from *MIXED to *MONO.

The following changes can be made to the command definition statements, but may cause the procedure
or program that uses the command to function differently:
v Change the meaning of a value.
v Change the default value.
v Change a SNGVAL parameter to a SPCVAL parameter.
v Change a value to a SNGVAL parameter.
v Change a list to a list within a list.
v Change case value from *MIXED to *MONO.

The following changes to the command definition statements require that the procedures or program
using the command be re-created.

310 System i: Programming Control language

v Addition of a new required parameter.
v Removal of a required parameter.
v Changing the name of a required parameter.
v Changing a required parameter to a constant.
v Changing the command processing program to or from *REXX

In addition, if you specify *LIBL as the qualifier on the name of the command processing program or the
validity checking when the command is created or changed, you can move the command processing
program or the validity checking to another library in the library list without changing the command
definition statements.

Changing command defaults:

To change the default value of a command parameter, use the Change Command Default
(CHGCMDDFT) command.

The command parameter must have an existing default to change to a new default value. You can change
either an IBM-supplied command or a user-written command. You must use caution when changing
defaults for IBM-supplied commands. The following recommendations pertain to changing defaults:
1. Use the Create Duplicate Object (CRTDUPOBJ) command to create a duplicate of the IBM-supplied
command that you want to change in a user library. This allows other users on the system to use the
IBM-supplied defaults if necessary.
Use the Change System Library List (CHGSYSLIBL) command to move the user library ahead of
QSYS or any other system-supplied libraries in the library list. This will allow the user to use the
changed command without using the library qualifier.
Changes to commands that are needed on a system-wide basis should be made in a user library.
Additionally, you should add the user library name to the QSYSLIBL system value ahead of QSYS.
The changed command is used system-wide. If you need to run an application that uses the
IBM-supplied default, do so by using the CHGSYSLIBL command. Doing this removes the special
library or library-qualify to the affected commands.
2. Installing a new release of a licensed program replaces all IBM-supplied commands for the licensed
program on the machine. You should use a CL program to make changes to commands when
installing a new release. This way you can run the CL program to duplicate the new commands to
pick up any new keywords and make the command default changes.
If an IBM-supplied command has new keywords, a copy of the command from a previous release
may not run properly.
The following is an example of a CL program that is used to delete the old version and create the
new changed command.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
DLTCMD USRQSYS/SIGNOFF
CRTDUPOBJ OBJ(SIGNOFF) FROMLIB(QSYS) OBJTYPE(*CMD) +
TOLIB(USRQSYS) NEWOBJ(*SAME)
CHGCMDDFT CMD(USRQSYS/SIGNOFF) NEWDFT(’LOG(*LIST)’)
.
.
Repeat the DLTCMD, CRTDUPOBJ and CHGCMDDFT for each
command you want changed
.
.
ENDPGM

Control language 311

You can track changes you make to CL command defaults for use when you install a new release. To
track changes, register an exit program for exit point QIBM_QCA_RTV_COMMAND. The exit program is
called when you run the CHGCMDDFT command. One of the parameters passed to the exit program is
the command string that is being run. You can save the command string to a source file and then compile
the source file into a CL program. Finally, you use this program to reproduce the changes you have made
to command defaults during the previous release.

The following steps can be used to build the NEWDFT command string for the CHGCMDDFT command.
The USRQSYS/CRTCLPGM command is used in this example.
1. Create a duplicate copy of the command to be changed in a user library with the following
command:
CRTDUPOBJ OBJ(CRTCLPGM) FROMLIB(QSYS) OBJTYPE(*CMD) +
TOLIB(USRQSYS) NEWOBJ(*SAME)
2. Enter the command name to be changed in a source file referred to by the Source Entry Utility
(SEU).
3. Press F4 to call the command prompter.
4. Enter any new default values for the keywords you want changed. In this example, AUT(*EXCLUDE)
and TEXT(’Isn’’t this nice text’) is entered.
5. Required keywords cannot have a default value; however, in order to get the command string in the
source file, a valid value must be specified for each required keyword. Specify PGM1 for the PGM
parameter.
6. Press the Enter key to put the command string into the source file. The command string returned
would look like this:
USRQSYS/CRTCLPGM PGM(PGM1) AUT(*EXCLUDE) +
TEXT(’Isn’’t this nice text’)
7. Remove the required keywords from the command string:
USRQSYS/CRTCLPGM AUT(*EXCLUDE) +
TEXT(’Isn’’t this nice text’)
Remember that you may change only parameters, elements, or qualifiers that have existing default
values. Specifying a value for a parameter, element, or qualifier that does not have an existing
default value makes no default changes.
8. Insert the CHGCMDDFT at the beginning as shown in the following example:
CHGCMDDFT USRQSYS/CRTCLPGM AUT(*EXCLUDE) +
TEXT(’Isn’’t this nice text’)
9. You must quote the input for the NEWDFT keyword as shown in the following example:
CHGCMDDFT USRQSYS/CRTCLPGM ’AUT(*EXCLUDE) +
TEXT(’Isn’’t this nice text’)’
10. Because there are embedded single quotation marks in the NEWDFT value, you must double them
for the process to run properly:
CHGCMDDFT USRQSYS/CRTCLPGM ’AUT(*EXCLUDE) +
TEXT(’’Isn’’’’t this nice text’’)’
11. Now if you press F4 to call the command prompter, then F11 to request keyword prompting, you
will see the following display:
Command . . . . . . . . . . : CMD R CRTCLPGM
Library . . . . . . . . . : USRQSYS
New default parameter string: NEWDFT R ’AUT(*EXCLUDE)
TEXT(’’Isn’’’’t this nice text’’)’
12. Now if you press the Enter key, the CHGCMDDFT command string is:
CHGCMDDFT CMD(USRQSYS/CRTCLPGM) NEWDFT(’AUT(*EXCLUDE) +
TEXT(’’Isn’’’’t this nice text’’)’)
13. Press F1 to exit SEU and create and run the CL program or procedure.
14. The USRQSYS/CRTCLPGM will have default values of *EXCLUDE for AUT and ’Isn’’t this nice
text’ for TEXT.
312 System i: Programming Control language
 Related information
CL command finder
Application Programming Interfaces

Examples: Changing command defaults:

These examples show how to change default values for commands.

v To provide a default value of *NOMAX for the MAXMBRS keyword of command Create Physical File
(CRTPF), do the following:
CRTPF FILE(FILE1) RCDLEN(96) MAXMBRS(1)
.
.
CHGCMDDFT CMD(CRTPF) NEWDFT(’MAXMBRS(*NOMAX)’)
v To provide a default value of 10 for the MAXMBRS keyword of the command Create Physical File
(CRTPF), do the following:
CRTPF FILE(FILE1) RCDLEN(96) MAXMBRS(*NOMAX)
.
.
CHGCMDDFT CMD(CRTPF) NEWDFT(’MAXMBRS(10)’)
v The following allows you to provide a default value of LIB001 for the first qualifier of the SRCFILE
keyword and FILE001 for the second qualifier of the SRCFILE keyword for the command Create CL
Program (CRTCLPGM). The AUT keyword now have a default value of *EXCLUDE.
CRTCLPGM PGM(PROGRAM1) SRCFILE(*LIBL/QCMDSRC)
.
.
CHGCMDDFT CMD(CRTCLPGM) +
NEWDFT(’SRCFILE(LIB001/FILE001) AUT(*EXCLUDE)’)
v The following provides a default value of ’Isn’t this print text’ for the PRTTXT keyword of the
command Change Job (CHGJOB). Because the NEWDFT keyword has embedded single quotation
marks, you must not double these single quotation marks, or the process will not run correctly.
CHGJOB PRTTXT(’Isn’’t this print text’)
.
.
CHGCMDDFT CMD(CHGJOB) +
NEWDFT(’PRTTXT(’’Isn’’’’t this print text’’)’)
v The following provides a default value of QGPL for the first qualifier (library name) of the first list
item of the DTAMBRS keyword for the command Create Logical File (CRTLF). The new default value
for the second list item of the DTAMBRS keyword (member name) is MBR1.
CRTLF FILE(FILE1) DTAMBRS(*ALL)
.
.
CHGCMDDFT CMD(CRTLF) +
NEWDFT(’DTAMBRS((QGPL/*N (MBR1)))’)
Since *ALL is a SNGVAL (single value) for the entire DTAMBRS list, the defaults of *CURRENT for the
library name and *NONE for the member name do not show up on the original command prompt
display. The defaults *CURRENT and *NONE can be changed to a new default value but do not show
up on the original prompt display because of the *ALL single value for the entire DTAMBRS list.
v To create a command that will display the spool files for a job, do the following:
CRTDUPOBJ OBJ(WRKJOB) FROMLIB(QSYS) +
TOLIB(MYLIB) NEWOBJ(WRKJOBSPLF)
WRKJOBSPLF OPTION(*SPLF)
.
.
CHGCMDDFT CMD(MYLIB/WRKJOBSPLF) +
NEWDFT(’OPTION(*SPLF)’)

Command processing program:

Control language 313

A command processing program (CPP) is a program that processes a command. This program performs
some validity checking and processes the command so that the requested function is performed.

A command processing program (CPP) can be a CL or high-level language (HLL) program, or a REXX
procedure. Programs written in CL or HLL can also be called directly with the Call (CALL) command.
REXX procedures can be called directly using the Start REXX Procedure (STRREXPRC) command. The
command processing program does not need to exist when the Create Command (CRTCMD) command is
run. If *LIBL is used as the library qualifier, the library list is used to find the command processing
program when the created command is run.

Messages issued as a result of running the command processing program can be sent to the job message
queue and automatically displayed or printed. You can send displays to the requesting display station.

Notes:
1. The parameters defined on the command are passed individually in the order they were
defined (the PARM statement order).
2. Decimal values are passed to HLL and CL programs as packed decimal values of the length
specified in the PARM statement.
3. Character, name, and logical values are passed to HLL and CL programs as a character string
of the length defined in the PARM statement.
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command
Call Program (CALL) command
Start REXX Procedure (STRREXPRC) command

CL or HLL command processing program:

This information describes the command processing program for CL or HLL.

314 System i: Programming Control language

Figure 4. Command relationships for CL and HLL

If the command processing program is a program written in CL, the variables that receive the parameter
values must be declared to correspond to the type and length specified for each PARM statement. The
following table shows this correspondence.

PARM statement type PARM statement length Declared variable type Declared variable length
1
*DEC xy *DEC x y1
*LGL 1 *LGL 1
*CHAR n *CHAR ≤n2
*NAME n *CHAR ≤n2
*CNAME n *CHAR ≤n2
*SNAME n *CHAR ≤n2
*GENERIC n *CHAR ≤n2
*CMDSTR n *CHAR ≤n2
*DATE 7 *CHAR 7
*TIME 6 *CHAR 6
*INT2 n *INT or *CHAR 2
*INT4 n *INT or *CHAR 4
*UINT2 n *UINT or *CHAR 2
*UINT4 n *UINT or *CHAR 4

Control language 315

PARM statement type PARM statement length Declared variable type Declared variable length
Notes:
1
x equals the length and y is the number of decimal positions.
2
For character variables, if the length of the value passed is greater than the length declared, the value is
truncated to the length declared. If RTNVAL(*YES) is specified, the length declared must equal the length
defined on the PARM statement.

A program written in CL used as a command processing program can process binary values (such as
*INT2 or *INT4). The program can receive these values as character fields. In that case, the binary built-in
function (%BINARY) can be used to convert them to decimal values. Otherwise, the CL program can
declare them as integer variables.

The difference between *INT2 or *INT4 and *UINT2 or *UINT4 is that the *INT2 and *INT4 types are
signed integers and the *UINT2 and *UINT4 types are unsigned integers. The default value for all integer
types is 0. The *UINT2 and *UINT4 types have the same restrictions as the *INT and *INT4 types.

Note: The %BINARY built-in function is for use with signed integers. There is no corresponding function
for unsigned integers.
Related tasks
“Examples: Defining and creating commands” on page 318
These examples show how to define and create commands.
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command

REXX command processing procedure:

This information describes the REXX command processing procedure.

Figure 5. Command relationships for REXX

Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command

Validity checking program:

316 System i: Programming Control language

To detect syntax errors and send diagnostic messages for your command, write a validity checking
program.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

To write a validity checking program for your command, specify the name of the validity checking
program on the VLDCKR parameter on the Create Command (CRTCMD) command.

The program does not have to exist when the Create Command (CRTCMD) command is run. If *LIBL is
used as the library qualifier, the library list is used to find the validity checking program when the
created command is run.

The following are two considerations for validity checking programs:

v The validity checking program is called only if the command syntax is correct. All parameters are
passed to the program the same as they are passed to a command processing program.
v You should not use the validity checking program to change parameter values because the changed
values are not always passed to the command processing program.

The remainder of this section describes how to send messages from a validity checking program that is
written in CL.

If the validity checking program detects an error, it should send a diagnostic message to the previous call
and then send escape message CPF0002. For example, if you need a message saying that an account
number is no longer valid, you add a message description similar to the following to a message file:
ADDMSGD MSG(’Account number &2 no longer valid’) +
MSGID(USR0012) +
MSGF(QGPL/ACTMSG) +
SEV(40) +
FMT((*CHAR 4) (*CHAR 6))

Note that the substitution variable &1 is not in the message but is defined in the FMT parameter as 4
characters. &1 is reserved for use by the system and must always be 4 characters. If the substitution
variable &1 is the only substitution variable defined in the message, you must ensure that the fourth byte
of the message data does not contain a blank when you send the message.

This message can be sent to the system by specifying the following in the validity checking:
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(USR0012) MSGF(QGPL/ACTMSG) +
MSGDTA(’0000’ ∨∨ &ACCOUNT) MSGTYPE(*DIAG)

After the validity checking has sent all the necessary diagnostic messages, it should then send message
CPF0002. The Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command to send message CPF0002 looks like
this:
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF0002) MSGF(QCPFMSG) +
MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE)

When the system receives message CPF0002, it sends message CPF0001 to the calling program to indicate
that errors have been found.

Message CPD0006 has been defined for use by the user-defined validity checking programs. An
immediate message can be sent in the message data. Note in the following example that the message
must be preceded by four character zeros.

The following shows an example of a validity checking program:

Control language 317

PGM PARM(&PARM01)
DCL VAR(&PARM01) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
IF COND(&PARM01 *EQ ’ERROR’) THEN(DO)
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPD0006) MSGF(QCPFMSG) +
MSGDTA(’0000 DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE FROM USER-DEFINED +
VALIDITY CHECKER INDICATING THAT PARM01 IS IN ERROR.’) +
MSGTYPE(*DIAG)
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF0002) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE)
ENDDO
ELSE
.
.
.
ENDPGM
Related concepts
“Validity checking” on page 263
The system performs validity checking on commands. You can also write your own validity checking
program although it is not required.
Related information
Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command
Create Command (CRTCMD) command

Examples: Defining and creating commands:

These examples show how to define and create commands.

Related tasks
“CL or HLL command processing program” on page 314
This information describes the command processing program for CL or HLL.

Example: Calling application programs:

This example shows how to define and create a command to call an application program.

You can create commands to call application programs. If you create a command to call an application
program, the i5/OS operating system performs validity checking on the parameters passed to the
program. However, if you use the Call (CALL) command to call an application program, the application
program must perform the validity checking.

For example, a label writing program (LBLWRT) writes any number of labels for a specific customer on
either 1- or 2-part forms. When the LBLWRT program is run, it requires three parameters: the customer
number, the number of labels, and the type of form to be used (ONE or TWO).

If the program were called directly from the display, the second parameter would be in the wrong format
for the program. A numeric constant on the CALL command is always 15 digits with 5 decimal positions,
and the LBLWRT program expects a 3-digit number with no decimal positions. A command can be
created that provides the data in the format required by the program.

The command definition statements for a command to call the LBLWRT program are:
CMD PROMPT(’Label Writing Program’)
PARM KWD(CUSNBR) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5) MIN(1) +
PROMPT(’Customer Number’)
PARM KWD(COUNT) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3) DFT(20) RANGE(10 150) +
PROMPT(’Number of Labels’)
PARM KWD(FRMTYP) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(3) DFT(’TWO’) RSTD(*YES) +
SPCVAL((’ONE’) (’TWO’) (’1’ ’ONE’) (’2’ ’TWO’)) +
PROMPT(’Form Type’)

318 System i: Programming Control language

For the second parameter, COUNT, a default value of 20 is specified and the RANGE parameter allows
only values from 10 to 150 to be entered for the number of labels.

For the third parameter, FRMTYP, the SPCVAL parameter allows the display station user to enter ’ONE’,
’TWO’, ’1’, or ’2’ for this parameter. The program expects the value ’ONE’ or ’TWO’; however, if the
display station user enters ’1’ or ’2’, the command makes the necessary substitution for the FRMTYP
parameter.

The command processing program for this command is the application program LBLWRT. If the
application program were an RPG for i5/OS program, the following specifications would be made in the
program to receive the following parameters:
*ENTRY PLIST
PARM CUST 5
PARM COUNT 30
PARM FORM 3

The Create Command (CRTCMD) command is as follows:

CRTCMD CMD(LBLWRT) PGM(LBLWRT) SRCMBR(LBLWRT)
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command

Example: Substituting a default value:

This example shows how to define and create a command that provides defaults for an IBM-supplied
command.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

You can create a command that provides defaults for an IBM-supplied command and reduces the entries
that the display station user must make. For example, you could create a Save Library on Tape
(SAVLIBTAP) command that initializes a tape and saves a library on the tape device TAPE1. This
command provides defaults for the standard Save Library (SAVLIB) command parameters and requires
the display station user to specify only the library name.

The command definition statements for the Save Library on Tape (SAVLIBTAP) command are:
CMD PROMPT(’Save Library to Tape’)
PARM KWD(LIB) TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) MIN(1) +
PROMPT(’Library Name’)

The command processing program is:

PGM PARM(&LIB)
DCL &LIB TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
INZTAP DEV(TAPE1) CHECK(*NO)
SAVLIB LIB(&LIB) DEV(TAPE1)
ENDPGM

The Create Command (CRTCMD) command is:

CRTCMD CMD(SAVLIBTAP) PGM(SAVLIBTAP) SRCMBR(SAVLIBTAP)
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command

Example: Displaying an output queue:

This example shows how to define and create a command that displays an output queue.

Control language 319

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

You can create a command to display an output queue that defaults to display the output queue PGMR.
The following command, Display Output Queue (DSPOQ), also allows the display station user to display
any queue on the library list and provides a print option.

The command definition statements for the Display Output Queue (DSPOQ) command are:
CMD PROMPT(’WRKOUTQ.-Default to PGMR’)
PARM KWD(OUTQ) TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) DFT(PGMR) +
PROMPT(’Output queue’)
PARM KWD(OUTPUT) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(6) DFT(*) RSTD(*YES)
VALUES(* *PRINT) PROMPT(’Output’)

The RSTD parameter on the second PARM statement specifies that the entry can only be one of the list of
values.

The command processing program for the Display Output Queue (DSPOQ) command is:
PGM PARM(&OUTQ &OUTPUT)
DCL &OUTQ TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &OUTPUT TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(6)
WRKOUTQ OUTQ(*LIBL/&OUTQ) OUTPUT(&OUTPUT)
ENDPGM

The Create Command (CRTCMD) command is:

CRTCMD CMD(DSPOQ) PGM(DSPOQ) SRCMBR(DSPOQ)

The following command, DSPOQ1, is a variation of the preceding command. This command allows the
workstation user to enter a qualified name for the output queue name, and the command defaults to
*LIBL for the library name.

The command definition statements for the DSPOQ1 command are:

CMD PROMPT(’WRKOUTQ.-Default to PGMR’)
PARM KWD(OUTQ) TYPE(QUAL1) +
PROMPT(’Output queue:’)
PARM KWD(OUTPUT) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(6) RSTD(*YES) +
VALUES(* *PRINT) DFT(*) +
PROMPT(’Output’)
QUAL1: QUAL TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) DFT(PGMR)
QUAL TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) DFT(*LIBL) +
SPCVAL(*LIBL)

The QUAL statements are used to define the qualified name that the user can enter for the OUTQ
parameter. If the user does not enter a name, *LIBL/PGMR is used. The SPCVAL parameter is used
because any library name must follow the rules for a valid name (for example, begin with A through Z),
and the value *LIBL breaks these rules. The SPCVAL parameter specifies that if *LIBL is entered, the
i5/OS operating system is to ignore the name validation rules.

The command processing program for the DSPOQ1 command is:

PGM PARM(&OUTQ &OUTPUT)
DCL &OUTQ TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(20)
DCL &OBJNAM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &LIB TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &OUTPUT TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(6)
CHGVAR &OBJNAM %SUBSTRING(&OUTQ 1 10)
CHGVAR &LIB %SUBSTRING(&OUTQ 11 10)
WRKOUTQ OUTQ(&LIB/&OBJNAM) OUTPUT(&OUTPUT)
ENDPGM

320 System i: Programming Control language

Because a qualified name is passed from a command as a 20-character variable, the substring built-in
function (%SUBSTRING or %SST) must be used in this program to put the qualified name in the proper
CL syntax.
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command

Example: Displaying messages from IBM-supplied commands more than once:

This example shows how to define and create a command that re-displays messages.

The Clear Output Queue (CLROUTQ) command issues the completion message CPF3417, which
describes the number of entries deleted, the number not deleted, and the name of the output queue. If
the Clear Output Queue (CLROUTQ) command is run within a CPP, the message is still issued but it
becomes a detailed message because it is not issued directly by the CPP. For example, if a user-defined
Clear Output Queue (CLROUTQ) command was issued from the Programmer Menu, the message would
not be displayed. You can, however, receive an IBM message and reissue it from your CPP.

For example, you create a command named CQ2 to clear the output queue QPRINT2.

The command definition statements for the CQ2 command are:

CMD PROMPT (’Clear QPRINT2 output queue’)

The Create Command (CRTCMD) command is:

CRTCMD CMD(CQ2) PGM(CQ2)

The CPP, which receives the completion message and displays it, is as follows.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM /* Clear QPRINT2 output queue CPP */
DCL &MSGID TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(7)
DCL &MSGDTA TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(100)
CLROUTQ QPRINT2
RCVMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA) MSGTYPE(*COMP)
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA) MSGTYPE(*COMP)
ENDPGM

The MSGDTA length for message CPF3417 is 28 bytes. However, by defining the variable &MSGDTA as
100 bytes, the same approach can be used on most messages because any unused positions are ignored.
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command

Example: Creating abbreviated change job command:

This example shows how to define and create an abbreviated command.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

You can create your own abbreviated commands to simplify IBM-supplied commands or to restrict the
parameters allowed for users. For example, to allow users the ability to change only the printer device
parameter, you can create your own Change Job (CJ) command. Following are three steps to create and
implement your own Change Job (CJ) command:
v Step one: Command definition source statements

Control language 321

 CMD PROMPT(’Change Job’)

PARM KWD(PRTDEV) +
TYPE(*NAME) +
LEN(10) +
SPCVAL(*SAME *USRPRF *SYSVAL *WRKSTN) +
PROMPT(’Printer Device’)
v Step two: Processing program
PGM PARM(&PRTDEV)
DCL VAR(&PRTDEV) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
CHGJOB PRTDEV(&PRTDEV)
ENDPGM
v Step three: Create Command (CRTCMD) command
CRTCMD CMD(CJ) PGM(CJ) SRCMBR(CJ)
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command

Example: Creating abbreviated printer writer command:

This example shows how to define and create an abbreviated command.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

You can create an abbreviated command called DW1 to start the printer writer W1.

The command definition statement is:

CMD /* Start printer writer command */

The command processing program is:

PGM
STRPRTWTR DEV(QSYSPRT) OUTQ(QPRINT) WTR(W1)
ENDPGM

The Create Command (CRTCMD) command is:

CRTCMD CMD(DW1) PGM(DW1) SRCMBR(DW1)
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command

Example: Deleting files and source members:

This example shows how to define and create a command that deletes files and source members.

You can create a command to delete files and their corresponding source members in QDDSSRC.

The command definition statements for the command named DFS are:
CMD PROMPT(’Delete File and Source’)
PARM KWD(FILE) TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) PROMPT(’File Name’)

The command processing program is written assuming that the name of the file and the source file
member are the same. The program also assumes that both the file and the source file are on the library
list. If the program cannot delete the file, an information message is sent and the command attempts to
remove the source member. If the source member does not exist, an escape message is sent.

Here is the command processing program.

322 System i: Programming Control language

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM PARM(&FILE)
DCL &FILE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &MSGID TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(7)
DCL &MSGDTA TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(80)
DCL &SRCFILE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0000) EXEC(GOTO ERROR) /* CATCH ALL */
DLTF &FILE
MONMSG MSGID(CPF2105) EXEC(DO) /* NOT FOUND */
RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*EXCP) MSGID(&MSGID) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*INFO) +
MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
GOTO TRYDDS
ENDDO
RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*COMP) MSGID(&MSGID) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
/* DELETE FILE COMPLETED */
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*COMP) +
MSGDTA(&MSGDTA) /* TRY IN QDDSSRC FILE */
TRYDDS: CHKOBJ QDDSSRC OBJTYPE(*FILE) MBR(&FILE)
RMVM QDDSSRC MBR(&FILE)
CHGVAR &SRCFILE ’QDDSSRC’
GOTO END
END: RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*COMP) MSGID(&MSGID) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
/* REMOVE MEMBER COMPLETED */
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*COMP) +
MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
RETURN
ERROR: RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*EXCP) MSGID(&MSGID) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
/* ESCAPE MESSAGE */
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE) +
MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
ENDPGM

Example: Deleting program objects:

This example shows how to define and create a command that deletes program objects and source
members.

You can create a command to delete high-level language (HLL) programs and their corresponding source
members.

The command definition statements for the command named DPS are:
CMD PROMPT (’Delete Program and Source’)
PARM KWD(PGM) TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) PROMPT(’Program Name’)

The command processing program is written assuming that the name of the program and the source file
member are the same. Additionally, you have to use the IBM-supplied source files of QCLSRC,
QRPGSRC, and QCBLSRC. The program also assumes that both the program and the source file are on
the library list. If you cannot open the program, the system sends an information message, and the
command attempts to remove the source member. If the source member does not exist, the system sends
an escape message. Here is the command processing program.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM PARM(&PGM)
DCL &PGM TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &MSGID TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(7)
DCL &MSGDTA TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(80)
DCL &SRCFILE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0000) EXEC(GOTO ERROR) /* CATCH ALL */
DLTPGM &PGM

Control language 323

MONMSG MSGID(CPF2105) EXEC(DO) /* NOT FOUND*/
RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*EXCP) MSGID(&MSGID) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*INFO) +
MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
GOTO TRYCL /* TRY TO DELETE SOURCE MEMBER */
ENDDO
RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*COMP) MSGID(&MSGID) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
/* DELETE PROGRAM COMPLETED */
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*COMP) +
MSGDTA(&MSGDTA) /* TRY IN QCLSRC */
TRYCL: CHKOBJ QCLSRC OBJTYPE(*FILE) MBR(&PGM)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF9815) EXEC(GOTO TRYRPG) /* NO CL MEMBER */
RMVM QCLSRC MBR(&PGM)
CHGVAR &SRCFILE ’QCLSRC’
GOTO END
TRYRPG: /* TRY IN QRPGSRC FILE */
CHKOBJ QRPGSRC OBJTYPE(*FILE) MBR(&PGM)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF9815) EXEC(GOTO TRYCBL) /* NO RPG MEMBER */
RMVM QRPGSRC MBR(&PGM)
CHGVAR &SRCFILE ’QRPGSRC’
GOTO END
TRYCBL: /* TRY IN QCBLSRC FILE */
CHKOBJ QCBLSRC OBJTYPE(*FILE) MBR(&PGM)
/* ON LAST SOURCE FILE LET CPF0000 OCCUR FOR A NOT FOUND +
CONDITION */
RMVM QCBLSRC MBR(&PGM)
CHGVAR &SRCFILE ’QCBLSRC’
GOTO END
TRYNXT: /* INSERT ANY ADDITIONAL SOURCE FILES */
/* ADD MONMSG AFTER CHKOBJ IN TRYCBL AS WAS +
DONE IN TRYCL AND TRYRPG */
END: RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*COMP) MSGID(&MSGID) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
/*REMOVE MEMBER COMPLETED */
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*COMP) +
MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
RETURN
ERROR: RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*EXCP) MSGID(&MSGID) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
/* ESCAPE MESSAGE */
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE) +
MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)
ENDPGM

Documenting command
If you define and create your own CL commands, you can also create online command help to describe
your commands.
Related concepts
“CL command information and documentation” on page 47
IBM provides documentation for CL commands. In addition, you can write documentation for your
own commands.
Related tasks
“Defining commands” on page 258
CL commands enable you to request a broad range of functions. You can use IBM-supplied
commands, change the default values for command parameters, and define your own commands.
Related reference
“Command definition statements” on page 258
Command definition allows system users to create additional commands to meet specific application
needs.

Commands and command help:

Command prompting and online command help are powerful features of CL commands.

324 System i: Programming Control language

If you have developed one or more of your own CL commands, you know that all of the command
prompting capabilities used by IBM CL commands are available for you to use for your commands. The
same is true for command help; the same capabilities for help provided for IBM-provided commands are
also available for you to use to create online help.

The first step is to understand how the connections work between commands and command help.
v Command help information is stored in panel group objects. The symbolic object type for a panel
group is *PNLGRP. A help panel group consists of help modules. Each help module has a help module
name.
v There are two parameters on the Create Command (CRTCMD) command that make the connection
between a command (*CMD) object and an online help panel group: HLPID (Help identifier) and
HLPPNLGRP (Help panel group).
v There are four types of command help modules in an online help panel group:
1. Command-level help module
2. Parameter-level help module
3. Command examples help module
4. Command error messages help module

When you try to view the help for a CL command (for instance, by pressing the F1 (Help) key while
prompting the command), the i5/OS operating system determines whether the command has a help
panel group associated with the command. If the command was created specifying a panel group name
for the HLPPNLGRP parameter, or was changed by the Change Command (CHGCMD) command to
have a help panel group associated with the command, the help stored in the panel group is retrieved,
formatted, and displayed. The i5/OS operating system attempts to retrieve help from the following help
modules in the help panel group:
v A command-level help module that has the same name as the value specified for the HLPID parameter
when the command was created or changed. For example, if command STRPAY was created specifying
HLPID(STRPAY), the i5/OS operating system looks for a help module named STRPAY.
v A parameter-level help module for each command parameter, with the exception of constant
parameters. The help module name must be the command’s HLPID value followed by a forward slash
character followed by the parameter keyword name. For example, if command STRPAY has a HLPID
value of STRPAY and a parameter named TITLE, the i5/OS operating system looks for a
parameter-level help module named STRPAY/TITLE.
v A help module containing one or more examples of using the command. The help module name must
be the command’s HLPID value followed by a forward slash character followed by
COMMAND/EXAMPLES. For example, if command STRPAY has a HLPID value of STRPAY, the i5/OS
operating system looks for a command examples help module named STRPAY/COMMAND/
EXAMPLES.
v A help module containing the list of monitorable messages that may be signaled from the command.
The help module name must be the command’s HLPID value followed by a forward slash character
followed by ERROR/MESSAGES. For example, if command STRPAY has a HLPID value of STRPAY,
the i5/OS operating system looks for a command examples help module named STRPAY/ERROR/
MESSAGES.

When viewing extended CL command help on a 5250 terminal (or using 5250 emulator software),
command-level and parameter-level help sections are required, and the examples and error messages help
sections are optional. If the command-level help section or any parameter-level help section is not found
in the online help panel group, diagnostic message CPF6E01 (Help information is incomplete) is
displayed at the bottom of the help display. If the examples or error messages help modules are not
found, no diagnostic message is displayed.
Related information
Create Command (CRTCMD) command

Control language 325

Writing command help:

After you understand how a command (*CMD) object can be connected to an online help panel group
(*PNLGRP) object, you can write the help text that goes into the four types of help modules for a
command.

i5/OS online help for commands is written in a tag language known as user interface manager (UIM).
The UIM source is compiled using the Create Panel Group (CRTPNLGRP) command to create a
*PNLGRP object.
Related information
Create Panel Group (CRTPNLGRP) command
Application Display Programming

Generating UIM source for command help:

As a simpler alternative to learning UIM syntax, you can use the Generate Command Documentation
(GENCMDDOC) command to generate online help for commands. With this command, you can create a
file that contains UIM source. The file provides a template for the online command help.

To create the UIM source, you need to specify *UIM for the GENOPT (Generation Options) parameter.
The information used to create the template is retrieved from the command object (*CMD) you specify.
Using Generate Command Documentation (GENCMDDOC) to create the UIM source can simplify
writing online help for your CL commands.

The following is an example of using the Generate Command Documentation (GENCMDDOC) command
to generate a UIM template:
GENCMDDOC CMD(MYLIB/MYCMD)
TODIR(’/QSYS.LIB/MYLIB.LIB/QPNLSRC.FILE’)
TOSTMF(*CMD) GENOPT(*UIM)

In the example, the command retrieves information from the command object named MYCMD in library
MYLIB and generates UIM source into member MYCMD of source file QPNLSRC in library MYLIB. After
the template UIM source has been generated, you will need to edit the UIM source as follows:
v Ensure that the command-level help module describes the purpose of the command. The start of the
first sentence is provided followed by a <...> marker that you need to replace with the appropriate text.
Ensure that restrictions that apply to running the command are described, such as commands that
must be run first, or special authorizations needed. Some example restrictions are provided; you
should edit these to match your command’s restrictions.
v Ensure that each parameter-level help module explains the purpose of the parameter. The start of the
first sentence is provided followed by a <...> marker that you need to replace with the appropriate text.
You may also want to describe any inter-parameter dependencies or restrictions; you can use the :NT.
(Note) and :ENT. (End of Note) UIM tags for these parameter-level restrictions.
The parameter-level help module also should provide a description of the possible choices for the
parameter. Headings for each special value or single value are provided, but you need to replace the
<...> markers with the parameter value descriptions.
v Ensure that examples are provided as needed. The command examples help module is primed with
headings for two examples. If the command has no parameters, you could edit this help module to
have only a single example. If the command has many parameters, or provides several distinct
functions, you can copy the headings to create additional command examples. You need to edit the
command examples to insert your own commands’ parameter keywords and parameter values and to
replace the <...> markers with the descriptions of what the example commands would do.
v Ensure that error message text is provided as needed. The command error messages help module is
primed with headings showing how you can use the &MSG. built-in function to embed the message

326 System i: Programming Control language

 text of error messages sent by the command. You need to edit the list of messages to contain the actual
message identifiers of messages signaled from your command, along with the message file that
contains the message descriptions.

After you have edited the UIM source to tailor it to your command, you can create the online help panel
group by using the Create Panel Group (CRTPNLGRP) command. The following example shows how to
use the Create Panel Group (CRTPNLGRP) command:
CRTPNLGRP PNLGRP(MYLIB/MYCMD)
SRCFILE(MYLIB/QPNLSRC) SRCMBR(MYCMD)

This command attempts to create a panel group from the UIM source in member MYCMD in source
physical file QPNLSRC in library MYLIB. If there are no severe errors found when compiling the UIM
source, a panel group (*PNLGRP) object named MYCMD is created in library MYCMD. The command
generates a spooled file, which can be viewed to see informational, warning, and severe errors found by
the UIM compiler.
Related information
Create Panel Group (CRTPNLGRP) command
Generate Command Documentation (GENCMDDOC) command

Common help sharing:

Because of the naming scheme used for connecting command online help modules with a command, you
can store the help modules for many commands into a single panel group. When help modules for
several related commands are in a single panel group, you can use the :IMHELP. (Imbed Help) UIM tag
to share common help information.

For example, you might have several commands that have a parameter named OUTPUT, which has the
same general description on each command. Sharing the same command help information ensures
consistency across all the commands that have this parameter.

Another option for sharing online help text is to use the :IMPORT. (Import) UIM tag, which lets you
define one or more help modules that are in another panel group that can be embedded dynamically
using :IMHELP tags.
Related information
Application Display Programming

Organizing help text into help modules:

You can choose how to organize the help text that goes into the help modules in your panel group.

Using the UIM capability to embed help from one help module into one or more other help modules by
using the :IMHELP. tag, you can divide the help text for any of the four types of command help modules
defined earlier amongst two or more help modules. The most common reason to split the help text into
smaller help modules is to facilitate sharing of common help text.

When defining help modules that will be embedded into other help modules, be sure to choose help
module names that will not be confused with one of the four types of online command help modules.

Generating HTML source for command documentation:

To generate Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) information to be viewed using a browser from your
online help, use the Generate Command Documentation (GENCMDDOC) command and specify *HTML
for the GENOPT (Generation Options) parameter.

Control language 327

 In addition to creating help information for your command, you might want to create command
documentation that can be viewed either when you are not connected to a system running the i5/OS
operating system or when the information is printed. The i5/OS operating system allows you to generate
command documentation in HTML source that can be displayed using an Internet browser, or imported
into many word processing programs. To do this, you can use the Generate Command Documentation
(GENCMDDOC) command, specifying *HTML for the GENOPT (Generation Options) parameter. The
command generates a file that contains information that is retrieved from the command object (*CMD)
that you specify and any command help panel group (*PNLGRP) objects that already exist for the
command.

To see what the HTML output looks like and how it matches the online help, compare the help for any
command and the CL command documentation provided in the i5/OS Information Center. IBM builds
the Information Center command documentation from the online command help.

The following is an example of using the Generate Command Documentation (GENCMDDOC) command
to generate HTML source:
GENCMDDOC CMD(MYLIB/MYCMD)

In this example, the command retrieves information from the command object named MYCMD in library
MYLIB and generates HTML source into stream file MYLIB_MYCMD.HTML in the current working
directory of the job. The generated stream file can be viewed in HTML source format using the Display
File (DSPF) command, or in HTML browser format using any standard internet browser software, or by
command.
Related information
Generate Command Documentation (GENCMDDOC) command

| Proxy commands
| Proxy commands are used to create shortcuts to target commands.

| A proxy command differs from a typical i5/OS command in its ability to run a target command, rather
| than a command processing program.

| Use the Create Proxy Command (CRTPRXCMD) to create a proxy command. Create Proxy Command
| (CRTPRXCMD) requires a Command name (CMD) and a Target command (TGTCMD). Optional
| parameters include a Text description (TEXT), Authority (AUT) and a Replace command (REPLACE)
| option. For example, to create a proxy command that has a target command of QSYS/DSPJOB, enter the
| following command:

| CRTPRXCMD CMD(MYLIB/PCMD1) TGTCMD(QSYS/DSPJOB) TEXT(‘dspjob proxy’)

| Specifying a proxy command for the TGTCMD parameter is allowed. A proxy “chain” can be up to 5
| proxy commands in length, ending with a 6th non-proxy command. Running a proxy command with a
| chain of more than 5 proxy commands will cause a CPD0196 error “Number of chained proxy commands
| exceeds 5.”

| When you create a proxy command, you do not specify command definition source. A proxy command
| does not contain any parameter information, prompt control information, or interparameter dependency
| information. When a proxy command is used, all of that information is inherited from the target
| command defined in the proxy command. You specify all the same parameters for the proxy command
| that you would for the target command.

| Use the Change Proxy Command (CHGPRXCMD) command, to change a proxy command. Use the
| Delete Command (DLTCMD) command to delete a proxy command.

328 System i: Programming Control language

| To run or process a command that is “resolved to” via a proxy chain, the user must have the correct
| authority for that command and library, as well as *USE authority for each of the proxy commands (and
| libraries) in the chain.

| Since proxy commands run other commands, attempting to register an exit program for a proxy
| command is not allowed, and will cause the error message CPF019A to be issued. When a proxy
| command is run, and the non-proxy command that it resolves to has a registered exit program, the proxy
| chain that was followed will be placed in the RTVC0100 or CHGC0100 returned format data.
| Related information
| Create Proxy Command (CRTPRXCMD) command
| Change Proxy Command (CHGPRXCMD) command
| Delete Command (DLTCMD) command

Command-related APIs
Some application programming interface programs can be used with commands.
Related concepts
“Validity checking” on page 263
The system performs validity checking on commands. You can also write your own validity checking
program although it is not required.
Related tasks
“Creating commands” on page 304
After you have defined your command through the command definition statements, use the Create
Command (CRTCMD) command to create the command.

QCAPCMD program
The Process Commands (QCAPCMD) API performs command analyzer processing on command strings.

You can use this API to do the following:

v Check the syntax of a command string before running it.
v Prompt the command and receive the changed command string.
v Use a command from a high-level language.
v Display the help for a command.
Related tasks
“Variables in CL commands” on page 171
CL procedures consist of CL commands. Each command consists of the command name, parameter
keyword names, and parameter values.
Related information
Process Commands (QCAPCMD) API

QCMDEXC program
The Execute Command (QCMDEXC) API is an IBM-supplied program that runs a single command.

This API is used to activate another command:

v From within a high-level language (HLL) program.
v From within a CL procedure.
v From a program where it is not known at compile time what command is to be run or what
parameters are to be used.

The QCMDEXC program is called from within the HLL or CL procedure or program. The command that
is to be run is passed as a parameter on the CALL command.

Control language 329

After the command runs, control returns to your HLL or CL procedure or program.

The command runs as if it was not in a program. Therefore, variables cannot be used on the command
because values cannot be returned by the command to CL variables. Additionally, commands that can
only be used in CL procedures or programs cannot be run by the QCMDEXC program. The format of the
call to the QCMDEXC program is the following:
CALL PGM(QCMDEXC) PARM(command command-length)

Enter the command you want to run as a character string on the first parameter. You must specify the
command library.
CALL PGM(QCMDEXC ) PARM(’QSYS/CRTLIB LIB(TEST)’ 22)

Remember that you must enclose the command in single quotation marks if it contains blanks. The
maximum length of the character string is 6000 characters; never count the delimiters (the single
quotation marks ) as part of the string. The length that is specified as the second value on the PARM
parameter is the length of the character string that is passed as the command. Length must be a packed
decimal value of length 15 with 5 decimal positions.

Thus, to replace a library list, the call to the QCMDEXC program would look like this:
CALL PGM(QCMDEXC) PARM(’CHGLIBL LIBL(QGPL NEWLIB QTEMP)’ 31)

It is possible to code this statement into the HLL or CL program to replace the library list when the
program runs. The QCMDEXC program does not provide runtime flexibility when used this way.

Providing runtime flexibility is accomplished by:

1. Substituting variables for the constants in the parameter list, and
2. Specifying the values for the variables in the call to the HLL or CL program.

For instance, examine the following figure.

330 System i: Programming Control language

Figure 6. Example of call PGM

The command length, passed to the QCMDEXC program on the second parameter, is the maximum
length of the passed command string. Should the command string be passed as a quoted string, the
command length is exactly the length of the quoted string. Should the command string be passed in a
variable, the command length is the length of the CL variable. It is not necessary to reduce the command
length to the actual length of the command string in the variable, although it is permissible to do so.

Not all commands can be run using the QCMDEXC program. The command passed on a call to the
QCMDEXC program must be valid within the current environment (interactive or batch) in which the call
is being made. The command cannot be one of the following:
v An input stream control command (BCHJOB, ENDBCHJOB, and DATA)
v A command that can be used only in a CL program

You can precede the CL command with a question mark (?) to request prompting or use selective
prompting when you call QCMDEXC in an interactive job.

If an error is detected while a command is being processed through the QCMDEXC program, an escape
message is sent. You can monitor for this escape message in your CL procedure or program using the
Monitor Message (MONMSG) command.

If a syntax error is detected, message CPF0006 is sent. If an error is detected during the processing of a
command, any escape message sent by the command is returned by the QCMDEXC program. You
monitor for messages from commands run through the QCMDEXC program in the same way you
monitor for messages from commands contained in CL procedures and programs.

See the appropriate high-level language reference book for information about how high-level language
programs handle errors on calls.
Related tasks
“Variables in CL commands” on page 171
CL procedures consist of CL commands. Each command consists of the command name, parameter
keyword names, and parameter values.
“Defining message descriptions” on page 453
Predefined messages are stored in a message file.
“Using selective prompting for CL commands” on page 336
Selective prompting for CL commands is especially helpful when you are using some of the longer
commands and do not want to be prompted for certain parameters.

Control language 331

 Related information
Execute Commands (QCMDEXC) API

QCMDEXC program with DBCS data:

You can use the Execute Command (QCMDEXC) API to request double-byte character set (DBCS) input
data to be entered with a command.

The command format used for QCMDEXC to prompt double-byte data is:
CALL QCMDEXC (’command’ command-length IGC)

The third parameter of the QCMDEXC program, IGC, instructs the system to accept double-byte data.
For example, the following CL program asks a user to provide double-byte text for a message. Then the
system sends the following message:
PGM
CALL QCMDEXC (’?SNDMSG’ 7 IGC)
ENDPGM

An explanation of the system message follows:

v The ? character instructs the system to present the command prompt for the Send Message (SNDMSG)
command.
v The value 7 is the length of the Send Message (SNDMSG) command plus the question mark.
v The value IGC allows you to request double-byte data.

The following display is shown after running the QCMDEXC program. You can use double-byte
conversion on this display:
SEND MESSAGE (SNDMSG)

TYPE CHOICES, PRESS ENTER.

MESSAGE TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . _______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
TO USER PROFILE . . . . . . . . . . __________ NAME, *SYSOPR, *ALLACT...

BOTTOM
F3=EXIT F4=PROMPT F5=REFRESH F10=ADDITIONAL PARAMETERS F12=CANCEL
F13=HOW TO USE THIS DISPLAY F24=MORE KEYS

Related information
Execute Commands (QCMDEXC) API

QCMDCHK program
The Check Command Syntax (QCMDCHK) API is an IBM-supplied program that performs syntax
checking for a single command, and optionally prompts for the command.

The command is not run. If prompting is requested, the command string is returned to the calling
procedure or program with the updated values as entered through prompting. The QCMDCHK program
can be called from a CL procedure or program or an HLL procedure or program.
332 System i: Programming Control language
Typical uses of QCMDCHK are:
v Prompt the user for a command and then store the command for later processing.
v Determine the options the user specified.
v Log the processed command. First, prompt with QCMDCHK, run with QCMDEXC, and then log the
processed command.

The format of the call to QCMDCHK is:

CALL PGM(QCMDCHK) PARM(command command-length)

The first parameter passed to QCMDCHK is a character string containing the command to be checked or
prompted. If the first parameter is a variable and prompting is requested, the command entered by the
workstation user is placed in the variable.

The second parameter is the maximum length of the command string being passed. If the command
string is passed as a quoted string, the command length is exactly the length of the quoted string. If the
command string is passed in a variable, the command length is the length of the CL variable. The second
parameter must be a packed decimal value of length 15 with 5 decimal positions.

The QCMDCHK program performs syntax checking on the command string which is passed to it. It
verifies that all required parameters are coded, and that all parameters have allowable values. It does not
check for the processing environment. That is, a command can be checked whether it is allowed in batch
only, interactive only, or only in a batch or interactive CL program. QCMDCHK does not allow checking
of command definition statements.

If a syntax error is detected on the command, message CPF0006 is sent. You can monitor for this message
to determine if an error occurred on the command. Message CPF0006 is preceded by one or more
diagnostic messages that identify the error. In the following example, control is passed to the label
ERROR within the program, because the value 123 is not valid for the PGM parameter of the Create CL
Program (CRTCLPGM) command.
CALL QCMDCHK (’CRTCLPGM PGM(QGPL/123)’ 22)
MONMSG CPF0006 EXEC(GOTO ERROR)

You can request prompting for the command by either placing a question mark before the command
name or by placing selective prompt characters before one or more keyword names in the command
string.

If no errors are detected during checking and prompting for the command, the updated command string
is placed in the variable specified for the first parameter. The prompt request characters are removed
from the command string. This is shown in the following example:
DCL &CMD *CHAR 2000
.
.
CHGVAR &CMD ’?CRTCLPGM’
CALL QCMDCHK (&CMD 2000)

After the call to the QCMDCHK program is run, variable &CMD contains the command string with all
values entered through the prompter. This might be something like:
CRTCLPGM PGM(PGMA) SRCFILE(TESTLIB/SOURCE) USRPRF(*OWNER)

Note that the question mark preceding the command name is removed.

When prompting is requested through the QCMDCHK program, the command string should be passed
in a CL variable. Otherwise, the updated command string is not returned to your procedure or program.
You must also be sure that the variable for the command string is long enough to contain the updated
command string which is returned from the prompter. If it is not long enough, message CPF0005 is sent,

Control language 333

and the variable containing the command string is not changed. Without selective prompting, the
prompter only returns entries that were typed by the user.

The length of the variable is determined by the value of the second parameter, and not the actual length
of the variable. In the following example, escape message CPF0005 is sent because the specified length is
too short to contain the updated command, even though the variable was declared with an adequate
length.
DCL &CMD *CHAR 2000
.
.
CHGVAR &CMD ’?CRTCLPGM’
CALL QCMDCHK (&CMD 9)

If you press F3 or F12 to exit from the prompter while running QCMDCHK, message CPF6801 is sent to
the procedure or program that called QCMDCHK, and the variable containing the command string is not
changed.

If PASSATR(*YES) is specified on the PARM, ELEM, or QUAL command definition statement, and the
default value is changed using the Change Command Definition (CHGCMDDFT) command, the default
value is highlighted as though this was a user-specified value and not a default value. If a default value
of a changed PARM, ELEM, or QUAL command definition statement is changed back to its original
default value, the default value will no longer be highlighted.
Related tasks
“Using selective prompting for CL commands” on page 336
Selective prompting for CL commands is especially helpful when you are using some of the longer
commands and do not want to be prompted for certain parameters.
Related information
Check Command Syntax (QCMDCHK) API

Prompting for user input at run time

With most CL procedures and programs, the workstation user provides input to the procedure or
program by specifying command parameter values passed to the procedure or program or by typing into
input-capable fields on a display prompt.

You can also prompt the workstation user for input to a CL procedure or program in the following ways:
v If you enter a ? before the CL command in the CL procedure or program source, the system displays a
prompt for the CL command. Parameter values you have already specified in your procedure or
program are filled in and cannot be changed by the workstation user.
v If you call the QCMDEXC program and request selective prompting, the system displays a prompt for
a CL command, but you need not specify in the CL program source which CL command is to be used
at processing time.
Related tasks
“Variables in CL commands” on page 171
CL procedures consist of CL commands. Each command consists of the command name, parameter
keyword names, and parameter values.

Using the i5/OS prompter within a CL procedure or program

You can request prompting within the interactive processing of a CL procedure or program.

For example, the following procedure can be compiled and run:

PGM
.
.
.
?DSPLIB

334 System i: Programming Control language

 .
.
.
ENDPGM

In this case, the prompt for the Display Library (DSPLIB) command appears on the display during
processing of the program. Processing of the Display Library (DSPLIB) command waits until you have
entered values for required parameters and pressed the Enter key.

Any values specified in the source procedure cannot be changed directly by the operator (or user). For
example:
PGM
.
.
.
?SNDMSG TOMSGQ(WS01 WS02)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

When the procedure is called and the prompt for the Send Message (SNDMSG) command appears, the
operator (or user) can enter values on the MSG, MSGTYPE, and RPYMSGQ parameters, but cannot alter
the values on the TOMSGQ parameter. For example, the operator (or user) cannot add WS03 or delete
WS02. The following restrictions apply to the use of the prompter within a CL procedure at run time:
v When the prompter is called from a CL procedure or program, you cannot enter a variable name or an
expression for a parameter value on the prompt.
v Prompting cannot be requested on a command embedded on an IF, ELSE, or MONMSG command:
Correct Incorrect

IF (&A=5) THEN(DO) IF (&A=5) THEN(?SNDMSG)

?SNDMSG
ENDDO
v Prompting cannot be used for the following commands at run time.

| CALL CALLPRC CALLSUBR CHGVAR

| COPYRIGHT DCL DCLF DCLR
DO DOFOR DOUNTIL DOWHILE
ELSE ENDDO ENDPGM ENDRCV
| ENDSELECT ENDSUBR GOTO IF
ITERATE LEAVE MONMSG OTHERWISE
| PGM RCVF RETURN RTNSUBR
| SELECT SNDF SNDRCVF SUBR
WAIT WHEN

v Prompting cannot be used in batch jobs.

When you enter a prompting request (?) on a command in a CL source file member, you may receive a
diagnostic message on the command and still have a successful compilation. In this case, you must
examine the messages carefully to see that the errors can be corrected by values entered through the
prompt display when the procedure or program runs.

You can prompt for all commands you are authorized to in any mode while in an interactive
environment except for the previously listed commands, which cannot be prompted for during processing
of a CL procedure or program. This allows you to prompt for any command while at a workstation and
reduces the need to refer to the manuals that describe the various commands and their parameters.

Control language 335

If you press F3 or F12 to cancel the prompted command while running that command, an escape
message (CPF6801) is sent to the CL procedure or program. You can monitor for this message using the
Monitor Message (MONMSG) command in the CL procedure or program.

When you prompt for a command, your procedure or program does not receive the command string you
entered. To achieve this, prompt using QCMDCHK, then run the command using QCMDEXC. You can
also use QCAPCMD to prompt and run the command.
Related tasks
“Using QCMDEXC with prompting in CL procedures and programs” on page 339
The Execute Command (QCMDEXC) program can be used to call the prompter.
Related information
CL command finder

Using selective prompting for CL commands

Selective prompting for CL commands is especially helpful when you are using some of the longer
commands and do not want to be prompted for certain parameters.

Selective prompting can be used during interactive prompting or entered as source (in SEU) for use
within a CL procedure or program. You can enter the source for selective prompting with SEU but you
cannot use selective prompting while entering commands in SEU.

You can use selective prompting to:

v Select the parameters for which prompting is needed.
v Determine which parameters are protected.
v Omit parameters from the prompt.

The following restrictions apply to selective prompting:

v The command name or label must be preceded by a ? (question mark):
– When one or more of the selective prompt options is ?- (question mark, minus).
– To avoid getting a CPF6805 message (a message that indicates a diagnostic problem on the
command although compilation is successful)
v Parameters can be specified by position but they cannot be preceded by selective prompt characters.
v A parameter must be in keyword form to be selectively prompted for.
v Blanks cannot be entered between the selective prompt characters and the keyword.
v Selective prompting is only applicable at a parameter level; that is, you cannot specify particular
keyword values within a list of values.
v ?- is not allowed in prompt override programs.
v If a parameter is required, the ?? selective prompt must be used.
You can tell that a parameter is required because the input slot is highlighted when the command is
prompted.

User-specified values are marked with a special symbol (>) in front of the values in both selective and
regular prompting. If a user-specified value on the parameter prompt is not preceded by this symbol, the
command default is passed to the command processing program.

If PASSATR(*YES) is specified on the PARM, ELEM, or QUAL command definition statement, and the
default value is changed using the Change Command Definition (CHGCMDDFT) command, the default
value is shown as a user-specified value (using the > symbol) and not a default value. If a default value
of a changed PARM, ELEM, or QUAL command definition statement is changed back to its original
default value, the > symbol is removed.

336 System i: Programming Control language

You can press F5 while you are using selective prompting to again display those values initially shown
on the display.

If a CL variable is used to specify a value for a parameter which is to be displayed through selective
prompting, you can change the value on the prompt, and the changed value is used when the command
is run. The value of the variable in the procedure or program is not changed. If a CL procedure contains
the following:
OVRDBF ?*FILE(FILEA) ??TOFILE(&FILENAME) ??MBR(MBR1)

the three parameters, FILE, TOFILE, and MBR is shown on the prompt display. The value specified for
the FILE parameter cannot be changed by you, but the values for the TOFILE and MBR parameters can
be changed. Assume that the CL variable &FILENAME has a value of FILE1, and you change it to FILE2.
When the command is run, the value of FILE2 is used, but the value of &FILENAME is not changed in
the procedure. The following tables list the various selective prompting characters and the resulting
action.

You enter Value displayed Protected Value passed to Marked with >
CPP if nothing symbol
specified
??KEYWORD() Default No Default No
??KEYWORD(VALUE) Value No Value Yes
?*KEYWORD() Default Yes Default No
?*KEYWORD(VALUE) Value Yes Value Yes
?<KEYWORD() Default No Default No
?<KEYWORD(VALUE) Value No Default No
?/KEYWORD() Default Yes Default No
?/KEYWORD(VALUE) Value Yes Default No
?-KEYWORD() None N/A Default N/A
?-KEYWORD(VALUE) None N/A Value N/A
?&KEYWORD() Default No Default No
?&KEYWORD(VALUE) Value No Default No
?%KEYWORD() Default Yes Default No
?%KEYWORD(VALUE) Value Yes Default No

You enter Display value when F5 pressed or Description

blanked out
??KEYWORD() Default Normal keyword prompt with
command default.
??KEYWORD(VALUE) Value Normal keyword prompt with
program specified default.
?*KEYWORD() Default Show protected prompt (as
information) where command default
is the only value used.
?*KEYWORD(VALUE) Value Show protected prompt (as
information) where program specified
value is the only value used. For
example, when a value should be
shown as information but not changed.
?<KEYWORD() Default Normal keyword prompt with
command default.

Control language 337

You enter Display value when F5 pressed or Description
blanked out
?<KEYWORD(VALUE) Value Normal keyword prompt with
program specified default.
?/KEYWORD() Default Reserved for IBM use.
?/KEYWORD(VALUE) Value Reserved for IBM use.
?&KEYWORD() Default Normal keyword prompt with
command default.
?&KEYWORD(VALUE) Value Normal keyword prompt with
program specified default.
?%KEYWORD() Default Show protected prompt (as
information) where command default
is the only value used.
?%KEYWORD(VALUE) Value Show protected prompt (as
information) where program specified
value is the only value used. For
example, when a value should be
shown as information but not changed.

Selective prompting can be used with the QCMDEXC or QCMDCHK program. The format of the call is:
CALL PGM(QCMDEXC or QCMDCHK) PARM(command command-length)

The following table contains a brief description of the selective prompting characters:

Selective prompting character Description

?? The parameter is displayed and input-capable.
?* The parameter is displayed but is not input-capable. Any
user-specified value is passed to the command processing program.
?< The parameter is displayed and is input-capable, but the command
default is sent to the CPP unless the value displayed on the parameter
is changed.
?/ Reserved for IBM use.
?– The parameter is not displayed. The specified value (or default) is
passed to the CPP. Not allowed in prompt override programs.
?& The parameter is not displayed until F9=All parameters is pressed.
When displayed, it is input-capable. The command default is sent to
the CPP unless the value displayed on the parameter is changed.
?% The parameter is not displayed until F9=All parameters is pressed.
When displayed, it is not input-capable. The command default is sent
to the CPP.

Related concepts
“Information returned from the prompt override program” on page 299
Based on the values passed, the prompt override program retrieves the current values for the
parameters that are not key parameters.
Related tasks
“QCMDEXC program” on page 329
The Execute Command (QCMDEXC) API is an IBM-supplied program that runs a single command.
“QCMDCHK program” on page 332
The Check Command Syntax (QCMDCHK) API is an IBM-supplied program that performs syntax
checking for a single command, and optionally prompts for the command.
338 System i: Programming Control language
Using QCMDEXC with prompting in CL procedures and programs
The Execute Command (QCMDEXC) program can be used to call the prompter.

This use of QCMDEXC with prompting in CL procedures and programs allows you to alter all values on
the command except the command name itself. This is more flexible than direct use of the prompter,
where you can only enter values not specified in the source (see previous section). If the prompter is
called directly with a command such as:
?OVRDBF FILE(FILEX)

you can specify a value for any parameter except FILE. However, if the command is called during
processing of a program using the QCMDEXC program, such as in the following example, you can
specify a value for any parameter, including FILE. In this example, FILEX is the default.:
CALL QCMDEXC PARM(’?OVRDBF FILE(FILEX)’ 19)

Prompting with modifiable specified values may also be accomplished using selective prompting as
described earlier in this chapter. However, each keyword must be explicitly selected. The prompter is
called directly with a command such as:
OVRDBF ??FILE(FILEX) ??TOFILE(*N) ??MBR(*N)
Related tasks
“Using the i5/OS prompter within a CL procedure or program” on page 334
You can request prompting within the interactive processing of a CL procedure or program.
Related information
Execute Command (QCMDEXC) API

Entering program source

The programmer menu can be used to enter program source.

The programmer menu can be called directly by calling the QPGMMENU program, or by using the Start
Programmer Menu (STRPGMMNU) command. You can use the command to specify in advance the
defaults that you use with the programmer menu. In addition, the STRPGMMNU command also
supports other options that can be used to tailor the use of the programmer menu.
Related information
Start Programmer Menu (STRPGMMNU) command

Using the Start Programmer Menu command

The Start Programmer Menu (STRPGMMNU) command performs the same function as a call to
QPGMMENU and fills in the standard input fields.

To fill in the standard input fields at the bottom of the menu, you can use the following command
parameters:
v Source file
v Source library
v Object library
v Job description

The command may be used with one or more of the parameters that control the initial values of the
menu. You could design this as part of an initial program for sign-on or for situations in which a user
calls a specific user-written function. The following example shows such a program, with a separate
function for each application area requiring different initial values.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Control language 339

 PGM
CHGLIBL LIBL(PGMR1 QGPL QTEMP)
LOOP:
STRPGMMNU SRCLIB(PGMR1) OBJLIB(PGMR1) JOBD(PGMR1)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF2320) EXEC(GOTO END) /* F3 or F12 to leave menu */
GOTO LOOP
END: ENDPGM
v Controlling programmer menu options
The other parameters assist you in controlling the menu and its functions. For example, you can
specify ALWUSRCHG(*NO) to prevent a user from changing the values that appear on the menu. This
parameter should not be considered to be a security feature because a user who is using the menu can
call the STRPGMMNU command and change the values in a separate call. (The user can also start
functions by using F10 to call the command entry display.) If the menu is displayed by the
STRPGMMNU command, you can prevent the user (by authorization) from calling the QPGMMENU
program directly, but you cannot prevent the user from requesting another call of the STRPGMMNU
command.
v Adapting the menu create option
The EXITPGM and DLTOPT parameters allow you to provide your own support for the menu create
option (option 3). The system may call a user program when you request option 3. IBM provides
online information that discusses the parameters and the parameter list that are passed to the user
program. For more information, see “Passing parameters” on page 231.
Related information
Start Programmer Menu (STRPGMMNU) command

Using the EXITPGM parameter of the Start Programmer Menu command:

The EXITPGM parameter can be used for various purposes.

v To change the defaults used on the create commands submitted by option 3.
For example, if F4 (Prompt) is not used, the EXITPGM parameter could change one or more of the
create commands to specify your own default requirements. If F4 is used, the EXITPGM parameter
could submit the command as entered by the programmer (with no parameters changed).
v To change parameters regardless of the programmer’s use of F4.
This requires scanning the value of the &RQSDTA512 parameter (which is passed to the exit program)
to see if it had already been used and substituting the required value.
v To change other parameters on the Submit Job (SBMJOB) command.
For example, the user parameter of the SBMJOB command can be changed to specify the value of the
job description instead of the value of *CURRENT. It is also possible to retrieve the values of one or
more job attributes by using the Retrieve Job Attributes (RTVJOBA) command, entering the attributes
as specific values.
v To enforce local programming conventions.
For example, if you have a naming standard that requires all physical files to be named with 7
characters and end with a P, the exit program could reject any attempt to use the Create Physical File
(CRTPF) command with a name that did not follow this standard.

Command analyzer exit points

The exit program registration facility provides two exit points for the system.
v The QIBM_QCA_CHG_COMMAND exit point can register one and only one exit point for a specific
command. The program specified for this exit point is called by the command analyzer before it passes
control to the prompter.
v You can register up to ten exit programs for each command for the QIBM_QCA_RTV_COMMAND exit
point. The command analyzer calls these exit programs after running the validity checking program
(VCP) and before running the command processing program (CPP) for the command.

340 System i: Programming Control language

 Related information
API Exit Programs

Designing application programs for DBCS data

When you design application programs to process double-byte data or convert alphanumeric application
programs to double-byte programs, consider this information.

Designing DBCS application programs

You can design your application programs for processing double-byte data in the same way you design
application programs for processing alphanumeric data, with some additional considerations.
v Identify double-byte data used in the database files, if any.
v Design display and printer formats that can be used with double-byte data.
v If needed, provide double-byte conversion as a means of entering data for interactive applications. Use
the DDS keyword for double-byte conversion (IGCCNV) to specify DBCS conversion in display files.
v Write double-byte error messages to be displayed by the program.
v Specify extension character processing so that the system prints and displays all double-byte data.
v Determine which double-byte characters, if any, must be defined.
Related information
Working with DBCS data

Converting alphanumeric programs to process DBCS data

If an alphanumeric application program uses externally described display files, you can change that
application program to a double-byte application program by changing only the files.

To change an application program to a double-byte application program, perform these steps:

1. Create a duplicate copy of the source statements for the alphanumeric file you want to change.
2. Change alphanumeric constants and literals to double-byte constants and literals.
3. Change fields in the file to one of the following data types to enter DBCS data:
v DBCS-open (O) data type
v DBCS-only (J) data type
v DBCS-either (E) data
You do not have to change the length of the fields.
4. Store the converted display file in a separate library. Give the file the same name as its alphanumeric
version.
5. To use the converted file in a job, change the library list, using the Change Library List (CHGLIBL)
command, for the job in which the file is used. The library in which the double-byte display file is
stored is then checked before the library in which the alphanumeric version of the file is stored.

Using DBCS data in a CL program

Different keyboard shifts can be used within a CL program.

In the following program, note how the double-byte data is used only as text values in this program; the
commands themselves are in alphanumeric characters.

When run, this program shows you how the different keyboard shifts for DDS display files are used.

Control language 341

Loading and running an application from tape or optical media
The Load and Run Media Program (LODRUN) command loads and runs an application written by
another user or by a software vendor from tapes or optical media that is supplied by the other user.

When the LODRUN command is run:

v The media is searched for the user-written program, which must be named QINSTAPP. If tape is used,
the tape is rewound first.
v If a QINSTAPP program already exists in the QTEMP library on the user’s system, it is deleted.
v The QINSTAPP program is restored to the QTEMP library using the Restore Object (RSTOBJ)
command.
v Control of the system is passed to the QINSTAPP program. The QINSTAPP program may be used, for
example, to restore other applications to the user’s system and run those applications.
Related information
Load and Run (LODRUN) command

Example: QINSTAPP program

This example program can be saved to tape or optical media and then loaded on the system by using the
Load and Run Media Program (LODRUN) command.

The LODRUN command passes control of the system to the program, which then performs the tasks
written into the program.

342 System i: Programming Control language

This example program can be designed to accomplish many different tasks. For example, the program
could:
v Restore and run other programs or applications
v Restore a library
v Delete another program or application
v Create specific environments
v Correct problems in existing applications

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

PGM PARM(&DEV) /* "Device" is only Parm allowed */

DCL VAR(&DEV) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&MODEL) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)

/* Can check for appropriate model number, release level, and so on */

RTVSYSVAL SYSVAL(QMODEL) RTNVAR(&MODEL)
IF (&MODEL *EQ ’xxxxx’) THEN...

/* Install a library for new application (programs, data): */

RSTLIB SAVLIB(NEWAPP) DEV(&DEV) ENDOPT(*LEAVE) +
MBROPT(*ALL)
/* Install a command to start new application: */
RSTOBJ OBJ(NEWAPP) SAVLIB(QGPL) DEV(&DEV) +
MBROPT(*ALL)

END: ENDPGM

Figure 7. Example of an application using the LODRUN command

Related information
Load and Run (LODRUN) command

Transferring control to improve performance

The Transfer Control (TFRCTL) command calls the program specified on the command, passes control to
it, and removes the transferring program from the call stack.

Reducing the number of programs on the call stack can have a performance benefit. When a Call (CALL)
command is used, the program called returns control to the program containing the Call (CALL)
command. When a Transfer Control (TFRCTL) command is used, control returns to the first program in
the call stack. The first program then initiates the next sequential instruction following the Call (CALL)
command.

Note: The Transfer Control (TFRCTL) command is not valid in Integrated Language Environment (ILE)
CL procedures.
Related information
Transfer Control (TFRCTL) command
Call Program (CALL) command

Example: Using the Transfer Control command

This is an example of transferring control to improve performance.

In the following illustration, if Program A is specified with USRPRF(*OWNER), the owner’s authorities
are in effect for all of the programs shown. If Program B is specified with USRPRF(*OWNER), the
owner’s authorities are in effect only while Programs B and C are active. When Program B transfers
control to Program D, Program B is no longer in the call stack and the owner of Program B is no longer

Control language 343

considered for authorization during the running of Program D. When the programs complete processing
(by returning or transferring control), the owner’s authorities are no longer in effect. Any overrides issued
by Program B remain in effect while Program D is running and are lost when Program D does a return.

The Transfer Control (TFRCTL) command has the following format:

TFRCTL PGM(library-name/program-name) PARM(CL-variable)

The program (and library qualifier) may be a variable.

It is important to note that only variables may be used as parameter arguments on this command, and
that those variables must have been received as a parameter in the argument list from the program that
called the transferring program. That is, the Transfer Control (TFRCTL) command cannot pass a variable
that was not passed to the program running the Transfer Control (TFRCTL) command.

In the following example, the first Transfer Control (TFRCTL) is valid. The second Transfer Control
(TFRCTL) command is not valid because &B was not passed to this program. The third TFRCTL
command is not valid because a constant cannot be specified as an argument.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM PARM(&A)
DCL &A *DEC 3
DCL &B *CHAR 10
IF (&A *GT 100) THEN (TFRCTL PGM(PGMA) PARM(&A)) /* valid */
IF (&A *GT 50) THEN (TFRCTL PGM(PGMB) PARM(&B)) /* not valid */
ELSE (TFRCTL PGM(PGMC) PARM(’1’)) /* not valid */
ENDPGM
Related tasks
“Passing parameters” on page 231
When you pass control to another program or procedure, you can also pass information to it for
modification or use within the receiving program or procedure.
Related information
Transfer Control (TFRCTL) command

Passing parameters using the Transfer Control command

The Transfer Control (TFRCTL) command passes parameters to the program being called.

344 System i: Programming Control language

The TFRCTL command can be used to pass parameters to the program being called in the same way the
CALL command passes parameters, but with these restrictions:
v The parameters passed must be CL variables.
v The CL variables passed by the transferring program must have been received as parameters by that
program.
v This command is valid only within original program model (OPM) CL programs.

In the following example, PROGA calls PROGB and passes two variables, &A and &B, to it. PROGB uses
these two variables and another internally declared variable, &C. When control is transferred to PROGC,
only &A and &B can be passed to PROGC. When PROGC finishes processing, control is returned to
PROGA, where these variables originated.

Related information
Transfer Control (TFRCTL) command

Examples: CL programs and procedures

These examples demonstrate the flexibility, simplicity, and versatility of CL programs.

These CL programs are described by their function and probable user.

Note: Code generated by the ILE CL compiler in V4R3 and later releases is threadsafe. However, many
commands are not threadsafe. Therefore, do not consider a CL procedure as threadsafe unless all
the commands the CL procedure uses are threadsafe. You can use the Display Command
(DSPCMD) command to determine if a command is threadsafe. In addition, information (online
help and command documentation) for each command indicates whether the command is
threadsafe.
Related information

Control language 345

 Multithreaded applications

Example: Initial program for setup (programmer)

In this example, the test library is placed first on the library list, an output queue is selected for a
convenient printer, and the programmer menu is displayed.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
CHGLIBL LIBL(TESTLIB QGPL QTEMP)
CHGJOB OUTQ(WSPRTR)
TFRCTL QPGMMENU
ENDPGM

Example: Saving specific objects in an application (system operator)

This example program ensures consistent command entry for regularly repeated procedures.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
SAVOBJ OBJ(FILE1 FILE2) LIB(LIBA) OBJTYPE(*FILE) DEV(TAP01) +
CLEAR(*ALL)
SAVOBJ OBJ(DTAARA1) LIB(LIBA) OBJTYPE(*DTAARA) DEV(TAP01)
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Save of daily backup of LIBA completed’) +
MSGTYPE(*COMP)
ENDPGM

Additional Save Object (SAVOBJ) commands can, of course, be added. However, this program relies on
the operator selecting the correct tape for each periodic backup of each application. This can be controlled
by assigning unique names to each tape set for each save operation. If you want to save your payroll files
separately each week for four weeks, for instance, you might name each tape differently and write the
program to compare the name of the tape against the correct name for that week.

Example: Recovery from abnormal end (system operator)

In this example, the system operator recovers from an abnormal end.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

PGM
DCL &SWITCH *CHAR LEN(1)
RTVSYSVAL SYSVAL(QABNORMSW) RTNVAR(&SWITCH)
IF (&SWITCH *EQ ’1’) THEN(DO) /*CALL RECOVERY PROGRAMS*/
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Recovery programs in process. +
Do not start subsystems until notified’) +
MSGTYPE(*INFO) TOMSGQ(QSYSOPR)
CALL PGMA
CALL PGMB
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Recovery programs complete. +
Startup subsystems’) +
MSGTYPE(*INFO) TOMSGQ(QSYSOPR)
RETURN
ENDDO
ENDPGM

Example: Timing out while waiting for input from a device display
This program illustrates how to write a CL program using a display file that will wait for a specified
amount of time for the user to enter an option. If he does not, the user is signed off.

346 System i: Programming Control language

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
DCLF FILE(QGPL/MENU)
DOWHILE ’1’ /* DO FOREVER */
SNDRCVF DEV(*FILE) RCDFMT(MENUFMT) WAIT(*NO)
WAIT MONMSG MSGID(CPF0889) EXEC(SIGNOFF)
CHGVAR VAR(&IN99) VALUE(’0’)
IF COND(&IN01) THEN(ITERATE)
SELECT
WHEN (&OPTION *EQ ’1’) (CALL ORDENT) /* OPTION 1-ORDER ENTRY */
WHEN (&OPTION *EQ ’2’) (CALL ORDDSP) /* OPTION 2-ORDER DISPLAY */
WHEN (&OPTION *EQ ’3’) (CALL ORDCHG) /* OPTION 3-ORDER CHANGE */
WHEN (&OPTION *EQ ’4’) (CALL ORDPRT) /* OPTION 4-ORDER PRINT */
WHEN (&OPTION *EQ ’9’) (SIGNOFF) /* OPTION 9-SIGNOFF */
OTHERWISE DO /* OPTION SELECTED NOT VALID */
CHGVAR VAR(&IN99) VALUE(’1’)
ENDDO
ENDSELECT
ENDDO
ENDPGM

The display file was created with the following command:

CRTDSPF FILE(MENU) SRCFILE(QGPL/QDDSSRC) SRCMBR(MENU) +
DEV(*REQUESTER) WAITRCD(60)

The display file will use the *REQUESTER device. When a Wait (WAIT) command is issued, it waits for
the number of seconds (60) specified on the WAITRCD keyword. The following is the DDS for the
display file:
SEQNBR *... ... 1 ... ... 2 ... ... 3 ... ... 4 ... ... 5 ... ...
6 ... ... 7 ... ... 8

0100 A PRINT CA01(01)

0200 A R MENUFMT BLINK
0300 A TEXT(’Order
Entry Menu’)
0400 A 1 31’Order Entry Menu’
0500 A 2 2’Select one
of the following: ’
0600 A 3 4’1. Enter Order’
0700 A 4 4’2. Display Order’
0800 A 5 4’3. Change Order’
0900 A 6 4’4. Print Order’
1000 A 7 4’9. Sign Off’
1100 A 23 2’Option:’
1200 A OPTION 1 I 23 10
1300 A 99 ERRMSG(’Invalid
option selected.’)

* * * * * * E N D O F S O U R C E
* * * * *

The program performs a SNDRCVF WAIT(*NO) to display the menu and request an option from the
user. Then it issues a WAIT command to accept an option from the user. If the user enters a 1 through 4,
the appropriate program is called. If the user enters a 9, the SIGNOFF command is issued. If the user
enters an option that is not valid, the menu is displayed with an ’OPTION SELECTED NOT VALID’
message. The user can then enter another valid option. If the user does not respond within 60 seconds,
the CPF0889 message is issued to the program and the Monitor Message (MONMSG) command issues
the SIGNOFF command.

A Send File (SNDF) command using a record format containing the INVITE DDS keyword could be used
instead of the SNDRCVF WAIT(*NO). The function would be the same.

Control language 347

Example: Performing date arithmetic
This program illustrates how to write a CL program that adds or subtracts a given number of days for
the current system date.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
/* Calculate new date from current system date. Pass negative */
/* number to subtract, positive number to add */
/* */
/* The first parameter is a character 8 date in YYYYMMDD format */
/* or the special value *CURRENT */
/* */
/* The second parameter is a decimal value for the number of days */
/* to adjust the first parameter by */
/* */
/* Test cases: CALL CALCDATE (*CURRENT -5) */
/* CALL CALCDATE (*CURRENT 5) */
/* CALL CALCDATE (’20030225’ -90) */
/* CALL CALCDATE (’30020228’ 90) */
/* */
/* There is no error handling in this sample, so make sure the */
/* input dates are valid (that is, no 20031325). The valid date */
/* date range is Oct 14 1582 to Dec 31 9999 */
/* */
PGM PARM(&curdate &DAYSTOCHG)
DCL VAR(&CURDATE) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(8)
DCL VAR(&DAYSTOCHG) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(15 5)
DCL VAR(&DATETIME) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(17)
DCL VAR(&DATE) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(8)
DCL VAR(&LILDATEINT) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
DCL VAR(&LILDATEDEC) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(10 0)
DCL VAR(&ERRCOD) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) +
VALUE(X’00000000’)
DCL VAR(&MSG) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(50)
IF COND(&CURDATE = ’*CURRENT’) THEN(DO)
CALL PGM(QWCCVTDT) PARM(’*CURRENT’ ’ ’ ’*YYMD’ +
&DATETIME &ERRCOD) /* Get current system +
date and time in YYYYMMDD */
CHGVAR VAR(&DATE) VALUE(%SST(&DATETIME 1 8)) /* Get +
just the date portion */
ENDDO
ELSE CMD(CHGVAR VAR(&DATE) VALUE(&CURDATE)) /* +
Use the date provided */
CALLPRC PRC(CEEDAYS) PARM(&DATE ’YYYYMMDD’ +
&LILDATEINT *OMIT) /* Get Lilian date for +
current date */
CHGVAR VAR(&LILDATEDEC) VALUE(%BIN(&LILDATEINT)) /* +
Get Lilian date in decimal format */
CHGVAR VAR(&LILDATEDEC) VALUE(&LILDATEDEC + +
&DAYSTOCHG) /* Adjust specified number +
of days */
CHGVAR VAR(%BIN(&LILDATEINT)) VALUE(&LILDATEDEC) /* +
Get Lilian date in integer format */
CALLPRC PRC(CEEDATE) PARM(&LILDATEINT ’YYYYMMDD’ +
&DATE *OMIT) /* Return calculated date in +
YYYYMMDD format */
CHGVAR VAR(&MSG) VALUE(’The new date is ’ *CAT &DATE)
SNDPGMMSG MSG(&MSG) TOPGMQ(*EXT)
ENDPGM

Debugging CL programs and procedures

Debugging means detecting, diagnosing, and eliminating errors in Integrated Language Environment
(ILE) or original program model (OPM) programs.

348 System i: Programming Control language

Debugging ILE programs
To debug your Integrated Language Environment (ILE) programs, use the ILE source debugger.

You can perform the following tasks:

v Prepare your ILE program for debugging
v Start a debug session
v Add and remove programs from a debug session
v View the program source from a debug session
v Set and remove conditional and unconditional breakpoints
v Step through a program
v Display the value of variables
v Change the value of variables
v Display the attributes of variables
v Equate a shorthand name to a variable, expression, or debug command.

While debugging and testing your programs, ensure that your library list is changed to direct the
programs to a test library containing test data so that any existing real data is not affected.

You can prevent database files in production libraries from being modified unintentionally by using one
of the following commands:
v Use the Start Debug (STRDBG) command and retain the default *NO for the UPDPROD parameter.
v Use the Change Debug (CHGDBG) command.

The ILE source debugger is used to detect errors in and eliminate errors from program objects and
service programs. You can use the source debugger to:
v Debug any ILE CL or mixed ILE language application
v Monitor the flow of a program by using the debug commands while the program is running.
v View the program source
v Set and remove conditional and unconditional breakpoints
v Step through a specified number of statements
v Display or change the value of variables
v Display the attributes of a variable

When a program stops because of a breakpoint or a step command, the applicable module object’s view
is shown on the display at the point where the program stopped. At this point you can enter more debug
commands.

Before you can use the source debugger, you must use the debug options parameter (DBGVIEW) when
you create a module object or program object using Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) or Create Bound
CL (CRTBNDCL). After you set the breakpoints or other ILE source debugger options, you can call the
program.
Related tasks
“Starting debug mode” on page 371
Debug mode is a special environment in which the testing functions can be used in addition to the
normal system functions.
Related reference
“Parameter values used for testing and debugging” on page 94
The operating system includes functions that let a programmer observe operations performed as a
program runs.

Control language 349

 Related information
Change Debug (CHGDBG) command
Start Debug (STRDBG) command
CL command finder

ILE Concepts PDF

Debug commands
Many debug commands are available for use with the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source
debugger.

The debug commands and their parameters are entered on the debug command line displayed on the
bottom of the Display Module Source and Evaluate Expression displays. These commands can be entered
in uppercase, lowercase, or mixed case.

Note: The debug commands entered on the source debugger command line are not CL commands.

The following table summarizes these debug commands. The online help for the ILE source debugger
describes the debug commands and explains their allowed abbreviations.
Table 25. ILE source debugger commands
Debug command Description
ATTR Permits you to display the attributes of a variable. The attributes are the size and type of
the variable as recorded in the debug symbol table.
BREAK Permits you to enter either an unconditional or conditional breakpoint at a position in the
program being tested. Use BREAK position WHEN expression to enter a conditional
breakpoint.
SBREAK Permits you to enter a service entry point at a position in the program being tested. A
service entry point is a type of breakpoint established in a program to facilitate the system
debugger in gaining control of a spawned job. The breakpoint is only signaled when the job
within which the service entry point was hit is not currently under debug.
CLEAR Permits you to remove conditional and unconditional breakpoints.
DISPLAY Allows you to display the names and definitions assigned by using the EQUATE command.
It also allows you to display a different source module than the one currently shown on the
Display Module Source display. The module object must exist in the current program
object.
EQUATE Allows you to assign an expression, variable, or debug command to a name for shorthand
use.
EVAL Allows you to display or change the value of a variable or to display the value of
expressions.
QUAL Allows you to define the scope of variables that appear in subsequent EVAL commands.
STEP Allows you to run one or more statements of the program being debugged.
FIND Searches the module currently displayed for a specified line-number or string of text.
UP Moves the displayed window of source towards the beginning of the view by the amount
entered.
DOWN Moves the displayed window of source towards the end of the view by the amount
entered.
LEFT Moves the displayed window of source to the left by the number of characters entered.
RIGHT Moves the displayed window of source to the right by the number of characters entered.
TOP Positions the view to show the first line.
BOTTOM Positions the view to show the last line.

350 System i: Programming Control language

Table 25. ILE source debugger commands (continued)
Debug command Description
NEXT Positions the view to the next breakpoint in the source currently displayed.
PREVIOUS Positions the view to the previous breakpoint in the source currently displayed.
HELP Shows the online help information for the available source debugger commands.
SET Allows you to change debug options such as case sensitivity for FIND requests, whether
production files may be updated while in debug mode, and the enabling or disabling of
original program model (OPM) source debug support.
WATCH Displays a list of the currently active watch conditions.

Related tasks
“Adding program objects to a debug session” on page 353
After you start a debug session, you can add more program objects to the session.
“Changing the value of variables” on page 367
To change the value of a variable, use the EVAL command with the assignment operator (=).
“Equating a name with a variable, an expression, or a command” on page 369
To equate a name with a variable, an expression, or a debug command for shorthand use, use the
EQUATE debug command.
Related reference
“Using the BREAK and CLEAR debug commands to set and remove conditional breakpoints” on page
361
An alternate method of setting and removing conditional breakpoints is to use the BREAK and
CLEAR debug commands.
“Setting and removing conditional breakpoints” on page 359
You can use the Work with Breakpoints display to set or remove a conditional breakpoint, the BREAK
debug command to set a breakpoint, or the CLEAR debug command to remove a breakpoint.
“Displaying variables” on page 364
To display the value of a variable, use the Display Module Source display or the EVAL debug
command.
“Displaying variable attributes” on page 368
The variable attributes are the size (in bytes) and type of the variable. To display the attributes, use
the Attribute (ATTR) debug command.

Preparing a program object for a debug session

Before you can use the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source debugger, you must prepare the
program object.

To do this, you must use either the Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) or Create Bound CL (CRTBNDCL)
command and specify the DBGVIEW option.

For each ILE CL module object that you want to debug, you can create one of three views:
v Root source view
v Listing view
v Statement view
Related information
Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL) command
Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) command

Using a root source view to debug ILE programs:

A root source view contains the source statements of the source member.
Control language 351
To use the root source view with the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source debugger, the ILE
CL compiler creates the root source view while the module object (*MODULE) is being created.

Note: The module object is created by using references to locations of the source statements in the root
source member instead of copying the source statements into the view. Therefore, you should not
modify, rename, or move root source members between the creation of the module and the
debugging of the module created from these members.

To debug an ILE CL module object by using a root source view, use the *SOURCE or *ALL option on the
DBGVIEW parameter for either the Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) or Create Bound CL (CRTBNDCL)
commands.

One way to create a root source view, is as follows:

CRTCLMOD
MODULE(MYLIB/MYPGM) SRCFILE(MYLIB/QCLLESRC) SRCMBR(MYPGM) TEXT(’CL Program’)
DBGVIEW(*SOURCE)

The Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) command with *SOURCE for the DBGVIEW parameter creates a
root source view for module object MYPGM.
Related information
Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL) command
Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) command

Using a listing view to debug ILE programs:

A listing view is similar to the source code portion of the compile listing or spool file produced by the
Integrated Language Environment (ILE) CL compiler.

To debug an ILE CL module object by using a listing view, use the *LIST or *ALL option on the
DBGVIEW parameter for either the Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) or Create Bound CL (CRTBNDCL)
commands when you create the module.

One way to create a listing view is as follows:

CRTCLMOD
MODULE(MYLIB/MYPGM) SRCFILE(MYLIB/QCLLESRC) SRCMBR(MYPGM) TEXT(’CL Program’)
DBGVIEW(*LIST)
Related information
Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL) command
Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) command

Using a statement view to debug ILE programs:

A statement view does not contain any CL source data. However, breakpoints can be added by using
procedure names and statement numbers found in the compiler listing.

To debug an Integrated Language Environment (ILE) CL module object using a statement view, you need
a copy of the compiler listing.

Note: No data is shown in the Display Module Source display when a statement view is used to debug
an ILE CL module object.

To debug an ILE CL module object by using a statement view, use the *STMT, *SOURCE, *LIST, or *ALL
option on the DBGVIEW parameter for either the Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) or Create Bound CL
(CRTBNDCL) commands when you create the module.

352 System i: Programming Control language

One way to create a statement view is as follows:
CRTCLMOD
MODULE(MYLIB/MYPGM) SRCFILE(MYLIB/QLSRC) SRCMBR(MYPGM) TEXT(’CL Program’)
DBGVIEW(*STMT)
Related information
Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL) command
Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) command

Starting the ILE source debugger

After you create the debug view, you can begin debugging your application using the Integrated
Language Environment (ILE) source debugger.

To start the ILE source debugger, use the Start Debug (STRDBG) command. After the debugger is started,
it remains active until you enter the End Debug (ENDDBG) command.

Initially, you can add as many as twenty (20) program objects and twenty (20) service programs to a
debug session. Do this by using the Program (PGM) and Service Program (SRVPGM) parameters on the
STRDBG command. The program objects can be any combination of ILE or original program model
(OPM) programs. To start a debug session with three program objects, type:
STRDBG PGM(*LIBL/MYPGM1 *LIBL/MYPGM2 *LIBL/MYPGM3) SRVPGM(*LIBL/SRVPGM1 *LIBL/SRVPGM2)
DBGMODSRC(*YES)

Note: You must have *CHANGE authority to a program object to add it to a debug session.

After entering the STRDBG command, the Display Module Source display appears for ILE program
objects. The first module object bound to the program object with debug data is shown.

The option to use the ILE source debugger to debug OPM programs exists for users. OPM programs
contain source debug data when created. Do this only by specifying either the OPTION(*SRCDBG) or the
OPTION(*LSTDBG) parameter of the Create CL Program (CRTCLPGM) command. The source debug data
is actually part of the program object.

To add OPM programs that are created containing source debug data to the ILE source debugger, use the
Program (PGM) and OPM Source Level Debug (OPMSRC) parameters on the Start Debug (STRDBG)
command. To start a debug session with an OPM program created with source debug data, type:
STRDBG PGM(*LIBL/MYOPMPGM) OPMSRC(*YES) DSPMODSRC(*YES)
Related information
Start Debug (STRDBG) command

Adding program objects to a debug session

After you start a debug session, you can add more program objects to the session.

To add Integrated Language Environment (ILE) program objects and service programs to a debug session,
use option 1 (Add program) and type the name of the program object on the first line of the Work with
Module List display. The Work with Module List display can be accessed from the Display Module
Source display by pressing F14 (Work with Module List). To add a service program, change the default
program type from *PGM to *SRVPGM. There is no limit to the number of ILE program objects and
service programs that can be included in a debug session at any given time.

Control language 353

 Work with Module List
System: SYSTEM01
Type options, press enter.
1=Add program 4=Remove program 5=Display module source
8=Work with module breakpoints

Opt Program/module Library Type

1 weekday2 *LIBL *PGM
DSPWKDAY MYLIB *PGM
DSPWKDAY *MODULE Selected
AABP1 *MODULE

Bottom
Command
===>
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel

Figure 8. Adding an ILE program object to a debug session. When the Enter is pressed, program WEEKDAY2 is
added to the debug session

Work with Module List

System: SYSTEM01
Type options, press enter.
1=Add program 4=Remove program 5=Display module source
8=Work with module breakpoints

Opt Program/module Library Type

WEEKDAY2 *LIBL *PGM
WEEKDAY2 MYLIB *PGM
WEEKDAY2 *MODULE
DSPWKDAY MYLIB *PGM
DSPWKDAY *MODULE Selected
AABP1 *MODULE

Bottom
Command
===>
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel
Program WEEKDAY2 added to source debugger.

Figure 9. Adding an ILE program object to a debug session. The information message at the bottom of the display
shows that program WEEKDAY2 was added to the debug session.

When you have finished adding program objects to the debug session, press F3 (Exit) from the Work with
Module List display to return to the Display Module Source display. You can also use option 5 (Display
Module Source) to select and display a module.

To add original program model (OPM) programs to a debug session, use the Add Program (ADDPGM)
command. A debug session can include up to twenty (20) OPM programs at any given time. You can add
OPM programs that contain source debug data to the debug session by using option 1 (Add program) on
the Work with Module List display. (This is true provided the debug session allows OPM source level
debugging.) You can allow OPM source level debugging by starting the debug session and by using the
OPMSRC parameter on the Start Debug (STRDBG) command. If the OPMSRC parameter was not
specified on the Start Debug (STRDBG) command, activate OPM source level debugging. Do this by

354 System i: Programming Control language

using the OPM Source Level Debug (OPMSRC) parameter on the Change Debug (CHGDBG) command.
Alternately, you can change the value of the OPM source debug support option by using the SET debug
command.
Related concepts
“Debug commands” on page 350
Many debug commands are available for use with the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source
debugger.
Related information
Change Debug (CHGDBG) command
Add Program (ADDPGM) command
Start Debug (STRDBG) command

Removing program objects from a debug session

After you start a debug session, you can remove program objects from the session.

To remove Integrated Language Environment (ILE) program objects and service programs from a debug
session, use option 4 (Remove program), next to the program object you want to remove, on the Work
with Module List display. The Work with Module List display can be accessed from the Display Module
Source display by pressing F14 (Work with Module List). To remove a service program, change the
default program type from *PGM to *SRVPGM.

Work with Module List

System: SYSTEM01
Type options, press enter.
1=Add program 4=Remove program 5=Display module source
8=Work with module breakpoints

Opt Program/module Library Type

*LIBL *PGM
4 WEEKDAY2 MYLIB *PGM
WEEKDAY2 *MODULE
DSPWKDAY MYLIB *PGM
DSPWKDAY *MODULE Selected
AABP1 *MODULE

Bottom
Command
===>
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel

Figure 10. Removing an ILE program object from a debug session. When the Enter key is pressed, program
WEEKDAY2 is removed from the debug session.

Control language 355

 Work with Module List
System: SYSTEM01
Type options, press enter.
1=Add program 4=Remove program 5=Display module source
8=Work with module breakpoints

Opt Program/module Library Type

*LIBL *PGM
DSPWKDAY MYLIB *PGM
DSPWKDAY *MODULE Selected
AABP1 *MODULE

Bottom
Command
===>
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel
Program WEEKDAY2 removed from source debugger.

Figure 11. Removing an ILE program object from a debug session

When you have finished removing program objects from the debug session, press F3 (Exit) from the Work
with Module List display to return to the Display Module Source display.

Note: You must have *CHANGE authority to a program to remove it from a debug session.

To remove original program model (OPM) programs from a debug session, use the Remove Program
(RMVPGM) command. If OPM source level debugging is active, OPM programs that are created with
source debug data may be listed on the Work with Module List display. You can remove these programs
from the debug session by using option 4 (Remove program) on the Work with Module List display.

Viewing the program source

To view the source of a program object, use the Display Module Source display.

The Display Module Source display shows the source of a program object one module object at a time. A
module object’s source can be shown if the module object was compiled using one of the following
debug view options:
v DBGVIEW(*ALL)
v DBGVIEW(*SOURCE)
v DBGVIEW(*LISTING)

There are two methods to change what is shown on the Display Module Source display:
v Change a view
v Change a module

When you change a view, the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source debugger maps to
equivalent positions in the view you are changing to. When you change the module, the executable
statement on the displayed view is stored in memory and is viewed when the module is displayed again.
Line numbers that have breakpoints set are highlighted. When a breakpoint, step, or message causes the
program to stop and the display to be shown, the source line where the event occurred is highlighted.

Changing a module object:

356 System i: Programming Control language

To change the module object that is shown on the Display Module Source display, use option 5 (Display
module source) on the Work with Module List display. The Work with Module List display can be
accessed from the Display Module Source display by pressing F14 (Work with Module List).

The Display Module Source display is shown as follows.

To select a module object, type 5 (Display module source) next to the module object you want to show.

Display Module Source

Program: DSPWKDAY Library: MYLIB Module: DSPWKDAY

24 500- CALL PGM(WEEKDAY2) PARM(&DAYOFWK)
25 600- IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 1) THEN(CHGVAR +
26 700 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Sunday’))
27 800- ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 2) THEN(CHGV
28 900 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Monday’)))
29 1000- ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 3) THEN(CHGV
30 1100 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Tuesday’)))
31 1200- ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 4) THEN(CHGV
32 1300 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Wednesday’)))
33 1400- ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 5) THEN(CHGV
34 1500 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Thursday’)))
35 1600- ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 6) THEN(CHGV
36 1700 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Friday’)))
37 1800- ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 7) THEN(CHGV
38 1900 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Saturday’)))
More...
Debug . . .

F3=End program F6=Add/Clear breakpoint F10=step F11=Display variable

F12=Resume F17=Watch variable F18=Work with watch F24=More keys

Figure 12. Displaying a module view

After you select the module object that you want to view, press Enter. The selected module object is
shown in the Display Module Source display.

An alternate method of changing a module object is to use the DISPLAY debug command. On the debug
command line, type:
DISPLAY MODULE module-name

The module object module-name will now be shown. The module object must exist in a program or service
program object that has been added to the debug session.

Changing the module object view:

You change the view of the module object on the Display Module Source display through the Select View
display. The Select View display can be accessed from the Display Module Source display by pressing F15
(Select View).

The following views of an ILE CL module object are available depending on the values you specify when
you create an ILE CL module object:
v Root source view
v Listing view
v Statement view

The current view is listed at the top of the window, and the other views that are available are shown as
follows. Each module object in a program object can have a different set of views available, depending on
the debug options used to create it.

Control language 357

To select a view, type 1 (Select) next to the view you want to show.

Display Module Source

..............................................................................
: Select View :
: :
: Current View . . . : CL Root Source :
: :
: Type option, press Enter. :
: 1=Select :
: :
: Opt View :
: CL Root Source :
: 1 CL Listing View :
: :
: :
: Bottom :
: F12=Cancel :
: :
:............................................................................:
More...
Debug . . .

F3=End Program F6=Add/Clear breakpoint F10=Step F11=Display variable

F12=Resume F17=Watch variable F18=Work with watch F24=More keys

Figure 13. Changing a view of a module object

After you select the view of the module object that you want to show, press Enter and the selected view
of the module object is shown in the Display Module Source display.

Setting and removing breakpoints

Breakpoints stop a program object at a specific point when the program is running.

An unconditional breakpoint stops the program object at a specific statement. A conditional breakpoint stops
the program object when a specific condition at a specific statement is met.

When the program object stops, the Display Module Source display is shown. The appropriate module
object is shown with the source positioned at the line where the breakpoint occurred. This line is
highlighted. At this point, you can evaluate variables, set more breakpoints, and run any of the debug
commands.

You should know the following characteristics about breakpoints before using them:
v When a breakpoint is bypassed, for example with the Goto (GOTO) statement, that breakpoint isn’t
processed.
v When a breakpoint is set on a statement, the breakpoint occurs before that statement is processed.
v When a statement with a conditional breakpoint is reached, the conditional expression associated with
the breakpoint is evaluated before the statement is processed.
v Breakpoint functions are specified through debug commands.
These functions include:
– Adding breakpoints to program objects
– Removing breakpoints from program objects
– Displaying breakpoint information
– Resuming the running of a program object after a breakpoint has been reached.

Setting and removing unconditional breakpoints:

The system enables you to set and remove unconditional breakpoints in several ways.

358 System i: Programming Control language

You can set or remove an unconditional breakpoint by using:
v F6 (Add/Clear breakpoint) from the Display Module Source display
v F13 (Work with Module Breakpoints) from the Display Module Source display
v The BREAK debug command to set a breakpoint
v The CLEAR debug command to remove a breakpoint

The simplest way to set and remove an unconditional breakpoint is to use F6 (Add/Clear breakpoint)
from the Display Module Source display. To set an unconditional breakpoint using F6, place your cursor
on the line to which you want to add the breakpoint and press F6. An unconditional breakpoint is then
set on the line. To remove an unconditional breakpoint, place your cursor on the line from which you
want to remove the breakpoint and press F6. The breakpoint is then removed from the line.

Repeat the previous steps for each unconditional breakpoint you want to set.

Note: If the line on which you want to set a breakpoint is not a runnable statement, the breakpoint is set
at the next runnable statement.

After the breakpoints are set, press F3 (Exit) to leave the Display Module Source display. You can also use
F21 (Command Line) from the Display Module Source display to call the program from a command line.

Call the program object. When a breakpoint is reached, the program stops and the Display Module
Source display is shown again. At this point, you can evaluate variables, set more breakpoints, and run
any of the debug commands.

An alternate method of setting and removing unconditional breakpoints is to use the BREAK and CLEAR
debug commands.

To set an unconditional breakpoint by using the BREAK debug command, type the following on the
debug command line:
BREAK line-number

Line-number is the line number in the currently displayed view of the module object on which you want
to set a breakpoint.

To remove an unconditional breakpoint by using the CLEAR debug command, type the following on the
debug command line:
CLEAR line-number

Line-number is the line number in the currently displayed view of the module object from which you
want to remove a breakpoint.

If using the statement view, there is no line numbers displayed. To set unconditional breakpoints in the
statement view, type the following on the debug command line:
BREAK procedure-name/statement-number

Procedure-name is the name of your CL module. Statement-number(from the compiler listing) is the
statement number where you wanted to stop.

Setting and removing conditional breakpoints:

You can use the Work with Breakpoints display to set or remove a conditional breakpoint, the BREAK
debug command to set a breakpoint, or the CLEAR debug command to remove a breakpoint.
Related concepts

Control language 359

 “Debug commands” on page 350
Many debug commands are available for use with the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source
debugger.

Using the Work with Breakpoints display:

To set or remove breakpoints, use the Work with Breakpoints display.

Note: The relational operators supported for conditional breakpoints are <, >, =, <=, >=, and <> (not
equal).

The Work with Module Breakpoints display can be accessed from the Display Module Source display by
pressing F13 (Work with Module Breakpoints). The Work with Module Breakpoints display is shown in
the following figure. To set a conditional breakpoint, type the following and press Enter:
v 1 (Add) in the Opt field,
v the debugger line number where you want to set the breakpoint in the Line field,
v a conditional expression in the Condition field,

For example, to set a conditional breakpoint at debugger line 35, as shown in the following figure, type
the following and press Enter:
v 1 (Add) in the Opt field,
v 35 in the Line field,
v type &I=21 in the Condition field,

To remove a conditional breakpoint, type 4 (Clear) in the Opt field next to the breakpoint you want to
remove, and press Enter. You can also remove unconditional breakpoints in this manner.

Work with Module Breakpoints

System: SYSTEM01
Program . . . : MYPGM Library . . . : MYLIB
Module . . . : MYMOD Type . . . . . : *PGM

Type options, press Enter.

1=Add 4=Clear

Opt Line Condition

1 35____ &I=21______________________
_ ______ ____________________________

Figure 14. Setting a conditional breakpoint

Repeat the previous steps for each conditional breakpoint you want to set or remove.

Note: If the line on which you want to set a breakpoint is not a runnable statement, the breakpoint is set
at the next runnable statement.

After you specify all breakpoints that you want to set or remove, press F3 (Exit) to return to the Display
Module Source display.

Then press F3 (Exit) to leave the Display Module Source display. You can also use F21 (Command Line)
from the Display Module Source display to call the program object from a command line.

Call the program object. When a statement with a conditional breakpoint is reached, the conditional
expression associated with the breakpoint is evaluated before the statement is run. If the result is false,
the program object continues to run. If the result is true, the program object stops, and the Display
Module Source display is shown. At this point, you can evaluate variables, set more breakpoints, and run
any of the debug commands.

360 System i: Programming Control language

Using the BREAK and CLEAR debug commands to set and remove conditional breakpoints:

An alternate method of setting and removing conditional breakpoints is to use the BREAK and CLEAR
debug commands.

To set a conditional breakpoint by using the BREAK debug command, type the following on the debug
command line:
BREAK line-number WHEN expression

Line-number is the line number in the currently displayed view of the module object on which you want
to set a breakpoint. expression is the conditional expression that is evaluated when the breakpoint is
encountered. The relational operators supported for conditional breakpoints are <, >, =, <=, >=, and <>
(not equal).

In non-numeric conditional breakpoint expressions, the shorter expression is implicitly padded with
blanks before the comparison is made. This implicit padding occurs before any National Language Sort
Sequence (NLSS) translation.

To remove a conditional breakpoint by using the CLEAR debug command, type the following on the
debug command line:
CLEAR line-number

Line-number is number in the currently displayed view of the module object from which you want to
remove a breakpoint.

In the statement view, no line numbers are displayed. To set conditional breakpoints in the statement
view, type the following on the debug command line:
BREAK procedure-name/statement-name WHEN expression

Procedure-name is the name of your CL module. Statement-number(from the compiler listing) is the
statement number where you want to stop.
Related concepts
“Debug commands” on page 350
Many debug commands are available for use with the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source
debugger.
“National Language Sort Sequence”
National Language Sort Sequence (NLSS) applies only to non-numeric conditional breakpoint
expressions of type Char-8.

National Language Sort Sequence:

National Language Sort Sequence (NLSS) applies only to non-numeric conditional breakpoint expressions
of type Char-8.

Non-numeric conditional breakpoint expressions are divided into the following two types:
v Char- 8: each character contains 8 bits
v Char-16: each character contains 16 bits (DBCS)

Table 26 on page 362 shows the possible combinations of non-numeric conditional breakpoint expressions.

The sort sequence table used by the source debugger for expressions of type Char-8 is the sort sequence
table specified for the SRTSEQ parameter on the Create CL Module (CRTCLMOD) or Create Bound CL
Program (CRTBNDCL) commands.

Control language 361

If the resolved sort sequence table is *HEX, no sort sequence table is used. Therefore, the source debugger
uses the hexadecimal values of the characters to determine the sort sequence. Otherwise, the specified
sort sequence table is used to assign weights to each byte before the comparison is made. Bytes between,
and including, shift-out/shift-in characters are not assigned weights.

Note: The name of the sort sequence table is saved during compilation. At debug time, the source
debugger uses the name saved from the compilation to access the sort sequence table. If the sort
sequence table specified at compilation time resolves to something other than *HEX or *JOBRUN,
it is important the sort sequence table does not get altered before debugging is started. If the table
cannot be accessed because it is damaged or deleted, the source debugger uses the *HEX sort
sequence table.
Table 26. Non-numeric conditional breakpoint expressions
Type Possibilities
Char-8 v Character variable compared to character variable
1
v Character variable compared to character literal
2
v Character variable compared to hex literal
v Character literal 1 compared to character variable
v Character literal 1 compared to character literal 1

v Character literal 1 compared to hex literal 2

2 1
v Hex literal compared to character variable
v Hex literal 2 compared to character literal 1

2 2
v Hex literal compared to hex literal
Char 16 v DBCS character variable compared to DBCS character variable
3
v DBCS character variable compared to graphic literal
2
v DBCS character variable compared to hex literal
v Graphic literal 3 compared to DBCS character variable
v Graphic literal 3 compared to Graphic literal 3

v Graphic literal 3 compared to hex literal 2

2
v Hex literal compared to DBCS character variable
v Hex literal 2 compared to Graphic literal 3

Notes:
1
Character literal is of the form ’abc’.
2
Hexadecimal literal is of the form X’hex digits’.
3
Graphic literal is of the form G’<so>DBCS data<si>’. Shift-out is represented as <so> and shift-in is
represented as <si>.

Related reference
“Using the BREAK and CLEAR debug commands to set and remove conditional breakpoints” on page
361
An alternate method of setting and removing conditional breakpoints is to use the BREAK and
CLEAR debug commands.

Examples: Conditional breakpoint:

These examples show how to set conditional breakpoints.

CL declarations: DCL VAR(&CHAR1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1)
DCL VAR(&CHAR2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(2)
DCL VAR(&DEC1) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3 1)
DCL VAR(&DEC2) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(4 1)

362 System i: Programming Control language

Debug command: BREAK 31 WHEN &DEC1 = 48.1

Debug command: BREAK 31 WHEN &DEC2 > &DEC1

Debug command: BREAK 31 WHEN &CHAR2 <> ’A’

Comment: ’A’ is implicitly padded to

the right with one blank character before
the comparison is made.

Debug command: BREAK 31 WHEN %SUBSTR(&CHAR2 2 1)

<= X’F1’

Debug command: BREAK 31 WHEN %SUBSTR(&CHAR2 1 1)

>= &CHAR1

Debug command: BREAK 31 WHEN %SUBSTR(&CHAR2 1 1)

< %SUBSTR(&CHAR2 2 1)

The %SUBSTR built-in function allows you to substring a character string variable. The first argument
must be a string identifier, the second argument is the starting position, and the third argument is the
number of single byte or double byte characters. Arguments are delimited by one or more spaces.

Removing all breakpoints:

To remove all breakpoints, conditional and unconditional, from a program object that has a module object
shown on the Display Module Source display, use the CLEAR PGM debug command.

To use the debug command, type the following on the debug command line:
CLEAR PGM

The breakpoints are removed from all of the modules bound to the program or service program.

Using instruction stepping

After a breakpoint is encountered, you can run a specified number of statements of a program object,
then stop the program again.

After stopping the program, you return to the Display Module Source display. The program object begins
running on the next statement of the module object in which the program stopped. Typically, a
breakpoint is used to stop the program object.

The simplest way to step through a program object one statement at a time is to use F10 (Step) or F22
(Step into) on the Display Module Source display. Step over is the default mode of F10 (Step). When you
press F10 (Step) or F22 (Step into), then next statement of the module object shown in the Display
Module Source display is run, and the program object is stopped again.

Note: You cannot specify the number of statements to step through when you use F10 (Step) or F22 (Step
into). Pressing F10 (Step) or F22 (Step into) performs a single step.

Another way to step through a program object is to use the STEP debug command. The STEP debug
command allows you to run more than one statement in a single step.

F10 (Step) to step over program objects or F22 (Step into) to step into program objects:

When you step over the called program object, then the CALL statement and the called program object
are run as a single step. When you step into the called program object, then each statement in the called
program object is run as a single step.

Control language 363

The called program object is run to completion before the calling program object is stopped at the next
step. The called program object is then shown in the Display Module Source display if the called
program object is compiled with debug data and you have the correct authority to debug it.

Step over is the default step mode. You can step over program objects by using:
v F10 (Step) on the Display Module Source display
v The STEP OVER debug command

You can step into program objects by using:

v F22 (Step into) on the Display Module Source display
v The STEP INTO debug command

Using the STEP debug command to step through a program object:

The default number of statements to run, using the STEP debug command, is one. However, you can
change the step number.

To step through a program object using the STEP debug command, type the following on the debug
command line:
STEP number-of-statements

Number-of-statements is the number of statements of the program object that you want to run in the next
step before the program object is stopped again. For example, type the following on the debug command
line:
STEP 5

The next five statements of your program object are run, then the program object is stopped again and
the Display Module Source display is shown.

Alternatively, you can use the STEP OVER debug command to step over a called program object in a
debug session. To use the STEP OVER debug command, type the following on the debug command line:
STEP number-of-statements OVER

If one of the statements that are run contains a CALL statement to another program object, the Integrated
Language Environment (ILE) source debugger steps over the called program object.

You can also use the STEP INTO debug command to step into a called program object in a debug session.
To use the STEP INTO debug command, type the following on the debug command line:
STEP number-of-statements INTO

If one of the statements that are run contains a CALL statement to another program object, the debugger
steps into the called program object. Each statement in the called program object is counted in the step. If
the step ends in the called program object then the called program object is shown in the Display Module
Source display. For example, type the following on the debug command line:
STEP 5 INTO

The next five statements of the program object are run. If the third statement is a CALL statement to
another program object, then two statements of the calling program object are run and the first three
statements of the called program object are run.

Displaying variables
To display the value of a variable, use the Display Module Source display or the EVAL debug command.

364 System i: Programming Control language

To display a variable using the Display Module Source display, place your cursor on the variable that you
want to display and press F11 (Display variable). The current value of the variable is shown on the
message line at the bottom of the Display Module Source display.

Display Module Source

Program: DSPWKDAY Library: MYLIB Module: DSPWKDAY

4 DCL VAR(&MSGTEXT) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(20)
5 CALL PGM(WEEKDAY2) PARM(&DAYOFWK)
6 IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 1) THEN(CHGVAR +
7 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Sunday’))
8 ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 2) THEN(CHGVAR +
9 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Monday’)))
10 ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 3) THEN(CHGVAR +
11 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Tuesday’)))
12 ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 4) THEN(CHGVAR +
13 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Wednesday’)))
14 ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 5) THEN(CHGVAR +
15 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Thursday’)))
16 ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 6) THEN(CHGVAR +
17 VAR(&WEEKDAY) VALUE(’Friday’)))
18 ELSE CMD(IF COND(&DAYOFWK *EQ 7) THEN(CHGVAR +
More...
Debug . . .

F3=End program F6=Add/Clear breakpoint F10=Step F11=Display variable

F12=Resume F17=Watch Variable F18=Work with watch F24=More keys
&DAYOFWK = 3.

Figure 15. Displaying a variable using F11 (Display variable)

You can also use the EVAL debug command to determine the value of a variable. To display the value of
a variable using the EVAL debug command, type the following on the debug command line:
EVAL variable-name

Variable-name is the name of the variable that you want to display. The value of the variable is shown on
the message line if the EVAL debug command is entered from the Display Module Source display and
the value can be shown on a single line. If the value cannot be shown on a single line, it is shown on the
Evaluate Expression display.

For example, to display the value of the variable &DAYOFWK; on line 7 of the module object shown in
the previous example, type:
EVAL &DAYOFWK

The message line of the Display Module Source display shows &DAYOFWK = 3. as in the previous example.

The scope of the variables used in the EVAL command is defined by using the QUAL command.
However, you do not need to specifically define the scope of the variables contained in a CL module
because they are all of global scope.
Related concepts
“Debug commands” on page 350
Many debug commands are available for use with the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source
debugger.

Example: Displaying logical variable:

This example uses the EVAL debug command to display the value of logical variables.
CL declarations: DCL VAR(&LGL1) TYPE(*LGL) VALUE(’1’)

Control language 365

Debug command: EVAL &LGL1

Result: &LGL1 = ’1’

Examples: Displaying character variable:

This example uses the EVAL debug command to display the value of character variables.
CL declarations:
DCL VAR(&CHAR1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) VALUE(’EXAMPLE’)

Debug command: EVAL &CHAR1

Result: &CHAR1 = ’EXAMPLE ’

Debug command: EVAL %SUBSTR(&CHAR1 5 3)

Result: %SUBSTR(&CHAR1 5 3) = ’PLE’

Debug command: EVAL %SUBSTR(&CHAR1 7 4)

Result: %SUBSTR(&CHAR1 7 4) = ’E ’

The %SUBSTR built-in function allows you to substring a character string variable. The first argument
must be a string identifier, the second argument is the starting position, and the third argument is the
number of single byte or double byte characters. Arguments are delimited by one or more spaces.

Example: Displaying decimal variable:

This example uses the EVAL debug command to display the value of decimal variables.
CL declarations:
DCL VAR(&DEC1) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(4 1) VALUE(73.1)

CL declarations:
DCL VAR(&DEC2) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3 1) VALUE(12.5)

Debug command: EVAL &DEC1

Result: &DEC1 = 073.1

Debug command: EVAL &DEC2

Result: &DEC2 = 12.5

Example: Displaying variables as hexadecimal values:

To display the value of a variable in hexadecimal format, use the EVAL debug command.

To display a variable in hexadecimal format, on the debug command line, type the following:
EVAL variable-name: x number-of-bytes

Variable-name is the name of the variable that you want to display in hexadecimal format. ’x’ specifies that
the variable is to be displayed in hexadecimal format and number-of-bytes indicates the number of bytes
displayed. If no length is specified after the ’x’, the size of the variable is used as the length. A minimum
of 16 bytes is always displayed. If the length of the variable is less than 16 bytes, then the remaining
space is filled with zeroes until the 16 byte boundary is reached.
CL declaration: DCL VAR(&CHAR1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) VALUE(’ABC’)
DCL VAR(&CHAR2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) VALUE(’DEF’)

366 System i: Programming Control language

Debug command: EVAL &CHAR1:X 32

Result:
00000 C1C2C340 40404040 4040C4C5 C6404040 ABC DEF
00010 40404040 00000000 00000000 00000000 ............

Changing the value of variables

To change the value of a variable, use the EVAL command with the assignment operator (=).

The scope of the variables used in the EVAL command is defined by using the QUAL command.
However, you do not need to specifically define the scope of the variables contained in a CL module
because they are all of global scope.

You can use the EVAL debug command to assign numeric, character, and hexadecimal data to variables
provided they match the definition of the variable.

To change the value of the variable, type the following on the debug command line:
EVAL variable-name = value

Variable-name is the name of the variable that you want to change and value is an identifier or literal value
that you want to assign to variable-name.

Look at the next example:

EVAL &COUNTER = 3.0

The previous example changes the value of &COUNTER; to 3.0 and shows the following on the message
line of the Display Module Source display:
&COUNTER = 3.0 = 3.0

The result is preceded by the variable-name and value you are changing.

When you assign values to a character variable, the following rules apply:
v If the length of the source expression is less than the length of the target expression, the data is left
justified in the target expression and the remaining positions are filled with blanks.
v If the length of the source expression is greater than the length of the target expression, the data is left
justified in the target expression and truncated to the length of the target expression.

Note: DBCS variables can be assigned any of the following:

v Another DBCS variable
v A graphic literal of the form G’<so>DBCS data<si>’
v A hexadecimal literal of the form X’hex digits’
Related concepts
“Debug commands” on page 350
Many debug commands are available for use with the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source
debugger.

Example: Changing logical variable:

To change the value of a logical variable, use the EVAL debug command.
CL declarations: DCL VAR(&LGL1) TYPE(*LGL) VALUE(’1’)
DCL VAR(&LGL2) TYPE(*LGL)

Debug command: EVAL &LGL1

Control language 367

Result: &LGL1 = ’1’

Debug command: EVAL &LGL1 = X’F0’

Result: &LGL1 = X’F0’ = ’0’

Debug command: EVAL &LGL2 = &LGL1

Result: &LGL2 = &LGL1 = ’0’

Examples: Changing character variable:

This example changes the value of a character variable using the EVAL debug command.
CL declarations: DCL VAR(&CHAR1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1) VALUE
(’A’)
DCL VAR(&CHAR2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)

Debug command: EVAL &CHAR1 = ’B’

Result: &CHAR1 = ’B’ = ’B’

Debug command: EVAL &CHAR1 = X’F0F1F2F3’

Result: &CHAR1 = ’F0F1F2F3’ = ’0’

Debug command: EVAL &CHAR2 = ’ABC’

Result: &CHAR2 = ’ABC’ = ’ABC ’

Debug command: EVAL %SUBSTR(CHAR2 1 2) = %SUBSTR(&CHAR2 3 1)

Result: %SUBSTR(CHAR2 1 2) = %SUBSTR(&CHAR2 3 1) = ’C ’

Comment: Variable &CHAR contains ’C C ’

The %SUBSTR built-in function allows you to substring a character string variable. The first argument
must be a string identifier, the second argument is the starting position, and the third argument is the
number of single byte or double byte characters. Arguments are delimited by one or more spaces.

Examples: Changing decimal variable:

To change the value of a decimal variable, use the EVAL debug command.
CL declarations: DCL VAR(&DEC1) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3 1) VALUE(73.1)
DCL VAR(&DEC2) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(2 1) VALUE(3.1)

Debug command: EVAL &DEC1 = 12.3

Result: &DEC1 = 12.3 = 12.3

Debug command: EVAL &DEC1 = &DEC2

Result: &DEC1 = &DEC2 = 03.1

Displaying variable attributes

The variable attributes are the size (in bytes) and type of the variable. To display the attributes, use the
Attribute (ATTR) debug command.

368 System i: Programming Control language

The following is an example using the ATTR debug command.
CL declaration: DCL VAR(&CHAR2) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)

Debug command: ATTR &CHAR2

Result: TYPE = FIXED LENGTH STRING, LENGTH = 10 BYTES

CL declaration: DCL VAR(&DEC) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(3 1)

Debug command: ATTR &DEC

Result: TYPE = PACKED(3,1), LENGTH = 2 BYTES

Related concepts
“Debug commands” on page 350
Many debug commands are available for use with the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source
debugger.

Equating a name with a variable, an expression, or a command

To equate a name with a variable, an expression, or a debug command for shorthand use, use the
EQUATE debug command.

You can then use that name alone or within another expression. If you use it within another expression,
the value of the name is determined before the expression is evaluated. These names stay active until a
debug session ends or a name is removed.

To equate a name with a variable, expression or debug command, type the following on the debug
command line:
EQUATE shorthand-name definition

shorthand-name is the name that you want to equate with a variable, expression, or debug command, and
definition is the variable, expression, or debug command that you are equating with the name.

For example, to define a shorthand name called DC that displays the contents of a variable called
&COUNTER, type the following on the debug command line:
EQUATE DC EVAL &COUNTER

Now, each time DC is typed on the debug command line, the command EVAL &COUNTER is performed.

The maximum number of characters that can be typed in an EQUATE command is 144. If a definition is
not supplied and a previous EQUATE command defined the name, the previous definition is removed. If
the name was not previously defined, an error message is shown.

To see the names that have been defined with the EQUATE debug command for a debug session, type
the following on the debug command line:
DISPLAY EQUATE

A list of the active names is shown on the Evaluate Expression display.

Related concepts
“Debug commands” on page 350
Many debug commands are available for use with the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source
debugger.

Control language 369

Source debug and i5/OS globalization
When you are working with source debug, be aware of certain conditions regarding i5/OS globalization.

The following conditions exist for ILE CL:

v When a view is displayed on the Display Module Source display, the source debugger converts all data
to the Coded Character Set Identifier (CCSID) of the debug job.
v When assigning literals to variables, the source debugger does not perform CCSID conversion on
quoted literals (for example ’abc’). Also, quoted literals are case sensitive.

Working with *SOURCE view:

This condition is true only when you are working with the CL Root Source View. If the source file CCSID
is different from the module CCSID, the source debugger cannot recognize a CL identifier that contains
variant characters (#, @, $).

The CCSID of the module can be found using the Display Module (DSPMOD) CL command. If you need
to work with CL Root Source View and the source file CCSID is different from the module CCSID, you
can take one of the following actions:
v Ensure the CCSID of CL source is the same as the CCSID of the compile-time job.
v Change the CCSID of the compile-time job to 65 535 and compile.
v Use the CL Listing View if the previous two options are not possible.
Related information
Display Module (DSPMOD) command

ILE Concepts PDF

Operations that temporarily remove steps

When you use certain control language (CL) commands to specify your library or program, breakpoints
or steps might be temporarily removed from a program while debugging.

Breakpoints and steps are restored when the CL command completes running. A CPD190A message will
be in the job log when the breakpoints or steps are removed; another CPD190A message will be in the job
log when the breakpoints or steps are restored.

The following CL commands can cause the breakpoint or step to be temporarily removed.

CHKOBJITG CPY CPROBJ RSTLIB SAVLIB

CPYLIB CRTDUPOBJ RSTOBJ SAVOBJ
SAVSYS
SAVCHGOBJ

Note: When the CL commands are operating on the program, you will receive error message CPF7102
when you issue the BREAK or STEP command.

Debugging original program model programs

To debug your original program model (OPM) programs, use testing functions. These functions are
available through a set of commands that can be used interactively or in a batch job.

Testing functions are designed to help you write and maintain your applications. You can use testing
functions to run your programs in a special testing environment while closely observing and controlling
the processing of these programs in the testing environment. You can interact with your programs using
the testing functions. You can use the functions to perform the following tasks:

370 System i: Programming Control language

v Trace a program’s processing sequence and show the statements processed and the values of program
variables at each point in the sequence.
v Stop at any statement in a program (called a breakpoint) and receive control to perform a function
such as displaying or changing a variable value or calling another user-defined program.

No special commands specifically for testing are contained in the program being tested. The same
program being tested can be run normally without changes. All test commands are specified within the
job the program is in, not as a permanent part of the program being tested. With the testing commands,
you interact with the programs symbolically in the same terms as the high-level language (HLL) program
was written in. You refer to variables by their names and statements by their numbers. (These are the
numbers used in the program’s source list.) In addition, the test functions are only applicable to the job
they are set up in. The same program can be used at the same time in another job without being affected
by the testing functions set up.
Related tasks
“Using libraries” on page 403
A library is an object used to group related objects and to find objects by name. Thus, a library is a
directory to a group of objects.
Related reference
“Parameter values used for testing and debugging” on page 94
The operating system includes functions that let a programmer observe operations performed as a
program runs.

Starting debug mode

Debug mode is a special environment in which the testing functions can be used in addition to the
normal system functions.

To begin testing, your program must be put in debug mode. Testing functions cannot be used outside
debug mode. To start debug mode, you must use the Start Debug (STRDBG) command. In addition to
placing your program in debug mode, the STRDBG command lets you specify certain testing information
such as the programs that are being debugged. Your program remains in debug mode until an End
Debug (ENDDBG) or Remove Program (RMVPGM) command is encountered or your current routing
step ends.

Note: If the System Debug Manager function in iSeries Navigator has been used to select Debug in order
to check the system, then issuing the Start Debug (STRDBG)) command will cause the graphical
interface to be presented. In this case, whenever one of the users specified in the user list issues
the Start Debug (STRDBG) command, they will see the iSeries Navigator System Debug Manager
rather than the Command Entry display. If the End Debug (ENDDBG) command is entered and
Debug in the System Debug Manager is not currently selected, then issuing the Start Debug
(STRDBG) command will again start the system debugger using the Command Entry display.

The following Start Debug (STRDBG) command places the job in debug mode and adds program CUS310
as the program to be debugged.
STRDBG PGM(CUS310)

You can use the Integrated Language Environment (ILE) source debugger to debug original program
model (OPM) programs. To create OPM programs that contain source debug data, specify the
OPTION(*SRCDBG) parameter or the OPTION(*LSTDBG) parameter on the Create CL Program
(CRTCLPGM) command. The source debug data is actually part of the program object.

To add OPM programs that get created containing source debug data to the ILE source debugger, use the
Program (PGM) and OPM Source Level Debug (OPMSRC) parameters on the STRDBG command. To start
a debug session with an OPM program created with source debug data, type:
STRDBG PGM(*LIBL/MYOPMPGM) OPMSRC(*YES) DSPMODSRC(*YES)

Control language 371

 Related tasks
“Debugging ILE programs” on page 349
To debug your Integrated Language Environment (ILE) programs, use the ILE source debugger.
Related information
Change Debug (CHGDBG) command
Start Debug (STRDBG) command
End Debug (ENDDBG) command
Remove Program (RMVPGM) command
CL command finder

Adding programs to debug mode:

Before you can debug a program, you must put it in debug mode.

Any program can be run in debug mode. You can place a program in debug mode by specifying it in the
PGM parameter on the Start Debug (STRDBG) command or by adding it to the debugging session with
an Add Program (ADDPGM) command. You can specify as many as twenty (20) programs to be
debugged simultaneously in a job. You must have *CHANGE authority to add a program to debug
mode.

If you specified twenty (20) programs for debug mode (using either the Start Debug (STRDBG) or Add
Program (ADDPGM) command or both commands) and you want to add more programs to the debug
job, you must remove some of the previously specified programs. Use the Remove Program (RMVPGM)
command. When debug mode ends, all programs are automatically removed from debug mode.

When you start debug mode, you can specify that a program be a default program. By specifying a
default program, you can use any debug command that has the PGM parameter without having to
specify a program name each time a command is used. This is helpful if you are only debugging one
program. For example, in the Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command, you would not specify a program
name on the PGM parameter because the default program is assumed to be the program the breakpoint
is being added to. The default program name must be specified in the list of programs to be debugged
(PGM parameter). If more than one program is listed to be debugged, you can specify the default
program on the DFTPGM parameter. If you do not, the first program in the list on the PGM parameter
on the STRDBG command is assumed to be the default program.

The default program can be changed any time during testing by using either the Change Debug
(CHGDBG) or the Add Program (ADDPGM) command.

Note: If a program that is in debug mode is deleted, re-created, or saved with storage freed, references
made to that program (except a Remove Program (RMVPGM) command) may result in a function
check. You must either remove the program using a RMVPGM command or end debug mode
using an End Debug (ENDDBG) command. If you want to change the program and then debug it,
you must remove it from debug mode and after it is re-created, add it to debug mode (Add
Program (ADDPGM) command).
Related information
Change Debug (CHGDBG) command
Add Program (ADDPGM) command
Start Debug (STRDBG) command
Remove Program (RMVPGM) command
CL command finder

Preventing updates to database files in production libraries:

372 System i: Programming Control language

You can use files in production libraries while you are in debug mode, and therefore need to prevent the
files from being unintentionally updated.

To prevent database files in production libraries from being unintentionally changed, you can specify
UPDPROD(*NO) or default to *NO on the Start Debug (STRDBG) command. Then, only files in test
libraries can be opened for updating or adding new records. If you want to open database files in
production libraries for updating or adding new records or if you want to delete members from
production physical files, you can specify UPDPROD(*YES).

You can use this function with the library list. In the library list for your debug job, you can place a test
library before a production library. You should have copies of the production files that might be updated
by the program being debugged in the test library. Then, when the program runs, it uses the files in the
test library. Therefore, production files cannot be unintentionally updated.

Displaying the call stack

To display the call stack, use the Display Debug (DSPDBG) command.

The call stack indicates:

v Which programs are currently being debugged
v The instruction number of the calling instruction or the instruction number of each breakpoint at which
program processing is stopped
v The program recursion level
v The names of the programs that are in debug mode but have not been called

A call of a program is the allocation of automatic storage for the program and the transfer of machine
processing to the program. A series of calls is placed in a call stack. When a program finishes processing
or transfers control, it is removed from the call stack.

A program may be called a number of times while the first call is still in the call stack. Each call of a
program is a recursion level of the program.

When a call is ended (the program returns or transfers control), automatic storage is returned to the
system.

Notes:
1. CL programs can be recursive; that is, a CL program can call itself either directly or indirectly
through a program it has called.
2. Some high-level languages do not allow recursive program calls. Other languages allow not
only programs to be recursive, but also procedures within a program to be recursive. (In this
guide, the term recursion level refers to the number of times the program has been called in the
call stack. A procedure’s recursion level is referred to explicitly as the procedure recursion
level.)
3. All CL commands and displays make use of only the program qualified name recursion level.
Related tasks
“Controlling flow and communicating between programs and procedures” on page 227
The Call Program (CALL), Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC), and Return (RETURN) commands pass
control back and forth between programs and procedures.
Related information
Display Debug (DSPDBG) command

Program activations:

An activation of a program is the allocation of static storage for the program.

Control language 373

An activation is always ended when one of the following happens:
v The current routing step ends.
v The request that activated the program is canceled.
v The Reclaim Resources (RCLRSC) command is run such that the last (or only) call of a program is
ended.

In addition, an activation can be destroyed by actions taken during a program call. These actions are
dependent on the language (HLL or CL) in which the program is written.

When a program is deactivated, static storage is returned to the system. The language (HLL or CL) in
which the program is written determines when the program is normally deactivated. A CL program is
always deactivated when the program ends.

An RPG/400 program or an ILE RPG program compiled with DFTACTGRP(*YES) is deactivated when
the last record indicator (LR) is set on before the program ends. If there is a return operation and LR is
off, the program is not deactivated.
Related information
Reclaim Resources (RCLRSC) command

Handling unmonitored messages

When a function check occurs in an interactive debug job, the system provides default handling and
gives you control instead of stopping the program.

Normally, if a program receives an unmonitored escape message, the system sends the function check
message (CPF9999) to the program’s program message queue and the program stops processing.
However, high-level language (HLL) program compilers may insert monitors for the function check
message or for messages that may occur in the program. (An inquiry message is sent to the program
messages display.) This allows you to end the program the way you want. In an interactive debug job,
when a function check occurs, the system displays the following on the unmonitored message display:
v The message
v The MI instruction number and HLL statement identifier, if available, to which the message was sent
v The name and recursion level of the program to which the message was sent

The following is an example of an unmonitored message breakpoint display:

Display Unmonitored Message Breakpoint

Statement/Instruction . . . . . . . : 440 /0077

Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : TETEST
Recursion level . . . . . . . . . . : 1

Errors occurred on command.

Press Enter to continue.

F3=Exit program F10=Command Entry

374 System i: Programming Control language

You can try to isolate the source of the error by using the testing functions. However, the original request
in error is still stopped at the point where the error occurred. To remove the request in error from the call
stack, you must use the End Request (ENDRQS) command or press F3 when the unmonitored message
breakpoint display is shown. You can let the typical function check processing continue by pressing the
Enter key when the unmonitored message breakpoint display is shown. If you press F10 to call the
command entry display, you must press F3 to return to the unmonitored message breakpoint display.

The following figure shows how the ENDRQS command works.

Program calls are destroyed when the ENDRQS command is entered. (In the previous figure, the
program call of PGMA is destroyed.)
Related information
End Request (ENDRQS) command

Breakpoints
A breakpoint is a place in a program at which the system stops program processing and gives control to
you at a display station (interactive mode) or to a program specified on the BKPPGM parameter in the
Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command (batch mode).
Related information
Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command

Adding breakpoints to programs:

To add breakpoints to the program you want to debug, use the Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command.

You can specify up to 10 statement identifiers on the one ADDBKP command. The program variables
specified on an ADDBKP command apply only to the breakpoints specified on that command. Up to 10
variables can be specified in one ADDBKP command.

Control language 375

You can also specify the name of the program to which the breakpoint is to be added. If you do not
specify the name of the program that you want the breakpoint added to, the breakpoint is added to the
default program specified on the STRDBG, CHGDBG, or ADDPGM command.

To add a breakpoint to a program, specify a statement identifier, which can be:

v A statement label
v A statement number
v A machine interface (MI) instruction number

When you add a breakpoint to a program, you can also specify program variables whose values or
partial values you want to display when the breakpoint is reached. These variables can be shown in
character or hexadecimal format.

Program processing stops at a breakpoint before the instruction is processed. For an interactive job, the
system displays what breakpoint the program has stopped at and, if requested, the values of the program
variables.

In high-level language programs, different statements and labels may be mapped to the same internal
instruction. This happens when there are several inoperable statements (such as DO and ENDDO)
following one another in a program. You can use the IRP list to determine which statements or labels are
mapped to the same instruction.

The result of different statements being mapped to the same instruction is that a breakpoint being added
may redefine a previous breakpoint that was added for a different statement. When this occurs, a new
breakpoint replaces the previously added breakpoint, that is, the previous breakpoint is removed and the
new breakpoint is added. After this information is displayed, you can do any of the following:
v End the most recent request by pressing F3.
v Continue program processing by pressing Enter.
v Go to the command entry display at the next request level by pressing F10. From this display, you can:
– Enter any CL command that can be used in an interactive debug environment. You may display or
change the values of variables in your program, add or remove programs from debug mode, or
perform other debug commands.
– Continue processing the program by entering the Resume Breakpoint (RSMBKP) command.
– Return to the breakpoint display by pressing F3.
– Return to the command entry display at the previous request level by entering the End Request
(ENDRQS) command.

For a batch job, a breakpoint program can be called when a breakpoint is reached. You must create this
breakpoint program to handle the breakpoint information. The breakpoint information is passed to the
breakpoint program. The breakpoint program is another program such as a CL program that can contain
the same commands (requests for function) that you would have entered interactively for an interactive
job. For example, the program can display and change variables or add and remove breakpoints. Any
function valid in a batch job can be requested. When the breakpoint program completes processing, the
program being debugged continues.

A message is recorded in the job log for every breakpoint for the debug job.

The following ADDBKP commands add breakpoints to the program CUS310. CUS310 is the default
program, so it does not have to be specified. The value of the variable &ARBAL is shown when the
second breakpoint is reached.
ADDBKP STMT(900)
ADDBKP STMT(2200) PGMVAR(’&ARBAL’)

376 System i: Programming Control language

Note: You must enclose CL variables within single quotation marks.

The source for CUS310 looks like this.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
5728PW1 R01M00 880101 SEU SOURCE LISTING

SOURCE FILE . . . . . . . QGPL/QCLSRC

MEMBER . . . . . . . . . CUS310

SEQNBR*...+... 1 ...+... 2 ...+... 3 ...+... 4 ...+... 5 ...+...

6 ...+... 7 ...+... 8 ...
100 PGM PARM(&NBRITEMS &ITEMPRC &PARBAL &PTOTBAL)
200 DCL VAR(&PARBAL) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(15 5) /*
INPUT AREA INV BALANCE */
300 DCL VAR(&PTOTBAL) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(15 5) /*
INPUT TOTAL INV BALANCE*/
400 DCL VAR(&NBRITEMS) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(15 5) /*
NUMBER OF ITEMS */
500 DCL VAR(&ITEMPRC) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(15 5) /*
PRICE OF THE ITEM */
600 DCL VAR(&ARBAL) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 2) /*
AREA INVENTORY BALANCE */
700 DCL VAR(&TOTBAL) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 2) /*
TOTAL INVENTORY BALANCE*/
800 DCL VAR(&TOTITEM) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 2) /*
TOTAL PRICE OF ITEMS */
900 CHGVAR VAR(&ARBAL) VALUE(&PARBAL)
1000 CHGVAR VAR(&TOTBAL) VALUE(&PTOTBAL)
1100 IF COND(&NBRITEMS *EQ 0) THEN(DO)
1200 SNDPGMMSG MSG(’The number of items is zero. This item +
1300 should be ordered.’) TOMSGQ(INVLIB/INVQUEUE)
1400 GOTO CMDLBL(EXIT)
1500 ENDDO
1600 CHGVAR VAR(&TOTITEM) VALUE(&NBRITEMS * &ITEMPRC)
1700 IF COND(&NBRITEMS *GT 50) THEN(DO)
1800 SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Too much inventory for this item.’) +
1900 TOMSGQ(INVLIB/INVQUEUE)
2000 ENDDO
2100 CHGVAR VAR(&ARBAL) VALUE(&ARBAL + &TOTITEM)
2200 IF COND(&ARBAL *GT 1000) THEN(DO)
2300 SNDPGMMSG MSG(’The area has too much money in +
2400 inventory.’) TOMSGQ(INVLIB/INVQUEUE)
2500 ENDDO
2600 CHGVAR VAR(&TOTBAL) VALUE(&TOTBAL + &TOTITEM)
2700 EXIT: ENDPGM

The following is displayed as a result of reaching the first breakpoint:

Control language 377

 Display Breakpoint

Statement/Instruction . . . . . . . . . : 900 /0009

Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : CUS310
Recursion level . . . . . . . . . . . . : 1

Press Enter to continue.

F3=Exit program F10=Command entry

The following is displayed as a result of reaching the second breakpoint:

Display Breakpoint

Statement/Instruction . . . . . . . . . : 2200 /0022

Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : CUS310
Recursion level . . . . . . . . . . . . : 1
Start position . . . . . . . . . . . . : 1
Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *CHAR
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *DCL

Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : &ARBAL
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : PACKED
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 5 2
’610.00’

Press Enter to continue.

F3=Exit program F10=Command entry

The variable &ARBAL is shown. (Note that the value of &ARBAL will vary depending on the parameter
values passed to the program.) You can press F10 to display the command entry display so that you
could change the value of the variable &ARBAL to alter your program’s processing. You use the Change
Program Variable (CHGPGMVAR) command to change the value of a variable.
Related information
Resume Breakpoint (RSMBKP) command
Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command
CL command finder

Adding conditional breakpoints:

To add a conditional breakpoint to a program that is being debugged, use the Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP)
command to specify the statement and condition.

378 System i: Programming Control language

If the condition is met, the system stops the program processing at the specified statement.

You may specify a skip value on the ADDBKP command. A skip value is a number that indicates how
many times a statement should be processed before the system stops the program. For example, to stop a
program at statement 1200 after the statement has been processed 100 times, enter the following
command:
ADDBKP STMT(1200) SKIP(100)

If you specify multiple statements when the SKIP parameter is specified, each statement has a separate
count. The following command causes your program to stop on statement 150 or 200, but only after the
statement has processed 400 times:
ADDBKP STMT(150 200) SKIP(400)

If statement 150 has processed 400 times but statement 200 has processed only 300 times, then the
program does not stop on statement 200.

If a statement has not processed as many times as was specified on the SKIP parameter, the Display
Breakpoint (DSPBKP) command can be used to show how many times the statement was processed. To
reset the SKIP count for a statement to zero, enter the breakpoint again for that statement.

You can specify a more general breakpoint condition on the ADDBKP command. This expression uses a
program variable, an operator, and another variable or constant as the operands. For example, to stop a
program at statement 1500 when variable &X is greater than 1000, enter the following command:
ADDBKP STMT(1500) PGMVAR(’&X’) BKPCOND(*PGMVAR1 *GT 1000)

The BKPCOND parameter requires three values:

v In the example, the first value specifies the first variable specified on the PGMVAR parameter. (To
specify the third variable, you would use *PGMVAR3.)
v The second value must be an operator.
v The third value may be a constant or another variable. A constant may be a number, character string,
or bit string, and must be the same type as the program variable specified in the first value.

The SKIP and BKPCOND parameters can be used together to specify a complex breakpoint condition. For
example, to stop a program on statement 1000 after the statement has been processed 50 times and only
when the character string &STR is TRUE, enter the following command:
ADDBKP STMT(1000) PGMVAR(’&STR’) SKIP(50)
BKPCOND(*PGMVAR1 *EQ ’TRUE ’)
Related reference
“Operators in expressions” on page 104
Operators are used in expressions to indicate an action to be performed on the operands in the
expression or the relationship between the operands.
Related information
Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command
Display Breakpoint (DSPBKP) command

Removing breakpoints from programs:

To remove breakpoints from a program, use the Remove Breakpoint (RMVBKP) command.

To remove a breakpoint you must specify the statement number of the statement for which the
breakpoint has been defined.
Related information
Remove Breakpoint (RMVBKP) command

Control language 379

Traces
A trace is the process of recording the sequence in which the statements in a program are processed.

A trace differs from a breakpoint in that you are not given control during the trace. The system records
the traced statements that were processed. However, the trace information is not automatically displayed
when the program completes processing. You must request the display of trace information using the
Display Trace Data (DSPTRCDTA) command. The display shows the sequence in which the statements
were processed and, if requested, the values of the variables specified on the Add Trace (ADDTRC)
command.
Related information
Add Trace (ADDTRC) command
DisplayTrace Data (DSPTRCDTA) command

Adding traces to programs:

Adding a trace consists of specifying what statements are to be traced and, if you want, the names of
program variables.

Before a traced statement processes, the value of the variable is recorded. Also, you can specify that the
values of the variables are to be recorded only if they have changed from the last time a traced statement
was processed. These variables can be displayed in character format or hexadecimal format.

To specify which statements are to be traced, you can specify:

v The statement identifier at which the trace is to start and the statement identifier at which the trace is
to stop
v That all statements in the program are to be traced
v A single statement identifier of a statement to be traced

On the Start Debug (STRDBG) or Change Debug (CHGDBG) command, you can specify how many
statement traces can be recorded for a job and what action the system should take when the maximum is
reached. When the maximum is reached, the system performs one of the following actions (depending on
what you specify):
v For an interactive job, either of the following can be done:
– Stop the trace (*STOPTRC). Control is given to you (a breakpoint occurs), and you can remove some
of the trace definitions (Remove Trace (RMVTRC) command), clear the trace data (Clear Trace Data
(CLRTRCDTA) command), or change the maximum (MAXTRC parameter on the Change Debug
(CHGDBG) command).
– Continue the trace (*WRAP). Previously recorded trace data is overlaid with trace data recorded
after this point.
v For a batch job, either of the following can be done:
– Stop the trace (*STOPTRC). The trace definitions are removed and the program continues
processing.
– Continue the trace (*WRAP). Previously recorded trace data is overlaid with trace data recorded
after this point.

You can change the maximum and the default action any time during the debug job using the Change
Debug (CHGDBG) command. However, the change does not affect traces that have already been
recorded.

You can only specify a total of five statement ranges for a single program at any one time, which is a
total taken from all the Add Trace (ADDTRC) commands for the program. In addition, only 10 variables
can be specified for each statement range.

380 System i: Programming Control language

In high-level language programs, different statements and labels may be mapped to the same internal
instruction. This happens when there are several inoperable statements (such as DO, END) following one
another in a program. You can use the IRP list to determine which statements or labels are mapped to the
same instruction.

When you specify CL variables, you must enclose the & and the variable name in single quotation marks.
For example:
ADDTRC PGMVAR(’&IN01’)

When you specify a statement range, the source statement number for the stop statement is ordinarily
larger than the number for the start statement. Tracing, however, is performed with machine interface
(MI) instructions, and some compilers (notably RPG/400) generate programs in which the order of MI
instructions is not the same as the order of the source statements. Therefore, in some cases, the MI
number of the stop statement may not be larger than the MI number of the start statement, and you will
receive message CPF1982.

When you receive this message, you should do one of the following:
v Trace all statements in the program.
v Restrict a statement range to one specification.
v Use MI instruction numbers gotten from an intermediate representation of a program (IRP) list of the
program.

The following Add Trace (ADDTRC) command adds a trace to the program CUS310. CUS310 is the
default program, so it does not have to be specified. The value of the variable &TOTBAL is recorded only
if its value changes between the times each traced statement is processed.
ADDTRC STMT((900 2700)) PGMVAR(’&TOTBAL’) OUTVAR(*CHG)

The following displays result from this trace and are displayed using the Display Trace Data
(DSPTRCDTA) command. Note that column headers are not supplied for all displays.
Display Trace Data

Statement/
Program Instruction Recursion level
Sequence number
CUS310 900 1
1

Start position . . . . . . . . . . . . : 1
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *DCL
Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *CHAR

Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : &TOTBAL
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : PACKED
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 5 2
’ .00’

Statement/
Program Instruction Recursion level
Sequence number
CUS310 1000 1
2
CUS310 1100 1
3 +

Press Enter to continue.

F3=Exit F12=Cancel

Control language 381

 Display Trace Data

Start position . . . . . . . . . . . . : 1
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *DCL
Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *CHAR

*Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : &TOTBAL
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : PACKED
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 5 2
’ 1.00’

Statement/
Program Instruction Recursion level
Sequence number
CUS310 1600 1
4
CUS310 1700 1
5
CUS310 2100 1
6
CUS310 2200 1
7
CUS310 2600 1
8 +

Press Enter to continue.

F3=Exit F12=Cancel

Display Trace Data

CUS310 2700 1
9

Start position . . . . . . . . . . . . : 1
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *DCL
Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *CHAR

*Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : &TOTBAL
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : PACKED
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 5 2
’ 2.00’

Press Enter to continue.

F3=Exit F12=Cancel

Related tasks
“Debugging at the machine interface level” on page 389
To debug your programs at the machine interface (MI) level, specify an MI object definition vector
(ODV) number for the PGMVAR parameter of a command and MI instruction numbers for the STMT
parameter of a command.
Related information
Change Debug (CHGDBG) command
Start Debug (STRDBG) command
CL command finder

Using instruction stepping:

382 System i: Programming Control language

To step through the instructions of a program, use the Start Debug (STRDBG) command or the Change
Debug (CHGDBG) command.

When using these commands, set the MAXTRC parameter to 1 and the TRCFULL parameter to
*STOPTRC. When you specify a trace range (Add Trace (ADDTRC) command) and the program processes
an instruction within that range, a breakpoint display with an error message appears. If you press Enter,
another breakpoint display with the same error message appears for the next instruction processed in the
trace range. When tracing is completed, the trace data contains a list of the instructions traced. You can
display this data by entering the Display Trace Data (DSPTRCDTA) command.

Using breakpoints within traces:

Breakpoints can be used within a trace range.

At a breakpoint within a trace, you can display the trace data (Display Trace Data (DSPTRCDTA)
command) to determine if you need to take some action. The trace data is recorded before the breakpoint
occurs. The trace information contains the value of any variables before the statement was processed.

Removing trace information from the system:

To specify whether the trace information is removed from the system or left on the system after the
information is displayed, use the Display Trace Data (DSPTRCDTA) command.

If you leave the trace information on the system, any other traces are added to it. The information
remains on the system (unless removed) until the debug job ends or the ENDDBG command is
submitted. You can also use the Clear Trace Data (CLRTRCDTA) command to remove trace information
from the system.
Related information
Display Trace Data (DSPTRCDTA) command
Clear Trace Data (CLRTRCDTA) command

Removing traces from programs:

The Remove Trace (RMVTRC) command removes all or some of the trace ranges specified in one or more
Add Trace (ADDTRC) commands.

Removing a trace range consists of specifying the statement identifiers used on the Remove Trace
(RMVTRC) command, or specifying that all ranges be removed.

You can use the STMT parameter on the Remove Trace (RMVTRC) command to specify:
v All high-level language (HLL) statements or machine instructions or both in the specified program are
not to be traced regardless of how the trace was defined by the Add Trace (ADDTRC) command.
v The start and stop trace location of the HLL statements or system instructions or both to be removed.

The Remove Program (RMVPGM) and End Debug (ENDDBG) commands also remove traces, but they
also remove the program from debug mode.
Related information
Add Trace (ADDTRC) command
Remove Trace (RMVTRC) command
End Debug Mode (ENDDBG) command
Remove Program (RMVPGM) command

Displaying testing information

Displaying testing information can help you review your job in debug mode.

Control language 383

You can display what programs are in debug mode and what breakpoints and traces have been defined
for those programs. In addition, you can display the status of the programs in debug mode.

You can use the following commands to display testing information:

v Display Debug (DSPDBG), which displays the current call stack and the names of the programs that
are in debug mode and indicates the following:
– Which are stopped at a breakpoint
– Which are currently called
– The request level of those that are called
– Debug options selected for the debug job
v Display Breakpoint (DSPBKP), which displays the locations of breakpoints that are currently defined in
a program.
v Display Trace (DSPTRC), which displays the statements or statement ranges that are currently defined
in a program.
Related information
Display Debug (DSPDBG) command
Display Trace (DSPTRC) command
Display Breakpoints (DSPBKP) command

Displaying the values of variables

If you specify the variable names on the Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command, the values of program
variables are displayed automatically on the breakpoint display. You can also enter the Display Program
Variable (DSPPGMVAR) command at the breakpoint by pressing F10 to show the command entry display.

Only 10 variables can be specified on one Display Program Variable (DSPPGMVAR) command. For
character and bit variables, you can tell the system to begin displaying the value of the variable starting
at a certain position and for a specified length. Variables can be displayed in either character or
hexadecimal format.

Notes:
1. If you specify an array variable, you can do one of the following:
a. Specify the subscript values of the array element you want to display. The subscript values
can either be integer values or the names of numeric variables in the program.
b. Display the entire array by not entering any subscripts.
c. Display a single-dimension cross-section of the array by specifying values for all subscripts
except one, and an asterisk for that one subscript value.
2. Variable names can be specified as simple or qualified names, but must be placed between
single quotation marks. A qualified name can be specified in either of two ways:
a. Variable names alternating with the special separator words OF or IN, ordered from lowest
to highest qualification level. A blank must separate the variable name and the special
separator word.
b. Variable names separated by periods, ordered from highest to lowest qualification level.

The following Display Program Variable (DSPPGMVAR) command displays the variable ARBAL used in
the program CUS310. CUS310 is the default program, so it does not have to be specified. The entire value
is to be displayed in character format.
DSPPGMVAR PGMVAR(’&ARBAL’)

The resulting display looks like this:

384 System i: Programming Control language

 Display Program Variables

Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : CUS310
Recursion level . . . . . . . . . . . . : 1
Start position . . . . . . . . . . . . : 1
Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *CHAR
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : *DCL

Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : &ARBAL
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : PACKED
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 5 2
’610.00’

Press Enter to continue.

F3=Exit F12=Cancel

Some high-level languages (HLLs) allow variables to be based on a user-specified pointer variable (HLL
pointer). If you do not specify an explicit pointer for a based variable, the pointer specified in the HLL
declaration (if any) is used. You must specify an explicit basing pointer if one was not specified in the
HLL declaration for the based variable. The PGMVAR parameter allows you to specify up to five explicit
basing pointers when referring to a based variable. When multiple basing pointers are specified, the first
basing pointer specified is used to locate the second basing pointer, the second one is then used to locate
the third, and so forth. The last pointer in the list of basing pointers is used to locate the primary
variable.
Related information
Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command
Display Program Variable (DSPPGMVAR) command

Changing the values of variables

To change the value of a program variable in debug mode, use the Change Program Variable
(CHGPGMVAR), the Change HLL Pointer (CHGHLLPTR), or the Change Pointer (CHGPTR) command.

Changing the value of a program variable consists of specifying the variable name and a value that is
compatible with the data type of the variable. For example, if the variable is character type, you must
enter a character value.

When changing the value of variables, you should be aware of whether the variable is an automatic
variable or a static variable. The difference between the two is in the storage for the variables. For
automatic variables, the storage is associated with the call of the program. Every time a program is
called, a new copy of the variable is placed in automatic storage. A change to an automatic variable
remains in effect only for the program call the change was made in.

Note: In some languages, the definition of a call is made at the procedure level and not just at the
program level. For these languages, storage for automatic variables is associated with the call of
the procedure. Every time a procedure is called, a new copy of the variable is gotten. A change to
an automatic variable remains in effect only while that procedure is called. Only the automatic
variables in the most recent procedure call can be changed. The RCRLVL (recursion level)
parameter on the commands applies only on a program basis and not on a procedure basis.

Control language 385

For static variables, the storage is associated with the activation. Only one copy of a static variable exists
in storage no matter how many times a program is called. A change to a static variable remains in effect
for the duration of the activation.

To determine if a program variable is a static or an automatic variable, request an intermediate

representation of a program (IRP) list (*LIST and *XREF on the GENOPT parameter) when the program
containing the variables is created.

When changing a variable that is an array, you must specify one element of the array. Consequently, you
must specify the subscript values for the array element you want to change.
Related information
Change Program Variable (CHGPGMVAR) command
Change Pointer (CHGPTR) command
Change HLL Pointer (CHGHLLPTR) command

Reasons for using a job to debug another job

You might want to use a separate job to debug programs that run in another job in these situations.
v Batch jobs can be debugged by an interactive job.
v An interactive job can be debugged from another interactive job. This allows one display to show
debug information without interrupting the application program display.
v An interactive or batch job that is looping can be interrupted and put into debug mode.

Debugging batch jobs that are submitted to a job queue:

Using a separate job to debug another batch job submitted to the job queue allows you to put the batch
job into debug mode and to set breakpoints and traces before the job starts to process.

Use the following steps to debug batch jobs to be submitted to a job queue:
1. Submit the batch job using the Submit Job (SBMJOB) command or a program that automatically
submits the job with HOLD(*YES).
SBMJOB HOLD(*YES)
2. Determine the qualified job name (number/user/name) that is assigned to the job using the Work
with Submitted Jobs (WRKSBMJOB) command or the Work with Job Queues (WRKJOBQ) command.
The Submit Job (SBMJOB) command also displays the name in a completion message when the
command finishes processing.
The WRKJOBQ (Work With Job Queue) command displays all the jobs waiting to start in a particular
job queue. You can show the job name from this display by selecting option 5 for the job.
3. Enter the Start Service Job (STRSRVJOB) command from the display you plan to use to debug the
batch job as follows:
STRSRVJOB JOB(qualified-job-name)
4. Enter the STRDBG command and provide the names of all programs to be debugged. No other debug
commands can be entered while the job is waiting on the job queue.
5. Use the Release Job Queue (RLSJOBQ) command to release the job queue. A display appears when
the job is ready to start, indicating that you may begin debugging the job. Press F10 to show the
Command Entry display.
6. Use the Command Entry display to enter any debug commands, such as the Add Breakpoint
(ADDBKP) or Add Trace (ADDTRC) commands.
7. Press F3 to leave the Command Entry display, and then press Enter to start the batch job.
8. When the job stops at a breakpoint, you see the normal breakpoint display. When the job finishes, you
cannot add breakpoints and traces, or display or change variables. However, you can display any
trace data using the Display Trace Data (DSPTRCDTA) command.

386 System i: Programming Control language

9. If you want to debug another batch job, first end debugging using the End Debug (ENDDBG)
command and then end servicing the job using the End Servicing Job (ENDSRVJOB) command.
Related information
Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command
Add Trace (ADDTRC) command
CL command finder

Debugging batch jobs that are not started from job queues:

You can debug batch jobs that are started on the system but are not submitted to a job queue. These jobs
cannot be stopped before they start running, but they can typically be debugged.

To debug jobs not started from a job queue, do the following tasks:
1. Rename the program that is called when the job starts. For example, if the job runs program
CUST310, you can rename this program to CUST310DBG.
2. Create a small CL program with the same name as the original program (before the program was
renamed). In the small CL program, use the Delay Job (DLYJOB) command to delay for one minute
and then use the CALL command to call the renamed program.
3. Allow the batch job to start to force the CL program to be delayed for one minute.
4. Use the Work with Active Jobs (WRKACTJOB) command to find the batch job that is running. When
the display appears, enter option 5 next to the job to obtain the qualified job name.
5. Enter the Start Service Job (STRSRVJOB) command as follows:
STRSRVJOB JOB(qualified-job-name)
6. Enter STRDBG and any other debug commands, such as the Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) or Add Trace
(ADDTRC) command. Proceed with debugging as usual.
Related information
Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command
Add Trace (ADDTRC) command
CL command finder

Debugging a job that is running:

You can debug a job that is already running if you know what statements the job will run.

For example, you may want to debug a running program if the job is looping or the job has not yet run a
program that is to be debugged. The following steps allow you to debug a running job:
1. Use the Work with Active Jobs (WRKACTJOB) command to find the job that is running. When the
display appears, enter option 5 next to the job to obtain the qualified job name.
2. Enter the Start Service Job (STRSRVJOB) command as follows:
STRSRVJOB JOB(qualified-job-name)
3. Enter the Start Debug (STRDBG) command. (Entering the command does not stop the job from
running.)

Note: You can use the Display Debug (DSPDBG) command to show the call stack. However, unless
the program is stopped for some reason, the stack is correct only for an instant, and the
program continues to run.
4. If you know a statement to be run, enter the Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command to stop the job at
the statement.
If you do not know what statements are being run, do the following:
a. Enter the Add Trace (ADDTRC) command.
b. After a short time, enter the Remove Trace (RMVTRC) command to stop tracing the program.
Control language 387
 c. Enter the Display Trace Data (DSPTRCDTA) command to show what statements have processed.
Use the trace data to determine which data statements to process next (for example, statements
inside a program loop).
d. Enter the Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command to stop the job at the statement.
5. Enter the required debug commands when the program is stopped at a breakpoint.
Related information
Display Debug (DSPDBG) command
Display Trace Data (DSPTRCDTA) command
Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command
Add Trace (ADDTRC) command
CL command finder

Debugging another interactive job:

Whether a job is running or waiting at a menu or command entry display, you can debug the job from
another display.

To debug another interactive job, follow these steps:

1. Determine the qualified job name of the job to be debugged. To determine the name, either enter the
Display Job (DSPJOB) command from the display of the job to be debugged, or use the Work with
Active Jobs (WRKACTJOB) command.
2. Enter the Start Service Job (STRSRVJOB) command using the qualified job name.
3. Enter the Start Debug (STRDBG) command and any other debug commands you want. If the job is
already running, you may need to enter the Display Debug (DSPDBG) command to determine what
statement in the program is processing.

When the job being debugged is stopped at a breakpoint, the display station is locked.
Related information
Start Debug (STRDBG) command
Display Debug (DSPDBG) command
CL command finder

Considerations when debugging one job from another job:

Although most jobs can be debugged from another job, there are some considerations you should follow.
v A job being debugged cannot be held or suspended (for example, when running another group job or a
secondary job).
v When servicing another job with the Start Service Job (STRSRVJOB) command, you cannot also debug
the job doing the servicing. All debug commands apply only to the job being serviced. To debug the
job doing the servicing, you must either end the servicing of the other job, or have another job service
and debug it.
v Debug commands operate on another job, even if that job is not stopped at a breakpoint. For example,
if you are debugging a running job and you enter the Display Program Variable (DSPPGMVAR)
command, the variable you specify is shown. Since the job continues to run, the value of the variable
may change soon after the command is entered.
v A job being debugged must have enough priority to respond to debug commands. If you are
debugging a batch job with a low priority and that job gets no processing time, then any debug
command you issue waits for a response from the job. If the job does not respond, the command ends
and an error message is displayed.
v You cannot service and debug a job that is debugging itself. However, you can service and debug a job
that is servicing and debugging another job.

388 System i: Programming Control language

Debugging at the machine interface level
To debug your programs at the machine interface (MI) level, specify an MI object definition vector (ODV)
number for the PGMVAR parameter of a command and MI instruction numbers for the STMT parameter
of a command.

For a breakpoint, the system stops at the MI instruction number just as it does at a high-level language
(HLL) statement number. You must always precede the ODV or MI instruction number with a slash (/)
and enclose it in single quotation marks (for example, ’/1A’) to signal to the system that you are
debugging at the MI level.

The ODV and MI instruction numbers can be obtained from the IRP listing produced by most high-level
language compilers. Use the *LIST value of the GENOPT parameter to produce the IRP listing at program
creation time.

Note: When you debug at the machine interface level, only the characteristics that are defined at the
machine interface level are available; the HLL characteristics that are normally passed to the test
environment are not available. These HLL characteristics may include: the variable type, number of
fractional digits, length, and array information. For example, a numeric variable in your HLL
program may be displayed without the correct decimal alignment or possibly as a character string.
Related tasks
“Adding traces to programs” on page 380
Adding a trace consists of specifying what statements are to be traced and, if you want, the names of
program variables.

Security considerations
To debug a program, you must have *CHANGE authority to that program.

The *CHANGE authority available by adopting another user’s profile is not considered when
determining whether a user has authority to debug a program. This prevents users from accessing
program data in debug mode by adopting another user’s profile.

Additionally, when you are at a user-defined breakpoint of a program that you are debugging with
adopted user authority, you have only the authority of your user profile and not the adopted profile
authority. You do not have authorities adopted by prior program calls for all breakpoints whether they
are added by the Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command or are caused by an unmonitored escape
message.

Operations that temporarily remove breakpoints

If you use certain CL commands to specify your library or program, you can temporarily remove
breakpoints or statement traces from a program while the debug function is running.

Breakpoints and statement traces are restored when the CL command completes running. A CPD190A
message is in the job log when the breakpoints or traces are removed; another CPD190A message is in
the job log when the breakpoints and statement traces are restored.

Breakpoints or statement traces may be temporarily removed from a program when you use the
following CL commands to specify your library.

CHKOBJITG CPY CPROBJ RSTLIB SAVLIB

CPYLIB CRTDUPOBJ RSTOBJ SAVOBJ
SAVSYS
SAVCHGOBJ

Control language 389

Note: When the CL commands are running on your program, you may not be able to add breakpoints or
add traces to the program. If you enter the Add Breakpoint (ADDBKP) command or the Add Trace
(ADDTRC) command when any of the commands are running on your program, you will receive
error message CPF7102.
Related information
CL command finder

Objects and libraries

Tasks and concepts specific to objects and libraries include performing functions on objects, creating
libraries, and specifying object authority.

An object is a named storage space that consists of a set of characteristics that describes the object and, in
some cases, data. An object is anything that exists in and occupies space in storage and on which
operations can be performed. The attributes of an object include its name, type, size, the date it was
created, and a description provided by the user who created the object. The value of an object is the
collection of information stored in the object. The value of a program, for example, is the code that makes
up the program. The value of a file is the collection of records that makes up the file. The concept of an
object provides a term that can be used to refer to a number of different items that can be stored in the
system, regardless of what the items are.

Note: Objects can reside in both libraries and directories. (Previously, an object could reside only in a
library.) This chapter contains information only about objects residing in libraries.
Related concepts
“i5/OS objects” on page 109
An i5/OS object is a named unit that exists (occupies space) in storage, and on which operations are
performed by the operating system. i5/OS objects provide the means through which all data
processing information is stored and processed by the i5/OS operating system.
Related tasks
“Data area locking and allocation” on page 255
Locking and allocating a data area helps to ensure that the data area is not accessed by more than one
job at a time.
Related information
Integrated fie system

Objects
An object is a named storage space that consists of a set of characteristics that describes the object and, in
some cases, data. An object is anything that exists in and occupies space in storage and on which
operations can be performed.

Object types and common attributes

Each type of object on the system has a unique purpose within the system, and each object type has a
common set of attributes that describes the object.

Each type of object has an associated set of commands that process this type of object.
Related concepts
“External object types” on page 112
Many types of external objects are stored in libraries.
Related reference
“Displaying object descriptions” on page 411
The Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) or Work with Objects (WRKOBJ) command displays
descriptions of objects.

390 System i: Programming Control language

 Related information
Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) command

Functions performed on objects

Many functions can be performed on objects. Some functions the system performs automatically and
others you request through commands.

Functions the system performs automatically:

The functions performed automatically ensure that objects are processed in a consistent, secure, and
correct way.

These functions are:

v Object type verification. The system checks the type of object and the type of function being performed
on the object to verify that function can be performed on that type of object. For example, if the object
specified in a CALL command is not a program, the call function cannot be performed.
v Object authority verification. The system checks the object, the function, and the user to verify that
user can perform that function on that object. For example, if USERA is not authorized to use OBJB in
any way, he cannot request that any functions be performed on it.
v Object lock enforcement. The system ensures that the integrity of objects is preserved when two or
more users try to use an object at the same time. Simultaneous changes to an object are locked out;
users cannot use an object while it is being changed.
v Object damage detection and notification. The system monitors for errors during the processing of
objects and communicates to you unplanned failures that result from the unrecognizable contents of
objects. These failures are communicated to you through standard messages that indicate object
damage. The system is designed so that these failures are rare, and monitoring and communicating
these failures provide integrity.

Functions you can perform using commands:

The functions you can request through commands are of two types: specific functions for each object type
and common functions.
v Specific functions for each object type. For example, create, change, and display are specific functions.
The specific functions are described in other sections of this manual that describe the object type.
v Common functions. Some common functions that apply to objects in general are explained in this
guide.
Table 27. Common functions for objects
“Searching for multiple objects or a single object” on page 402
“Authority for libraries specification” on page 404
“Placing objects in libraries” on page 407
“Describing objects” on page 411
“Displaying object descriptions” on page 411
“Retrieving object descriptions” on page 415
“Detecting unused objects on the system” on page 418
“Moving objects from one library to another” on page 422
“Creating duplicate objects” on page 425
“Renaming objects” on page 426
“Deleting objects” on page 430
“Allocating resources” on page 431

Control language 391

Table 27. Common functions for objects (continued)
“Displaying the lock states for objects” on page 434
“Checking for the existence of an object” on page 437

Libraries
On the i5/OS operating system, objects are grouped in special objects called libraries.

Objects are found using libraries. To access an object in a library, you must be authorized to the library
and to the object.

If you specify a library name in the same parameter as the object name, the object name is called a
qualified name.

When a library is created you can specify into which user Auxiliary storage pool (ASP) the library should
be created. A library can be created into a basic user ASP or an Independent ASP. All objects created into
the library are created into the same ASP as the library.

If you are entering a command in which you must specify a qualified name, for example, the object name
could be:
DISTLIB/ORD040C

The order entry program ORD040C is in the library DISTLIB.

If you are using prompting during command entry and you are prompted for a qualified name, you
receive prompts for both the object name and the library name. On most commands, you can specify a
particular library name, specify *CURLIB (the current library for the job), or use a library list. Library lists
are described in the following section.
Related concepts
“Security considerations for objects” on page 405
When the system accesses an object that you refer to, it checks to determine if you are authorized to
use the object and to use it in the way you are requesting.
Related tasks
“Authority for libraries specification” on page 404
Certain authorities can be given to users for libraries.
Related information
Independent disk pool examples

Library lists
Library lists are used by the system to locate objects.

For commands in which a qualified name can be specified, you can omit specifying the library name. If
you do so, either of the following happens:
v For a create command, the object is created and placed in the user’s current library, *CURLIB, or in a
system library, depending on the object type. For example, programs are created and placed in
*CURLIB; authorization lists are created and placed in the system library, QSYS.
v For commands other than a create command, the system normally uses a library list to find the object.

Library lists used by the i5/OS operating system consist of the following four parts.
System part
The system part of the library list contains objects needed by the system.

392 System i: Programming Control language

Product libraries
Two product libraries may be included in the library list. The system uses product libraries to
support languages and utilities that are dependent on libraries other than QSYS to process their
commands.
User commands and menus can also specify a product library on the PRDLIB parameter on the
Create Command (CRTCMD) and Create Menu (CRTMNU) commands to ensure that dependent
objects can be found.
The product libraries are managed by the system, which automatically places product libraries
(such as QRPG) into the reserved product library position in the library list when needed. A
product library may be a duplicate of the current library or of a library in the user part of the
library list.
For example, assume that there is a product library in the library list when a command or menu
that has a product library starts. The system will replace the product library in the library list
with the new product library until the new command ends or the user leaves the new menu.
Current library
The current library can be, but does not have to be, a duplicate of any library in the library list.
The value *CURLIB (current library) may be used on most commands as a library name to
represent whatever library has been specified as the current library for the job. If no current
library exists in the library list and *CURLIB is specified as the library, QGPL is used. You can
change the current library for a job by using the Change Current Library (CHGCURLIB) or
Change Library List (CHGLIBL) command.
User part
The user part of the library list contains those libraries referred to by the system’s users and
applications. The user part, and the product and current libraries, may be different for each job
on the system. There is a limit of 250 libraries.

The following figure shows an example of the structure of the library list.

Note: The system places library QPDA in product library 1 when the source entry utility (SEU) is used.
When SEU is being used to syntax check source code, a second product library can be added to
product library 2. For example, if you are syntax checking RPG source, then QPDA is product
library 1 and QRPG is product library 2. In most other system functions, product library 2 is not
used.
Related information

Control language 393

 Create Menu (CRTMNU) command
Change Library List (CHGLIBL) command
Create Command (CRTCMD) command
Change Current Library (CHGCURLIB) command
Add Library List Entry (ADDLIBLE) command
Edit Library List (EDTLIBL) command
Remove Library List Entry (RMVLIBLE) command

Functions of using a library list:

Using a library list simplifies finding objects on the system.

Each job has a library list associated with it. When a library list is used to find an object, each library in
the list is searched in the order of its occurrence in the list until an object of the specified name and type
is found. If two or more objects of the same type and name exist in the list, you get the object from the
library that appears first in the library list. The following figure shows the searches made for an object
both when the library list (*LIBL) is used and when a library name is specified:

Note: Alternatively, use *NLVLIBL instead of *LIBL to qualify any command. Enter the command from a
CL program, on a command line, or anywhere you normally enter a command. The system uses
*NLVLIBL to determine which libraries to search for the *CMD object. You search only the national
language support libraries in the library list by specifying *NLVLIBL.

394 System i: Programming Control language

The following figure shows what happens when two objects of the same name but different types are in
the library list. The system will search for CUSTINQ *FILE in the library list by specifying:
DSPOBJD OBJ(*LIBL/CUSTINQ) OBJTYPE(*FILE)

Control language 395

Generally, a library list is more flexible and easier to use than qualified names. More important than the
advantage of not entering the library name, is the advantage of performing functions in an application on
different data by using a different library list without having to change the application. For example, a
CL program PGMA updates a data area CHKNBR. If the library name is not specified, the program can
update the data area named CHKNBR in different libraries depending on the use of the library list. For
example, assume that JOBA and JOBB both call PGMA as shown in the following illustration.

396 System i: Programming Control language

However, the use of a qualified name is advantageous in any of the following situations:
v When the object you are using is not in the library list for the job
v When there is more than one object of the same name in the library list and you want one in a specific
library
v When you want to ensure that a specific library is used for security reasons.

If, however, you call a program using a qualified name and the program attempts to open files whose
names are not qualified, the files are not opened if they are not in the library list, as shown in the
following example.

Control language 397

The call to PGMA is successful because the program name is qualified on the CALL command. However,
when the program attempts to open file ORDENTP, the open operation fails because the file is not in one
of the libraries in the library list, and its name is not qualified. If library DISTLIB2 was added to the
library list or a qualified file name was used, the program could open the file. Some high-level languages
do not allow a qualified file name to be specified. By using an Override (OVRxxx) command, a qualified
name can be specified.
Related information
Object signing and signature verification

A job’s library list:

Each job’s library list consists of up to four parts: a system part, a user part, and the current and product
libraries.

Only the system part will always be included in the library list.

398 System i: Programming Control language

When the system is shipped, the system value QSYSLIBL contains the names of the libraries to become
the system part of the library list. The shipped values are QSYS, QSYS2, QHLPSYS, and QUSRSYS. The
system value QUSRLIBL contains the names of the libraries to become the user part of the library list.

QSYSLIBL can contain 15 library names, and QUSRLIBL can contain 25 library names. To change the
system portion of a job’s library list, use the Change System Library List (CHGSYSLIBL) command. To
change the value of either QSYSLIBL or QUSRLIBL, use the Change System Value (CHGSYSVAL)
command. A change to these system values takes effect on new jobs that are started after the system
values are changed.
Related information
Change System Value (CHGSYSVAL) command
Change System Library List (CHGSYSLIB) command

Changing the library list:

You can change the library list in a variety of ways.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

For a running job, you can add entries to or remove entries from the library list by using the Add Library
List Entry (ADDLIBLE) command or the Remove Library List Entry (RMVLIBLE) command, or you can
change the libraries in the library list by using the CHGLIBL command or the EDTLIBL command. These
commands change the user part of the library list, not the system part.

The current library may be added or changed using the Change Current Library (CHGCURLIB) or
CHGLIBL command. The current library can also be changed in the user’s user profile, at sign-on, or on
the Submit Job (SBMJOB) command. The product libraries cannot be added using a CL command; these
libraries are added by the system when a command or menu using them is run. The product libraries
cannot be changed with a CL command; however, they can be changed with the Change Library List
(QLICHGLL) API.

When you use these commands, the change to the library list affects only the job in which the command
is run, and the change is effective only as long as the job is running, or until you change the job’s library
list again. When the library list is changed through the use of these commands, the libraries must exist
when the command is run. A library cannot be deleted if it exists in your job’s library list. If it exists in
another job’s library list, it cannot be deleted only if the system value QLIBLCKLVL is set to lock libraries
in the library search list.

When a job is started, the user portion of the library list is determined by the values contained in the job
description or by values specified on the Submit Job (SBMJOB) command. A value of *SYSVAL can be
specified, which causes the libraries specified by the system value QUSRLIBL to become the user portion
of the library list. If you have specified library names in both the job description and the Batch Job
(BCHJOB) or Submit Job (SBMJOB) command, the library names specified in the BCHJOB or SBMJOB
command override both the libraries specified in the job description and the system value QUSRLIBL.

The following shows the order in which the user part of the library list specified in QUSRLIBL is
overridden by commands for individual jobs:
v A library list can be specified in the job description that, when the job is run, overrides the library list
specified in QUSRLIBL.
v When a job is submitted either through a Batch Job (BCHJOB) command or a Submit Job (SBMJOB)
command, a library list can be specified on the command. This list overrides the library list specified in
the job description or in the system value QUSRLIBL.

Control language 399

v When a job is submitted using the Submit Job (SBMJOB) command, *CURRENT (the default) can be
specified for the library list. *CURRENT indicates that the library list of the job issuing the Submit Job
(SBMJOB) command is used.
v Within a job, an ADDLIBLE, RMVLIBLE, or CHGLIBL command can be used. These commands
override any previous library list specifications.
v The current library for the job can be changed using the CHGCURLIB or CHGLIBL command.

Instead of entering the CHGLIBL command each time you want to change the library list, you can place
the command in a CL program:
PGM /* SETLIBL - Set library list */
CHGLIBL LIBL(APPDEVLIB QGPL QTEMP)
ENDPGM

If you normally work with this library list, you could set up an initial program to establish the library list
instead of calling the program each time:
PGM /* Initial program for QPGMR */
CHGLIBL LIBL(APPDEVLIB QGPL QTEMP)
TFRCTL PGM(QPGMMENU)
ENDPGM

This program must be created and the user profile to which it will apply changed to specify the new
initial program. Control then transfers from this program to the QPGMMENU program, which displays
the Programmer Menu.

If you occasionally need to add a library to the library list specified in your initial program, you can use
the ADDLIBLE command to add that library to the library list. For example, the following command
adds the library JONES to the end of the library list:
ADDLIBLE LIB(JONES) POSITION(*LAST)

If part of your job requires a different library list, you can write a CL program that saves the current
library list and later restores it, such as the following program.
PGM
DCL &LIBL *CHAR 2750
DCL &CMD *CHAR 2760
(1) RTVJOBA USRLIBL(&LIBL)
(2) CHGLIBL (QGPL QTEMP)
.
.
.
(3) CHGVAR &CMD (’CHGLIBL (’ *CAT &LIBL *TCAT ’)’)
(4) CALL QCMDEXC (&CMD 2760)
.
.
.
ENDPGM
(1) Command to save the library list. The library list is stored into variable &LIBL. Each library name
occupies 10 bytes (padded on the right with blanks if necessary), and one blank is between each
library name.
(2) This command changes the library list as required by the following function.
(3) The Change Variable (CHGVAR) command builds a CHGLIBL command in variable &CMD.
(4) QCMDEXC is called to process the command string in variable &CMD. The CHGVAR command
is required before the call to QCMDEXC because concatenation cannot be done on the CALL
command.
Related information
Job description in Work Management

400 System i: Programming Control language

 CL command finder
Change Current Library (CHGCURLIB) command
Submit Job (SBMJOB) command
Add Library List Entry (ADDLIBLE) command
Remove Library List Entry (RMVLIBLE) command

Considerations for using a library list:

When you set up a library list and use it, consider this information.
v The libraries in a library list must exist on the system. The system values QSYSLIBL and QUSRLIBL
are accessed when the i5/OS operating system is started. If a library in either of these values does not
exist on the system, a message is sent to the system operator’s message queue (QSYSOPR), the library
is ignored, and the i5/OS operating system is started without the library. After i5/OS operating system
is started, no libraries in the library list of any active job can be deleted. You cannot delete a library in
your job’s library list. For another job, you cannot delete a library in the library list if the QLIBLCKLVL
system value is set to lock libraries in the library search list. If any library in the library list specified in
the job description or in a Batch Job (BCHJOB) or Submit Job (SBMJOB) command does not exist or is
not available, the job is not started.
v The libraries in a library list must be authorized to all users who need to use them. To initialize a
library list (for example, in a SBMJOB, Job (JOB), or Create Job Description (CRTJOBD) command), a
user must have object operational authority for the libraries or the job is not started. A user must also
have *USE authority to libraries added to the library list using the Add Library List Entry (ADDLIBLE)
or Change Library List (CHGLIBL) command.
v When a program running under an adopted user profile adds a library to the library list that the
current user is not authorized to and does not remove the library from the library list before ending
the program, the user keeps (*USE authority) access to the library after the program exits. This only
occurs when *LIBL is specified to access the objects.
v System performance is better when the library list is kept as short as possible.
Related information
CL command finder
Submit Job (SBMJOB) command
Batch Job (BCHJOB) command
Add Library List Entry (ADDLIBLE) command
Change Library List (CHGLIBL) command

Displaying a library list:

The Display Library List (DSPLIBL) command displays the library list for a job that is currently running.

The display contains a list of all the libraries in the library list in the same order that they appear in the
library list.

You can also display the library list for an active job using the Display Job (DSPJOB) command and
selecting option 13 from the Display Job menu.
Related information
Display Job (DSPJOB) command
Display Library List (DSPLIBL) command

Using library lists to search for objects:

By using library lists, you can either search for multiple objects or a single object. A generic search can be
used for multiple object searches.

Control language 401

Generic object names searching:

A generic search can be used to search for more than one object.

Sometimes you may want to search for more than one object (even though only one might be found)
when the object names start with the same characters. This type of search is called a generic search and
can be used on several commands.

To use a generic search, specify a generic name in place of the object name on the command. A generic
name consists of a set of characters common to all the object names that identifies a group of objects and
ends with an * (asterisk). All objects whose names begin with the specified characters and to which you
are authorized have the requested function performed on them. For example, if you entered the Display
Object Description (DSPOBJD) command using the generic name ORD*, object descriptions for the objects
beginning with ORD are shown.

A generic search can be limited by the following library qualifiers on the generic name (the library name
parameter value is given in parentheses, if applicable):
v A specified library. The operation you requested is performed on the generically named objects in the
specified library only.
v The library list for the job (*LIBL). The libraries are searched in the order they are listed in the library
list. The operation you requested is performed on the generically named objects in the libraries
specified in the library list for the job.
v The current library for the job (*CURLIB). The current library for the job is searched. If no current
library exists, QGPL is used.
v All libraries in the user part of the library list for the job (*USRLIBL). The libraries are searched in the
order they are listed in the library list, including the current library (*CURLIB). The operation you
requested is performed on the generically named objects in the libraries specified in the user portion of
the library list for the job.
v All user libraries for which you are authorized (*ALLUSR) and libraries beginning with the letter Q.
v The libraries are searched in alphanumeric order. The following S/36 environment libraries that begin
with # are not searched with *ALLUSR specified: #CGULIB, #COBLIB, #DFULIB, #DSULIB, #RPGLIB,
#SDALIB, and #SEULIB. The operation you requested is performed on the generically named objects in
all the user libraries for which you are authorized.
v All libraries on the system for which you are authorized (*ALL). The libraries are searched in
alphanumeric order. The operation you requested is performed on the generically named objects in all
the libraries on the system for which you are authorized.
Related tasks
“Creating a library” on page 403
To create a library, use the Create Library (CRTLIB) command.
“Deleting objects” on page 430
To delete an object, you can use a delete (DLTxxx) command for that type of object or you can use the
delete option on the Work with Objects display (shown from the Work with Libraries (WRKLIB)
display).
Related information
Generic library names

Searching for multiple objects or a single object:

In all commands for which you can specify a generic name, you can specify an object name (no asterisk
is specified) and you can search for multiple objects.

If you specify an object name and *ALL or *ALLUSR for the library name, the system searches for
multiple objects, and the search returns objects of the indicated name and type for which you are

402 System i: Programming Control language

authorized. If you specify a generic name, or if you specify *ALL, *ALLUSR, or a library with an object
name, you can specify all supported object types (or *ALL object types).

Using libraries
A library is an object used to group related objects and to find objects by name. Thus, a library is a
directory to a group of objects.

You can use libraries to perform the following tasks:

v Group certain objects for individual users. This helps you manage the objects on your system. For
example, you might place all the files that a user JOE can use in a library JOELIB.
v Group all objects used for an individual application. For example, you might place all your order entry
files and programs into an order entry library DISTLIB. You need only add one library to the library
list to ensure that all your order entry files and programs are in the list. This is advantageous if you do
not want to specify a library name every time you use an order entry file or program.
v Ensure security. For example, you can specify which users have authority to use the library and what
they are allowed to do with the library.
v Simplify security by having automatic authorization list and public authority assignment for newly
created objects based on the CRTAUT parameter value of the library. Auditing attributes for newly
created objects can be set based on the Create Object Auditing (CRTOBJAUD) parameter value.
v Simplify save/restore operations by grouping objects that are saved and restored at the same time into
the same library. You can use a Save Library (SAVLIB) command instead of saving objects individually
using the Save Object (SAVOBJ) command.
v Use multiple libraries for testing.
v Use multiple production libraries. For example, you can use one production library for source files and
for the creation of objects, one for the application programs and files, one for objects that are
infrequently saved, and one for objects that are frequently saved.

Multiple libraries make it easier to use objects. For example, you can have two files with the same name
but in different libraries so that one can be used for testing and the other for normal processing. As long
as you do not specify the library name in your program, the file name in the program does not have to
be changed for testing or normal processing. You control which library is used by using the library list.
(Objects of the same type can have the same names only if they are in different libraries.)

The two types of libraries are production and test. A production library is for normal processing. In
debug mode, you can protect database files in production libraries from being updated. While in debug
mode, any files in test libraries can be updated without any unique specifications.
Related concepts
“Library objects” on page 111
A library is an object that is used to group related objects, and to find objects by name when they are
used. Thus, a library is a directory to a group of objects.
Related tasks
“Debugging original program model programs” on page 370
To debug your original program model (OPM) programs, use testing functions. These functions are
available through a set of commands that can be used interactively or in a batch job.

Creating a library
To create a library, use the Create Library (CRTLIB) command.

For example, the following Create Library (CRTLIB) command creates a library to be used to contain
order entry files and programs. The library is named DISTLIB and is a production library. The default
authority given to the public prevents a user from accessing the library. Any object created into the
library is given the default public authority of *CHANGE based on the CRTAUT value.

Control language 403

CRTLIB LIB(DISTLIB) TYPE(*PROD) CRTAUT(*CHANGE) CRTOBJAUD(*USRPRF) +
ASP(1) ASPDEV(*ASP) AUT(*EXCLUDE) TEXT(’Distribution library’)

You should not create a library with a name that begins with the letter Q. During a generic search, the
system assumes that most libraries with names that begin with the letter Q (such as QRPG or QPDA) are
system libraries.
Related tasks
“Generic object names searching” on page 402
A generic search can be used to search for more than one object.
Related information
Create Library (CRTLIB) command

Authority for libraries specification

Certain authorities can be given to users for libraries.
Related concepts
“Libraries” on page 392
On the i5/OS operating system, objects are grouped in special objects called libraries.
“Security considerations for objects” on page 405
When the system accesses an object that you refer to, it checks to determine if you are authorized to
use the object and to use it in the way you are requesting.
Related information

iSeries Security Reference PDF

Object authority:

The types of object authority include object operational authority, object management authority, and
object existence authority.

Object operational authority for a library gives the user authority to display the description of a library.

Object management authority for a library includes authority to:

v Grant and revoke authority. You can only grant and revoke authorities that you have. Only the object
owner or a user with *ALLOBJ authority can grant object management authority for a library.
v Rename the library.

Object existence authority and use authority gives the user authority to delete a library.

Object existence authority and object operational authority gives the user authority to transfer
ownership of the library.

Data authority:

The types of data authority include add authority, read authority, update authority, execute authority, and
delete authority.

Add authority and read authority for a library allows a user to create a new object in the library or to
move an object into the library.

Update authority and execute authority for a library allow a user to change the name of an object in the
library, provided the user is also authorized to the object.

404 System i: Programming Control language

Delete authority allows the user to remove entries from an object. Delete authority for a library does not
allow a user to delete objects in the library. Authority for the object in the library is used to determine if
the object can be deleted.

Execute authority allows the user to search the library for an object.

Combined authority:

The types of combined authority include *USE authority, *CHANGE authority, *ALL authority, and
*EXCLUDE authority.

*USE authority for a library (consisting of object operational authority, read authority, and execute
authority) includes authority to:
v Use a library to find an object
v Display library contents
v Place a library in the library list
v Save a library (if sufficient authority to the object)
v Delete objects from the library (if the user is authorized to the object in the library)

*CHANGE authority for a library (consisting of object operational authority and all data authorities to
the library) includes authority to:
v Use a library to find an object
v Display library contents
v Place a library in the library list
v Save a library (if sufficient authority to the object)
v Delete objects from the library (if the user is authorized to the object in the library)
v Add objects to the library.

*ALL authority provides all object authorities and data authorities. The user can delete the library, specify
the security for the library, change the library, and display the library’s description and contents.

*EXCLUDE authority prevents users from accessing an object.

To display the authority associated with your library, you may use the Display Object Authority
(DSPOBJAUT) command.

Security considerations for objects

When the system accesses an object that you refer to, it checks to determine if you are authorized to use
the object and to use it in the way you are requesting.

Generally, you must be authorized at two levels:

v You must be authorized to use the object on which you have requested a function to be performed.
v You must be authorized to the library containing the object. If a library list is used, you must be
authorized to the libraries in the list.

Object authority is controlled by the system’s security functions, which include the following:
v An object owner and users with *ALLOBJ special authority have all authority for an object, and can
grant and revoke authority to and from other users.
v Users have public authority when private authority has not been granted to them for the object.

Special considerations apply when writing a program that must be secure (for example, a program that
adopts the security officer’s user profile).

Control language 405

 Related concepts
“Libraries” on page 392
On the i5/OS operating system, objects are grouped in special objects called libraries.
Related tasks
“Authority for libraries specification” on page 404
Certain authorities can be given to users for libraries.
Related information

iSeries Security Reference PDF

The Display Audit Journal Entries command to generate security journal audit reports:

The Display Audit Journal Entries (DSPAUDJRNE) command allows you to generate security journal
audit reports.

The reports generated by the Display Audit Journal Entries (DSPAUDJRNE) command are based on the
audit entry types and the user profile that are specified on the command. You can limit reports to specific
time frames, and you can search detached journal receivers. You can direct these reports to the active
display or an output queue.

RESTRICTIONS: You must have *ALLOBJ and *AUDIT special authorities to use this command.
Related information
Display Audit Journal Entries (DSPAUDJRNE) command

Setting default public authority

When objects are created in a library, the public authority for the object will, by default, be set by using
the CRTAUT value of the library.

By specifying the following command:

CRTLIB LIB(TESTLIB) CRTAUT(*USE) AUT(*LIBCRTAUT)

The library TESTLIB is created. All objects created into library TESTLIB will, by default, have public
authority of *USE. The public authority for library TESTLIB is determined by the CRTAUT value of
library QSYS.

By specifying the following commands:

CRTDTAARA DTAARA(TESTLIB/DTA1) TYPE(*CHAR) +
AUT(*LIBCRTAUT)

CRTDTAARA DTAARA(TESTLIB/DTA2) TYPE(*CHAR) +

AUT(*EXCLUDE)

Data area DTA1 is created into library TESTLIB. The public authority of DTA1 is *USE based on the
CRTAUT value of library TESTLIB.

Data area DTA2 is created into library TESTLIB. The public authority of DTA2 is *EXCLUDE. *EXCLUDE
was specified on the AUT parameter of the Create Data Area (CRTDTAARA) command.

An authorization list can also be used to secure an object when it is created into a library.

By specifying the following commands:

CRTAUTL AUTL(PAYROLL)
CRTLIB LIB(PAYLIB) CRTAUT(PAYROLL) +
AUT(*EXCLUDE)

406 System i: Programming Control language

An authorization list called PAYROLL is created. Library PAYLIB is created with the public authority of
*EXCLUDE. By default, an object created into library PAYLIB is secured by authorization list PAYROLL.

By specifying the following commands:

CRTPF FILE(PAYLIB/PAYFILE) +
AUT(*LIBCRTAUT)

CRTPF FILE(PAYLIB/PAYACC) +
AUT(*CHANGE)

File PAYFILE is created into library PAYLIB. File PAYFILE is secured by authorization list PAYROLL. The
public authority of file PAYFILE is set to *AUTL as part of the Create Physical File (CRTPF) command.
*AUTL indicates that the public authority for file PAYFILE is taken from the authorization list securing
file PAYFILE, which is authorization list PAYROLL.

File PAYACC is created into library PAYLIB. The public authority for file PAYACC is *CHANGE since it
was specified on the AUT parameter of the Create Physical File (CRTPF) command.

Note: The *LIBCRTAUT value of the AUT parameter that exists on most CRT commands indicates that
the public authority for the object is set to the CRTAUT value of the library that the object is being
created into.

The CRTAUT value on the library specifies the default authority for public use of the objects created into
the library. These possible values are:
*SYSVAL
The public authority for the object being created is the value specified in system value QCRTAUT
*ALL All public authorities
*CHANGE
Change authority
*USE Use authority
*EXCLUDE
Exclude authority
authorization list name
The authorization list secures the object

Setting default auditing attribute

When objects are created in a library, the auditing attribute of the object will, by default, be set by using
the CRTOBJAUD value of the library.

By specifying the following command, all objects created into the payroll library are audited for both
read and change access:
CRTLIB LIB(PAYROLL) AUT(*EXCLUDE) CRTAUT(*EXCLUDE) CRTOBJAUD(*ALL)
Related information

iSeries Security Reference PDF

Placing objects in libraries

When you create an object, it is placed in a library.

If you do not specify a library, the object is placed in the current library for the job (*CURLIB) or, if there
is no current library for the job, in QGPL. When a library is created, you can specify the public authority
for objects created in the library by using the CRTAUT parameter on the Create Library (CRTLIB)
command. All objects placed in that library will assume the specified public authority on the CRTAUT

Control language 407

value of the library. To specify a library, you specify a qualified name; that is, a library name and an
object name. For example, the following Create Physical File (CRTPF) command creates an order entry
physical file ORDHDRP to be placed in DISTLIB.
CRTPF FILE(DISTLIB/ORDHDRP)

To place an object in a library, you must have read and add authorities for the library.

More than one object of the same type cannot have the same name and be in the same library. For
example, two files with the name ORDHDRP cannot both be in the library DISTLIB. If you try to place
into a library an object of the same name and type as an object already in the library, the system rejects
the request and sends you a message indicating the reason.

Note: Use the QSYS library for system objects only. Do not restore other licensed programs to the QSYS
library because changes are lost when installing a new release of the i5/OS operating system.
Related information
Create Library (CRTLIB) command
Create Physical File (CRTPF) command

Deleting and clearing libraries

When you delete a library with the Delete Library (DLTLIB) command, you delete the objects in the
library as well as the library itself.

When you clear a library with the Clear Library (CLRLIB) command, you delete objects in the library
without deleting the library. To delete or clear a library, all you need to specify is the library name. For
example:
DLTLIB LIB(DISTLIB)
CLRLIB LIB(DISTLIB)

To delete a library, you must have object existence authority for both the library and the objects within
the library, and use authority for the library. If you try to delete a library but do not have object existence
authority for all the objects in the library, the library and all objects for which you do not have authority
are not deleted. All objects for which you have authority are deleted. If you try to delete a library but do
not have object existence authority for the library, not only is the library not deleted, but none of the
objects in the library are deleted. If you want to delete a specific object (for which you have object
existence authority), you can use a delete command for that type of object, such as the Delete Program
(DLTPGM) command.

You cannot delete a library in an active job’s library list. You must wait until the end of the job before the
deletion of the library is allowed. Because of this, you must delete the library before the next routing step
begins. When you delete a library, you must be sure no one else needs the library or the objects within
the library.

If a library is part of the initial library list defined by the system values QSYSLIBL and QUSRLIBL, the
following steps should be followed to delete the library:
1. Use the Change System Value (CHGSYSVAL) command to remove the library from the system value
it is contained in. (The changed system value does not affect the library list of any jobs running.)
2. Use the Change Library List (CHGLIBL) command to change the job’s library list.
The Change System Library List (CHGSYSLIBL), Add Library List Entry (ADDLIBLE), Edit Library
List (EDTLIBL), and Remove Library List Entry (RMVLIBLE) commands are also used to change the
library list.
3. Use the Delete Library (DLTLIB) command to delete the library and the objects in the library.

Note: You cannot delete the library QSYS and should not delete any objects in it. You may cause the
system to end because the system needs objects that are in QSYS to operate properly. You should

408 System i: Programming Control language

 not delete the library QGPL because it also contains some objects that are necessary for the system
to be able to perform effectively. You should not use the library QRECOVERY because it is
intended for system use only. The library QRECOVERY contains objects that the system needs to
operate properly.

To clear a library, you must have object existence authority for the objects within the library and use
authority for the library. If you try to clear a library but do not have object existence authority for all the
objects in the library, the objects you do not have authority for are not deleted from the library. If an
object is allocated to someone else, it is not deleted.
Related tasks
“Deleting objects” on page 430
To delete an object, you can use a delete (DLTxxx) command for that type of object or you can use the
delete option on the Work with Objects display (shown from the Work with Libraries (WRKLIB)
display).
Related information
CL command finder
Clear Library (CLRLIB) command
Delete Library (DLTLIB) command
Change Library List (CHGLIBL) command
Change System Value (CHGSYSVAL) command
Remove Library List Entry (RMVLIBLE) command

Displaying library names and contents

The Display Library (DSPLIB) and Work with Libraries (WRKLIB) commands display or print all the
libraries you have authority to and show basic information about each object within the libraries.

The object information includes:

v The name and type of the object
v The attributes of the object
v The size of the object
v The description entered for the object when it was created

On the Display Library (DSPLIB) command, you can also specify a specific library name or names, in
which case you bypass the library selection display. In this list, the objects are grouped by library; within
each library, they are grouped by object type; within each type, they are listed in alphanumeric order. The
order of the libraries is one of the following:
v If libraries are specified on the Display Library (DSPLIB) command, the libraries are displayed in the
order they are specified in the display command.
v If *LIBL or *USRLIBL is specified on the Display Library (DSPLIB) command, the order of the libraries
matches the order of the libraries in the library list for the job.
v If *ALL or *ALLUSR is specified on the Display Library (DSPLIB) command, the order of the libraries
is in alphanumeric order. The user must have read authority for the library to be displayed.

For example, the following Display Library (DSPLIB) command displays a list of the objects contained in
DISTLIB:
DSPLIB LIB(DISTLIB) OUTPUT(*)

The asterisk (*) for the OUTPUT parameter means that the libraries are to be shown at the display station
if in interactive processing and printed if in batch processing. To print a list when in interactive
processing, specify *PRINT instead of taking the default *.
Related information

Control language 409

 Display Library (DSPLIB) command
Work with Libraries (WRKLIB) command

Displaying and retrieving library descriptions

The Display Library Description (DSPLIBD) and Retrieve Library Description (RTVLIBD) commands
display and retrieve the description of libraries.

The library description information includes:

v Type of library (either PROD or TEST)
v Auxiliary storage pool number of the library
v Auxiliary storage pool device name of the library
| v Auxiliary storage pool group device name of the library
v Create authority of the library
v Create object auditing of the library
v Text description of the library
Related information
Display Library Description (DSPLIBD) command
Retrieve Library Description (RTVLIBD) command

Changing national language versions

The i5/OS licensed program supports different national languages on the same system. This allows
information in one national language to be presented to one user while information in a different national
language is presented to another user.

The language used for user-readable information (displays, messages, printed output, and online help
information) is controlled by the library list for the job. By adding a national language library to the
system portion of the library list, different national language versions of information can be presented.
For the primary language, a national language version is the running code and textual data for each
licensed program entered. For the secondary language, it is the textual data for all licensed programs.

The language information for the primary language of the system is stored in the same libraries as the
programs for IBM licensed programs. For example, if the primary national language of the system is
English, then libraries such as QSYS, QHLPSYS, and QSSP contain information in English. Libraries QSYS
and QHLPSYS are on the system portion of the library list. Libraries for other licensed programs (such as
QRPGLE for ILE RPG for i5/OS*) are added to the library list by the system when they are needed.

National language versions other than the system primary language are installed in secondary national
language libraries. Each secondary language library contains a single national language version of the
displays, messages, commands prompts, and help for all IBM licensed programs. The name of a
secondary language library is in the form QSYSnnnn, where nnnn is a language feature code. For example,
the feature code for French is 2928, so the secondary national language library name for French is
QSYS2928.

If a user wants information presented in the primary national language of the system, no special action is
required. To present information in a national language different from the primary national language of
the system, the user must change the library list so that the required national language library is
positioned before all other libraries in the library list that contains national language information. You can
use any of the following options to position the required national language library first:
v You can use the SYSLIBLE parameter on the CRTSBSD or CHGSBSD to present displays, messages,
and so on for a specific language. For example:
CRTSBSD SBSD(QSBSD 2928) POOLS((1 *NOTSG)) SYSLIBLE(QSYS2928)

410 System i: Programming Control language

v You can use the LIB parameter on the CHGSYSLIBL command to specify the required national
language library at the top of the library list. For example:
CHGSYSLIBL LIB(QSYS2928)
v You can set up an initial program in the user profile to specify the required national library at the top
of the library list for an interactive job. This is a good option if the user does not want to run the
CHGSYSLIBL command at every sign-on. The initial program uses the Change System Library List
(CHGSYSLIBL) command to add the required national language library to the top of the library list.

Note: The authority shipped with the CHGSYSLIBL command does not allow all users to run the
command.

To enable a user to run the CHGSYSLIBL command without granting the user rights to the command,
you can write a CL program containing the CHGSYSLIBL command. The program is owned by the
security officer, and adopts the security officer’s authority when created. Any user with authority to run
the program can use it to change the system part of the library list in the user’s job. The following is an
example of a program to set the library list for a French user.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
CHGSYSLIBL LIB(QSYS2928) /* Use French information */
ENDPGM

Describing objects
Whenever you create an object, you can describe the object in a 50-character field on the TEXT parameter
of a create command.

Some commands allow a default of *SRCMBRTXT which indicates the text for the object being created is
to be taken from the text of the source member from which the object is being created. This is valid only
for objects created from source in database source files.

If the source input for the create command is a device or inline file, or if source is not used, the default
value is blank. This text becomes part of the object description and can be displayed using the Display
Object Description (DSPOBJD) or Display Library (DSPLIB) command. The text can be changed using the
Change Object Description (CHGOBJD) command or many of the Change (CHGxxx) commands that are
specific to each object type.

Displaying object descriptions

The Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) or Work with Objects (WRKOBJ) command displays
descriptions of objects.

These descriptions are helpful for determining if objects exist on the system but are not being used. If
you are using batch processing, the descriptions can be printed or written to a database file. If you are
using interactive processing, the descriptions can be displayed, printed, or written to a database file.

You can display basic, full, or service attributes for object descriptions. These object descriptions are
found in the following table.

Control language 411

 Table 28. Attributes displayed for object descriptions
Basic attributes Full attributes Service attributes (see Notes)

v Object name v Object name v Object name

v Library name v Library name v Library name
v Library ASP device v Library ASP device v Library ASP device
| v Library ASP group device v Object type v Library ASP group device
v Object type v Owner v Object type
| v Extended attribute v Library ASP group device v Source file and library
v Object size v Primary Group v Member name
v Text description (partial) v Extended attribute v Extended attribute
v User-defined attribute v User-defined attribute
v Text description v Freed status
v Creation date and time v Object size
v User who created object v Creation date and time
v System object created on v Date and time member in
v Object domain source file was last updated
v Change date and time v System level
v Whether usage data collected v Compiler
v Last used date v Object control level

v Days used count v Changed by program

v Days used count reset date v Whether changed by user
v Allow change by program v Licensed program
v Object auditing value v PTF number
v Digitally signed v APAR ID
v Digitally signed system-trusted source v Text description of object or
object status conditions
v Digitally signed multiple signatures
v Object size
v Offline size
v Associated space size
v Optimum space alignment
v Freed status
v Compression status
v Object ASP number
v Object overflowed
v Object ASP device
| v Object ASP group device
v Journaling status
v Current or last journal
v Journal images
v Journal entries omitted
v Journal start date and time
| v Starting journal receiver for apply
| v Library name for starting journal
| v Library ASP device for starting journal
| v Library ASP group device for starting journal
v Save operation date and time
v Restore operation date and time
v Save command
v Device type
| v Sequence number
| v File label ID
| v Save format
412 System i: Programming Control language
 Notes:
1. The service information is used by programming support personnel to determine the level of
the system on which an object was created and whether the object has been changed since it
was shipped. Some of this information may be helpful to you because it indicates the source
member used to create an object and the last date of change to that source from which the
object was created.
2. Library objects contain only the names of the objects included in the library. If DSPOBJD for
object type *LIB is used, the object size information refers to the size of the library object only,
not the total size of the objects included in the library.
You can use either the Retrieve Library Description (QLIRLIBD) API or the command DSPLIB
OUTPUT(*PRINT) to find the total size of the library.

Using the Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) or Work with Objects (WRKOBJ) command, you can list
the objects in a library for which you are authorized by:
v Name
v Generic name
v Type
v Name or generic name within object type

The objects are listed by library; within a library, they are listed by type. Within object type, the objects
are listed in alphanumeric order.

You may want to use the Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) command in a batch job if you want to
display many objects with the *FULL or *SERVICE option. The output can go to a spooled printer file
and be printed instead of being shown at the display station, or the output can go to a database file. If
you direct the output to a database file, all the attributes of the object are written to the file. Use the
Display File Field Description (DSPFFD) command for file QADSPOBJ, in library QSYS, to view the
record format for this file.

The following command displays the descriptions of the order entry files (that is, the files in DISTLIB)
whose names begin with ORD. ORD* is the generic name.
DSPOBJD OBJ(DISTLIB/ORD*) OBJTYPE(*FILE) +
DETAIL(*BASIC) OUTPUT(*)

The resulting basic display is:

| Display Object Description - Basic
| Library 1 of 1
| Library . . . . . . : DISTLIB Library ASP device . : *SYSBAS
| Library ASP group. . : *SYSBAS
|
| Type options, press Enter.
| 5=Display full attributes 8=Display service attributes
|
| Opt Object Type Attribute Size Text
| _ ORDDTLP *FILE PF 8192 Order detail
| _ ORDHDRP *FILE PF 8192 Order header
|
| Bottom
| F3=Exit F12=Cancel F17=Top F18=Bottom

If you specify *FULL instead of *BASIC or if you enter a 5 in front of ORDDTLP on the basic display, the
resulting full display is:

Control language 413

| Display Object Description - Full
| Library 1 of 1
| Object . . . . . . . : ORDDTLP Attribute . . . . . : PF
| Library . . . . . : DISTLIB Owner . . . . . . . : QSECOFR
| Library ASP device . : *SYSBAS Library ASP group. . : *SYSBAS
| Type . . . . . . . . : *FILE Primary group . . . : *NONE
|
| User-defined information:
| Attribute . . . . . . . . . . . . :
| Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :
|
| Creation information:
| Creation date/time . . . . . . . . : 06/08/05 10:17:03
| Created by user . . . . . . . . . : QSECOFR
| System created on . . . . . . . . : SYSTEM01
| Object domain . . . . . . . . . . : *SYSTEM
|
| More...
| Press Enter to continue.
|
| F3=Exit F12=Cancel

| Display Object Description - Full

| Library 1 of 1
| Object . . . . . . . : ORDDTLP Attribute . . . . . : PF
| Library . . . . . : DISTLIB Owner . . . . . . . : QSECOFR
| Library ASP device . : *SYSBAS Library ASP group. . : *SYSBAS
| Type . . . . . . . . : *FILE Primary group . . . : *NONE
|
| Change/Usage information:
| Change date/time . . . . . . . . . : 05/11/90 10:03:02
| Usage data collected . . . . . . . : YES
| Last used date . . . . . . . . . . : 05/11/90
| Days used count . . . . . . . . . : 20
| Reset date . . . . . . . . . . . : 03/10/90
| Allow change by program . . . . . : YES
| Auditing/Integrity information:
| Object auditing value . . . . . . : *NONE
| Digitally signed . . . . . . . . . : NO
|
| More...
| Press Enter to continue.
|
| F3=Exit F12=Cancel

| Display Object Description - Full

| Library 1 of 1
| Object . . . . . . . : ORDDTLP Attribute . . . . . : PF
| Library . . . . . : DISTLIB Owner . . . . . . . : QSECOFR
| Library ASP device . : *SYSBAS Library ASP group. . : *SYSBAS
| Type . . . . . . . . : *FILE Primary group . . . : *NONE
|
| Storage information:
| Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : 32768
| Offline size . . . . . . . . . . . : 0
| Associated space size . . . . . . : 3840
| Optimum space alignment . . . . . : NO
| Freed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : NO
| Compressed . . . . . . . . . . . . : INELIGIBLE
| Object ASP number . . . . . . . . : 1
| Object overflowed . . . . . . . : NO
| Object ASP device . . . . . . . . : *SYSBAS
| Journaling information:
| Currently journaled . . . . . . . : NO
|
| More...
| Press Enter to continue.
|
| F3=Exit F12=Cancel

414 System i: Programming Control language

| Display Object Description - Full
| Library 1 of 1
| Object . . . . . . . : ORDDTLP Attribute . . . . . : PF
| Library . . . . . : DISTLIB Owner . . . . . . . : QSECOFR
| Library ASP device . : *SYSBAS Library ASP group. . : *SYSBAS
| Type . . . . . . . . : *FILE Primary group . . . : *NONE
|
| Save/Restore information:
| Save date/time . . . . . . . . . . :
| Restore date/time . . . . . . . . :
| Save command . . . . . . . . . . . :
| Device type . . . . . . . . . . . :
| Bottom
| Press Enter to continue.
|
| F3=Exit F12=Cancel
|
Related concepts
“Object types and common attributes” on page 390
Each type of object on the system has a unique purpose within the system, and each object type has a
common set of attributes that describes the object.

Retrieving object descriptions

The Retrieve Object Description (RTVOBJD) command returns the descriptions of a specific object to a CL
procedure.

Variables are used to return the descriptions. You can use these descriptions to help you detect unused
objects on the system.

You can also use the Retrieve Object Description (QUSROBJD) API to return the description of a specific
object to a procedure. The system uses a variable to return the descriptions.

The Retrieve Object Description (RTVOBJD) command can return the following descriptions as variables
for an object:
v The name of the library that contains the object
v Any extended attribute of an object (such as program or file type)
v User-defined attribute
v Text description of the object
v Name of the object owner’s user profile
v Name of the primary group for the object
v Object ASP number
v Library ASP number
v Object ASP device
| v Object ASP group device
v Library ASP device
| v Library ASP group device
v Indication of whether the object overflowed the ASP in which it resides
v Date and time the object was created
v Date and time the object was last changed
v Date and time the object was last saved
v Date and time the object was last saved during a SAVACT (*LIB, *SYSDFN, or *YES) save operation
v Date and time the object was last restored
v Name of the object creator’s user profile

Control language 415

 v System the object was created on
v Object domain
v Whether usage data was collected
v Date the object was last used
v Count (number) of days the object was used
v Date the use count was last reset
v Storage status of the object data
v Compression status of the object
v Size of the object in bytes
| v Size of the primary associated space of object in bytes
| v Indication of whether the space associated with the object has been optimally aligned
v Size of the object in bytes of storage at the time of the last save
v Command used to save the object
v Tape sequence number generated when the object was saved on tape
v Tape or diskette volumes used for saving the object
v Type of the device the object was last saved to
v Name of the save file if the object was saved to a save file
v Name of the library that contains the save file if the object was saved to a save file
v File label used when the object was saved
v Name of the source file that was used to create the object
v Name of the library that contains the source file that was used to create the object
v Name of the member in the source file
v Date and time the member in the source file was last updated
v Level of the operating system when the object was created
v Licensed program identifier, release level, and modification level of the compiler
v Object control level for the created object
v Information about whether the object can be changed by the Change Object Description (QLICOBJDD)
API
v Indication of whether the object has been modified with the Change Object Description (QLICOBJD)
API
v Information about whether the program was changed by the user
v Name, release level, and modification level of the licensed program if the retrieved object is part of a
licensed program
v Program Temporary Fix (PTF) number that resulted in the creation of the retrieved object
v Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR) identification
v Type of auditing for the object
v Whether the object is digitally signed
v Digitally signed system-trusted source
v Digitally signed multiple signatures
v Current journal status for the object
v Current or last journal
v Journal image information
v Journal entries to be omitted information
v The date and time that journaling was last started
| v Name of the oldest journal receiver needed to successfully use the Apply Journaled Changes
| (APYJRNCHG) or Remove Journaled Changes (RMVJRNCHG) command

416 System i: Programming Control language

| v Name of the library that contains the starting journal
| v Name of the auxiliary storage pool (ASP) device where storage is allocated for the library that contains
| the starting journal receiver
| v Name of the auxiliary storage pool (ASP) group where storage is allocated for the library that contains
| the starting journal receiver
Related information
Retrieve Object Description (QUSROBJD) API
Retrieve Object Description (RTVOBJD) command

Example: Using the Retrieve Object Description command

In this sample CL source, the Retrieve Object Description (RTVOBJD) command retrieves the description
of a specific object.

Assume an object called MOBJ exists in the current library (MYLIB).

DCL &LIB TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &CRTDATE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(13)
DCL &USEDATE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(7)
DCL &USECNT TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 0)
DCL &RESET TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(7)
.
.
.
RTVOBJD OBJ(MYLIB/MOBJ) OBJTYPE(*FILE) RTNLIB(&LIB)
CRTDATE(&CRTDATE) USEDATE(&USEDATE)
USECOUNT(&USECNT) RESETDATE(&RESET)

The following information is returned to the program:

v The current library name (MYLIB) is placed into the CL variable name &LIB.
v The creation date of MOBJ is placed into the CL variable called &CRTDATE.
v The date that MOBJ was last used is placed into the CL variable called &USEDATE.
v The number of days that MOBJ has been used is placed into the CL variable called &USECNT. The
start date of this count is the value placed into the CL variable called &RESET.

Creation information for objects

Information about the creator of an object and the system on which it is created is saved in the object
description when an object is created.

This information is useful for object management and maintenance.

v Creator of the object
– The creator of the object is the user profile that is performing the create operation. This is true even
if the user profile has a group profile and the group profile owns the object.
– The creator of the object does not change when the ownership changes.
– The creator is the creator of the object on the media when an object is restored.
– The creator of the object is the user running the command when an object is duplicated using the
Create Duplicate Object (CRTDUPOBJ) command.
– The creator is *IBM for IBM-supplied objects.
– The creator of the object is blank for user objects that already existed on the system before Version 1
Release 3.0.
v System on which the object is created
– When an object is restored, the system on which the object will be created is the system that the
object on the media was originally created on.
– For IBM-supplied objects, the system created-on field is 00000000.

Control language 417

 – For objects that already existed on the system before Version 1 Release 3.0, the system created-on
field is blank.

Detecting unused objects on the system

Information provided in the object description can help you detect and manage unused objects on the
system.

To detect an unused object, look at both the last-used date and the last-changed date. Change commands
do not update the last-used date unless the commands cause the object to be deleted and created again,
or the change operation causes the object to be read as a part of the change.
v Date and time of last change
– When an object is created or changed, the system time stamps the object, indicating the date and
time the change occurred.
v Date of last use
– The date of last use is only updated once per day (the first time an object is used in a day). The
system date is used.
– An unsuccessful attempt to use an object does not update the last used date. For example, if a user
tries to use an object for which the user is not authorized, the date of last use does not change.
– The date of last use is blank for new objects.
– When an object that already exists on the system is restored, the date of last use comes from the
object on the system. If it does not already exist when restored, the date is blank.
– Objects that are deleted and re-created during the restore operation lose the date of last use.
– The last used date for a database file is not updated when the number of members in the file is
zero. For example, if you use the Create Duplicate Object (CRTDUPOBJ) to copy objects and there
are no members in the database file, the last used date is not updated.
– The last used date for a database file is the last used date of the file member with the most current
last used date.
– For logical files, the last used date is the last time a logical member (or cursor) was used.
– For physical files, the last used date is the last time the data in the data space was used through a
physical or logical access.
Table 29. Updating usage information
Type of object Commands and operations
All object types Create Duplicate Object (CRTDUPOBJ) command and other commands, such as the
Copy Library (CPYLIB) command, that use CRTDUPOBJ to copy objects.

Grant Object Authority (GRTOBJAUT) command (for referenced objects)

Binding directory When bound with another module or binding directory to create a bound program
(CRTPGM command) or bound service program (CRTSRVPGM command). When
updated on the Update Program UPDPGM command or Update Service Program
(UPDSRVPGM command).
Change Request Description Change Command Change Request Activity (CHGCMDCRQA)
Chart format Display Chart (DSPCHT) command
C locale description Retrieve C Locale Description Source (RTVCLDSRC) command or when referred to
in a C program
Class When used to start a job

418 System i: Programming Control language

Table 29. Updating usage information (continued)
Type of object Commands and operations
Command When run

When compiled in a CL program

When prompted during entry of source entry utility (SEU) source

When calling the system in check mode

Note: Prompting from the command line and then pressing F3 is not counted as a
use of a command.
Communications side When the CPI-Communications Initialize Conversation (CMINIT) call is used to
information (CSI) initialize values for various conversation characteristics from the side information
object.
Connection list When the connection list goes beyond status of vary on pending
Cross system product map When referred to in a CSP application
Cross system product table When referred to in a CSP application
Controller description When the controller goes beyond status of vary on pending
Device description When the device goes beyond status of vary on pending
Data area Retrieve Data Area (RTVDTAARA) command

Display Data Area (DSPDTAARA) command

Data queue Usage information for the following APIs is updated only once per job (the first
time one of the APIs is initiated).

Send Data Queue (QSNDDTAQ) API

Receive Data Queue (QRCVDTAQ) API

Retrieve Data Queue (QMHQRDQD) API

Read Data Queue (QMHRDQM) API

File (database file only unless When closed (other files, such as device and save files, also updated when closed)
specified otherwise)
When cleared

When initialized

When reorganized

Commands:
v Apply Journaled Changes (APYJRNCHG) command
v Remove Journaled Changes (RMVJRNCHG) command
Font resource When referred to during a print operation
Form definition When referred to during a print operation
Graphics symbol set When referred to by a GDDM* or PGR graphics application program

When loaded internally or using GSLSS

Job description When used to establish a job
Job schedule When the system submits a job for a job schedule entry

When the user takes ’Option 10 = submit immediately’ from the WRKJOBSCDE
panel
Job queue When an entry is placed on or removed from the queue

Control language 419

Table 29. Updating usage information (continued)
Type of object Commands and operations
Line description When the line goes beyond status of vary on pending
Locale Retrieve locale API QLGRTVLC

When a job starts if the user profile LOCALE value contains a path name to a
valid *LOCALE object.
Management collection Only updated by commands and operations that affect all object types.
Media definition The SAVLIB, SAVOBJ, RSTLIB, RSTOBJ, SAVCHGOBJ commands; as well as, the
BRMS and QSRSAVO API.
Menu When a menu is displayed using the GO command
Message files When a message is retrieved from a message file other than QCPFMSG, ##MSG1,
##MSG2, or QSSPMSG (such as when a job log is built, a message queue is
displayed, help is requested on a message in the QHST log, or a program receives
a message other than a mark message)

Merge Message File (MRGMSGF) command except when the message file is
QCPFMSG, ##MSG1, ##MSG2, or QSSPMSG
Message queue When a message is sent to, received from, or listed message queue other than
QSYSOPR and QHST
Module When bound with another module or binding directory to create a bound program
(CRTPGM command) or bound service program (CRTSRVPGM command). When
updated on the Update Program (UPDPGM) command or Update Service Program
(UPDSRVPGM) command.
Network interface description When the network interface description goes beyond status of vary on pending
Node List Only updated by commands and operations that affect all object types
Output queue When an entry is placed on or removed from the queue
Overlay When referred to during a print operation
Page definition When referred to during a print operation
Page segment When referred to during a print operation
Panel group When the Help key is used to request help information for a specific prompt or
panel, the date of usage is updated

When a panel is displayed or printed from a panel group

PDF map Add PDF Map Entry (QPQAPME) API

Work with PDF Map Entries (WRKPDFMAPE) command

Print descriptor group When referred to during a print operation
Product Availability Only updated by commands and operations that affect all object types
Product Load Only updated by commands and operations that affect all object types
Program Retrieve CL Source (RTVCLSRC) command

When run and not a system program

PSF Configuration When referred to during a print operation
Query definition When used to generate a report

When extracted or exported

Query manager form When used to generate a report

When extracted or exported

420 System i: Programming Control language

Table 29. Updating usage information (continued)
Type of object Commands and operations
Query manager query When used to generate a report

When extracted or exported

Search index When the F11 key is used through the online help information

When the Start Search Index (STRSCHIDX) command is used

Server storage Vary Configuration (VRYCFG) is run against a network server description object
Service program When a bound service program is activated
SQL Package Only updated by commands and operations that affect all object types
Subsystem description When subsystem is started
Spelling aid dictionary When used to create another dictionary

When retrieved

When a word is found in the dictionary during a spell check and the dictionary is
not an IBM-supplied spelling aid dictionary
Table When used by a program for translation
Time zone description v Starting a job with the time zone description.
v Referencing the time zone description in order to calculate a new current offset
when a DST (Daylight Savings Time) boundary is crossed.
User profile When a job is initiated for the profile

When the profile is a group profile and a job is started using a member of the
group

Grant User Authority (GRTUSRAUT) command (for referenced profile)

Workstation User Customization Only updated by commands and operations that affect all object types

The following is additional object usage information provided in the object description:
v Counter of number of days used
– The count is increased when the date of last use is updated.
– When an object that already exists on the system is restored, the number of days used comes from
the object on the system. If it does not already exist when restored, the count is zero.
– Objects that are deleted and re-created during the restore operation lose the days used count.
– The days used count is zero for new objects.

Note: The i5/OS operating system cannot determine the difference between old and new device
files. If you restore a device file on to the system and a device file of that same name already
exists, delete the existing file if you want the days used count to be reset to zero. If the file is
not deleted, the system will interpret this as a restore operation of an old object and retain the
days used count.
– The days used count for a database file is the sum of the days used counts for all file members. If
there is an overflow on the sum, the maximum value (of the days used counts field) is shown.
v Date days used count was reset
– When the days used count is reset using the Change Object Description (CHGOBJD) command or
the Change Object Description (QLICOBJD) API, the date is recorded. The user then knows how
long the days used count has been active.
– If the days used count is reset for a file, all of the members have their days used count reset.

Control language 421

 Common situations that can delete the days used count and the last used date are as follows:
v Restoring damaged objects on the system.
v Restoring programs when the system is not in a restricted state.

The Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) command can be used to display a full description of an
object. You can use the same command to write the description to an output file. To retrieve the
descriptions, use the Retrieve Object Description (RTVOBJD) command.

Note: The Retrieve Object Description (QUSROBJD) API provides the same information as the Retrieve
Object Description command.

The Retrieve Member Description (RTVMBRD) command and Display File Description (DSPFD)
command provide similar information for members in a file.

Object usage information is not updated for the following object types:
v Alert table (*ALRTBL)
v Authorization list (*AUTL)
v Configuration list (*CFGL)
v Class-of-service description (*COSD)
v Data Dictionary (*DTADCT)
v Double-byte character set dictionary (*IGCDCT)
v Double-byte character set sort (*IGCSRT)
v Double-byte character set table (*IGCTBL)
v Edit description (*EDTD)
v Exit Registration (*EXITRG)
v Filter (*FTR)
v Forms control table (*FCT)
v Folder (*FLR)
v Internet Packet Exchange Description (*IPXD)
v Journal (*JRN)
v Journal receiver (*JRNRCV)
v Library (*LIB)
v Mode description (*MODD)
| v Network Server Configuration (*NWSCFG)
v Network Server Description (*NWSD)
v NetBIOS Description (*NTBD)
v Product definition (*PRDDFN)
v Reference code translation table (*RCT)
v Session description (*SSND)
v S/36 machine description (*S36)
v User-defined SQL type (*SQLUDT)
v User queue (*USRQ)
Related information
CL command finder

Moving objects from one library to another

The Move Object (MOVOBJ) command moves objects between libraries.

422 System i: Programming Control language

 Moving objects from one library to another is useful in that you make an object temporarily unavailable
and it lets you replace an out-of-date version of an object with a new version. For example, a new
primary file can be created to be temporarily placed in a library other than the one containing the old
primary file. Because the data in the old primary file is normally copied to the new primary file, the old
primary file cannot be deleted until the new primary file has been created. Then, the old primary file can
be deleted and the new primary file can be moved to the library that contained the old primary file.

You can only move an object if you have object management authority for the object, delete and execute
authority for the library the object is being moved from, and add and read authority to the library the
object is being moved to.

You can move an object out of the temporary library, QTEMP, but you cannot move an object into
QTEMP. Also, you cannot move an output queue unless it is empty.

Moving journals and journal receivers is limited to moving these object types back into the library in
which they were originally created. If the journal objects have been placed into QRCL by a Reclaim
Storage (RCLSTG) command, they must be moved back into their original library to be made operational.

The following is a list of objects that cannot be moved:

v Authorization lists (*AUTL)
v Class-of-service descriptions (*COSD)
v Cluster resource group (*CRG)
v Configuration lists (*CFGL)
v Connection lists (*CNNL)
v Controller descriptions (*CTLD)
v Data dictionaries (*DTADCT)
v Device descriptions (*DEVD)
v Display station message queues (*MSGQ)
v Documents (*DOC)
v Edit descriptions (*EDTD)
v Exit registration (*EXITRG)
v Folders (*FLR)
v Double-Byte Character Set (DBCS) font tables (*IGCTBL)
v Image catalog (*IMGCLG)
v Internet Packet Exchange Description (*IPXD)
v Job schedules (*JOBSCD)
v Libraries (*LIB)
v Line descriptions (*LIND)
v Mode descriptions (*MODD)
v NetBIOS description (*NTBD)
v Network interface descriptions (*NWID)
| v Network Server Configuration (*NWSCFG)
v Structured Query Language (SQL) packages (*SQLPKG)
v System/36 machine descriptions (*S36)
v The system history log (QHST)
v The system operator message queue (QSYSOPR)
v Time zone description (*TIMZON)
v User-defined SQL type (*SQLUDT)

Control language 423

v User profiles (*USRPRF)

In the following example, a file from QGPL (where it was placed when it was created) is moved to the
order entry library DISTLIB so that it is grouped with other order entry files.

To move the object, you must specify the to-library (TOLIB) as well as the object type (OBJTYPE):
MOVOBJ OBJ(QGPL/ORDFILL) OBJTYPE(*FILE) TOLIB(DISTLIB)

When you move objects, you should be careful not to move objects that other objects depend on. For
example, CL procedures may depend on the command definitions of the commands used in the
procedure to be in the same library at run time as they were at module creation time. At compile time
and at run time, the command definitions are found either in the specified library or in a library in the
library list if *LIBL is specified. If a library name is specified, the command definitions must be in the
same library at run time as they were at compile time. If *LIBL is specified, the command definitions can
be moved between compile time and program run time as long as they are moved to a library in the
library list. Similarly, any application program you write can depend on certain objects being in specific
libraries.

An object referring to another object may be dependent on the location of that object (even though *LIBL
can be specified for the location of the object). Therefore, if you move an object, you should change any
references to it in other objects. The following lists examples of objects that refer to other objects:
v Subsystem descriptions refer to job queues, classes, message queues, and programs.
v Command definitions refer to programs, message files, help panel groups, and source files that are
containing REXX procedures.
v Device files refer to output queues.
v Device descriptions refer to translation tables.
v Job descriptions refer to job queues and output queues.
v Database files refer to other database files.
v Logical files refer to physical files or format selections.
v User profiles refer to programs, menus, job descriptions, message queues, and output queues.
v CL programs refer to display files, data areas, and other programs.
v Display files refer to database files.
v Printer files refer to output queues.

Note: You should be careful when moving objects from the system library QSYS. These objects are
necessary for the system to perform effectively and the system must be able to find the objects.
This is also true for some of the objects in the general-purpose library QGPL, particularly for job
and output queues.

The Move Object (MOVOBJ) command moves only one object at a time.
Related tasks

424 System i: Programming Control language

 “Renaming objects” on page 426
The Rename Object (RNMOBJ) command renames objects. You can rename an object only if you have
object management authority for the object and update and execute authority for the library
containing the object.
Related information
Move Object (MOVOBJ) command

Creating duplicate objects

The Create Duplicate Object (CRTDUPOBJ) command creates a copy of an existing object.

The duplicate object has the same object type and authorization as the original object and is created into
the same auxiliary storage pool (ASP) as the original object. The user who issues the command owns the
duplicate object.

Note: If you create a duplicate object of a journaled file, the duplicate object (file) will not have
journaling active. However, you can select this object for journaling later. If you create a duplicate
object and the object (file) has no members, the last used date field is blank and the count for
number of days used is zero.

You can duplicate an object if you have object management and use authority for the object, use and add
authority for the library in which the duplicate object is to be placed, use authority for the library in
which the original object exists, and add authority for the process user profile.

To duplicate an authorization list, you must have authorization list management authority for the object
and both add and object operational authority for library QSYS.

Only the definitions of job queues, message queues, output queues and data queues are duplicated. Job
queues and output queues cannot be duplicated into the temporary library (QTEMP). For a physical file
or a save file, you can specify whether the data in the file is also to be duplicated.

The following objects cannot be duplicated:

v Class-of-service descriptions (*COSD)
v Cluster resource group (*CRG)
v Configuration lists (*CFGL)
v Connection lists (*CNNL)
v Controller descriptions (*CTLD)
v Data dictionaries (*DTADCT)
v Device descriptions (*DEVD)
v Data queues (*DTAQ)
v Documents (*DOC)
v Edit descriptions (*EDTD)
v Exit registration (*EXITRG)
v Folders (*FLR)
v DBCS font tables (*IGCTBL)
v Image catalog (*IMGCLG)
v Internet Packet Exchange Description (*IPXD)
v Job schedules (*JOBSCD)
v Journals (*JRN)
v Journal receivers (*JRNRCV)
v Libraries (*LIB)

Control language 425

 v Line descriptions (*LIND)
v Mode descriptions (*MODD)
v Network interface descriptions (*NWID)
| v Network Server Configuration (*NWSCFG)
v Network server descriptions (*NWSD)
v Reference code translation tables (*RCT)
v Server storage space (*SVRSTG)
v Spelling aid dictionaries (*SPADCT)
v SQL packages (*SQLPKG)
v System/36 machine descriptions (*S36)
v System operator message queue (QSYSOPR)
v System history log (QHST)
v Time zone description (*TIMZON)
v User-defined SQL type (*SQLUDT)
v User profiles (*USRPRF)
v User queues. (*USRQ)

In some cases, you may want to duplicate only some of the data in a file by following the Create
Duplicate Object (CRTDUPOBJ) command with a Copy File (CPYF) command that specifies the selection
values.

The following command creates a duplicate copy of the order header physical file, and duplicates the
data in the file:
CRTDUPOBJ OBJ(ORDHDRP) FROMLIB(DSTPRODLIB) OBJTYPE(*FILE) +
TOLIB(DISTLIB2) NEWOBJ(*SAME) DATA(*YES)

When you create a duplicate object, you should consider the consequences of creating a duplicate of an
object that refers to another object. Many objects refer to other objects by name, and many of these
references are qualified by a specific library name. Therefore, the duplicate object could contain a
reference to an object that exists in a library different from the one in which the duplicate object resides.
For all object types other than files, references to other objects are duplicated in the duplicate object. For
files, the duplicate objects share the formats of the original file.

Any physical files which exist in the from-library, and on which a logical file is based, must also exist in
the to-library. The record format name and record level ID of the physical files in the to- and
from-libraries are compared; if the physical files do not match, the logical file is not duplicated.

If a logical file uses a format selection that exists in the from-library, it is assumed that the format
selection also exists in the to-library.
Related information
Create Duplicate Object (CRTDUPOBJ) command

Renaming objects
The Rename Object (RNMOBJ) command renames objects. You can rename an object only if you have
object management authority for the object and update and execute authority for the library containing
the object.

To rename an authorization list, you must have authorization list management authority, and both update
and read authority for library QSYS.

The following objects cannot be renamed:

426 System i: Programming Control language

 v Class-of-service descriptions (*COSD)
v Cluster resource group (*CRG)
v Data dictionaries (*DTADCT)
v DBCS font tables (*IGCTBL)
v Display station message queues (*MSGQ)
v Documents (*DOC)
v Exit Registration (*EXITRG)
v Folders (*FLR)
v Job schedules (*JOBSCD)
v Journals (*JRN)
v Journal receivers (*JRNRCV)
v Mode descriptions (*MODD)
| v Network Server Configuration (*NWSCFG)
v Network Server Description (*NWSD)
v SQL packages (*SQLPKG)
v System/36 machine descriptions (*S36)
v The system history log (QHST)
v The system library, QSYS, and the temporary library, QTEMP
v The system operator message queue (QSYSOPR)
v Time zone description (*TIMZON)
v User-defined SQL type (*SQLUDT)
v User profiles (*USRPRF)

Also, you cannot rename an output queue unless it is empty. You should not rename IBM-supplied
commands because the licensed programs also use IBM-supplied commands.

To rename an object, you must specify the current name of the object, the name to which the object is to
be renamed, and the object type.

The following RNMOBJ command renames the object ORDERL to ORDFILL:

RNMOBJ OBJ(QGPL/ORDERL) OBJTYPE(*FILE) NEWOBJ(ORDFILL)

You cannot specify a qualified name for the new object name because the object remains in the same
library. If the object you want to rename is in use when you issue the Rename Object (RNMOBJ)
command, the command runs, but does not rename the object. As a result, the system sends you a
message.

When you rename objects, you should be careful not to rename objects that other objects depend on. For
example, CL programs depend on the command definitions of the commands used in the program to be
named the same at run time as they were at compile time. Therefore, if the command definition is
renamed in between these two times, the program cannot be run because the commands will not be
found. Similarly, any application program you write depends on certain objects being named the same at
both times.

You cannot rename a library that contains a journal, journal receiver, data dictionary, cluster resource
group, or SQL package.

An object referring to another object may be dependent on the object and library names (even though
*LIBL can be specified for the library name). Therefore, if you rename an object, you should change any
references to it in other objects.

Control language 427

If you rename a physical or logical file, the members in the file are not renamed. However, you can use
the Rename Member (RNMM) command to rename a physical or logical file member.

Note: You should be careful when renaming objects in the system library QSYS. These objects are
necessary for the system to perform effectively and the system must be able to find the objects.
This is also true for some of the objects in the general-purpose library QGPL.
Related reference
“Moving objects from one library to another” on page 422
The Move Object (MOVOBJ) command moves objects between libraries.
Related information
Rename Object (RNMOBJ) command

Object compression or decompression

The Compress Object (CPROBJ) command compresses selected objects in order to save disk space on the
system. The Decompress Object (DCPOBJ) command decompresses objects that have been compressed.

The object types that are supported for compression and decompression are *PGM, *SRVPGM,
*MODULE, *PNLGRP, *MENU (only UIM menus), and *FILE (only display files or print files). Database
files are not allowed to be compressed. Customer objects, as well as i5/OS-supplied objects, may be
compressed or decompressed. To see or retrieve the compression status of an object, use the Display
Object Description (DSPOBJD) command (*FULL display), or the Retrieve Object Description (RTVOBJD)
command.
Related information
Compress Object (CPROBJ) command
Decompress Object (DCPOBJ) command
Retrieve Object Description (RTVOBJD) command
Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) command

Restrictions for compression of objects

Object types *PGM, *SRVPGM, *MODULE, *PNLGRP, *MENU, and *FILE (display and print files only)
can be compressed or decompressed using the CPROBJ or DCPOBJ commands.

Objects can be compressed only when both of the following are true:
v If the system can obtain an exclusive lock on the object.
v When the compressed size saves disk space.

The following restrictions apply to the compression of objects:

v Programs created before Version 1 Release 3 of the operating system cannot be compressed.
v Programs, service programs, or modules created before Version 3 Release 6 of the operating system that
have not been translated again cannot be compressed.
v Programs in IBM-supplied libraries QSYS and QSSP cannot be compressed unless the paging pool
value of the program is *BASE. Use the Display Program (DSPPGM) command to see the paging pool
value of a program. Programs in libraries other than QSYS and QSSP can be compressed regardless of
their paging pool value.
v Only menus with the attribute UIM can be compressed.
v Only files with attributes DSPF and PRTF can be compressed.
v The system must be in restricted state (all subsystems ended) in order to compress program objects in
system libraries.
v The program must not be running in the system when it is compressed, or the program will end
abnormally.

428 System i: Programming Control language

Compression runs much faster if you use multiple jobs in nonrestricted state as shown in the following
table.
Table 30. Compressing objects using multiple jobs
Object type IBM-supplied User-supplied
*FILE Job 3: QSYS Job 7: USRLIB1
*MENU Job 2: QSYS Job 8: USRLIB1
*MODULE Not applicable Job 10: USRLIB1
*PGM Restricted State Only Job 5: USRLIB1
*PNLGRP Job 1: QSYS Job 4: QHLPSYS Job 6: USRLIB1
*SRVPGM Job 11: QSYS Job 9: USRLIB1

Temporarily decompressed objects

Compressed objects are temporarily decompressed automatically by the system when used.

A temporarily decompressed object will remain temporarily decompressed until:

v An IPL of the system. This causes the temporarily decompressed object to be deleted (the compressed
object remains).
v A Reclaim Temporary Storage (RCLTMPSTG) command is used to reclaim temporarily decompressed
objects. This causes temporarily decompressed objects to be deleted (the compressed objects remain) if
the objects have not been used for a specified number of days.
v The temporarily decompressed object is used more than 2 days or more than 5 times on the same IPL,
in which case it is permanently decompressed.
v A DCPOBJ command is used to decompress the object, in which case it is permanently decompressed.
v The system has an exclusive lock on the object.

Notes:
1. Objects of the type *PGM, *SRVPGM, or *MODULE cannot be temporarily decompressed. If
you call a compressed program or debug the program, it is automatically permanently
decompressed.
2. Compressed file objects, when opened, are automatically decompressed.
3. If the description of a compressed file is retrieved, the file is temporarily decompressed. Two
examples of retrieving a file are:
v Using the Display File Field Description (DSPFFD) command to display field level
information of a file.
v Using the Declare File (DCLF) command to declare a file.

Automatic decompression of objects

Compressed objects that are included in the i5/OS or other IBM licensed programs are decompressed by
the system after the licensed programs are installed.

The decompression occurs only when sufficient storage is available on the system.

System jobs called QDCPOBJx are automatically started by the system to decompress objects.

The number of QDCPOBJ jobs is based on number of processors + 1. The jobs are system jobs running at
priority 60 which can’t be changed, ended or held by the user. A QDCPOBJx job may be in one of the
following statuses, which are from the Work Active Job (WRKACTJOB) command:
v RUN (running): The job is actively decompressing objects.

Control language 429

v EVTW (event wait): The job is not actively decompressing objects. The job is active in case more objects
need to be decompressed (that is additional licensed programs are installed).
v DLYW (delay wait): The job is temporarily halted. The following situations could cause the QDCPOBJx
jobs to halt:
– The system is running in restricted state (that is ENDSYS or ENDSBS *ALL was issued)
– A licensed program was just installed from the ″Work with Licensed Programs″ display. The job is in
a delay wait state for a maximum of 15 minutes before starting to decompress objects.
v LCKW (lock wait): The job is waiting for an internal lock. Typically, this occurs when one QDCPOBJ
job is in DLYW state.

The following storage requirements apply if the operating system was installed over an existing operating
system:
v The system must have greater than 250 megabytes of unused storage for the QDCPOBJx jobs to start.
v On a system with available storage of greater than 750MB, the jobs are submitted to decompress all
system objects just installed.
v On a system with available storage of less than 250MB, jobs are not submitted, and the objects are
decompressed as they are used.
v On a system with available storage between 250MB and 750MB, only frequently-used objects are
automatically decompressed.

Frequently-used objects are objects that have been used at least five times and the last use was within the
last 14 days. The remaining low-use objects remain compressed.

The system must have greater than 1000MB of unused storage if the operating system is installed on a
system that has been initialized using options 2, Install Licensed Internal Code and Initialize the system,
from the Install Licensed Internal Code (LIC) display.

If QDCPOBJx jobs are active at the last system termination, the jobs are started again at the time of the
next IPL.

Deleting objects
To delete an object, you can use a delete (DLTxxx) command for that type of object or you can use the
delete option on the Work with Objects display (shown from the Work with Libraries (WRKLIB) display).

To delete an object, you must have object existence authority to the object and execute authority to the
library. Only the owner of an authorization list, or a user with *ALLOBJ special authority, can delete the
authorization list.

When you delete an object, you must be sure no one else needs the object or is using the object.
Generally, if someone is using an object, it cannot be deleted. However, programs can be deleted unless
you use the Allocate Object (ALCOBJ) command to allocate the program before it is called.

Some create commands, such as commands that are used to create programs, commands, and device files,
have a REPLACE option. This option allows users to continue using the old version of a previously
replaced object. The system stores the old versions of these re-created objects in library QRPLOBJ.

You should be careful of deleting objects that exist in the system libraries. These objects are necessary for
the system to perform properly.

On most delete commands, you can specify a generic name in place of an object name. Before using a
generic delete, you may want to specify the generic name by using the Display Object Description
(DSPOBJD) command to verify that the generic delete will delete only the objects you want to delete.
Related tasks

430 System i: Programming Control language

 “Generic object names searching” on page 402
A generic search can be used to search for more than one object.
Related reference
“Deleting and clearing libraries” on page 408
When you delete a library with the Delete Library (DLTLIB) command, you delete the objects in the
library as well as the library itself.
Related information
Allocate Object (ALCOBJ) command
Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) command

Allocating resources
Objects are allocated on the system to guarantee integrity and to promote the highest possible degree of
concurrency.

An object is protected even though several operations may be performed on it at the same time. For
example, an object is allocated so that two users can read the object at the same time or one user can only
read the object while another can read and update the same object.

The i5/OS operating system allocates objects by the function being performed on the object. For example:
v If a user is displaying or dumping an object, another user can read the object.
v If a user is changing, deleting, renaming, or moving an object, no one else can use the object.
v If a user is saving an object, someone else can read the object, but not update or delete it; if a user is
restoring the object, no one else can read or update the object.
v If a user is opening a database file for input, another user can read the file. If a user is opening a
database file for output, another user can update the file.
v If a user is opening a device file, another user can only read the file.

Generally, objects are allocated on demand; that is, when a job step needs an object, it allocates the object,
uses the object, and deallocates the object so another job can use it. The first job that requests the object is
allocated the object. In your program, you can handle the exceptions that occur if an object cannot be
allocated by your request.

Sometimes you want to allocate an object for a job before the job needs the object, to ensure its
availability so a function that has only partially completed would not have to wait for an object. This is
called preallocating an object. You can preallocate objects using the Allocate Object (ALCOBJ) command.
To allocate an object, you must have object existence authority, object management authority, or
operational authority for the object.

Allocated objects are automatically deallocated at the end of a routing step. To deallocate an object at any
other time, use the Deallocate Object (DLCOBJ) command.

You can allocate a program before it is called to protect it from being deleted. To prevent a program from
running in different jobs at the same time, an exclusive lock must be placed on the program in each job
before the program is called in any job.

You cannot use the ALCOBJ or DLCOBJ commands to allocate an APPC device description.

The following example is a batch job that needs two files members for updating. Members from either
file can be read by another program while being updated, but no other programs can update these
members while this job is running. The first member of each file is preallocated with an
exclusive-allow-read lock state.

Control language 431

//JOB JOBD(ORDER)
ALCOBJ OBJ((FILEA *FILE *EXCLRD) (FILEB *FILE *EXCLRD))
CALL PROGX
//ENDJOB

Objects that are allocated to you should be deallocated as soon as you are finished using them because
other users may need those objects. However, allocated objects are automatically deallocated at the end of
the routing step.

If the first members of FILEA and FILEB had not been preallocated, the exclusive-allow-read restriction
would not have been in effect. When you are using files, you may want to preallocate them so that you
are assured they are not changing while you are using them.

Note: If a single object has been allocated more than once (by more than one allocate command), a single
DLCOBJ command will not completely deallocate that object. One deallocate command is required
for each allocate command.

The WAITRCD parameter on a Create File command specifies how long to wait for a record lock. The
DFTWAIT parameter on the Create Class (CRTCLS) command specifies how long to wait for other
objects.
Related tasks
“Defining message descriptions” on page 453
Predefined messages are stored in a message file.
“Messages” on page 452
Messages are used to communicate between users and programs.
Related information
Allocate Object (ALCOBJ) command
Deallocate Object (DLCOBJ) command
Database Programming: Lock records

Lock states for objects

A lock state identifies the use of the object and whether it is shared.

Objects are allocated on the basis of their intended use (read or update) and whether they can be shared
(used by more than one job). The file and member are always allocated *SHRRD and the file data is
allocated with the level of lock specified with the lock state. The five lock states are (parameter values
given in parentheses):
v Exclusive (*EXCL). The object is reserved for the exclusive use of the requesting job; no other jobs can
use the object. However, if the object is already allocated to another job, your job cannot get exclusive
use of the object. This lock state is appropriate when a user does not want any other user to have
access to the object until the function being performed is complete.
v Exclusive allow read (*EXCLRD). The object is allocated to the job that requested it, but other jobs can
read the object. This lock is appropriate when a user wants to prevent other users from performing any
operation other than a read.
v Shared for update (*SHRUPD). The object can be shared either for update or read with another job.
That is, another user can request either a shared-for-read lock state or a shared-for-update lock state for
the same object. This lock state is appropriate when a user intends to change an object but wants to
allow other users to read or change the same object.
v Shared no update (*SHRNUP). The object can be shared with another job if the job requests either a
shared-no-update lock state, or a shared-for-read lock state. This lock state is appropriate when a user
does not intend to change an object but wants to ensure that no other user changes the object.
v Shared for read (*SHRRD). The object can be shared with another job if the user does not request
exclusive use of the object. That is, another user can request an exclusive-allow-read, shared-for-update,
shared-for-read, or shared-no-update lock state.

432 System i: Programming Control language

Note: The allocation of a library does not restrict the operations that can be performed on the objects
within the library. That is, if one job places an exclusive-allow-read or shared-for-update lock state
on a library, other jobs can no longer place objects in or remove objects from the library; however,
the other jobs can still update objects within the library.

The following table shows the valid lock state combinations for an object.
Table 31. Valid lock state combinations
If one job obtains this lock state: Another job can obtain this lock state:
*EXCL None
*EXCLRD *SHRRD
*SHRUPD *SHRUPD or *SHRRD
*SHRNUP *SHRNUP or *SHRRD
*SHRRD *EXCLRD, *SHRUPD, *SHRNUP, or *SHRRD

You can specify all five lock states (*EXCL, *EXCLRD, SHRUPD, SHRNUP, and SHRRD) for most object
types. this does not apply to all object types. Object types that cannot have all five lock states specified
are listed in the following table with valid lock states for the object type.
Table 32. Valid lock states for specific object types
Object type *EXCL *EXCLRD *SHRUPD *SHRNUP *SHRRD
Device description x
Library x x x x
Message queue x x
Panel group x x
Program x x x
Subsystem description x

It is not an error if the DLCOBJ command is issued against an object where you do not have a lock or do
not have the specific lock state requested to be allocated.

You can change the lock state of an object, as the following example shows.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
ALCOBJ OBJ((FILEX *FILE *EXCL)) WAIT(0)
CALL PGMA
ALCOBJ OBJ((FILEX *FILE *EXCLRD))
DLCOBJ OBJ((FILEX *FILE *EXCL))
CALL PGMB
DLCOBJ OBJ((FILEX *FILE *EXCLRD))
ENDPGM

File FILEX is allocated exclusively for PGMA, but FILEX is allocated as exclusive-allow-read for PGMB.

You can use record locks to allocate data records within a file. You can also use the WAITFILE parameter
on a Create File (CRTF) command to specify how long your program is to wait for that file before a
time-out occurs.

Control language 433

Displaying the lock states for objects
The Work with Object Locks (WRKOBJLCK) command or the Work with Job (WRKJOB) command
displays the lock states for objects.

The Work with Object Locks (WRKOBJLCK) command displays all the lock state requests in the system
for a specified object. It displays both the held locks and the locks being waited for. For a database file,
the Work with Object Locks (WRKOBJLCK) command displays the locks at the file level (the object level)
but not at the record level. For example, if a database file is open for update, the lock on the file is
displayed, but the lock on any records within the file is not. Locks on database file members can also be
displayed using the Work with Object Locks (WRKOBJLCK) command.

If you use the Work with Job (WRKJOB) command, you can select the locks option on the Display Job
menu. This option displays all the lock state requests outstanding for the specified active job, the locks
being held by the job, and the locks for which the job is waiting. However, if a job is waiting for a
database record lock, this does not appear on the object locks display.

The following command displays all the lock state requests in the system for the logical file ORDFILL:
WRKOBJLCK OBJ(QGPL/ORDFILL) OBJTYPE(*FILE)

The resulting display is:

Work with Object Locks

System: SYSTEM01
Object: ORDFILL Library: QGPL Type: *FILE-LGL

Type options, press Enter.

4=End job 5=Work with job 8=Work with job locks

Opt Job User Lock Status Scope Thread

_ WORKST04 QSECOFR *SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB
*SHRRD HELD *JOB

More...
F3=Exit F5=Refresh F6=Work with member locks F12=Cancel

Related information
Work with Object Locks (WRKOBJLCK) command
Work with Job (WRKJOB) command

Accessing objects in CL programs

To access an object from a CL program, the object must be in the specified library when the command
that refers to it runs.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Rules that refer to objects in CL program commands and procedures are the same as objects in
commands that are processed individually (not within a program). Object names can be either qualified
or unqualified. Locate an unqualified object name through a search of the library list.

434 System i: Programming Control language

Most objects referred to in CL procedures and programs are not accessed until the command referring to
them is run. To qualify the name (library/name) of an object, it must be in the specified library when the
command that refers to it runs. However, the object does not have to be in that library at the creation of
the program. This means that most objects can be qualified in CL source statements that are based only
on their runtime location.

You can avoid this runtime consideration for all objects if you do not qualify object names on CL source
statements, but refer to the library list (*LIBL/name) instead. If you refer to the library list at compile
time, the object can be in any library on the library list at command run time. This is possible providing
you do not have duplicate-name objects in different libraries. If you use the library list, you can move the
object to a different library between procedure creation and command processing.

Objects do not need to exist until the command that refers to them runs. Because of this, the CL program
successfully compiles even though program PAYROLL does not exist at compile time:
PGM /*TEST*/
DCL...
MONMSG...
.
.
.
CALL PGM(QGPL/PAYROLL)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

In fact, PAYROLL does not have to exist when activating the program TEST, but only when running the
Call (CALL) command. This creates the called program within the calling program immediately prior to
the Call (CALL command:
PGM /*TEST*/
DCL...
.
.
.
MONMSG
.
.
.
CRTCLPGM PGM(QGPL/PAYROLL)
CALL PGM(QGPL/PAYROLL)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

Note that for create commands, such as Create CL Program (CRTCLPGM) or Create Data Area
(CRTDTAARA), the object that is accessed at compile or run time is the create command definition, not
the created object. If you are using a create command, the create command definition must be in the
library that is used to qualify the command at compile time. (Alternately, it must be in a library on the
library list if you used *LIBL.)
Related concepts
“Parts of a CL procedure” on page 161
While each source statement entered as part of a CL procedure is actually a CL command, the source
can be divided into the basic parts that are used in many typical CL procedures.

Accessing command definitions, files, and procedures

To access command definitions or files from a CL program, the command definitions or files must exist at
creation time of the program and must exist when the command that refers to them runs.

Control language 435

Two requirements exist for creating a CL program from source statements that refer to command
definitions or files.
v The objects must exist at creation time of the program.
v The objects must exist when the command that refers to them runs.

This means that if you use the Declare File (DCLF) command, you must create the file before creating a
program that refers to the file.

Accessing command definitions:

Access to the command definitions occurs during program creation time and at command run time.

To allow for syntax checking, the command must exist during the creation of a program that uses it. If it
is qualified at creation time, the command needs to exist in the library referred to during creation, and in
the same library when processed. If it is not library-qualified, it must be in some library on the library list
during creation time and at run time.

The command name should be qualified in the program:

v When the command’s definition will not be accessible through the library list while the program is
running.
v When multiple command definitions exist with the same name if expecting a specific instance of the
command at run time.

The name of the command must be the same when the program runs as when the system created it. An
error occurs if the command name changes after creating a program that refers to that command. This is
because the program cannot find the command when it runs. However, if a default changes for a
parameter on a command, the new default is used when that command runs.
Related information
Change Command (CHGCMD) command

Accessing files:

A file must exist when compiling a CL module or original program model (OPM) program that uses it.

The compiler accesses files when compiling a program module that has a Declare File (DCLF) command.
The file does not have to exist when creating a program or service program that uses the module.

Enter Data Description Specifications (DDS) into a source file before creating it. The DDS describes the
record formats and the fields within the records. Additionally, the system compiles this information to
create the file object through the Create Display File (CRTDSPF) command.

Note: You can create other types of files from DDS, and each type has its own command: Create Physical
File (CRTPF) and Create Logical File (CRTLF) are two that create files that you can use in CL
programs and procedures.

The fields that are described in the DDS can be input or output fields (or both). The system declares the
fields in the CL program or procedure as variables when it compiles a program or module. The program
manipulates data from display through these variables.

If you do not use DDS to create a physical file, the system declares a CL variable to contain the entire
record. This variable has the same name as the file, and its length is the same as the record length of the
file.

CL programs and procedures cannot manipulate data in any types of files other than display files and
database files, except with specific CL commands.

436 System i: Programming Control language

Deletion of the DDS after creating the file is possible but not recommended. You can delete the file after
the system compiles the CL program or module that refers to the file. This is true provided the file exists
when the command referring to it, such as a Receive File (RCVF), is processed in the program.

The rules on qualified names that are described here for command definitions also apply to files.
Related tasks
“Working with files in CL procedures” on page 438
Two types of files are supported in CL procedures and programs: display files and database files.

Accessing procedures:

A procedure that is specified by Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) does not have to exist at the time a
module that refers to it is created.

The system requires the existence of the procedure in order to create a program or service program that
uses the procedure. The called procedure may be:
v In a module that is specified on the MODULE parameter on the Create Program (CRTPGM) or Create
Service Program (CRTSRVPGM) command.
v In a service program that is specified on the BNDSRVPGM parameter. The service program must be
available at run time.
v In a service program or module that is listed in a binding directory that is specified on the BNDDIR
parameter of the CRTPGM command or CRTSRVPGM command. The binding directory and modules
do not have to be available at run time.

Checking for the existence of an object

Before attempting to use an object in a program, check to determine if the object exists and if you have
the authority to use it.

This is useful when a function uses more than one object at one time.

To check for the existence of an object, use the Check Object (CHKOBJ) command. You can use this
command at any place in a procedure or program. The Check Object (CHKOBJ) command has the
following format:
CHKOBJ OBJ(library-name/object-name) OBJTYPE(object-type)

Other optional parameters allow object authorization verification. If you are checking for authorization
and intend to open a file, you should check for both operational and data authority.

When this command runs, the system sends messages to the program or procedure to report the result of
the object check. You can monitor for these messages and handle them as you want. Here is an example.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
CHKOBJ OBJ(OELIB/PGMA) OBJTYPE(*PGM)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF9801) EXEC(GOTO NOTFOUND)
CALL OELIB/PGMA
.
.
.
NOTFOUND: CALL FIX001 /*PGMA Not Found Routine*/
ENDPGM

In this example, the Monitor Message (MONMSG) command checks only for the object-not-found escape
message. For a list of all the messages which the Check Object (CHKOBJ) command may send see the
online help information for the Check Object (CHKOBJ) command.

Control language 437

The Check Object (CHKOBJ) command does not allocate an object. For many application uses the check
for existence is not an adequate function, the application should allocate the object. The Allocate Object
(ALCOBJ) command provides both an existence check and allocation.

Use the Check Tape (CHKTAP) or Check Diskette (CHKDKT) command to ensure that a specific tape or
diskette is placed on the drive and ready. These commands also provide an escape message that you can
monitor for in your CL program.
Related tasks
“Defining message descriptions” on page 453
Predefined messages are stored in a message file.
“Messages” on page 452
Messages are used to communicate between users and programs.
Related reference
“Monitor Message command” on page 209
The Monitor Message (MONMSG) command is used to monitor for escape, notify, or status messages
sent to the call stack of the procedure in which the MONMSG command is used.
Related information
Check Object (CHKOBJ) command

Working with files in CL procedures

Two types of files are supported in CL procedures and programs: display files and database files.

You can send a display to a workstation and receive input from the workstation for use in the procedure
or program, or you can read data from a database file for use in the procedure or program.

Note: Database files are made available for use within the CL procedure or program through the DCLF
and Receive File (RCVF) commands.

To use a file in a CL procedure or program, you must:

v Format the display or database record, identifying fields and conditions which you enter as DDS
source. The use of DDS is not required for a database file.
v Create the file using the Create Display File (CRTDSPF) command, Create Physical File (CRTPF)
command, or Create Logical File (CRTLF) command. Subfiles (except for message subfiles) are not
supported by CL procedures and programs.
v For database files, add a member to the file using the Add Physical File Member (ADDPFM) command
or
Add Logical File Member (ADDLFM)

command. This is not required if a member was added by the CRTPF or CRTLF commands. The file
must have a member when the procedure or program is processed, but does not need to have a
member when the procedure or program is created.
v Refer to the file in the CL procedure using the DCLF command, and refer to the record format on the
appropriate data manipulation CL commands in your CL source.
v Create the CL module.
v Create the program or service program.

Up to five display or database files can be referred to in a CL procedure. The support for database files
and display files is similar as the same commands are used. However, there are a few differences, which
are described here.
v The following statements apply only to database files used with CL procedures and programs:
– Only database files with a single record format may be used by a CL procedure or program.

438 System i: Programming Control language

 – The files may be either physical or logical files, and a logical file may be defined over multiple
physical file members.
– Only input operations, with the RCVF command, are allowed. The WAIT and DEV parameters on
the Receive File (RCVF) command are not allowed for database files. In addition, the SNDF,
SNDRCVF, and ENDRCV commands are not allowed for database files.
– DDS is not required to create a physical file which is referred to in a CL procedure or program. If
DDS is not used to create a physical file, the file has a record format with the same name as the file,
and there is one field in the record format with the same name as the file, and with the same length
as the record length of the file (RCDLEN parameter of the CRTPF command).
– The file need not have a member when it is created for the module or program. It must, however,
have a member when the file is processed by the program.
– The file is opened for input only when the first Receive File (RCVF) command is processed. The file
must exist and have a member at that time.
– The file remains open until the procedure or original program model (OPM) program returns or
when the end of file is reached. When end of file is reached, message CPF0864 is sent to the CL
procedure or program, and additional operations are not allowed for the file. The procedure or
program should monitor for this message and take appropriate action when end of file is reached.
v The following statements apply only to display files used with CL procedures and programs:
– Display files may have up to 99 record formats.
– All data manipulation commands (SNDF, SNDRCVF, RCVF, ENDRCV and WAIT) are allowed for
display files.
– The display file must be defined with the DDS.
– The display file is opened for both input and output when the first SNDF, SNDRCVF, or RCVF
command is processed. The file remains open until the procedure or OPM program returns.

Note: The open does not occur for both types of files until the first send or receive occurs. Because of
this, the file to be used can be created during the procedure or program and an override can be
performed before the first send or receive. However, the file must exist before the module or
program is compiled.

The format for the display is identified as a record format in DDS. Each record format may contain fields
(input, output, and input/output), conditions/indicators, and constants. Several record formats can be
entered in one display file. The display file name, record format name, and field names should be unique,
because other high-level languages (HLLs) may require it, even though CL procedures and programs do
not.

Related concepts

Control language 439

 “Parts of a CL procedure” on page 161
While each source statement entered as part of a CL procedure is actually a CL command, the source
can be divided into the basic parts that are used in many typical CL procedures.
Related tasks
“Accessing files” on page 436
A file must exist when compiling a CL module or original program model (OPM) program that uses
it.
Related information
CL command finder
Application Display Programming

Data manipulation commands

A CL procedure or program can use several commands called data manipulation commands.

These commands let you refer to a display file to send data to and receive data from device displays.
These commands also allows you to refer to a database file to read records from a database file. These
commands are:
Declare File (DCLF)
Defines a display or database file to be used in a procedure or program. The fields in the file are
automatically declared as variables for use in the procedure or program.
Send File (SNDF)
Sends data to the display.
Receive File (RCVF)
Receives data from the display or database.
Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF)
Sends data to the display; then asks for input and, optionally, receives data from the display.
Override with Display File (OVRDSPF)
Allows a runtime override of a file used by a procedure or program with a display file.
Override with Database File (OVRDBF)
Allows a runtime override of a file used by a procedure or program with a database file.

These commands let a running program communicate with a device display using the display functions
provided by DDS, and to read records from a database file. DDS provides functions for writing menus
and performing basic application-oriented data requests that are characteristic of many CL applications.

The fields on the display or in the record are identified in the DDS for the file. In order for the CL
procedure or program to use the fields, the file must be referred to in the CL procedure or program by
the Declare File (DCLF) command. This reference causes the fields and indicators in the file to be

440 System i: Programming Control language

declared automatically in your procedure or program as variables. You can use these variables in any
way in CL commands; however, their primary purpose is to send information to and receive information
from a display. The Declare File (DCLF) command is not used at run time.

The format of the display and the options for the fields are specified in the device file and controlled
through the use of indicators. Up to 99 indicator values can be used with DDS and CL support. Indicator
variables are declared in your CL procedure or program in the form of logical variables with names
&IN01 through &IN99 for each indicator that appears in the device file record formats referred to on the
Declare File (DCLF) command. Indicators let you display fields and control data management display
functions, and provide response information to your procedure or program from the device display.
Indicators are not used with database files.
Related information
CL command finder

Files in a CL procedure
Files are accessed during compiling of Declare File (DCLF) commands when CL modules and programs
are created so that variables can be declared for each field in the file.

If you have qualified the name of the file at compile time, the file must be in that library at run time. If
you have used the library list at compile time, the file must be in a library on the library list at run time.
Related information
Declare File (DCLF) command

Opening and closing files in a CL procedure

If you understand when and how files can be opened and closed, you can share open data paths between
running procedures and programs.

When you use CL support, the file referred to is implicitly opened when you do your first send, receive,
or send/receive operation. An opened display file remains open until the procedure or original program
model (OPM) program in which it was opened returns or transfers control. An opened database file is
closed when end of file is reached, or when the procedure or OPM program in which it was opened
returns or transfers control. After a database file has been closed, it cannot be opened again during the
same call of the procedure or OPM program.

When a database file opens, the first member in the file will open, unless you previously used an
Override Database File (OVRDBF) command to specify a different member (MBR parameter). If a
procedure or OPM program ends because of an error, the files close. A file remains open until the
procedure or OPM program in which that file was opened ends. Because of this, you have an easy way
to share open data paths between running procedures and programs. You can open a file in one
procedure or program. Then the file can share its open data path with another procedure or program
under either of the following conditions:
v The file was created with or has been changed to have the SHARE(*YES) attribute.
v An override for that file by specifying SHARE(*YES) is in effect.

You can share files in this way between any two procedures or programs. Use online help for a detailed
description of the function available when the system shares open data paths. Additionally, IBM provides
a description of the SHARE parameter on the Create Display File (CRTDSPF), Create Physical File
(CRTPF), and Create Logical File (CRTLF) commands online. A display file opened in a CL procedure or
OPM program always opens for both input and output. A database file opened in a CL procedure or
OPM program opens for input only.

Do not specify LVL(*CALLER) on the Reclaim Resources (RCLRSC) command in CL procedures and
programs using files. If you specified LVL(*CALLER), all files opened by the procedure or OPM program
would be immediately closed, and any attempt to access the file would end abnormally.

Control language 441

Declaring a file
The Declare File (DCLF) command is used to declare a display or database file to your CL procedure or
program. The Declare File (DCLF) command cannot be used to declare files such as tape, printer, and
mixed files.

You can declare up to five files in a CL procedure or original program model (OPM) program. The DCLF
command has the following parameters:
DCLF FILE(library-name/file-name)
RCDFMT(record-format-names)
OPNID(open_id_name)

Note that the file must exist before the module or program is compiled.

If you are using a display file in your procedure or program, you may have to specify input and output
fields in your DDS. These fields are handled as variables in the procedure or program. When processing
a Declare File (DCLF) command, the CL compiler declares CL variables for each field and option
indicator in each record format in the file. For a field, the CL variable name is the field name preceded by
an ampersand (&). For an option indicator, the CL variable name is the indicator that is preceded by &IN.

You use the open file identifier (OPNID) parameter to uniquely identify an instance of a declared file so
that multiple files can be declared. If you use the OPNID parameter, then for a field, the CL variable
name is the field name preceded by an ampersand (&), the OPNID value, and an underscore (_). For an
option indicator, the CL variable name is the indicator preceded by an ampersand (&), the OPNID value,
an underscore, and “IN”.

For example, if a field named INPUT and indicator 10 are defined in DDS, the Declare File (DCLF)
command automatically declares them as &INPUT and &IN10. This declaration is performed when the
CL module or program is compiled. Up to 50 record format names can be specified on one command, but
none can be variables. Only one record format may be specified for a database file.

If the following DDS were used to create display file CNTRLDSP in library MCGANN:

|...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7....+....8
A R MASTER
A CA01(01 ’F1 RESPONSE’)
A TEXT 300 2 4
A RESPONSE 15 1 8 4 BLINK
A
A

Three variables, &IN01, &TEXT, and &RESPONSE, would be available from the display file. In a CL
procedure referring to this display file, you would enter only the DCLF source statement:
DCLF MCGANN/CNTRLDSP

The compiler will expand this statement to individually declare all display file variables. The expanded
declaration in the compiler list looks like this:

442 System i: Programming Control language

 •
•
•
00500- DCLF(MCGANN/CNTRLDSP)
04/02/03
QUALIFIED FILE NAME - MCGANN/CNTRLDSP
RECORD FORMAT NAME - MASTER
CL VARIABLE TYPE LENGTH PRECISION (IF *DEC)
&IN01 *LGL 1
&TEXT *CHAR 300
&RESPONSE *CHAR 15
•
•
•

If the DCLF source statement includes an OPNID parameter:

DCLF MCGANN/CNTRLDSP OPNID(OPENID1)

The expanded declaration in the compiler list will look like this:
•
•
•
00500- DCLF FILE(MCGANN/CNTRLDSP) OPNID(OPENID1) 04/02/03
QUALIFIED FILE NAME - MCGANN/CNTRLDSP
RECORD FORMAT NAME - MASTER
CL VARIABLE TYPE LENGTH PRECISION TEXT
&OPENID1_IN01 *LGL 1
&OPENID1_TEXT *CHAR 300
&OPENID1_RESPONSE *CHAR 15
•
•
•
Related information
Declare File (DCLF) command

Sending and receiving data with a display file

The only commands you can use with a display file to send or receive data in CL procedures and
programs are the Send File (SNDF), Receive File (RCVF), and Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) commands.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

The system formats the content of the variables associated with the output or output/input fields in the
record format when you run a Send File (SNDF) command. Additionally the system sends it to the
display device. This is similar to when you run a Receive File (RCVF) command. The values of the fields
associated with input or output/input fields in the record format on the display are placed in the
corresponding CL variables.

The Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command sends the contents of the CL variables to the display. The
command then performs the equivalent of a RCVF command to obtain the updated fields from the
display. Note that CL does not support zoned decimal numbers. Consequently, fields in the display file
that are defined as zoned decimal, cause *DEC fields to be defined in the CL procedure or program.
*DEC fields are internally supported as packed decimal, and the CL commands convert the packed and
zoned data types as required. Fields that overlap in the display file because of coincident display
positions result in separately defined CL variables that do not overlap. You cannot use record formats
that contain floating point data in a CL procedure or program.

Note: If a Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) or Receive File (RCVF) command for a workstation indicates
WAIT(*NO), then the system uses the WAIT command to receive data. The same is true if a Send
File (SNDF) command is issued using a record format containing the INVITE DDS keyword.
Control language 443
Except for message subfiles, any attempt to send or receive subfile records causes runtime errors. Most
other functions specified for display files in DDS are available; some functions (such as using variable
starting line numbers) are not.

The following example shows the steps required to create a typical operator menu and to send and
receive data using the Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command. The menu looks like this:
Operator Menu

1. Accounts Payable
2. Accounts Receivable
90. Signoff

Option:

First, enter the following DDS source. The record format is MENU, and OPTION is an input-capable
field. The OPTION field uses DSPATR(MDT). This causes the system to check this field for valid values
even if the operator does not enter anything.

|...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7....+....8
A R MENU
A 1 2’Operator Menu’
A 3 4’1. Accounts Payable’
A 5 4’2. Accounts Receivable’
A 5 4’90. Signoff’
A 7 2’Option’
A OPTION 2Y 01 + 2VALUES(1 2 90) DSPATR(MDT)
A
A

Enter the CRTDSPF command to create the display file. In CL programming, the display file name
(INTMENU) can be the same as the record format name (MENU), though this is not true for some other
languages, like RPG for i5/OS.

The display file could also be created using the Screen Design Aid (SDA) utility.

Next, enter the CL source to run the menu.

The CL source for this menu is:

PGM /* OPERATOR MENU */
DCLF INTMENU
BEGIN: SNDRCVF RCDFMT(MENU)
IF COND(&OPTION *EQ 1) THEN(CALL ACTSPAYMNU)
IF COND(&OPTION *EQ 2) THEN(CALL ACTSRCVMNU)
IF COND(&OPTION *EQ 90) THEN(SIGNOFF)
GOTO BEGIN
ENDPGM

When this source is compiled, the DCLF command automatically declares the input field OPTION in the
procedure as a CL variable.

The Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command defaults to WAIT(*YES); that is, the program waits until
input is received by the program.
Related tasks
“Messages” on page 452
Messages are used to communicate between users and programs.
Related information

444 System i: Programming Control language

 Send File (SNDF) command
Receive File (RCVF) command
Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command

Example: Writing a CL program to control a menu

This example shows how a CL procedure can be written to display and control a menu.

This example shows a CL procedure, ORD040C, that controls the displaying of the order department
general menu and determines which high-level language (HLL) procedure to call based on the option
selected from the menu. The procedure shows the menu at the display station.

The order department general menu looks like this:

Order Dept General Menu

1 Inquire into customer file

2 Inquire into item file
3 Customer name search
4 Inquire into orders for a customer
5 Inquire into an existing order
6 Order entry
98 End of menu

Option:

The DDS for the display file ORD040C looks like this:

|...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7....+....8
A* MENU ORDO4OCD ORDER DEPT GENERAL MENU
A
A R MENU TEXT(’General Menu’)
A 1 2’Order Dept General Menu’
A 3 3’1 Inquire into customer file’
A 4 3’2 Inquire into item file’
A 5 3’3 Customer name search’
A 6 3’4 Inquire into orders for a custom+
A er’
A 7 3’5 Inquire into existing order’
A 8 3’6 Order Entry’
A 9 2’98 End of menu’
A 11 2’Option’
A RESP 2Y001 11 10VALUES(1 2 3 4 5 6 98)
A DSPATR(MDT)
A
A

The source procedure for ORD040C looks like this.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Control language 445

 PGM /* ORD040C Order Dept General Menu */
DCLF FILE(ORD040CD)
START: SNDRCVF RCDFMT(MENU)
SELECT
WHEN (&RESP=1) THEN(CALLPRC CUS210) /* Customer inquiry */
WHEN (&RESP=2) THEN(CALLPRC ITM210) /* Item inquiry */
WHEN (&RESP=3) THEN(CALLPRC CUS220) /* Cust name search */
WHEN (&RESP=4) THEN(CALLPRC ORD215) /* Orders by cust */
WHEN (&RESP=5) THEN(CALLPRC ORD220) /* Existing order */
WHEN (&RESP=6) THEN(CALLPRC ORD410C) /* Order entry */
WHEN (&RESP=98) THEN(RETURN) /* End of Menu */
ENDSELECT
GOTO START
ENDPGM

The DCLF command indicates which file contains the field attributes the system needs to format the
order department general menu when the Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command is processed. The
system automatically declares a variable for each field in the record format in the specified file if that
record format is used in an Send File (SNDF), Receive File (RCVF), or Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF)
command. The variable name for each field automatically declared is an ampersand (&) followed by the
field name. For example, the variable name of the response field RESP in ORD040C is &RESP.

Other notes on the operation of this menu:

v The Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command is used to send the menu to the display and to receive
the option selected from the display.
v If the option selected from the menu is 98, ORD040C returns to the procedure that called it.
v The ELSE statements are necessary to process the responses as mutually exclusive alternatives.

Note: This menu is run using the Call (CALL) command. See the Application Display Programming book
for a discussion of those menus run using the Go (GO) command.
Related information
Send File (SNDF) command
Receive File (RCVF) command
Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command
Application Display Programming

The Override with Display File command to override display files in a CL

procedure or program
The Override with Display File (OVRDSPF) command replaces the display file named in a CL procedure
or program or changes certain parameters of the existing display file. This can be especially useful for
files that have been renamed or moved since the module or program was compiled.

The initial parameters of the OVRDSPF command are:

OVRDSPF FILE(overridden-file-name) TOFILE(new-file-name)
DEV(device-name)

The OVRDSPF command is valid for a file referred to by a CL procedure or program only if the file
specified on the DCLF command was a display file when the module or program was created. The file
used when the program is run must be of the same type as the file referred to when the module or
program was created.

You must run the OVRDSPF command before opening the file that is being overridden. An open is
caused by the first use of a send or receive command. The system overrides the file on finding any of the
following conditions:
v A procedure or program that contains the OVRDSPF command opens the file.

446 System i: Programming Control language

v The file opens in another procedure which transfers control by using the CALLPRC command.
v The file opens in another program which transfers control by using the CALL command.

When you override to a different file, only those record format names referred to on the Send File
(SNDF), Receive File (RCVF), or Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command need to be in the overriding
file. In the following illustration, display file FILEY does not need record format TWO or THREE.

You should make sure that the record format referred to names of the original file and the overriding files
have the same field definitions and indicator names in the same order. You may get unexpected results if
you specify LVLCHK(*NO).

Another consideration has to do with the DEV parameter on the SNDF, RCVF, and SNDRCVF commands
when an OVRDSPF command is applied. If *FILE is specified on the DEV parameter of the RCVF, SNDF,
or SNDRCVF command, the system automatically directs the operation to the correct device for the
overridden file. If a specific device is specified on the DEV keyword of the RCVF, SNDF, or SNDRCVF
command, one of the following may occur:
v If a single device display file is being used, an error will occur if the display file is overridden to a
device other than the one specified on the RCVF, SNDF, or SNDRCVF command.
v If a multiple device display file is being used, an error will occur if the device specified on the RCVF,
SNDF, or SNDRCVF command is not among those specified on the OVRDSPF command.
Related information
Override with Display File (OVRDSPF) command
Send File (SNDF) command
Receive File (RCVF) command
Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command

Working with multiple device display files

A multiple device display configuration occurs when a single job called by one requester communicates
with multiple display stations through one display file. While only one display file can be handled by a
CL procedure, the display file, or different record formats within it, can be sent to several device displays.

Control language 447

The normal mode of operation on a system is for the workstation user to sign on and become the
requester for an interactive job. Many users can do this at the same time, because each will use a logical
copy of the procedure, including the display file in the procedure. Each requester calls a separate job in
this kind of use. This is not considered to be multiple device display use.

Commands used primarily with multiple device display files are as follows:
End Receive (ENDRCV)
This command cancels requests for input that have not been satisfied.
Wait (WAIT)
Accepts input from any device display from which user data was requested by one or more
previous Receive File (RCVF) or SNDRCVF commands when WAIT(*NO) was specified on the
command, or by one or more previous Send File (SNDF) commands to a record format containing
the INVITE DDS keyword.

If you use a multiple device display file, the device names must be specified on the DEV parameter on
the CRTDSPF command when the display file is created, on the CHGDSPF command when the display
file is changed, or on an override command, and the number of devices must be less than or equal to the
number specified on the MAXDEV parameter on the CRTDSPF command.

Multiple device display configurations affect the Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) and the RCVF
commands and you may need to use the Wait (WAIT) or End Receive (ENDRCV) commands. When an
Receive File (RCVF) or Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command is used with multiple display devices,
the default value WAIT(*YES) prevents further processing until an input-capable field is returned to the
program from the device named on the DEV parameter. Because the response may be delayed, it is
sometimes useful to specify WAIT(*NO), thus letting your procedure or program continue running other
commands before the receive operation is satisfied.

If you use an RCVF or Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command and specify WAIT(*NO), the CL
procedure or program continues running until a Wait (WAIT) command is processed.

Using a Send File (SNDF) command with a record format which has the DDS INVITE keyword is
equivalent to using a Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command with WAIT(*NO) specified. The DDS
INVITE keyword is ignored for Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) and Receive File (RCVF) commands.

The Wait (WAIT) command must be issued to access a data record. If no data is available, processing is
suspended until data is received from a device display or until the time limit specified in the WAITRCD
parameter for the display file on the CRTDSPF, CHGDSPF, or OVRDSPF commands has passed. If the
time limit passes, message CPF0889 is issued.

The Wait (WAIT) will also be satisfied by the job being canceled with the controlled option on the
ENDJOB, ENDSYS, PWRDWNSYS, and ENDSBS commands. In this case, message CPF0888 is issued and
no data is returned. If a WAIT command is issued without a preceding receive request (such as RCVF . . .
WAIT(*NO)), a processing error occurs.

A typical multiple device display configuration (with code) might look like this.

448 System i: Programming Control language

In the previous example, the first two commands show a typical sequence in which the default is taken;
processing waits for the receive operation from WS2 to complete. Because WS2 is specified on the DEV
parameter, the RCVF command does not run until WS2 responds, even if prior outstanding requests (not
shown) from other stations are satisfied.

The SNDRCVF command, however, has WAIT(*NO) specified and so does not wait for a response from
WS1. Instead, processing continues and PROGA is called. Processing then stops at the WAIT command
until an outstanding request is satisfied by a workstation, or until the function reaches time-out.

The WAIT command has the following format:

WAIT DEV(CL-variable-name)

If the DEV parameter is specified, the CL variable name is the name of the device that responded. (The
default is *NONE.) If there are several receive requests (such as RCVF. . . WAIT(*NO)), this variable takes
the name of the first device to respond after the Wait (WAIT) command is encountered and processing
continues. The data received is placed in the variable associated with the field in the device display.

A RCVF command with WAIT(*YES) specified can be used to wait for data from a specific device. The
same record format name must be specified for both the operation that started the receive request and the
RCVF command.

In some cases, several receive requests are outstanding, but processing cannot proceed further without a
reply from a specific device display. In the following example, three commands specify WAIT(*NO), but
processing cannot continue at label LOOP until WS3 replies.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
.
.
.
SNDF DEV(WS1) RCDFMT(ONE)
SNDF DEV(WS2) RCDFMT(TWO)
SNDRCVF DEV(WS3) RCDFMT(THREE) WAIT(*NO)
RCVF DEV(WS2) RCDFMT(TWO) WAIT(*NO)
RCVF DEV(WS1) RCDFMT(ONE) WAIT(*NO)
CALL...
CALL...

Control language 449

 .
.
RCVF DEV(WS3) RCDFMT(THREE) WAIT(*YES)
LOOP: WAIT DEV(&WSNAME)
MONMSG CPF0882 EXEC(GOTO REPLY)
.
.
.
GOTO LOOP
REPLY: CALL...
.
.
.
ENDPGM

CL procedures and programs also support the End Receive (ENDRCV) command, which lets you cancel a
request for input that has not yet been satisfied. A Send File (SNDF) or Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF)
command will also cancel a request for input that has not yet been satisfied. However, if the data was
available at the time the Send File (SNDF) or Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command was processed,
message CPF0887 is sent. In this case the data must be received with the WAIT command or Receive File
(RCVF) command, or the request must be explicitly canceled with a End Receive (ENDRCV) command
before the Send File (SNDF) or Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command can be processed.
Related tasks
“Variables in CL commands” on page 171
CL procedures consist of CL commands. Each command consists of the command name, parameter
keyword names, and parameter values.
Related information
Wait (WAIT) command
End Receive (ENDRCV) command
Send File (SNDF) command
Receive File (RCVF) command
Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command

The Receive File command to receive data from a database file

The only command you can use to receive data from a database file is the Receive File (RCVF) command.

When you run a Receive File (RCVF) command, the next record on the file’s access path is read, and the
values of the fields defined in the database record format are placed in the corresponding CL variables.
Note that CL does not support zoned decimal or binary numbers. Consequently, fields in the database file
defined as zoned decimal or binary cause *DEC fields to be defined in the CL procedure or program.
*DEC fields are internally supported as packed decimal, and the Receive File (RCVF) command performs
the conversion from zoned decimal and binary to packed decimal as required. Database files which
contain floating point data cannot be used in a CL procedure or program.

When the end of file is reached, message CPF0864 is sent to the procedure or original program model
(OPM) program. The CL variables declared for the record format are not changed by the processing of
the Receive File (RCVF) command when this message is sent. You should monitor for this message and
perform the appropriate action for end of file. If you attempt to run additional RCVF commands after
end of file has been reached, message CPF0864 is sent again.
Related information
Receive File (RCVF) command

The Override with Database File command to override database files in a CL

procedure or program
The Override with Database File (OVRDBF) command overrides the database file named in a CL
procedure or program, or changes certain parameters of the existing database file.

450 System i: Programming Control language

This can be especially useful for files that have been renamed or moved since the procedure or program
is created. It can also be used to access a file member other than the first member.

The initial parameters of the OVRDBF command are as follows:

OVRDBF FILE(overridden-file-name) TOFILE(new-file-name)
MBR(member-name)

The Override with Database File (OVRDBF) command is valid for a file referred to by a CL procedure or
program only if the file specified in the Declare File (DCLF) command was a database file when the
module or program was created. The file used when the program was processed must be of the same
type as the file referred to when the module or program was created.

The Override with Database File (OVRDBF) command must be processed before the file to be overridden
is opened for use (an open occurs by the first use of the Receive File (RCVF) command). The file is
overridden if it is opened in the procedure or original program model (OPM) program containing the
Override with Database File (OVRDBF) command, or if it is opened in another program to which control
is transferred by the CALL command, or if it is opened in another procedure to which control is
transferred using the CALLPRC command.

When you override to a different file, the overriding file must have only one record format. A logical file
which has multiple record formats defined in DDS may be used if it is defined over only one physical file
member. A logical file which has only one record format defined in the DDS may be defined over more
than one physical file member. The name of the format does not have to be the same as the format name
referred to when the program was created. You should ensure that the format of the data in the
overriding file is the same as in the original file. You may get unexpected results if you specify
LVLCHK(*NO).
Related information
Override with Data Base File (OVRDBF) command

Output files from display commands

A number of the IBM display commands place the output from the command into a database file
(OUTFILE parameter). The data in this file can be received directly into a CL procedure or program and
processed.

The following CL procedure accepts two parameters, a user name and a library name. The procedure
determines the names of all programs, files, and data areas in the library and grants normal authority to
the specified users.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM PARM(&USER &LIB)
DCL &USER *CHAR 10
DCL &LIB *CHAR 10
(1) DCLF QSYS/QADSPOBJ
(2) DSPOBJD OBJ(&LIB/*ALL) OBJTYPE(*FILE *PGM *DTAARA) +
OUTPUT(*OUTFILE) OUTFILE(QTEMP/DSPOBJD)
(3) OVRDBF QADSPOBJ TOFILE(QTEMP/DSPOBJD)
(4) READ: RCVF
(5) MONMSG CPF0864 EXEC(RETURN) /* EXIT WHEN END OF FILE REACHED */
(6) GRTOBJAUT OBJ(&ODLBNM/&ODOBNM) OBJTYPE(&ODOBTP) +
USER(&USER) AUT(*CHANGE)
GOTO READ /*GO BACK FOR NEXT RECORD*/
ENDPGM
(1) The declared file, QADSPOBJ in QSYS, is the IBM-supplied file that is used by the Display Object
Description (DSPOBJD) command. This file is the primary file that is referred to by the command
when creating the output file. It is referred to by the CL compiler to determine the format of the
records and to declare variables for the fields in the record format.

Control language 451

(2) The DSPOBJD command creates a file named DSPOBJD in library QTEMP. This file has the same
format as file QADSPOBJ.
(3) The Override with Database File (OVRDBF) command overrides the declared file (QADSPOBJ) to
the file created by the DSPOBJD command.
(4) The Receive File (RCVF) command reads a record from the DSPOBJD file. The values of the fields
in the record are copied into the corresponding CL variables, which were implicitly declared by
the Declare File (DCLF) command. Because the OVRDBF command was used, the file
QTEMP/DSPOBJD is read instead of QSYS/QADSPOBJ (the file QSYS/QADSPOBJ is not read).
(5) Message CPF0864 is monitored. This indicates that the end of file has been reached, so the
procedure returns control to the calling procedure.
(6) The Grant Object Authority (GRTOBJAUT) command is processed, using the variables for object
name, library name and object type, which were read by the RCVF command.

Messages
Messages are used to communicate between users and programs.

On the i5/OS operating system, communication between procedures or programs, between jobs, between
users, and between users and procedures or programs occurs through messages. Messages can be sent:
v From one system user to another system user, even if the receiver of the messages is not currently
using the system
v From one original program model (OPM) program or Integrated Language Environment (ILE)
procedure to another OPM program or ILE procedure
v From a program or procedure to a system user, even if the receiver of the messages is not currently
using the system

A message can be predefined or immediate:

v A predefined message is created and exists outside the program that uses it. Predefined messages are
stored in message files and have a message number. An example of a system predefined message is:
CPF0006 Errors occurred in command.
v An immediate message is created by the sender at the time it is sent. An immediate message is not
stored in a message file. An example of an immediate message received at a display station is:
From . . . : QSYSOPR 06/12/05 10:50:54
System going down at 11:00; please sign off

Interactive system users can send only immediate messages and replies.

OPM programs or ILE procedures can send immediate messages or predefined messages with
user-defined data. In addition, programs or procedures can:
v Receive messages
v Retrieve a message description from a message file and place it into a program variable
v Remove messages from a message queue
v Monitor for messages

Your system comes with an extensive set of predefined messages that allow communication between
programs within the system and between the system and its users. Each licensed program you order has
a message file that is stored in the same library as the licensed program it applies to. For example, system
messages are stored in the file QCPFMSG in the library QSYS.

452 System i: Programming Control language

The system uniquely identifies each predefined message in a message file by a 7-character code and
defines it by a message description. The message description contains information such as message text
and message help text, severity level, valid and default reply values, and various other attributes.

All messages that are sent or received in the system are transmitted through a message queue. Messages
that are issued in response to a direct request, such as a command, are automatically displayed on the
display from which the request was made. For all other messages, the user, program or procedure must
receive the message from the queue or display it. There are several IBM-supplied message queues in the
system.

The system also writes some of the messages that are issued to logs. A job log contains information
related to requests entered for a job; the history log contains job, subsystem, and device status
information.
Related concepts
“Types of message queues” on page 471
The system has different types of message queues: workstation message queue, user profile message
queue, job message queue, system operator message queue, and history log message queue.
Related tasks
“Allocating resources” on page 431
Objects are allocated on the system to guarantee integrity and to promote the highest possible degree
of concurrency.
“Checking for the existence of an object” on page 437
Before attempting to use an object in a program, check to determine if the object exists and if you
have the authority to use it.
“Sending and receiving data with a display file” on page 443
The only commands you can use with a display file to send or receive data in CL procedures and
programs are the Send File (SNDF), Receive File (RCVF), and Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF)
commands.
Related reference
“Monitor Message command” on page 209
The Monitor Message (MONMSG) command is used to monitor for escape, notify, or status messages
sent to the call stack of the procedure in which the MONMSG command is used.
Related information
Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command

Defining message descriptions

Predefined messages are stored in a message file.

You can create your own message files and message descriptions. By creating predefined messages, you
can use the same message in several procedures or programs but define it only once. You can also change
and translate predefined messages into languages other than English (based on the user viewing the
messages) without affecting the procedures and programs that use them. If the messages were defined in
the procedure or program, the module or program would have to be recompiled when you change the
messages.

In addition to creating your own messages and message files, the system message handling function
allows you to:
v Create and change message queues (Create Message Queue (CRTMSGQ), Change Message Queue
(CHGMSGQ), and Work with Message Queues (WRKMSGQ) commands)
v Create and change message files (Create Message File (CRTMSGF), Change Message File (CHGMSGF)
commands)
v Add message descriptions (Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command)

Control language 453

v Change message descriptions (Change Message Description (CHGMSGD) command)
v Remove message descriptions (Remove Message Description (RMVMSGD) command)
v Send immediate messages (Send Message (SNDMSG), Send Break Message (SNDBRKMSG), Send
Program Message (SNDPGMMSG), and Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG) commands)
v Display messages in a message queue (Display Messages (DSPMSG) and Work with Messages
(WRKMSG))
v Display message descriptions in a message file (Display Message Description (DSPMSGD) and Work
with Message Descriptions (WRKMSGD) commands)
v Use a CL procedure or program to:
– Send a message to a workstation user or the system operator (Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG)
command)
– Send a message to a message queue (Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command)
– Receive a message from a message queue (Receive Message (RCVMSG) command)
– Send a reply for a message to a message queue (Send Reply (SNDRPY) command)
– Retrieve a message from a message file (Retrieve Message (RTVMSG) command)
– Remove a message from a message queue (Remove Message (RMVMSG) command)
– Monitor for escape, notify, and status messages that are sent to a call message queue (Monitor
Message (MONMSG) command)
v Use the system reply list to specify the replies for predefined inquiry messages sent by a job (Add
Reply List Entry (ADDRPYLE), Change Reply List Entry (CHGRPYLE), Remove Reply List Entry
(RMVRPYLE), and Work with Reply List Entry (WRKRPYLE) commands)

When a message is sent, it is defined as one of the following types:

v Informational (*INFO). A message that conveys information about the condition of a function.
v Inquiry (*INQ). A message that conveys information but also asks for a reply.
v Notify (*NOTIFY). A message that describes a condition for which a procedure or program requires
corrective action or a reply from its calling procedure or program. A procedure or program can monitor
for the arrival of notify messages from the programs or procedures it calls.
v Reply (*RPY). A message that is a response to a received inquiry or notify message.
v Sender’s copy (*COPY). A copy of an inquiry or notify message that is kept by the sender.
v Request (*RQS). A message that requests a function from the receiving procedure or program. (For
example, a CL command is a request message.)
v Completion (*COMP). A message that conveys completion status of work.
v Diagnostic (*DIAG). A message about errors in the processing of a system function, in an application
program, or in input data.
v Status (*STATUS). A message that describes the status of the work done by a procedure or program. A
procedure or program can monitor for the arrival of status messages from the program or procedure it
calls, but the status message will not appear in a job log. Status messages sent to the external message
queue (*EXT) are shown at the display station and can be used to inform the display station user of an
operation in progress.
v Escape (*ESCAPE). A message that describes a condition for which a procedure or program must end
abnormally. A procedure or program can monitor for the arrival of escape messages from the program
or procedure it calls or from the machine. Control does not return to the sending program after an
escape message is sent.
Related tasks
“Allocating resources” on page 431
Objects are allocated on the system to guarantee integrity and to promote the highest possible degree
of concurrency.

454 System i: Programming Control language

 “Checking for the existence of an object” on page 437
Before attempting to use an object in a program, check to determine if the object exists and if you
have the authority to use it.
Related reference
“Monitor Message command” on page 209
The Monitor Message (MONMSG) command is used to monitor for escape, notify, or status messages
sent to the call stack of the procedure in which the MONMSG command is used.
Related information
CL command finder

Creating a message file

To create your own predefined messages, you must first create the message file into which the messages
are to be placed.

Use the Create Message File (CRTMSGF) command to create the message file. You then use the Add
Message Description (ADDMSGD) command to describe your messages and place them in the message
file.

On the Create Message File (CRTMSGF) command, you can specify the maximum size in kilobytes on the
SIZE parameter. The following formula can be used to determine the maximum:
S + (I x N)

where the following variables are true:

S Is the initial amount of storage
I Is the amount of storage to add each time
N Is the number of times to add storage

The default for S is 10, for I is 2, and for N is *NOMAX.

For example, you specify S as 5, I as 1, and N as 2. When the file reaches the initial storage amount of
5KB, the system automatically adds another 1KB to the initial storage. The amount added (1KB) can be
added to the storage two times to make the total maximum of 7KB. If you specify *NOMAX as N, the
maximum size of the message file is 16MB.

When you specify a maximum size for a message file and the message file becomes full, you cannot
change the size of the message file. You then need to create another message file and re-create the
messages in the new file. The Merge Message File (MRGMSGF) command can be used to copy message
descriptions from one message file to another. Because you will want to avoid this step, it is important to
calculate the size needed for your message file when you create it, or specify *NOMAX.
Related information
CL command finder
Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command
Create Message File (CRTMSGF) command

Message files in independent ASPs:

Message files can be created in an independent auxiliary storage pool (ASP), but this is not recommended
because the independent ASP can be taken offline.

This would prevent messages in job logs and message queues from being displayed correctly if the
independent ASP is offline.

Determining the size of a message file:

Control language 455
To determine the size of a message file, you need to use this formula. The Add Message Description
(ADDMSGD) command parameters are given in parentheses.
v Message index equals 42 bytes base plus the length of the message.
v Message text (MSG) equals 16 bytes base plus the length of the message.
v Message help information (SECLVL), if any, equals 16 bytes base plus the length of the message help.
v Formats (FMT), if any, equal 14 bytes plus (3 x number of FMTS).
v Type and length (TYPE and LEN) equal 48 bytes.
v Special value (SPCVAL) equals 2 plus (64 x number of SPCVALs).
v Values (VALUES) equal 32 x (number of VALUES).
v Range (RANGE) equals 64 bytes.
v Relation (REL) equals the length of the relation.
v Default (DFT) equals the length of the default reply.
v Default program, log problem, and dump list (DFTPGM, LOGPRB, DMPLST) equal 35 plus (2 x
number in DMPLST).
v ALROPT equals 12 bytes.

The smallest possible entry in a message file is 59 bytes and the largest possible entry is 5764 bytes. The
following table describes the largest possible entry.
Table 33. The largest possible entry
Attribute Largest possible entry
Message index 42 bytes
Message text 148 bytes
Message help text 3016 bytes
99 formats 311 bytes
Type and length 48 bytes
20 special values 1282 bytes
20 values 640 bytes
Default reply value 32 bytes
Default program and dump list 233 bytes
Alert option 12 bytes

In the following example, the Create Message File (CRTMSGF) command creates the message file
USRMSG:
CRTMSGF MSGF(QGPL/USRMSG) +
TEXT(’Message file for user-created messages’)

If you are creating a message file to be used with the DSPLY operation code in RPG for i5/OS, the
message file must be named QUSERMSG.
Related information
Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command
Create Message File (CRTMSGF) command

Adding messages to a file

The Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command describes your predefined messages and adds
them to the message file that you created.

456 System i: Programming Control language

On the ADDMSGD command, you specify the message identifier, the name of the message file into
which the message is to be placed, and the message description. In the message description, you can
specify:
v Message text (required) with optional substitution variables
v Message help text with optional substitution variables
v Severity code
v Description of the format of the message data to be used for the substitution variables
v Validity checking values for a reply
v Default value for a reply
v Default message handling action for escape messages
v Creation level
v Alert options
v Entry in the error log
v Coded Character Set Identifier (CCSID)

The following commands are also available for use with message descriptions:
Change Message Description (CHGMSGD)
Changes a message description.
Display Message Description (DSPMSGD)
Displays a message description. (A range of message identifiers can be specified in this
command.)
Remove Message Description (RMVMSGD)
Removes a message description from a message file.
Retrieve Message (RTVMSG)
Retrieves a message from a message file.
Merge Message File (MRGMSGF)
Merges messages from one message file into another message file.
Work with Message Descriptions (WRKMSGD)
Displays a list of messages in a file and allows you to add, change, or delete message
descriptions.

Assigning a message identifier:

The message identifier you specify on the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command is used to
refer to the message and is the name of the message description.

The message identifier must be 7 characters:

pppmmnn

where ppp is the product or application code, mm is the numeric group code, and nn is the numeric
subtype code. The number specified as mmnn can be used to further divide a set of product or application
messages. Numeric group and subtype codes consist of decimal numbers 0 through 9 and the characters
A through F.

For example, the following message is 1234 of CPF:

CPF1234

When you create your own messages, using the letter U as the first character in the product code is a
good way to distinguish your messages from system messages. For example:
USR3567

Control language 457

The first character of the code must be alphabetic, the second and third characters can be alphanumeric;
the group code and the subtype code must consist of decimal numbers 0 through 9 and the characters A
through F. Note that although this range can be called a set of hexadecimal numbers, any sorting of the
message numerics treats A through F as characters.

For example, when displaying a range of message descriptions, CPFA000 precedes CPF1000.

You should be careful when using a numeric subtype code of 00 in the message identifier. If you use a
numeric subtype code of 00 for a message that can be sent as an escape, notify, or status message and
that can, therefore, be monitored, a subtype code of 00 in the Monitor Message (MONMSG) command
causes all messages in the numeric group to be monitored.
Related tasks
“Monitoring for messages in a CL program or procedure” on page 510
Messages that can be monitored are *ESCAPE, *STATUS, and *NOTIFY messages that are issued by
each CL command used in the program or procedure.
Related information
Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command

Defining messages and message help:

You can define two levels of messages on the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command. The text
of the message is required and should identify the condition that caused the message to be issued.
Message help is optional and should explain the condition further or explain the corrective action to be
taken.

To get message help, the display station user must move the cursor to the message line and press the
Help key when the message is displayed. Message help can be formatted for the display station using
three format control characters. These characters may be used to make the message help (typically online
help information) more readable for the user.

Each of the three format control characters must be followed by a blank to separate them from the
message text.
&Nb (where b is a blank)
Forces the text to a new line (column 2). If the text is longer than one line, the next lines are
indented to column 4 until the end of the text or until another format control character is found.
&Pb (where b is a blank)
Forces the text to a new line, indented to column 6. If the text is longer than one line, the next
lines start in column 4 until the end of the text or until another format control character is found.
&Bb (where b is a blank)
Forces the text to a new line, starting in column 4. If the text is longer than one line, the next
lines are indented to column 6 until the end of the text or until another format control character
is found.

Defining substitution variables:

On the FMT parameter on the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command, you can specify
substitution variables for either first-level or second-level messages.

For example:
File &1 not found

458 System i: Programming Control language

contains the substitution variable &1. When the message is displayed or retrieved, the variable &1 is
replaced with the name of the file that could not be found. This name is supplied by the sender of the
message. For example:
File ORDHDRP not found

Compare this to:

File not found

Substitution variables can make your message more specific and more meaningful.

The substitution variable must begin with & (ampersand) and be followed by n, where n is any number
from 1 through 99. For example, for the message:
File &1 not found

the substitution variable is defined as:

FMT((*CHAR 10))

When you assign numbers to substitution variables, you must begin with the number 1 and use the
numbers consecutively. For example, &1, &2, &3, and so on. However, you do not have to use all the
substitution variables defined for a message description in the message that is sent.

For example, the message:

File &3 not available

is valid even though &1 and &2 are not used in the messages. However, to do this, you must define &1,
&2, and &3 on the FMT parameter of the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command. For the
preceding message, the FMT parameter could be:
FMT((*CHAR 10) (*CHAR 2) (*CHAR 10))

where the first value describes &1, the second &2, and the third &3. The description for &1 and &2 must
be present if &3 is used. In addition, when this message is sent, the MSGDTA parameter on the Send
Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command should include all the data described on the FMT
parameter. To send the preceding message, the MSGDTA parameter should be at least 22 characters long.

For the preceding message, you could also specify the FMT parameter as:
FMT((*CHAR 0) (*CHAR 0) (*CHAR 10))

Because &1 and &2 are not used in the message, they can be described with a length of 0. Then no
message data needs to be sent. (The MSGDTA parameter on the SNDPGMMSG command needs to be
only 10 characters long in this case.)

An example of using &3 in the message and including &1 and &2 in the FMT parameter is when &1 and
&2 are specified on the DMPLST parameter. (The DMPLST parameter specifies that the data is to be
dumped when this message is sent as an escape message to a program that is not monitoring for it.)

The substitution variables do not have to be specified in the message in the same order in which they are
defined in the FMT parameter. For example, three values can be defined in the FMT parameter as:
FMT((*CHAR 10) (*CHAR 10) (*CHAR 7))

The substitution variables can be used in the message as follows:

Object &1 of type &3 in library &2 is not available

If this message is sent in a CL procedure or program, you can concatenate the values used for the
message data such as:

Control language 459

SNDPGMMSG .....MSGDTA(&OBJ *CAT &LIB *CAT &OBJTYPE)

You must specify the format of the message data field for the substitution variable by specifying data
type and, optionally, length on the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command. The valid data
types for message data fields are:
v Quoted character string (*QTDCHAR). A string of character data to be enclosed in single quotation
marks. Preceding and trailing blanks are not deleted. If length is not specified in the message
description, the sender determines the length of the field.
v Character string (*CHAR). A string of character data not to be enclosed in single quotation marks.
Trailing blanks are deleted. If length is not specified in the message description, the sender determines
the length of the field.
v Convertible character string (*CCHAR). A string of character data not to be enclosed in single
quotation marks. Trailing blanks are deleted. The length is always determined by the sender. If data of
this type is sent to a message queue that has a CCSID tag other then 65535 or 65534, the data is
converted from the CCSID of the message data to the CCSID of the message queue. Conversions can
also occur on data of this type when the data is obtained from the message queue using a receive or
display function. See CCSID support for messages for more information about the use of message
handlers with CCSIDs.
v Hexadecimal (*HEX). A string to be preceded by the character X and enclosed in single quotation
marks; each byte of the string is to be converted into two hexadecimal characters (0 through 9 and A
through F). If length is not specified in the message description, the sender determines the length of
the field.
v Binary (*BIN). A binary integer (either 2, 4, or 8 bytes long) formatted as a signed decimal integer.
Unless provided a specified length, the system will assume that the binary integer is 2.
v Unsigned binary (*UBIN). An unsigned binary integer (either 2, 4 or 8 bytes long) formatted as an
unsigned decimal integer. Unless provided a specified length, the system will assume that the binary
integer is 2.
v Decimal (*DEC). A packed decimal number to be formatted as a signed decimal number with a
decimal point. Length must be specified; decimal positions default to 0.
v System pointer (*SYP). A 16-byte pointer to a system object. In a message or message help, the
10-character name of the object is formatted the same as the *CHAR type data.
v Space pointer (*SPP). A 16-byte pointer to a program object. In a dump, the data in the object is
formatted the same as the *HEX type data. *SPP cannot be used as substitution text in a message; it
can only be used as part of the DMPLST parameter on the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD)
command.

The following data types are valid only in IBM-supplied message descriptions and should not be used for
other messages:
v Time interval (*ITV). An 8-byte time interval that contains the time to the nearest whole second for
various wait timeout conditions.
v Date and time stamp (*DTS). An 8-byte system date and time stamp for which the date is to be
formatted as specified in the QDATFMT and QDATSEP system values and the time is to be formatted
as hh:mm:ss.
Related concepts
“Format of the history log” on page 548
A database file is used to store the messages sent to a log message queue on the system. Because all
records in a physical file have the same length and messages sent to a log have different lengths, the
messages can span more than one record.

Assigning a severity code:

The severity code you assign to a message on the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command
indicates how important the message is.

460 System i: Programming Control language

The higher the severity code, the more serious the condition is. The following lists the severity codes you
can use and their meanings. (These severity codes and their meanings are consistent with the severity
codes assigned to IBM-predefined messages.)

00: Information. For information purposes only; no error was detected and no reply is needed. The
message could indicate that a function is in progress or that a function has completed successfully.

10: Warning. A potential error condition exists. The procedure or program may have taken a default, such
as supplying missing input. The results of the operation are assumed to be successful.

20: Error. An error has been detected, but it is one for which automatic recovery procedures probably
were applied; processing has continued. A default may have been taken to replace erroneous input. The
results of the operation may not be valid. The function may have been only partially completed; for
example, some items in a list processed correctly while others failed.

30: Severe error. The error detected is too severe for automatic recovery, and no defaults are possible. If the
error was in source data, the entire input record was skipped. If the error occurred during procedure or
program processing, it leads to an abnormal end of the procedure or program (severity 40). The results of
the operation are not valid.

40: Abnormal end of procedure or function. The operation has ended, possibly because the procedure or
program was unable to handle data that was not valid, or possibly because the user has canceled it.

50: Abnormal end of job. The job was ended or was not started. A routing step may have ended abnormally
or failed to start, a job-level function may not have been performed as required, or the job may have been
canceled.

60: System status. Issued only to the system operator. It gives either the status of or a warning about a
device, a subsystem, or the system.

70: Device integrity. Issued only to the system operator. It indicates that a device is malfunctioning or in
some way is no longer operational. The user may be able to recover from the failure, or the assistance of
a service representative may be required.

80: System alert. A message with a severity code of 80 is issued for immediate messages. It also warns of a
condition that, although not severe enough to stop the system now, could become more severe unless
preventive measures are taken.

90: System integrity. Issued only to the system operator. It describes a condition that renders either a
subsystem or the system inoperative.

99: Action. Some manual action is required, such as entering a reply, changing printer forms, or replacing
diskettes.
Related reference
“SEV parameter” on page 89
The severity (SEV) parameter specifies a severity code.
Related information
Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command

Specifying validity checking for replies:

On the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command, you can specify the type of reply that is valid
for an inquiry or notify message.

You can specify (parameters are given in parentheses):

Control language 461

v Type of reply (TYPE)
– Decimal (*DEC)
– Character (*CHAR)
– Alphabetic (*ALPHA)
– Name (*NAME)
v Maximum length of reply (LEN)
– For decimal, 15 digits (9 decimal positions)
– For character and alphabetic, 32 characters
– For name, 10 characters

Note: If you do not specify any validity checking (VALUES, RANGE, REL, SPCVAL, DFT), the
maximum length of a reply is 132 characters for types *CHAR and *ALPHA.
v Values that can be used for the reply
– A list of values (VALUES)
– A list of special values (SPCVAL)
– A range of values (RANGE)
– A simple relationship that the reply value must meet (REL)

Note: The special values are values that can be accepted but that do not satisfy any other validity
checking values.

When a display station user enters a reply to a message, the keyboard is in lower shift which causes
lowercase characters to be entered. If your program needs the reply to be in uppercase characters, you
can do one of the following things:
v Use the SNDUSRMSG command which supports a translation table option which defaults to
converting lowercase to uppercase.
v Require the display station user to enter uppercase characters by specifying only uppercase characters
for the VALUES parameter.
v Specify the VALUES parameter as uppercase and use the SPCVAL parameter to convert the
corresponding lowercase characters to uppercase.
v Use TYPE(*NAME) if the characters to be entered are all letters (A-Z). The characters are converted to
uppercase before being checked.

Example: Sending an immediate message and handling a reply:

This example shows how a procedure sends an inquiry message and handles the reply.

In this example, the procedure does the following things:

v Sending an immediate inquiry message to QSYSOPR
v Requesting a reply of yes or no (Y or N)
v Ensuring that a valid reply has been entered
v Doing a timeout if the operator does not reply within 120 seconds

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
DCL &MSGKEY *CHAR LEN(4)
DCL &MSGRPY *CHAR LEN(1)
SNDMSG: SNDPGMMSG MSG(’.... Reply Y or N’) TOMSGQ(QSYSOPR) +
MSGTYPE(*INQ) KEYVAR(&MSGKEY)
RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*RPY) MSGKEY(&MSGKEY) WAIT(120) +
MSG(&MSGRPY)

462 System i: Programming Control language

 IF ((&MSGRPY *EQ ’Y’) *OR (&MSGRPY *EQ ’y’)) DO
.
.
GOTO END
ENDDO /* Reply of Y */
IF ((&MSGRPY *EQ ’N’) *OR (&MSGRPY *EQ ’n’)) DO
.
.
GOTO END
ENDDO /* Reply of N */
IF (&MSGRPY *NE ’ ’) DO
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Reply was not Y or N, try again’) +
TOMSGQ(QSYSOPR)
GOTO SNDMSG
ENDDO /* Reply not valid */
/* Timeout occurred */
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’No reply from the previous message +
was received in 120 seconds and a ’Y’’ +
value was assumed’) TOMSGQ(QSYSOPR)
.
.
END: ENDPGM

The SNDUSRMSG command cannot be used instead in this procedure because it does not support a
timeout option (SNDUSRMSG waits until it receives a reply or until the job is canceled).

The SNDPGMMSG command sends the message and specifies the KEYVAR parameter. This returns a
message reference key, which uniquely identifies this message so that the reply can be properly matched
with the RCVMSG command. The KEYVAR value must be defined as a character field length of 4.

The RCVMSG command specifies the message reference key value from the SNDPGMMSG command for
the MSGKEY parameter to receive the specific message. The reply is passed back into the MSG
parameter. The WAIT parameter specifies how long to wait for a reply before timing out.

When the reply is received, the procedure logic checks for an upper or lowercase value of the Y or N.
Normally the value is entered by the operator as a lower case value. If the operator enters a non-blank
value other than Y or N, the procedure sends a different message and then repeats the inquiry message.

If the operator had entered a blank, no reply is sent to the procedure. If a blank is returned to the
procedure, the timeout occurred (the operator did not reply). The procedure sends a message to the
system operator stating that a reply was not received and the default was assumed (the ’Y’’ value is
shown as ’Y’ in the message queue). Because the assumed value of ’Y’ is not displayed as the reply, you
cannot determine when looking at a message queue whether the message should be answered or has
already timed out. The procedure does not remove a message from the message queue after it has been
sent. The second message should minimize this concern and provides an audit trail for what has
occurred.

If the timeout has already occurred and the operator replies to the message, the reply is ignored. The
operator receives no indication that the reply has been ignored.
Related tasks
“Using a sender copy message to obtain a reply” on page 522
When an inquiry message is sent, it expects a reply. To allow the sender of an inquiry message to
obtain a reply, a sender copy message is issued and associated internally with the inquiry message.

Sending immediate messages with double-byte characters:

To send an immediate message with double-byte text, limit the text to 37 double-byte characters plus the
shift control characters. The limited size of the message ensures it is properly displayed.

Control language 463

Defining default values for replies:

The Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command specifies a default value for a reply to your
message.

A default reply must meet the same validity checking values as the other replies for the message or be
specified as a special value in the message description. A default value is used when a user has indicated
(using the CHGMSGQ command) that default replies should be issued for all inquiry messages sent to
the user’s message queue. Default replies are also sent when the unanswered inquiry messages are
deleted. For example, the workstation user uses the DSPMSG command to display messages, and
removes unanswered inquiry messages by pressing either F13 to delete all the messages or F11 to delete a
particular message.

Default replies are also used when the job attribute of INQMSGRPY is set to *DFT and may be used if set
to the *SYSRPYL option. You can use the system reply list to change the default reply.

Default replies are also used on the Display Program Messages screen (which shows messages that are
sent to *EXT). The sending of the default reply occurs during either of the two following conditions:
v The Display Program Messages screen appears showing an unanswered inquiry message and the user
presses Enter (to continue) without typing any reply.
v The user pressed the F3 key to exit the Display Program Messages display.

Specifying default message handling for escape messages:

For each message you create that can be sent as an escape message, you can set up a default message
handling action to be used if the message, when sent, is not handled any other way.

Default message handling actions can consist of:

v Default program name. A program to be called that takes default action to handle a message. The
following parameters are passed to the default program:
– Call message queue name. This parameter is a structure that consists of many fields that identify
where the system sent the message.
– Message reference key (4 characters). The message reference key of the escape message on the call
message queue.
v Dump list. A list of message data field numbers (the same numbers as the substitution variables) that
indicate which objects are to be dumped.
In addition, you can dump any of the following items:
– The data areas for the job
– An internal machine data structure of a job
– A job
Specifying a dump list for a job is equivalent to specifying the Display Job (DSPJOB) command with
the parameters JOB(*) OUTPUT(*PRINT).

If you do not specify default actions in message descriptions, you will get a dump list of the job (as if
DSPJOB JOB(*) OUTPUT(*PRINT) was specified).

The default action specified in a message is taken only after the message percolation action is completed
without the escape message being handled.
Related tasks
“CL handling for unmonitored messages” on page 513
The system provides default monitoring and handling of any messages you do not monitor.
Related information

464 System i: Programming Control language

 Message Handling APIs

Example: Sending the last diagnostic message as an escape message:

This example is a program that sends the last diagnostic message as an escape message.

The following program is an example default program that could be used when a diagnostic message is
sent followed by an escape message. This program could be an original program model (OPM) CL
program or an Integrated Language Environment (ILE) program that has this single CL procedure.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM PARM(&MSGQ &MRK)
DCL VAR(&MRK) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
DCL VAR(&MSGQ) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(6381)
DCL VAR(&QNAME) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4096)
DCL VAR(&MODNAME) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&BPGMNAME) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&BLANKMRK) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) VALUE(’ ’)
DCL VAR(&DIAGMRK) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4) VALUE(’ ’)
DCL VAR(&SAVEMRK) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
DCL VAR(&MSGID) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(7)
DCL VAR(&MSGDTA) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(100)
DCL VAR(&MSGF) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&MSGLIB) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&OFFSET) TYPE(*DEC)
DCL VAR(&LENGTH) TYPE(*DEC)

/* Check for OPM program type */

IF (%SST(&MSGQ 277 1) *EQ ’0’) THEN(DO)

CHGVAR VAR(&QNAME) VALUE(%SST(&MSGQ 1 10))
CHGVAR VAR(&MODNAME) VALUE(’*NONE’)
CHGVAR VAR(&BPGMNAME) VALUE(’*NONE’)
ENDDO
ELSE DO
/* Not an OPM program; always use the long procedure name */
CHGVAR VAR(&OFFSET) VALUE(%BIN(&MSGQ 281 4))
CHGVAR VAR(&LENGTH) VALUE(%BIN(&MSGQ 285 4))
CHGVAR VAR(&QNAME) VALUE(%SST(&MSGQ &OFFSET &LENGTH))
CHGVAR VAR(&MODNAME) VALUE(%SST(&MSGQ 11 10))
CHGVAR VAR(&BPGMNAME) VALUE(%SST(&MSGQ 1 10))
ENDDO
GETNEXTMSG: CHGVAR VAR(&SAVEMRK) VALUE(&DIAGMRK)
RCVMSG PGMQ(*SAME (&QNAME &MODNAME &BPGMNAME)) +
MSGTYPE(*DIAG) RMV(*NO) KEYVAR(&DIAGMRK)
IF (&DIAGMRK *NE &BLANKMRK) THEN(GOTO GETNEXTMSG)
ELSE IF (&SAVEMRK *NE ’ ’) THEN(DO)
/* If no diag message is sent, no message is sent to the previous program */
RCVMSG PGMQ(*SAME (&QNAME &MODNAME &BPGMNAME)) +
MSGKEY(&SAVEMRK) RMV(*NO) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA) +
MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(&MSGF) MSGFLIB(&MSGLIB)
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(&MSGLIB/&MSGF) +
MSGDTA(&MSGDTA) TOPGMQ(*PRV (&QNAME +
&MODNAME &BPGMNAME))
MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE)
ENDDO
ENDPGM

The program receives all the diagnostic messages in FIFO order. Then it sends the last diagnostic message
as an escape message to allow the previous program to monitor for it.

Specifying the alert option:

Control language 465

On the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command, you can specify an alert option to allow an
alert to be created for a message.

A message with an alert option specified can cause an SNA alert to be created and sent to a problem
management focal point. The alert created for a message can be defined using the Add Alert Description
(ADDALRD) command.
Related information

DSNX Support PDF

Example: Describing a message:

This example shows how to create a message to be used in an application.

In the following example, the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command creates a message to be
used in applications such as order entry. The message is issued when a customer number entered on the
display is not found. The message is:
Customer number &1 not found

The Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command for this message is:
ADDMSGD MSGID(USR4310) +
MSGF(QGPL/USRMSG) +
MSG(’Customer number &1 not found’) +
SECLVL(’Change customer number’) +
SEV(40) +
FMT((*CHAR 8))

The message is added to the USRMSG file in the library QGPL.

You can use the DSPMSGD or WRKMSGD command to print or display message descriptions.

The SECLVL parameter provides very simple text. To make this appear on the Additional Message
Information display, you specify SECLVL(’message text’). The text you specify on this parameter appears
on the Additional Message Information display when you press the Help key after placing the cursor on
this message.

Defining double-byte messages:

To define a message with double-byte text, you can write a CL procedure or program using the Add
Message Description (ADDMSGD) command. The defined message is put into a message file and then
sent normally.

When writing the program, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the source file containing the program is a double-byte file. Specify IGCDTA(*YES) on the
Create Source Physical File (CRTSRCPF) command.
2. Use the source entry utility (SEU) to enter the program. CL commands using double-byte characters
can only be entered through SEU. For this reason, double-byte messages must be created in a CL
program.
3. Limit the length of the message to 37 double-byte characters, so the complete message can be
displayed or printed.
When using the Monitor Message (MONMSG) command, also limit the Comparison Data
(CMPDATA) parameter to 6 double-byte characters.
4. If the double-byte message file replaces an alphanumeric message file (such as files of translated
messages to be sent only to double-byte display stations), enter a command similar to the following to
override the alphanumeric message file:

466 System i: Programming Control language

 OVRMSGF MSGF(QCPFMSG) TOMSGF(DBCSLIB/QCPFMSG)
Double-byte messages can be displayed only at double-byte display stations.

Viewing messages
The Work with Message Descriptions (WRKMSGD) or Display Message Description (DSPMSGD)
command views or prints single messages or a range of message descriptions in a message file.

Here is an example of using the Display Message Description (DSPMSGD) command:

DSPMSGD RANGE(*FIRST IDU0571) MSGF(QIDU/QIDUMSG)
FMTTXT(*NO) OUTPUT(*PRINT)

To see the exception messages which can be generated with a command, see the description of the
command.

Message file searching

The system searches for the message file from which the message description is retrieved.

The system uses the following two steps when searches are performed to retrieve a message from a
message file:
1. The system processes any overrides that are in effect for the message file name.
2. If the message file name has not been overridden, the system searches for the message file based on
the message file name and library specified when the message was used.

System message file searches:

The message file name and library specified at the time the message file is sent are used to search for the
message file from which the message description is retrieved.

This is true when a message file has not been overridden and when a message file name is overridden
but the message identifier is not contained in the overridden file.

The system search depends on whether you specify the message file library as either *CURLIB or *LIBL.
The following describes the search path for *CURLIB and *LIBL:
v Specify as *CURLIB or explicitly specify the message file library
The system searches for the message file named in the specified library or the job’s current library
(*CURLIB).
v Specify the message file library as *LIBL
The system searches for the message file named in the job’s library list (*LIBL). The search stops after
finding the first message file with the specified name.

If the message file is found, but does not contain a description for the message identifier, the message
attributes and text of message CPF2457 in QCPFMSG are used in place of the missing message
description.

If the message file was not found, the system attempts to retrieve the message from the message file that
was used at the time the message was sent.

Note: A message file may be found but cannot be accessed because of damage or an authorization
problem.

Overriding message files:

The creation (Override Message File command), deletion (Delete Override command), and display
(Display Override command) of message file override operations is similar to other types of override

Control language 467

operations. With these commands, however, only the name of the message file, not the attributes, is
overridden, and the rules for applying the override operations are slightly different.

To override a message file, use the Override Message File (OVRMSGF) command. The file overridden is
specified in the MSGF parameter; the file overriding it is specified in the TOMSGF parameter.

For example, to override QCPFMSG with a user message file named USRMSGF, the following command
can be used:
OVRMSGF MSGF(QCPFMSG) TOMSGF(USRMSGF)

When a predefined message is retrieved or displayed, the overriding file is searched for a message
description. If the message description is not found in that file, the overridden file is searched.

There are several basic reasons to override message files:

v To provide changed default replies or dump lists. A message file can be created with message
descriptions for messages with changed default replies or dump lists because those in the original
message descriptions are not satisfactory. You can establish several operating environments, each with
different default replies.
v To change severity levels of the messages.
v To provide a default program.
v To change the text of a message. If the text is blank, it appears to the user as if no message was sent.
For example, you may not want the status message sent by the Copy File (CPYF) command to appear
to the user.
v To provide translation of messages into national languages. Message files written in English can be
overridden by message files written in other languages. (If all messages are changed, use the library
list for the job to change the order of the message files instead of overriding the message files.)

Another way you can select the message file from which messages are to be retrieved is by changing the
order of the files in the library list for the job. However, if you use this approach, the search for the
message stops on the first message file found that has the specified name. If the message is not in that
file, the search stops.

For example, assume that a message file named USRMSG is in library USRLIB1, and another message file
named USRMSG is in library USRLIB2. To use the message file in USRLIB1, USRLIB1 should precede
USRLIB2 in the library list.

468 System i: Programming Control language

The system searches the first message file found with the correct name. If that file does not contain the
message, the search stops. However, if you use the OVRMSGF command, the system searches the
overriding file, and if the message is not there, it searches the overridden file.

Example: Overriding a message file:

This example shows how to change a message used in a job.

Assume that you want to change an IBM-supplied message for use in a job. For example, suppose you
want to change message CPC2191, which says:
Object XXX in YYY type *ZZZ deleted

to say:
Object XXX in YYY deleted

Specifics on how to describe the FMT parameter are provided by displaying the detailed description of
CPC2191.

First, you create a message file:

Control language 469

CRTMSGF MSGF(USRMSG/OVRCPF)

Then you use the message CPC2191 as a basis for your message and add it to the message file:
ADDMSGD MSGID(CPC2191) MSGF(USRMSG/OVRCPF) +
MSG(’Object &1 in &2 deleted’) +
SEV(00) FMT((*CHAR 10) (*CHAR 10))

You then use the Override Message File (OVRMSGF) command to override the message file when you
run the job:
OVRMSGF MSGF(QCPFMSG) TOMSGF(USRMSG/OVRCPF)

If you want to change this message for use in all your jobs, you can use the Change Message Description
(CHGMSGD) command to change the message. Then you do not have to override the system message
file.

470 System i: Programming Control language

If you use the CHGMSGD command to change an IBM-supplied message, the message will need to be
changed again when a new release of the system is installed. To change the message again, you can place
any changes in an input stream or a program that can be run at any time.

You can also override overriding files. For example, you can specify the following Override Message File
(OVRMSGF) commands during a job.
OVRMSGF MSGF(MSGFILE1) TOMSGF(MSGFILE2)
OVRMSGF MSGF(MSGFILE2) TOMSGF(MSGFILE3)

First, file MSGFILE1 was overridden with MSGFILE2. Second, MSGFILE2 was overridden with
MSGFILE3. When a message is sent, the files are searched in this order:
1. MSGFILE3
2. MSGFILE2
3. MSGFILE1

You can prevent message files from being overridden. To do so, you must specify the SECURE parameter
on the OVRMSGF command.

Message queues
All messages on the system are sent to a message queue. The system user or program associated with the
message queue receives the message from the queue. Similarly, a reply to a message is sent back to the
message queue of the user or program that requested the reply.

Types of message queues

The system has different types of message queues: workstation message queue, user profile message
queue, job message queue, system operator message queue, and history log message queue.

The following figures show the message queues supplied by IBM. A message queue is supplied for each
display station (where DSP01 and DSP02 are display station names) and each user profile (where BOB
and RAY are user profile names).

Job message queues are supplied for each job running on the system. Each job is given an external
message queue (*EXT) and each call of an original program model (OPM) program or Integrated
Language Environment (ILE) procedure within the job has its own call message queue.

Control language 471

Message queues are also supplied for the system history log (QHST) and the system operator
(QSYSOPR).

These message queues are used as follows:

v Workstation message queues are used for sending and receiving messages between workstation users
and between workstation users and the system operator. The name of the queue is the same as the
name of the workstation. The queue is created by the system when the workstation is described to the
system.
v User profile message queues can be used for communication between users. User profile message
queues are automatically created in library QUSRSYS when the user profile is created.
v Job message queues are used for receiving requests to be processed (such as commands) and for
sending messages that result from processing the requests; the messages are sent to the requester of the
job. Job message queues exist for each job and only exist for the life of the job. Job message queues
consist of an external message queue (*EXT) and a set of call stack entry message queues.
v System operator message queue (QSYSOPR) is used for receiving and replying to messages from the
system, display station users, and application programs.
v The history log message queue is used for any job in the system to have a record of high-level system
activities.

In addition to these message queues, you can create your own user message queues for sending messages
to system users and between application programs.
Related concepts
“Job message queues” on page 476
Job message queues are created for each job on the system to handle all the message requirements of
the job. Job message queues for a single job consist of an external message queue (*EXT) and a set of
call message queues.
Related tasks
“Messages” on page 452
Messages are used to communicate between users and programs.

472 System i: Programming Control language

Creating or changing a message queue
To create your own user message queues, use the Create Message Queue (CRTMSGQ) command. In
addition, you can use the Change Message Queue (CHGMSGQ) command to change attributes of your
message queue. To view the contents of the message queue, use the Display Messages (DSPMSG) or
Work with Messages (WRKMSG) command.

The attributes of a message queue are as follows:

v Whether changes to the message queue must be written immediately to the disk. Writing the changes
immediately to the disk ensures that no messages are lost in cases like a system failure. Note that this
will cause a decrease in system performance.
v The method of delivery for messages arriving at a message queue. When a message queue is created,
the method of delivery is defined as hold delivery. When a display station is signed on, the user’s
message queue is set to the mode specified in the user profile. The types of delivery you can specify on
the CHGMSGQ command are:
– Break delivery. A job is interrupted and a program is called to deliver the message. If a user
program is not specified on the CHGMSGQ command that requests break delivery, or if *SAME is
specified, the DSPMSG command automatically displays the message. Break messages for a job can
be controlled with the BRKMSG parameter on the Change Job (CHGJOB) command.
– Notify delivery. A display station user is notified by means of the attention light or audible alarm
(or by both) that a message is on the queue. The display station user can view the message by using
the DSPMSG or WRKMSG command.
– Hold delivery. The message queue holds the messages until the display station user requests them
with the DSPMSG or WRKMSG command.
– Default delivery. All messages are ignored, and any messages requiring a reply are sent the default
reply for the message.
v How to handle messages for break delivery.
– Automatically run the DSPMSG command. For an interactive job, the messages are displayed at the
display station if the severity code is high enough. For a batch job, the messages are listed to a
spooled printer file if the severity code is high enough.
– Call a break-handling program to handle the messages. You must use the CHGMSGQ command to
specify the called program and to set the method of delivery to break mode. You can specify
whether other jobs can reply to inquiry messages on the queue while it is in break mode with a
break-handling program.
v The severity code for filtering messages for break and notify delivery. Messages with severity equal to
or greater than the minimum severity code specified are displayed. When the queue is created, the
minimum severity code is set to 00. To change the minimum severity code, you must use the
CHGMSGQ command.
When the DSPMSG command is used to display messages on the message queue, the severity code
filter (SEV) parameter can be used to filter the messages shown. This filter is used rather than the
severity filter specified for the message queue at creation time. To use this filter, specify DSPMSG
SEV(*MSGQ). You can use the DSPMSG command to determine the current severity code used for
filtering break and notify messages. The code is displayed on the heading line of the message display.
v Coded character set identifier (CCSID) associated with the message queue. Messages sent to this queue
are converted to this CCSID. No conversions occur if the message queue CCSID is 65534 or 65535. If
the message queue CCSID is 65534, each message contains its own CCSID which is established by the
sender.
v Allow alerts for standard message queues. Allow alerts specifies if the queue being created allows
alerts to be generated from alert messages that are sent to it.
v Action to take when the message queue becomes full.
– Send CPF2460 (Message queue cannot be extended) to the program or user that sends a message to
the full queue.

Control language 473

 – Wrap the queue. Wrapping will remove messages on the queue to make space for a new message
that is sent to the queue.
You cannot change this attribute for message queue QHST; QHST sends CPF2460 when it is full. IBM
ships QSYSOPR with this attribute set to wrap.

Note: When a workstation device description is created, the system establishes a message queue for the
device to receive all action messages for the device. For workstation printers, tape drives, and
APPC devices, the MSGQ parameter can be used to specify a message queue when creating a
device description. If no message queue is specified for these devices, the default, QSYSOPR, is
used as the message queue. All other devices are assigned to the QSYSOPR message queue when
they are created.

The message queue defined in your user profile is known as a user message queue. When you sign on
the system using your profile, the user message queue is put into the delivery mode specified in your
user profile.

If your user message queue is in break or notify delivery mode while you are signed on a display station
and then you sign on another display station, the user message queue will not change the delivery mode
for the new sign-on. User message queues (along with workstation message queues and the QSYSOPR
message queue) cannot have their delivery mode changed by a job when the message queue is in break
or notify delivery mode for a different job.

When you sign off the display station, or the job ends unexpectedly, the user message queue delivery
mode is changed to hold mode, if the delivery mode of the user message queue is break or notify for this
job. The user message queue delivery mode is also changed from break or notify mode to hold mode
when you transfer to a secondary job. You can do this using the Transfer Secondary Job (TFRSECJOB)
command or by pressing the System Request key and specifying option 1 on the System Request menu.

After transferring to a secondary job, you sign on using your user profile. Your user message queue is
put into the delivery mode specified in your user profile. This allows the user message queue to transfer
to the secondary job. You are then able to transfer back and forth between these two jobs and have your
user message queue follow you.

However, if after transferring to an alternative job, you sign on using a user profile other than your own,
the user message queue for the job from which you transferred is left in hold delivery mode. The user
message queue for the user profile you signed on with is put in the delivery mode specified in that user
profile. Because of this, your user message queue could be put into break or notify delivery mode by
another user. If another user still has your user message queue in that delivery mode when you transfer
back to the first job, your user message queue delivery mode cannot be changed back to the original
delivery mode.

The QSYSOPR message queue is the message queue for the system operator, unless it has been changed.
The previous situation can occur for a system operator as well.
Related information
Create Message Queue (CRTMSGQ) command
Change Message Queue (CHGMSGQ) command
Display Message (DSPMSG) command
Work with Message (WRKMSG) command

Message queues in independent ASPs:

IBM suggests that message queues in independent auxiliary storage pools (ASPs) should not be put into
break mode.

474 System i: Programming Control language

When a message queue is in break mode, the break program will not be called if the message queue is
not in the thread’s library name space when a message is sent to the message queue. The libraries in the
independent ASPs in the thread’s ASP group plus the libraries in the system ASP (ASP number 1) and
basic user ASPs (ASP numbers 2-32) form the library name space for the thread.

When sending an inquiry message to a message queue, the to message queue and the reply message
queue both should be either in the system ASP or in the same independent ASP, otherwise the reply may
not be sent to the reply message queue if either message queue was taken offline.

Messages cannot be received in these situations:

v From a message queue with a wait time, in an independent ASP that is varied off.
v As a reply to an inquiry message sent to a message queue, in an independent ASP that is varied off.

A break-handling program will not be able to change the library name space for the thread.
Related information
Independent disk pool examples

Message queues in break mode:

A break-handling program can be called whenever a message of equal or higher severity than the
severity code filter arrives on a message queue that is in break delivery mode.

To request a break-handling program, you must specify the name of the program and break delivery on
the same Change Message Queue (CHGMSGQ) command. The break-handling program must receive the
message with the Receive Message (RCVMSG) command so the message is marked as handled and the
program is not called again. There is an IBM-supplied break-handling program that you can use by
default on the CHGMSGQ command. For example:
CHgMSGQ MSGQ(name) DLVRY(*break)

Note: This program cannot open a display file if the interrupted program is waiting for input data from
the device display.
Related tasks
“Break-handling programs” on page 520
A break-handling program is one that is automatically called when a message arrives at a message
queue that is in *BREAK mode.

Placing a message queue in break mode automatically:

By placing a message queue in break mode automatically, you can monitor the QSYSOPR message queue.

When the system is started, it puts the QSYSOPR message queue in break delivery when the controlling
subsystem is started. However, if the system operator signs off, the message queue is put in hold
delivery. When the system operator signs on again, QSYSOPR is placed in the mode specified in the
QSYSOPR user profile.

The following procedure in a CL initial program can be used to place the QSYSOPR message queue in
break mode. Initial programs can use similar procedures to monitor message queues other than the one
specified in a user’s own user profile.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Control language 475

PGM /* Procedure to place a msg queue in break mode */
CHGMSGQ QSYSOPR DLVRY(*BREAK) SEV(50)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0000) EXEC(SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Unable to put QSYSOPR +
message queue in *BREAK mode’) TOPGMQ(*EXT))
ENDPGM

The procedure attempts to set the QSYSOPR message queue to break delivery with a severity level of 50.
If this is unsuccessful, a message is sent to the external job message queue (*EXT). When the program
which contains this procedure ends, the initial menu is displayed. A severity level of 50 is used to
decrease the number of break messages that interrupts the workstation user. A common reason for failure
is that another user has QSYSOPR in break mode already.

You can use the system reply list to specify that the system issue the reply to specified predefined inquiry
messages so that the display station user does not need to reply.
Related tasks
“Using the system reply list” on page 523
By using the system reply list, you can specify that the system automatically issues the reply to
specified predefined inquiry messages.

Job message queues

Job message queues are created for each job on the system to handle all the message requirements of the
job. Job message queues for a single job consist of an external message queue (*EXT) and a set of call
message queues.

A call message queue is assigned to each Integrated Language Environment (ILE) procedure and original
program model (OPM) program that is called within the job. In addition, a job log is created for each job.
A job log is a logical queue which maintains all messages sent within a job in chronological order. You
may send messages to the *EXT queue or to a call message queue. You do not send messages to the job
log. Rather a message sent to either *EXT or a call message queue is also logically added to the job log by
the system.
Related concepts
“Types of message queues” on page 471
The system has different types of message queues: workstation message queue, user profile message
queue, job message queue, system operator message queue, and history log message queue.

External message queue:

The external message queue (*EXT) is used to communicate with the external requester (such as a display
station user) of the job.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Messages sent to *EXT are displayed in the following ways:

v Display Program Messages screen
If an informational, inquiry, or notify message is sent to the external message queue for an interactive
job, the message is displayed on the Display Program Messages display. Additionally, the procedure
waits for a reply to inquiry or notify messages from the display station user. Should the user not enter
a reply and press the Enter key or F3 (Exit), the default message reply is returned to the sender of the
message. If there is no default message reply, *N is sent. If you send an inquiry or notify message to
the external message queue for a batch job, the system sends the default reply back to you. If there is
no default message reply, *N is the reply. The system reply list may override the displaying of inquiries
or the sending of default replies to inquiries to *EXT.
v Message line of the display station

476 System i: Programming Control language

 If a status message is sent to the external message queue of an interactive job, the message is displayed
on the message line of the display station. You can use status messages like this to inform the display
station user of the progress of a long-running operation. For example, the system sends status
messages when running the CPYF command if you copy a file with several members.

Note: When your application completes the long-running operation, you must send another message
to clear the message line at the display. You can use message CPI9801, which is a blank message,
for this purpose. For example:
PGM
.
.
.
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF9898) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGDTA(’Status 1’) +
TOPGMQ(*EXT) MSGTYPE(*STATUS)
.
.
.
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF9898) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGDTA(’Status 2’) +
TOPGMQ(*EXT) MSGTYPE(*STATUS)
.
.
.
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPI9801) MSGF(QCPFMSG) TOPGMQ(*EXT) +
MSGTYPE(*STATUS)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

Messages (except status messages) sent to the external message queue of a job are also placed on the job
log.
Related concepts
“Job log” on page 527
Each job has an associated job log.
“Status messages” on page 483
To send status messages from your CL procedure or program to the external message queue (*EXT)
for the job or to a call message queue, use the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command.

Call message queue:

A call message queue is used to send messages between one program or procedure and another program
or procedure.

As long as a program or procedure is on the call stack (has not returned yet), its call message queue is
active and messages can be sent to that program or procedure. After the program or procedure returns,
messages can no longer be sent to it. Message types which can be sent to a call message queue include
informational, request, completion, diagnostic, status, escape, and notify.

The call message queue for an OPM program or ILE procedure is created when that program or
procedure is called. The call message queue is exclusively associated only with the call stack entry in
which the program or procedure is running. A call message queue is identified indirectly by identifying
the call stack entry. A call stack entry is identified by the name of the program or procedure that is
running in that call stack entry.

In the case of an OPM program, the associated call stack entry is identified by the (up to) 10 character
program name. In the case of an ILE procedure, the associated call stack entry is identified by a three
part name which consists of the (up to) 4096 character procedure name, the (up to) 10 character module

Control language 477

name, and the (up to) 10 character program name. The module name is the name of the module into
which the procedure was compiled. The ILE program name is the name of the ILE program into which
the module was bound.

When identifying the call stack entry for an ILE procedure, it is sufficient to specify only the procedure
name. If the procedure name by itself does not uniquely identify the call stack entry, the module name or
the ILE program name can also be specified. If, at the time a message is sent, a program or procedure is
on the call stack more than once, the name specified will identify the most recently called occurrence of
that program or procedure.

If an OPM or ILE program is compiled and then replaced while it is on the call stack, care must be taken
when the program name is used to reference a call stack entry. For call stack entries that are earlier on the
stack than the point at which the replace operation was done, the name reference will resolve to the
replaced object which now exists in QRPLOBJ. These name references are valid as long as the replaced
object continues to exist in the QRPLOBJ library. For entries on the stack that are more recent than the
point at which the replace operation was done, the name reference is for the new version of the program.
Because of the manner in which the version to use is determined, you should not place a program
directly in the library QRPLOBJ. This library should be used exclusively for the replaced version of a
program. A name reference to a program that you place directly into QRPLOBJ will fail.

If a program object is removed or renamed while an occurrence of it is on the call stack, any name
reference to the removed program or any name reference using the old name will fail. For ILE
procedures, if you are using only the procedure and module name for a reference, renaming the program
will not impact the name reference. If you are also using the ILE program name, the name reference will
fail.

A message queue for a call stack entry of a program or procedure is no longer available when the
program or procedure ends. A message that was on the associated call message queue can only be
referenced at that point by using the message reference key of the message.

For example, assume that procedure A calls procedure B which calls procedure C. Procedure C sends a
message to procedure B and ends. The message is available to procedure B. However, when procedure B
ends, its call message queue is no longer available. As a result, you cannot access procedure B by using
procedure A, even though the message appears in the job log. Procedure A cannot access messages that
are sent to Procedure B unless Procedure A has the message reference key to that message.

If procedure A needs to delete specific messages, you could do the following:

v Have procedure C send specific messages to procedure A

478 System i: Programming Control language

v Have procedure B move or resend the messages to procedure A

The following figure shows the relationship of procedure calls, the job message queue, and the call stack
entry queues. Procedure A sends a message to itself and to *EXT, and then calls procedure B. Procedure B
calls Procedure C. Procedure C sends a message to its caller (Procedure B) and then calls Procedure D.
Procedure D sends a message to itself and calls Procedure B. A connecting line (-----) indicates which
message queue is associated with which call of a procedure.

In the preceding figure, procedure B has two call stack entry queues, one for each call of the procedure.
There are no message queues for procedure C because no messages were sent to procedure C. When
procedure C sends a message to procedure B, the message goes to the call stack entry queue for the last
call of procedure B.

Note: When you are using the command entry display, you can display all the messages sent to the job
message queue by pressing F10 (Include detailed messages). After the messages are displayed, you
can roll through them using one of the roll keys.

You can also display the messages for a job by using the Display Job Log (DSPJOBLOG) command.
Related tasks
“Receiving a message from a program or procedure that has ended” on page 517
Occasionally, there is a need to receive messages from the job log that are sent to a call message queue
that is no longer active.
“Identifying a call stack entry” on page 487
If a CL procedure is to send a message to an original program model (OPM) program or another
Integrated Language Environment (ILE) procedure, you must identify the call stack entry to which the
message is sent.

Commands used to send messages to a system user

Several commands can be used to send messages to system users.
v Send Message (SNDMSG)
v Send Break Message (SNDBRKMSG)
v Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG)
v Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG)

Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) and Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG) can only be used in
batch or interactive original program model (OPM) programs or Integrated Language Environment (ILE)
procedures. These commands cannot be entered on a command line. The Send Message (SNDMSG)
command sends an informational or inquiry message to the system operator message queue (QSYSOPR),
a display station message queue, or a user message queue. You can send an informational message to
more than one message queue at a time. But you can send an inquiry message to only one message
queue at a time. The message is delivered by the delivery type specified for the message queue. The
message does not interrupt the user unless the message queue is in break mode.

Control language 479

The following Send Message (SNDMSG) command is sent by a display station user to the system
operator:
SNDMSG MSG(’Mount tape on device TAP1’) TOUSR(*SYSOPR)

The Send Break Message (SNDBRKMSG) command sends an immediate message from a workstation, a
program, or a job to one or more display stations to be delivered in the break mode regardless of what
delivery mode the receiver’s message queue is set to. This command can be used to send a message only
to display station message queues. You should use the Send Break Message (SNDBRKMSG) command
when sending any message that requires the immediate attention of a display station user. You cannot
ensure the message will cause a break, because each job has control by using the BRKMSG parameter on
the Change Job (CHGJOB) command.

If you send an inquiry message, you can specify that the reply be sent to a message queue other than that
of your display station.

The following Send Break Message (SNDBRKMSG) command is sent by the system operator to all the
display station message queues:
SNDBRKMSG MSG(’System going down in 15 minutes’)
TOMSGQ(*ALLWS)

The disadvantage of sending this message is that it is sent to all users, not just those users who are active
at the time the message is sent.
Related tasks
“Commands used to send messages from a CL program”
The Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command or the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG)
command is used to send a message from a CL procedure or program.

Commands used to send messages from a CL program

The Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command or the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG)
command is used to send a message from a CL procedure or program.

Using the SNDPGMMSG command, you can send the following types of messages:
v Informational
v Inquiry
v Completion
v Diagnostic
v Request
v Escape
v Status
v Notify

You can send messages from a CL procedure or program to the following types of queues:
v External message queue of the requester of the job
v Call message queue of a program or procedure called by the job
v System operator message queue
v Workstation message queue
v User message queue

To send a message from a procedure or program, you can specify the following on the SNDPGMMSG
command:

480 System i: Programming Control language

v Message identifier or an immediate message. The message identifier is the name of the message
description for a predefined message.
v Message file. The name of the message file containing the message description when a predefined
message is sent.
v Message data fields. If a predefined message is sent, these fields contain the values for the substitution
variables in the message. The format of each field must be described in the message description. If an
immediate message is sent, there are no message data fields.
v Message queue or user to receive the message.
v Message type. The following indicates which types of messages can be sent to which types of queues
(V = valid).
Table 34. Valid message types for message queue types
Message type Message queue type
External Call QSYSOPR Workstation User
Informational V V V V V
Inquiry V V V V
Completion V V V V V
Diagnostic V V V V V
Request V V
Escape V
Status V V
Notify V V

v Coded character set identifier (CCSID). Specifies the coded character set identifier (CCSID) that the
supplied message or message data is in.
v Reply message queue. The name of the message queue that receives the reply to an inquiry message.
By default, the reply is sent to the call message queue of the procedure or program that sent the
inquiry message.
v Key variable name. The name of the CL variable to contain the message reference key for a message.

To send the message created in “Example: Describing a message” on page 466, you would use the
following command:
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(USR4310) MSGF(QGPL/USRMSG) +
MSGDTA(&CUSNO) TOPGMQ(*EXT) +
MSGTYPE(*INFO)

The substitution variable for the message is the customer number. Because the customer number varies,
you cannot specify the exact customer number in the message. Instead, declare a CL variable in the CL
procedure or program for the customer number (&CUSNO). Then specify this variable as the message
data field. When the message is sent, the current value of the variable is passed in the message:
Customer number 35500 not found

In addition, you do not always know which display station is using the procedure or program, so you
cannot specify the exact display station message queue that the message is to be sent to (TOMSGQ
parameter); therefore, you specify the external message queue *EXT on the TOPGMQ parameter.
Related concepts
“Identifying the base entry by name” on page 490
To identify the base call stack entry, provide the name of the original program model (OPM) program
or Integrated Language Environment (ILE) procedure that runs in that entry.
Related tasks

Control language 481

 “Commands used to send messages to a system user” on page 479
Several commands can be used to send messages to system users.
“Receiving request messages” on page 503
Receiving request messages is a method for your CL procedure or program to process CL commands.
Related information
Types of message queues

Inquiry and informational messages

To send an inquiry message or an informational message to a display station user, to the system operator,
or to a user-defined message queue, use the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG) command.

If you use the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG) command to send an inquiry message to the user, the
procedure or program waits for a response from the user. The message can be either an immediate
message or a predefined message. For an interactive job, the message is sent to the display station
operator by default. For a batch job, the message is sent to the system operator by default. To send a
message from a procedure or program using the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG) command, you can
specify the following on the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG) command:
v Message identifier or an immediate message. The message identifier is the name of the message
description for a predefined message.
v Message file. The name of the message file containing the message description when a predefined
message is sent.
v Message data fields. If a predefined message is sent, these fields contain the value for the substitution
variables in the message. The format of each field must be described in the message description. If an
immediate message is sent, there are no message data fields.
v Valid replies to an inquiry message.
v Default reply value to an inquiry message.
v Message type.
v Message queue to which the message is to be sent.
v Message reply. A CL variable, if any, that is to contain the reply received in response to an inquiry
message.
v Translation table. The translation table to be used, if any, to translate the reply value. This is normally
used for translating lowercase to uppercase.
v Coded character set identifier (CCSID). Specifies the coded character set identifier (CCSID) that the
supplied message or message data is in.

Completion and diagnostic messages

To send diagnostic and completion messages, use the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG) command.

You can send these message types to any message queue from your CL procedure or program. Diagnostic
messages tell the calling program or procedure about errors detected by the CL procedure or program.
Completion messages tell the results of work done by the CL procedure or program.

Normally, an escape message is sent to the message queue of the calling program or procedure to tell the
caller what the problem was or that diagnostic messages were also sent. For a completion message, an
escape message is typically not sent because the requested function was performed.

For an example of sending a completion message, assume that the system operator uses the command
entry display to call a CL program SAVPAY to save certain objects. The CL program contains only the
following procedure which saves the objects and then issues the following completion message.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

482 System i: Programming Control language

PGM
SAVOBJ OBJ(PAY1 PAY2) LIB(PAYROLL) DEV(TAP01)
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Payroll objects have been saved’) MSGTYPE(*COMP)
ENDPGM

If the Save Object (SAVOBJ) command fails, the CL procedure function checks and the system operator
has to display the detailed messages to locate the specific escape message explaining the reason for the
failure. If the SAVOBJ command completes successfully, the completion message is sent to the call
message queue associated with the program that displays the command entry display.

One of the advantages of completion messages is their consistency with IBM-supplied commands. Many
IBM commands send completion messages indicating successful completion. Seeing the type of message
sent to the job log can assist in problem analysis.

Status messages
To send status messages from your CL procedure or program to the external message queue (*EXT) for
the job or to a call message queue, use the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command.

When a status message is sent to a call message queue, the receiving program or procedure can monitor
for the arrival of the status message and can handle the condition it describes. If the receiving program or
procedure does not monitor for the message, control returns to the sender to resume processing.

Status messages are not included in the job log for a job.
Related concepts
“External message queue” on page 476
The external message queue (*EXT) is used to communicate with the external requester (such as a
display station user) of the job.

Escape and notify messages

You can send both escape and notify messages from your CL procedure or program to message queues.

You can send escape messages from your CL procedure or program to the call message queue of the
calling program or procedure with the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command. An escape
message tells the caller that the procedure or program ended abnormally and why. The caller can monitor
for the arrival of the escape message and handle the condition it describes. When the caller handles the
condition, control does not return to the sender of an escape message.

If the caller is another procedure within the same program, the program itself does not end. The
procedure to which the escape message was sent is allowed to continue. If the escape message was sent
to the caller of the program itself, then all active procedures within the program are ended immediately.
As a result, the program cannot continue to run. If the caller does not monitor for an escape message, the
default system action is taken.

You can send notify messages from a CL procedure or program to the message queue of the calling
program or procedure or to the external message queue. A notify message tells the caller about a
condition under which processing can continue. The calling program or procedure can monitor for the
arrival of the notify message and handle the condition it describes. If the caller is an Integrated Language
Environment procedure, it can perform the following functions:
v It can handle the condition.
v It can send a reply back to the caller.
v It can allow the sending procedure to continue processing.

Control language 483

If the caller is an original program model (OPM) program and is not monitoring for the message, the
sender receives a default reply. If the caller is an ILE procedure, then the message percolates to the
control boundary. When finding no monitor, the system returns a default reply to the sender. The sender
then resumes processing.

Immediate messages are not allowed as escape and notify messages. The system has defined the message
CPF9898, which can be used for immediate escape and notify messages in application programs. For
example:
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF9898) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGDTA(’Error condition’) +
MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE)
Related tasks
“Monitoring for messages in a CL program or procedure” on page 510
Messages that can be monitored are *ESCAPE, *STATUS, and *NOTIFY messages that are issued by
each CL command used in the program or procedure.

Examples: Sending messages

These examples show how to send different kinds of messages.

Example 1: Sending a completion message

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

The following CL procedure allows the display station user to submit a job by calling a CL program
(which contains this procedure) instead of entering the Submit Job (SBMJOB) command. The procedure
sends a completion message when the job has been submitted.
PGM
SBMJOB JOB(WKLYPAY) JOBD(USERA) RQSDTA(’CALL WKLY PARM(PAY1)’)
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’WKLYPAY job submitted’) MSGTYPE(*COMP)
ENDPGM

Example 2: Sending a completion message with variable text

The following CL procedure sends a message based on a parameter received from a program that is
called from within this procedure. The message is sent by the CL procedure as a completion message.
(The RCDCNT field is defined as characters in PGMA.)
PGM
DCL &RCDCNT TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(3)
CALL PGMA PARM(&RCDCNT)
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’PGMA completed’ *BCAT &RCDCNT *BCAT +
’records processed’) MSGTYPE(*COMP)
ENDPGM

Example 3: Sending an inquiry message and receive its reply

The following procedure sends a message requesting the system operator to load a special form. The
Receive Message (RCVMSG) command waits for the reply. The system operator must enter at least 1
character as a reply to the inquiry message, but the procedure does not contain the remainder of the code
that would use the reply value.
PGM
DCL SNDRCOPY TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Load special form’) TOUSR(*SYSOPR) +
KEYVAR(SNDRCOPY) MSGTYPE(*INQ)
RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*RPY) MSGKEY(SNDRCOPY) WAIT(120)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

484 System i: Programming Control language

 Notes:
1. The WAIT parameter must be specified on the Receive Message (RCVMSG) command so that
the procedure waits for the reply. If the WAIT parameter is not specified, the procedure
continues with the instruction following the Receive Message (RCVMSG) command, without
receiving the reply.
| 2. The variable SNDRCOPY in the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command returns to
| the procedure the message key of the sender copy message associated with the inquiry
| message. This is needed to get the reply. When this key is specified on a Receive Message
| (RCVMSG) command with a message type of *RPY, the reply that was entered for the
| associated inquiry message is returned. The SNDRCOPY message key is specified in the
| MSGKEY parameter of the Receive Message (RCVMSG) command.

Example 4: Sending an inquiry message and receive a reply with SNDUSRMSG

The following procedure sends a message to the system operator when it is run in batch mode or to the
display station operator when it is run from a display station. The procedure accepts either an uppercase
or lowercase Y or N. (The lowercase values are translated to uppercase by the translation table (the
default of the TRNTBL parameter of the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG) command) to make program
logic easier.) If the value entered is not one of these four, the operator is issued a message from Send
User Message (SNDUSRMSG) indicating the reply is not valid.
PGM
DCL &REPLY *CHAR LEN(1)
.
.
SNDUSRMSG MSG(’Update YTD Information Y or N’) VALUES(Y N) +
MSGRPY(&REPLY)
IF (&REPLY *EQ Y)
DO
.
.
.
ENDDO
ELSE
DO
.
.
ENDDO
.
.
.
ENDPGM

Example 5: Sending an escape message

The following procedure uses the message CPF9898 to send an escape message. The text of the message
is ’Procedure detected failure’. Immediate messages are not allowed as escape messages so message
CPF9898 can be used with the message as message data.
PGM
.
.
.
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF9898) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE)
MSGDTA(’Procedure detected failure’)
.
.
ENDPGM

Control language 485

Example 6: Sending an informational message to multiple users

The following procedure allows the system operator to send a message to several display stations. When
the system operator calls the program containing this procedure, it displays a prompt which the system
operator can enter the type of message to be sent and the text for the message. The procedure
concatenates the date, time, and text of the message.
PGM
DCLF WSMSGD
DCL &MSG TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(150)
DCL &HOUR TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(2)
DCL &MINUTE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(2)
DCL &MONTH TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(2)
DCL &DAY TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(2)
DCL &WORKHR TYPE(*DEC) LEN(2 0)
SNDRCVF RCDFMT(PROMPT)
IF &IN91 RETURN /* Request was ended */
RTVSYSVAL QMONTH RTNVAR(&MONTH)
RTVSYSVAL QDAY RTNVAR(&DAY)
RTVSYSVAL QHOUR RTNVAR(&HOUR)
IF (&HOUR *GT ’12’) DO /* Change from military time */
CHGVAR &WORKHR &HOUR
CHGVAR &WORKHR (&WORKHR - 12)
CHGVAR &HOUR &WORKHR
ENDDO
RTVSYSVAL QMINUTE RTNVAR(&MINUTE)
CHGVAR &MSG (’From Sys Opr ’ *CAT &MONTH *CAT ’/’ +
*CAT &DAY +
*BCAT &HOUR *CAT ’:’ *CAT &MINUTE +
*BCAT &TEXT)
IF (&TYPE *EQ ’B’) GOTO BREAK
NORMAL: SNDPGMMSG MSG(&MSG) TOMSGQ(WS1 WS2 WS3)
GOTO ENDMSG
BREAK: SNDBRKMSG MSG(&MSG) TOMSGQ(WS1 WS2 WS3)
ENDMSG: SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Message sent to display stations’) +
MSGTYPE(*COMP)
ENDPGM

The DDS for the display file, WSMSGD, used in this program follows:
|...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7....+....8
A DSPSIZ(24 80)
A R PROMPT TEXT(’Prompt’)
A BLINK
A CA03(91 ’Return’)
A 1 2’Send Messages To Workstations’
DSPATR(HI)
A 3 2’TYPE’
A TYPE 1 1 +2VALUES(’N’ ’B’)
A CHECK(ME)
DSPATR(MDT)
A +3’(N = No breaks B = Break)’
A 5 2’Text’
A TEXT 100 1 +2LOWER
A
A

If the system operator enters the following on the prompt:

B

Please sign off by 3:30 today

the following break message is sent:

From Sys Opr 10/30 02:00 Please sign off by 3:30 today
Related tasks

486 System i: Programming Control language

 “Using a sender copy message to obtain a reply” on page 522
When an inquiry message is sent, it expects a reply. To allow the sender of an inquiry message to
obtain a reply, a sender copy message is issued and associated internally with the inquiry message.

Identifying a call stack entry

If a CL procedure is to send a message to an original program model (OPM) program or another
Integrated Language Environment (ILE) procedure, you must identify the call stack entry to which the
message is sent.

The message is sent to the call message queue of the identified call stack entry.

The TOPGMQ parameter of the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command is used to identify the
call stack entry to which a message is sent. Identification of a call stack entry consists of the following
two parts:
v Specification of a base entry
This specification identifies a program or procedure within the call stack (this is element 2 of
TOPGMQ).
v Offset specification of a base entry
The offset specification (element 1 of TOPGMQ) identifies if you send the message to the base (*SAME)
or if you send the message to the caller of the base (*PRV).

The specification TOPGMQ(*PRV *) identifies the base entry as being the one in which the procedure
using the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command is running. The offset is specified as being
one entry previous to that base. This specification identifies the caller of the procedure which is using the
command.

To understand how to identify the base entry, element 2 of TOPGMQ, you also need to understand the
call stack when an ILE program is running. Two programs are used to illustrate this. Program CLPGM1 is
an OPM CL program and Program CLPGM2 is an ILE program. Because program CLPGM2 is ILE, it can
consist of several procedures, such as: CLPROC1, CLPROC2, CLPROC3, and CLPROC4. At run time, the
following calls take place:
v CLPGM1 is called first.
v CLPGM1 calls CLPGM2.
v CLPGM2 calls CLPROC1.
v CLPROC1 calls CLPROC2.
v CLPROC2 calls CLPROC3 or CLPROC4.

The following figure illustrates the following considerations:

v There is a one-to-one correspondence between a call stack entry and an OPM program; for each call of
an OPM program, one new entry is added to the call stack.
v An ILE program, as a unit, is not represented on the stack; instead, when an ILE program is called, one
entry is added to the stack for each procedure that is called in the program. As a result, you send a
message to an ILE procedure, not to an ILE program.

Note: The first procedure to run when an ILE program is called is the Program Entry Procedure (PEP)
for the program. In CL, this procedure (_CL_PEP) is generated by the system and calls the first
procedure you provide. In this example, the entry for the PEP is between the entry for the OPM
program CLPGM1 and the entry for the procedure CLPROC1.

Control language 487

Figure 16. Example of runtime call stack with an OPM program and an ILE program with multiple procedures

Related concepts
“Call message queue” on page 477
A call message queue is used to send messages between one program or procedure and another
program or procedure.

Using the Send Program Message command as the base:

To use the program or procedure that runs the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command as the
base call stack entry, use the TOPGMQ parameter.

If the TOPGMQ parameter specifies either TOPGMQ(*SAME *) or TOPGMQ(*PRV *), the entry for the
procedure using the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command is used as the base. If

488 System i: Programming Control language

TOPGMQ(*SAME *) is specified, the procedure will send a message to itself. If TOPGMQ(*PRV *) is
specified, the procedure will send a message to its caller.

Note: You should be aware of the following information when a procedure sends a message to the caller
by specifying TOPGMQ(*PRV *).
v When CLPROC4 and CLPROC2 send a message back to the callers, the message does not leave
the containing program. The message is sent between procedures that are within the same
program. If the objective is to send a message to CLPGM1 which is the caller of the CLPGM2,
specifying TOPGMQ(*PRV *) is not the right choice to use.
v When CLPROC1 sends its message back to the caller, the Program Entry Procedure is skipped.
The message is sent to CLPGM1 even though the caller is the PEP. When TOPGMQ(*PRV *) is
specified, the PEP entry is not visible and not included in the send operation. If TOPGMQ is
specified in some other way, the PEP is visible to the sender.

The figure illustrates the results when CLPROC1, CLPROC2, and CLPROC4 each sends a message
previous of their procedure.

Control language 489

Figure 17. Example of TOPGMQ(*PRV *)

Note: The PEP is not visible to (*PRV *), so the message from CLPROC1 will be sent to CLPGM1.

Identifying the base entry by name:

To identify the base call stack entry, provide the name of the original program model (OPM) program or
Integrated Language Environment (ILE) procedure that runs in that entry.

The name provided is either a simple name (one part) or a complex name (two or three parts). Following
are descriptions of the simple and complex names:
v Simple name

490 System i: Programming Control language

 A simple name is used to identify an OPM program or an ILE procedure. If the simple name you
provide is 10 characters or less in length, it is determined by the system that the name is either an
OPM program or an ILE procedure. The base is identified as the most recently called OPM program or
ILE procedure by that name.
If the name is longer than 10 characters in length, it is determined by the system that the name is for
an ILE procedure (OPM program names cannot be longer than 10 characters). The base is identified as
the entry for the most recently called procedure by that name. Entries running OPM programs are not
considered.
See the first figure for an example of sending a message using a simple name. In this example,
CLPROC4 is sending a message to CLPROC2 and CLPROC2 is sending a message to CLPGM1.
v Complex name
A complex name consists of two or three parts. They are:
– module name
The module name is the name of the module into which the procedure was compiled.
– program name
The program name is the name of the program into which the procedure was bound.
– procedure name
When you want to uniquely identify the procedure to which you want to send the message, a complex
name can be used in one of the following combinations:
– procedure name, module name, program name
– procedure name and module name
– procedure name and program name
You must specify the module name as *NONE.
If you use a complex name, the base being identified cannot be running an OPM program.

See the following figure for an example of sending a message using a complex name. In this example,
CLPROC4 is sending a message to CLPROC1 using a two part name consisting of (procedure name,
program name).

Rather than using the full OPM program name or the full ILE procedure name, you may use partial
names.

Control language 491

Figure 18. Example of using a simple name as a base

492 System i: Programming Control language

Figure 19. Example of using a complex name as a base

Related tasks
“Commands used to send messages from a CL program” on page 480
The Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command or the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG)
command is used to send a message from a CL procedure or program.
Related information
Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command

Using the program boundary as a base:

To specify the program boundary as the base call stack entry, use the *PGMBDY special value.

Control language 493

The special value *PGMBDY is used by itself or with a program name to identify the PEP of a CL
program. The entry for the PEP of the identified CL program then is the base entry. This option is useful
when you want to send a message from within a CL procedure outside the boundary of the program
which contains the procedure.

Refer to the first figure for an example of sending a message using the special value *PGMBDY. In this
example, CLPROC4 is sending a message directly to CLPGM1 which is the caller of the containing
program CLPGM2. CLPROC4 can do this without knowing which program called CLPGM2 or knowing
the location of the PEP compared to the procedure sending the message. In this example, *PGMBDY is
used without an accompanying program name specified. This means that the program whose boundary
is to be identified is the program which contains the procedure that is sending the message.

See the second figure for an example of sending a message using the special value *PGMBDY and a
program name. The following programs and procedures are used in the second figure:
v CLPGM1 and CLPGM2. These are defined as in the previous examples.
v CLPGM3. This is another Integrated Language Environment (ILE) program
v CLPROCA in CLPGM3. A message is sent from CLPROCA to the caller of CLPGM2.

A message is sent from CLPROCA to the caller of CLPGM2 by using the special value *PGMBDY with
program name CLPGM2.

In this example, if the TOPGMQ parameter is specified as TOPGMQ(*PRV _CL_PEP), the message is sent
to the caller of CLPGM3 rather than the caller of CLPGM2. This occurs because the most recently called
procedure by that name is the PEP for CLPGM3.

494 System i: Programming Control language

Figure 20. Example of using *PGMBDY as a simple name

Control language 495

Figure 21. Example of using *PGMBDY in a complex name

The special value *PGMBDY can also be used with an original program model (OPM) program. If you
specify an OPM program name with *PGMBDY, you have the same results as when only the OPM
program name is used. For example, TOPGMQ(*SAME *PGMBDY *NONE opmname) sends the message

496 System i: Programming Control language

to the same place as TOPGMQ(*SAME opmname).The exception to this is when a message is sent to an
OPM program that called itself recursively. TOPGMQ(*SAME pgmname) sends the message to the latest
recursion level. However, TOPGMQ(*SAME *PGMBDY *NONE pgmname) sends the message to the first
recursion level. The following figure shows how PGM1 is called and proceeds to call itself recursively
two more times. At the third recursion level PGM1 calls PGM2. PGM2 then sends a message back to
PGM1. If the program is sent using only the name PGM1, the message goes to the third recursion level of
PGM1. If the program is sent using the name PGM1 in conjunction with the special value *PGMBDY, the
message goes to the first recursion level of PGM1.

Figure 22. Example of using *PGMBDY with an OPM name with recursion

Using the most recently called procedure as a base:

To specify the most recently called procedure as the base call stack entry, use the *PGMNAME special
value.

Although you may not know the name of a procedure, you may want to send a message back to the
most recently called procedure of an Integrated Language Environment (ILE) program. The special value

Control language 497

*PGMNAME is used with an ILE program name to use the base entry name as the name for the most
recently called procedure of the identified program. The programs in this example are:
v CLPGM51 is an ILE program with procedures PROCA and PROCB.
v CLPGM52 and CLPGM53 are both original program model (OPM) programs.
v CLPGM53 is to send a message to CLPGM51 and does not know which procedure is the most recently
called.
The send operation is accomplished using the special value *PGMNAME and the program name
CLPGM51.

The special value *PGMNAME is useful if you convert some CL programs, but not all CL programs, to
ILE programs. For example, CLPGM71 is an OPM CL program; CLPGM73 sent messages to CLPGM71
and specifies TOPGMQ(*SAME CLPGM71). If CLPGM71 is converted to ILE, only the Send Program
Message (SNDPGMMSG) command with the *PGM name in CLPGM73 (OPM) works. Specifying
CLPGM71 as a simple name does not work because there was no entry in the call stack for CLPGM71. If
you change the command to TOPGMQ(*SAME *PGMNAME *NONE CLPGM71), CLPGM73 sends
messages successfully to CLPGM71 regardless of the names you may have used for procedure names.

The special value *PGMNAME can also be used with an OPM program name. In this case the effect is
the same as if you just used the name. For example, TOPGMQ(*SAME *PGMNAME *NONE opmpgm)
sends the message to the same place as TOPGMQ(*SAME opmpgm). The use of *PGMNAME should be
considered when you cannot determine whether the message is being sent to an OPM program name or
and ILE program name.
Related concepts
“Using a control boundary as a base”
To identify the base call stack entry as the one at the nearest control boundary, use the special value
*CTLBDY.

Using a control boundary as a base:

To identify the base call stack entry as the one at the nearest control boundary, use the special value
*CTLBDY.

A control boundary exists between two call stack entries if the two entries are running in two different
activation groups. The one identified by using this special value is running in the same activation group
as the entry that is sending the message.

See the second figure for an example of sending a message using the special value *CTLBDY. The three
programs in this example (CLPGM91, CLPGM92, and CLPGM93) are all Integrated Language
Environment (ILE) programs. CLPGM91 runs in activation group AG91 while both CLPGM92 and
CLPGM93 run in activation group AG92. In this example, PROC93A sends a message back to the entry
that immediately precedes the boundary for AG92.

498 System i: Programming Control language

Figure 23. Example of *PGMNAME

Control language 499

Figure 24. Example of using *CTLBDY

Related concepts
“Using the most recently called procedure as a base” on page 497
To specify the most recently called procedure as the base call stack entry, use the *PGMNAME special
value.

Considerations for service programs:

500 System i: Programming Control language

Integrated Language Environment (ILE) programs differ from ILE service programs in many ways.

Previous discussions apply to both ILE programs and ILE service programs. The most important
difference between an ILE program and an ILE service program is related to message handling. The
service program does not have a PEP.

The PEP is not necessary for any of the options used to identify a base entry. An exception to this is
when the name _CL_PEP is used explicitly. For example, TOPGMQ(*PRV *PGMBDY) always sends a
message to the caller of the ILE program or service program. If it is an ILE program, the PEP is identified
as the base by the *PGMBDY value. If it is an ILE service program, the entry for the first procedure called
in the service program is identified by the *PGMBDY value.

Receiving messages into a CL procedure or program

To obtain a message from a message queue for your procedure or program, use the Receive Message
(RCVMSG) command.

Messages can be received in the following ways:

v By message type. You can specify that all types or that a specific type can be received (MSGTYPE
parameter). New messages (those that have not been received in the procedure or program) are
received in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) order. However, ESCAPE type messages are received in
last-in-first-out (LIFO) order.
v By message reference key. You can do one of the following:
– Receive a message using its message reference key. The system assigns a message reference key to
each message on a message queue and passes the key as variable data because it is unprintable. You
must declare this variable in your CL procedure or program (DCL command). You must specify the
MSGKEY parameter on the Receive Message (RCVMSG) command to identify the CL variable
through which the key is to be passed. This will indicate the specific message to be received.
– Receive the next message on a message queue following the message with a specified message
reference key. In addition to specifying the MSGKEY parameter, you must specify
MSGTYPE(*NEXT).
– Receive the message on a message queue that is before a message with a specified message
reference key. In addition to specifying the MSGKEY parameter, you must specify MSGTYPE(*PRV).
v By its location on the message queue. You must specify MSGTYPE(*FIRST) for the first message on the
message queue; specify MSGTYPE(*LAST) for the last.
v By both message type and message reference key (MSGTYPE and MSGKEY parameters).

To receive a message, you can specify:

v Message queue. Where the message is to be received from.
v Message type. Specify either a specific message type, or a value of *ANY to represent any type of
message.
v Whether to wait for the arrival of a message. After the wait is over and no message is received, the CL
variables requested to be returned are filled with blanks (or zeros if numeric) and control returns to the
procedure or program running the Receive Message (RCVMSG) command.
v Whether to remove the message from the message queue after it is received. If it is not removed, it
becomes an old message on the message queue and can only be received again (by a procedure)
through its message reference key. However, if messages on the message queue are reset to new
messages through the Change Message Queue (CHGMSGQ) command, you do not have to use the
message reference key to receive the message. Note that inquiry messages that have already been
replied to are not reset to a new status.
v CCSID to convert to. Specifies the CCSID that you want your message text returned in.

Control language 501

v A group of CL variables into which the following information is placed (each corresponds to one
variable on the Receive Message (RCVMSG) command). One or more of the following return variables
can be specified:
– Message reference key of the message in the message queue (character variable, 4 characters)
– Message (character variable, length varies)
– Length of message, including length of substitution variable data (decimal variable, 5 decimal
positions)
– Message online help information (character variable, length varies)
– Length of message help, including length of substitution variable data (decimal variable, 5 decimal
positions)
– Message data for the substitution variables provided by the sender of the message (character
variable, length varies)
– Length of the message data (decimal variable, 5 decimal positions)
– Message identifier (character variable, 7 characters)
– Severity code (decimal variable, length of 2)
– Sender of the message (character variable, minimum of 80 characters, but a minimum of 87
characters are needed to obtain the current user information)
– Type of message received (character variable, 2 characters long)
– Alert option of the message received (character variable, 9 characters)
– Message file that contains the predefined message (character variable, 10 characters)
– Message file library name that contains the message file used to receive the message (character
variable, 10 characters)
– Message file library name that contains the message file used to send the message (character
variable, 10 characters)
– Message data CCSID is the coded character set identifier associated with the replacement data
returned (decimal variable, 5 decimal positions)
– Text data CCSID is the coded character set identifier associated with the text returned by the
Message and the Message help parameters (decimal variable, 5 decimal positions)

In the following sample Receive Message (RCVMSG) command, a message is obtained from message
queue INVN in the QGPL library. The message text received is placed in the variable &MSG. *ANY is the
default value on the MSGTYPE parameter.
RCVMSG MSGQ(QGPL/INVN) MSGTYPE(*ANY) MSG(&MSG)

When working with the call stack entry message queue of an Integrated Language Environment (ILE)
procedure written in a language other than CL, it is possible to receive an exception message (Escape or
Notify) when the exception is not yet handled. The Receive Message (RCVMSG) command can be used to
both receive a message and indicate to the system that the exception has been handled.

This can be controlled by using the RMV keyword. If *NO is specified for this keyword, the exception is
handled and the message is left on the message queue as an old message. If *KEEPEXCP is specified, the
exception is not handled and the message is left on the message queue as a new message. If *YES is
specified, the exception message is handled and the message is removed from the message queue.

The RTNTYPE keyword can be used to determine if the message received is an exception message, and if
so, whether the exception has been handled.
Related tasks
“Removing messages from a message queue” on page 509
Messages are held on a message queue until they are removed.

502 System i: Programming Control language

Receiving request messages
Receiving request messages is a method for your CL procedure or program to process CL commands.

For example, your procedure or program can obtain input (commands) from a display station and handle
the messages that result from the analysis and processing of the input. The commands are sent as request
messages so they can be processed. Typically, request messages are received from the external message
queue (*EXT) of the job. For batch jobs, the requests received are those read from the input stream. For
interactive jobs, the requests received are those the display station user enters one at a time on the
Command Entry display. For example, CL commands are requests that are received by the IBM-supplied
CL processor QCMD.

Your procedure or program must define the syntax of the data in the request message, interpret the
request, and diagnose any errors. While the request is being analyzed or the request function is being
run, any number of errors can be detected. As a result of these errors, messages are sent to the call
message queue for the procedure or program. The procedure or program handles these messages and
then receives the next request message. Thus, a request processing cycle is defined; a request message is
received, the request is analyzed and run by your procedure or program with resulting messages
displayed, and the next request received. If there are no more request messages to be received in a batch
job, an escape message is sent to your procedure or program to indicate this.

More than one original program model (OPM) program or Integrated Language Environment (ILE)
procedure of a job can receive request messages for processing. The requests received by more recent
program calls are considered to be nested within those received by higher level program calls. The
request processing cycles at each nesting level are independent of each other. Within an ILE program, one
or more procedures within that program can be receiving request messages. If more than one procedure
is processing requests then the nesting occurs within the same ILE program and the nesting levels remain
independent.

The following figure shows how request messages are processed by QCMD.

Control language 503

1 The CL processor QCMD receives a request message from *EXT.
2 If there is no request message on *EXT, the Command Entry display is displayed. The display
station user enters a command on the display. When the command is entered, it is placed on
*EXT as a request message.

504 System i: Programming Control language

3 Since step 2 placed a request on *EXT, now the RCVMSG in step 1 can continue. The command is
then moved to the QCMD call message queue and is passed from there to QCMD to complete
step 1.
4 The command is analyzed and its command processing program (CPP) is called.
5 The command processing program sends diagnostic messages to the call message queue for
QCMD.
6 Then the command processing program sends an escape message to the call message queue for
QCMD. The escape message notifies QCMD that diagnostic messages are on the queue and that
QCMD should end processing of the CPP.
7 QCMD is monitoring for the arrival of a request-check (CPF9901) or function-check (CPF9999)
escape message. QCMD then tries to receive the next request message.

Note: If a request processor receives message CPF9901 or CPF9999, it should run a Reclaim
Resources (RCLRSC) command. The request processor should also monitor for messages
CPF1907 (end request) and CPF2415 (which indicates that the user pressed F3 or F12 on
the Command Entry display).
8 Because a request message was being processed, all the messages on the call message queue for
QCMD are written to the Command Entry display, which then prompts the display station user
for another command.
9 The previous request message (command) and its associated messages are contained in the job
log according to the message logging level specified for the job.
Related tasks
“Commands used to send messages from a CL program” on page 480
The Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command or the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG)
command is used to send a message from a CL procedure or program.
“Log messages” on page 527
There are two types of logs for messages: job logs and history logs.

Writing request-processor procedures and programs

To become a request-processing procedure or program, your procedure or program must send and
receive a request message and not remove the request message. The Send Program Message
(SNDPGMMSG) and Receive Message (RCVMSG) commands can make your procedure or program
become a request processor.

Specifying a CL procedure as a request processor within a program has many advantages. The following
list specifies three advantages:
v Processes request messages as described in “Receiving request messages” on page 503.
v Allows the use of the End Request (ENDRQS) command, which can be used from the System Request
menu or as part of the disconnect job function.
v Allows filtering of messages to occur.

For example, the following commands make a procedure or program become a request processor:
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Request Message’) TOPGMQ(*EXT) MSGTYPE(*RQS)
RCVMSG PGMQ(*EXT) MSGTYPE(*RQS) RMV(*NO)

The request message is received from PGMQ *EXT. When any request message is received, it is moved
(actually, it is removed and resent) to the call message queue of the procedure or program that specified
the RCVMSG command. Therefore, the correct call message queue must be used later when the message
is removed.

If the request message is removed using the message reference key (MRK), you should obtain the MRK
from the KEYVAR keyword of the RCVMSG command and not the SNDPGMMSG command. (The MRK
Control language 505
changes when receiving a request message because the request is moved to a different call message
queue.) You must specify RMV(*NO) on the RCVMSG command because the procedure or program is
not a request processor if the request message is removed from the call message queue.

The procedure or program is identified as a request processor when the request message is received.
While the procedure or program is a request processor, other called procedures or programs can be ended
using option 2 (End request) on the System Request menu. The request-processor procedure or program
should include a monitor for message CPF1907 (Monitor Message (MONMSG) command). This is
necessary because the end request function (from either option 2 on the System Request menu or the End
Request command) sends this message to the request processor.

The procedure or program remains a request processor until the procedure ends (either normally or
abnormally) or until a RCVMSG command is run to remove all the request messages from the
request-processor’s call message queue. For example, the following command removes all request
messages from the message queue and, therefore, ends request processing:
RMVMSG CLEAR(*ALL)

Call the QCAPCMD API and specify the message reference key to have the i5/OS command analyzer to
process a request message for an i5/OS command. You can get the message reference key when you
receive the request message. Process Commands (QCAPCMD) will update the request message in the job
log and add any new value supplied. QCAPCMD also hides any parameter values, such as passwords,
that are to hidden in the job log. The system will not update the request message in the job log when one
of two conditions exists.
v Using the Execute Command (QCMDEXC or QCAEXEC) APIs.
v Failing to supply a message reference key to QCAPCMD.

Determining if a request processor exists

To determine if a job has a request processor, you need to display the job’s call stack.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Use either option 11 on the Display Job (DSPJOB) or Work with Job (WRKJOB) command, or select option
10 for the job listed on the WRKACTJOB display. If a number is shown in the Request level column on
the display of the job’s call stack, the program or Integrated Language Environment (ILE) procedure
associated with the number is a request processor. In the following example, both QCMD and QTEVIREF
are request processors.

506 System i: Programming Control language

 Display Call Stack

System: S0000000
Job: WS31 User: QSECOFR Number: 000173

Type options, press Enter.

5=Display details

Request Program or
Opt Level Procedure Library Statement Instruction
QCMD QSYS 01DC
1 QCMD QSYS 016B
QTECADTR QSYS 0001
2 QTEVIREF QSYS 02BA

Bottom

F3=Exit F10=Update stack F11=Display activation group F12=Cancel

F17=Top F18=Bottom

The following is an example of a request-processing procedure:

PGM
SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Request Message’) TOPGMQ(*EXT) MSGTYPE(*RQS)
RCVMSG PGMQ(*EXT) MSGTYPE(*RQS) RMV(*NO)
.
.
.
CALL PGM(PGMONE)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF1907)
.
.
.
RMVMSG CLEAR(*ALL)
CALL PGM(PGMTWO)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

The first two commands in the procedure make it a request processor. The procedure remains a request
processor until the Remove Message (RMVMSG) command is run. A Monitor Message command is
placed after the call to program PGMONE because an end request may be sent from PGMONE to the
request-processor. If monitoring is not used, a function check would occur for an end request. No
message monitor is specified after the call to PGMTWO because the Remove Message (RMVMSG)
command ends request processing.

If an end request is attempted when no request-processing procedure or program is called, an error

message is issued and the end operation is not performed.

Note: In the sample programs, the Receive Message (RCVMSG) command uses the minimal number of
parameters needed to become a request processor. You need to say you want to receive a request
message but do not want to remove it. You also need to identify the specific call queue from which
the message request originated. Other parameters can be added as necessary.

Control language 507

Retrieving message descriptions from a message file
To retrieve the text of a message from a message file into a variable in a CL procedure, use the Retrieve
Message (RTVMSG) command. The RTVMSG command operates on predefined message descriptions.

You can specify the message identifier and message file name in addition to the following items:
v CCSID to convert to. It specifies the coded character set identifier that you want your message text and
data returned in.
v Message data fields. The message data to be inserted for the substitution variables.
v Message data CCSID. It specifies the coded character set identifier that the supplied message data is to
be considered in.
v A group of CL variables into which the following information is placed (each corresponds to one
variable):
– Message (character variable, length varies)
– Length of message, including length of substitution variable data (decimal variable, 5 decimal
positions)
– Message help information (character variable, length varies)
– Length of message help, including length of substitution variable data (decimal variable, 5 decimal
positions)
– Severity code (decimal variable, 2 decimal positions)
– Alert option (character variable, 9 characters)
– Log problem in the service activity log (character variable, 1 character)
– Message data CCSID is the coded character set identifier associated with the replacement data
returned (decimal variable, 5 decimal positions)
– Text data CCSID is the coded character set identifier associated with the text returned by the
Message and the Message help parameters (decimal variable, 5 decimal positions)

For example, the following command adds the message description for the message USR1001 to the
message file USRMSG:
ADDMSGD MSGID(USR1001) MSGF(QGPL/USRMSG) +
MSG(’File &1 not found in library &2’) +
SECLVL(’Change file name or library name’) +
SEV(40) FMT((*CHAR 10) (*CHAR 10))

The following commands result in the substitution of the file name INVENT in the 10-character variable
&FILE and the library name QGPL in the 10-character variable &LIB in the retrieved message USR1001.
DCL &FILE TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) VALUE(INVENT)
DCL &LIB TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10) VALUE(QGPL)
DCL &A TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(20)
DCL &MSG TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(50)
CHGVAR VAR(&A) VALUE(&FILE||&LIB)
RTVMSG MSGID(USR1001) MSGF(QGPL/USRMSG) +
MSGDTA(&A) MSG(&MSG)

The data for substitution variable &1 and &2 is contained in the procedure variable &A, in which the
values of the procedure variables &FILE and &LIB have been concatenated. When the retrieve command
is done, the following message is placed in the CL variable &MSG:
File INVENT not found in library QGPL

If the MSGDTA parameter is not used in the Retrieve Message (RTVMSG) command, the following
message is placed in the CL variable &MSG:
File not found in library

After the message is placed in the variable &MSG, you can perform the following tasks:

508 System i: Programming Control language

v Send the message using the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) command
v Use the variable as the text for a message line in DDS (M in position 38)
v Use a message subfile
v Print or display the message

Removing messages from a message queue

Messages are held on a message queue until they are removed.

You can remove them using the Remove Message (RMVMSG) command, Clear Message Queue
(CLRMSGQ) command, the RMV parameter on the Retrieve Message (RTVMSG) and Send Reply
(SNDRPY) commands, the remove function keys of the Display Messages display, or the clear message
queue option on the Work with Message Queue display. You can remove:
v A single message
v All messages
v All except unanswered messages
v All old messages
v All new messages
v All messages from all inactive programs

To remove a single message using the Remove Message (RMVMSG) command or a single old message
using the Retrieve Message (RTVMSG) command, you specify the message reference key of the message
to be removed.

Note: The message reference key can also be used to receive a message and to reply to a message.

If you remove an inquiry message that you have not answered, a default reply is sent to the sender of the
message and the inquiry message and the message and its reply are removed. If you remove an inquiry
message that you have already answered, both the message and its reply are removed.

To remove all messages for all inactive programs and procedures from a user’s job message queue,
specify *ALLINACT for the PGMQ parameter and *ALL for the CLEAR parameter on the Remove
Message (RMVMSG) command. If you want to print your job log before you remove all the inactive
messages, use the Display Job Log (DSPJOBLOG) command and specify *PRINT for the OUTPUT
parameter.

When working with a call message queue of an Integrated Language Environment (ILE) procedure, it is
possible that an exception message for unhandled exceptions is on the queue at the time the Remove
Message (RMVMSG) command is run. The RMVEXCP keyword of this command can be used to control
actions for messages of this type. If *YES is specified for this keyword, the RMVMSG command causes
the exception to be handled and the message to be removed. If *NO is specified, the message is not
removed. As a result, the exception is not handled.

The following Remove Message (RMVMSG) command removes a message from the user message queue
JONES. The message reference key is in the CL variable &MRKEY.
DCL &MRKEY TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
RCVMSG MSGQ(JONES) RMV(*NO) KEYVAR(&MRKEY)
RMVMSG MSGQ(JONES) MSGKEY(&MRKEY)

The following Remove Message (RMVMSG) command removes all messages from the call message queue
for the procedure containing the command.
RMVMSG CLEAR(*ALL)
Related tasks

Control language 509

 “Receiving messages into a CL procedure or program” on page 501
To obtain a message from a message queue for your procedure or program, use the Receive Message
(RCVMSG) command.

Monitoring for messages in a CL program or procedure

Messages that can be monitored are *ESCAPE, *STATUS, and *NOTIFY messages that are issued by each
CL command used in the program or procedure.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

Each IBM-supplied command identifies in its help documentation which exception messages it generates.
You can use this information to determine which messages you want to monitor in your program or
procedure.

Exception messages include escape, notify, and status messages that are sent to the call message queue of
your CL procedure or program by the commands in your procedure or program or by commands in
another procedure or program. Diagnostic messages cannot be monitored.

Using the Monitor Message (MONMSG) command, you can monitor for one or more messages sent to
the call message queue for the conditions specified in the command. You can then use the MONMSG
command to specify that if the condition exists, the CL command specified on the MONMSG command is
run. The logic involved with the MONMSG command is as follows:

Escape Messages: Escape messages are sent to tell your procedure or program of an error condition that
forced the sender to end. By monitoring for escape messages, you can take corrective actions or clean up
and end your procedure or program.

Status or Notify Messages: Status and notify messages are sent to tell your procedure or program of an
abnormal condition that is not serious enough for the sender to end. By monitoring for status or notify
messages, your procedure or program can detect this condition and not allow the function to continue.

You can monitor for messages using two levels of MONMSG commands:
v Procedure level: You can monitor for an escape, notify, or status message sent by any command in your
procedure by specifying the MONMSG command immediately following the last declare command in
your CL procedure or program. This is called a procedure-level MONMSG command. You can use as
many as 100 procedure-level MONMSG commands in a procedure or original program model (OPM)
program. (A CL procedure or OPM program can contain a total of 1000 MONMSG commands.) This
lets you handle the same escape message in the same way for all commands. The EXEC parameter is
optional, and only the GOTO command can be specified on this EXEC parameter.
v Specific command level: You can monitor for an escape, notify, or status message sent by a specific
command in your procedure or program by specifying the MONMSG command immediately following
the command. This is called a command level MONMSG command. You can use as many as 100
command-level MONMSG commands for a single command. This lets you handle different escape
messages in different ways.

To monitor for escape, status, or notify messages, you must specify, on the MONMSG command, generic
message identifiers for the messages in one of the following ways:
v pppmmnn
Monitors for a specific message. For example, MCH1211 is the message identifier of the zero divide
escape message.
v pppmm00

510 System i: Programming Control language

 Monitors for any message with a generic message identifier that begins with a specific licensed
program (ppp) and the digits specified by mm. For example, CPF5100 indicates that all notify, status,
and escape messages beginning with CPF51 are monitored.
v ppp0000
Monitors for every message with a generic message identifier that begins with a specific licensed
program (ppp). For example, CPF0000 indicates that all notify, status, and escape messages beginning
with CPF are monitored.

Note: Do not use MONMSG CPF0000 when doing system function, such as install or saving or restoring
your entire system, since you may lose important information.
v CPF9999
Monitors for function check messages. If an error message is not monitored, it becomes a CPF9999
(function check).

Note: Generally, when monitoring, your monitor also gets control when notify and status messages are
sent.

In addition to monitoring for escape messages by message identifier, you can compare a character string,
which you specify on the MONMSG command, to message data sent in the message. For example, the
following command monitors for an escape message (CPF5101) for the file MYFILE. The name of the file
is specified as message data when the CPF5101 message is sent by a program.
MONMSG MSGID(CPF5101) CMPDTA(MYFILE) EXEC(GOTO EOJ)

The compare data can be as long as 28 characters, and the comparison starts with the first character of
the first field of the message data. If the compare data matches the message data, the action specified on
the EXEC parameter is run.

The EXEC parameter on the MONMSG command specifies how an escape message is to be handled. Any
command except PGM, ENDPGM, IF, ELSE, DCL, DCLF, ENDDO, and MONMSG can be specified on the
EXEC parameter. You can specify a DO command on the EXEC parameter, and the commands in the do
group are run. When the command or do group (on the EXEC parameter) has been run, control returns
to the command in your procedure or program that is after the command that sent the escape message.
However, if you specify a GOTO or RETURN command, control does not return. If you do not specify
the EXEC parameter, the escape message is ignored and your procedure continues.

The following shows an example of a Change Variable (CHGVAR) command being monitored for a zero
divide escape message, message identifier MCH1211:
CHGVAR VAR(&A) VALUE(&A / &B)
MONMSG MSGID(MCH1211) EXEC(CHGVAR VAR(&A) VALUE(1))

The value of the variable &A is changed to the value of &A divided by &B. If &B equals 0, the divide
operation cannot be done and the zero divide escape message is sent to the procedure. When this
happens, the value of &A is changed to 1 (as specified on the EXEC parameter). You may also test &B for
zero, and only perform the division if it is not zero. This is more efficient than attempting the operation
and monitoring for the escape message.

In the following example, the procedure monitors for the escape message CPF9801 (object not found
message) on the Check Object (CHKOBJ) command:
PGM
CHKOBJ LIB1/PGMA *PGM
MONMSG MSGID(CPF9801) EXEC(GOTO NOTFOUND)
CALL LIB1/PGMA
RETURN
NOTFOUND: CALL FIX001 /* PGMA Not Found Routine */
ENDPGM

Control language 511

The following CL procedure contains two Call (CALL) commands and a procedure-level MONMSG
command for CPF0001. (This escape message occurs if a Call (CALL) command cannot be completed
successfully.) If either CALL command fails, the procedure sends the completion message and ends.
PGM
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0001) EXEC(GOTO ERROR)
CALL PROGA
CALL PROGB
RETURN
ERROR: SNDPGMMSG MSG(’A CALL command failed’) MSGTYPE(*COMP)
ENDPGM

If the EXEC parameter is not coded on a procedure-level MONMSG command, any escape message that
is handled by the MONMSG command is ignored. If the escape message occurs on any command except
the condition of an IF command, the procedure or program continues processing with the command that
would have been run next if the escape message had not occurred. If the escape message occurs on the
condition of an IF command, the procedure or program continues processing as if the condition on the IF
command were false. The following example illustrates what happens if an escape message occurs at
different points in the procedure:
PGM
DCL &A TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 0)
DCL &B TYPE(*DEC) LEN(5 0)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0001 MCH1211)
CALL PGMA PARM(&A &B)
IF (&A/&B *EQ 5) THEN(CALL PGMB)
ELSE CALL PGMC
CALL PGMD
ENDPGM

Depending on where an escape message occurs, the following situations happen:

v If CPF0001 occurs on the call to PGMA, the procedure resumes processing on the IF command.
v If MCH1211 (divide by 0) occurs on the IF command, the IF condition is considered false, and the
procedure resumes processing with the call to PGMC.
v If CPF0001 occurs on the call to PGMB or PGMC, the procedure resumes processing with the call to
PGMD.
v If CPF0001 occurs on the call to PGMD, the procedure resumes processing with the ENDPGM
command, which causes a return to the calling procedure.

You can also monitor for the same escape message to be sent by a specific command in your procedure
or program and by another command. This requires two MONMSG commands. One MONMSG
command follows the command that needs special handling for the escape message; for that command,
this MONMSG command is used when the escape message is sent. The other MONMSG command
follows the last declare command so that for all other commands, this MONMSG command is used.

MONMSG commands apply only to the CL procedure or OPM program in which they are coded.
MONMSG commands from one procedure do not apply to another procedure even though both are part
of the same program. Online help and documentation for each command contains a list of the escape,
notify, and status messages that are issued for the command. You should also keep a list of all messages
that you have defined.

Note: The previous paragraph is not true for ILE procedures because of the way messages percolate. The
system requires MONMSG to handle any escape message that is sent to a procedure. Otherwise,
the message percolates up the call stack until it finds a procedure that has a MONMSG to handle it
or hits a control boundary.
Related concepts

512 System i: Programming Control language

 “Escape and notify messages” on page 483
You can send both escape and notify messages from your CL procedure or program to message
queues.
Related tasks
“Assigning a message identifier” on page 457
The message identifier you specify on the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command is used
to refer to the message and is the name of the message description.

Watching for messages

The system provides a watch-for-event function that allows you to watch for messages.

The watch-for-event function allows you to specify messages for which you want the system to watch.
When these messages occur, a user exit program will be called to take any necessary action. You must
specify the message queue or job log where you expect the message to be sent. You can specify some text
string to be compared against the message data in order to be informed of only certain messages.

Use the Start Watch (STRWCH) command to start a watch session and be notified when a specified
message occurs. When the watched for message is added to the specified message queue or log, the
watch exit program is called. Every time a watch session is started a job is submitted into QUSRWRK
subsystem with the same name as the session ID. This is where the watch exit program runs.

The Work with Watches (WRKWCH) command can be used to show a panel with the list of active
watches on the system, while the End Watch (ENDWCH) command can be used to end a watch session.

The Start Watch (QSCSWCH) and End Watch (QSCEWCH) APIs have a very similar usage to the
STRWCH and ENDWCH commands.

The watch for event function is also incorporated into some trace commands:
v Start Trace (STRTRC)
v Start Communications Trace (STRCMNTRC)
v Trace Internal (TRCINT)
v Trace Connection (TRCCNN)
v Trace TCP Application (TRCTCPAPP)

Watch support enhances the trace functions by automatically monitoring and ending traces when certain
predetermined criteria are met. This prevents the loss of valuable trace data and reduces the amount of
time you need to spend monitoring traces.
Related information
Watch for event function
Monitoring APIs

CL handling for unmonitored messages

The system provides default monitoring and handling of any messages you do not monitor.

Many escape messages can be sent to a procedure that calls commands, programs, and procedures. You
may want to monitor and handle the escape messages which pertain to the function of your procedure.
However, you will not want to monitor and handle all of the messages.

Default handling assumes that an error has been detected in a procedure. If you are debugging the
procedure, the message is sent to your display station. You can then enter commands to analyze and
correct the error. If you are not debugging the procedure, the system performs a message percolation
function.

Message percolation is a two-step function that does the following:

Control language 513

v Moves the escape message one step earlier in the call stack.
v Checks to see if the procedure has a Monitor Message (MONMSG) command for the escape.

If the procedure has a Monitor Message (MONMSG) command for the escape, the message percolation
action stops, and the system takes the action that is specified by the Monitor Message (MONMSG)
command. Message percolation continues until either finding a Monitor Message (MONMSG) command,
or until finding the nearest control boundary. This means that the escape message does not percolate
across control boundaries.

The function check processing begins by finding the control boundary before finding a procedure with a
Monitor Message (MONMSG) command which applies to the message. The system considers action on
the original escape exception complete. The system then sends the function check message (CPF9999) to
the procedure that was the target of the original escape. If that procedure has a Monitor Message
(MONMSG) for the function check message, then it takes the action that is specified by that command.
Otherwise, the system sends an inquiry message to the workstation operator if the job is an interactive
job. The workstation operation can reply with one of the following replies:
R Retry the failing command in the procedure.
I Ignore the message. Continue processing at the next command in the procedure.
C Cancel the procedure and percolate the function check to the next previous procedure on the call
stack.
D Dump the call stack entry for the failing procedure, cancel the procedure, and percolate the
function check to the next previous procedure on the call stack. This is the default action if
entering no reply, or if the job is a batch job.

The system does not percolate the function check across the control boundary. If any reply causes the
function check to move across an activation group boundary, this stops further action on the function
check. The system cancels all procedures up to the activation group boundary, and sends the escape
message CEE9901 to the prior call stack entry.

You can monitor for function-check escape messages so that you can either:
v Clean up and end the procedure
v Continue with some other aspect of your procedure

Note: If the message description for the unmonitored escape specifies a default action, the default
handling program is called before the function check message is sent. When the default handling
program returns, function check processing begins.

The following figure shows how CL monitors for messages and notifies the workstation user of a
function check for default handling.

514 System i: Programming Control language

 Related tasks
“Specifying default message handling for escape messages” on page 464
For each message you create that can be sent as an escape message, you can set up a default message
handling action to be used if the message, when sent, is not handled any other way.

Monitoring for notify messages

You can monitor for notify messages that are sent to the call message queue of your CL procedure or
program by the commands in your procedure or program or by the programs and procedures it calls.

Control language 515

Notify messages are sent to tell your procedure or program of a condition that is not typically an error.
By monitoring for notify messages, you can specify an action different from what you would specify if
the condition had not been detected. Very few IBM-supplied commands send notify messages.

Monitoring for and handling notify messages is similar to monitoring for and handling escape messages.
The difference is in what happens if you do not monitor for and handle notify messages. Notify messages
are also percolated from procedure to procedure within the boundary of the activation group. If the
activation group boundary is reached without a Monitor Message (MONMSG) command being found for
it, the default reply is automatically returned to the sender of the notify message and the sender is
allowed to continue processing. Unlike escape messages, unmonitored notify messages are not considered
an indication of an error in your procedure or program.

Monitoring for status messages

You can monitor for status messages that are sent by the commands in your CL procedure or by the
programs or procedures it calls.

Status messages tell your procedure the status of the work performed by the sender. By monitoring for
status messages, you can prevent the sending program or procedure from proceeding with any more
processing.

No message information is stored in a message queue for status messages. Therefore, a status message
cannot be received.

If a status message is not monitored for, it is percolated like escape and notify messages are. If the
activation group boundary is reached without a Monitor Message (MONMSG) command being found,
action on the message is considered complete and control is returned to the sender of the message to
continue processing. Status messages are often sent to communicate normal conditions that have been
detected where processing can continue.

Status messages sent to the external message queue are shown on the interactive display, informing the
user of a function in progress. For example, the Copy File (CPYF) command sends a message informing
the user that a copy operation is in progress.

Only predefined messages can be sent as status messages; immediate messages cannot be sent. You can
use the system-supplied message ID, CPF9898, and supply message data to send a status message if you
do not have an existing message description.

When the function is completed, your procedure or program should remove the status message from the
interactive display. The message cannot be removed using a command, but sending another status
message to *EXT with a blank message gives the appearance of removing the message. The
system-supplied message ID CPI9801 can be used for this purpose. When control returns to the i5/OS
program, the *STATUS message may be cleared from line 24, without sending the CPI9801 message. The
following example shows a typical application of message IDs CPF9898 and CPI9801:
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF9898) MSGF(QCPFMSG) +
MSGDTA(’Function xxx being performed’) +
TOPGMQ(*EXT) MSGTYPE(*STATUS)
•
• /* Your processing function */
•
SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPI9801) MSGF(QCPFMSG) +
TOPGMQ(*EXT) MSGTYPE(*STATUS)

Preventing the display of status messages

You cannot prevent commands from sending status messages, but you can prevent the status messages
from being displayed at the bottom of the screen.

There are two preferred ways to prevent the status messages from being shown:

516 System i: Programming Control language

 v Change User Profile (CHGUSRPRF) command
You can change your user profile so that whenever you sign on using that profile, status messages are
not shown. To do this, use the CHGUSRPRF command and specify *NOSTSMSG on the User Option
(USROPT) parameter.
v Change Job (CHGJOB) command
You can change the job you are currently running so that status messages are not shown. To do this,
use the CHGJOB command and specify *NONE on the Status Message (STSMSG) parameter. You can
also use the CHGJOB command to see status messages by specifying *NORMAL on the STSMSG
parameter.

A third alternative, however less preferred, is to use the Override Message File (OVRMSGF) command
and change the status message identifiers to a blank message.

| Receiving a message from a program or procedure that has ended

| Occasionally, there is a need to receive messages from the job log that are sent to a call message queue
| that is no longer active.

| For example, PGMA calls PGMB and PGMB sends a diagnostic message to itself and an escape message
| to PGMA. PGMA can easily receive the escape message that was sent to it, but sometimes it is necessary
| to also receive the diagnostic message. Because the diagnostic is on a call message queue that is no longer
| active, the message must be received by using a message reference key. This can be done, but it takes
| more work than one simple receive message command.

| The following considerations are important in understanding how this works:

| v If the Receive Message (RCVMSG) command (or QMHRCVPM API) is coded to receive a message by
| key from its own call message queue, it will receive the message with that key (if it still exists) from
| the job log, regardless of what call message queue the message was sent to or whether that procedure
| is active.
| v The message reference key for messages in the job log can be treated as a 4-byte unsigned integer that
| is incremented for each message sent (even though it is documented externally as a 4-character value).

| The following steps are required to obtain a message from a program or procedure that has ended:
| 1. Send a message (and optionally remove it) to obtain a starting message reference key.
| 2. Run the function that will send the messages you are interested in.
| 3. Send another message to obtain an ending message reference key.
| 4. In a loop, increment the message reference key between the starting and ending message keys
| identified in steps 1 and 3 and receive the message for each key. There can be gaps in the message
| reference key so the CPF2410 exception from the receive message function must be handled. The gaps
| can occur from a message that have been deleted or from internal exception handling.

| Note: This topic provides a procedure and example for one way to receive a message from a program or
| procedure that has ended. There are other techniques that can be used to access some or all of the
| messages in the job log. These are summarized in the following list, but are not explained in detail,
| nor are sample programs provided:
| v Write the job log to an outfile. This can be done either by specifying OUTPUT(*OUTFILE) on the
| Display Job Log (DSPJOBLOG) command, or using the QMHCTLJL API to define the job log
| outfile specifications and either ending the job or specifying OUTPUT(*APIDFN) on the Display
| Job Log (DSPJOBLOG) command. When you do this all messages in the job log will be written
| to the outfile. So messages that were left on a call message queue when the program or
| procedure ended would be included.
| v Use the List Job Log Messages (QMHLJOBL) API to copy messages from the job log into a user
| space. You can select all of the messages in the job log or a subset, and you can select which
| fields are returned for each message. There are APIs that can be used to access the contents of

Control language 517

| the user space. The QUSPTRUS API can be used to get a pointer to the data in the user space.
| Then the pointer can be used with languages that support pointers. API QUSRTVUS can be used
| to retrieve data from the user space in order to use languages that do not support pointers.

| A sample program of the procedure described previously is provided as follows using the RCVMSG
| command and the QMHRCVPM API.

| Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
| information” on page 569.
| *******************************************************************************
| *
| * CL program example using the RCVMSG command
| *
| *
| *******************************************************************************
|
| This has the advantage of being easier to code and is easier to follow.
| It has the disadvantage of requiring the program to monitor for and handle
| the CPF2410 exception, which is not a good thing if performance is important.
|
|
| PGM
| DCL &LOWKEY *CHAR 4
| DCL &HIKEY *CHAR 4
| DCL &MSGKEY *CHAR 4
| DCL &MSG *CHAR 256
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| /* OBTAIN STARTING MESSAGE REFERENCE KEY */
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| SNDPGMMSG MSG(TEST) TOPGMQ(*SAME) KEYVAR(&LOWKEY)
| RMVMSG MSGKEY(&LOWKEY)
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| /* EXECUTE FUNCTION */
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
|
| ---- Insert whatever command(s) or program call(s) you want ----
| ---- to handle messages for here ----
|
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| /* OBTAIN ENDING MESSAGE REFERENCE KEY */
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| SNDPGMMSG MSG(TEST) TOPGMQ(*SAME) KEYVAR(&HIKEY)
| RMVMSG MSGKEY(&HIKEY)
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| /* LOOP TO RECEIVE MESSAGES ON INACTIVE INVOCATION */
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| CHGVAR %BIN(&MSGKEY 1 4) (%BIN(&LOWKEY 1 4) + 1)
| LOOP:
| RCVMSG PGMQ(*SAME (*)) MSGKEY(&MSGKEY) RMV(*NO) MSG(&MSG)
| MONMSG CPF2410 EXEC(DO) /* HANDLE MSGKEY NOT FOUND */
| RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*EXCP) RMV(*YES) /* REMOVE UNWANTED EXCEPTION */
| GOTO SKIP
| ENDDO
|
| ---- Insert code here to do whatever processing is needed ----
| ---- for the message. You may need to add additional ----
| ---- values, such as message ID, message type, etc., to ----
| ---- the RCVMSG command. ----
|
| SKIP:
| CHGVAR %BIN(&MSGKEY 1 4) (%BIN(&MSGKEY 1 4) + 1)
| IF (&MSGKEY *LT &HIKEY) GOTO LOOP
| ENDPGM
|
|

518 System i: Programming Control language

| *******************************************************************************
| *
| * CL program using the QMHRCVPM API.
| *
| *******************************************************************************
|
| This sample is similar to the first sample. The only difference is that
| it uses the QMHRCVPM API instead of the RCVMSG CL command. By using the error
| code structure, it eliminates the need to handle the CPF2410 exception and the
| overhead required to send the exception in the case of the message key not
| being found. This example shows how to extract the message text from the
| structure returned by the API. If the message is an immediate message (i.e. no
| message ID), the message is in the ’Replacement data or impromptu message text’
| area; otherwise it is in the ’Message’ area which follows the ’Replacement
| data’ field. The example checks the message length to determine which of these
| fields to use for the message.
|
| PGM
| DCL &LOWKEY *CHAR 4
| DCL &HIKEY *CHAR 4
| DCL &MSGKEY *CHAR 4
| DCL &MSG *CHAR 256
| /*------------------------------------------------------------------*/
| /* Some messages have a large amount of message data, in which case */
| /* the size of the &MSGINFO variable will not be adequate. If you */
| /* expect to receive messages with a large amount of message data, */
| /* you will need to increase the size of this variable accordingly. */
| /* Be sure to also change the value that is put into &MSGINFOL to */
| /* reflect the size of the variable. */
| /*------------------------------------------------------------------*/
| DCL &MSGINFO *CHAR 1000
| DCL &MSGINFOL *CHAR 4
| DCL &ERRCODE *CHAR 16
| DCL &MSGOFFS *DEC (4 0)
| DCL &MSGLEN *DEC (4 0)
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| /* OBTAIN STARTING MESSAGE REFERENCE KEY */
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| SNDPGMMSG MSG(TEST) TOPGMQ(*SAME) KEYVAR(&LOWKEY)
| RMVMSG MSGKEY(&LOWKEY)
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| /* EXECUTE FUNCTION */
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
|
| ---- Insert whatever command(s) or program call(s) you want ----
| ---- to handle messages for here ----
|
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| /* OBTAIN ENDING MESSAGE REFERENCE KEY */
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| SNDPGMMSG MSG(TEST) TOPGMQ(*SAME) KEYVAR(&HIKEY)
| RMVMSG MSGKEY(&HIKEY)
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| /* LOOP TO RECEIVE MESSAGES WITH QMHRCVPM API */
| /*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
| CHGVAR %BIN(&MSGKEY 1 4) (%BIN(&LOWKEY 1 4) + 1)
| CHGVAR %BIN(&MSGINFOL 1 4) 1000
| CHGVAR %BIN(&ERRCODE 1 4) 16
| LOOP2:
| CALL QMHRCVPM (&MSGINFO &MSGINFOL RCVM0200 ’* ’ +
| X’00000000’ ’*ANY ’ &MSGKEY X’00000000’ +
| ’*SAME ’ &ERRCODE)
| IF ((%BIN(&MSGINFO 5 4) *GT 0) *AND (%BIN(&ERRCODE 5 4) *EQ 0)) +
| DO /* IF A MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED */
| IF (%BIN(&MSGINFO 161 4) *EQ 0) +
| DO /* IMPROMPTU MESSAGE */
| CHGVAR &MSGLEN %BIN(&MSGINFO 153 4)

Control language 519

| CHGVAR &MSGOFFS 177
| ENDDO
| ELSE +
| DO /* STORED MESSAGE */
| CHGVAR &MSGLEN %BIN(&MSGINFO 161 4)
| CHGVAR &MSGOFFS (177 + %BIN(&MSGINFO 153 4))
| ENDDO
| CHGVAR &MSG %SST(&MSGINFO &MSGOFFS &MSGLEN)
|
| ---- Insert code here to do whatever processing is needed ----
| ---- for the message. You can extract additional ----
| ---- values, such as message ID, message type, etc., ----
| ---- from the message information structure if necessary. ----
|
| ENDDO
| CHGVAR %BIN(&MSGKEY 1 4) (%BIN(&MSGKEY 1 4) + 1)
| IF (&MSGKEY *LT &HIKEY) GOTO LOOP2
| ENDPGM
| Related concepts
| “Call message queue” on page 477
| A call message queue is used to send messages between one program or procedure and another
| program or procedure.

Break-handling programs
A break-handling program is one that is automatically called when a message arrives at a message queue
that is in *BREAK mode.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.

You must specify the name of both the program and the break delivery name on the same Change
Message Queue (CHGMSGQ) command. Although you specify the program on the CHGMSGQ
command, it is one or more procedures within the program that processes the message. A procedure
within this program must run a Receive Message (RCVMSG) command to receive the message. To receive
and handle the message, the user-defined program called to handle messages for break delivery receives
parameters. Specifically, the first procedure to run within the program receives these parameters. The
parameters identify the message queue and the message reference key (MRK) of the message that is
causing the break. If the system calls a break-handling program, it interrupts the job that has the message
queue in break mode. When the break-handling program ends, the interrupted program resumes
processing.

The following program (PGMA), which consists of only this one procedure, is an example of a
break-handling program.
PGM PARM(&MSGQ &MSGLIB &MRK)
DCL VAR(&MSGQ) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&MSGLIB) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&MRK) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
DCL VAR(&MSG) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(75)
RCVMSG MSGQ(&MSGLIB/&MSGQ) MSGKEY(&MRK) +
MSG(&MSG)
.
.
.
ENDPGM

After the break-handling program is created, running the following command connects it to the
QSYSMSG message queue.
CHGMSGQ MSGQ(QSYS/QSYSMSG) DLVRY(*BREAK) PGM(PGMA)

520 System i: Programming Control language

Notes:
1. When messages are handled, they should be removed from the message queue. When a
message queue is put in break mode, any message on the queue will cause the break-handling
program to get called. During CHGMSGQ, the break program is called only once when a
message is found that meets the criteria of the message severity for the queue, regardless of
how many messages meeting the message severity criteria are found so the break-handling
program should handle all of the messages on the queue. After CHGMSGQ, the break
program is called for each message that meets the message severity criteria.
2. The procedure or program receiving the message should not be coded with a wait-time other
than zero to receive a message. You can specify a value other than zero for the wait parameter
with the RCVMSG command. The message arrival event cannot be handled by the system
while the job is running a break-handling event.
3. The message queue severity can be set to indicate that the break-handling program should
only be called if the severity of the message sent is equal to or greater than the severity of the
message queue.

An example of a break-handling program is to have the program send a message, which is normally sent
to the QSYSOPR queue, to another queue in place of or in addition to QSYSOPR.

The following is an example of a user-defined program (again with only one procedure) to handle break
messages. The display station user does not need to respond to the messages CPA5243 (Press Ready,
Start, or Start-Stop on device &1) and CPA5316 (Verify alignment on device &3) when this program is
used.
BRKPGM: PGM (&MSGQ &MSGQLIB &MSGMRK)
DCL &MSGQ TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &MSGQLIB TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL &MSGMRK TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(4)
DCL &MSGID TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(7)
RCVMSG MSGQ(&MSGQLIB/&MSGQ) MSGKEY(&MSGMRK) +
MSGID(&MSGID) RMV(*NO)
/* Ignore message CPA5243 */
IF (&MSGID *EQ ’CPA5243’) GOTO ENDBRKPGM
/* Reply to forms alignment message */
IF (&MSGID *EQ ’CPA5316’) +
DO
SNDRPY MSGKEY(&MSGMRK) MSGQ(&MSGQLIB/&MSGQ) RPY(I)
ENDDO
/* Other messages require user intervention */
ELSE CMD(DSPMSG MSGQ(&MSGQLIB/&MSGQ))
ENDBRKPGM: ENDPGM

Attention:

In the previous example of a break-handling program, if a CPA5316 message should arrive at the queue
while the Display Message (DSPMSG) command is running, the DSPMSG display shows the original
message that caused the break and the CPA5316 message. The DSPMSG display waits for the operator to
reply to the CPA5316 message before proceeding.

Note: This program cannot open a display file if the interrupted program is waiting for input data from
the display.

You can use the system reply list to indicate the system will issue a reply to predefined inquiry messages.
The display station user, therefore, does not need to reply.

A procedure within a user break-handling program may need a Suspend and Restore procedure to ensure
the display is suspended and restored while the message handling function is being performed. The
Suspend and Restore procedure is necessary only if the following conditions exist:

Control language 521

 v A procedure in the break program displays other menus or screens
v The break program calls other programs which may display other menus or screens.

The following example clarifies the user procedure and display file needed to suspend and restore the
display:

Note: RSTDSP(*YES) must be specified to create the display file.

A R SAVFMT OVERLAY KEEP
A*
A R DUMMY OVERLAY
A KEEP
A ASSUME
A DUMMYR 1A 1 2DSPATR(ND)

PGM PARM(&MSGQ &MSGLIB &MRK)

DCL VAR(&MSGQ) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&MSGLIB) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)
DCL VAR(&MRK) TYPE(*DEC) LEN(4)
DCLF FILE(UDDS/BRKPGMFM)
SNDF RCDFMT(SAVFMT)
CALL PGM(User’s Break Program)
SNDF RCDFMT(SAVFMT)
ENDPGM

If you do not want the user specified break-handling program to interrupt the interactive job, the
program may be submitted to run in batch. You may do this by specifying a break-handling program that
receives the message and then performs a Submit Job (SBMJOB). The SBMJOB performs a call to the
current break-handling program with any parameters that you want to use. (An example is information
from the receive message.) Control will then be returned to the interactive job and it will continue
normally.
Related concepts
“Message queues in break mode” on page 475
A break-handling program can be called whenever a message of equal or higher severity than the
severity code filter arrives on a message queue that is in break delivery mode.
Related tasks
“Using the system reply list” on page 523
By using the system reply list, you can specify that the system automatically issues the reply to
specified predefined inquiry messages.
Related information
Break Handling Exit Program

Ways of handling replies to inquiry messages

Handling replies includes using a sender copy message to obtain a reply, finding the job that sent a reply,
using the system reply list, and using reply handling exit programs.

| Using a sender copy message to obtain a reply

| When an inquiry message is sent, it expects a reply. To allow the sender of an inquiry message to obtain
| a reply, a sender copy message is issued and associated internally with the inquiry message.

| A sender copy message is a copy of the inquiry message that is used by the sender to obtain the reply that
| was sent to its associated inquiry message. Sending and inquiry and obtaining the reply can be done
| rather easily when using the Send User Message (SNDUSRMSG) command in a program or procedure. If
| the SNDUSRMSG command is not used, the function to send an inquiry and obtain the reply can be
| done by the Send Program Message (SNDPGMMSG) and Receive Message (RCVMSG) commands in a
| program or procedure. An inquiry can be sent with the SNDPGMMSG command and the reply can be

522 System i: Programming Control language

| obtained using the RCVMSG command. For example, when an inquiry message is sent with the
| SNDPGMMSG command, the message reference key (MRK) of the sender copy can be returned on the
| SNDPGMMSG command on the KEYVAR parameter. The sender copy message is placed on the reply
| message queue that is specified on the SNDPGMMSG command. When a reply is sent to the inquiry
| message, internal message handling will also send the same reply to the sender copy message. Then the
| program can obtain the reply with RCVMSG by doing the following:
| v using the MRK of the sender copy from the KEYVAR parameter of SNDPGMMSG and specify it on the
| MSGKEY parameter of the RCVMSG command
| v specifying a message type of reply
| v providing a wait time to allow time for a reply to be sent to the inquiry message
| Related tasks
| “Example: Sending an immediate message and handling a reply” on page 462
| This example shows how a procedure sends an inquiry message and handles the reply.
| Related reference
| “Examples: Sending messages” on page 484
| These examples show how to send different kinds of messages.

| Finding the job that sent the reply

| Occasionally you might want to know the job that replied to an inquiry message on various standard
| message queues.

| The information is not available through Display Message (DSPMSG) because the reply is associated with
| the inquiry message (or sender copy), so when the details of the reply are viewed, the information
| displayed pertains to the inquiry message, not the reply. The sender of a reply can be viewed by doing a
| DSPMSG msgqname OUTPUT(*PRINT). The spooled file that is generated includes the sending job of the
| reply message.

| If the message queue in question is QSYSOPR, their is another way to obtain the information. If DSPLOG
| is specified with a time period around the time of the inquiry message, find the reply, position the cursor
| on the reply message, and press help. Then, press F9 to view details to see the job that sent the reply.

Using the system reply list

By using the system reply list, you can specify that the system automatically issues the reply to specified
predefined inquiry messages.

Only inquiry messages can be automatically responded to with the system reply list.

The system reply list contains message identifiers, optional compare data that must match the message
data in the inquiry message, a reply value for each message, and a dump attribute that effectively does
DSPJOB OUTPUT(*PRINT). The system reply list applies only to predefined inquiry messages that are
sent by a job that uses the system reply list. You specify that a job is to use the system reply list for
inquiry messages on the INQMSGRPY(*SYSRPYL) parameter on the following commands:
v Batch Job (BCHJOB)
v Submit Job (SBMJOB)
v Change Job (CHGJOB)
v Create Job Description (CRTJOBD)
v Change Job Description (CHGJOBD)

When a predefined inquiry message is sent by a job that uses the system reply list, the system searches
the reply list in ascending sequence number order for an entry that matches the message identifier and,
optionally, the compare data of the inquiry message. If an entry is found, the reply specified is issued and
the user is not required to enter a reply. If an entry is not found, the message is sent to the display station
user for interactive jobs or system operator for batch jobs.

Control language 523

The system reply list is shipped with the system with the following initial entries defined.

Sequence number Message identifier Compare value Reply Dump

10 CPA0700 *NONE D *YES
20 RPG0000 *NONE D *YES
30 CBE0000 *NONE D *YES
40 PLI0000 *NONE D *YES

These entries indicate that a reply of D is to be sent and a job dump is to be taken if the message
CPA0700-CPA0799, RPG0000-RPG9999, CBE0000-CBE9999, or PLI0000-PLI9999 (which indicate a program
failure) is sent by a job using the system reply list. For the system to use these entries, you must specify
that the jobs are to use the system reply list by setting the inquiry message reply job attribute to
*SYSRPYL.

To add other inquiry messages to the system reply list, use the Add Reply List Entry (ADDRPYLE)
command. On this command you can specify the sequence number, the message identifier, optional
compare data, compare data CCSID, reply action, and the dump attribute. The ADDRPYLE command
function can be easily accessed by using the Work with System Reply List Entries (WRKRPYLE)
command.

The following reply actions can be specified for the inquiry messages that are placed on the system reply
list (the parameter value is given in parentheses):
v Send the default reply for the inquiry messages (*DFT). In this case, the default reply for the message
is sent. If the message ID does not identify a default reply value the *N is sent as the reply.The
message is not displayed, and no default handling program is called.
v Require the workstation user or system operator to respond to the message (*RQD). If the message
queue to which the message is sent (workstation message queue for interactive jobs and QSYSOPR for
batch jobs) is in break mode, the message is displayed, and the workstation user must respond to the
message. This option operates as if the system reply list were not being used.
v Send the reply specified in the system reply list entry (message reply, 32 characters maximum). In this
case, the specified reply is sent as the response to the message. The message is not displayed, and no
default handling program is called.

The following commands add entries to the system reply list for messages RPG1241, RPG1200, CPA4002,
CPA5316, and any other inquiry messages:
v ADDRPYLE SEQNBR(15) MSGID(RPG1241) RPY(C)
v ADDRPYLE SEQNBR(18) MSGID(RPG1200) RPY(*DFT) DUMP(*YES)
v ADDRPYLE SEQNBR(22) MSGID(CPA4002) RPY(*RQD) + CMPDTA(’QSYSPRT’)
v ADDRPYLE SEQNBR(25) MSGID(CPA4002) RPY(G)
v ADDRPYLE SEQNBR(27) MSGID(CPA5316) RPY(I) DUMP(*NO) + CMPDTA(’QSYSPRT’ 21)
v ADDRPYLE SEQNBR(9999) MSGID(*ANY) RPY(*DFT)

The system reply list now appears as follows.

Sequence Message Compare value Compare start Reply Dump

number identifier (b is a blank) position
10 CPA0700 1 D *YES
15 RPG1241 1 C *NO
18 RPG1200 1 *DFT *YES
20 RPG0000 1 D *YES

524 System i: Programming Control language

Sequence Message Compare value Compare start Reply Dump
number identifier (b is a blank) position
22 CPA4002 ’QSYSPRT’ 1 *RQD *NO
25 CPA4002 1 G *NO
27 CPA5316 ’QSYSPRT’ 21 I *NO
30 CBE0000 1 D *YES
40 PLI0000 1 D *YES
9999 *ANY 1 *DFT *NO

For a job that uses this system reply list, the following occurs when the messages that were added to the
reply list are sent by the job:
v For sequence number 15, whenever an RPG1241 message is sent by a job that uses the system reply
list, a reply of C is sent and the job is not dumped.
v For sequence number 18, a generic message identifier is used so whenever an RPG1200 inquiry
message is sent by the job, the default reply is sent. The default reply can be the default reply specified
in the message description or the system default reply. Before the default reply is sent, the job is
dumped. The previous entry (sequence number 15) that was added overrides this entry for message
RPG1241, so RPG1241 takes the action for sequence number 15, not 18.
v For sequence number 22, if the inquiry message CPA4002 is sent with the compare data of QSYSPRT,
the message is sent to the display station user, and the user must issue the reply.
When a compare value is specified without a start position, the compare value is compared to the
message data beginning in position 1 of the substitution data in the message.
Sequence number 22 tests for a printer device name of QSYSPRT. For an example of testing one
substitution variable with a different start position, see sequence number 27.
v For sequence number 25, if the inquiry message CPA4002 (verify alignment on printer &1) is sent with
the compare not equal to QSYSPRT, a reply of G is sent. The job is not dumped. Sequence number 22
requires an operator response to the forms alignment message if the printer device is QSYSPRT.
Sequence number 25 defines that if the forms alignment inquiry message occurs for any other device,
to assume a default response of G=Go.
v For sequence number 27, if the inquiry message CPA5316 is sent with the compare data of
TESTEDFILETSTLIBRARYQSYSPRT, a reply of I is sent.
When a compare value and a start position are specified, the compare value is compared with the
message data of the inquiry message beginning with the start position. In this case, position 21 is the
beginning of the third substitution variable. For message CPA5316, the first four substitution variables
are as follows.

&1 ODP file name *CHAR 10

&2 ODP library name *CHAR 10
&3 ODP device name *CHAR 10
&4 Line number for first line *BIN 2

Therefore, sequence number 27 tests for an ODP device name of QSYSPRT before sending a reply.
v For sequence number 9999, the message identifier of *ANY applies to any predefined inquiry message
that is not matched by an entry with a lower sequence number, and the default reply for these inquiry
messages is sent. If this entry were not included in the system reply list, the display station user would
have to respond to all predefined inquiry messages that were not included in the system reply list.

When the compare value contains *CCHAR data, the message data that is from the sending function is
converted to the CCSID of the message data that is stored in the system reply list before the compare is
made. The system converts data that is of type *CCHAR only.

Control language 525

 CAUTION:
The following restrictions apply when using *CCHAR data as compare data:
v You cannot mix *CCHAR data with other data when adding this type of reply list entry.
v You cannot include the length of the *CCHAR data in the compare data.

If you mix *CCHAR data or include the length of the *CCHAR data, unpredictable results may occur.

An entry remains on the system reply list until you use the Remove Reply List Entry (RMVRPYLE)
command to remove it. You can use the Change Reply List Entry (CHGRPYLE) command to change the
attributes of a reply list entry, and you can use the Work with System Reply List Entry (WRKRPYLE)
command to display the reply entries currently in the reply list.

The job log receives a completion message indicating a successful change when the system reply list is
updated using (ADDRPYLE), (CHGRPYLE), or (RMVRPYLE). The history log QHST also receives a
completion message to record the change.

| If messages are added to the system reply list, it is helpful to have a CL program created to add the
| entries. For example, if the reply list is damaged and gets cleared after an IPL, the CL program can be
| called to re-add the entries, rather than having users re-add entries manually.

| If a program has not been created to update system reply list entries another alternative to reestablish the
| system reply list after they have been lost is to restore them from a backup. This assumes a save of the
| system has been done and all the necessary entries were added to the system reply list before the save.

| A slip install of the base operating system needs to be done with the following steps:
| 1. With the key in MANUAL mode, do an IPL.
| 2. On the DST IPL/install screen, select option 2 to install.
| 3. On the Install Operating System screen (that is the time/date screen), select option 2 to change install
| options.
| 4. On the Specify Install Options screen, select option 1 to restore program and language options from
| media.
| 5. On the Specify Restore Options screen, select option 1 to restore for MESSAGE REPLY LIST. It is
| about the 3rd item on the screen. Note this screen typically defaults to a value of 2 or 3 to indicate not
| to restore the item.
| 6. Continue the installation and the command entry display should be shown.
| 7. Take the key out of manual mode.
Related tasks
“Placing a message queue in break mode automatically” on page 475
By placing a message queue in break mode automatically, you can monitor the QSYSOPR message
queue.
“Break-handling programs” on page 520
A break-handling program is one that is automatically called when a message arrives at a message
queue that is in *BREAK mode.
Related information
Add Message Description (ADDMSG) command

Using the reply handling exit program

By using the reply handling exit program, a user-supplied exit program can be called when a reply is
sent to an inquiry message.

The exit program can accept, reject or replace the reply value.
Related information

526 System i: Programming Control language

 Reply Handling Exit Program

Message subfiles in a CL program or procedure

In CL procedures and programs, message subfiles are the only type of subfiles supported. Message
subfiles let a controlling procedure or program display one or more error messages.

To use subfile message support, run a Send File (SNDF) or Send/Receive File (SNDRCVF) command
using the subfile message control record. In the DDS, supply SFLPGMQ data and always have SFLINZ
active.

When you use message subfiles in CL procedures and programs, you must name a procedure or
program. You cannot specify an * for the SFLPGMQ keyword in DDS. When you specify a procedure or
original program model (OPM) program name, all messages sent to that procedure’s or program’s
message queue are taken from the invocation message queue and placed in the message subfile. All
messages associated with the current request are taken from the CALL message queue and placed in the
message subfile.
Related concepts
DDS

Log messages
There are two types of logs for messages: job logs and history logs.

A job log contains information related to requests entered for a job. The system history log (QHST)
contains system data, such as a history of job start and end activity on your system.
Related tasks
“Receiving request messages” on page 503
Receiving request messages is a method for your CL procedure or program to process CL commands.

Job log
Each job has an associated job log.

The job log can contain the following items for the job:
v The commands in the job.
v The commands in a CL program if the CL program was created with the LOG (*YES) option or with
the LOG (*JOB) option and a Change Job (CHGJOB) command is run with the LOGCLPGM (*YES)
option.
v All messages and message help sent to the requester and not removed from the call message queues.
Related concepts
“External message queue” on page 476
The external message queue (*EXT) is used to communicate with the external requester (such as a
display station user) of the job.
Related tasks
“Logging CL procedure commands” on page 218
You can specify that most CL commands run in a CL procedure be written (logged) to the job log.

Writing a job log to a file:

After the job ends, the job log can be written to either the output file QPJOBLOG or a database file.

| From the output file QPJOBLOG, the job log can be printed; from a database file, job log information can
| be queried using a database feature. You can also specify to not write job logs for jobs that have run

Control language 527

| successfully. When a job’s job log output job attribute is *PND, no job log is produced when the job ends,
| but the pending job log is still accessible from the Work with Job Logs (WRKJOBLOG) command.

You can use the QMHCTLJL API to write a job log to a database file. When directing the job log to the
database file, the system can generate one or two files. The primary file contains the essential information
of a message such as message ID, message severity, message type, and message data. The secondary file
contains the print images of the message text. Parameters on the QMHCTLJL API control the optional
production of the secondary file. You can use database and query features on the system to externally
describe and process both files.
Related tasks
“Job log output files” on page 538
When you use job log output files, consider the job log information you want in the files and the
model files that describe the output-file record formats.
Related information
Control Job Log Output (QMHCTLJL) API
Job log pending

Controlling information written in a job log:

To control what information the system writes in the job log, specify the LOG parameter on the Create
Job Description (CRTJOBD) command. You can change the levels by using the Change Job (CHGJOB)
command or the Change Job Description (CHGJOBD) command.

Three values make up the LOG parameter: message level, message severity, and message text level.

The first value, message level, has the following levels:

Level Description
0 No data is logged.
1 The only information to be logged is all messages sent to the job’s external message queue with a
severity greater than or equal to the message severity specified. Messages of this type indicate
when the job started, when it ended, and its status at completion.
2 The following information is logged:
v Level 1 logging information.
v Any requests that result in high-level messages with a severity greater than or equal to the
severity specified. If the request is logged, all of its associated messages are also logged.
3 The following information is logged:
v Logging level 1 and 2 information.
v All requests.
v Commands run by a CL program if allowed by the Log CL program commands job attribute and
the Log attribute of the CL program.
4 The following information is logged:
v All requests and all messages with a severity code greater than or equal to the severity
specified, including trace messages.
v Commands run by a CL program if allowed by the Log CL program commands job attribute and
the Log attribute of the CL program.

Note: A high-level message is one that is sent to the program message queue of the program
that receives the request. For example, QCMD is an IBM-supplied request processing
program that receives requests.

528 System i: Programming Control language

The second value, message severity, specifies the severity level in conjunction with the log level that
causes error messages to be logged in the job log. Values 0 through 99 are allowed.

The third value in the LOG parameter, message text level, specifies the level of message text that is
written in the job log. The values are:
*SAME
The current value for the message text level does not change.
*MSG Only message text is written to the job log (message help is not included).
*SECLVL
The message and the message help (cause and recovery) are written to the job log.

Job log message filtering:

Message filtering is the process of removing messages from the job log based on the message logging
level set for the job.

Before each new request is received by a request processing program, message filtering occurs.

Filtering does not occur after every CL command is called within a program. Therefore, if a CL program
is run interactively or submitted to batch, the filtering runs once after the program ends because the
program is not a request processor.

Note: Since *NOLIST specifies that no job log is spooled for jobs that end normally, it is a waste of
system resource in batch jobs to remove the messages from this log by specifying log level 0.

Example: Controlling information written in a job log:

This example shows how the logging level affects the information that is stored in the job message queue
and, therefore, written to the job log, if one is requested.

The example also shows that when the command is run interactively, filtering occurs after each command
is run when the next request is received.

Note: Both high-level and detailed message logging levels are included in the examples. High-level
messages start with the text of Message; detailed messages start with the text of Detailed Message.
1. The CHGJOB command specifies a logging level of 2 and a message severity of 50, and that only
messages are to be written to the job log (*MSG).
Command Entry SYSTEM1
Request level: 1
Previous commands and messages:
> CHGJOB LOG(2 50 *MSG)

2. PGMA sends three informational messages with severity codes of 20, 50, and 60 to its own call
message queue and to the caller or the previous call message queue, for example, *PRV, which would
be QCMD in this example using the command entry display. The messages that PGMA sends to its
own call message queue are called detailed messages. Detailed messages are those messages that are
sent to the call message queue of the lower-level program call.
PGMB sends two informational messages with severity codes of 40 and 50 to its own call message
queue. These are detailed messages. PGMB also sends one informational message with a severity code
of 10 to *PRV, which is a high-level message.
Note in the following display, after PGMA and PGMB are called, that the CHGJOB command no
longer appears on the display. According to logging level 2, only requests for which a high-level
message has been issued with a severity equal to or greater than that specified are saved for the job
log, and no messages were issued for this request. CHGJOB was removed, or filtered from the job log,

Control language 529

 when the next request CALL PGMA was received. When a new request is received, the previous
request is filtered according to the log level. If such a high-level message had been issued, any
detailed messages that had been issued would be saved for the job log and could be displayed by
pressing F10.
Command Entry SYSTEM1
Request level: 1
Previous commands and messages:
> CALL PGMA
Message sev 20 - PGMA
Message sev 50 - PGMA
Message sev 60 - PGMA
> CALL PGMB
Message sev 10 - PGMB

Bottom
Type command, press Enter.
===> _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F9=Retrieve F10=Include detailed messages
F11=Display full F12=Cancel F13=Information Assistant F24=More keys

Request CALL PGMA results in a high-level message equal to or greater than the current log severity,
so when request CALL PGMB is entered, no messages from PGMA are filtered.
3. When F10=Include detailed messages is pressed from the Command Entry display, all the messages
associated with the request CALL PGMA are displayed. All messages for request CALL PGMB are
also shown because no filtering for the request has occurred yet.
Command Entry SYSTEM1
Request level: 1
All previous commands and messages:
> CALL PGMA
Detailed message sev 20 - PGMA
Detailed message sev 50 - PGMA
Detailed message sev 60 - PGMA
Message sev 20 - PGMA
Message sev 50 - PGMA
Message sev 60 - PGMA
> CALL PGMB
Detailed message sev 40 - PGMB
Detailed message sev 50 - PGMB
Message sev 10 - PGMB

Bottom
Type command, press Enter.
===> _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F9=Retrieve F10=Exclude detailed messages
F11=Display full F12=Cancel F13=Information Assistant F24=More Keys

4. When another command is entered (in this example, another CHGJOB), the CALL PGMB command and
all messages (including detailed messages) are removed. They are removed because the severity code
for the high-level message associated with this request was not equal to or greater than the severity
code specified in the CHGJOB command. The CALL PGMA command and its associated messages
remain because at least one of the high-level messages issued for that request has a severity code
equal to or greater than that specified. Press F10 again to exclude detailed messages.

530 System i: Programming Control language

 On the following display, the CHGJOB command specifies a logging level of 3, a message severity of
40, and that both the first- and second-level text of a message are to be written to the job log. When
another command is entered, the CHGJOB command remains on the display because logging level 3
logs all requests.
PGMC sends two messages with severity codes of 30 and 40 to the call message queue of its caller
(*PRV).
PGMD sends a message with a severity of 10 to *PRV.
Command Entry SYSTEM1
Request level: 1
Previous commands and messages:
> CALL PGMA
Message sev 20 - PGMA
Message sev 50 - PGMA
Message sev 60 - PGMA
> CHGJOB LOG(3 40 *SECLVL)
> CALL PGMC
Message sev 30 - PGMC
Message sev 40 - PGMC
> CALL PGMD
Message sev 10 - PGMD

Bottom
Type command, press Enter.
===> _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F9=Retrieve F10=Include detailed messages
F11=Display full F12=Cancel F13=Information Assistant F24=More Keys

5. When another command (CALL PGME) is entered after the CALL PGMD command was entered, the
CALL PGMD command remains on the display, but its associated message is deleted. The message is
deleted (filtered from the job log) because its severity code is not equal to or greater than the severity
code specified on the LOG parameter of the CHGJOB command.
The command SIGNOFF *LIST is entered to end the job and print the job log.
Command Entry SYSTEM1
Request level: 1
Previous commands and messages:
> CHGJOB LOG(3 40 *SECLVL)
> CALL PGMC
Message sev 30 - PGMC
Message sev 40 - PGMC
> CALL PGMD
> CALL PGME

Bottom
Type command, press Enter.
===> SIGNOFF *LIST____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F9=Retrieve F10=Include detailed messages
F11=Display full F12=Cancel F13=Information assistant F24=More Keys

The job log, which follows, contains all the requests and all the messages that have remained on the
Command Entry display. In addition, the job log contains the message help associated with each message,
as specified by the last CHGJOB command. Notice that the job log contains the message help of any
message issued during the job, not just for the messages issued since the second CHGJOB command was

Control language 531

entered.

5722SS1 V5R3M0 040528 Job Log SYSAS727 01/16/05 07:13:35 Page 1

Job name . . . . . . . . . . : QPADEV000C User . . . . . . : JOHNDOE Number . . . . . . . . . . . : 038518
Job description . . . . . . : QDFTJOBD Library . . . . . : QGPL
MSGID TYPE SEV DATE TIME FROM PGM LIBRARY INST TO PGM LIBRARY INST
CPF1124 Information 00 01/16/05 07:13:19.570504 QWTPIIPP QSYS 0613 *EXT *N
Message . . . . : Job 038518/JOHNDOE/QPADEV000C started on 01/16/05 at
07:13:19 in subsystem QINTER in QSYS. Job entered system on 01/16/05 at
07:13:19.
*NONE Request 01/16/05 07:13:24.318144 QMHGSD QSYS 0010 QCMD QSYS 0178
Message . . . . : -CALL PGMA
MSG1001 Information 20 01/16/05 07:13:24.361064 PGMA JOHNDOE 0029 PGMA JOHNDOE 0029
From User . . . . . . . . . : MARYJANE
Message . . . . : Detailed message sev 20 - PGMA
MSG1001 second level text - PGMA
MSG1002 Information 50 01/16/05 07:13:24.361416 PGMA JOHNDOE 0032 PGMA JOHNDOE 0032
Message . . . . : Detailed message sev 50 - PGMA
MSG1002 second level text - PGMA
MSG1003 Information 60 01/16/05 07:13:24.361592 PGMA JOHNDOE 0036 PGMA JOHNDOE 0036
Message . . . . : Detailed message sev 60 - PGMA
MSG1003 second level text - PGMA
MSG1004 Information 20 01/16/05 07:13:24.361776 PGMA JOHNDOE 003A QCMD QSYS 01A6
Message . . . . : Message sev 20 - PGMA
MSG1004 second level text - PGMA
MSG1005 Information 50 01/16/05 07:13:24.362192 PGMA JOHNDOE 0043 QCMD QSYS 01A6
From User . . . . . . . . . : MARYJANE
Message . . . . : Message sev 50 - PGMA
MSG1005 second level text - PGMA
MSG1006 Information 60 01/16/05 07:13:24.362552 PGMA JOHNDOE 004C QCMD QSYS 01A6
Message . . . . : Message sev 60 - PGMA
MSG1006 second level text - PGMA
*NONE Request 01/16/05 07:13:24.370240 QMHGSD QSYS 0018 QCMD QSYS 0178
Message . . . . : -CHGJOB LOG(3 40 *SECLVL)
*NONE Request 01/16/05 07:13:24.370672 QMHGSD QSYS 001C QCMD QSYS 0178
Message . . . . : -CALL PGMC
MSG100F Information 30 01/16/05 07:13:24.379256 PGMC JOHNDOE *STMT QCMD QSYS 01A6
From User . . . . . . . . . : MARYJANE
From module . . . . . . . . : PGMC
From procedure . . . . . . : PGMC
Statement . . . . . . . . . : 8000
Message . . . . : Message sev 30 - PGMC
MSG100F second level text - PGMC
MSG1010 Information 40 01/16/05 07:13:24.379608 PGMC JOHNDOE *STMT QCMD QSYS 01A6
From module . . . . . . . . : PGMC
From procedure . . . . . . : PGMC
Statement . . . . . . . . . : 8200
5722SS1 V5R3M0 040528 Job Log LPAR3TLM 01/16/05 07:13:35 Page 2
Job name . . . . . . . . . . : QPADEV000C User . . . . . . : JOHNDOE Number . . . . . . . . . . . : 038518
Job description . . . . . . : QDFTJOBD Library . . . . . : QGPL
MSGID TYPE SEV DATE TIME FROM PGM LIBRARY INST TO PGM LIBRARY INST
Message . . . . : Message sev 40 - PGMD
MSG1010 second level text - PGMC
*NONE Request 01/16/05 07:13:24.379928 QMHGSD QSYS 0020 QCMD QSYS 0178
Message . . . . : -CALL PGMD
*NONE Request 01/16/05 07:13:24.383568 QMHGSD QSYS 0024 QCMD QSYS 0178
Message . . . . : -CALL PGME
*NONE Request 01/16/05 07:13:35.166408 QMHGSD QSYS 073E QCMD QSYS 0178
Message . . . . : -signoff *list
CPF1164 Completion 00 01/16/05 07:13:35.173496 QWTMCEOJ QSYS 00BD *EXT *N
Message . . . . : Job 038518/JOHNDOE/QPADEV000C ended on 01/16/05 at
07:13:35; 1 seconds used; end code 0 .
Cause . . . . . : Job 038518/JOHNDOE/QPADEV000C completed on 01/16/05 at
07:13:35 after it used 1 seconds processing unit time. The job had ending
code 0. The job ended after 1 routing steps with a secondary ending code of
0. The job ending codes and their meanings are as follows: 0 - The job
completed normally. 10 - The job completed normally during controlled ending
or controlled subsystem ending. 20 - The job exceeded end severity (ENDSEV
job attribute). 30 - The job ended abnormally. 40 - The job ended before
becoming active. 50 - The job ended while the job was active. 60 - The
subsystem ended abnormally while the job was active. 70 - The system ended
abnormally while the job was active. 80 - The job ended (ENDJOBABN command).
90 - The job was forced to end after the time limit ended (ENDJOBABN
command). Recovery . . . : For more information, see the Work Management
topic in the Information Center, http://www.iseries.ibm.com/infocenter.

The headings at the top of each page of the printed job log identify the job to which the job log applies
and the characteristics of each entry:
v The product ID, version, and date of the operating system
v The system name
v The date and time the job log was printed.
v The fully qualified name of the job (job name, user name, and job number).
v The name of the job description used to start the job.
v The section number. This is printed if the job log is printed in multiple sections because the job log
wrapped and *PRTWRAP was specified for the job message queue full action.

532 System i: Programming Control language

v Headings for the information in the first line of each message entry.

The following information is printed for each message entry in the job log:
v The first line for each message contains the following information:
– The message identifier or *NONE.
– The message type.
– The message severity. This is blank for request messages.
– The date and time each message was sent.
– The program name, library name, and instruction number of the program that sent the message.
– The program name, library name, and instruction number of the program to which the message was
sent. *EXT indicates that the message was sent to the external message queue of the job.
v If the message was sent by a user other than the user identified as the user in the qualified job name,
the name of the user that sent the message is printed on a separate line. This can indicate one of the
following situations:
– The message was sent while the job was running under a different user profile. In the previous
sample job log , messages MSG1001, MSG1005, and MSG100F were sent while the job was running
under a different user profile.
– An inquiry message was replied to by another user.
– A batch job was submitted by a user other than the user profile that the batch job runs under. In this
case the name of the submitting user is included for each request message.
– Another user changed the job attributes and auditing was not active so a message was sent to the
job to notify it of the change by another user.
v If the sender is an Integrated Language Environment (ILE) procedure, additional lines are printed to
identify the module, procedure, and statement number. In the previous sample job log, for message
MSG100F, PGMC is an ILE program.
v If the job is a multithreaded job, and messages were sent from more than one thread, the thread
identifier is printed for each message.
v The message is printed on one or more lines.
v If the logging level indicates that the second-level text is to be included, the second level text appears
on subsequent lines following the message.
Related concepts
“Job log sender or receiver information”
The job log contains information about the sending or receiving program or procedure.

Job log sender or receiver information:

The job log contains information about the sending or receiving program or procedure.

When the sender or receiver is an Integrated Language Environment (ILE) procedure, the message entry
contains the full name of the procedure (procedure name, module name, and ILE program name). When
the sender or receiver is an original program model (OPM) program, only the OPM program name is
shown.

If the sender or receiver is an OPM program, the corresponding instruction number represents an
instruction number. There is only one such number. If the sender or receiver is an ILE procedure, the
instruction number represents a high-level language statement number rather than an MI instruction
number. If the ILE procedure has been optimized (maximum efficiency), there may be up to three
numbers. It is not always possible to determine a single statement number for an optimized procedure. If
there is more than one number given, each number represents a potential point where the procedure was
when the message was sent. It is also possible that no number can be determined. If this the case, *N
appears in the message rather than a number.

Control language 533

 The logging levels affect a batch job log in the same way as shown in the preceding example. If the job
uses APPC, the heading contains a line showing the unit of work identifier for APPC.
Related concepts
“Example: Controlling information written in a job log” on page 529
This example shows how the logging level affects the information that is stored in the job message
queue and, therefore, written to the job log, if one is requested.

Displaying a job log:

The way to display a job log depends on the status of the job.
| v The Work with Job Logs (WRKJOBLOG) command can be used to display pending job logs for
| completed jobs, all job log spooled files, or both. For example, to display the list of pending job logs
| for all jobs that have ended, enter:
| WRKJOBLOG JOBLOGSTT(*PENDING)
v If the job is active or on a job queue, or if the job log is pending, use the Display Job Log
(DSPJOBLOG) command. For example, to display the job log of the interactive job for user JSMITH at
display station WS1, enter:
DSPJOBLOG JOB(nnnnnn/JSMITH/WS1)
where nnnnnn is the job number.
v If the job has ended and the job log is written to an output file but is not yet printed, use the Display
Spooled File (DSPSPLF) command, as follows:
DSPSPLF FILE(QPJOBLOG) JOB(001293/FRED/WS3)
to display the job logs for job number 001293 associated with user FRED at display station WS3.

To display the job log of your own interactive job, do one of the following:
v Enter the following command:
DSPJOBLOG
v Enter the WRKJOB command and select option 10 (Display job log) from the Work with Job display.
v Press F10=Include detailed messages from the Command Entry display (this key displays the messages
that are shown in the job log).
v If the input-inhibited light on your display station is on and remains on, do the following:
1. Press the System Request key, then press the Enter key.
2. On the System Request menu, select option 3 (Display current job).
3. On the Display Job menu, select option 10 (Display Job log, if active or on job queue).
4. On the Job Log display, DSPJOB appears as the processing request. Press F10 (Display detailed
messages).
5. On the Display All Messages display, press the Roll Down key to see messages that were received
before you pressed the System Request key.
v Sign off the workstation, specifying LOG(*LIST) on the SIGNOFF command.

When you use the DSPJOBLOG command, you see the Job Log display. This display shows program
names with special symbols, as follows:
>> The running command or the next command to be run. For example, if a program was called, the
call to the program is shown.
> The command has completed processing.
. . The command has not yet been processed.
? Reply message. This symbol marks both those messages needing a reply and those that have
been answered.

534 System i: Programming Control language

 On the Job Log display, you can do the following:
v Press F10 to display detailed messages. This display shows the commands or operations that were run
within a high-level language (HLL) program or within a CL program or procedure for which LOG is
activated.
v Use the cursor movement keys to get to the end of the job log. To get to the end of the job log quickly,
press F18 (Bottom). After pressing F18, you might need to roll down to see the command that is
running.
v Use the cursor movement keys to get to the top of the job log. To get to the top of the job log quickly,
press F17 (Top).

You may use the DSPJOBLOG command to direct the job to a database file instead of having it printed or
displayed. There are two options available. In the first option, you may specify a file and member name
on the command. In this option, the primary job log information is written to the database file specified
on the command. In the second option you may use the command in conjunction with the information
provided on the QMHCTLJL API which was run previously. In this option, the job log is written to the
file(s) specified on the API call. With this option, both primary and secondary files can be produced and
message filtering can be performed as the messages are written to the file. With both these options, when
the DSPJOBLOG command completes, the output will not be displayed nor will there be a spooled file
available for printing.
Related information
Job log pending

Preventing the production of job logs:

To prevent a job log from being produced at the completion of a batch job, you can specify *NOLIST for
the message text-level value of the LOG parameter on the Batch Job (BCHJOB), Submit Job (SBMJOB),
Change Job (CHGJOB), Create Job Description (CRTJOBD), or Change Job Description (CHGJOBD)
command.

If you specify *NOLIST for the message level value of the LOG parameter, the job log is not produced at
the end of a job unless the job end code is 20 or greater. If the job end is 20 or greater, the job log is
produced.

For an interactive job, the value specified for the LOG parameter on the SIGNOFF command takes
precedence over the LOG parameter value specified for the job.

| To prevent a job log from being produced when the job is completed, but still remain in the system in a
| pending state, specify *PND for the LOGOUTPUT parameter on the Submit Job (SBMJOB), Change Job
| (CHGJOB), Create Job Description (CRTJOBD), or Change Job Description (CHGJOBD) command. If you
| specify *NOLIST for the LOG parameter, no job log will be produced, and there will be no pending job
| log either. Pending job logs will only be available when a job log would normally be written to an output
| file or database file when the job ends and the job log output job attribute is *PND. You can use the Work
| with Job Logs (WRKJOBLOG) command to find both pending and written job logs.
Related information
Job log pending

Job log considerations:

When you use job logs, consider these suggestions.

v To change the output queue for all jobs on the system, use the OUTQ or DEV parameter on the
Change Printer File (CHGPRTF) command to change the file QSYS/QPJOBLOG. The following are two
examples using each of the parameters:

Control language 535

 CHGPRTF FILE(QSYS/QPJOBLOG)
DEV (USRPRT)

or

CHGPRTF FILE(QSYS/QPJOBLOG)
OUTQ(USROUTQ)
v To change the QPJOBLOG printer file to use output queue QEZJOBLOG, use the Operational Assistant
cleanup function. When you want to use automatic cleanup of the job logs, the printer files must be
directed to this output queue.
v To specify the output queue to which a job’s job log is written, make sure that file QPJOBLOG has
OUTQ(*JOB) specified. You can use the OUTQ parameter on any of the following commands: BCHJOB,
CRTJOBD, CHGJOBD, or CHGJOB. The following is an example:
CHGJOB OUTQ(*JOB)
If you change the default OUTQ at the beginning of the job, all spooled files are affected. If you change
it just before job completion, only the job log is affected. You cannot use the Override with Printer File
(OVRPRTF) command to affect the job log.
v If the output queue for a job cannot be found, no job log is produced.
v To hold all job logs, specify HOLD(*YES) on the CHGPRTF command for the file QSYS/QPJOBLOG.
The job logs are then released to the writer when the Release Spooled File (RLSSPLF) command is run.
The following is an example:
CHGPRTF FILE(QSYS/QPJOBLOG)
HOLD(*YES)
v If the system abnormally ends, the start prompt allows the system operator to specify whether the job
logs are to be printed for any jobs that were active at the time of the abnormal end.
v To delete a job log, use the Delete Spooled File (DLTSPLF) command or the Delete option on the
output queue display.
v If you used the USRDTA parameter on the Change Print File (CHGPRTF) command to change the user
data value for the QSYS/QPJOBLOG file, the value specified will not be shown on the Work with
Output Queue or Work with All Spooled Files displays. The value shown in the user data column is
the job name of the job whose job log has printed.
v If job logs are being analyzed by programming technique, use the QMHCTLJL API to direct the job log
to the database file(s). The format of the records in the database file is guaranteed while the printed
format is not. If new fields need to be added to a job log record, they are added at the end of the
record so existing programs will continue to work. Query features provided by the system can be used
directly on the files.
Related information
Operational Assistant APIs

Interactive job log considerations:

When you use interactive job logs, consider these suggestions.

The IBM-supplied job descriptions QCTL, QINTER, and QPGMR all have a log level of LOG(4 0
*NOLIST); therefore, all messages and both first- and second-level text for the messages are written to the
job log. However, the job logs are not printed unless you specify *LIST on the SIGNOFF command. To
change the log level for interactive jobs, you can use the Change Job (CHGJOB) or Change Job
Description (CHGJOBD) command.

If a display station user uses an IBM-supplied menu or the command entry display, all error messages
are displayed. If the display station user uses a user-written initial program, any unmonitored message
causes the initial program to end and a job log to be produced. However, if the initial program monitors
for messages, it receives control when a message is received. In this case, it may be important to ensure
that the job log is produced so you can determine the specific error that occurred. For example, assume

536 System i: Programming Control language

that the initial program displays a menu that includes a sign-off option, which defaults to *NOLIST. The
initial program monitors for all exceptions and includes a Change Variable (CHGVAR) command that
changes the sign-off option to *LIST if an exception occurs.

Note: By using the code example, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
PGM
DCLF MENU
DCL &SIGNOFFOPT TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(7) VALUE(*NOLIST)
.
.
.
MONMSG MSG(CPF0000) EXEC(GOTO ERROR)
PROMPT: SNDRCVF RCDFMT(PROMPT)
CHGVAR &IN41 ’0’
.
.
.
IF (&OPTION *EQ ’90’) SIGNOFF LOG(&SIGNOFFOPT)
.
.
.
GOTO PROMPT
ERROR: CHGVAR &SIGNOFFOPT ’*LIST’
CHGVAR &IN41 ’1’
GOTO PROMPT
ENDPGM

If an exception occurs in the previous example, the CHGVAR command changes the option on the
SIGNOFF command to *LIST and sets on an indicator. This indicator could be used to condition a
constant that displays a message informing the display station user that an unexpected event has
occurred and telling him what to do.

If the interactive job is running a CL program or procedure, the CL commands are logged only if the log
level is 3 or 4 and one of the following is true:
v You specified LOG(*YES) on the Create Control Language Program (CRTCLPGM) command, the Create
Control Language Module (CRTCLMOD) command, or the Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL)
command.
v You specified LOG(*JOB) on the Create Control Language Program (CRTCLPGM) command, the Create
Control Language Module (CRTCLMOD) command, or the Create Bound CL Program (CRTBNDCL)
command, and (*YES) is the current LOGCLPGM job attribute.
You can set and change the LOGCLPGM job attribute by using the LOGCLPGM parameter on the
SBMJOB, CRTJOBD, CRTJOBD, and CHGJOBD commands.

Batch job log considerations:

When you use batch job logs, consider these suggestions.

For your batch applications, you may want to change the amount of information logged. The log level
(LOG(4 0 *NOLIST)) specified in the job description for the IBM-supplied subsystem QBATCH supplies a
complete log if the job abnormally ends. If the job completes normally, no job log is produced.

If you want to print the job log in all cases, use the Change Job Description (CHGJOBD) command to
change the job description, or specify a different LOG value on the Batch Job (BCHJOB) or Submit Job
(SBMJOB) command. See “Job log” on page 527 for a description of logging levels.

If a batch job is running a CL program or procedure, the CL commands are logged if you specify
LOG(*YES) when you create modules or programs using the following commands:

Control language 537

v Create Control Language Program (CRTCLPGM)
v Create Control Language Module (CRTCLMOD)
v Create Bound Control Language Program (CRTBNDCL)

CL commands are also logged if you specify LOGCLPGM(*YES) when you use the CHGJOB command
and the SBMJOB command.

Message filtering through the Control Job Log Output API:

If the job log is directed to a database file through use of the QMHCTLJL API, additional message
filtering can be specified.

The message filtering specified through this API is applied when the job ends and the records for the
messages are being written to the file. Up until this time, the messages which are now filtered have
appeared. Thus they can be seen while the job is running. When the job log is written, the messages
which are filtered will have no records written to the file for them. Thus, even though they appear while
the job is running they will not appear in the final file that is produced.

Job log output files:

When you use job log output files, consider the job log information you want in the files and the model
files that describe the output-file record formats.
Related concepts
“Writing a job log to a file” on page 527
After the job ends, the job log can be written to either the output file QPJOBLOG or a database file.

Job log direction:

You can direct the job log for a job to one or two database files with the Control Job Log (QMHCTLJL)
API or the Display Job Log (DSPJOBLOG) command.

The first database file is the primary job log file. This file contains the essential information for a
message, such as, message ID, message type, and message severity. One record is produced in the
primary job log file for each message selected for processing. The second file is the secondary job log file.
The production of this file is only possible by using QMHCTLJL API; however, it is also optional.

The secondary job log file contains the first and second level text for a message. The text is in print
format. Any message data is merged with the message description and the result is formatted into one or
more print lines. For each message selected for processing there can be more than one record in the
secondary job log file; one record for each first and second level print line.

Records in the primary file can be related to records in the secondary file through use of the Message
Reference Key. Each record placed in the primary file contains a field that is the Message Reference Key
(MRK) of the related message. Similarly, each secondary file record contains the MRK of the related
message. The MRK for a message is unique within the context of a job. After the MRK of a primary file
record is known, the related secondary records can be readily identified since only these secondary
records will contain the same MRK value.

Primary job log model:

The IBM-supplied model for the primary job log file is QAMHJLPR in library QSYS. The primary record
format is QMHPFT.

538 System i: Programming Control language

A detailed description of this format follows:

Field order Field name Data type Length in bytes Field description
1 QMHJDT DATE 10 Date job log created
2 QMHJTM TIME 8 Time job log created
3 QMHMRK CHAR 4 Message reference key
4 QMHTYP CHAR 10 Message type
5 QMHSEV BIN 4 Message severity
6 QMHMID CHAR 7 Message ID
7 QMHDAT DATE 10 Message sent date
8 QMHTIM TIME 8 Message sent time
9 QMHMF CHAR 20 Message file name
10 QMHRPY CHAR 4 Reply reference key
11 QMHRQS CHAR 1 Request Message Status
12 QMHSTY CHAR 1 Sending program type
13 QMHRTY CHAR 1 Receiving program type
14 QMHSSN BIN 4 Number of statements for sending program
15 QMHRSN BIN 4 Number of statements for receiving
program
16 QMHCID BIN 4 CCSID of the message data or immediate
message
17 QMHPRL CHAR 1 Message percolated indicator
18 QMHSPR VAR CHAR 256 MAX Sending procedure name
19 QMHSMD CHAR 10 Sending module name
20 QMHSPG CHAR 12 Sending program name
21 QMHSLB CHAR 10 Sending library name
22 QMHSTM CHAR 30 Statement number(s) for sending program
23 QMHRPR VAR CHAR 256 MAX Receiving procedure name
24 QMHRMD CHAR 10 Receiving module name
25 QMHRPG CHAR 10 Receiving program name
26 QMHRLB CHAR 10 Receiving program library name
27 QMHRTM CHAR 30 Statement number(s) for receiving program
28 QMHSYS CHAR 8 System name
29 QMHJOB CHAR 26 Qualified Job name
30 QMHMDT VAR CHAR 3000 MAX Message data or immediate message
31 QMHCSP VAR CHAR 4096 MAX Complete sending procedure name
32 QMHCRP VAR CHAR 4096 MAX Complete receiving procedure name
33 QMHLSP VAR CHAR 6144 MAX Long sending program name
34 QMHTID CHAR 8 Thread
35 QMHMSC ZONED 6,0 Microseconds
36 QMHFUS CHAR 10 From user

The definition of the fields in this record are as follows:

QMHJDT
Date job log created; DATE(10)
The date the production of the job log began. The field is a date field in the database record. The
format of the date is *ISO. A value in this date field is in the format yyyy-mm-dd. Each record
produced for the same job log will have the same value in this field.
QMHJTM
Time job log create; TIME(8)
The time the production of the job log began. This field is defined as a time field in the database
record. The format of the time is defined to be *ISO. A value in this time field is in the format
hh.mm.ss. Each record produced for the same job log will have the same value in this field.

Control language 539

QMHMRK
Message reference key; CHAR(4)
The message reference key the related message had in the job message queue. The records are placed
in the primary database file in strictly ascending sequence by message reference key. Within the set of
records produced for a single job log, this field is unique for each record and thus can be used as a
unique key for the record. If the records for two or more job logs are placed into the same member,
the key may no longer be unique.
QMHTYP
Message type; CHAR(10)
The message type of the related message. One of the following special values will appear in this field:
*CMD Commands that are logged from the execution of a CL program.
*COMP
Completion message type.
*COPY
Sender’s copy message type.
*DIAG
Diagnostic message type.
*ESCAPE
Escape message type.
*INFO
Information message type.
*INQ Inquiry message type.
*NOTIFY
Notify message type.
*RQS Request message type.
*RPY Reply message type.
QMHSEV
Message severity; BIN(4)
The severity the message has. This is a value from 0 through 99.
QMHMID
Message ID; CHAR(7)
The message ID for the message. This field will contain the special value *IMMED if the message is
an immediate message which has no message ID.
QMHDAT
Message sent date; DATE(10)
The date the message was sent. This field is defined as a date field in the database record. The format
of the date is *ISO. A value in this field is in the format yyyy-mm-dd.
QMHTIM
Message sent time; TIME(8)
The time the message was sent. The field is defined as a time field in the database record. The format
of the time is defined to be *ISO. A value in this field is in the format hh.mm.ss.
QMHMF
Message File; CHAR(20)

540 System i: Programming Control language

 The name of the message file that is to be used to obtain the message description for the message.
The first 10 characters of the field contain the message file name. The second 10 characters contain
the library name. If the field QMHMID contains *IMMED to indicate an immediate message, this
field will contain all blanks.
QMHRPY
Reply reference key; CHAR(4)
v If the message type of the message is inquiry, notify, or sender’s copy, this is the message reference
key of the related reply message.
v If there is no reply message available this field will contain a null value (’00000000’X).
v If the message type is not inquiry, notify, or sender’s copy, this field will also contain a null value.
In order to maintain the strictly ascending sequence by message reference key, the record for the
reply message may not immediately follow the record for the inquiry, notify, or sender’s copy
message.
QMHRQS
Request Message Status; CHAR(1)
v If the message type is *RQS, this is an indicator which shows whether the request message was run
or not.
v If the indicator is set to zero (’F0’X) the request was not run.
v If the indicator is set to one (’F1’X) the request was run.
If the messages type is not *RQS, this indicator will always be zero.
QMHSTY
Sending program type; CHAR(1)
An indicator with the following values that shows whether the sending program was an original
program model (OPM) program or an Integrated Language Environment (ILE) program.
v If this indicator is set to zero (’F0’X), the sending program is an OPM or System Licensed Internal
Code (SLIC) program with a name less than or equal to 12 characters. The program name is placed
in fields QMHSPG and QMHLSP.
v If the indicator is set to one (’F1’X), the sending program is an ILE program with a procedure
name less than or equal to 256 characters. The procedure name is placed in fields QMHSPR and
QMHCSP.
v If the indicator is set to two (’F2’X), the sending program is an ILE program with a procedure
name greater than 256 characters and up to 4096 characters. The complete sending procedure name
is in field QMHCSP; field QMHSPR is blank.
v If the indicator is set to three (’F3’X), the sending program is a SLIC program with a name greater
than 12 characters and up to 256 characters. The complete sending program name is in field
QMHLSP; field QMHSPG is blank.
QMHRTY
Receiving program type; CHAR(1)
An indicator with the following values that shows the type of the receiving program:
v If this indicator is set to zero (’F0’X), the receiving program was an OPM program. The program
name is placed in field QMHRPG.
v If the indicator is set to one (’F1’X), the receiving program was an ILE program with a procedure
name less than or equal to 256 characters. The procedure name is placed in fields QMHRPR and
QMHCRP.
v If the indicator is set to two (’F2’X), the receiving program is an ILE program with a procedure
name greater than 256 and up to 4096 characters. The entire receiving procedure name is placed
field QMHCRP; the field QMHRPR is blank.

Control language 541

QMHSSN
Number of statements for sending program; BIN(4)
The number of statement numbers for sending program.
v If the sending program type field QMHSTY contains a zero (’F0’X) or a three (’F3’X), this field
contains a value of 0 or 1.
v If the sending program type field contains a one (’F1’X) or a two (’F2’X), this field can contain the
value 0, 1, 2, or 3.
The value provided in this field defines how many statement numbers are in the field QMHSTM.
QMHRSN
Number of statements for receiving program; BIN(4)
The number of statement numbers for receiving program.
v If the receiving program type field QMHRTY contains a zero (’F0’X), this field contains a value of 0
or 1.
v If the receiving program type field contains a one (’F1’X) or a two (’F2’X), this field contains the
value 0, 1, 2, or 3. The value provided in this field defines how many statement numbers are in the
field QMHRTM.
QMHCID
CCSID; BIN(4)
The CCSID of the message data or immediate message that is contained in the field QMHMDT.
QMHPRL
Message percolate indicator; CHAR(1)
An indicator that shows whether the message was percolated to the receiving program or not.
v If the message was not percolated this field contains a zero (’F0’X).
v If the message was sent this field contains a one (’F1’X).
Message percolation can only occur within an ILE program. Therefore, this field contains a one only
if the receiving program type field QMHRTY contains a one (’F1’X) or a two (’F2’X).
QMHSPR
Sending procedure name; VAR CHAR(*)
v If the sending program type field QMHSTY contains a zero (’F0’X) or three (’F3’X), this field
contains the value *N.
v If the sending program type field QMHSTY contains a one (’F1’X), this field contains the sending
ILE procedure name. The name can be a maximum of 256 characters in length.
v If the sending program type field QMHSTY contains a two (’F2’X), this field contains blanks, while
the entire name will be contained in the field QMHCSP.
This field can contain a nested procedure name for a sending program type of one (’F1’X) or two
(’F2’X); each procedure name is separated by a colon. The outer-most procedure name is identified
first and is followed by the procedures contained in it. The inner-most procedures are identified last
in the string.
QMHSMD
Sending module name; CHAR(10)
v If the sending program type field QMHSTY contains a zero (’F0’X) or a three (’F3’X), this field
contains the value *N.
v If the sending program type field QMHSTY contains a one (’F1’X) or a two (’F2’X), this field
contains the sending ILE module name.
QMHSPG
Sending program name; CHAR(12)

542 System i: Programming Control language

 v If the sending program type field QMHSTY contains a zero (’F0’X), a one (’F1’X), or a two (’F2’X),
the field contains the program name from which the message was sent.
v If the sending program type is a three (’F3’X), this field contains blanks and field QMHLSP
contains the sending program name.
QMHSLB
Sending library name; CHAR(10)
The name of the library that the sending program was contained in.
QMHSTM
Statement number(s) for sending program; CHAR(30)
The statement number(s) at which the sending program sent the message. Each statement number is
10 characters in length.
v If the sending program type field QMHSTY contains a zero (’F0’X) or a three (’F3’X), there is, at
most, one statement number in the first 10 characters. That statement number represents an MI
instruction number. The number is a hexadecimal number.
v If the sending program type field contains a one (’F1’X) or a two (’F2’X), this field can contain
statement numbers of 0, 1, 2, or 3. The field QMHSSN specifies how many there are. In this case, a
statement number is a higher level language statement number and not an MI instruction number.
Each number is a decimal number.
QMHRPR
Receiving procedure name; VAR CHAR(*)
v If the receiving program type field contains a zero (’F0’X), this field contains the value *N.
v If the receiving program type field QMHRTY contains a one (’F1’X), this field contains the
receiving ILE procedure name. The name can be a maximum of 256 characters in length.
v If the receiving program type field QMHRTY contains a two (’F2’X), this field contains blanks,
while the entire name will be contained in the field QMHCRP.
This field can contain a nested procedure name for a receiving program type of one (’F1’X) or two
(’F2’X); each procedure name is separated by a colon. The outer-most procedure name is identified
first and is followed by the procedures contained in it. The inner-most procedures are identified last
in the string.
QMHRMD
Receiving module name; CHAR(10)
v If the receiving program type field contains a zero (’F0’X), this field contains the value *N.
v If the receiving program type field QMHRTY contains a one (’F1’X) or a two (’F2’X), this field
contains the receiving ILE module name.
QMHRPG
Receiving program name; CHAR(10)
The program name of the OPM or ILE program to which the message was sent.
QMHRLB
Receiving library name; CHAR(10)
The name of the library that the receiving program was in.
QMHRTM
Statement number(s) for receiving program; CHAR(30)
The statement number(s) at which the receiving program was stopped when the message was sent.
Each statement number is 10 characters in length.
v If the receiving program type field QMHRTY contains a zero (’F0’X), there is, at most, one
statement number in the first 10 characters. That statement number represents an MI instruction
number. The number is a hexadecimal number.

Control language 543

 v For any other value of the receiving program type, there can be 0, 1, 2, or 3 statement numbers in
this field. The field QMHRSN specifies how many there are. In this case, a statement number is a
higher level language statement number and not an MI instruction number. Each number is a
decimal number.
QMHSYS
System name; CHAR(8)
The name of the system that the job log was produced on.
QMHJOB
Qualified job Name; CHAR(26)
The fully qualified name of the job for which the message is being logged for. The first 10 positions
contain the job name, the next 10 positions the user name, and the last six positions the job number.
QMHMDT
Message data or immediate message; VAR CHAR(*)
If the field QMHMID contains the special value *IMMED, this field contains an immediate message.
Otherwise, this field contains the message data that was used when the message was sent. This field
can contain a maximum of 3000 characters. If the immediate message or message data is longer, it is
truncated to 3000 characters.
If the message data contains pointers, the pointers are invalidated before the message data is written
to the database file.
QMHCSP
Complete sending procedure name; CHAR(VAR)
v If the sending program type is zero (’F0’X) or three (’F3’X), this field contains blanks.
v If the sending program type is one (’F1’X) or two (’F2’X), this field contains the entire ILE
procedure name. The name can be a maximum of 4096 characters in length.
This field can contain a nested procedure name where each procedure name is separated by a
colon. The outer-most procedure name is identified first and is followed by the procedures
contained in it. The inner-most procedures are identified last in the string.
QMHCRP
Complete receiving procedure name; CHAR(VAR)
v If the receiving program type is zero (’F0’X), this field contains blanks.
v If the receiving program type is one (’F1’X) or two (’F2’X), this field contains the entire ILE
procedure name. The name can be a maximum of 4096 characters in length.
The field can contain a nested procedure name where each procedure name is separated by a
colon. The outer-most procedure name is identified first and is followed by the procedures
contained in it. The inner-most procedures are identified last in the string.
QMHLSP
Long sending program name; CHAR(VAR)
This field contains the entire sending program name from which the message was sent for all sending
program types. The name can be a maximum of 6144 characters in length.
QMHTID
Thread; CHAR(8)
This field identifies the thread within the job that sent the message.
QMHMSC
Microseconds; ZONED(6,0)
This is the microseconds portion of the time the message was sent. It can be used to determine with
more precision the time the message was sent.

544 System i: Programming Control language

QMHFUS
From user; CHAR(10)
The name of the user profile that the thread was running under when the message was sent.

The IBM-supplied model for the secondary job log file is QAMHJLSC in library QSYS. The secondary
record format name is QMHSFT. A detailed description of the secondary record format follows.

Field order Field name Data type Length in bytes Field description
1 QMHJDS DATE 10 Date job log created
2 QMHJTS TIME 8 Time job log created
3 QMHMKS CHAR 4 Message reference key
7 QMHSYN CHAR 8 System name
8 QMHJBN CHAR 26 Qualified job name
4 QMHLNN BIN 4 Message line number
5 QMHSID BIN 4 CCSID of text line
6 QMHTTY CHAR 1 Message text indicator
9 QMHLIN CHAR 78 Message text line

The length of the field indicates the number of total bytes for the field.

The definition of the fields in this record are as follows:

QMHJDS
Date job log created; DATE(8)
The date the production of the job log began. The field is a date field in the database record. The
format of the date is *ISO. A value in this field is in the format yyyy-mm-dd. Each record produced
for the same job log will have the same value in this field.
QMHJTS
Time job log created; TIME(8);
The time the production of the job log began. This field is defined as a time field in the database
record. The format of the time is defined to be *ISO. A value in this field is in the format hh.mm.ss.
Each record produced for the same job log will have the same value in this field.
QMHMKS
Message reference key; CHAR(4)
The message reference key the related message had in the job message queue. The records are placed
in the secondary database file in ascending sequence by message reference key. There can be more
than one secondary record for a specific message reference key. This field also exists in the related
primary record. Therefore, once the message reference key is obtained from a primary record, it can
be used to read the related records from the secondary file.
QMHSYN
System name; CHAR(8)
The name of the system that the job log was produced on.
QMHJBN
Qualified job Name; CHAR(26)
The fully qualified name of the job for which the message is being logged for. The first 10 positions
contain the job name, the next 10 positions the user name, and the last six positions the job number.
QMHLNN
Message line number; BIN(4)

Control language 545

 The line number of the line within the text type. For both the first and second level text, the line
number starts at one for the first line of the text and is incremented by one for each additional line
within that level.
QMHSID
CCSID of message text line; BIN(4)
The CCSID of the message text line that is contained in field QMHLIN.
QMHTTY
Message text type; CHAR(1)
An indicator which specifies whether field QMHLIN contains a line of the first or second level text.
This field will contain one of the following values:
1 Field QMHLIN contains first level text.
2 Field QMHLIN contains second level text.
QMHLIN
Message text line: CHAR(78)
This field contains one line of the first or second level text.

QHST history log

The history log (QHST) consists of a message queue and a physical file known as a log version.

Messages sent to the history log message queue (QHST) are written by the system to the current log
version physical file. The history log contains a high-level trace of system activities such as system,
subsystem, and job information, device status, and system operator messages.

When a log version is full, a new version of the log is automatically created. Each version is a physical
file that is named in the following way:
Qxxxyydddn

where the following is true:

xxx Is a 3-character description of the log type (HST)
yyddd Is the Julian date of the first message in the log version
n Is a sequence number within the Julian date (A through Z and 0 through 9)

Note: The number of records in each version of the history log is specified in the system value
QHSTLOGSIZ. There is also a value of *DAILY to allow a new log version to be created each day
instead of creating a new file based only on size.

The text of the log version file contains the date and time of the first message and last message in the log
version. The date and time of the first message are in positions 1-13 of the text; the date and time of the
last message are in positions 14-26. The date and time are in the format cyymmddhhmmss, where:
c Is the century guard digit
yymmdd Is the date the message was sent
hhmmss Is the time the message was sent

You can create a maximum of 36 log versions with the same Julian date. If more than 36 log versions are
created on the same day, the next available Julian day is used for subsequent log versions. If some of the
older log versions are then deleted, it is possible to use the names again. Log versions are out of order
when sequenced by name if log versions are deleted and names used again.

546 System i: Programming Control language

You can also write a program to process history log records. Because several versions of each log might
be available, you must select the log version to be processed. To determine the available log versions, use
the Display Object Description (DSPOBJD) command. For example, the following DSPOBJD command
displays what versions of the history log are available:
DSPOBJD OBJ(QSYS/QHST*) OBJTYPE(*FILE)

You can delete logs on your system by using the delete option from the display that is presented on the
Work with Objects (WRKOBJ) command.

You can display or print the information in a log using the Display Log (DSPLOG) command. You can
select the information you want displayed or printed by specifying any combination of the following:
v Period of time
v Name of job that sent the log entry
v Message identifiers of entries

The following Display Log (DSPLOG) command displays all the available entries for the job OEDAILY in
the current day:
DSPLOG JOB(OEDAILY)

The resulting display is:

Display History Log Contents

Job OEDAILY started

Database file OEMSTR in library OELIB expired
Job OEDAILY abnormally ended
Job OEDAILY started
Job OEDAILY ended

Bottom
Press Enter to continue.

F3=Exit F10=Display all F12=Cancel

If you reset the system date or time to an earlier setting, or if you advanced the system date and time by
more than 48 hours, a new log version is started. This ensures that all messages in a single log version
are in chronological order.

Log versions created on a release before V3R6M0 may contain entries that are not in chronological order
if the system date and time was reset to an earlier setting. Therefore, when you try to display the log
version, some entries may be missed. For example, if the log version contains entries dated 1988 followed
by entries dated 1987, and you want to display those 1987 entries, you specify the 1987 dates on the
PERIOD parameter on the Display Log (DSPLOG) command but the expected entries are not displayed.
You should always use the system date (QDATE) and the system time (QTIME), or you should specify
the PERIOD parameter as follows:
PERIOD((start-time start-date) (*AVAIL *END))

Control language 547

The system writes the messages sent to a log message queue to the current log version physical file when
the message queue reaches a certain size or when the Display Log (DSPLOG) command was used. If you
want to ensure the current log version is up-to-date, specify a fictitious message identifier, such as
###0000, on the DSPLOG command. No messages are displayed, but the messages in the message queue
are copied to the log version physical file to make it current.

Note: If a message is sent to QHST and the Display Log (DSPLOG) command is done immediately, the
DSPLOG command will show messages from the log version physical file. Depending on the
number of messages being copied to the log version, your message may not be shown until a
second Display Log (DSPLOG) command is run later.

If you print the information in a log using the Display Log (DSPLOG) command and output parameter
*PRINT, (DSPLOG OUTPUT(*PRINT)), only one line from each message is printed, using the first 105
characters of each message.

If you print the information in a log using the Display Log (DSPLOG) command and output parameter
*PRTWRAP, (DSPLOG OUTPUT(*PRTWRAP)), messages longer than 105 characters are wrapped to
include additional lines to a limit of 2000 characters.

If you print the information in a log using the Display Log (DSPLOG) command and output parameter
*PRTSECLVL, messages longer than 105 characters are wrapped to include additional lines to a limit of
2000 characters. The second-level message text is also printed if available, up to a maximum of 6000
characters.

If you display the information in a log using the Display Log (DSPLOG) command, only 105 characters of
message text are shown. Any characters after 105 characters are truncated at the right.

Format of the history log:

A database file is used to store the messages sent to a log message queue on the system. Because all
records in a physical file have the same length and messages sent to a log have different lengths, the
messages can span more than one record.

Each record for a message has three fields:

v System date and time (a character field of length 8). This is an internal field. The converted date and
time also are in the message.
v Record number (a 2-byte field). For example, the field contains hex 0001 for the first record, hex 0002
for the second record, and so on.
v Data (a character field of length 132).

The third field (data) of the first record has the following format.

Contents Type Length Positions in record

Job name Character 26 11-36
1
Converted date and time Character 13 37-49
Message ID Character 7 50-56
Message file name Character 10 57-66
Library name Character 10 67-76
2
Message type Character 2 77-78
Severity code Character 2 79-80
3
Sending program name Character 12 81-92

548 System i: Programming Control language

Contents Type Length Positions in record
Sending program Character 4 93-96
instruction number4
Receiving program name3 Character 10 97-106
Receiving program Character 4 107-110
instruction number4
Message text length Binary 2 111-112
Message data length Binary 2 113-114
Coded character set Binary 4 115-118
identifier (CCSID) for text
or data5
Sending user profile Character 10 119–128
Reserved Character 14 129-142
Notes:
1
The format is: cyymmddhhmmss
where:
c Is the century digit (c=0 if yy ≥ 40, c = 1 if yy < 40)
yymmdd Is the year, month, and day that the message is sent
hhmmss Is the hour, minute, and second that the message is sent
2
This has the same value as the RTNTYPE parameter on the Receive Message (RCVMSG) command.
3
If the sender or receiver is an ILE procedure, the entry in the history log contains only the ILE program
name. The module name and procedure name are not included in the history log.
4
If the sender or receiver is an ILE procedure, the sending or receiving instruction number is 0.
5
This CCSID applies only to the message data that is defined as *CCHAR data if the message is a stored
message. The rest of the message data can be considered 65 535. Otherwise, this is the CCSID of the
immediate message.

The third field (data) of the remaining records has the following format.

Contents Type Length

Message Character Variable1
Message data Character Variable2
Notes:
1
This length is specified in the first record (positions 111 and 112) and cannot exceed 132.
2
This length is specified in the first record (positions 113 and 114).

A message is never split when a new version of a log is started. The first and last records of a message
are always in the same QHST log version file.
Related tasks
“Defining substitution variables” on page 458
On the FMT parameter on the Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command, you can specify
substitution variables for either first-level or second-level messages.

QHST file processing:

Control language 549

If you use a high-level language (HLL) program to process the QHST file, keep in mind that the length of
the message can vary with each occurrence of a message.

Because the message includes replaceable variables, the actual length of the message varies; therefore, the
message data begins at a variable location for each use of the same message.

QHST job start and completion messages:

The system performs special formatting of the job start and job completion messages.

For message CPF1124 (job start) and message CPF1164 (job completion), the message data always begins
in position 11 of the third record.

Job accounting provides more information than CPF1124 and CPF1164. For simple job accounting
functions, use the CPF1164 message.

Performance information is not displayed as text on message CPF1164. Because the message is in the
QHST log, users can write application programs to retrieve this data. The format of this performance
information is as follows.

The performance information is passed as a variable length replacement text value. This means that the
data is in a structure with the first entry being the length of the data. The size of the length field is not
included in the length. The first data fields in the structure are the times and dates that the job entered
the system and when the first routing step for the job was started. The times are in the format
’hh:mm:ss’. The separators are always colons. The dates are in the format defined in the system value
QDATFMT and the separators are in the system value QDATSEP. The time and date the job entered the
system precede the job start time and date in the structure.

The time and date the job entered the system are when the system becomes aware of a job to be initiated
(a job structure is set aside for the job). For an interactive job, the job entry time is the time the password
is recognized by the system. For a batch job, it is the time the Batch Job (BCHJOB) or Submit Job
(SBMJOB) command is processed. For a monitor job, reader or writer, it is the time the corresponding
start command is processed, and for autostart jobs it is during the start of the subsystem.

Following the times and dates are the total response time and the number of transactions. The total
response time is in seconds and contains the accumulated value of all the intervals the job was processing
between pressing the Enter key at the workstation and when the next display is shown. This information
is similar to that shown on the WRKACTJOB display. This field is only meaningful for interactive jobs.

It is also possible in the case of a system failure or abnormal job end that the last transaction will not be
included in the total. The job end code in this case would be a 40 or greater. The transaction count is also
only meaningful for interactive jobs other than the console job and is the number of response time
intervals counted by the system during the job.

The number of synchronous auxiliary I/O operations follows the number of transactions. This is the same
as the AUXIO field that appears on the WRKACTJOB display except that this value is the total for the
job. If the job ends with a end code of 70, this value may not contain the count for the final routing step.
Additionally, if a job exists across an IPL (using a Transfer Batch Job (TFRBCHJOB) command) it is ended
before becoming active following an IPL, the value is 0.

The final field in the performance statistics is the job type. Values for this field are:
A Automatically started job
B Batch job
I Interactive job

550 System i: Programming Control language

M Subsystem monitor
R Spooling reader
S System job
W Spooling writer
X Start job

For messages in which the message data begins in a variable position, you can access the message data
by doing the following:
v Determine the length of the variables in the message. For example, assume that a message uses the
following five variables:
Job name *CHAR 10
User name *CHAR 10
Job number *CHAR 6
Time *CHAR 8
Date *CHAR 8
These variables are fixed in the first 42 positions of the message data.
v To find the location of the message data, consider that:
– The message always begins in position 11 of the second record.
– The length of the message is stored in a 2-position field beginning at position 111 of the first record.
This length is stored in a binary value so if the message length is 60, the field contains hexadecimal
003C.
Then, by using the length of the message and the start position of the message, you can determine the
location of the message data.

QHST files deletion:

Log version physical files accumulate on a system and you should periodically delete old logs that are
not needed.

A log version is created such that only the security officer is authorized to delete it.

The Operational Assistant provides a cleanup function which includes the deletion of old QHST files.
Another alternative is:

As the security officer, specify:

WRKOBJ OBJ(QSYS/QHST*) OBJTYPE(*FILE)

Use option 4 to delete old unneeded files.

QSYSMSG message queue

QSYSMSG is a queue that you can create if you plan to handle the list of serious messages that are sent
to the queue.

The QSYSMSG message queue is an optional queue that you can create in the QSYS library. If it exists
and is not damaged, certain messages are directed to it instead of, or in addition to, the QSYSOPR
message queue. This allows a user-written program to gain control when certain messages are sent. You
should not create the QSYSMSG queue unless you want it to receive specific messages.

Enter the following command to create the QSYSMSG queue:

CRTMSGQ QSYS/QSYSMSG +
TEXT(’Optional MSGQ to receive specific system messages’)

Control language 551

After the QSYSMSG message queue is created, all of the specific messages are directed to it. You can
write a program to receive messages for which you can perform special action and send other messages
to the QSYSOPR message queue or another message queue. This program should be written as a
break-handling program.

Messages sent to QSYSMSG message queue

The system sends some messages to the QSYSMSG message queue instead of QSYSOPR. It also sends
certain messages to QSYSMSG, to QSYSOPR, or to both QSYSMSG and QSYSOPR.

If the QSYSMSG message queue exists, the system sends the following messages to QSYSMSG instead of
QSYSOPR:
v CPF1269
v CPF1393
v CPF1397
v CPI2209
v CPI9014
v CPI96C0 through CPI96C7

The system sends certain messages to QSYSMSG, to QSYSOPR, or to both QSYSMSG and QSYSOPR,
depending on the system reference code (SRC) sent with the message and whether the SRC is being
logged with critical message handling. These messages include the following.
v CPP0DDD
v CPP1604
v CPPEA02
v CPPEA04
v CPPEA05
v CPPEA12
v CPPEA13
v CPPEA26
v CPPEA32
v CPPEA38
v CPPEA39

The system sends all other messages in this topic to both QSYSMSG and QSYSOPR.
CPD4070
Negative response received for remote location &5, device description &4.
CPF0907
Serious storage condition may exist. Press HELP.
This message is sent if the amount of available auxiliary storage in the system auxiliary storage
pool has reached the threshold value.
The system service tools function can be used to display and change the threshold value.
CPF1269
Program start request received on communications device was rejected with reason codes.
This message is sent when a start request is rejected and contains a reason code identifying why
the rejection occurred.

552 System i: Programming Control language

 If a password is not valid or an unauthorized condition occurs using APPC, it may mean that a
normal job is in error or that someone is attempting to break security. You may choose to prevent
further use of the APPC device description until the condition is understood by doing the
following:
v Sending the message to the QSYSOPR message queue.
v Recording the attempt for the security officer to review.
v Issuing the End Mode (ENDMOD) command to set the allowed jobs to zero. This allows jobs
that are currently using the peer device description to remain active, but prevents other jobs
from starting until the condition is understood.
v Counting the number of attempts in a given time period. You could establish a threshold in
your program for the number of attempts that were not valid before you take serious action
(such as changing the maximum number of sessions to zero). You may want to assign this
threshold value by unit of work identifier (which may be blank), by APPC device description,
or for your entire APPC environment.
CPF1393
User profile has been disabled because maximum number of sign-on attempts has been
reached.
This message is sent when a user has attempted to sign on multiple times, causing the User
Profile to be disabled.
CPF1397
Subsystem varied off workstation.
This message is sent if the threshold value assigned by the system value QMAXSIGN is reached
and the device is varied off. The message indicates that a user is not entering a valid password.
The message data for CPF1397 contains the name of the device from which the message was sent.
You can use this information and design a program to take appropriate action. You could
consider performing one or several of the following:
v Send the same message to the QSYSOPR message queue
v Record the attempt for the security officer to review
v Automatically vary on the device after a significant time delay
CPF510E
Network interface &9 failed while doing a read or write to device &4.
The system has detected a network interface failure and is attempting error recovery for the
network interface.
Try the request again. If the problem occurs again, enter the Analyze Problem (ANZPRB)
command to run problem analysis.
CPF5167
SNA session for remote location &5, device description &4 ended abnormally.
The Systems Network Architecture (SNA) session ended due to a request shutdown (RSHUTD),
request recovery (RQR), unbind (UNBIND), or notify switch off (NOTIFY) command received
from the remote controller.
Contact the remote controller operator to determine why the communications support ended the
session. Correct the error, and try the request again.
CPF5244
Internal system failure for remote location &5, device description &4.
Vary off the device. Vary the device on and try the request again. If the problem continues, report
the problem (ANZPRB command).
CPF5248
SNA protocol violation for data received for remote location &5, device description &4.

Control language 553

 The Systems Network Architecture (SNA) request received for remote location &5, device
description &4 violates SNA protocol. The system received a negative response with sense data
&7 to the controller.
Correct the problem in the controller program and try the request again.
CPF5250
Negative response with sense data &7 received for remote location &5.
The system received a negative response with sense data &7 for remote location &5 device
description &4. The first four characters of the data did not begin with 10xx, 08xx, or 0000. The
Systems Network Architecture (SNA) session ended if it existed.
Correct the error and try the request again. For more information about sense data and the causes
of negative responses, see Systems Network Architecture Formats, GA27-3136.
CPF5251
Password or user ID not valid for request for remote location &5.
A Systems Network Architecture (SNA) INIT-SELF command was received for finance remote
location &5, device description &4 that did not contain valid authorization data. One of the
following occurred:
v The system could not find the user ID or password.
v The system could not find the user ID.
v The password was not valid for this user ID.
v No authorization exists for this user ID to use device description &4.
v The user profile was not accessible.
v The user ID contained a character that is not valid.
Have the user try the request again with a valid user ID and password. If the user has no
authorization to the device, use the Grant Object Authority (GRTOBJAUT) command to authorize
the user to this device.
CPF5257
Failure for device or member &4 file &2 in library &3.
An error occurred during a read or write operation. If this is a display file, the display may not
be usable.
See the previously listed messages, correct the errors, and try the request again. If the problem
continues, report the problem (ANZPRB command).
CPF5260
Switched connection failed for device &4 in file &2 in &3.
Close the file and then try the request again.
CPF5274
Error on device for remote location &5 file &2 in &3.
The program attempted an input operation or an output operation to program device &4, remote
location &5 that had a prior error.
Vary off device associated with remote location &5 and then on again (VRYCFG or WRKCFGSTS
command). Then try the request again.
CPF5341
SNA session not established for remote location &5, device description &4.
The Systems Network Architecture (SNA) session could not be established. The Synchronous
Data Link Control (SDLC) frame size is not compatible with the request/response unit (RU) size.

554 System i: Programming Control language

 This is either a configuration error, or the SDLC frame size has been negotiated to a smaller value
by the i5/OS operating system. This occured while the remote controller is using the Exchange
Identification (XID) command.
The MAXLENRU parameter of the device description contains the specification of the RU size for
retail and finance devices.
The MAXFRAME parameter of the line description contains the SDLC frame size specification.
The MAXFRAME parameter of the controller description also contains the specification for retail
and finance devices.
Do one or more of the following and try the request again:
v Verify that the frame size and the RU size values are compatible.
v Increase the SDLC frame size, or decrease the RU size, if necessary.
v Verify that this configuration is compatible with the remote controller configuration.
v If you are making configuration changes, you must vary the configuration off and on before
the changes will take effect.
CPF5342
Line &9 failed on device description &4, remote location &5.
The system has detected line failure while processing input or output and is attempting error
recovery for the line.
Try the request again. If the problem continues, start problem analysis (ANZPRB command).
CPF5344
Error on controller &9, device description &4.
The system has detected a controller failure and is attempting error recovery for the controller.
Try the request again. If the problem continues, start problem analysis (ANZPRB command).
CPF5346
Error for remote location &5, device description &4.
Close the file. Vary off the device (VRYCFG command). Look at any system operator messages in
the job log to determine if any action is necessary before you vary on the device. Correct the
error, and vary on the device (VRYCFG command). Then try the request again. If the problem
continues, start problem analysis (ANZPRB command).
CPF5355
Not able to locate object &7 in &8 of type *&9.
Object &7 type *&9 is either being used in another process, is not varied on, or has no sessions
available for advanced program-to-program communications.
Close file &2. Try the request again when object &7 is available or varied on. If the object that
could not be allocated is for APPC, there were no sessions available to use. You can change the
WAITFILE parameter to allow the system to wait longer for a session to become available. The
mode can also be changed (MAXSSN parameter) to make more sessions available. The remote
system may also have to configure again to accept a greater number of sessions. If configuration
exists for sufficient sessions, use the CHGSSNMAX command to attempt to increase the current
session limit.
CPF8AC4
Reserved library name &7 in use.
A user has created a library name that is reserved for the QDLS file system. For example, for user
ASP 5, library name QDOC0005 is reserved for the system. The system will attempt to create this
library when the user is trying to create the first document library object (DLO) on the user ASP.

Control language 555

 However, if a user has created their own library using the reserved name QDOC0005, then
message CPF8AC4 will be sent. The user-created library must be deleted or renamed before a
DLO can be created in the user ASP.
CPF9E7C
i5/OS grace period expired.
The software license grace period for i5/OS has expired. Successful completion of the next initial
program load (IPL) requires a software license key.
Contact your IBM marketing representative or IBM Business Partner for a new i5/OS software
license key. Use the Add License Key Information (ADDLICKEY) command to add the software
license key.
CPI091F
PWRDWNSYS &1 command in progress.
This message is sent in a secondary partition, when the primary partition ends abnormally.
CPI0948
Mirrored protection is suspended on disk unit &1;
The system is not able to locate a storage unit. Data has not been lost. The following information
indicates where the system located the storage unit before the storage unit was missing from the
system configuration:
v Disk serial number: &5
v Disk type: &3
v Disk model: &4
v Device resource name: &26
Do the following:
1. Use the system Resource Configuration List display to see the storage unit that is identified as
missing.
2. Ensure the proper installation of power cable connections on the storage unit.
CPI0949
Mirrored protection is suspended on disk unit &1;
The mirrored protection for the disk is suspended.
CPI0950
Storage unit now available.
A storage unit, which was missing from the configuration, is now available. Data has not been
lost.
CPI0953
ASP storage threshold reached.
This message is sent if the amount of available storage in the specified auxiliary storage pool
(ASP) has reached the threshold value. The message data for CPI0953 contains the auxiliary
storage capacity, the auxiliary storage used, the percentage of threshold, and the percentage of
auxiliary storage available. You can use this information to take appropriate action.
CPI0954
ASP storage limit exceeded.
This message is sent if all available storage in the specified ASP has been used.
CPI0955
System ASP unprotected storage limit exceeded.
This message is sent if all available storage in the system ASP has been used.

556 System i: Programming Control language

CPI095A
IASP &1 mirror copy storage threshold reached.
This message is sent if the amount of available storage for the mirror copy of the specified
independent auxiliary storage pool (IASP) has reached the threshold value. The message data for
CPI095A contains the independent auxiliary storage capacity, and the percentage of threshold.
You can use this information to take appropriate action.
CPI0964
Weak battery condition exists.
This message is sent if the external uninterruptible power supply or internal battery indicates a
weak battery condition.
CPI0965
Failure of battery power unit feature in system unit.
This message is sent if there is a failure of the battery or the battery charger for the battery power
unit feature in the system unit.
CPI0966
Failure of battery power unit feature in expansion unit.
This message is sent if there is a failure of the battery or the battery charger for the battery power
unit feature in the expansion unit.
CPI096B
Geographic mirroring is suspended for IASP &1.
This message is sent to indicate that geographic mirroring for the specified independent auxiliary
storage pool (IASP) has been suspended due to an inability to communicate with the system
containing the mirror copy. Check the specified system to determine if this is an expected
situation or if it indicates a communications problem.
CPI096C
Geographic mirroring is still suspended for IASP &1.
This message is sent to indicate that geographic mirroring for the specified independent auxiliary
storage pool (IASP) is still suspended. This message indicates that no action has been taken to
resume geographic mirroring on an independent auxiliary storage pool that was previously
suspended.
CPI096D
Copy of IASP has been rejected.
This message is sent to indicate that an attempt was made to configure a mirror copy of an
independent auxiliary storage pool (IASP) on the same system that contains the production copy
of that independent auxiliary storage pool (IASP). The mirror copy must be on a different system
CPI096E
Disk unit connection is missing.
This message is sent to indicate that all the expected connections to an Enterprise Storage
Subsystem (ESS) have not reported in. The following information identifies the disk unit:
v Disk serial number: &5
v Disk type: &3
v Disk model: &4
This message may indicate that a cable has become disconnected, a configuration has been
changed, or there is a problem. Use the previous disk unit information to locate the unit in the
Hardware service manager service tool to determine if it is a configuration change or a problem.
CPI0970
Disk unit &1 not operating

Control language 557

 Disk unit &1 has stopped operating. No data has been lost. The following information identifies
the disk unit that is not operating:
v Disk serial number: &3
v Disk type: &5
v Disk model: &6
v Disk address: &4
v IOP resource name: &26
v Device controller resource name: &27
v Device resource name: &28
Press F14 to run problem analysis.
CPI0988
Mirrored protection is resuming on disk unit &1;
This message is sent if the mirroring synchronization of a disk unit has started and disk
mirroring protection is being resumed. One of the steps the system performs before disk
mirroring protection is resumed is to copy data from one disk unit to another so that the data on
both disk units is the same. You may observe slow system performance during the time that the
data is being copied. After the copy of the disk data is complete, message CPI0989 is sent to this
message queue, and disk mirroring protection resumes.
CPI0989
Mirrored protection resumed on disk unit &1;
This message is sent if the mirroring synchronization of a disk unit completed successfully. The
system completed the copy of data from one disk unit to the other. Disk mirroring protection is
resumed.
CPI0998
Error occurred on disk unit &1;
This message is sent if errors were found on disk unit &1; the message does not include
information about the failure to run problem analysis.
CPI0999
Storage directory threshold reached.
The storage directory is nearing capacity. This is a potentially serious system condition. The
system repeats this message until it receives an IPL.
You must reduce the amount of storage that is used on the system. To reduce the amount of
storage that is used, do the following:
v Delete objects from the system that are not needed.
v Save objects that are not needed online by specifying STG(*FREE) on the Save Object (SAVOBJ)
command.
CPI099C
Critical storage lower limit reached.
The amount of storage that is used in the system auxiliary storage pool has reached the critical
lower limit value. The system will now take the action that is specified in the QSTGLOWACN
system value: &5. The possible actions are:
v *MSG — The system takes no further action.
v *CRITMSG — The system sends message CPI099B to the user that is specified by the
CRITMSGUSR service attribute.
v *REGFAC — The system submits a job to run the exit programs that are registered for the
QIBM_QWC_QSTGLOWACN exit point.
v *ENDSYS — The system ends to the restricted state.

558 System i: Programming Control language

 v *PWRDWNSYS — The system powers down immediately and restarts.
You can reduce use of storage through the following actions:
v Delete any unused objects.
v Save objects by specifying STG(*FREE)
v Save the old unused log versions of QHST and then delete them.
v Print or delete spooled files on the system.
Failure to reduce the storage usage may lead to a situation that requires initialization of auxiliary
storage and loss of user data. Use the WRKSYSSTS command to monitor the amount of storage
that is used. Use the PRTDSKINF command to print information about storage usage. The
WRKSYSVAL command can be used to display and change the auxiliary storage lower limit
value (QSTGLOWLMT) and action (QSTGLOWACN).
CPI099D
System starting in storage restricted state.
The system is being started to the restricted state because the amount of storage available is
below the auxiliary storage lower limit. Failure to reduce storage usage may lead to a situation
that requires initialization of auxiliary storage and the loss of user data. The console is the only
active device.
You can reduce the use of storage through the following actions:
v Delete any unused objects.
v Save objects by specifying STG(*FREE).
v Save the old unused log versions of QHST and then delete them.
v Print or delete spooled files on the system.
Failure to reduce the storage usage may lead to a situation that requires initialization of auxiliary
storage and loss of user data. Use the WRKSYSSTS command to monitor the amount of storage
that is used. Use the PRTDSKINF command to print information about storage usage. The
WRKSYSVAL command can be used to display and change the auxiliary storage lower limit
value (QSTGLOWLMT) and action (QSTGLOWACN).
CPI099E
Storage lower limit exit program error occurred.
An error occurred while calling a user exit program for exit point QIBM_QWC_QSTGLOWACN.
The reason code is &1. The reason codes and their meanings follow:
1. An error occurred while running the user exit program.
2. The system did not find a user exit program.
3. The system did not find a registered user exit program.
4. A user exit program did not complete in 30 minutes.
5. The job running the user exit program ended.
6. The system did not submit the user exit program job because the system is ending.
7. The system did not submit the user exit program job because errors occurred.
8. The system submitted the user exit program job, but issued warnings as well.
9. The system could not retrieve registration information for the exit point.
10. The system did not submit the user exit program job because the maximum number of failed
exit program jobs was exceeded.
11. An unexpected error occurred in the user exit program job.
CPI099F
PWRDWNSYS &1 command in progress.
This message is sent in a secondary partition, when the primary partition powers down.

Control language 559

CPI116A
Mirrored protection suspended on the load source disk unit.
Suspension of mirrored protection occurs on disk unit 1. Data has not been lost. Disk unit 1 is
attached to the Multi-Function I/O Processor (MFIOP). Repair the disk unit as soon as possible.
Do not switch off the system, IPL the system, or perform any operation which would IPL the
system until after completing disk repairs to unit 1.
The following information identifies the unit that is suspended:
v Disk serial number: &5
v Disk type: &3
v Disk model: &4
v Device resource name: &26
The system will automatically resume mirroring after corrections are made to the error.
CPI116B
Mirrored protection still suspended on the load source disk unit.
Mirrored protection remains suspended on disk unit 1. Data has not been lost. Disk unit 1 is
attached to the Multi-Function I/O Processor (MFIOP). Repair the disk unit as soon as possible.
Do not switch off the system, IPL the system, or perform any operation which would IPL the
system until after repairing disk unit 1.
The following information identifies the unit that is suspended:
v Disk serial number: &5
v Disk type: &3
v Disk model: &4
v Device resource name: &26
See the previously listed messages in this message queue to determine the failure that caused
suspension of mirrored protection. Perform the recommended recovery procedures.
CPI116C
Compressed disk unit &1 is full.
Compressed disk unit &1 is temporarily full. The storage subsystem controller has detected the
condition and is repositioning the data on the compressed disk unit. The system does this to
maximize the amount of storable data on the disk unit. This operation could take a number of
minutes to complete. When the storage subsystem controller has completed the repositioning of
the data, the system will resume normal operations.
The following information identifies the unit that is full:
v Disk serial number: &5
v Disk type: &3
v Disk model: &4
v Device resource name: &26
Wait for the storage subsystem controller to reposition the data on the compressed disk unit. Do
not switch off the system. If you are frequently receiving this message that indicates that a
compressed disk unit is full, do one or more of the following:
1. Save objects that are not needed from the auxiliary storage pool by specifying STG(*FREE) on
the Save Object (SAVOBJ) command.
2. Delete objects that are not needed from the auxiliary storage pool.
3. Move one or more folders to a different auxiliary storage pool by saving the folder, deleting
the folder, and restoring the folder to a different auxiliary storage pool.

560 System i: Programming Control language

 4. Increase the storage capacity by adding disk units to the auxiliary storage pool. You can direct
the system to immediately overflow data from the user auxiliary storage pool into the system
auxiliary storage pool. This prevents you from having to wait for the storage subsystem
controller to reposition the data on the compressed disk unit each time it becomes full. Use
the Change ASP Attribute (CHGASPA) command to change the compression recovery policy
to immediately overflow data to the system auxiliary storage pool whenever a compressed
disk unit becomes full.
CPI1117
Damaged job schedule &1 in library &2 deleted.
This message is sent when the job schedule in the library was deleted because of damage.
CPI1136
Mirrored protection still suspended.
This message is sent each hour if mirrored protection is still suspended on one or more disk
units.
CPI1138
Storage overflow recovered.
This message is sent when ASP &1 no longer has any objects that have overflowed into the
system ASP for reason &2;
CPI1139
Storage overflow recovery failed.
This message is sent when an attempt to recover from storage overflow failed.
CPI1153
System password bypass period ended.
This message is sent when the system has been operating with the system password bypass
period in effect. The bypass period has ended. Unless the correct system password is provided,
the next IPL will not be allowed to complete successfully.
CPI1154
System password bypass period will end in &5 days.
This message is sent when the system password (during a previous IPL) was either not entered
or not entered correctly, and the system bypass period was selected.
CPI1159
System ID will expire with &1 more installs.
This message is sent when the system ID is about to expire. The IBM Service Representative
should be contacted.
CPI1160
System ID has expired.
This message is sent when the system identifier has expired. The IBM Service Representative
should be contacted.
CPI1161
Unit &1 with device parity protection not fully operational.
Unit &1 is part of a disk unit subsystem with device parity protection. Unit &1 requires service.
The data has been saved. Reduced performance, machine checks, and possible data loss can occur
if this condition is not corrected.
CPI1162
Unit &1 with device parity protection not fully operational.

Control language 561

 Unit &1 is part of a disk unit subsystem with device parity protection. Unit &1 is not fully
operational for one of the following reasons:
v The service representative is repairing the unit.
v The unit is not operating, but there is not enough information to run problem analysis.
CPI1165
One or more device parity protected units still not fully operational.
One or more units within disk unit subsystems with device parity protection are still not fully
operational due to errors.
CPI1166
Units with device parity protection fully operational.
Units for all IOP subsystems that provide device parity protection are fully operational.
CPI1167
Temporary I/0 processor error occurred.
An error condition occurred on a I/O processor with disk devices.
CPI1168
Error occurred on disk unit &1;
Disk unit number &1 found an error. A damaged object can occur. A machine check can occur if
the problem becomes worse. The following identifies the disk unit.
CPI1169
Disk unit &1 not operating.
Disk unit &1 has stopped operating. No data has been lost.
CPI1171
Internal system object cannot be recovered.
The internal system object that contains an index of jobs on the system was damaged. The system
could not recover the object after &1 attempts.
No recovery action is necessary, but the performance of searching for jobs may be affected.
CPI1468
System work control block table nearing capacity.
The system sends this message when the number of entries in the system job tables approaches
the maximum number allowed. Permitting the job tables to fill completely may prevent the
successful submission of jobs or the completion of the subsequent IPL.
CPI22AA
Unable to write audit record to QAUDJRN.
An unexpected &1 exception occurred at instruction &2 of program QSYSAUDR when attempting
to write an audit record of type &3 to the QAUDJRN audit journal. The action specified by the
Auditing End Action (QAUDENDACN) system value will be performed.
CPI2209
User profile &1 deleted because it was damaged.
This message is sent when a user profile is deleted because it was damaged. This user profile
may have owned objects before being deleted. These objects now have no owner. A Reclaim
Storage (RCLSTG) command can be used to transfer the ownership of these objects to the
QDFTOWN user profile.
CPI2239
QAUDCTL system value changed to &1.

562 System i: Programming Control language

 During the installation, QAUDCTL was changed to *NONE because the security auditing
function was not available. The security auditing function is now available so the QAUDCTL
system value has been changed to its original value.
CPI2283
QAUDCTL system value changed to *NONE.
This message is sent each hour after auditing has been turned off by the system because auditing
failed. To turn auditing back on or to determine why auditing failed, you can change system
value QAUDCTL to a value other than *NONE.
CPI2284
QAUDCTL system value changed to *NONE.
This message is sent during IPL if auditing was turned off by the system because auditing failed.
To turn auditing back on or to determine why auditing failed, you can change system value
QAUDCTL to a value other than *NONE.
CPI8A13
QDOC library nearing save history limit.
This message is sent when the number of objects in library QDOC is approaching the limit for
the number of objects that the system supports storing in one library.
CPI8A14
QDOC library has exceeded save history limit.
This message is sent when the number of objects in Library QDOC has exceeded the limit for the
number of objects that the system supports in one library.
CPI9014
Password received from device not valid.
This message is sent when a password has been received on a document interchange session that
is not correct. It may indicate unauthorized attempts to access the system.
CPI9490
Disk error on device &25;
This message is sent when a disk error has been detected.
CPI94A0
Disk error on device &25;
This message is sent when a disk error has been detected.
CPI94CE
Error detected in bus expansion adapter, bus extension adapter, System Processor, or
cables.
This message is sent when the system has detected a failure in the main storage. System
performance may be degraded. Run problem analysis to determine the failing card.
CPI94CF
Main storage card failure is detected.
This message is sent when the system has detected a failure in the main storage. System
performance may be degraded. Run problem analysis to determine the failing card.
CPI94FC
Disk error on device &25;
This message is sent when the 9336 Disk Unit has determined that one of its parts is exceeding
the error threshold and is starting to fail.

Control language 563

CPI96C0
Protected password could not be validated.
The system sends this message when the protected password received for the user profile by the
APPC sign-on transaction program was not correct. This message contains a reason code that
identifies the error. Check the reason code to take appropriate action.
CPI96C1
Sign-on request GDS variable was not correct.
The system sends this message when the sign-on request GDS variable received by the APPC
sign-on transaction program was not correct. Remote programs have to send the correct sign-on
data.
CPI96C2
User password could not be changed.
This messages is sent if a security problem has occured.
CPI96C3
Message &4 returned on system call.
The system sends this message when a message returns on a system call by the APPC sign-on
transaction program.
CPI96C4
Password not correct for user profile.
The system sends this message when the password specified is not correct.
CPI96C5
User &4 does not exist.
The system sends this message when the received user does not exist on the system.
CPI96C6
Return code &4 received on call to CPI-Communications.
The system sends this message when a call to CPI-Communications has sent a return code. Refer
to the Common Programming Interface Communications Reference manual to see the return code
description and determine why it is failing.
CPI96C7
System failure in the APPC sign-on transaction program.
The system sends this message when receiving an unexpected error. Run problem analysis to
determine the failing.
CPP0DD9
A system processor failure is detected.
This message is sent when a system processor or system processor cache has failed. System
performance may be degraded.
CPP0DDA
A system processor failure is detected in slot 9.
This message is sent when a system processor or system processor cache has failed. System
performance may be degraded.
CPP0DDB
A system processor failure is detected in slot 10.
This message is sent when a system processor or system processor cache has failed. System
performance may be degraded.

564 System i: Programming Control language

CPP0DDC
A system processor failure is detected.
This message is sent when the system has detected an error on the system processor. System
performance may be degraded.
CPP0DDD
System processor diagnostic code detected an error.
This message is sent when a failure has been detected by the system-processor diagnostics during
IPL, but the system is still able to function. System performance may be degraded.
CPP0DDE
A system processor error is detected.
This message is sent when a control failure is detected on a system processor. Hardware ECC is
correcting the failure. However, if you performed an initial program load (IPL), control could not
be initialized and the system would reconfigure itself without that processor.
CPP0DDF
A system processor is missing.
This message is sent when a processor is missing on a multi-processor system.
CPP1604
*Attention* Impending DASD failure. Contact your hardware service provider now.
This message is sent when an unrecoverable error resulting in data loss is about to occur on a
disk device.
CPP29B0
Recovery threshold exceeded on device &25;
This message is sent when one of the parts in the 9337 disk unit is starting to fail.
CPP29B8
Device parity protection suspended on device &25;
This message is sent when one of the parts in the 9337 disk array is failing. Protection for
implementation of RAID 5 technique has been suspended on the disk array.
CPP29B9
Power protection suspended on device &25;
This message is sent when one of the power modules in the 9337 disk array is failing. Power
protection has been suspended on the disk array.
CPP29BA
Hardware error on device &25;
This message is sent when one of the parts in the 9337 disk array has failed. Service action is
required.
CPP951B
Battery power unit fault.
This message is sent when the battery power unit has failed.
CPP9522
Battery power unit fault.
This message is sent when the battery power unit in the 5042 Expansion Unit or 5040 Extension
Unit has failed.
CPP955E
Battery power unit not installed.

Control language 565

 This message is sent when the battery power unit in the 9406 System Unit power supply is not
installed.
CPP9575
Battery power unit in 9406 needs to be replaced.
This message is sent when the battery power unit in the 9406 System Unit has failed and needs
to be replaced. It may still work, but more than the recommended number of charge-discharge
cycles have occurred.
CPP9576
Battery power unit in 9406 needs to be replaced.
This message is sent when the battery power unit in the 9406 System Unit has failed and needs
to be replaced. It may still work, but it has been installed longer than recommended.
CPP9589
Test of battery power unit complete.
This message is sent when testing has been completed for the battery power unit, and the results
have been logged.
CPP9616
Battery power unit not installed.
This message is sent when the battery power unit has not been installed in the 5042 Expansion
Unit or 5040 Extension Unit power supply.
CPP9617
Battery power unit needs to be replaced.
This message is sent when the battery power unit in the 5042 Expansion Unit or 5040 Extension
Unit needs to be replaced. It may still work, but more than the recommended number of
charge-discharge cycles have occurred.
CPP9618
Battery power unit needs to be replaced.
This message is sent when the battery power unit in the 5042 Expansion Unit or 5040 Extension
Unit needs to be replaced. It may still work, but it has been installed longer than recommended.
CPP961F
DC Bulk Module 3 fault.
This message is sent when the dc bulk module 3 of the 9406 System Unit has failed.
CPP9620
DC Bulk Module 2 fault.
This message is sent when the dc bulk module 2 of the 9406 System Unit has failed.
CPP9621
DC Bulk Module 1 fault.
This message is sent when the dc bulk module 1 of the 9406 System Unit has failed.
CPP9622
DC Bulk Module 1 fault.
This message is sent when the dc bulk module 1 of the 5042 Expansion Unit or 5040 Extension
Unit has failed. Other dc bulk modules can also cause this fault.
CPP9623
DC Bulk Module 2 fault.
This message is sent when the dc bulk module 2 of the 5042 Expansion Unit or 5040 Extension
Unit has failed. Other DC bulk modules can also cause this fault.

566 System i: Programming Control language

CPP962B
DC Bulk Module 3 fault.
This message is sent when the dc bulk module 3 of the 5042 Expansion Unit or 5040 Extension
Unit has failed. Other dc bulk modules can also cause this fault.
CPPEA02
*Attention* Contact your hardware service provider now.
This message is sent when internal analysis of an exception indicates that hardware service is
required now.
CPPEA04
*Attention* Contact your hardware service provider.
This message is sent when internal analysis of an exception indicates that hardware redundancy
has been lost due to a permanent failure.
CPPEA05
*Attention* Contact your hardware service provider.
This message is sent when internal analysis of an exception indicates that data protection facilities
have been lost due to a permanent failure.
CPPEA12
*Attention* Contact your hardware service provider now.
This message is sent when internal analysis of an exception indicates that an I/O card is
operating at a reduced performance level.
CPPEA13
*Attention* Contact your hardware service provider.
This message is sent when internal analysis of exception data indicates that hardware service is
recommended to maintain system performance. It is recommended that you contact your
hardware service provider to have the cache battery pack of an I/O card replaced. Failure to do
so could result in reduced system performance.
CPPEA26
*Attention* Contact your hardware service provider.
This message is sent when internal analysis of an exception indicates that hardware service is
recommended to maintain system availability.
CPPEA32
Storage subsystem configuration error.
This message is sent when either too many devices or the wrong kind of devices have been
configured under an I/O card.
CPPEA38
*Attention* Contact your hardware service provider now. A system error has occurred.
CPPEA39
*Attention* Contact your hardware service provider now. A critical system error has
occurred. The system will automatically IPL using redundant resources.
Related information
Backup and recovery

Communications Management PDF

Finance Communications Programming PDF

Control language 567

Example: Receiving messages from QSYSMSG
This example program receives messages from the QSYSMSG message queue.

The program consists of a single procedure which is receiving messages and handling message CPF1269.
The reason code in the CPF1269 message is in binary format. This must be converted to a decimal value
for the comparisons to the 704 and 705 reason codes. The procedure issues the End Mode (ENDMOD)
command to prevent new jobs from being started until the situation is understood. It then sends the same
message to a user-defined message queue to be reviewed by the security officer. It also sends a message
to the system operator to indicate what occurred. If a different message is received, it is sent to the
system operator.

A separate job would be started to call this sample program. The job would remain active, waiting for a
message to arrive. The job could be ended using the End Job (ENDJOB) command.

Note: By using the code examples, you agree to the terms of the “Code license and disclaimer
information” on page 569.
/********************************************************************/
/* */
/* Example program to receive messages from QSYSMSG */
/* */
/********************************************************************/
/* */
/* Program looks for message CPF1269 with a reason code of 704 */
/* or 705. If found then notify QSECOFR of the security failure. */
/* Otherwise resend the message to QSYSOPR. */
/* */
/* The following describes message CPF1269 */
/* */
/* CPF1269: Program start request received on communications */
/* device &1 was rejected with reason codes &6,; &7; */
/* */
/* Message data from DSPMSGD CPF1269 */
/* */
/* Data type offset length Description */
/* */
/* &1 *CHAR 1 10 Device */
/* &2 *CHAR 11 8 Mode */
/* &3 *CHAR 19 10 Job - number */
/* &4 *CHAR 29 10 Job - user */
/* &5 *CHAR 39 6 Job - name */
/* &6 *BIN 45 2 Reason code - major */
/* &7 *BIN 47 2 Reason code - minor */
/* &8 *CHAR 49 8 Remote location name */
/* &9 *CHAR 57 *VARY Unit of work identifier */
/* */
/********************************************************************/

PGM

DCL &MSGID *CHAR LEN( 7)

DCL &MSGDTA *CHAR LEN(100)
DCL &MSG *CHAR LEN(132)

DCL &DEVICE *CHAR LEN( 10)

DCL &MODE *CHAR LEN( 8)
DCL &RMTLOC *CHAR LEN( 8)

MONMSG CPF0000 EXEC(GOTO PROBLEM)

/**********************************************************/
/* Fetch messages from QSYSMSG message queue */
/**********************************************************/

568 System i: Programming Control language

 LOOP: RCVMSG MSGQ(QSYS/QSYSMSG) WAIT(*MAX) MSGID(&MSGID) +
MSG(&MSG) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA)

IF ((&MSGID *EQ ’CPF1269’) /* Start failed msg */ +

*AND ((%BIN(&MSGDTA 45 2) *EQ 704) +
*OR (%BIN(&MSGDTA 45 2) *EQ 705)) ) +
THEN(DO)
/********************************************************/
/* Report security failure to QSECOFR */
/********************************************************/

CHGVAR &DEVICE %SST(&MSGDTA 1 10) /* Extract device */

CHGVAR &MODE %SST(&MSGDTA 11 8) /* Extract mode */
CHGVAR &RMTLOC %SST(&MSGDTA 49 8) /* Get loc name */

ENDMOD RMTLOCNAME(&RMTLOC) MODE(&MODE)

SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA) +

TOMSGQ(QSECOFR)

SNDPGMMSG MSG(’Device ’ *CAT &DEVICE *TCAT ’ Mode ’ +

*CAT &MODE *TCAT ’ had security failure, +
session max changed to zero’) +
TOMSGQ(QSYSOPR)
ENDDO
ELSE DO
/********************************************************/
/* Other message - Resend to QSYSOPR */
/********************************************************/

SNDPGMMSG MSGID(&MSGID) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGDTA(&MSGDTA) +

TOMSGQ(QSYSOPR)

/* SNDPGMMSG would fail if the message does */

/* not have a MSGID or is not in QCPFMSG */

MONMSG MSGID(CPF0000) +
EXEC(SNDPGMMSG MSG(&MSG) TOMSGQ(QSYSOPR))
ENDDO

GOTO LOOP /* Go fetch next message */

/**********************************************************/
/* Notify QSYSOPR of abnormal end */
/**********************************************************/

PROBLEM: SNDPGMMSG MSG(’QSYSMSG job has abnormally ended’) +

TOMSGQ(QSYSOPR)
MONMSG CPF0000

SNDPGMMSG MSGID(CPF9898) MSGF(QCPFMSG) MSGTYPE(*ESCAPE) +

MSGDTA(’Unexpected error occurred’)
MONMSG CPF0000

ENDPGM

Code license and disclaimer information

IBM grants you a nonexclusive copyright license to use all programming code examples from which you
can generate similar function tailored to your own specific needs.

| SUBJECT TO ANY STATUTORY WARRANTIES WHICH CANNOT BE EXCLUDED, IBM, ITS

| PROGRAM DEVELOPERS AND SUPPLIERS MAKE NO WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS EITHER
| EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR

Control language 569

| CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND
| NON-INFRINGEMENT, REGARDING THE PROGRAM OR TECHNICAL SUPPORT, IF ANY.

| UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS IBM, ITS PROGRAM DEVELOPERS OR SUPPLIERS LIABLE FOR

| ANY OF THE FOLLOWING, EVEN IF INFORMED OF THEIR POSSIBILITY:
| 1. LOSS OF, OR DAMAGE TO, DATA;
| 2. DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR INDIRECT DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY ECONOMIC
| CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; OR
| 3. LOST PROFITS, BUSINESS, REVENUE, GOODWILL, OR ANTICIPATED SAVINGS.

| SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF DIRECT,

| INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS
| OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

570 System i: Programming Control language

Appendix. Notices
This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A.

IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries.
Consult your local IBM representative for information on the products and services currently available in
your area. Any reference to an IBM product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that
only that IBM product, program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program,
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service.

IBM may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter described in this
document. The furnishing of this document does not grant you any license to these patents. You can send
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IBM Corporation
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For license inquiries regarding double-byte (DBCS) information, contact the IBM Intellectual Property
Department in your country or send inquiries, in writing, to:
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Licensing
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The following paragraph does not apply to the United Kingdom or any other country where such
provisions are inconsistent with local law: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
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states do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore, this
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This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically
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572 System i: Programming Control language

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574 System i: Programming Control language



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