Reporting Facility Rules for Coding › File Names

File Names

When defining input data files or tables to a Reporting Facility program using the FILE command, you must assign a unique name to each file or table. This name has two functions:

• To identify the file or table that will be processed
• To provide a means to tie a specific file or table name to JCL in the Reporting Facility execution stream that defines the physical characteristics of the file or table to the host operating system

Follow these rules when coding input file or table names:

• File names can be attached only to FILE or INPUT commands.
• File names must begin with a character in the range of A—Z and all other characters must be in the range of A—Z, 0—9, or be a - (dash) or an _ (underscore). No other special characters are allowed.
• File names must be terminated by a single colon.
• The length of any file name cannot exceed seven characters in a z/VSE environment or eight characters in a z/OS environment.
• The Reporting Facility automatically generates a field with the same name as the file name to be used in conjunction with the GET and GOTO commands.
• If duplicate file names in a single Reporting Facility run are used, an error condition occurs.
• For disk or tape input files, the file name must match the DDNAME in a z/OS environment or the DLBL/TLBL name in a z/VSE environment.

Valid File or Table Name

• IN-FILE:
• DQF:
• CARDFLE:
• DISKIN:

Invalid File or Table Name

The following entries result in the described error conditions:

123:

First character is not A—Z.

FILENAME-TOO-LONG:

Name exceeds maximum length.

INFILE

Terminating colon is missing.

FILE#1:

Special character is present.

INPUT:

File name is a reserved word.