Reporting Facility Commands › FILE Command › VSAM File Definition

VSAM File Definition

This format of the FILE command defines to the Reporting Facility the attributes of a VSAM input file. It also accesses VSAM files organized as entry-sequenced data sets (ESDS), key-sequenced data sets (KSDS), or relative-record data sets (RRDS).

The VSAM File Definition command is coded as follows:

►►─ filename: ─┬─ INPUT ─┬─┬─ DRVSAM ─┬─┬──────────────────────┬──────────────►
               └─ FILE ──┘ └─ VSAM ───┘ └─ 'defineparameters' ─┘

 ►─ RECORD=nnn ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────►◄

filename:

Is a unique file name within the Reporting Facility program. The Reporting Facility automatically generates a one-character alphanumeric field with the same name as the file name (without the colon). It is used as a return code in conjunction with the GET command.

VSAM

Indicates that this is a VSAM input file. An 80-byte Communications Area is automatically allocated by the Reporting Facility to be used for communication between the VSAM interface program and the Reporting Facility. The field resides in the GSA and can be referenced by the field name VSAM. DRVSAM can be used in place of VSAM.

'defineparameters'

Specifies an initial value for the 80-byte Communications Area used to determine the VSAM file organization type.

RECORD=nnn

Specifies the length of the longest logical record in the VSAM file to be retrieved. This parameter is required and must be a positive numeric integer.

Note the following:

• The GET command accesses the VSAM input files. In the case of the primary file, the Reporting Facility accesses them automatically. A one-character alphanumeric field, referenced by the same name as the file name on the FILE command, contains the return code from the GET operation.

  During retrieval of records from a VSAM file, three conditions can occur:

  • RECORD-FOUND (return code Y)
  • END-OF-FILE (return code E)
  • NO-RECORD-FOUND (return code N)
• When the NO-RECORD-FOUND condition occurs, you must reinitialize the one-character alphanumeric return code to blank after the condition has been tested and prior to any subsequent operation.
• The Reporting Facility/VSAM interface program performs all VSAM file handling. The contents of the 'defineparameters' (as specified on the FILE command for the file being accessed) directs processing.
• The maximum length of the 'defineparameters' is 80 characters. The system analyzes its contents each time you perform a GET operation on the file.