Reporting Facility Commands › FILE Command › TAPE File Definition

TAPE File Definition

This format of the FILE command defines the physical attributes of an input tape file. The TAPE File Definition command is coded as follows:

►►─ filename: ─┬─ INPUT ─┬─ TAPE ─ RECORD=recsize ─ UNIT=SYSnnn ──────────────►
               └─ FILE ──┘

 ►─┬─────────────────┬─┬────────────┬─┬─────────────────────────┬─────────────►
   └─ BLOCK=blksize ─┘ ├─ VARIABLE ─┤ └─ LABEL= ─┬─ STANDARD ─┬─┘
                       └─ FIXED ────┘            └─ NONE ─────┘

 ►─┬────────────────────────┬─┬──────────────┬────────────────────────────────►◄
   └─ REWIND= ─┬─ UNLOAD ─┬─┘ └─ KEY=string ─┘
               ├─ YES ────┤
               └─ NO ─────┘

filename:

Is a unique file name within the Reporting Facility program. The Reporting Facility automatically generates a one-character alphanumeric field to be used as a return code in conjunction with the GET command.

RECORD=recsize

Specifies the length of each logical record in the input file. The value coded here must be in the range of 1-32760.

UNIT=SYSnnn

(z/VSE only) Specifies the physical device address of the magnetic tape reel (or first reel of multivolume tape file). Code according to site standards.

BLOCK=blksize

Specifies the length of each physical block in the input file. If specified, it must be an even multiple of the record size. If omitted, block size is assumed to be the same as the record size.

VARIABLE|FIXED

VARIABLE indicates that each record on the file can be a different length, but may not exceed the value of the RECORD= parameter. When defining a variable length file, allow for the standard record descriptor word (four bytes) returned in the first four positions of the I/O buffer.

FIXED indicates that each record on the file is of equal length, as specified in the RECORD= parameter.

LABEL=NONE|STANDARD (z/VSE only)

STANDARD (z/VSE only) indicates that the tape file contains standard labels. If the LABEL= clause is omitted, this is the default.

NONE Indicates that the tape file is unlabeled.

REWIND=UNLOAD|YES|NO (z/VSE only)

UNLOAD specifies that the input tape file must be rewound and unloaded when closed. It is the default if REWIND= is omitted.

YES specifies that when the input tape file is closed, it must be rewound and left in a ready state (at the beginning of the file).

NO specifies that when the input tape file is closed, it is not rewound or unloaded, but left in a ready state at the position last read.

KEY=string

Specifies the sequence in which the file is presented to the Reporting Facility. The string consists of the field names defined as comprising the key to the file.

Note the following:

• In a z/OS environment, the JCL values can override the record size and block size for execution.
• You can define and access any number of tape files in a single run.
• The file name specified must match the file name in the JCL (in z/OS, DDNAME; in z/VSE, the DLBL name).
• In z/OS, the JCL specifies the disposition of the tape after the close.