Reporting Facility Commands › FORMAT Command

FORMAT Command

(Area 4B)

The FORMAT command specifies the contents of the optional output file that is to be created by the Reporting Facility in Write-Only mode. The FORMAT command is coded as follows:

            ┌───────────────────────────────────┐
►►─ FORMAT──▼─┬── fieldname ──────────────────┬─┴─────────────────────────────►◄
              ├── 'alphanumeric literal' ─────┤
              └── spacing value ──────────────┘

fieldname

Specifies the predefined field name of a field to be placed on the output file.

'alphanumeric literal'

Specifies an alphanumeric literal, enclosed in apostrophes, to be placed on the output file.

spacing value

Specifies the number of blanks to be inserted before the next field in the record (or at the end of the record if no further fields are specified).

Note the following:

• Use of this command is valid only in Write-Only mode. Do not code REPORT CONTROL and PRINT commands within the same Reporting Facility run. You can specify only one FORMAT command.
• When in Write-Only mode and the FORMAT command is omitted, the Reporting Facility creates an output disk file with the same format as the primary input file.
• It is possible to create fixed-length records only on the output file, regardless of the input format.
• Numeric spacing values on the FORMAT command cause blanks to be inserted between data fields in the output record. In the absence of such spacing values, output fields are contiguous.
• The Reporting Facility automatically calculates the size requirement for the fixed-length record. It cannot exceed track capacity for the device on which it resides.
• The JCL name of the output file must be DROUT.