Accessing Auxiliary Storage: FILE › VSAM Files › FILE Functions for VSAM Records › Browse a VSAM File

Browse a VSAM File

To browse a VSAM file, specify the BROWSE operation on the FILE definition.

1. Enter the following required information for all VSAM files (or press PF4):

   FUNC= BEGB
   

   Also specify a key in the RCID field to begin to browse from a specified record.

   • For a KSDS file, this key can be a full or generic key, depending on the SRCHTYP field.
   • For an ESDS file, you must also specify ARGTYP= RBA or ARGTYP= XRBA.
2. Enter the following optional information for a KSDS file:

   SRCHTYP= FKGE/FKEQ/GKGE/GKEQ
   

   • If you specify SRCHTYP=FKGE, enter the full key in the RCID field. The browse starts at the record with that key or the next higher key. This is the default.
   • If you specify SRCHTYP=FKEQ, enter the full key in the RCID field. The browse starts at this record.
   • If you specify SRCHTYP=GKGE, enter a generic (partial) key in the RCID field. The browse starts at the first record whose key matches the generic key or the next higher key.
   • If you specify SRCHTYP=GKEQ, enter a generic (partial) key in the RCID field. The browse starts at the first record whose key matches the generic key.
3. Press Enter. FILE displays the first retrieved record. The FUNC field is preset to NEXT.
   • To view the records in ascending sequence, press Enter.
   • To view the records in descending sequence, enter FUNC=PREV, and then repeatedly press Enter to display the records in descending sequence. Use the PREV function only if the browse is initiated with SRCHTYP=FKEQ.
   • Use both NEXT and PREV during the same browse operation. Use PF5 to change descending and ascending sequence.
4. Terminate the browse by pressing PF4, specifying FUNC=ENDB, or specifying one of these functions: GET, GETU, ADD, or ADDU.