Using Symbolic Support › Add Symbolic Information Using the Viewer

Add Symbolic Information Using the Viewer

Symbolic information does not need to be available at the time an Abend or Snap report is created, provided that your reports are being written to a CAIPRINT repository data set. If so, you can easily add symbolic information after the report is written to the repository, when you actually view the report. Simply load the COBOL, PL/I, or Assembler listing file into the PROTSYM using the appropriate postprocessor, then select the report for viewing.

You can add the symbolic information to any of the symbolic files defined in your installation defaults member, CAOUDFRX. Alternatively, you can add the symbolic information to your own personal symbolic file and then define that symbolic file to the CAIPRINT Repository Viewer as a supplemental symbolic file. Each user can define as many as sixteen supplemental PROTSYM or CSL files that are only searched when that individual user selects a report from the repository for viewing. For more information about supplemental symbolic files, see Using the CAIPRINT Repository Viewer.

When you select a report from the repository for viewing, CA SymDump Batch tries to find an exact match for COBOL and PL/I programs using the date/time stamps in both the listing and the object code.

The search order for symbolic information when using the viewer is as follows:

• The symbolic file that was defined using the CAISYM DD when the program was executed, if any
• The symbolic file that was defined using the SYMDSN option in CAIOPTS when the program was executed, if any
• The supplemental symbolic files that are defined for your userid at the time the report is selected for viewing, in the order that they are defined, if any
• The globally defined symbolic files that are defined in your installation defaults member CAOUDFRX at the time the report is selected for viewing, in the order that they are defined, if any

If no exact match is found, the symbolic information retrieved from the symbolic file defined by the CAISYM DD or by the SYMDSN option is used. If neither is available, the most recent symbolic information is selected.

Note: A symbolic mismatch can cause unpredictable results or misleading symbolic information in the formatted reports. This situation can be mitigated by installing and activating DSS. For more information, see Dynamic Symbolic Support.