VARGEN – Manage a Generational Data Variable (GDV)

VARGEN [<varname>)] GDV(<name>) 
                 GEN(<NEW|LIST|n>)
                 TABLE(<name>)
                [LIMIT(n|10)]
                [SAVE(YES|NO)]
                [VALUE(<value>|@V<input-var-name>)]
 

<varname>

Name of the variable into which to load data from a generation of the GDV. This argument is ignored for GEN(NEW) or GEN(LIST).

GDV(<name>)

Required. The Generational Data Variable (GDV) to be accessed or created. You can specify from 1 to 7 characters. The same rules valid for the HCL Workload Automation for Z variables apply.

GEN(NEW|LIST|n)

The generation to access. You can set one of the following values:

NEW

Creates a new generation by setting the value by either the keyword VALUE or @V keyword. The new generation becomes generation 0 and all previous generations are shuffled downwards, for example 0 becomes -1, -1 becomes -2, and so forth. If the creation of the generations exceeds the maximum limit, the oldest generation is dropped.

LIST

Lists the current values of the GDV.

n

Reads a specific generation of the GDV. For example, 0 reads the most recent, -1 reads the generation before 0, and so forth. The positional parameter containing the variable name is required when reading a generation.

TABLE(<name>)

Required. The table into which the GDV is to be stored. To avoid accidental clash with a non-GDVT, set the table name explicitly, rather than use the table search sequence.

LIMIT(n|10)

The number of generations that is kept within the GDV. The maximum allowed is 50, the default is 10.

SAVE(YES|NO)

Whether the GDV is to be stored into a JCL Variable table.

Note:

• To set more that one variable in the same table, it is more effective to use a subsequent VARSAVE command than using SAVE on every VARGEN.
• It s not required that a variable already exists within a table. It is added to the table, if needed.
• Tables to not need to exist to have variables saved to them. If a table does not exist, it is created automatically, using the OPTIONS OWNER to set the Owner ID. The description is set to the creating Job name, Jes Number, and current date.

VALUE(<value>)

Value of a new generation in the GDV.

@V <input-var-name>)

Another Workload Automation Programming Language variable to provide the new generation with a value.

Because the content of this keyword is a variable name, you do not need to specify the variable prefix; instead you can use variable names to provide all or part of the name, allowing subscripting to be performed. For example, in the command @V(@MYOBJ-ADOP-!X-ADOPJN) the variable !X sets the segment sequence number in an object variable, allowing all operations to be looped through.