System files

Macro	Brief description
SYSFL	Reassigns the system files SYSDTA, SYSLST, SYSLST01, SYSLST02, ..., SYSLST99 and SYSOUT and the TASKLIB.
SYSTA	Assigns the system files and the TASKLIB.

The standard file names SYSDTA, SYSCMD, SYSLST, SYSLST01,
SYSLST02, ..., SYSLST99 and SYSOUT denote (system) files used by the operating system for the input of commands and data to the operating system, or for the output of data by the operating system. These files are created by the user task and define initial (primary) default input and output areas.
Users can revoke the primary assignment and assign their own (cataloged) files to the (standard) file names. Some of the standard names can also be equated (see the SYSFL macro).

The system files SYSIPT and SYSOPT are supported only for reasons of compatibility. They are no longer described in this manual.

A task can use the following system files for input

SYSCMD	The commands used to control the job are read in from SYSCMD.
SYSDTA	The SYSDTA system file is used to input data and instructions for a program. As soon as a program executes, SYSDTA is active. SYSDTA can be accessed by means of the RDATA macro.

A task can use the following system files for output

SYSOUT	All logged messages and error messages that occur during the current job are written to the SYSOUT system file. Utility routines and compilers also use SYSOUT for this purpose. SYSOUT can be accessed by means of the WROUT macro.
SYSLST	SYSLST is used primarily for storing larger amounts of data, e.g. dumps or generated lists. SYSLST can be accessed by means of the WRLST macro. In addition, any data records written to SYSOUT are also written to the system file SYSLST if the appropriate operands were specified in the SET-LOGON-PARAMETERS or MODIFY-JOB-OPTIONS command.
SYSLST01, SYSLST02,..., SYSLST99	Unlike the SYSLST system file, these files do not have their own EAM area for storing output data. They are used for intermediate storage and are effective only if they are assigned cataloged files. The SYSLSTn files can be accessed by means of the WRLST macro.

System files for output will be created as necessary by the operating system under the user's ID. These are SAM files with the file names

S.OUT.tsn.yyyy-mm-dd.hhmmss (for SYSOUT)
S.LST.tsn.yyyy-mm-dd.hhmmss (for SYSLST)

where:

• tsn=TSN (task sequence number) assigned to the job

• yyyy-mm-dd=Date (yyyy=year, mm=month, dd=day)

• hhmmss=Time (hh=hours, mm=minutes, ss=seconds)

The storage space occupied by the files is not counted as part of the public space allocation. At the end of the job, the files are automatically printed out, and then deleted. The user has no access to these files. The command /DELETE-FILE *SYSxyz (xyz=LST/OUT/OPT) may be used to (logically) delete the contents of a specified system file, although the catalog entry is retained. An empty system file will not be printed out.

The system files used for output may also be output earlier than normal (START-PROCESSING operand in the PRINT-DOCUMENTcommand).

In the PRINT-DOCUMENT and DELETE-SYSTEM-FILE commands or the ERASE (see “DMS Macros” manual [7 (Related publications)]) and PRNT... macros (see “SPOOL & Print - Macros and Exits” manual [23 (Related publications)]), it is permissible to specify the (standard) file namesSYSOUT and SYSLST even if cataloged files have been assigned tothem.

Primary assignment and reassignment of system files

System files are generally given a specific (standard) assignment. This primary assignment can be modified with the aid of the commands summarized in the following table. Examples are to be found in the relevant command descriptions in the “Commands” manual [19 (Related publications)]).

System file	System file assignment Primary assignment	Other assignments	Commands for changing the file assignment
SYSCMD	Interactive mode: terminal Batch mode: spoolin file “S.INtsn” (spooled in via magnetic tape device or ENTER file)	Cataloged disk file (SAM/ISAM)	CALL-PROCEDURE command: assignment to a cataloged file END-PROCEDURE commands (procedure files only) and EXIT- PROCEDURE: return to the last procedure step left via a CALL- PROCEDURE
SYSDTA	See SYSCMD primary assignment	Cataloged disk file (SAM/ISAM), S variable or PLAM library element	ASSIGN-SYSDTA command: assignment to cataloged file, S variable, PLAM library element, SYSCMD, or return to primary assignment. END-PROCEDURE commands (procedure files only) and EXIT-PROCEDURE: return to assignment valid prior to invocation of procedure mode
SYSOUT	Interactive mode: terminal Batch mode: temporary (system) file S.OUT.. which is output to printer at job termination and then deleted	Interactive mode: cataloged file, S variable or PLAM library element Batch mode: cataloged file, S variable or PLAM library element which is not automatically output to printer; PRINT-FILE command required	See SYSLST
SYSLST	Temporary (system) file S.LST.... which is output to printer when the job is terminated and then deleted (created only when required)	Cataloged file, S variable or PLAM library element which is not automatically output to printer; PRINT-FILE command required	ASSIGN-SYSLST command: assignment to a cataloged file, S variable or PLAM library element, or return to primary assignment. END-PROCEDURE commands (procedure files only) and EXIT-PROCEDURE: return to assignment valid prior to invocation of procedure mode
SYSLST01 . . . SYSLST99	System files: primary assignment = same as for SYSLST	See SYSLST; also possible between each other	See SYSLST