SDF syntax representation

Metasyntax

Representation

Meaning

Examples

UPPERCASE LETTERS

Uppercase letters denote keywords (command, statement or operand names, keyword values) and constant operand values. Keyword values begin with *.

HELP-SDF

SCREEN-STEPS = *NO

UPPERCASE  LETTERS in boldface

Uppercase letters printed in boldface denote guaranteed or suggested abbreviations of keywords.

GUIDANCE-MODE = *YES

=

The equals sign connects an operand name with the associated operand values.

GUIDANCE-MODE = *NO

< >

Angle brackets denote variables whose range of values is described by data types and suffixes (see Tables 2 and 3).

SYNTAX-FILE = <filename 1..54>

Underscoring

Underscoring denotes the default value of an operand.

GUIDANCE-MODE = *NO

/

A slash serves to separate alternative operand values.

NEXT-FIELD = *NO / *YES

(...)

Parentheses denote operand values that initiate a structure.

,UNGUIDED-DIALOG = *Y ES (...) / *NO

[ ]

Square brackets denote operand values which introduce a structure and are optional. The subsequent structure can be specified without the initiating operand value.

SELECT = [*BY-ATTRIBUTES](...)

Indentation

Indentation indicates that the operand is dependent on a higherranking operand.

,GUIDED-DIALOG = *Y ES (...)
	*Y ES(...)
	|	SCREEN-STEPS = *NO  /
	|			*YES

|

|

|

A vertical bar identifies related operands within a structure. Its length marks the beginning and end of a structure. A structure may contain further structures. The number of vertical bars preceding an operand corresponds to the depth of the structure.

SUPPORT = *TAPE(...)
	*TAPE(...)
	|	VOLUME = *ANY (...)
	|		*ANY (...)
	|		|	...
	|		|

,

A comma precedes further operands at the same structure level.

GUIDANCE-MODE = *NO / *YES

,SDF-COMMANDS = *NO / *YES

list-poss(n):

The entry “list-poss” signifies that a list of operand values can be given at this point. If (n) is present, it means that the list must not have more than n elements. A list of more than one element must be enclosed in parentheses.

list-poss: *SAM / *ISAM

list-poss(40): <structured-name 1..30>

list-poss(256): *OMF / *SYSLST(...) / <filename 1..54>

Alias:

The name that follows represents a guaranteed alias (abbreviation) for the command or statement name.

HELP-SDF                 Alias: HPSDF

Data types

Data type

Character set

Special rules

alphanum-name

A...Z
0...9
$, #, @

cat-id

A...Z
0...9

Not more than 4 characters;
must not begin with the string PUB

command-rest

freely selectable

composed-name

A...Z
0...9
$, #, @
hyphen
period
catalog ID

Alphanumeric string that can be split into multiple substrings by means of a period or hyphen.
If a file name can also be specified, the string may begin with a catalog ID in the form :cat: (see data type filename).

c-string

EBCDIC character

Must be enclosed within single quotes;
the letter C may be prefixed;
any single quotes occurring within the string must be entered twice.

date

0...9
Structure identifier:
hyphen

Input format: yyyy-mm-dd

jjjj:	year; optionally 2 or 4 digits
mm:	month
tt:	day

device

A...Z
0...9
hyphen

Character string, max. 8 characters in length, corresponding to a device available in the system. In guided dialog, SDF displays the valid operand values. For notes on possible devices, see the relevant operand description.

fixed

+, -
0...9
period

Input format: [sign][digits].[digits]

[sign]:	+ or -
[digits]:	0...9

must contain at least one digit, but may contain up to 10 characters (0...9, period) apart from the sign.

filename

A...Z
0...9
$, #, @
hyphen
period

Input format:

[:cat:][$user.]

file file(nr) group group { (*abs) / (+rel) / (-rel) }

:cat:

optional entry of the catalog identifier;
character set limited to A...Z and 0...9; maximum of 4 characters; must be enclosed in colons;
default value is the catalog identifier assigned to the user ID, as specified in the user catalog.

$user.

optional entry of the user ID; 
character set is A...Z, 0...9, $, #, @; maximum of 8 characters; first character cannot be a digit; $ and period are mandatory; default value is the user's own ID.

$.

(special case) system default ID>

file

file or job variable name;
may be split into a number of partial names using a period as a delimiter: name₁[.name₂[...]]
name_i does not contain a period and must not begin or end with a hyphen;
file can have a maximum length of 41 characters; it must not begin with a $ and must include at least one character from the range A...Z.

#file @file

(special case) (special case)

# or @ used as the first character indicates temporary files or job variables, depending on system generation.

file(no)

tape file name
no: version number;
character set is A...Z, 0...9, $, #, @.
Parentheses must be specified.

group

name of a file generation group
(character set: as for “file”)

group

(*abs) (+rel) (-rel)

(*abs)

absolute generation number (1-9999);
* and parentheses must be specified.

(+rel)
(-rel)

relative generation number (0-99);
sign and parentheses must be specified.

integer

0...9, +, -

+ or -, if specified, must be the first character.

name

A...Z
0...9
$, #, @

Must not begin with 0...9.

partial-filename

A...Z
0...9
$, #, @
hyphen
period

Input format: [:cat:][$user.][partname.]

:cat:    see filename
$user.    see filename

partname

optional entry of the initial part of a name common to a number of files or file generation groups in the form:
name₁.[name₂.[...]]
name_i (see filename).

The final character of “partname” must be a period.
At least one of the parts :cat:, $user. or partname must be specified.

posix-filename

A...Z
0...9
special characters

String with a length of up to 255 characters;
consists of either one or two periods or of alphanumeric characters and special characters. The special characters must be escaped with a preceding \ (backslash); the / is not allowed.
Must be enclosed within single quotes if alternative data types are permitted, separators are used, or the first character is a ?, ! or ^.
A distinction is made between uppercase and lowercase.

posix-pathname

A...Z
0...9
special characters
structure identifier: slash

Input format: [/]part₁/.../part_n
where part_i is a posix-filename.
max. 1023 characters;
must be enclosed within single quotes if alternative data types are permitted, separators are used, or the first character is a ?, ! or ^.

product-version

A...Z
0...9
period
single quote

Input format:

[[C]’][V][m]m.naso[’] a = release status so  = correction status

where m, n, s and o are all digits and a is a letter.
Whether the release and/or correction status may/must be specified depends on the suffixes to the data type (see suffixes without-corr, without-man, mandatory-man and mandatory-corr in Table 3).
product-version may be enclosed within single quotes (possibly with a preceding C).
The specification of the version may begin with the letter V.

structured-name

A...Z
0...9
$, #, @
hyphen

Alphanumeric string which may comprise a number of substrings separated by a hyphen.
First character: A...Z or $, #, @

text

freely selectable

For the input format, see the relevant operand descriptions.

time

0...9
structure identifier:
colon

Time-of-day entry:

Input format:

/ | \

hh:mm:ss hh:mm hh

hh:	hours	Leading zeros may be omitted
mm:	minutes
ss:	seconds

vsn

A...Z
0...9

Input format: pvsid.sequence-no
max. 6 characters

pvsid:	2-4 characters; PUB must not be entered
sequence-no:	1-3 characters

A...Z
0...9
$, #, @

Max. 6 characters;
PUB may be prefixed, but must not be followed by $, #, @.

x-string

Hexadecimal:
00...FF

Must be enclosed in single quotes; must be prefixed by the letter X. There may be an odd number of characters.

x-text

Hexadecimal:
00...FF

Must not be enclosed in single quotes; the letter X must not be prefixed.
There may be an odd number of characters.

Suffixes for data types

Suffix

Meaning

x..y unit

With data type “integer”: interval specification

x

minimum value permitted for “integer”. x is an (optionally signed) integer.

y

maximum value permitted for “integer”. y is an (optionally signed) integer.

unit

with “integer” only: additional units. The following units may be specified:

days hours minutes seconds milliseconds

byte 2Kbyte 4Kbyte Mbyte

x..y special

With the other data types: length specification
For data types catid, date, device, product-version, time and vsn the length specification is not displayed.  

x

minimum length for the operand value; x is an integer.

y

maximum length for the operand value; y is an integer.

x=y

the length of the operand value must be precisely x.

special

Specification of a suffix for describing a special data type that is checked by the implementation.
“special” can be preceded by other suffixes. The following specifications are used:

arithm-expr bool-expr string-expr expr cond-expr symbol

arithmetic expression (SDF-P) logical expression (SDF-P) string expression (SDF-P) freely selectable expression (SDF-P) conditional expression (JV) CSECT or entry name (BLS)

Table 3: Data type suffixes