A link name may be defined for user job variables (as for files). Assignment of a job variable to a link name is performed with the SET-JV-LINK command; the path name of the assigned job variable is stored in the JV-LINK table for the job under the specified link name. The JV-LINK table is retained until the end of the creating job.
A link name is always assigned uniquely to a job variable. Several entries may exist under different link names for any one job variable. If a link name is reassigned, the existing entry is overwritten (implicit deletion).
The link names SMONJVJ and SMONJVP should not be used. The system creates entries under these default link names in the JV-LINK table for the job during job or program monitoring (see page 64).
A valid link name consists of up to seven characters (0..9, A..Z, #,@,$); this must be prefixed by an asterisk (*) in all macros and conditional job control (CJC) commands, and for job variable substitution. In all other commands the link name is specified without an asterisk (for reasons of compatibility, however, optional prefixing of an asterisk is allowed).
In the following commands and macros (see Table 5) the creating job can use the link name to address the relevant assigned job variable (via the operand JV=*LINK or LINK-NAME). Other jobs have no access via the defined link name. Using link names enables different names to be used for job variables in programs and procedures.
The SHOW-JV-LINK command can be used to output the entries of the JV-LINK table. Note here that entered job variables need be accessible only on creation of the JV-LINK entry but that a job variable displayed after that time may well no longer be accessible (e.g. because it has been deleted in the interim).
The REMOVE-JV-LINK command can be used to delete one or more entries from the JV-LINK table.
Command | Macro | Function |
COPY-JV | COPJV | Copy job variable |
DELETE-JV | ERAJV | Delete job variable |
MODIFY-JV | SETJV | Modify contents of job variable |
MODIFY-JV-CONDITIONALLY | CSWJV | Check and set job variable |
REMOVE-JV-LINK | RELJV | Delete JV-LINK entry |
SET-JV-LINK | DCLJV | Define job variable link name |
SHOW-JV | GETJV | Output job variable contents |
SHOW-JV-ATTRIBUTES | STAJV | Output job variable attributes |
SHOW-JV-LINK | LNKJV | Output JV-LINK entry |
Table 3: Commands or macros in which a link name can be used
Link names can also be used in conditional expressions (see "Conditional expressions ") and in job variable replacement (see "Input from job variables ").