Tachyon Update Utility - Input and Output Files

Except for the listing file, the files read and written by the Tachyon Update Utility must be 80-column records in either EBCDIC or ASCII. EBCDIC records must be exactly 80-bytes each. ASCII records can be up to 80 bytes long and should be terminated with the normal line-end characters. The Tachyon Update Utility can support a mixture of EBCDIC and ASCII input and output files.

The IBM IEBUPDTE program works with sequential data sets or partitioned data set (PDS) members. Correspondingly, the Tachyon Update Utility works with single files or groups of files in a directory. Single files accessed like sequential data sets may have any name. Groups of files accessed like PDS members must all be in a common directory, have file names that follow the rules for PDS member names and have a common file name extension. The Tachyon Update Utility requires that a path pattern be provided to define the group of files to be treated as a simulated partitioned data set. The path pattern starts with the directory name followed by either &M or &m which is then followed by the file name extension. e.g. C:\MACLIB\&M.MAC If the directory name is omitted, the current working directory is used. The file name extension is also optional. The actual file name is generated by the Tachyon Update Utility by replacing the &M or &m with the member name whenever a PDS member is to be accessed. &M is replaced by the member name in upper case. &m is replaced by the member name in lower case. The file name or path patterns required by the Tachyon Update Utility are specified on the command line if the command line interface is used or in JCL if the JCL interface is used.

The files accessed by the Tachyon Update Utility are:

SYSIN - Control Statement File

The “Control Statement File” contains the control statements and data records that determine the actions performed by the Tachyon Update Utility. This file is always required. The Tachyon Update Utility automaticaly determines if the Control Statement File contains ASCII or EBCDIC records by examining the first two characters in the file. If the file contains the EBCDIC characters for “./” (X'4B61') the rest of the file is assumed to be in EBCDIC, otherwise the file is assumed to be in ASCII. The control statement file must be specified on the command line or in the SYSIN DD statement.

SYSUT1 - Old Master

In the terms used in the IBM Manuals describing the IEBUPDTE program, the Old Master is the sequential or partitioned data set containing the data to be updated. For the Tachyon Update Utility, SYSUT1 must be either a named single file or a group of files defined by a path pattern. The file name or path pattern is defined via the -sysut1 command line parameter or the SYSUT1 DD statement. The Tachyon Update Utility must be told if the files are EBCDIC or ASCII either via the -r1 command line parameter or via the FILEDATA JCL DD parameter. SYSUT1 is required unless the Tachyon Update Utility is run with -parm NEW or PARM=NEW.

SYSUT2 - New Master

In the terms used in the IBM Manuals describing the IEBUPDTE program, the New Master is the sequential or partitioned data set containing the data after it has been updated. For the Tachyon Update Utility, SYSUT2 must be either a named single file or a group of files defined by a path pattern. The file name or path pattern is defined via the -sysut2 command line parameter or the SYSUT2 DD statement. The Tachyon Update Utility must be told if the files are EBCDIC or ASCII either via the -r2 command line parameter or via the FILEDATA JCL DD parameter. SYSUT2 is required unless only CHANGE control statements are used with UPDATE=INPLACE, in which case SYSUT1 must contain EBCDIC fixed length records. For some of the actions supported by the Tachyon Update Utility, the SYSUT1 and SYSUT2 file names or path patterns can be identical, allowing the existing files to be updated without creating new files.

SYSPRINT - Listing

The Tachyon Update Utility will normally create a listing file into which a report of the actions performed will be written. The listing file will contain ASCII text records, each with a leading ASA control character and normal line termination characters. The listing file name is specified using the -sysprint command line parameter or the SYSPRINT DD statement.