I'm working on a FEX that will create a file on our mainframe, that will be used the following day in another program. What format should I use for saving rthe file? FOCUS? VTAM? FLAT?

The reason I'm asking is that yesterday, I ran my FEX and according to my SYSOUT LOG, an output file was created, but I don't see the outoput file on my mainframe.

Thank you to anyone who can advise me....

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kerry,

Flat. And I would think you would need to allocate it as a permanent file first.

Thanks, Ginny,

Can I assume you mean, by allocationg it as permanent, set up an empty flat data file on the mainframe first, and then to populate that empty data set with a "first run" FEX? Just trying to confirm, because I'm still rusty on this stuff, not having done it since 1997.

Well, it has been quite awhile for me as well. But it should be the same in any environment. I am assuming that you are running your fex on the mainframe. In that fex, do a DYNAM ALLOC ddname DSN permanent.dataset.name plus disposition options or something like that. Then in your TABLE request, HOLD AS ddname FORMAT ALPHA. The data should then go into permanent data set.

Don't forget that you'll have to allocate HOLDMAST to save the generated master.

Then the programs that use the file will have to have a DYNAM ALLOC in them to reference the permanent data set.

Thank you, Ginny,

Understood.....I think :-)