DATA (Data)

DATA Command syntax diagram

 

Purpose

The Data (//DATA) command must be used to indicate the beginning of an inline data file in an input stream that is read by a spooling reader. It also specifies the delimiter that must be used to indicate the end of the data file. Inline data files exist only during the current job; they are destroyed after the current job is finished. Unnamed inline files can be used only once in the job.

 

Restrictions

1. The DATA command cannot be used from a work station.
   
2. Two slashes must precede this command name when entering it in the data record, that is, //DATA.
   
3. The user can separate the slashes from this command name with blank spaces, for example, //  DATA.

 

Optional Parameters

FILE

Specifies the name of the inline data file. This name is also specified in the program that processes the file.

QINLINE: The name of the inline data file is QINLINE. The file is processed as an unnamed inline file. An unnamed file can be processed if the program specifies QINLINE as the file name, or if the device file that specifies SPOOL(*YES) is opened for input. Unnamed inline files can be used only once by the job.

inline-file-name: Specify the name of the inline data file used by one or more programs in the job. The file is connected to the program when the program opens the file by specifying its file name. The job can get access to named inline data files more than once.

FILETYPE

Specifies whether the inline data following this command is put in the standard format for source files or in the data file format. The standard source file format is a sequence number (a 6-character source number) followed by the 6-character system date that precedes the data. More information on this parameter is in commonly used parameters.

*DATA: The diskette file describes data records.

*SRC: The inline data is numbered in sequence. It is a source file that can be used to create another file or a program.

ENDCHAR

Specifies a string of characters used to indicate the end of an inline data file. To be recognized, the character string must begin in position 1 of the record. If you specify a character string other than by using // (the default value) as the delimiter, all records up to the end-of-file record (the record containing the specified character string starting in column 1) are treated as data. This allows you to imbed reader commands (//BCHJOB, //DATA, //ENDBCHJOB, or //ENDINP) in the data stream. The end-of-file record for ENDCHAR values (which are not default values) is not put to the data file, and it is not checked to see if it is a valid reader command. It is used only to determine the end of the data stream and then it is discarded.

'//': The default value is two slashes. The command works the same way whether two slashes are coded into the parameter or the parameter itself is defaulted.

Use the default, the slashes in positions 1 and 2 of a record (in either a data file or a source file) identify the first record beyond the file. Thus, the commands //BCHJOB, //DATA, //ENDBCHJOB, or //ENDINP also indicate the end of the inline file.

'end-character-string': A character string (up to 25 characters long and enclosed in apostrophes) can be entered to identify the last record in the file. The character string can contain both alphanumeric and special characters. If a character combination other than '//' is specified on the ENDCHAR parameter, reader commands can be safely imbedded in the data. The reader ignores all other data, including reader commands, while searching for the specified string.

IGCDTA

Specifies whether the file contains double-byte character set (DBCS) data.

*NO: The file does not process DBCS data.

*YES: The inline file can contain DBCS data.

Examples for DATA

Example 1: Inline Data File in Data File Format

//DATA  FILE(FILE1)

This command assigns the name FILE1 to the data that follows it, until an end of inline data condition is found (two slashes in positions 1 and 2).

Example 2: Specifying an End Character String

//DATA  FILE(FILE2)  ENDCHAR('STOPIT')

This command assigns the name FILE2 to the data following it; the file continues until a record is found that contains the characters STOPIT in positions 1 through 6. This delimiter allows the //BCHJOB, //ENDBCHJOB, and //DATA commands and records with // in positions 1 and 2 to be embedded in an inline file.

Example 3: Specifying a File Containing DBCS Data

//DATA  FILE(FILE3) IGCDTA(*YES)

This command assigns the name FILE3 to the data that follows it. This file can contain DBCS data.

Error messages for DATA

*ESCAPE Messages

CPF1753

Command cannot be run.