Syntax for ALLOCATE parameters

In the following table, the access method services ALLOCATE parameters appear in the column "Acceptable parameters". Parameters that might cause unpredictable results if used within access method services appear in the column "Parameters to use with caution".

Table 1. ALLOCATE command parameters. This table lists the access method services ALLOCATE parameters.
Acceptable parameters	Parameters to use with caution
{DATASET(`dsname`)[FILE(`ddname`)]}	{*\|`dsname-list`}\|DUMMY
[ACCODE(`access code`)]¹
[ALTFILE(`name`)]
[AVGREC(U\|K\|M)]
[BFALN(F\|D)]²
[BFTEK(S\|E\|A\|R)]²
[BLKSIZE(`value`)]²
[BUFL(`buffer-length`)]²
[BUFNO(`number-of-buffers`)]
[BUFOFF({`block-prefix-length`\|L)]}²
	[BURST\|NOBURST]
[BWO(TYPECICS\|TYPEIMS\|NO)]
	[CHARS[`tablename-list`]]
	[COPIES((`number`),[`group-value-list`])]
[DATACLAS(`data-class-name`)]
[DEN({0\|1\|2\|3\|4})]¹
	[DEST(`destination`\|`destination.userid`)]
[DIAGNS(`trace`)]²
[DIR(`integer`)]
[DSNTYPE(LIBRARY\|PDS)]
[DSORG(DA\|DAU\|PO\|POU\|PS\|PSU)]²
[EROPT(ACC\|SKP\|ABE)]
[EXPDT(`year-day`)\|RETPD(`number-of-days`)]
	[FCB(`image-id`,ALIGN,VERIFY)]
	[FLASH(`overlay-name`,[`copies`])]
	[FORMS(`forms-name`)]
	[HOLD\|NOHOLD]
	[INPUT\|OUTPUT]
[KEEP\|CATALOG]	[DELETE\|UNCATALOG]
[KEYLEN(`bytes`)]
[KEYOFF(`offset`)]
[LABEL(`type`)]¹
[LIKE(`model-dsname`)]	\|[USING(`attr-list-name`)]
[LIMCT(`search-number`)]
[LRECL({`logical-record-length`\|
(`nnnnnK`\|`X`)})]
[MGMTCLAS(`management-class-name`)]
[MAXVOL(`count`)]
	[MODIFY(`module-name`,[`trc`])]
[NEW]	[OLD\|SHR\|MOD]
[NCP(`number-of-channel-programs`)]²
[OPTCD(A,B,C,E,F,H,J,Q,R,T,W,Z)]²
	[OUTDES(`output-descriptor-name`[,`output-descriptor-name`...])]
[POSITION(`sequence-number`)]¹
[PRIVATE]
[PROTECT]
[RECFM(A,B,D,F,M,S,T,U,V)]²
[RECORG(ES\|KS\|LS\|RR)]
[REFDD(`dsname`)]
[RELEASE]²
[REUSE]
[ROUND]²
[SECMODEL(`profile-name`[,GENERIC])]
[SPACE(`quantity`[,`increment`])
{BLOCK(`value`)\|AVBLOCK(`value`)\|
CYLINDERS\|TRACKS}]
[STORCLAS(`storage-class-name`)]
	[SYSOUT(`class`)]
[TRTCH(C\|E\|ET\|T)]¹
[UCOUNT(`count`)\|PARALLEL]
	[UCS(`universal-character-set-name`)]
[UNIT(`type`)]
[VOLUME(`serial-list`)]
[VSEQ(`vol-seq-number`)]
	[WRITER(`external-writer-name`)]

¹: Parameters applicable to tape data sets only.
²: Parameters applicable to non-VSAM data sets only.

Abbreviation for the ALLOCATE command: ALLOC

Descriptions of the parameters within access method services follow. For information about ALLOCATE parameters not described in this topic, see z/OS TSO/E Command Reference.