Possible uses

Some possible uses of the TESTAUTH exits are described below.

Restrict use of the TESTAUTH command to certain users
The initialization exit can check the user ID and decide, based on your own criteria, to continue processing the TESTAUTH command or not. The exit can return a value in parameter entry 10 in the parameter list (see Figure 1) to indicate that the user is authorized or not authorized to use the command, or that the user's RACF® authority should be verified. If the user is not authorized, TESTAUTH issues a message; otherwise processing continues.
Change the operands that the user specifies on the command
You can use the initialization exit to change the operands that users specify on the TESTAUTH command. The initialization exit receives the address of the command buffer. It can change the operands the user specifies on the TESTAUTH command by using a new command buffer. For example, the initialization exit can scan the command buffer and correct any errors on the command.
To check the command buffer and change its contents, the initialization exit can:
- Scan the command buffer and decide, based on your own criteria, to change the command the user issued
- Obtain storage for a new command buffer
- Build the new command buffer
- Update the key, length, and data fields for the new command buffer as follows:
  Key
  
  X'02'
  
  Length
  
  the length of the new command buffer
  
  Data
  
  the address of the new command buffer
- Set a return code of 0 and return control to the TESTAUTH command processor
The exit must not change the command buffer it receives. It must create a new command buffer and return the address of the new command buffer to TESTAUTH.

For more information about the command buffer and the new command buffer, see TSO/E standard exit parameter list. For information about the format of the command buffer, see Command buffer.