Components of SSPL

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SSPL consists of placeholders, functions, and statements, as well as predefined variables and operators. Some functions are related to a particular system service. Those functions have a prefix that indicates their associated product such as VSS for Virtual Session Services or TB for Table Services functions.

The elements of SSPL are grouped into categories, which are listed and described below. The elements that fall into each category are presented in tables in Language Components.

  • Placeholders indicate the beginning of code sections. Placeholders allow the Dialog Manager to execute the sections in the proper sequence (that is, PROLOGUE before EPILOGUE, TERMINATION last, etc.).
  • Control structures specify decision statements and branches that control a dialogs execution.
  • String functions and operators control the processing of expressions.
  • PDS functions allow a dialog to create and manipulate a partitioned dataset (PDS). All PDS functions begin with the prefix PDS.
  • Dynamic Allocation/Sequential Access functions allow a dialog to allocate and manipulate a SYSOUT dataset through Dynamic Allocation of Datasets (DAD) and the Sequential Access Manager (SAM).
  • VSAM functions allow a dialog to read records from a VSAM entry sequenced dataset (ESDS) into session variables.
  • Interprocess Communication (IPC) functions allow a dialog to create, use, and destroy interprocess communication message queues.
  • Action bar functions allow you to easily code or update an action bar that complies with Common User Access (CUA) guidelines. All action bar functions begin with the characters AB.
  • PSM functions provide Presentation Space Manager (PSM) services. Most PSM functions begin with the prefix PSM.
  • Table Services functions provide Tables Manager services, which allow you to maintain and display dialog variables in a table format. All table services functions begin with the characters TB.
  • Dialog Language statements and functions that are not product- or service-specific allow a dialog to log a message, logoff a user, validate a logon, etc.
  • Product-specific functions allow a dialog to perform various functions related to a product such as CL/SuperSession or OMEGAMON® for z/OS®. These functions are available only when your dialogs are running on a CL/SuperSession system where the product is installed.