FORMDEF

Specifies the file name or member name of the form definition. A form definition defines how a page of data is placed on a form, the number of copies of a page, any modifications to that group of copies, the paper source, and duplexing. ACIF requires a form definition to process an AFP file or to convert a line data file to AFP.

Required
Yes
Default Value
(None)
Data Type
AFP
The form definition can be located:
  • inline within the input file or data set.
  • in a user library referenced in the USERLIB parameter
  • in a library referenced in the FDEFLIB parameter.
  • in a library referenced in the RESLIB parameter (Multiplatform only).
To use an inline form definition:
  1. Include an inline form definition in the input file or data set.
  2. Specify CC=YES to indicate that the input file or data set contains carriage control characters. If the length of the records in the form definition is less than or equal to the logical record length defined for the input file or data set, you can specify fixed length records for the record format:
    • On UNIX and Windows systems:
      FILEFORMAT=RECORD,n
      (where n is the logical record length defined for the input file).
    • On z/OS® systems, specify record format FBA (fixed block with ANSI carriage control characters) or FBM (fixed block with machine carriage control characters) for the input data set.
    If the length of the records in the form definition is greater than the logical record length defined for the input file or data set, you must specify variable length records:
    • On UNIX and Windows systems:
      FILEFORMAT=RECORD
      The first two bytes of each record determine the record length.
    • On z/OS systems, specify record format VBA (variable blocked with ANSI carriage control characters) or VBM (variable blocked with machine carriage control characters) for the input data set.
  3. Specify the FORMDEF parameter with one of these values:
    • fdefname, which is the name of the inline form definition.
      If the name specified in the FORMDEF parameter does not match the name of an inline form definition, ACIF looks for the form definition in the FORMDEF resource library search path.
      Note: On UNIX servers, the fdefname is case sensitive.
    • DUMMY
      If you specify FORMDEF=DUMMY but the file does not include an inline form definition, ACIF looks for the form definition named DUMMY. If ACIF cannot find a form definition named DUMMY, it reports an error and ends processing.
      Note: On z/OS servers, DUMMY must be specified in all uppercase letters.

If the form definition file is in a library or directory, use the USERLIB or FDEFLIB parameter to specify the data sets or path to the file. For example:

On multiplatform systems:
FORMDEF=MEMO 
FDEFLIB=/resources
On z/OS systems:
FORMDEF=MEMO 
USERLIB=USER.RESOURCES

Syntax

FORMDEF=fdefname

Options and values

The fdefname is the file or member name of the form definition, one to eight alphanumeric or national characters, including the two-character prefix, if there is one.

Notes

If the file name of the form definition includes a file extension, do not use the file extension when specifying the form definition. However, the file type must be FDEF3820, FDEF38PP, or FDE (or no file type).

For example, to use a form definition named MEMO.FDEF38PP, specify FORMDEF=MEMO.

If CONVERT=YES is specified, ACIF requires a form definition to process the input file (even though the form definition actually gets used at print time). If you do not specify the FORMDEF parameter or you specify FORMDEF without a form definition file name, ACIF reports an error condition and ends processing.

Related parameters

FDEFLIB