The Set Options (SETO) call

You can construct a print data set descriptor with the set options (SETO) call. The SETO call is especially useful to application programs with wait-for-input (WFI) execution. The SETO call reduces the overhead necessary to perform parsing and text unit construction of the output descriptors for a data set.

If the application program needs to reuse a set of descriptors during the scheduling of the program, the application program provides the print data set characteristics to the IMS Spool API through the SETO call. The SETO call parses the output options and builds the dynamic output text units in the work area provided by the application program. Once the application program is supplied the pre-built text units, these text units are used with a CHNG call through the TXTU parameter. They provide the print characteristics for the data set without incurring the overhead of parsing and text unit build.

It is not necessary to use the SETO option to pre-build the text units if they can be pre-built using some other programming technique.