Data element MCS

Data element MCSs describe elements that are not macros, modules, or source. Data elements have the following characteristics:
  • A data element must be a member of a PDS or PDSE (DSORG=PO) or reside in a sequential data set (DSORG=PS).
  • The record format (RECFM) must be F, FA, FM, FS, FB, FBA, FBM, FBS, V, VA, VM, VB, VBA, VBM, VS, or VBS.
  • The LRECL for a data element must be from 1 to 32,654.
  • The records can be numbered or unnumbered.
  • A VSAM data set can be a data element if it is in REPRO format. However, after the data is installed by SMP/E, you must run an AMS REPRO job to create the original form of the VSAM data.

Any type of data element may be installed in any distribution or target library that meets these requirements. For example, CLIST data elements can be installed into variable block target libraries.

When copying a data element during APPLY, ACCEPT, or RESTORE processing, it may be necessary for SMP/E to perform the copy itself, rather than invoking the copy utility. SMP/E performs the copy when:
  • The target library or distribution library is a sequential data set.
  • The data element must be reformatted to be compatible with the target or distribution library. (For more information about the reformatting of data elements, see the sub-topic on reformatting data elements in the APPLY command topic in SMP/E for z/OS Commands)
There are MCSs to replace data elements, just as there are MCSs to replace other types of elements. (There are no MCSs to update data elements.) Table 1 shows the MCSs that can be used for data elements.
Table 1. MCS statements for data elements. If an element is provided in only one language, thex's can be left off the MCS. If an element is provided in more than one language, replace the x's with the appropriate value from Table 1.
MCS Description
++BOOKxxx Online book member
++BSINDxxx Index for an online publications library (bookshelf)
++CGMxxx Graphics source for an online book
++CLIST CLIST
++DATA Data not covered by other types
++DATA1–++DATA5 IBM® generic data types 1–5

These are for IBM use only, to define elements that are not covered by any existing data types.
++DATA6xxx IBM generic data type 6

This is for IBM use only to define an element not covered by any existing data types.
++EXEC EXEC
++FONTxxx Printer Font Object Contents Architecture (FOCA) font
++GDFxxx GDF graphics panel
++HELPxxx Help information (for example, a member in SYS1.HELP or a dialog help panel)
++IMGxxx Graphics image for an online book
++MSGxxx Message member (such as for a dialog or for a message data set)
++PARM PARMLIB member
++PNLxxx Panel for a dialog
++PROBJxxx Printer object element
++PROC Procedure in PROCLIB
++PRODXML Product XML document
++PRSRCxxx Printer source element
++PSEGxxx Graphics page segment for an online book
++PUBLBxxx Online publications library (bookshelf)
++SAMPxxx Sample data, program, or JCL in a data set for sample code
++SKLxxx File skeleton for a dialog
++TBLxxx Table for a dialog
++TEXTxxx Text
++USER1–++USER5 User-defined data types 1–5

These are for user-defined elements that are not covered by any existing data types.
++UTINxxx General utility input
++UTOUTxxx General utility output