What is Common to all REXX Utilities

All REXX utilities are named CBDSxxxx. The following general description applies to all REXX utilities, except CBDSRDEV.

  • You can invoke a REXX utility just by its name (and optionally, a '?'). Then you get help information on the required and optional input parameters and on default values if available. With this information, you can re-invoke the utility.
  • You can invoke a REXX utility completely by its name and input parameters. All parameters are positional, so for parameters which are optional, you must either specify an asterisk (*) at the corresponding position to accept the default or specify a value to overwrite the default. You can also omit optional parameters if no further required parameter follows and you want to accept the defaults for all other following optional parameters. This mechanism is explained in more detail in the invocation examples provided with REXX utility CBDSIODF in Utility CBDSIODF.
  • When starting, all REXX utilities read a user configuration file called CBDCONF NAMES. In this file, for all REXX utilities, you can set individual options or parameters. You cannot overwrite these options or parameters with the invocation, but you can edit the CBDCONF NAMES file before invocation. Also for each such option or parameter, a description of its meaning is provided. Furthermore, in CBDCONF NAMES, you can find and edit the defaults for the optional input parameters.

    For example, you can specify the default name of the message log file for each utility. Or for utilities that have a REPLACE option, like for example CBDSCOPY, you can specify whether you want to have a confirmation message issued before actually replacing the target file.

  • Each utility launches the appropriate FILEDEF statements required for the invoked HCD function. Especially the following FILEDEF statements for HCDPROF, HCDMLOG, HCDTRACE and HCDLOAD are contained in each utility and the following file IDs are used:
    • HCD PROFILE * for the HCD profile (HCDPROF)
    • CBDSxxxx MSGLOG A for the HCD message log (HCDMLOG)
    • CBDSxxxx TRACE A for the HCD trace file (HCDTRACE).
    • CBDMOD LOADLIB * for the HCD load module (HCDLOAD).
  • After successful invocation, each utility constructs the OSRUN command (introduced in How to Invoke the HCD Functions) which invokes the desired HCD function. The input parameter string required for this command is composed by the utility from the information you passed with the parameters or from the accepted defaults.
  • For file naming during the invocation of the REXX utilities, you must observe the rules described in IODF and Activity Log Naming Conventions.