DEFINE (Spooling Device)

Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram DEFine ReaderRDRPrinterPRTPUnchPCH140325012540P2540R3203321132623505352542454248VAFPASvdev38003800-13800-3ASvdev3800 Options
3800 Options
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagramSize0F22Sizewidthlength4WCGM2WCGMCFSBTSNODATCKDATCK

Authorization

Privilege Class: G

Purpose

Use DEFINE (spooling device) to add spool devices to your virtual machine configuration.

Operands

Reader
RDR
specifies a card reader.
Printer
PRT
specifies a 1403 printer.
PUnch
PCH
specifies a card punch.
1403
specifies a 1403 printer.
2501
specifies a 2501 card reader.
2540P
specifies a 2540 card punch.
2540R
specifies a 2540 card reader.
3203
specifies a 3203 printer.
3211
specifies a 3211 printer.
3262
specifies a 3262 printer.
3505
specifies a 3505 card reader.
3525
specifies a 3525 card punch.
4245
specifies a 4245 printer.
4248
specifies a 4248 printer.
VAFP
specifies a VAFP printer.
3800
specifies a 3800 Model 1 printer.
3800-1
specifies a 3800 Model 1 printer.
3800-3
specifies a 3800 Model 3 printer in Model 1 compatibility mode.
vdev
AS vdev
is the virtual device number for the spooling device you are defining.
SIZE width length
specifies the physical characteristics of the paper to be loaded into the 3800 printer. The variable width is the hexadecimal width code of the paper. The variable length is the decimal length of the paper.

Specify length as a whole number using half-inches. If width and length are not specified, 14-7/8 x 11 inches is assumed. The default value of width is X'0F'. The default value of length is 22 (11 inches).

The following is a list of form width codes available; all other values are rejected.

Code Width in Inches Width in Millimeters (ISO)
01 6 - 1/2 165
02 Reserved 180
04 8 - 1/2 215
06 9 - 1/2 235
07 9 - 7/8 250
08 10 - 5/8 270
09 11 280
0A 12 305
0B Reserved 322
0D 13 - 5/8 340
0E 14 - 3/10 363
0F 14 - 7/8 378
4WCGM
2WCGM
specifies the number of writable character generation modules (WCGMs) assumed for the virtual 3800 printer. A WCGM is a 64-position portion of 3800 character generation storage that holds the scan elements of 1 character set. A 3800 can have either 2 or 4 WCGMs. If neither is specified, the default is 4WCGM.
Note: Specifying 3800-3 with 2WCGM results in an error message.
CFS
BTS
specifies the stacker for the virtual 3800 printer. You can choose either CFS (continuous forms stacker) or BTS (burster trimmer stacker). If neither is specified, the default is CFS.
NODATCK
DATCK
specifies the desired handling of certain virtual 3800 data checks. If neither is specified, the default is NODATCK.

If you specify DATCK, all 3800 data checks are reflected to the virtual machine (provided the BLOCK DATA CHECK CCW has not been issued). If you specify NODATCK, only data checks that occur because of invalid translate table specifications or unmatched FCB codes are reflected to the virtual machine.

Note: DATCK should be specified only when absolutely necessary, as it severely increases the overhead associated with simulation of WRITE and SKIP CCWs to the virtual 3800. In general, the reflection of data checks because of overprinting and invalid EBCDIC codes is not necessary.

Usage Notes

  1. Avoid using device addresses that can be mistaken for device types (such as 1403 and 3203). When it encounters a device address that is the same as an IBM® device type, CP assumes that you are specifying a device type and not a device address.
  2. If you define a virtual 3211 printer, it supports the CP command LOADVFCB and the INDEX feature.
  3. The default classes given to spool files created on this device are as follows:
    • Class A reader
    • Class A printer
    • Class A punch.
  4. Virtual printers, consoles, and punches are created with the default option NOEOF.
  5. Defaults for some real printer attributes (for example CHARS) are not set when a virtual printer is created with the DEFINE command.
  6. The maximum data length for a VAFP spool file is 32767 bytes. See the RSCS library for information on RSCS logical record length restrictions.
  7. There is no Channel Command Word (CCW) validation performed for VAFP devices. Therefore, spool files for VAFP devices may contain CCWs that do not appear for other devices (for example: SENSE ID and READ FCB). Specifically, when performing CCW I/O operations to a VAFP printer, most CCWs in the channel program are treated as a write operation CCW. The exceptions are X'08' which is treated as a transfer in channel command, X'03' with a byte count of one which is treated as a no operation instruction, and X'04' which is treated as a sense command.

    The flags in the CCW flag field (for example, command chaining and data chaining flags) will be respected for VAFP devices as they are for other virtual printers with one exception. The SKIP flag will be ignored because most CCWs are treated as write operations by these devices. The SKIP flag will be preserved in the CCW that is placed in the spool file.

  8. VAFP spool files with skip to channel other than 1 will not be rejected.
  9. There is no corresponding real device type for a VAFP.
  10. VAFP spool files are intended for use by AFP printers and real printers managed by RSCS. VAFP printers are not intended for normal use as a virtual printer.

    Print files created on VM using the VAFP support can be chosen for printing by the CP real printer system. Care must be taken by the application which creates these files. If the file is to be printed on a VM system printer, the application must only use standard impact printer CCWs to create the file.

  11. Files created on a VAFP device can be read by the virtual card reader using either an assembler I/O instruction or DIAGNOSE code X'A8'. However, the data in these files may be truncated. With respect to the read operation, these files are treated like a file created on a virtual 3800 printer. That is, the file is treated as if it has a logical record length of 204 and the records are truncated at that point. The data in these files can be accessed without truncation by using DIAGNOSE X'14' or the IUCV *SPL system service.
  12. For more information, see Usage Notes.

Examples

define reader as 00c
You can specify the operands after vdev in any order and repeatedly. However, the last specification of a repeatedly defined operand is the one used. For example, if you enter: 
define 3800 as 00a cfs datck size 07 22 2wcgm bts
BTS is the value used instead of CFS because it was specified after CFS.

Responses

Response 1: 
type vdev DEFINED
confirms that the device has been defined.
type
identifies a reader, printer, or punch.
vdev
identifies the virtual number of the spool device.

Messages

For the list of general messages for the DEFINE command, see Messages.