Selecting the Buffer Format

Most IXLLIST requests require that you provide a buffer for one of the following reasons:

To receive information read from list entries or list controls
To hold information to be written to list entries or list controls
To hold the names or IDs of list entries to be deleted

You can pass data or receive data using either a single buffer (BUFFER parameter) or multiple buffers (BUFLIST parameter). Both the BUFFER and BUFLIST parameters enable you to pass or receive up to 65536 (64K) bytes of data.

The parameters used to specify the buffers are discussed in the topic "BUFFER and Its Associated Parameters". These include BUFFER, BUFLIST, and their associated parameters. Unless otherwise noted, this information applies to all IXLLIST requests. This topic provides an overview of the buffer formatting requirements and options. Additional information is presented in z/OS MVS Programming: Sysplex Services Reference under the parameter descriptions for each IXLLIST request.

There are also performance considerations for choosing the format of your buffers. These are discussed after the buffer options and parameters are presented.