The operands described in this section can be specified in any order:

FROM(indd,...)

Specifies the ddnames of the input data sets to be read by DFSORT for this operation. Up to 10 FROM operands can be used to specify up to 50 input ddnames. An indd DD statement must be present for each indd name specified. Each indd input data set must conform to the rules for DFSORT's SORTINnn data sets.

USING(xxxx)

Specifies the first 4 characters of the ddname for the control statement data set to be used by DFSORT for this operation. xxxx must be four characters that are valid in a ddname of the form xxxxCNTL. xxxx must not be SYSx.

An xxxxCNTL DD statement must be present, and the control statements in it must conform to the rules for DFSORT's SORTCNTL data set.

The xxxxCNTL data set must contain a MERGE statement. If TO is not specified, the xxxxCNTL data set must also contain either one or more OUTFIL statements or a MODS statement for an E35 routine that disposes of all records. Other statements are optional.

TO(outdd,...)

Specifies the ddnames of the output data sets to be written by DFSORT for this operation. From 1 to 10 outdd names can be specified. An outdd DD statement must be present for each outdd name specified. If a single outdd data set is specified, DFSORT is called once to merge the indd data sets to the outdd data set using SORTOUT processing; the outdd data set must conform to the rules for DFSORT's SORTOUT data set. If multiple outdd data sets are specified and SERIAL is not specified, DFSORT is called once to merge the indd data sets to the outdd data sets using OUTFIL processing; the outdd data sets must conform to the rules for DFSORT's OUTFIL data sets.

A ddname specified in a FROM operand must not also be specified in the TO operand.

VSAMTYPE(x)

See the discussion of this operand on the COPY statement in COPY operator.

LOCALE(name)

See the discussion of this operand on the COPY statement in COPY operator.

LOCALE(CURRENT)

See the discussion of this operand on the COPY statement in COPY operator.

LOCALE(NONE)

See the discussion of this operand on the COPY statement in COPY operator.

SERIAL

Specifies that OUTFIL processing is not to be used when multiple outdd data sets are specified. DFSORT is called multiple times and uses SORTOUT processing; the outdd data sets must conform to the rules for DFSORT's SORTOUT data set. SERIAL is not recommended because the use of serial processing (that is, multiple calls to DFSORT) instead of OUTFIL processing can degrade performance and imposes certain restrictions as detailed later in this section. SERIAL is ignored if a single outdd data set is specified.

DFSORT is called to merge the indd data set to the first outdd data set using the DFSORT control statements in the xxxxCNTL data set. If the merge operation is successful, DFSORT is called as many times as necessary to copy the first outdd data set to the second and subsequent outdd data sets. Therefore, for maximum efficiency, use a disk data set as the first in a list of outdd data sets on both disk and tape. If more than one outdd data set is specified, DFSORT must be able to read the first outdd data set after it is written in order to copy it to the other outdd data sets. Do not use a SYSOUT or DUMMY data set as the first in a list of outdd data sets because:

• If the first data set is SYSOUT, DFSORT abends when it tries to copy the SYSOUT data set to the second outdd data set.
• If the first data set is DUMMY, DFSORT copies the empty DUMMY data set to the other outdd data sets (that is, all of the resulting outdd data sets are empty).