PM21909: changing users 'additional information' details through batch mode resets other user properties

APAR status

• Closed as Permanent restriction.

Error description

• Problem
  If you try to change a users 'description' field through DXL in
  batch mode other user properties like email address, user power,
  password, etc will be changed.
  
  To Reproduce
  - create a user called 'John Smith'
  - give him db manager powers
  - enter something into all the fields in the 'details' tab other
  than 'additional information'
  - run the following DXL in batch mode:
  
  // user details
  const string sUserName = 'John Smith'
  const string sDescription = 'AAAAAAAA\nBBBBBBBB'
  
  User u = find(sUserName)
  setUser(u, description, sDescription)
  saveDirectory()
  
  print 'done\n'
  
  - look at the user through the GUI
  
  All user properties other than 'system username' will have been
  reset. The users password has also been reset.
  
  Possible Workarounds
  Run the DXL through the GUI.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  If you try to change a users 'description' field through DXL
  in batch mode other user properties like email address, user
  power, password, etc will be changed.
  
  To Reproduce
  - create a user called 'John Smith'
  - give him db manager powers
  - enter something into all the fields in the 'details' tab
  other than 'additional information'
  - run the following DXL in batch mode:
  
  // user details
  const string sUserName = "John Smith"
  const string sDescription = "AAAAAAAA\nBBBBBBBB"
  
  User u = find(sUserName)
  setUser(u, description, sDescription)
  saveDirectory()
  
  print "done\n"
  
  - look at the user through the GUI
  
  All user properties other than 'system username' will have
  been reset. The users password has also been reset.
  

Problem conclusion

• Resetting of the user properties is not reproducible anymore
  with 9.3. However, the provided DXL code is not correct and
  it causes a runtime error when following these steps:
  - Create a user "John Smith" user
  - Close the client
  - Open the client, run the original snippet (without looking
  "John Smith"s details like Tools -? Manage Users -? "John
  Smith" -? Edit)
  - Observe the runtime error
  
  The code below can be used to resolve the issue
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

Applicable component levels