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Note:
The elements shown in square brackets [...] are optional, however, at least one of them must be specified with this statement.

This document covers the following topics:

• Function

• Syntax Description

• Work File Name under z/OS Batch, TSO and Server

• Work File Name under z/VSE Batch

• Work File Name under VM/CMS

• Work File Name under BS2000/OSD Batch and TIAM

• Work File Name under CICS

• Work File Name under Com-plete/SMARTS

For an explanation of the symbols used in the syntax diagram, see Syntax Symbols.

Related Statements: CLOSE WORK FILE | READ WORK FILE | WRITE WORK FILE

Belongs to Function Group: Control of Work Files / PC Files

Function

The statement DEFINE WORK FILE is used to assign a file name to a Natural work file number within a Natural application.

This allows you to make or change work file assignments dynamically within a Natural session or overwrite work file assignments made at another level.

When this statement is executed and the specified work file is already open, the statement will implicitly close the work file.

All work files to be used during a session must be preassigned to an access method by means of subparameter AM of profile parameter WORK or automatically by definition in the JCL.

Note:
For Unicode and code page support, see Work Files and Print Files on Mainframe Platforms in the Unicode and Code Page Support documentation.

Syntax Description

Operand Definition Table:

Syntax Element Description:

Examples:

DEFINE WORK FILE 17 #FILE TYPE 'UNFORMATTED'
#TYPE := 'FORMATTED' 
DEFINE WORK FILE 18 #FILE TYPE #TYPE

Work File Name under z/OS Batch, TSO and Server

The following topics are covered:

• Work File Name - operand1

• Allocation and De-Allocation of Datasets

• Work Files in Server Environments

Work File Name - operand1

Under z/OS, for a work-file number that is defined with the access method AM=STD, operand1 can be:

• a logical dataset name (DD name, 1 to 8 characters);

• a physical dataset name of a cataloged dataset (1 to 44 characters) or a physical dataset member name;

• a path name and member name of an HFS file (1 to 253 characters) in an MVS UNIX Services environment;

• a JES spool file class;

• NULLFILE.

DEFINE WORK FILE 21 'SYSOUT1'

DEFINE WORK FILE 22 'DDN=MYWORK'

DEFINE WORK FILE 23 'TEST.WORK.FILE'

DEFINE WORK FILE 22 'DSN=WORKXYZ'

DEFINE WORK FILE 4 'TEST.WORK.PDS(TEST1)'

DEFINE WORK FILE 14 '/u/nat/rec/test.txt'

PATHOPTS=(OCREAT,OTRUNC,ORDWR)
PATHMODE=(SIRUSR,SIWUSR,SIRGRP,SIWGRP)
FILEDATA=TEXT

DEFINE WORK FILE 10 'SYSOUT=A'
DEFINE WORK FILE 12 'SYSOUT=*'

Allocation and De-Allocation of Datasets

When the DEFINE WORK FILE statement is executed and a physical dataset name, HFS file, spool file class or dummy dataset has been specified, the corresponding dataset is allocated automatically. If the logical file is already open, it will be closed automatically, except when the subparameter CLOSE=FIN of profile parameter WORK has been specified, in which case an error will be issued. Moreover, an existing dataset allocated with the same current DD name is automatically de-allocated before the new dataset is allocated. To avoid unneccessary overhead by unsuccessful premature opening of work files not yet allocated at the start of the program, work files should be defined with the subparameter OPEN=ACC (open at first access) of profile parameter WORK.

In the case of an HFS file, or a work file defined with the subparameter FREE=ON of profile parameter WORK, the work file is automatically de-allocated as soon as it has been closed.

As an alternative for the dynamic allocation and de-allocation of datasets, the application programming interface USR2021N (dynamic dataset allocation) in the library SYSEXT is provided. This also allows you to specify additional parameters for dynamic allocation.

Work Files in Server Environments

In server environments, errors may occur if multiple Natural sessions attempt to allocate or open a dataset with the same DD name. To avoid this, you either specify the work file with the subparameter DEST=* of profile parameter WORK, or you specify DEFINE WORK FILE '*' in your program before the actual DEFINE WORK FILE statement; Natural then generates a unique DD name at the physical dataset allocation when the first DEFINE WORK FILE statement for that work file is executed.

All work files whose DD names begin with CM are shared by all sessions in a server environment. A shared work file opened for output by the first session is physically closed when the server is terminated. A shared work file opened for input is physically closed when the last session closes it, that is, when it receives an end-of-file condition. When a work file is read concurrently, one file record is supplied to one READ WORK FILE statement only.

Work File Name under z/VSE Batch

Under z/VSE, for a work-file number that is defined with the access method AM=STD, operand1 can be:

• a logical dataset name (DD name, 1 to 7 characters);

• NULLFILE (to indicate a dummy dataset).

DEFINE WORK FILE 21 'SYSOUT1'

DEFINE WORK FILE 22 'DDN=MYWORK'

DEFINE WORK FILE n 'NULLFILE'

Work File Name under VM/CMS

Under VM/CMS, for a work file that is defined with the AM=STD, the same applies to operand1 as under z/OS (see above) but with the following differences:

• Instead of dynamic allocation via MVS SVC 99, the CMS command FILEDEF is used to define a file.

• HFS files are not supported.

• JES spool classes are not supported.

• In addition, the following syntax is used:

  DEFINE WORK FILE n 'fname ftype fmode (options)'

  This generates the CMS command:

  FILEDEF ddname-n DISK fname ftype fmode (options)

• Moreover, the following syntax is allowed:

  DEFINE WORK FILE n 'FILEDEF=filedef-parameters'

  This generates the CMS command:

  FILEDEF ddname-n =filedef-parameters

  For example:

  DEFINE WORK FILE 5 'FILEDEF=TAP1 SL 2 VOLID BKUP08 (BLKSIZE 20000)'

  This generates the CMS command:

  FILEDEF CMWKF05 TAP1 SL 2 VOLID BKUP08

For a work file that is defined with AM=CMS, DEFINE WORK FILE can be used to change the destination. In addition to destinations that can be specified with subparameter DEST of the parameter macro NTWORK, a Rexx stem can be defined. For details, refer to Print File and Work File Support in the Operations documentation.

Work File Name under BS2000/OSD Batch and TIAM

Under BS2000/OSD, for a work-file number that is defined with the access method AM=STD, you can use operand1 to specify a file name or a link name that is allocated to this work file.

In this case, operand1 can have a length of 1 to 253 characters and one of the following meanings:

• a BS2000/OSD link name (1 to 8 characters)

• a BS2000/OSD file name (9 to 54 characters)

• a generic BS2000/OSD file name (wildcard)

• a BS2000/OSD file name and link name

• a generic BS2000/OSD file name and link name (wildcard)

• *DUMMY

The following rules apply.

1. File name and link name can be specified as positional parameters or keyword parameters. The corresponding keywords are FILE= and LINK=. Mixing positional and keyword parameters is allowed but not recommended.

2. A string with a length of 1 to 8 characters without commas is interpreted as a link name. This notation is compatible with earlier versions of Natural. Example:

   DEFINE WORK FILE 1 'W01'

   The corresponding definition with a keyword parameter is:

   DEFINE WORK FILE 1 'LINK=W01'

3. A string of 9 to 54 characters without commas is interpreted as a file name.

   Example:

   DEFINE WORK FILE 2 'NATURALvr.TEST.WORKFILE02'

   where vr stands for the Natural version and release number.

   The corresponding definition with a keyword parameter is:

   DEFINE WORK FILE 2 'FILE=NATURALvr.TEST.WORKFILE02'

4. The following input is interpreted without considering the length and therefore forms exceptions to Rules 2 and 3:

   • keyword input: LINK=, FILE=

   • *DUMMY

   • NULLFILE (equivalent to *DUMMY)

   • *

   • *,*

   Example: DEFINE WORK FILE 7 'FILE=Y' is a valid file allocation and not a link name, although the string of characters contains fewer than 9 characters.

5. Generic file names are formed as follows:

   Wnn.userid.tsn.date.time.number

   where

   nn	is a work-file number
   userid	is a Natural user-ID, 8 characters
   tsn	is the BS2000/OSD TSN of the current task, 4 digits
   date	is DDMMYYYY
   time	is HHIISS
   number	is a number, 5 digits

6. Generic link names are formed as follows:

   NWFnnnnn

   nnnnn is a 5-digit number that is increased by one after every generation of a dynamic link name.

7. Changing the file allocation for a work-file number causes an implicit CLOSE of the work file allocated so far.

You are strongly recommended, in all cases except when you only specify a link name (for example: W01), to work with keyword parameters. This avoids conflicts of interpretation with additional reports and is essential for file names with fewer than 9 characters.

Example:

DEFINE WORK FILE 3 'LINK=#W03'
DEFINE WORK FILE 3 'FILE=#W03'

DEFINE WORK FILE 1 'LINKW01'

DEFINE WORK FILE 1 'LINK=LINKW01'

DEFINE WORK FILE 2 'NATURALvr.TEST.WORK02'

DEFINE WORK FILE 2 'FILE=NATURALvr.TEST.WORK02'

DEFINE WORK FILE 21 '*'

DEFINE WORK FILE 21 'FILE=*'

DEFINE WORK FILE 22 'FILE=*,LINK=WFLK22'

DEFINE WORK FILE 11 'NATURALvr.TEST.WORKF11,LNKW11'

DEFINE WORK FILE 11 'FILE=NATURALvr.TEST.WORKF11,LINK=LNKW11'

DEFINE WORK FILE 11 'FILE=NATURALvr.TEST.WORKF11,LNKW11'

DEFINE WORK FILE 27 '*,*'

DEFINE WORK FILE 27 'FILE=*,LINK=*'

Work File Name under CICS

For a work-file number defined with the access method AM=CICS, operand1 can be a transient data or temporary storage queue name (1 to 8 characters), depending on subparameter TYPE of profile parameter WORK for the work file. For TYPE=TD, only the first 4 characters of operand1 are honored and the transient data destination must be predefined to CICS.

For further information on work files, see also Natural Print and Work Files under CICS (in the TP Monitor Interfaces documentation).

Work File Name under Com-plete/SMARTS

Under Com-plete with the access method AM=SMARTS, PFS files are available. Any work file name can be assigned, even if it has not been defined to Natural. For example:

DEFINE WORK (14) '/nat/path/workfile'
DEFINE WORK (14) 'workfile'

It depends on the MOUNT_FS parameter of SMARTS whether the file is located on a SMARTS portable file system or on the native file system. The first element of the path (/nat/) determines the target file system.

If the string does not start with a slash (/), the path of the file is taken from the environment variable $NAT_WORK_ROOT.

The specified path name must exist. When the DEFINE WORK FILE statement is executed, the file is allocated dynamically. If the specified member does not exist, a new member of that name will be created.

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