Natural under TSO

This document describes the functionality of the Natural TSO Interface (product code NTI) and the operation and individual components of Natural under TSO in the operating system z/OS.

The following topics are covered:

Related Documents:


General Information about the Natural TSO Interface

The Natural TSO interface (NATTSO) consists of a number of service routines interfacing with the z/OS operating system.

NATTSO is supplied as a source module and can be customized to meet your requirements; see also Installing the Natural TSO Interface on z/OS in the Natural Installation for z/OS documentation. You can either assemble and link NATTSO to the Natural nucleus or you can run it separately by connecting it with a shared nucleus.

NATTSO is fully reentrant and can run above the 16 MB line. Multiple Natural sessions can be started in parallel within one TSO region, and you can toggle between the sessions by means of a SWAPKEY (see the corresponding subparameter of profile parameter TSOP in the Parameter Reference documentation).

Driver Parameters for the Natural TSO Interface

For information on the driver parameters that are available for the Natural TSO Interface, refer to the description of profile parameter TSOP or parameter macro NTTSOP in the Parameter Reference documentation.

Data Sets Used by Natural under TSO

The following data sets are required if certain functions are used during a Natural TSO session:

CMEDIT Software AG Editor Work File
CMHCOPY Hardcopy Print Output
CMPLOG Dynamic Profile Parameter Report Output
CMPRMIN Dynamic Profile Parameter Input
CMPRTnn Additional Reports 01-31
CMTRACE External Trace Output
NATRJE Job Submit Output
STEPLIB Load Library for External Modules
CMWKFnn Work Files 01-32

These data sets are described below.

Unless otherwise stated below, the default DCB RECFM/LRECL information is as follows:

RECFM=FB and LRECL=80 for sequential input data sets

RECFM=FBA and LRECL=133 for sequential output data sets

CMEDIT - Software AG Editor Work File

The Software AG editor work file VSAM data set is required if a local or global Software AG editor buffer pool is to be used. If not defined in the JCL or by TSO command ALLOC, the name of the Editor work file specified by subparameter DSNAME of profile parameter EDBP or parameter macro NTEDBP is used by Natural to do the dynamic allocation for the Editor work file.

Alternatively, profile parameter EDPSIZE can be used to run with an auxiliary editor buffer pool, which does not require an editor work file. For more information about the installation of the Software AG editor, refer to Installing the Software AG Editor on z/OS in the Natural Installation for z/OS documentation.

CMHCOPY - Hardcopy Print Output

The default name of the hardcopy print output data set is CMHCOPY. It can be changed by one of the following:

  • the DEST subparameter of profile parameter PRINT for Print File 0,

  • the profile parameter HCDEST, which is an equivalent of PRINT=((0),DEST=...),

  • the setting of the system variable *HARDCOPY during the session,

  • the terminal command %H during the session.

The subparameters of the PRINT profile parameter for Print File 0 can be used to change the default values for the hardcopy data set. The default data set name CMHCOPY implies CLOSE=FIN for the hardcopy print data set, that is, after the data set is opened for output, any subsequent change of the hardcopy print output data set name is not honored. If a different name is defined at open time, the hardcopy data set will be closed upon the next terminal I/O.

During the session, the hardcopy data set can be released and reallocated (before open or after close) by the by dynamic allocation (see Natural Application Programming Interface USR2021N).

CMPLOG - Dynamic Profile Parameter Report Output

If the profile parameter PLOG is set to ON and data set CMPLOG is available, the evaluated dynamic profile parameters are written to this data set during session initialization. If data set CMPLOG is not available, the evaluated dynamic profile parameters are written to the TSO terminal in line mode.

CMPRMIN - Dynamic Profile Parameter Input

If available, this data set is read during session initialization to get dynamic profile parameters. Only the first 72 positions of each record are used to build a dynamic profile parameter string.

Any other profile parameters which are passed directly for the start of the Natural nucleus, for example, by the TSO CALL command, are concatenated at the end of the parameter string which is build from the input of CMPRMIN; that is, these can be used to overwrite the parameters from CMPRMIN.

CMPRTnn - Additional Reports 01-31

These data sets can be used by Natural print file statements like WRITE (nn). If no DCB information (for example, RECFM, LRECL, BLKSIZE) is available, the defaults are defined by the profile parameter PRINT or by the macro NTPRINT in the Natural parameter module. The print file data set names can be overwritten by subparameter DEST.

CMTRACE - External Trace Output

If the profile parameter ETRACE is set to ON, or if the equivalent terminal command %TRE+ was issued, any Natural trace output during the session is written to the CMTRACE data set. To define the Natural components that shall be traced, the profile parameter TRACE is required.

If data set CMTRACE is not available, it will be allocated dynamically as

//CMTRACE DD SYSOUT=*

when the first trace record is to be written.

NATRJE - Job Submit Output

This data set is used for the Natural job submitting utility. If it is not defined, it will be allocated dynamically as

//NATRJE DD SYSOUT=(A,INTRDR)

when the first job is submitted.

STEPLIB - Load Library for External Modules

STEPLIB is the default load library name for loading external modules, for example, the shared nucleus (profile parameter NUCNAME), a separate Adabas link routine module (profile parameter ADANAME), the session back-end program (profile parameter PROGRAM) and any external subprograms not linked to the Natural parameter module.

The load library name can be overwritten by profile parameter LIBNAM. The specified load library name must be defined in the TSO job control or by an ALLOC statement, for example, in the CLIST which starts the Natural session.

CMWKFnn - Work Files 01-32

These data sets can be used by Natural work file statements like READ WORK FILE nn and WRITE WORK nn. If no DCB information (RECFM, LRECL, BLKSIZE, etc.) is available in the JCL or in the VTOC entry for the data set, the defaults are defined by the WORK profile parameter or by the NTWORK macro in the Natural parameter module. The work file data set names can be overwritten by subparameter DEST.

Issuing TSO Commands from Natural under TSO

You can use the Natural example program TSO in library SYSEXTP to issue TSO commands; for example:

TSO LISTALC STATUS

If you enter TSO without parameters, a menu prompts you for a TSO command. To exit from the menu, enter a period (.) in the first position, or press PF3.