SELCOPY is used by many blue chip companies worldwide, its popularity due in no small part to its simplicity of use combined with fast and powerful data handling. Ideal as a "quick fix" mechanism for repairing data files, or as a component of a major production suite, SELCOPY is widely used throughout the Information Services industry.

With extra syntax and functionality included in every new release, SELCOPY has grown to become a very powerful batch utility language in which to develop new applications, much easier to code than compiled languages such as COBOL, PL1 and C++, but executing at comparible speeds.

SELCOPY syntax is common across all operating systems on which it is supported, so the same job may be ported across platforms with little or no change to the control statements. For example, an application can be developed under CMS, TSO or even on a PC, for subsequent operational use in a z/OS batch environment.

All SELCOPY Licences for the IBM mainframe include the use of SELCOPYi (SELCOPY/debug environment), at no extra cost, providing the user with a full-screen 3270 windowed environment for running SELCOPY interactively.

SELCOPYi aids the development and debugging of applications by allowing the user to step through the individual SELCOPY control statements one at a time in order to monitor changes to program variables and storage.

Also included with SELCOPYi is a richly functioned file editor, together with various dataset management tools.

The Productivity Aid

From its inception as a SELect and COPY utility, SELCOPY has developed into an all purpose productivity aid for IBM Mainframe, UNIX and PC systems.

On mainframe systems, the SELCOPYi interactive environment supplied with SELCOPY, provides another dimension to aiding the user's productivity. Features of SELCOPYi are itemised within the SELCOPYi tab.

The mainframe version of the product is Operating System Independent, the binary download being used for OS/390 (MVS), VM and VSE. Furthermore, a SELCOPY licence allows for product usage under all three IBM operating environments, without incurring any additional fee.

SELCOPY will dynamically examine the control program and act accordingly.

The Multiple Utility

The same simple free format control cards rationalize all file to file utilities under one program. Capable not only of multiple input, output and printing, but also selective modification, and all at the same time. Conversion includes ASCII, EBCDIC and Hex representation as well as arithmetic. No device restrictions for VSE, e.g. FBA to 3390 in one operation.

Printing choice includes Char, Hex, Both, Mixed, Dump, or Report. Alternatively, you may convert some fields, rearrange them, and print a subset.

If the requirement is definable, SELCOPY notation is probably the quickest way to specify it, and at the same time make it machine readable.

Solutions become second nature through SELCOPY.

The Trouble Shooter

Simple, quickly written code will scan files for problem records. Having checked the scope of the errors, equally simple code can be used to correct the files.

Update-in-Place is featured for use on all CMS files, all VSAM files, all IMS/DL1 files along with MVS QSAM files and PDS member data.

File Format Conversion

Changing Fixed, Variable, Undefined and reblocking is just the beginning....
You can restructure any non-IBM file into standard IBM format.

The ultimate example reads IBM's MVS ICF Catalog as a VSAM file, (using its own self defining entry), and then builds Fixed length records for every GDG entry.

Fast Execution

SELCOPY is written in Assembler, so is able to minimise linkage to I/O routines, but still uses standard IBM Data Management. This has the double advantage that it maximises speed while keeping up-to-date with IBM development, and at the same time avoids channel monopoly locking out other users.

The Report Generator

Selection, summarising and reformatting is what reporting is all about, and of course, this is standard SELCOPY.

Data can be restructured and printed as required, while totals can be accumulated and printed at EOJ by controlling SELCOPY's automatic EOF handling.

For complicated reports the EQU statement (available to all SELCOPY code), allows user defined names to be given to frequently occurring strings, numerics, keywords or even combinations of these.

Portable

SELCOPY syntax is common across all operating systems on which it is supported, so the same job may be ported across platforms with little or no change to the control statements. For example, an application can be developed under CMS, TSO or even on a PC, for subsequent operational use in a z/OS batch environment.

Test Data Generator

Generated data is controlled at the field level, with range controls on all data types in conjunction with all SELCOPY's selection logic.

Test files may thus be generated from nothing, or from a controlled selection of records from existing files with controlled regeneration of selected fields.

Multi-File Scanning

Scan all members of an MVS PDS, searching for a string, report and optionally modify and update-in-place. Input could equally be a generic group of VSE library members or CMS files, but for VSE, a second step is required to submit updates to LIBR.

SELCOPY's DIRDATA input function makes global changes to JCL quick and easy.

Back-Up and Restore

Processing on a Logical basis cannot give the speed of Physical I/O reading a track or cylinder at a time. But for today's machines with many users, good physical efficiency on a back-up function, by the very nature of its own efficiency, will serve to lock out the channel to on-line users and other applications for the duration of the back-up, also monopolising a large proportion of real storage for its I/O areas. (Not always desirable.)

Logical processing does not lock anybody out, and has another positive advantage - the back-up is a processable file in its own right. Any program can read it, and read it logically. You can therefore select from it, report from it, or whatever, and of course go back as far as you like through your archives without the inconvenience of restoring to temporary disk files.

During your regular back-up run, you can code SELCOPY to give a useful small report on what it has backed up. Print the number of each type of record for example, the first two or three of each type, keep a hash total, etc. In a recovery situation, this information can be invaluable.

Possibly the most important advantage of using SELCOPY for your back-up is that you can back-up many totally separate files, VSAM or other, even off different volumes, concatenating them together to one single file on tape, while still keeping it logically processable. Blocking the tape output to tape device capacity with all your associated files together on the one single file makes the system practicable and easy to manage. See Back-Up 6 VSAM Files to 1 Tape File in SELCOPY Examples.

All this is done with a few simple SELCOPY control statements. And the Restore function may be precisely controlled giving choice of: restore all files in a single job step, or restore just 1. You can even restore selected records to a file using the Update-in-Place facility, just by introducing a little further simple selection criteria into the restore and changing WRITE to UPD.

Databases

DB2:

For MVS users the IBM Relational Database Management System DB2 may be accessed using SELCOPY.

DB2 data is defined and manipulated by executing Structured Query Language (SQL) statements.

SELCOPY uses Dynamic SQL to allow you to define the SQL statements you want to execute at run time. For example you can:

• Create and drop DB2 databases, tables, views, indexes etc.
• Read, update and delete rows in tables and views.
• Insert rows into tables and views.

Several DB2 tables may be processed together, as well as having input and output of all other types of files within the same execution of SELCOPY.

The design of the SELCOPY interface to SQL data has the following objectives:

• To integrate as far as possible SQL processing with existing SELCOPY syntax.
• To support straightforward access to tables and views as though they were traditional files.
• This allows the inexperienced or occasional SQL user to get at SQL data with the minimum of fuss. In this case SELCOPY generates and executes SQL statements on behalf of the user.
• To support the execution of SQL statements provided by the user either coded on SELCOPY control cards, built dynamically in the SELCOPY work area, or read from a file.
• This gives the experienced user full access to SQL functionality through SELCOPY and allows the use of existing SQL statement code in SELCOPY programs.

ADABAS:

SELCOPY supports the ADABAS database. The only prerequisite is that the ADABAS interface module is renamed to SELCOPAD.

IMS/DL1:

Insert, Delete, Replace, Sequential Read, Qualified Read, with full DL1 syntax for qualifiers, is provided with the customary SELCOPY simplicity. Again, this is with the backing of all the other SELCOPY logic. You could use a sequential input file to drive the processing on your DL1 file for example.

Callable module SLCIMS allows execution of extended checkpoint and restart (CHKP/XRST) with automatic database repositioning following a CHKP call. Forced checkpointing in a BMC/ARC environment is also supported.

Users start to understand DL1 when they start to use SELCOPY. See Quick Print of IMS/DL1 Data Base in SELCOPY Examples.

Full-screen Interactive SELCOPY Debug and Development

SELCOPY/debug is a major asset to SELCOPY developers and operates within the SELCOPYi interactive environment.

SELCOPYi allows the user to debug SELCOPY job streams by stepping through control statements, setting break points and monitor the content of record/work-area fields and other user variables.

SELCOPY/debug is a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) application supporting all types of SELCOPYi child windows (Text-Edit, Browse, List etc). By default, the following child windows are displayed when SELCOPY/debug is started:

1. SYSIN - SELCOPY Control Statements.
2. Work Area - (or Input Record if WORKLEN is not specifed.)
3. SYSPRINT - SELCOPY Output Listing.
4. TRACE - Executed SELCOPY statements.

Other SELCOPY/debug windows include:

1. Watch - Monitor content of record/work-area fields and other user variables.
2. POS Windows - Modifiable dump format display of User fields and SELCOPY special positions.
3. WTO Log - SELCOPY Console output.
4. SQL Log - SELCOPY DB2 SQL Log.
5. @ Pointers - List of @ Pointer values.
6. EQUates - List of User assigned EQUated values.

On startup, SELCOPY (or SLC) is loaded and executed so that processing stops prior to execution of the first control statement. Users can then execute SELCOPY to completion, step through the SELCOPY statements one at a time or set break points to stop execution at a selected control statement.

SELCOPY record/work-area fields, DECLARED variables (SLC only), @pointer and internal variables values can be easily monitored and even updated over the course of the job execution.

SELCOPY POSitional expressions (represented by an arithmetic combination of @ pointers, EQUate names and integer values) may also be TRACKed in storage windows. As the value of the expression changes, the target storage position is highlighted in a user assigned colour.

SYSIN Control Statements Window

The SYSIN (SYSIPT for VSE) window is a Text-Edit view that contains the control statement source file as required for execution of SELCOPY. This window highlights the current operation and allows the user to set and unset break points.

If possible, the control statements file is edited read/write. If the file contents are altered during the SELCOPY execution, then the alterations can be saved and the job rerun using the RR command or the ReRun menu item.

The contents of the window scroll automatically in order to display the current statement in the SELCOPY execution. As for any Text-Edit view, commands and macros may be used to manipulate, highlight and locate data in the view (e.g. FIND, CHANGE, ONLY, etc.)

In addition to any highlighting of user TRACKed variables, during the course of execution, control statements are highlighted as follows:

1. Next executable SELCOPY statement. Default highlight - pink reverse video.
2. Break Point. Default highlight - red reverse video.

Closing the SYSIN window also exits SELCOPY/debug.

WATCH List Window

The SELCOPY Debug Watch List window will display the current value of specific variables and locations in storage. This list is opened using the WATCH primary command and allows the user to focus on specific values of interest throughout the debug session.

Each entry in the list must either be a storage location, as supported by SELCOPY POS expression syntax, or any variable supported by the SELCOPY or SLC programs. Specifically, these are:

• SELCOPY internal variables (e.g. LRECL, DIFF, RETCODE).
• SELCOPY internal variable named source fields (e.g. UXLRECL, UXADIFF, UXATPTR).
• User @pointer variables.
• User and SELCOPY generated Declared (DCL) variables. (SLC only)

Entries in the list may be inserted, moved, excluded and deleted, gap lines may be inserted (SPACE) and scale lines may be displayed (SCALE ON) for individual character values. Furthermore, character values may be scrolled horizontally and all types of values may be displayed with or without their source hexadecimal representation (HEX ON/OFF).

Point-and-Shoot Options Popup Menu

All Text-Edit type SELCOPY/debug windows, including the SYSIN/SYSIPT and SYSPRINT/SYSLST windows, support the point-and-shoot options popup menu, invoked by pressing Shift-F4. The menu enables the user to quickly and easily perform commonly used tasks which include Watching a variable, opening a POS storage window and tracking pointer variables.

The cursor position within the edited data identifies the focus text to be referenced in items of the point-and-shoot menu.

SYSPRINT Output Window

SELCOPY/debug intercepts output to SYSPRINT (SYSLST for VSE) and displays it in the SYSPRINT window instead. For this reason, SYSPRINT does not need to be allocated and no output is written to the system spool. The SYSPRINT window is Text-Edit view which supports execution of commands and macros. The contents of the window scroll automatically to display any new output to SYSPRINT. Data written to the SYSPRINT window is maintained until the SELCOPY/debug session is closed. So long as the SELCOPYi session is not closed, the job may be re-run any number of times without losing the output from a previous run.

Work Area and POS Storage Windows

The current status of the user work area (or input record buffer if no work area is allocated) is displayed in the Work Area and POS storage display windows. Note, if WORKLEN is not supplied, the Work Area window has the title, Current Input Record. The contents of the storage window may be scrolled to display different positions in the work area. Alternatively, storage starting at a specific position in the work area may be displayed simply by entering the position in the first work area position, in the first row of the storage window (highlighted in red by default.)

Data in the work area may be altered manually at any point during the run by overtyping text in either the character or hexadecimal display. A change to text in the one display will automatically be reflected in the other. This allows users to test conditions based on alternative input data without having to re-start the SELCOPY run.

If a TRACKed pointer position is within the storage window display, then that position is highlighted with a user nominated colour in reverse video.

Any number of storage display windows may be opened pointing to the start of the work area (command: Window WORKLEN) or pointing at any position that may be resolved by a valid SELCOPY POS expression. POS expressions may contain any combination of SELCOPY reserved POS names (e.g. DATE), @ pointers, EQUate names and numeric integers. e.g. WINDOW POS @ARR+MARRE-10

At each break in the SELCOPY execution, the POS expression is re-evaluated and the contents of the POS window redisplayed starting at the new position in storage.

Furthermore, the appearance of any individual storage window may be updated using the storage window display options popup menu defined on function key Shift-F4 by default.

TRACE Window

The TRACE window is a Text-Edit view that contains all the SELCOPY control statements at which processing has been stopped. i.e the point at which a break point was encountered. Each logged statement begins with the statement's selection id.

Note that the STEPINTO and STEPOVER commands dynamically set and unset break points to stop execution after the next control statements to be executed. Therefore, when stepping through the control statements, the TRACE window displays a log of the statements executed so far.

SQL Log Window

The SQL Log window is a Text-Edit view which supports execution of commands and macros.

A SELCOPY job that submits SQL statements to a DB2 data base, also writes detailed information about the SELCOPY SQL processing to a data set allocated to ddname CBLSQLOG.

SELCOPY/debug intercepts output to CBLSQLOG and displays it in the SQL Log window instead. Because of this, CBLSQLOG does not need to be allocated to display this information.

WTO Log Window

The WTO Log window is a Text-Edit view which supports execution of commands and macros. SYSLOG output to the Operator's Console, TSO, CMS or ICCF user terminals is intercepted by SELCOPY/debug and is displayed in the WTOLOG window instead.

The WTO Log window is opened automatically when SYSLOG output is received. This may be warning/error messages returned by SELCOPY, or output generated by a SELCOPY LOG operation.

EQUates and @ Pointer Windows

The Equates window and @ Pointers window are list type windows supporting select, sort and filter.

All equated names and their values, set by the user via an EQU statement and subsequently allocated by SELCOPY during control statement analysis, are displayed in the Equates window.

The current status of the @ pointer, LRECL and of all the user @ pointers used in the current execution of SELCOPY, is displayed in the @ Pointer window.

Non-standard 3270 Terminal Displays

The SELCOPYi Interactive Environment and SELCOPY/debug take full advantage of large 3270 terminal sizes and colour display that may be achieved using IBM-Dynamic TN3270E VTAM logmodes.

CBL recommends that system administrators configure the TN3270 servers and 3270 emulation software to allow users to start emulated terminals with non-standard 3270 terminal sizes.

See the SELCOPYi 3270 Emulators page and the video tutorial SELCOPYi Windowed Display system.

Like SELCOPY, CBLVCAT is utilised throughout the Information Services industry in companies worldwide.

CBLVCAT's strength lies in its ability to assist VSAM, Database and CICS Administrators to manage, monitor and maintain important application data sets. Able to deliver customisable, concise DASD VTOC and ICF/VSAM catalog reports, CBLVCAT also displays informational and advisory messages and flags relating to the condition of reported files.

On request for tuning recommendations, particularly with user supplied parameters reflecting local knowledge of the file's usage, CBLVCAT will supply alternative AMS/IDCAMS data set definition parameters designed to improve application performance and reclaim unused disk space. Furthermore, if requested, CBLVCAT will generate the AMS/IDCAMS DELETE/DEFINE re-organisation job stream for each file in the report.

All new and existing CBLVCAT licences also include use of SELCOPYi, the CBL Interactive Environment. SELCOPYi provides CBLVCAT users with a facility to interactively generate CBLVCAT reports, AMS/IDCAMS LISTCAT reports and DEFINE decks without submitting jobs to batch.

Online CBLVCAT execuction in SELCOPYi:

CBLVCAT includes SELCOPYi, CBL's interactive environment modules. Starting SELCOPYi provides users with a working environment for generating interactive CBLVCAT reports, Text-Edit and general system and data set management via list facilities.

CBLVCAT execuction in SELCOPYi provides the following added benefits:

• Execution without submitting to batch. CBLVCAT control may be passed via the command line or a control file.


• Colour coded report fields highlight flagged data and important messages.


• Prefix area commands allow the user to easily launch further CBLVCAT execution for an individual entry, execute an AMS/IDCAMS LISTCAT, edit an entry's data (z/OS only) or open list windows.

In addition to the standard report output, raw values obtained by CBLVCAT for all available report fields may be displayed in a List window with column names equal to the CBLVCAT REPORT field names.

IDCAMS DEFINE deck output to SYSPUNCH, generated by CBLVCAT's LISTVCAT DEFINE parameter, is also captured and displayed in a CBLe text edit window.

Execute CBLVCAT Window

The Execute CBLVCAT window is a List type window with additional input fields, VCAT Command and VCAT Program.

• The CBLVCAT command syntax to be executed is entered at the VCAT Command prompt. Alternatively, a fileid may be entered at the prompt prefixed by "<" (x'4C' - less than) to identify the input source file containing the CBLVCAT control statements.

  Where the Execute CBLVCAT window is opened with no parameters, then, unless otherwise specified in the CBLiINI configuration file, CBLVCAT control syntax that would generate a list of all user catalogs referenced in the master catalog, is placed on the VCAT Command line ready for execution.

  Note that placing the cursor on a user catalog entry in a LISTVCAT report and hitting <Enter> will generate a new CBLVCAT LISTVCAT report for the contents of the selected user catalog.

• The VCAT Program prompt identifies the program module/phase to execute. Unless otherwise specified in the CBLiINI configuration file, the default program name is CBLV.

The remaining area is the CBLVCAT SYSPRINT/SYSLST output display area.

Since the display area is a list of data having only a single column, namely SysPrint, standard list window command syntax may be entered from the command prompt to filter the output.

     e.g. WHERE SYSPRINT << 'KSDS(R)'

The following prefix commands may also be entered against report lines:

CBLV RAW fields window

The CBLV Raw data list window may be opened by selecting Raw from the Execute CBLVCAT menu bar.

Whereas CBLVCAT arranges data in a printable report format, the CBLV Raw data list window, contains all report field data accumulated by CBLVCAT during the run, in list type format. The list field column headings are equivalent to the CBLVCAT REPORT field names.

The CBLV Raw data list window allows the user to perform more complex select, sort and filter operations on the field data than would be possible in the CBLVCAT formatted report.

The folowing screenshot illustrates use of select and filter on CBLV Raw LISTVCAT output in order to list only VSAM elements that have been defined with no secondary space allocation.

SYSPUNCH IDCAMS DEFINE Deck

Where DEFINE is specified on a CBLVCAT LISTVCAT operation, IDCAMS DELETE/DEFINE control statements are generated for all selected files and written to SYSPUNCH.

CBLVCAT Interactive intercepts this output and presents it to the user in a new CBLe text editor window view.

Non-standard 3270 Terminal Displays

The CBL Interactive Environment and CBLVCAT Interactive take full advantage of large 3270 terminal sizes and colour display that may be achieved using IBM-Dynamic TN3270E VTAM logmodes.

CBL recommends that system administrators configure the TN3270 servers and 3270 emulation software to allow users to start emulated terminals with non-standard 3270 terminal sizes.

See the SELCOPYi 3270 Emulators page and the video tutorial SELCOPYi Windowed Display system.