Symbolics

Modifiable Control Variables

Please! Verify all details or suggestions with the appropriate vendor and / or vendor's manuals.

Using System Symbols and JCL Symbols

z/OS V1R12.0 MVS JCL Reference
SA22-7597-14
System symbols and JCL symbols are character strings that represent variable information in JCL. They allow you to modify JCL statements in a job easily. A symbol-defining string is limited to eight characters, not including an identifying ampersand.
Describes system symbols and JCL symbols and the differences between them
Explains how to define JCL symbols
Shows how to code system symbols and JCL symbols.

System symbols represent values that are unique to each system. A system replaces those symbols with its own values when it processes started task JCL (jobs and procedures read from a procedure library) and TSO logons. (A started task is a task resulting from JCL that is processed immediately as a result of a START command.

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System symbols: Types

Static system symbols

z/OS substitutes text for static system symbols when it processes parmlib members, JCL, and catalog entries. For static system symbols that the z/OS provides, you can define
substitution texts in parmlib or accept the default substitution texts. You can also define up to 99 additional static system symbols. You can enter the DISPLAY SYMBOLS operator command to display the static texts that are in effect for a system. See z/OS MVS System Commands, for information about how to enter DISPLAY SYMBOLS.

The system symbols, listed in can be used in: JCL symbol Symbols can be defined in JCL procedures to be used with the START command. You can define JCL symbols on EXEC, PROC, and SET statements in JCL, and use them only in:

JCL statements in the job stream
Statements in cataloged or in-stream procedures
DD statements that are added to a procedure

For more information about using JCL symbols, see z/OS MVS JCL
IPCS symbol Symbols can be use by IPCS to represent data areas in dumps that are processed with IPCS subcommands, such as SYMDEF.

For more information about using IPCS symbols, see z/OS MVS Interactive Problem Control System (IPCS) User's Guide

Symbols Reserved For System Use

&SYSCLONE
&SYSNAME
&SYSPLEX
&SYSR1
&SYSALVL
Installation
Defined System
Symbols
JCL Symbol
IPCS Symbol    &DATE
&DAY
&HHMMSS
&HR
&JDAY
&JOBNAME
&MIN
&MON
&SEC
&SEQ
&TIME
&WDAY
&YR2
&YR4
&YYMMDD    &DATE
&HR
&LYYMMDD
&LHR
&LMON
&LWDAY
&LHHMMSS
&SEC
&SYSCLONE
&SYSR1
&WDAY
&YYMMDD

To view what symbolics are in use enter the following command

COMMAND INPUT ===> -D SYMBOLS
IEA007I STATIC SYSTEM SYMBOL VALUES
&SYSALVL. = "2"
&SYSCLONE. = "70"
&SYSNAME. = "SC70"
&SYSPLEX. = "SANDBOX"
&SYSR1. = "Z17RC1"
&ALLCLST1. = "CANCEL"
&CMDLIST1. = "70,00"
&COMMDSN1. = "COMMON"
&DB2. = "V8"
&DCEPROC1. = "."
&DFHSMCMD. = "00"
&DFHSMHST. = "6"
&DFHSMPRI. = "NO"
&DFSPROC1. = "."
&DLIB1. = "Z17DL1"
&DLIB2. = "Z17DL2"
&DLIB3. = "Z17DL3"
&DLIB4. = "Z17DL4"
&IEFSSNXX. = "R7"
&IFAPRDXX. = "4A