Specifying values in object lists

The Object List Edit panel is displayed when, from the Object Lists panel, you do either of the following steps:
  • Create a new object list.

    Use the NEW command or select File->New in the action bar.

  • Select an existing object list.

    Enter line action E or S against an object list or use the SELECT command.

Alternatively, you can enter line action V to display the Object List View panel.

Use this panel to specify values in an object list. The object list can then be 'reused' many times in Selection Criteria in Report Sets.

You can specify any number of values in an object list. You can also specify other object lists of the same type as sublists to form a meaningful hierarchical grouping of values.

You must specify separate object lists for character field values and numeric field values:
  • For a character field value you can specify up to eight characters in the 1st Value column. Masking characters % and * are allowed.

    Start of changeCharacter field values are typically names. For example, for USERID, TRAN, or PROGRAM fields. Character field values are not validated when the object list is saved. However, at run time they are validated against the fields in the Selection Criteria. If the value is shorter than the field length, it is padded to the right. If the value is longer than the field length, a command error occurs.End of change

    Figure 1. Specifying values for character fields in an object list
       File  Edit  Confirm  Options  Help
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            EDIT Object List – BILLING             Row 1 to 4 of 4
     Command ===> ________________________________________________ Scroll ===> PAGE
     
     Description  . . . . Billing Transactions____________
     
     Specify the Object List values:
     
     /  1st Value   2nd Value   Sublist
     _  BIL1_____   _________   ________
     _  BIL2_____   _________   ________
     _  %TRA*____   _________   ________
     _  _________   _________   ________
     ********************************* End of list *********************************
     
  • For a numeric field value you can specify an integer in the range 0 to 999999999. Enter single values in the 1st Value column. For a range of values, enter the From value in the 1st Value column and the To value in the 2nd Value column. Masking characters are not supported. Numeric values are for Decimal, Count, or Clock field types. For example, CPU, RESPONSE, TASKNO, FCAMCT, DISPWAIT fields.
    Note: A Clock type field has two parts: an elapsed time in units of thousandths of a second, and a count of the number of occurrences of the condition. Integer values are appropriate for both parts.
    Figure 2. Specifying values for numeric fields in an object list
       File  Edit  Options  Help
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            EDIT Object List – BILRESP             Row 1 to 3 of 3
     Command ===> ________________________________________________ Scroll ===> PAGE
     
     Description  . . . . Billing Transact'n Response Time
     
     Specify the Object List values:
     
     /  1st Value   2nd Value   Sublist
     _  100______   200______   ________
     _  _________   _________   B1RESP__
     _  _________   _________   B2RESP__
     ********************************* End of list *********************************
     

The field lengths and formats are available in the Performance Select Statement, where object lists are used.

The Object List panel consists of the following fields:
Description
Up to 32 characters of text to describe the purpose of the object list. This description is shown on the Object Lists panel to help you distinguish between the object lists displayed. It is initially set to CICS PA Object List.
1st Value
A field value.
  • If this is an object list for character field values, the value can be up to eight characters.

    Start of changeMasking characters % and * are allowed. Use percent (%) to substitute for a single character. Use an asterisk (*) to substitute for any number of characters (that is, zero or more characters). For example, you might specify %%T* to select all programs which have T as the third character of their name. LETTERS, PETE, KAT, and KAT99 match this pattern.End of change

  • If this is an object list for numeric field values for Decimal, Count, or Clock type fields, the value can be up to nine digits. The 1st value represents a single value if the 2nd value is blank, otherwise it represents the From value in a range. Masking is not supported for numeric fields.
2nd Value
The To value for a range of numeric values for Decimal, Count, or Clock type fields. The value can be up to nine digits.

For character type fields, this value must be blank as value ranges are not supported.

Sublist
The name of an object list in the current Object Lists data set. The values in the sublist are inserted at JCL generation time. An object list and its sublists must contain values for the same type of field, either all character type or all numeric type.

This facility enables reuse of object lists and allows you to build up a hierarchy of lists of related values.

When CICS PA generates the Report Set JCL, the values in the sublist are listed in the SELECT statements along with the explicitly specified values. The order in which the values are listed is of no consequence to the reporting process.

Line Actions

Display the menu of line actions
I
Insert a new row
R
Repeat this row
C
Copy this row
M
Move this row
A
Move⁄Copy after this row
B
Move⁄Copy before this row
D
Delete this row

Primary Commands

SAVE
This command is only available from Edit mode and saves any changes you have made. To save any changes made in View mode, use SAVEAS.

Also available from File in the action bar.

SAVEAS objlname|datasetname(objlname)
This command is available from both Edit and View mode to save the contents of this object list under another name, either in the current data set (assumed if no data set name is provided) or in another suitable data set (if the name of a valid PDS is provided). If you then Cancel from this panel, the contents of the current object list remain unchanged.

Also available from File in the action bar.

RESET
This command (or RES) removes all outstanding line actions and deletes any blank rows.

Also available from Edit in the action bar.

CONFIRM ON|OFF
CONFIRM ON (or CONFIRM) instructs CICS PA to prompt for confirmation when you request to Cancel from the Object List panel when there have been updates.

With CONFIRM OFF, Cancel requests are actioned immediately, discarding any changes.

This command changes the setting only for the current Edit/View session. On exit, it reverts to the default set by Cancel Confirmation in CICS PA Settings.

Also available from Confirm in the action bar.