Editing Job Control Language (section)

==Job Entry Control Language==
On IBM mainframe systems ''Job Entry Control Language'' or ''JECL'' is the set of [[command language]] control statements that provide information for the [[spooling]] subsystem &ndash; [[Job Entry Subsystem 2/3|JES2 or JES3]] on [[z/OS]] or [[IBM POWER (software)|VSE/POWER]] for [[VSE (operating system)|z/VSE]].  JECL statements may "specify on which network computer to run the [[Job stream|job]], when to run the job, and where to send the resulting output."<ref name=Brown>{{cite book|last=Brown|first=Gary DeWard|title=zOS JCL|year=2002|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9780471426738|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K8kMJa8arlIC&dq=jecl+definition&pg=PA3|access-date=2014-05-05}}</ref>

JECL is distinct from [[job control language]] (JCL), which instructs the [[operating system]] ''how'' to run the job.

There are different versions of JECL for the three environments.

===OS/360===
An early version of Job Entry Control Language for OS/360 Remote Job Entry (Program Number 360S-RC-536) used the identifier &nbsp;<code>..</code>&nbsp; in columns 1&ndash;2 of the input record and consisted of a single control statement: <code>JED</code> (Job Entry Definition).  "Workstation Commands" such as <code>LOGON</code>, <code>LOGOFF</code>, and <code>STATUS</code> also began with &nbsp;<code>..</code>&nbsp;.<ref>{{cite book|last=IBM Corporation|title=IBM System/360 Operating System Remote Job Entry|year=1968|url=http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/ibm/360/rje/C30-2006-1_Remote_Job_Entry_May68.pdf|access-date=2014-05-05}}</ref>

====pre-JES JECL====
Although the term had not yet been developed, [[Houston Automatic Spooling Priority|HASP]] did have similar functionality to what would become the JECL of [[Job Entry Subsystem 2/3|JES]], including <code>/*</code> syntax.

===z/OS===
For JES2 JECL statements start with <code>/*</code>, for JES3 they start with <code>//*</code>, except for remote &nbsp;<code>/*SIGNON</code>&nbsp; and &nbsp;<code>/*SIGNOFF</code>&nbsp; commands.  The commands for the two systems are completely different.

====JES2 JECL====
The following JES2 JECL statements are used in z/OS 1.2.0.<ref>{{cite web|last=IBM Corporation|title=Job Entry Subsystem 2 (JES2) Control Statements|url=http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/iea2b510/1.1.2?SHELF=EZ2ZO103&DT=20010626133938&CASE=|work=z/OS V1R2.0 MVS JCL|access-date=February 25, 2013|archive-date=October 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018201305/http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/iea2b510/1.1.2?SHELF=EZ2ZO103&DT=20010626133938&CASE=|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! JECL statement !! Function !! Example
|-
| <code>/*$''command''</code> || Enters an operator (console) command || <code>/*$S PRINTER3</code><ref>other examples can be viewed at [[Houston Automatic Spooling Priority#Operator Commands]]</ref>
|-
| <code>/*JOBPARM</code> || Specifies values for job-related parameters || <code>/*JOBPARM TIME=10</code>
|-
| <code>/*MESSAGE</code> || Sends a message to the operator console || <code>/*MESSAGE CALL JOE AT HOME IF JOB ABENDS</code>
|-
| <code>/*NETACCT</code> || Specifies account number for network job || <code>/*NETACCT 12345</code>
|-
| <code>/*NOTIFY</code> || Specifies destination for notification messages || <code>/*NOTIFY SAM</code>
|-
| <code>/*OUTPUT</code> || Specifies ''SYSOUT'' dataset options || <code>/*OUTPUT FORMS=BILL</code>
|-
| <code>/*PRIORITY</code> || Sets job selection priority || <code>/*PRIORITY 15</code>
|-
| <code>/*ROUTE</code> || Specifies output destination or execution node || <code>/*ROUTE PRT RMT5</code>
|-
| <code>/*SETUP</code> || Requests volume mounting or other offline operation || <code>/*SETUP TAPE01,TAPE02</code>
|-
| <code>/*SIGNOFF</code> || Ends remote session || <code>/*SIGNOFF</code>
|-
| <code>/*SIGNON</code> || Begins remote session || <code>/*SIGNON REMOTE5 ''password''</code>
|-
| <code>/*XEQ</code> || Specifies execution node || <code>/*XEQ DENVER</code>
|-
| <code>/*XMIT</code> || Indicates job or dataset to be transmitted to another network node || <code>/*XMIT NYC</code>
|}

====JES3 JECL====
The following JES3 JECL statements are used in z/OS 1.2.0<ref>{{cite web|last=IBM Corporation|title=Job Entry Subsystem 3 (JES3) Control Statements|url=http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/iea2b510/1.1.2?SHELF=EZ2ZO103&DT=20010626133938&CASE=|work=z/OS V1R2.0 MVS JCL|access-date=February 25, 2013|archive-date=October 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018201305/http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/iea2b510/1.1.2?SHELF=EZ2ZO103&DT=20010626133938&CASE=|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! JECL statement !! Function !! Example
|-
| <code>//**''command''</code> || Enters a JES3 operator (console) command ||
|-
| <code>//*DATASET</code> || Marks the beginning of an in-stream dataset ||
|-
| <code>//*ENDDATASET</code> || Marks the end of an in-stream dataset || 
|-
| <code>//*ENDPROCESS</code> || Marks the end of a series of &nbsp;<code>//*PROCESS</code>&nbsp; statements || 
|-
| <code>//*FORMAT</code> || Specifies &nbsp;<code>SYSOUT</code>&nbsp; dataset options || 
|-
| <code>//*MAIN</code> || Specifies values for job-related parameters ||
|-
| <code>//*NET</code> || Identifies relationships among jobs using JES3 ''dependent job control''  ||
|-
| <code>//*NETACCT</code> || Specifies account number for network job ||
|-
| <code>//*OPERATOR</code> || Sends a message to the operator console ||
|-
| <code>//*PAUSE</code> || Stops the input reader ||
|-
| <code>//*PROCESS</code> || Identifies a non-standard job ||
|-
| <code>//*ROUTE</code> || Specifies the execution node for the job ||
|-
| <code>/*SIGNOFF</code> || Ends remote session || <code>/*SIGNOFF</code>
|-
| <code>/*SIGNON</code> || Begins remote session ||
|}

===z/VSE===
For VSE JECL statements start with '<code>* $$</code>' (note the ''single'' space).  The Job Entry Control Language defines the start and end lines of JCL jobs. It advises [[VSE (operating system)|VSE]]/[[IBM POWER (software)|POWER]] how this job is handled. JECL statements define the job name (used by VSE/POWER), the class in which the job is processed, and the disposition of the job (i.e. <code>D</code>, <code>L</code>, <code>K</code>, <code>H</code>).

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! JECL statement<ref>{{cite book|last=IBM Corporation|title=DOS/VS POWER/VS Installation and Operations|year=1974|url=http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/ibm/370/DOS_VS/GC33-5403-1_DOS_VS_POWER_VS_Installation_and_Operation_Sep74.pdf}}</ref> !! Function !! Example
|-
| <code>* $$ CTL</code> || Establishes a default ''input class'' || <code>* $$ CTL CLASS=A</code>
|-
| <code>* $$ JOB</code> || Specifies attributes of a job || <code>* $$ JOB JNM=PYRL,PRI=9</code>
|-
| <code>* $$ EOJ</code> || Marks the end of a job || <code>* $$ EOJ</code>
|-
| <code>* $$ RDR</code> || Inserts a file from a 3540 diskette into the input stream || <code>* $$ RDR SYS005,'fname',2</code>
|-
| <code>* $$ PRT</code> || Specifies characteristics of spooled print files<br> "LST' is a synonym for "PRT" || <code>* $$ PRT FNO=STD,COPY=2</code>
|-
| <code>* $$ PUN</code> || Specifies characteristics of spooled punch files || <code>* $$&nbsp;PUN&nbsp;DISP=T,TADDR=280</code>
|-
| <code>* $$ SLI</code> || Inserts data ("book") from source statement library into the input stream|| <code>* $$ SLI A.JCL1</code>
|-
| <code>* $$ DATA</code> || Inserts data from the card reader into a book retrieved from the source statement library|| <code>* $$ DATA INPUT1</code>
|}

Example:
<syntaxhighlight lang="jcl">
* $$ JOB JNM=NAME,DISP=K,CLASS=2

[some JCL statements here]

* $$ EOJ
</syntaxhighlight>