Date:         Tue, 30 Apr 1996 15:24:00 -0700
Reply-To:     "Igra, Amnon" <AIgra@ADMINSVCS.CORR.CA.GOV>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Igra, Amnon" <AIgra@ADMINSVCS.CORR.CA.GOV>
Subject:      Re: IEFBR14, the do-nothing MVS program

I used IEFBR14  earlier today to "pre-allocate" space for a SAS file.
 ----------
From: PHIL_G
To: Multiple recipients of list SAS-L
Subject: Re: IEFBR14, the do-nothing MVS program
Date: Tuesday, April 30, 1996 9:56AM
 
The old folks are reminiscing again ...
 
Tony Gutschmidt wrote about " ...  We're an MVS shop and I use a utility
called IEFBR14.  I believe it's a standard IBM utility that comes with MVS.
It will delete a dataset if it exists.  If the dataset doesn't exist I think
it creates a temporary dataset then deletes that.  ..."
 
    An old (long time ago) MVS user remembers IEFBR14 a bit differently.
    (Note that this is all from memory because either 1) a Yankee scalawag
    sabotaged our IBM 370 to prevent the South from rising again or 2) a
    Rebel patriot sabotaged our IBM 370 to keep the scalawags from taking
    over - all this happened last year, and the machine and manuals are
    gone forever!)  IEFBR14 was the original "do-nothing" IBM utility
program.
    I was told it was a three statement loop of the form "sit in wait, check
    for interrupts, go back to wait".  In any event, IEFBR14 is (using OS
    jargon) a minimal "program" that provides one the opportunity to use
    one or more DD-cards - which must reside within the scope of an
EXEC-card.
    IEFBR14 was the cheapest EXEC card program that the IBM engineers could
    produce for ordinary users.  All the deleting (or creating, for that
    matter) is a function of what one puts in the DISP= portion of the
    DD-cards that fall within the scope of the //STEPN  EXEC  PGM=IEFBR14
    card.
 
    Subtle difference - probably doesn't make much difference to most folks,
    but the action is all in the DD-cards, whereas the IEFBR14 card merely
    (!) permits the DD-cards to exist.  I guess you've got to be in a
rocking
    chair to care.  Goodbye, 370.  <:-(
 
                                               Phil Gallagher