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Milind · Beginner Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 26 Topics: 20

Hi All,

We can delete a sequential file using IEFBR14 and also by using IDCAMS command. I want to know which one is the better and why?

Thanks in advance,

Milind Deshmukh

kolusu · Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 9:10 am Post subject:

Milind,

IEFBR14 is dummy program. You will always get a return code of zero irrespective of the cond code. IDCAMS on the other hand gives specific condition codes which can be used later. So I would suggest that you use IDCAMS instead of IEFBR14.

Hope this helps...

Cheers

Kolusu
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Cogito-Ergo-Sum · Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 2:51 am Post subject:

With IEFBR14 you do not delete a dataset. In fact, with IEFBR14 you do not do anything. It is, as Kolusu says, a dummy program. The delete is actually done by the JCL DISP parameter. You would code DISP=(MOD,DELETE) to do so. Since the normal disposition is DELETE, once the step is over, the file is deleted for you.

Whereas IDCAMS is a program that is used to invoke a lot of TSO commands in batch; DELETE being one of them. Setting of RC (as pointed by Kolusu above) is one good thing about.

Finally, if a dataset is migrated, then with IEFBR14, a recall is done before delete. But, IDCAMS does not do the recall.
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