Tutorial: JCL

JCL applications written to run on a z/OS or VSE mainframe can be run on Enterprise Server. In this tutorial, you use Enterprise Developer to create and build a JCL application project, and create a JES-enabled enterprise server region on which to run the compiled application by submitting a JCL job. You then view the job progress, and spool queues and catalog results, all from within the Enterprise Developer IDE.

This is tutorial intended both as an introduction to using JCL with the Enterprise Developer and Enterprise Server environments and as an Installation Verification Procedure (IVP) to confirm that JCL support is correctly installed.

Assumptions

This tutorial is written from the perspective that all of the following is true. Specific instructions for setting up your environment to adhere to these assumptions is found in the Before you begin this tutorial section that follows:

  • Windows File Explorer is set to show file names and extensions.
  • You are running the latest version of Micro Focus Enterprise Developer, which has been installed on your local machine using default installation settings.
  • Enterprise Developer is started on your local machine, and the appropriate Perspective and View are open..
  • Eclipse options are set to build projects automatically.
  • Eclipse Enterprise Server preferences have been set to automatically start and stop the associated enterprise server region when debugging, and dynamic debugging is enabled.
  • You have addressed all of the items in the Before you begin this tutorial section below.

Before you begin this tutorial

Before beginning, be sure you have addressed each of the following items:

Set Windows File Explorer options
These tutorials assume that your Windows File Explorer options are set to use the Details layout, and to show file name extensions. See your Windows documentation for more information.
Start Enterprise Developer
Start Enterprise Developer using the default workspace, which is %USERPROFILE%\eclipse-workspace. If you need instructions to get Enterprise Developer started on your local machine, see To start Enterprise Developer.
Note: If Visual Studio prompts you on startup to select an initial action, click Continue without code.
Open the Team Developer Perspective and Application Explorer View in Eclipse
When you start Enterprise Developer for the first time, the Team Developer perspective starts automatically by default, and shows the Application Explorer view. If this is not the case, open the Team Developer perspective as follows:
  1. From the Eclipse IDE, click Open Perspective Open Perspective.
  2. On the Open Perspective dialog box, select Team Developer (default), and then click Open.

In addition, the Enterprise Development Projects system should be loaded in the Application Explorer view. To confirm this:

  • In the Application Explorer view, you should see the Enterprise Developer system. If the system is not shown, to load it:
    1. Right-click in the Application Explorer view, and then click Add System(s).
    2. In the Add System(s) dialog box, select ED System and click OK.
    3. Expand the top-level Enterprise Developer entry in the Application Explorer view.
    4. Right-click Enterprise Development Projects; then click Load Application.
  • Otherwise, expand the Enterprise Developer system. An entry titled Enterprise Development Projects should appear indicating that the system is loaded.
Set Eclipse to build automatically
By default, the Eclipse Build Automatically option is turned on, which means that Eclipse builds a project automatically each time a change is made. To ensure that this Build Automatically is turned on:
  1. From the Eclipse Main Menu, click Project.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • If the Build Automatically menu option has a check mark to its left, it is already turned on. No further action is required.
    • If the Build Automatically menu option does not have a check mark to its left, click the option to turn it on.
Set Enterprise Server debug options
  1. From the Eclipse main menu, click Window > Preferences.
  2. In the left pane, expand Micro Focus, and click Enterprise Server.
  3. Set the following options to Always, and then click Apply and Close:
    • Automatically start the associated server
    • Automatically stop servers started by Eclipse when closing Eclipse
    • Automatically enable dynamic debugging

Demonstration application - JCLDEMO

The JCLDEMO demonstration application consists of the following source files:

ESJCL.jcl
JCL that runs the JCLTEST job, which performs the following tasks:
  • Using the IDCAMS utility, deletes any previous instance of the data set created by executing the JCLCREAT program
  • Executes the JCLCREAT COBOL program
  • Using the IEBGENER utility, populates a temporary data set
  • Executes the JCLREAD COBOL program
JCLCREAT.cbl
A COBOL program that creates and populates a simple data set.
JCLREAD.cbl
A COBOL program that writes the contents of the temporary data set to SYSOUT.

Sequence

To complete this tutorial, progress through these topics in the order presented here. The bottom of each topic provides Next topic and Previous topic navigational links to help you proceed in the proper sequence:

  1. Set Up the JCLDEMO Project
    Walks you through the process of creating a native mainframe COBOL project comprising all of the components required to run the JCLDEMO application.
  2. Set Up the ESJCL Enterprise Server Region
    Provides step-by-step instructions to create and configure a JES-enabled enterprise server region that runs JCL jobs.
  3. Run the ESJCL Job
    Provides instructions for submitting the ESJCL job to the ESJCL enterprise server region from the JCLDEMO project, and viewing the resulting spool queue and catalog.
  4. Debug JCLDEMO
    From within the IDE, you can debug the COBOL program as it runs on the enterprise server.
Parent topic: Mainframe Tutorials
Related tasks
To start Enterprise Developer