Specification/override of DFSORT options

Installation defaults discusses DFSORT's installation options and environments, and shows you how to use ICETOOL's DEFAULTS operator to list the installation defaults selected at your site.

Listed below are the places in DFSORT where you can specify various options that will override the IBM-supplied defaults. The sources for the options are listed in override order; that is, any option specified in a higher place in the list overrides one specified in a lower place.

Directly Invoked DFSORT

DFSPARM data set
- PARM options
- DEBUG and OPTION control statements
- Other control statements.
EXEC statement PARM options
SYSIN data set
- DEBUG and OPTION control statements
- Other control statements.
Installation options set with PARMLIB ICEPRMxx members (JCL, TSO or TDx).
Installation options set with ICEMAC (JCL, TSO or TDx).

Program Invoked DFSORT

DFSPARM data set
- PARM options
- DEBUG and OPTION control statements
- Other control statements.
SORTCNTL data set
- DEBUG and OPTION control statements
- Other control statements.
Parameter list
- DEBUG and OPTION control statements
- Other control statements.
Installation options set with PARMLIB ICEPRMxx members (INV, TSOINV or TDx).
Installation options set with ICEMAC (INV, TSO or TDx).

Note:

DFSORT's EXEC PARMs can be specified in the EXEC statement when DFSORT is directly invoked. For example:
```
//S1 EXEC PGM=ICEMAN,PARM='EQUALS,ABEND'
```
DFSORT's EXEC PARMs are ignored if DFSORT is invoked from a program.
DFSPARM PARMs can be specified in the DFSPARM data set when DFSORT is directly invoked or invoked from a program. For example:
```
//DFSPARM DD *
  EQUAL,ABEND 
```
DFSORT's control statements can be specified in the DFSPARM or SYSIN data set when DFSORT is directly invoked. At least one blank must precede the operation field (SORT, MERGE, INCLUDE, and so on). For example:
```
//SYSIN DD *
  SORT FIELDS=(5,4,CH,A)
  OPTION EQUALS
  DEBUG ABEND
```
DFSORT's control statements can be specified in the DFSPARM or SORTCNTL data set, or in the parameter list, when DFSORT is invoked from a program. At least one blank must precede the operation field (SORT, MERGE, INCLUDE, and so on). For example:
```
//SORTCNTL DD *
  SORT FIELDS=(5,4,CH,A)
  OPTION EQUALS
  DEBUG ABEND
```
For the DEBUG and OPTION statements, override is at the option level. For example, with:
```
//DFSPARM DD *
   OPTION EQUALS
//SYSIN DD *
   OPTION NOEQUALS,SKIPREC=50
```
EQUALS from DFSPARM overrides NOEQUALS from SYSIN, but SKIPREC=50 from SYSIN in not affected by the OPTION statement in DFSPARM, so both EQUALS and SKIPREC=50 will be used.
For control statements other than DEBUG and OPTION, override is at the statement level. For example, with:
```
//DFSPARM DD *
  MODS E15=(CHECK,4096,EXIT)
//SYSIN DD *
  MODS E35=(MOVE,2048,EXITX)
```
the MODS statement in DFSPARM completely overrides the MODS statement in SYSIN, so the E15 exit will be used, but the E35 exit will not.
An EFS program or an installation initialization exit (ICEIEXIT) routine can also be used to override options. ICEIEXIT changes override any corresponding changes made by an EFS program.
For OUTFIL statements, override is at the ddname level. See OUTFIL statements notes for details.