To qualify data set names, use asterisks and percent signs as global file-name characters within a qualifier:

• Use a percent sign as a global file-name character for a single position:

  Data Set Name   ===> TEST%

  ISMF selects data sets whose name is exactly five characters and starts with the letters TEST. This example could include TEST1 to TEST9 or TESTA to TESTZ, or both.
• Use an asterisk as a global file-name character for zero or more characters.
  For example, when you specify the following data set name, ISMF selects data sets whose name consists of only one qualifier and begins with the letters TEST. This could include: TEST, TESTX, and TEST1 through TEST1000:

  Data Set Name  ===> TEST*

• When specifying a data set name, use a double asterisk as a global file-name character for any number of qualifiers. A qualifier is one of the parts connected by periods that constitute a data set name. A data set name consists of one or more qualifiers.

For example, when you specify the following partial data set name, ISMF selects data sets with any number of qualifiers:

Data Set Name  ===> 'SYS1.**'

The first qualifier must be SYS1. The other qualifiers can be anything. ISMF could select the following data sets: SYS1.TEST.TEST, SYS1.LIST.XMP, SYS1.MEMO.EMPL.A.

You can use and mix several global file-name characters to qualify data sets. For example:

Data Set Name   ===> 'SYS*%.B*%%%%%.C'

In the first qualifier, SYS*%, the percent sign means that there must be at least one character after the letters SYS. In the second qualifier, B*%%%%%, the five percent signs mean that there must be at least five characters after the letter B. The asterisk between the letter B and the first percent sign indicates that zero or more characters can be inserted in this position.