REFDD parameter

Parameter type

Keyword, optional — use this parameter only with SMS

Without SMS, use the DCB=*.ddname form of the DCB parameter described in Subparameter definition.

Purpose

Use the REFDD parameter to specify attributes for a new data set by copying attributes of a data set defined on an earlier DD statement in the same job.

The following attributes are copied to the new data set from (1) the attributes specified on the referenced DD statement, and (2) for attributes not specified on the referenced DD statement, from the data class of the data set specified by the referenced DD statement:

Data set organization
- Record organization (RECORG) or
- Record format (RECFM)
Maximum number of generations for a version 2 PDSE (MAXGENS). This requires APAR OA42358.
Record length (LRECL)
Key length (KEYLEN)
Key offset (KEYOFF)
DSNTYPE (type, PDS, PDSE, basic format, extended format, large format or HFS)
For PDSE (LIBRARY) data sets, the VERSION attribute value is also copied.
Space allocation (AVGREC and SPACE)
If a data class with OVERRIDE SPACE(YES) is explicitly specified on the JCL, the SPACE attributes in the data class will take president over any other SPACE attributes specified either through JCL or in the modeled data set. See DATACLAS parameter for more details.

Only RECFM and LRECL apply to tape data sets.

REFDD does not copy DCB attributes from the data set label. See the DD LIKE parameter.

If SMS is not installed or is not active, the system checks the syntax and then ignores the REFDD parameter.

The retention period (RETPD) or expiration date (EXPDT) is not copied to the new data set.

Note: Do not use the REFDD parameter to copy attributes from a temporary data set (&&dsname), partitioned data set if a member name is included, and relative generation number for a GDG.