TEST | NOTEST

TEST specifies the conditions under which a debug tool (such as the Debug Tool supplied with z/OS) assumes control when the user application is being initialized. Parameters of the TEST and NOTEST runtime options are merged as one set of parameters.

The default value for non-CICS applications is NOTEST(ALL,*,PROMPT,INSPPREF).

The default value for CICS® applications is NOTEST(ALL,*,PROMPT,INSPPREF).

The default value for AMODE 64 applications is NOTEST(ALL,*,PROMPT,INSPPREF).

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Syntax

   .-NOTest-.     .-ALL---.                            
>>-+-TESt---+--(--+-------+--,--+---------------+--,------------>
                  +-ERROR-+     +-commands_file-+      
                  '-NONE--'     '-*-------------'      

   .-PROMPT---.     .-INSPPREF--------.      
>--+----------+--,--+-----------------+--)---------------------><
   +-NOPROMPT-+     +-preference_file-+      
   +-*--------+     '-*---------------'      
   +-;--------+                              
   '-command--'                              
ALL
Specifies that any of the following causes the debug tool to gain control even without a defined AT OCCURRENCE for a particular condition or AT TERMINATION:
  • The ATTENTION function
  • Any Language Environment condition of severity 1 or above
  • Application termination
ERROR
Specifies that only one of the following causes the debug tool to gain control without a defined AT OCCURRENCE for a particular condition or AT TERMINATION:
  • The ATTENTION function
  • Any Language Environment-defined error condition of severity 2 or higher
  • Application termination
NONE
Specifies that no condition causes the debug tool to gain control without a defined AT OCCURRENCE for a particular condition or AT TERMINATION.
commands_file
A valid ddname, data set name (MVS™), or file name (CMS), specifying the primary commands file for this run. If you do not specify this parameter all requests for commands go to the user terminal.

You can enclose commands_file in single or double quotation marks to distinguish it from the rest of the TEST | NOTEST suboption list. It can have a maximum length of 80 characters. If the data set name provided can be interpreted as a ddname, it must be preceded by a slash (/). The slash and data set name must be enclosed in quotation marks.

A primary commands file is required when running in a batch environment.

* (asterisk—in place of commands_file)
Specifies that no commands_file is supplied. The terminal, if available, is used as the source of the debug tool commands.
PROMPT
Specifies that the debug tool is invoked at Language Environment initialization.
NOPROMPT
Specifies that the debug tool is not invoked at Language Environment initialization.
* (asterisk—in place of PROMPT/NOPROMPT)
Specifies that the debug tool is not invoked at Language Environment initialization; equivalent to NOPROMPT.
; (semicolon—in place of PROMPT/NOPROMPT)
Specifies that the debug tool is invoked at Language Environment initialization; equivalent to PROMPT.
command
A character string that specifies a valid debug tool command. The command list can be enclosed in single or double quotation marks to distinguish it from the rest of the TEST parameter list; it cannot contain DBCS characters. Quotation marks are needed whenever the command list contains embedded blanks, commas, semicolons, or parentheses. The list can have a maximum of 250 characters.
INSPPREF
Specifies the default setting for preference_file.
preference_file
A valid ddname, data set name (MVS), or file name (CMS), specifying the preference file to be used. A preference file is a type of commands file that you can use to specify settings for your debugging environment. It is analogous to creating a profile for a text editor, or initializing a terminal session.

You can enclose preference_file in single or double quotation marks to distinguish it from the rest of the TEST parameter list. It can have a maximum of 80 characters.

If a specified data set name could be interpreted as a ddname, it must be preceded by a slash (/). The slash and data set name must be enclosed in quotation marks.

* (asterisk—in place of preference_file)
Specifies that no preference_file is supplied.

z/OS® UNIX considerations

Language Environment honors the initial command string before the main routine runs on the initial thread.

The test level (ALL, ERROR, NONE) applies to the enclave.

Language Environment honors the preference file when the debug tool is initialized, regardless of which thread first requests the debug tool services.

Usage notes

  • You can specify parameters on the NOTEST option. If NOTEST is in effect when the application gains control, it is interpreted as TEST(NONE,,*,). If Debug Tool is initialized using a CALL CEETEST or equivalent, the initial test level, the initial commands_file, and the initial preference_file are taken from the NOTEST runtime option setting.

Performance consideration

To improve performance, use this option only while debugging.

For more information

See Debug Tool publications for details and examples of the TEST runtime option as it relates to Debug Tool.

Parent topic: Using the Language Environment runtime options