The ISPF Data Set List utility

z/OS® users typically use the ISPF Data Set List utility to work with data sets.

To access this utility from the ISPF Primary Option Menu, select Utilities, then select Dslist to display the Utility Selection Panel, which is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Using the Data Set List utility

Menu  RefList  RefMode  Utilities  Help
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Data Set List Utility
Option ===> ____________________________________________________________

  blank Display data set list               P Print data set list
      V Display VTOC information           PV Print VTOC information

Enter one or both of the parameters below:
  Dsname Level . . .  ZUSER_______________________________
   Volume serial  . .  ______
Data set list options
   Initial View . . . 1  1. Volume       Enter "/" to select option
                         2. Space        /  Confirm Data Set Delete
                         3. Attrib       /  Confirm Member Delete
                         4. Total        /  Include Additional Qualifiers

When the data set list is displayed, enter either:
  "/" on the data set list command field for the command promptpop-up,
  an ISPF line command, the name of a TSO command, CLIST, or REXX exec, or
  "=" to execute the previous command.
 
F1=Help F2=Split F3=Exit F7=Backward  F8=Forward F9=Swap F10=Actions  F12=Cancel

In the panel, you can use the Dsname Level data entry field to locate and list data sets. To search for one data set in particular, enter the complete (or fully qualified) data set name. To search for a range of data sets, such as all data sets sharing a common HLQ, enter only the HLQ in the Dsname Level field.

Qualifiers can be specified fully, partially, or defaulted. At least one qualifier must be partially specified. To search for a portion of a name, specify an asterisk (*) before or after part of a data set name. Doing so will cause the utility to return all data sets that match the search criteria. Avoid searching on * alone, because TSO has many places to search in z/OS so this could take quite awhile.

In the majority of ISPF panels, a fully qualified data set name needs to be enclosed in single quotes. Data set names not enclosed in single quotes will, by default, be prefixed with a high level qualifier specified in the TSO PROFILE. This default can be changed using the PROFILE PREFIX command. In addition, an exception is ISPF option 3.4 DSLIST; do not enclose Dsname Level in quotes on this panel.

For example, if you enter ZUSER in the Dsname field, the utility lists all data sets with ZUSER as a high-level qualifier. The resulting list of data set names (see Figure 2) allows the user to edit or browse the contents of any data set in the list.

Figure 2. Data Set List results for dsname ZUSER

Menu  Options  View  Utilities  Compilers  Help
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DSLIST - Data Sets Matching ZUSER                          Row 1 of 4
Command ===>                                                  Scroll ===> PAGE

Command - Enter "/" to select action                  Message          Volume
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       ZUSER                                                   *ALIAS
       ZUSER.JCL.CNTL                                          SMITH1
       ZUSER.LIB.SOURCE                                        SMITH1
       ZUSER.PROGRAM.CNTL                                      SMITH1
       ZUSER.PROGRAM.LOAD                                      SMITH1
       ZUSER.PROGRAM.SRC                                       SMITH1
***************************** End of Data Set list****************************


F1=Help F2=Split F3=Exit F5=Rfind F7=Up F8=Down F9=Swap F10=Left F11=Right F12=Cancel

To see all of the possible actions you might take for a given data set, specify a forward slash (/) in the command column to the left of the data set name. ISPF will display a list of possible actions, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Displaying the Data Set List actions

Menu  Options  View  Utilities  Compilers  Help
- +---------------------------------------------------------------+----------
D !                    Data Set List Actions                      ! Row 1 of 4
C !                                                               !  ===> PAGE
  ! Data Set: ZUSER.PROGRAM.CNTL                                  !
C !                                                               !    Volume
- ! DSLIST Action                                                 !-----------
  ! __  1.  Edit                     12. Compress                 !    *ALIAS
/ !     2.  View                     13. Free                     !    SMITH1
  !     3.  Browse                   14. Print Index              !    SMITH1
  !     4.  Member List              15. Reset                    !    SMITH1
* !     5.  Delete                   16. Move                     !***********
  !     6.  Rename                   17. Copy                     !
  !     7.  Info                     18. Refadd                   !
  !     8.  Short Info               19. Exclude                  !
  !     9.  Print                    20. Unexclude 'NX'           !
  !     10. Catalog                  21. Unexclude first 'NXF'    !
  !     11. Uncatalog                22. Unexclude last 'NXL'     !
  !                                                               !
  ! Select a choice and press ENTER to process data set action.   !
  !  F1=Help        F2=Split       F3=Exit        F7=Backward     !
  !  F8=Forward     F9=Swap       F12=Cancel                      !
  +---------------------------------------------------------------+

F1=Help F2=Split F3=Exit F5=Rfind F7=Up F8=Down F9=Swap F10=Left F11=Right F12=Cancel