Comparison of SCLM and ISPF editors

The SCLM edit function provides an interface to the ISPF editor. For example, you can specify a profile name and an initial macro before editing a member. With the SCLM editor, you can lock or parse a member, create or update an accounting record, and specify change or authorization codes. Recursive editing is only allowed within the data set concatenation currently being edited. Therefore, the member name to edit must be supplied as part of the edit command (see EDIT command).

The parser supplied with SCLM does not recognize ISPF packed data. If the ISPF pack mode is on, the parser supplied with SCLM returns statistical values reflecting packed data. You must unpack the data before it is parsed by SCLM to obtain correct statistical values.

When editing parts controlled by SCLM, it is important to use the SCLM editor. The ISPF editor has a configuration table that supports three levels of awareness of SCLM-controlled parts if trying to edit SCLM-controlled parts with the ISPF editor (outside of SCLM):

No awareness: ISPF edit allows SCLM members to be edited, with no warning or message.
Warning Mode: ISPF edit displays an SCLM WARNING message when editing an SCLM-controlled member. However, the ISPF edit will continue.
Fail Mode: ISPF edit does not allow the edit to start on an SCLM-controlled member.
If the ISPF editor is operating in Fail Mode, edit recovery operates in Warning Mode for purposes of the recovery; you will be able to recover the member, and the SCLM WARNING message appears.

ISPF uses two checks to determine if a member is SCLM-controlled:

The SCLM flag for the member is on (this is set by SCLM SAVE)
A project.PROJDEFS.LOAD data set exists, where the high-level qualifier of the data set being edited is equal to project.

When the configuration table has Fail Mode set, only the first condition (a directory entry indicating the member was last edited by SCLM) results in the edit request being denied. If the member is not SCLM controlled by the first condition, the second condition is applied and can result in a warning message.