Dsname level

This field is used to specify the level or levels of any data set that you want ISPF to list or print for you. An optional installation exit, called the data set list (DSLIST) exit, can control whether a data set name should appear in the list. See z/OS ISPF Planning and Customizing for more information about this exit.

When you specify the Dsname Level, you are defining the level qualifiers for the data set names to be included in the list. Therefore, in Figure 1, the value PDFTOOL.COMMON represents the first two levels of a data set name. An ISPF library typically has a three-level name: project, group, and type.

The Dsname Level field supports the inclusion of system symbols.

ISPF retains the information you put in this field and displays it the next time you use this panel.

Except for the first level, you can specify the level qualifiers fully, partially, or use defaults. Do not enclose the value in the Dsname Level field in quotes.

Asterisks and percent signs may be used to filter the list of data sets that is displayed. For ICF catalog lists and volume lists, asterisks and percent signs may be used in the high-level qualifier. Asterisks may be used anywhere in a qualifier, not just in the first and last positions. However, one qualifier must be at least partially qualified.

A single asterisk by itself indicates that at least one qualifier is needed to occupy that position. A single asterisk within a qualifier indicates that zero or more characters can occupy that position. A double asterisk by itself indicates that zero or more qualifiers can occupy that position. A double asterisk is invalid within a qualifier.

In this example, all data set names with SYS1 as the first qualifier and at least one other qualifier will be listed.

SYS1.*

In this example, all data set names with SYS1 as the first qualifier will be listed.

SYS1 or SYS1.**

In this example, all data set names that have a qualifier of CLIST and are in catalogs that you have authority to will be listed. A VTOC list will contain all data set names that have a qualifier of CLIST.

**.CLIST

Note:

If you enter a high-level qualifier of '*' or '**', ISPF displays a pop-up window to warn you that the search will be for all catalogs on the system and will take time. If there are many catalogs, this search could take a considerable amount of time. You can press Enter to continue the search, or you can enter Cancel or End from the pop-up window to cancel the search. Be aware that if you have mount authority, a catalog search with '*' or '**' as the high-level qualifier can require that volumes be mounted for the catalogs to be searched.
The ISPF Configuration table contains a selectable option, named DISALLOW_WILDCARDS_IN_HLQ, to disallow the use of the '*' or '%' in the high-level qualifier.
If the first character of the dsname level is a dot(.), tilde (~) or forward slash (/), the string is passed unchanged to UDLIST. No exits or other processing normally associated with the Data Set List Utility is performed.

A single percent sign indicates that any one single alphanumeric or national character can occupy that position. One to eight percent signs can be specified in each qualifier. This example is valid for Dsname Level:

AAA%*.B*%%%B.C

In this example, the list will contain all data sets that start with AAA and one or more other characters, have a second qualifier that starts and ends with B and has at least three other characters between the B's, and have a third qualifier of 'C'. The list will contain entries from catalogs that you have authority to. A VTOC list will contain entries that match these characteristics.

In this example, the list will contain all data sets that start with SYS and one other character, such as SYS1 or SYS2.

SYS%

If you enter a SYS% alias for a SYS1 data set as the Dsname Level (for example, SYSP as a single qualifier), you see SYSP as an ALIAS because this single qualifier is an alias for SYS1. The data set names pointed to by a SYS% alias can be displayed in a data set list by entering any of these:

a Dsname Level of SYS1 and a volume
a Dsname Level of SYS%
a Dsname Level of the fully qualified data set name (such as SYSP.PARMLIB)

PRO**CT is not valid as a data set name level because a double asterisk (**) is not valid in the middle of a qualifier.

Alias names that match the specified Dsname Level will be displayed as the alias name itself. The volume field for all alias names will contain the characters '*ALIAS' to indicate this. Real names that match the Dsname Level will also be displayed.

If you enter ISPFTEST as a Dsname Level and you have real data set names that start with ISPFTEST and aliases for those real names that start with ISPFTEST, you would see a list of this format:

ISPFTEST.BASE.CLIST                         TSOPK1
ISPFTEST.BASE.CLIST.ALIAS                   *ALIAS
ISPFTEST.BASE.SOURCE                        TSOPK1
ISPFTEST.BASE.SOURCE.ALIAS                  *ALIAS

A VSAM cluster entry is flagged in the volume field as '*VSAM*'. A VSAM path entry is flagged in the volume field as '*PATH*'. A VSAM alternate index entry is flagged in the volume field as '*AIX*'.

Note:

A catalog search may result in the DSLIST containing duplicate names. This can occur when the definition of user catalog aliases results in multiple catalogs being searched when the data set list is built. Line commands against duplicate data sets in the DSLIST are supported. Selecting the "Display Catalog Name" option will display the name of the catalog associated with each data set on the Total view. This can identify where duplicate data set names were found. The existence of duplicates may be inconsistent when changing the DSLEVEL qualifiers. For example, SYS1.PARM.* may have different results than SYS1.PAR*. Duplicate entries may or may not display in a consistent manner, however the DSLIST will always be complete, with no omissions.
If a VSAM cluster matches the Dsname Level, all parts of the cluster are listed even if the data and index portions do not match the Dsname Level.
When a multicluster (key-range) data portion of a VSAM cluster is displayed on a catalog list, no information is shown except for the volume and device. The information comes from the VTOC and the catalog name does not match the VTOC name. When using a VTOC list the information is displayed.