Choosing the name of a data space

The names of data spaces and hiperspaces must be unique within an address space. You have a choice of choosing the name yourself or asking the system to generate a unique name. To keep you from choosing names that it uses, MVS™ has some specific rules for you to follow. These rules are listed in the DSPSERV description under the NAME parameter in z/OS MVS Programming: Assembler Services Reference ABE-HSP.

Use the GENNAME parameter to ask the system to generate a unique name. GENNAME=YES generates a unique name that has, as its last one to three characters, the first one to three characters of the name you specify on the NAME parameter.

Example 1: If PAY␢␢␢␢␢ is the name you supply on the NAME parameter and you code GENNAME=YES, the system generates the following name:

nccccPAY

where the system generates the digit n and the characters cccc, and appends the characters PAY that you supplied.

Example 2: If J␢␢␢␢␢␢␢ is the name you supply on the NAME parameter and you code GENNAME=YES, the system generates the following name:

nccccJ

GENNAME=COND checks the name you supply on the NAME parameter. If it is already used for a data space or a hiperspace, DSPSERV supplies a name with the format described for the GENNAME=YES parameter.

To learn the unique name that the system generates for the data space or hiperspace you are creating, use the OUTNAME parameter.