PRINTDS command operands

DATASET(dsname) | DSNAME(dsname)

specifies either one or more data sets or members to be printed. If you do not specify DATASET, DSNAME, FILE, or DDNAME, the system prompts you to enter the name. The data set name must include the descriptive (rightmost) qualifier and can contain a member name in parentheses.

If the data set is password protected, suffix the data set name with a slash (/) and the password.

The data set must have a data set organization of PO or POU for partitioned or partitioned unmovable, PS or PSU for sequential or sequential unmovable, record formats of fixed or variable, and logical record length not greater than 32,760.

Spanned records or records with track overflow are not supported. You can specify up to 255 data sets.

Either DATASET, or DSNAME, or FILE, or DDNAME is required. If you do not specify FILE, DDNAME, DATASET, or DSNAME, the system prompts you to enter the name.

FILE(file_name) | DDNAME(file_name)

specifies the name of the file to be printed. The data sets within the concatenation are printed as if you had specified the DATASET operand followed by the list of the data set names that make up the file.

You cannot use the FILE operand to print a data set that is protected by a READ password. Use the DATASET or DSNAME operand.

Either FILE, or DDNAME, or DATASET, or DSNAME is required. If you do not specify FILE, DDNAME, DATASET, or DSNAME, the system prompts you to enter the name.

BIND(columns) | LMARGIN(columns)

specifies the number of columns that the output is to be shifted to the right. LMARGIN is an alias for BIND. You can specify between 0 to 255 columns. If you print a partitioned data set, the BIND or LMARGIN value applies only when members are printed. The system ignores the BIND value when the directory portion of the partitioned data set is printed.

Do not use LMARGIN with page mode data. An error occurs if LMARGIN is specified with page mode data.

BIND(0) is the default. A non-zero BIND value is mutually exclusive with the DIRECTORY operand.

BMARGIN(lines)

specifies the number of blank lines to be left at the bottom of each printed page. You can specify a minimum of 0 lines, and a maximum of 6 lines less than the value specified or defaulted for the PAGELEN operand.

BMARGIN(0) is the default. A non-zero BMARGIN value is mutually exclusive with the CCHAR or DIRECTORY operand.

BURST | NOBURST

specifies whether 3800 output is to be bursted into separate sheets. BURST or NOBURST is allowed only when you print data to a SYSOUT data set. Therefore, you cannot specify BURST or NOBURST when you specify the TODATASET operand.

NOBURST: specifies that the printed output is to be in continuous fanfold pages.
NOBURST: is the default for a SYSOUT data set.

CCHAR | SINGLE | DOUBLE | TRIPLE

CCHAR: specifies that ANSI or machine code spacing control characters existing in the data set are to be used for inter-record spacing. If you specify CCHAR, the system assumes the default of NOTITLE.
SINGLE: specifies that all non-blank lines from the input data set are to be printed with single spacing.
DOUBLE: specifies that all non-blank lines from the input data set are to be printed with double spacing.
TRIPLE: specifies that all non-blank lines from the input data set are to be printed with triple spacing. If you specify SINGLE, DOUBLE, or TRIPLE, the system ignores blank lines from the input data set.

If you specify CCHAR, SINGLE, DOUBLE, or TRIPLE, the record format recorded in the data set's DSCB is not used to determine the carriage control type in the input. Instead, the first character in the first record of each input data set or member is examined to determine the type of carriage control. If it is a valid machine carriage control character, then the entire data set or member is assumed to have machine carriage control spacing. Otherwise, ANSI carriage control spacing is assumed.

If you do not specify CCHAR, SINGLE, DOUBLE, or TRIPLE, the record format recorded in the data set's DSCB indicates whether the data set contains carriage control characters, and if so, the type.

If you do not specify CCHAR, PRINTDS determines the type of data set (ANSI or MCC) from the DSCB.

If you specify CCHAR, PRINTDS checks if the data set contains a valid MCC code. If it does not find a valid MCC, PRINTDS treats the data set as an ANSI type data set.

Do not specify SINGLE, DOUBLE, or TRIPLE for an input data set that contains ANSI or machine carriage control characters because the inter-record spacing for such a data set is under control of the carriage control characters within the data set.

If you use the COLUMNS, NUM, or SNUM operands with CCHAR, column 1 refers to the first character after the carriage control character. If you specify the TRC operand, then column 1 is the first character after the table reference character.

Table 1 contains the valid machine printer carriage control characters.

Table 1. Valid machine printer carriage control characters
Print line and then act	Action	Act immediately and do not print
--	NOOP (Comment line, no print)	X'03'
X'01'	Print only (no space)	--
X'09'	Space 1 line	X'0B'
X'11'	Space 2 lines	X'13'
X'19'	Space 3 lines	X'1B'
X'89'	Skip to channel 1	X'8B'
X'91'	Skip to channel 2	X'93'
X'99'	Skip to channel 3	X'9B'
X'A1'	Skip to channel 4	X'A3'
X'A9'	Skip to channel 5	X'AB'
X'B1'	Skip to channel 6	X'B3'
X'B9'	Skip to channel 7	X'BB'
X'C1'	Skip to channel 8	X'C3'
X'C9'	Skip to channel 9	X'CB'
X'D1'	Skip to channel 10	X'D3'
X'D9'	Skip to channel 11	X'DB'
X'E1'	Skip to channel 12	X'E3'
X'5A'	Defines page mode line of data	--

CHARS(character_name{,…})

specifies the name of the character arrangement table (font). You can specify up to four fonts. Specify 1 to 4 alphabetic, numeric, or special characters #, $, or @ for the font. If you specify CHARS, the system assumes the TRC operand, not the default of NOTRC.

Note: To define a single font to be used to print a data set that contains no TRC codes, specify CHARS. To prevent the system from interpreting the first character of each printed line as a TRC code, also specify NOTRC.

CLASS(output_class) | SYSOUT(output_class)

specifies the output class JES is to use for processing the specified data set. Valid output classes are characters A-Z or 0-9. The default output class is A. SYSOUT is an alias for CLASS.

COLUMNS(start_1[: end_1[,start_2: end_2,…]]

specifies the columns of the data set to printed. You can specify the columns as pairs of numbers in the format start:end. If you do not specify end, the system assumes the last column of the input as end. You can specify up to 32 column pairs.

If your input data set contains a carriage control character or a table reference character (TRC), column 1 refers to the first character position after the carriage control character or the table reference character.

COPIES(nnn[,(group_value,…)])

specifies the number of copies to be printed for the data set. The number of copies, nnn, can range from 1 to 255, subject to an installation limit.

If you specify group values, the system ignores the individual value, nnn, for the 3800 printer. The group values describe how the printed copies are to be grouped (3800 printer only). Each group value specifies the number of copies of each page that are to be grouped together. You can specify up to 8 group values. For example, a group value of 3 causes the first page of a data set to be printed three times before printing is started for the second page, which might also be printed three times, and so forth.

COPIES(1) is the default value for a SYSOUT data set.

DCF | NODCF

specifies whether the font information is to be extracted from the first line of a DCF formatted data set. For example,

SCRIPT/VS Rx.x.x;  DEVICE device CHARS font1 (… font4)

The system finds and uses the font information when the data set is printed. If it is page mode data, the device and font information will not be extracted.

NODCF specifies that the font information is not to be extracted from the data set.

If you specify DCF, the system assumes NOTITLE. If you specify DCF and the data set is found to have been formatted by DCF, then machine carriage control spacing is also assumed. However, if you specify DCF and the data set is not formatted by DCF, the system ignores the DCF operand. DCF is the default for a SYSOUT data set.

If you specify DCF and the FILE operand, the first line of each data set within the file concatenation is examined for the DCF information. The data sets making up the file are processed as if you had specified a list of separate data sets.

If DCF is specified or defaulted and the first record of the data set indicates that the data has been formatted by DCF for a 1403 printer, the system assumes NOTRC unless you specified TRC. In all other cases, DCF data sets are assumed to have been formatted with TRC characters unless you had explicitly specified NOTRC.

Note: If you specify DCF, the input data set might not have been formatted by the Document Composition Facility. PRINTDS checks only the first record to determine whether the data set should be processed as a DCF data set. If you specify NODCF, PRINTDS does not check the data set.

DEST{destination | destination.user_id}

specifies the destination of a remote workstation or a user at a specific remote workstation to which the output is routed for processing. You can specify from 1 to 8 characters for either destination or user_id.

For information about the destination format systemname.printername, see z/OS JES2 Initialization and Tuning Guide.

Or, if you specified a default destination in the SYS1.UADS data set, the DEST output descriptor overrides the destination in SYS1.UADS. See z/OS JES3 Initialization and Tuning Guide.

FCB(fcb_name)

specifies the name of the forms control buffer (FCB) image to be used for the 3211, 3203-5, 3262, 4248, 6262, or 3800 printers. The name of the FCB is a 1 to 4 alphanumeric character string consisting of the last characters of the following:

FCB2xxxx member for the channel attached line printers (3203, 3211, 3262, 4245. 4248, 6262) or printers supported by System Network Architecture (SNA)
FCB3xxxx member for the 3800 printer.
FCB4xxx member for the 3262, 4248 or 6262 printer

Your installation supplies a default for the SYSOUT class or for the printers.

FLASH(overlay_name[,copies])

specifies the name of a forms overlay, which can be used by the 3800 Printing Subsystem. The overlay is "flashed" on a form or other printed information over each page of output. The forms overlay_name must be 1 to 4 alphabetic, numeric, or special characters #, $, or @. Optionally, you can specify the number of copies on which the overlay is to be printed. The count can range from 0 to 255. To flash no copies, specify a count of zero.

FOLD(width) | TRUNCATE(width)

specifies the length of the printed line if the input line is longer than the output line.

FOLD: specifies that width is the maximum length of the output line. Records that are too long to be printed within that length are wrapped around onto subsequent lines.
TRUNCATE: specifies that width is the maximum length of the output line. Records that are too long to be printed within that length are truncated to fit on one line.

If the input data set contains carriage control characters, the data being folded or truncated begins after the carriage control character. If the input data set has a table reference character, or a carriage control character and table reference character, the data being folded or truncated begins after the table reference character.

FORMS(forms_name)

specifies the name of the form on which the output is to be printed. Specify 1 to 4 alphabetic, numeric, or the special characters #, $, or @ for the forms name.

HOLD | NOHOLD

HOLD: specifies whether the output is to be held in the JES held output queue. NOHOLD specifies that the output be made available for printing immediately.
NOHOLD: is the default for a SYSOUT data set.

LINES(line_number_1[: line_number_2])

specifies the range of lines to be printed, either in:

Embedded line number fields using the NUM or SNUM operand, or
Relative records using the NONUM operand.

If you specify the first line number value only, printing continues from that line to the last line of the data set. Only lines with line number values within the specified range are printed. For example, LINES(10:20) causes the 10th through 20th lines of the data set to be printed. However, if the data set has at least 10 lines, but fewer than 20 lines, all lines from the 10th to the end of the data set are printed. If the data set has fewer than 10 lines, no lines are printed.

The line number values you specify for LINES are used for each printed data set. For example, LINES(1:10) prints the first 10 lines of every sequential data set and member specified. It also prints the first 10 lines of each member for every partitioned data set specified.

MEMBERS | DIRECTORY | ALL

specifies which portion of a partitioned data set is to be printed.

MEMBERS: specifies that the system is to print only the data contained in the members of the indicated partitioned data set, without the directory. The system prints the members in alphabetical order.
DIRECTORY: specifies that the system is to print only the directory.
ALL: specifies that the system is to print both the data contained in the members and the directory. The members are printed first followed by the directory. ALL is the default.

If you specify MEMBERS, DIRECTORY, or ALL when printing a sequential data set or a specific member of a partitioned data set, the system ignores these operands. If you print a partitioned data set with the ALL operand, you can specify certain operands that are normally not allowed when you specify DIRECTORY. The following operands affect the formatting and printing of members of partitioned data sets, but not the directory:

BIND
COLUMNS
DCF or NODCF
FOLD or TRUNCATE
LINES
NUM or SNUM or NONUM
SINGLE or DOUBLE or TRIPLE
BMARGIN
TMARGIN
NOTITLE

The output of each page of a partitioned data set directory contains the following:

Two directory lines
A blank line
A directory header line
Another blank line
One or more lines of directory information

Each directory page has at least 6 lines, unless the partitioned data set has no members. If the partitioned data set has no members, only the directory title lines and header line are printed.

If you specify NOTITLE with the ALL operand, the members of the partitioned data set and other sequential data sets are printed without title lines. However, the directory portion of the partitioned data set is printed with the directory title lines on each page.

MODIFY(module_name[,trc])

specifies the name of a copy modification module, which is loaded into the 3800 or 3900 Printing Subsystem. This module contains predefined data such as legends, column headings, or blanks. The module specifies where and on which copies the data is to be printed. Use the IEBIMAGE utility to define and store the module in the SYS1.IMAGELIB system data set. Specify 1 to 4 alphabetic, numeric, or the special characters #, $, or @ for the module_name.

The table reference character (TRC) corresponds to the character set(s) specified on the CHARS operand. Values are from 0 to 3.

NUM(location,length) | SNUM(location,length) | NONUM

specifies where line numbers are located in the data set and whether PRINTDS is to print the line numbers.

NUM: indicates that the data set contains a line number field to be printed. The location value is the column location of the beginning of the line number field. The length value is the number of columns that the line number field occupies. You can specify up to 8 for the length value. Both the location value and the length value are required.
SNUM: indicates the data set contains a line number, but the line number is not to be printed. The location value is the column location of the beginning of the line number field. The length value is the number of columns that the line number field occupies. You can specify up to 8 for the length value. Both the location value and the length value are required.
If you specify either NUM or SNUM, the line number field in each record of the input data set must contain only valid decimal digits, 0 to 9. If the line number field contains characters other than 0 to 9, printing of the data set ends. If you are printing a list of data sets, printing continues with the next data set. If you are printing members of a partitioned data set, printing continues with the next member.
NONUM: indicates that PRINTDS is to treat records as though there are no embedded line numbers. NONUM is the default.
If the input data set records contain a carriage control character or table reference character, the column location refers to the first character after the carriage control character or table reference character.

OUTDES(output_descriptor_name[, …])

specifies a list of installation-defined output descriptors that were created by OUTPUT JCL statements in the LOGON procedure or by the TSO/E OUTDES command. The characteristics of each output descriptor are associated with a SYSOUT data set. Specifying OUTDES eliminates the need to supply information related to the printer or the type of printing to be done. You can specify up to 128 output descriptors. Specify 1 to 8 alphanumeric characters for the name. The first character must be alphabetic or one of the special characters #, $, or @.

If you specify operands with an output descriptor, such as BURST, CHARS, COPIES, and DEST, you can override them by specifying the corresponding operand with PRINTDS. For example, specify the following command:

PRINTDS DA(ABC) OUTDES(OUTPR1) NOBURST COPIES(1) DEST(NODEB.USR)

The COPIES, NOBURST, and DEST operands override the values specified on the output descriptor.

If you specified a default destination in the SYS1.UADS data set, the DEST output descriptor overrides the destination in SYS1.UADS.

PAGELEN(lines)

specifies the number of lines to be printed on a page. The lines value must be from 6 to 4095. The default value is 60. The PAGELEN value less the TMARGIN and BMARGIN must be greater than or equal to 6:

                                TMARGIN value
                                |
                                |
                                |
PAGELEN value must be greater   Must have 6 or more lines
than or equal to 6              |
                                |
                                |
                                |
                                BMARGIN value

Note: PAGELEN specifies the length of a printed page in terms of the number of lines per logical page. The specified value does not override the maximum lines per physical page that the printing program is using. However, if the value specified is greater than the maximum lines per physical page that the printing program is using, then any remainder from the specified value will be printed on the next physical page until the specified value is reached, which will end a physical page.

If you are printing a directory of a partitioned data set, the system uses the number of lines specified in PAGELEN for each page of the directory. It ignores the values specified for TMARGIN or BMARGIN. For more information about printing a directory of a partitioned data set, see the description for the DIRECTORY/MEMBERS/ALL operand.

TITLE | NOTITLE

specifies that a title, including the name of the data set is to be printed and the page number is to appear on every page of the printed output. NOTITLE specifies that the title is to be suppressed.

TITLE is the default for data sets with no carriage control characters. NOTITLE is the default for data sets with carriage control characters. If you specify the CCHAR, TRC, and DCF operands, the default is also NOTITLE.

You cannot specify NOTITLE with the DIRECTORY operand because directory title lines are always printed on directory pages. If you specify NOTITLE to print a partitioned data set with the ALL operand, no title lines appear when the system prints each member. However, the directory pages continue to be formatted with directory title lines to distinguish the directory from the members of the data set.

If you specify TITLE and the input data set contains carriage control characters, the system ignores TITLE and uses NOTITLE to print the data set. However, if a list of input data sets is being printed, the system uses TITLE to print subsequent data sets that do not contain carriage control characters. For example, suppose the data set SEPT87.REPORT is a pre-formatted report that contains carriage control characters. The data set SEPT85.DATA does not contain carriage control characters. If you specify the following command:

PRINTDS DA('SEPT87.REPORT' 'SEPT85.DATA') TITLE

The system uses NOTITLE for the first data set because it assumes that any title information has already been added to the formatted data set. However, the system uses TITLE for the second data set.

TMARGIN(lines)

specifies the number of blank lines to be left at the top of each printed page. You can specify a minimum of 0 lines, and a maximum of 6 lines less than the value specified or defaulted for the PAGELEN operand.

TMARGIN(0) is the default. A non-zero TMARGIN value is mutually exclusive with the CCHAR or DIRECTORY operand.

TODATASET(dsname) | TODSNAME(dsname)

specifies the name of the data set into which the formatted input data is to be copied. If you specify TODATASET or TODSNAME, a SYSOUT data set is not created.

If the specified data set does not exist, PRINTDS creates the data set. Otherwise, PRINTDS uses the existing data set. If the specified output data set already exists, the output from the PRINTDS command replaces any existing data.

If you specify TODATASET that already exists and the data set is not large enough to hold all of the output, the system issues an error message to inform you to preallocate the data set with more space and to reissue the PRINTDS command.

TRC | NOTRC

specifies whether the data records contain table reference character (TRC) codes. The codes identify the font to be used to print each record. A TRC code immediately follows the carriage control character, if any. Its value corresponds to one of the four fonts specified by CHARS. If you specify TRC, the system assumes NOTITLE.

NOTRC specifies that the data set does not contain TRC codes. NOTRC is the default unless you specify CHARS or DCF. If you specify CHARS or DCF or use the default of DCF and the data set is not formatted for the 1403 printer, the system assumes TRC. On a 1403 printer, the system uses NOTRC.

If you specify COLUMNS, NUM, or SNUM operands with TRC, column 1 refers to the first character after the table reference character.

UCS(universal_character_set_name)

specifies the alphanumeric value for the universal character set name. Specify up to 4 characters. If you do not specify the CHARS operand, the system uses the UCS as the default.

WRITER(external_writer_name)

specifies a name for use in processing or selecting a SYSOUT data set. If you specify the external writer name, the output data set is written under the control of that external writer rather than the control of JES2 or JES3. The writer name can contain 1 to 8 alphabetic, numeric, or the special characters #, $, or @.

For JES3, you can code the DEST=nodename parameter in the output descriptor with the WRITER=name parameter. However, do not code DEST=nodename.userid in the output descriptor with WRITER=name, because WRITER=name will override the specification of DEST=nodename.userid.