Mainframe Express  Quick Reference

Introduction
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Mainframe Express from Micro Focus provides a desktop environment on a windows platform for doing mainframe programming using COBOL, mainframe Assembler, JCL, CICS emulation, IMS emulation and other mainframe functions. Installing Mainframe Express (MFE) is a simple process. The software ships with two CD's, one for the PC installation and one for the mainframe software for the Mainframe Manager, Mainframe Access Server components.

Tips, Techniques and Examples
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@echo OFF
echo * SUBtoMFE.BAT is STARTING...
echo **************************************************************
echo *                This program is provided by:                *
echo *                 SimoTime Enterprises, LLC                  *
echo *        (C) Copyright 1987-2010 All Rights Reserved         *
echo *                                                            *
echo *          Web Site URL:   http://www.simotime.com           *
echo *                e-mail:   helpdesk@simotime.com             *
echo **************************************************************
echo *
echo * This procedure is an example of how to start the Command Line
echo * function of MFA, Drag-and-Drop. This example will submit a
echo * job to the mainframe.
echo *
echo * The JCL member actually resides on the PC but is sent to the
echo * MVS internal reader for execution.
echo *
d:\mfe\mfide\bin\MFDAS SUBMIT D:\SIMOMFE1\MX01\CNTL\KSD080J1.JCL
echo *
echo * The following pause statement will keep the window open so the
echo * results of the JOB submission may be viewed.
echo *
echo * The JOB status may be obtained using ther STATUS funtion.
echo *
echo * The JOB information is also written to the MVS spool. This
echo * information may be viewed by starting MFA, refer to the
echo * SimoMX01.BAT file.
echo *
echo * SUBtoMFE.BAT is COMPLETE...
PAUSE

Creating a Directory Structure
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@echo OFF
echo * MakeDir1.BAT is STARTING...
echo **************************************************************
echo *                This program is provided by:                *
echo *                 SimoTime Enterprises, LLC                  *
echo *        (C) Copyright 1987-2010 All Rights Reserved         *
echo *                                                            *
echo *          Web Site URL:   http://www.simotime.com           *
echo *                e-mail:   helpdesk@simotime.com             *
echo **************************************************************
echo *
echo * This file will create the directories used by the SimoLYZE
echo * Source Member typing program.
echo *
     if "%1" == "" GOTO :ABEND01
     MD %1\COBOL
     MD %1\COBCPY1
     MD %1\ASM
     MD %1\ASMCPY1
     MD %1\ASMMAC1
     MD %1\BATS
     MD %1\DATASYS1
     MD %1\LOADLIB
     MD %1\JCL
     MD %1\PRC
     MD %1\INC
     MD %1\BMS
     MD %1\MFS
     MD %1\DBD
     MD %1\PSB
     MD %1\OTHER
     goto :EOJ
:ABEND01
     echo * MakeDir1.BAT Parameter 1 must be a drive, directory name,
     echo * MakeDir1.BAT is ABENDING...
     pause
     goto :END
:EOJ
     echo * MakeDir1.BAT is FINISHED...
:END

A Sample MFE Project
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Creating, Accessing and Exporting User Defined Tools from the MFE IDE
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Creating User Defined Tools from the MFE IDE
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Accessing User Defined Tools from the MFE IDE
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Exporting or Importing User-Defined Tool Definitions for MFE
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The user-defined tools that are added to the MFE "Tools" are stored in the Windows' Registry. To make the user-defined tools available to another user on a different machine it will be necessary to Export the items from the Registry. The export function of the REGEDIT program included with Windows creates a filename.REG file that may be copied and executed on another machine to import the Registry items for the MFE "Tools".

Export User-Defined Tool Definitions for MFE
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To export the Registry entries to the filename.REG for the MFE user-defined tools open a DOS windows and type REGEDIT. In the left payne open the tree structure in the following order.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER
   Software
     Micro Focus
       Mainframe Express
         2.5
           MFIDE
             Tools

The items contained on the MFE "Tools" should be displayed in the right payne. Now select the "Registry" item from the REGEDIT tool bar and follow the prompts to save the filename.REG file.

Note: the filename.REG file may be viewed with the NotePAD editor.

The following is an example of a filename.REG file.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Micro Focus\Mainframe Express\2.5\MFIDE\Tools]
"Menu01"="Application Documentation!Revolve EE Mainpage"
"Exe_01"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_01"="c:\\simoweb2\\mainpage.htm"
"Dir_01"="c:\\simoweb2\\"
"Menu02"="Application Documentation!Revolve EE Connection to Selected Member"
"Exe_02"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_02"="c:\\simoweb2\\$Name(FileSel).htm"
"Dir_02"="c:\\simoweb2"
"Menu03"="Application Documentation!Overview of Sample Programs"
"Exe_03"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_03"="c:\\simoweb2\\indexcbl.HTM#QuickList"
"Dir_03"="c:\\simoweb2\\indexcbl.HTM#QuickList"\
Menu04"="Application Documentation!Bit Processing with COBOL"
"Exe_04"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_04"="c:\\simoweb2\\cblbit01.htm"
"Dir_04"="c:\\simoweb2\\"
"Menu05"="Application Documentation!Date Validation Routine"
"Exe_05"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_05"="c:\\simoweb2\\cbldat01.htm"
"Dir_05"="c:\\simoweb2\\"
"Menu06"="Application Documentation!Date Difference Routine"
"Exe_06"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_06"="c:\\simoweb2\\cblday01.htm"
"Dir_06"="c:\\simoweb2\\"
"Menu07"="Application Documentation!Digits to Text or Numbers to Words"
"Exe_07"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_07"="c:\\simoweb2\\cbltxn01.htm"
"Dir_07"="c:\\simoweb2\\"
"Menu08"="Application Documentation!JCL and COBOL Example of Multiple Functions"
"Exe_08"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_08"="c:\\simoweb2\\stafmt01.htm"
"Dir_08"="c:\\simoweb2\\"
"Menu09"="Application Documentation!Street Address Editing and Formatting"
"Exe_09"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_09"="c:\\simoweb2\\cblstr01.htm"
"Dir_09"="c:\\simoweb2\\"
"Menu10"="Assembler Connection!Mainframe Assembler"
"Exe_10"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_10"="d:\\simoweb1\\indexasm.HTM"
"Dir_10"="d:\\simoweb1"
"Menu11"="Assembler Connection!Instruction Overview"
"Exe_11"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_11"="d:\\simoweb1\\asmins01.HTM"
"Dir_11"="d:\\simoweb1"
"Menu12"="Assembler Connection!Extended Branch Instructions"
"Exe_12"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_12"="d:\\simoweb1\\asmbch01.htm"
"Dir_12"="d:\\simoweb1"
"Menu13"="HexDump!1st 1K, highlight a file."
"Exe_13"="c:\\simoprod\\zaps4mfe.bat"
"Arg_13"="$(FileSel) 1 1024"
"Dir_13"="d:\\simosam1"
"Menu14"="HexDump!1st 10K, highlight a file."
"Exe_14"="c:\\simoprod\\zaps4mfe.bat"
"Arg_14"="$(FileSel) 1 10240"
"Dir_14"="d:\\simosam1"
"Menu15"="HexDump!Entire File, highlight a file."
"Exe_15"="c:\\simoprod\\zaps4mfe.bat"
"Arg_15"="$(FileSel) 1 99999999"
"Dir_15"="d:\\simosam1"
"Menu16"="File Status Codes!Primary"
"Exe_16"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_16"="c:\\simoweb2\\vsmfsk01.HTM#FileStatusCodes"
"Dir_16"="c:\\simoweb2"
"Menu17"="File Status Codes!Extended"
"Exe_17"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_17"="c:\\simoweb2\\vsmfsk01.HTM#ExtendedFileStatusCodes"
"Dir_17"="c:\\simoweb2"
"Menu18"="File Status Codes!Documentation"
"Exe_18"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_18"="c:\\simoweb2\\vsmfsk01.HTM"
"Dir_18"="c:\\simoweb2"
"Menu19"="Z-Facilities!COBOL Bit Processing"
"Exe_19"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_19"="c:\\simoweb2\\cblbit01.htm"
"Dir_19"="c:\\simoweb2"
"Menu20"="Z-Facilities!MFE Review"
"Exe_20"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_20"="c:\\manu4lrs\\manulife20020604.htm"
"Dir_20"="c:\\manu4lrs"
"Menu21"="ASCII-EBCDIC Tables"
"Exe_21"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_21"="c:\\simoweb2\\ASC2EBC1.HTM"
"Dir_21"="c:\\simoweb2"
"Menu22"="Edit with NotePAD"
"Exe_22"="notepad.exe"
"Arg_22"="$(FileSel)"
"Menu23"="SimoWeb2 Local Web Site"
"Exe_23"="c:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe"
"Arg_23"="c:\\simoweb2\\indextwo.htm"
"Dir_23"="c:\\simoweb2\\"

Import User-Defined Tool Definitions for MFE
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WIP...Work-in-Progress...

@echo OFF
echo * UsToolB1.BAT is STARTING...
echo **************************************************************
echo *                This program is provided by:                *
echo *                 SimoTime Enterprises, LLC                  *
echo *        (C) Copyright 1987-2010 All Rights Reserved         *
echo *                                                            *
echo *          Web Site URL:   http://www.simotime.com           *
echo *                e-mail:   helpdesk@simotime.com             *
echo **************************************************************
echo * This batch file will use the Registry Export file
echo * to import the Registry information for the User Defined
echo * Tools for Mainframe Express (MFE).
echo *
echo * The Registry items may by found using REGEDIT . . .
echo *
echo * HKEY_CURRENT_USER
echo *   Software
echo *     Micro Focus
echo *       Mainframe Express
echo *         2.5
echo *           MFIDE
echo *             Tools
echo *
     UsToolR1.reg
echo * UsToolB1.BAT is FINISHED...

Data Management
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The Catalog, Mapping MVS Names to PC File Names
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Data File Editor, Mapping Records to Copy File
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After installing Mainframe Express (MFE) and creating the catalog it is a simple point-and-click on the file name in the catalog list to start the data file editor. Records within the file may be viewed or updated as a string of data for each record. The ability to map a record to a record layout (as defined in a COBOL program) provides a friendlier and less-prone-to-error method for viewing, updating or inserting records.

To map records (i.e create a filename.STR) within a file to a defined record layout from a COBOL program the following steps are required.

Note: the following is a one-time task.

Once the filename.STR has been created it is available to be used to view, update or insert records into a file. The following steps are required to load and/or associate the record layout file (filename.STR) with the actual data file.

1. Click the Catalog tab on the Project View.

2. Double-Click on the catalog entry of the data file to be opened.

3. Once the data file has been opened the following steps are required to load the record layout file.

3a. Select the File item from the MFE toolbar.

3b. Select Data Tools from the drop down menu.

3c. Click Load Record Layouts from the popup menu.

3d. Select and open the appropriate filename.STR from the Open window. The right pane of the Data File Editor should now display a formatted data record.

4. To avoid having to load the record layout file each time the data file is opened by the Data file Editor it is possible to associate the record layout file with the catalog entry using the following steps.

4a. Select the File item from the MFE toolbar.

4b. Select Data Tools from the drop down menu.

4c. Click Associate Record Layouts from the popup menu.

5. To close the Data File Editor, click Close on the File menu.

After the record layout file (filename.STR) has been created and associated with a catalog entry the Data File Editor will automatically load and display a formatted record.

Mainframe Connectivity
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Mainframe Access, Drag-&-Drop Command Line
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The GUI, Drag-and-Drop (DandD) feature of Mainframe Access (MFA) may be started from the MFE Tool bar by selecting the "Tools" item and then selecting the MFA Drag&Drop item from the drop-down menu

The following batch file shows how to start the GUI, Drag-and-Drop from the command line.

@echo OFF
echo * IDEtoMVS is STARTING...
echo **************************************************************
echo *                This program is provided by:                *
echo *                 SimoTime Enterprises, LLC                  *
echo *        (C) Copyright 1987-2010 All Rights Reserved         *
echo *                                                            *
echo *          Web Site URL:   http://www.simotime.com           *
echo *                e-mail:   helpdesk@simotime.com             *
echo **************************************************************
echo *
echo * This procedure will start the stand alone, client version
echo * of Mainframe Access (MFA).
echo *
d:\mfe\mfide\bin\MFDASMX.EXE
echo * IDEtoMVS is COMPLETE...
echo *
echo * IDEtoMVS - a Pause statement has been found in the BAT file,
echo * to have this window close automatically, remove the pause statement...
echo *
pause

Mainframe Access, Synchronization Monitor
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The Synchronization Monitor (SyncMON) of Micro Focus Mainframe Access (MFA) provides the capability of synchronizing a PC directory with a Mainframe Partitioned Data Set (PDS) or a Mainframe Source Code Management Facility such as Librarian, Panvalet or Endevor. The followinf is a batch file that will start the client (or PC component) SyncMON program.

@echo OFF
echo * SyncEX01.BAT is STARTING...
echo **************************************************************
echo *                This program is provided by:                *
echo *                 SimoTime Enterprises, LLC                  *
echo *        (C) Copyright 1987-2010 All Rights Reserved         *
echo *                                                            *
echo *          Web Site URL:   http://www.simotime.com           *
echo *                e-mail:   helpdesk@simotime.com             *
echo **************************************************************
echo *
     copy mfmonx01.cfg mfmon.cfg
     mfmonmx
echo * SyncEX01.BAT is FINISHED...
     pause

In the preceding batch file the copy of a file called MFMONX01.CFG to a file called MFMON.CFG isw done to provide the SyncMON program (MFMONMX) with the necessary specifications for Directories and PDS's to synchronize.

The following is the MFMONX01.CFG file that will be copied as to MFMON.CFG that is used by the Synchronization monitor (MFMONMX).

TITLE COMPARE and SYNCHRONIZE MONITOR for SimoTime Examples
PERFORM 1 TIMES
TRANSFERLIMIT 10000000
AUTORECONNECT 500
WAKEUP 0 DAYS
MONITOR DOWNLOAD PARTITIONED D:\SIMOMFE1\STM2\JCL\*.*     AGAINST SIMOTIME.DEMO.CNTL    EXTENSION=JCL
MONITOR DOWNLOAD PARTITIONED D:\SIMOMFE1\STM2\COBCPY1\*.* AGAINST SIMOTIME.DEMO.COBCPY1 EXTENSION=CPY

Summary
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The purpose of this document is to assist as a tutorial for new programmers or as a quick reference for experienced programmers. These sample programs are made available on an "as-is" basis and may be downloaded, copied and modified for specific situations as long as the copyright information is not removed or changed. As always, it is the programmer's responsibility to thoroughly test all programs.

Software Agreement and Disclaimer
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Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software for any commercial purpose requires a fee to be paid to SimoTime Enterprises. Once the fee is received by SimoTime the latest version of the software will be delivered and a license will be granted for use within an enterprise, provided the SimoTime copyright notice appear on all copies of the software. The SimoTime name or Logo may not be used in any advertising or publicity pertaining to the use of the software without the written permission of SimoTime Enterprises.

Permission to use, copy and modify this software for any non-commercial purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided the SimoTime copyright notice appear on all copies of the software. The SimoTime name or Logo may not be used in any advertising or publicity pertaining to the use of the software without the written permission of SimoTime Enterprises.

SimoTime Enterprises makes no warranty or representations about the suitability of the software for any purpose. It is provided "AS IS" without any express or implied warranty, including the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. SimoTime Enterprises shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages resulting from the loss of use, data or projects, whether in an action of contract or tort, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this software.

If you have any questions, suggestions or comments please call or send an e-mail to: helpdesk@simotime.com

Downloads and Links to Similar Pages
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You may download this example at http://www.simotime.com/sim4dzip.htm#COBOLFileConversionZip

Please view the complete list of SimoTime Z-Pack Examples at http://www.simotime.com/sim4dzip.htm.

Note: You must be attached to the Internet to download a Z-Pack or view the list.

The SimoZAPS Utility Program runs on a Windows platform and has the capability of generating a COBOL program that will do the conversion of sequential and VSAM (KSDS) files between EBCDIC and ASCII. SimoZAPS can also read a sequential file in EBCDIC format and create an ASCII/CRLF file or VSAM Keyed Sequential Data Set in ASCII format. The conversion tables may be viewed or modified to meet unique requirements. The HexCess function of SimoZAPS provides the capability of viewing, finding or patching the contents of a file in hexadecimal.

Check out  The COBOL Connection in the SimoTime Library for more examples of mainframe COBOL techniques and sample code.

Check out  The VSAM-QSAM Connection in the SimoTime Library for more examples of mainframe techniques and sample code for accessing VSAM and Sequential files.

This document provides a quick summary of the  File Status Key  for VSAM data sets and QSAM files. The File Status Key is a two character data item. The first character of the status key is known as status key 1; the second character is known as status key 2.

Take a look at the Table of ASCII, EBCDIC and Binary values.

To review all the information available on this site start at  The SimoTime Home Page.

Comments or Suggestions
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If you have any questions, suggestions or comments please call or send an e-mail to: helpdesk@simotime.com.

About SimoTime Enterprises
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Founded in 1987, SimoTime Enterprises is a privately owned company. We specialize in the creation and deployment of business applications using new or existing technologies and services. We have a team of individuals that understand the broad range of technologies being used in today's environments. This includes the smallest thin client using the Internet and the very large mainframe systems. There is more to making the Internet work for your company's business than just having a nice looking WEB site. It is about combining the latest technologies and existing technologies with practical business experience. It's about the business of doing business and looking good in the process. Quite often, to reach larger markets or provide a higher level of service to existing customers it requires the newer Internet technologies to work in a complementary manner with existing corporate mainframe systems. Whether you want to use the Internet to expand into new market segments or as a delivery vehicle for existing business functions simply give us a call or check the web site at http://www.simotime.com