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Status Future consideration
Workspace z/OS
Categories TSO
Created by Guest
Created on Mar 28, 2017

&SUBSTR Pseudovariable

Changing the value of a variable in the middle of a string could be improved by allowing the use of &SUBSTR as a pseudovariable like can be done in PL/I.

SET &OLDVAR = &STR(THIS RUN IS A LIVE RUN)

So instead of using:
&NEWVAR = &SUBSTR(1:14,&OLDVAR)&STR(TEST)&SUBSTR(19:22,&OLDVAR)

We could use:
&SUBSTR(15:18,&OLDVAR) = &STR(TEST)

This is obviously a simplistic example and in the real world we use index to determine if a string contains a value we need to replace, then build up the new string.

Idea priority Low
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Apr 10, 2017

    The idea of having substring substitution on the left side of SET instructions has merit and we are taking this as an uncommitted candidate. Since the substitution is being done on the left side of the equation, any implementation would need to restructure processing since all current substitution is only done on the right side. Updates will likely require a complex design change.