Translate Assist Exits
Program manipulation of an argument value that produces a result value reduces table storage requirements and I/O. In this way, a Translation Assist exit routine provides the TSS user with additional flexibility in table design. When you define a TSS table with an exit load module name specified, the exit can perform any of the following functions:
- alter the argument
- reject the argument
- request a table search
- return a result that you specify instead of requesting a table search
The prologues to the Translation Assist exit sample members ETMTSAMP and ETMTSAM2 contain more information about the exit and its interface conventions.
When you have coded your exit, you must assemble and link-edit the exit into the library in the IMS control region STEPLIB that contains ETA product code, using any load module name that you choose. Member ETA#SAMP in ETACNTL contains sample JCL for the assemble and link job.
The exit does not depend on the IMS environment for operation. You can test it in the TSO environment before implementing it into your IMS control region. When you define a TSS table and use the EXIT keyword, IMS loads the exit from the STEPLIB that you specified. If you subsequently modify the exit routine, the changes will not be implemented until you use ETA to reload the exit.
When TSS uses a table that was defined with the EXIT keyword, the exit is given control before the table search. If the exit is not found, translation fails with return code 8.