About the work buffers

File-AID for Db2 Object Administration places automatically generated SQL, DCL and JCL statements into work buffers. Each time you generate statements or commands, they’re appended to the appropriate work buffer and that work buffer window opens.

The following figure shows the SQL work buffer with generated CREATE TABLE statements.

When a work buffer window opens, you have these choices:

• Edit and execute or submit the window’s contents immediately. If you do this, you would normally delete the window’s contents after execution using the <Cancel> PF key or CANCEL primary command.
• Continue to accumulate work buffer contents. You can execute the contents as a group at any time. Simply press <End> to close the work buffer window.
• Delete all or part of the work buffer contents.
• Save the buffer contents into a PDS member with the SAVE primary command.

JCL Work Buffer

Guidelines for the work buffers

These guidelines help you efficiently use the work buffers.

• Whether or not the work buffer contains previously-generated statements depends on the CLEAR WORK BUFFERS setting in your profile (see Window Parameter Display and Edit Window). If this setting is YES, the window title will read “CLEAR” and the work buffer will be erased each time the window is ended. If it is set to NO, the window title will read “KEEP” and the contents will be saved in the work buffer.

  Important

  If the KEEP primary command was used in the work buffer, the contents will be kept regardless of the CLEAR WORK BUFFERS setting.

• The window that opens when the statements or commands are generated shows the entire work buffer contents. Your previously generated statements or commands, if any, may be shown at the top. You may have to scroll the contents down to view newly generated statements or commands.
• You can edit work buffer contents at any time before execution.
• After you execute the statements or commands, you would normally delete them from the buffer. The easy method is to use the CANCEL primary command or <Cancel> PF key on the work buffer window. The default <Cancel> key is PF15. When you <End> the window, the contents will automatically delete if the CLEAR WORK BUFFERS option in your profile is set to YES.
• If you don’t delete the statements after executing them, you may accidentally reexecute them later. Make a habit of either deleting statements as they are executed, or always accumulating work buffer contents to be executed at one time.
• CANCEL does not remove previously saved statements—only those statements appended since the last commit point created with the SAVE command or the END command. To delete contents, use the D row command. For example, entering D+ on the first row deletes all statements. After deleting statements, press <End> to ensure an empty buffer for the next use.
• The CLEAR primary command deletes all rows in the work buffer.
• If you want to retain generated statements or commands in the work buffer, execute the KEEP primary command before ending the window. Or, make sure your CLEAR WORK BUFFERS profile option is set to No, and use one of the following:
  • END primary command. 
  • <End> PF key. The default <End> key is PF3.
  • Place the cursor on the bottom border of the window and press Enter for an implicit selection of an END command.
• Work buffer contents are erased when you terminate your File-AID for Db2 Object Administration session.
• Rows cannot be excluded from submission with the X (exclude) row command. To exclude a row, enter a double hyphen (--) in columns 1 and 2 or columns 2 and 3.
• All work buffers except the SQL work buffer are local mode only. You cannot execute buffer contents on another subsystem through system-directed access or application-directed access. This is true even if you have set a remote location with the LOCATION or CONNECT primary command. In the SQL work buffer, you can use the REMOTE command.
• You are always responsible for the accuracy of submitted or executed statements. You must review each statement carefully before submitting or executing.

Retrieving work buffer contents

The contents of the work buffer can be retrieved in any of the following ways:

• Execute the SHOW primary command with the appropriate keyword:
  • SHOW JCL — displays the JCL work buffer
  • SHOW SQL — displays the SQL work buffer
  • SHOW DCL — displays the DCL work buffer.

Once the work buffer is displayed, you can edit the contents and execute or submit the statements. Or, you can use the SAVE command to save the contents into a PDS.

Editing work buffer contents

A work buffer can be edited at any time before execution. For example, you can generate SQL for several objects, then edit all statements at one time before submitting the SQL.

To edit, use the editing row commands listed under “-OTHER-” in the Help window for row commands. You can also use the FIND, RFIND (repeat FIND), CHANGE, and RCHANGE (repeat CHANGE) primary commands. Most editing commands are ISPF-like.

You can also use the EDIT primary command to edit JCL. This command invokes an ISPF session, and creates a temporary member in which you can make your changes.