Extension Data

This section describes how to use the Extension Data feature within ISPW.

What is Extension Data?

Extension Data provides the ability to extend the ISPW data model to store and use new attributes against existing ISPW Entities. New attributes are defined to specific classes, and any number of new classes of data can be defined. The attributes can be both character and numeric format.

The attributes thatISPW natively supports for an Application and Level (for example, Application SITE at level QA) could be extended to include specific data relating to the management of a specific technology that the customer is using. (With J2EE Objects, for example, the App Server Name that they are deployed into would need to be stored.)

Most of the Application-related Reference Data entities have been enabled for Extension Data. The list of supported entities can be viewed via the ISPW Option M.ET. With each new release ofISPW, this list can be added to.

Extension Data

What is an Extension Class?

An Extension Class is defined separately in ISPW via option M.EC and describes a set of attributes or variables that can be used later to extend a specific entity. An example of this might be a class called TELON that can contain all of the variables required for the handling of the TELON language.

Defining Extension Data

Define the Class

An extension Class can be defined in M.EC. See EC-Extension-Classes for a description of how to define a class.

Add Extension Data to an Entity

Select the Entity to which the Class is to be defined. This can be done by using the “X” option in the appropriate Maintenance Screen. The following figure shows an example of the screen for adding extension data to the Component Type Entity.

Add Extension Data to an Entity

Entering “X” from this screen against a Component Type will display the screen shown in the following figure where extension classes for that type are listed, and the option of adding a new Extension Class is provided.

List of Extension Classes for a Type

Entering “A” on the Command line will display the screen shown in the following figure where the new Class Name can be specified.

Specifying New Class Name

In this example, we are adding more attributes for the CSPA type. The Class CSP4 must already have been defined in M.EC.

Adding Attributes

The above figure shows that the values for the two Extension Class attributes have been added. This will now be available in ISPW exits when managing components for the type CSPA.

Use Export/Import

When defining Extension Data to the different Entities, remember that the Reference Data Export and Import feature is available. Using it can be an easy way to make mass changes to data, and it can be used to easily add the classes to multiple Entity instances.

Using Extension Data

Where can it be used?

Extension Data can be used in any ISPW exit using the REXX programming language.

Retrieving Extension Data

An ISPW call of the form:

WZZTSI("#refdataclass","GET","ExtensionClass")is made to populate ISPF variables that correspond to the Extension Class attributes.

The following REXX code gives an example of how to retrieve the Extension Data defined in the previous section (that is, Class CSP4 for the Component Type CSPA).

Retrieving Extension Data

Reference Data Calls

Knowledge of the Reference Data calls is required. These are described in Reference-Data-Calls.