What specific operations done only by ICETOOL?

[P Deshpande]

Hi,

We have been using a JCL in our production using ICETOOL. ICETOOL is new to us. With some posts on forum, can I say that ICETOOL gives some more additional facilities compared to DFSort or there are some specific operations whcih can be done only by ICETOOL? Can someone please help me in this or direct me to some document which might help me in writing future JCL using ICETOOL.

[nicc]

What research have you done on this? That is, what, in the manuals, is not clear?

[P Deshpande]

I am sorry I did not mean to offense you but was seeking in general. I looked at ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/storage/dfso ... rttool.pdf but I think I have missed the answer to my question. Will check again.

[Anuj Dhawan]

From the ICETOOL-manual, I find this seems to answer your question:

ICETOOL is a batch front-end utility that uses the capabilities of DFSORT to perform the operations you request.

ICETOOL includes thirteen operators that perform sort, copy, statistical, report, selection, and splice operations. Most of the operations performed by ICETOOL require only simple JCL and operator statements. Some ICETOOL operations require or allow you to specify complete DFSORT control statements (such as SORT, INCLUDE, and OUTFIL) to take full advantage of DFSORT's capabilities.

ICETOOL automatically calls DFSORT with the particular DFSORT control statements and options required for each operation (such as DYNALLOC for sorting).

ICETOOL also produces messages and return codes describing the results of each operation and any errors detected. Although you generally do not need to look at the DFSORT messages produced as a result of an ICETOOL run, they are available in a separate data set if you need them.

ICETOOL can be called directly or from a program. ICETOOL allows operator statements (and comments) to be supplied in a data set or in a parameter list passed by a calling program. For each operator supplied in the parameter list, ICETOOL puts information in the parameter list pertaining to that operation, thus allowing the calling program to use the information derived by ICETOOL.

And this explains it further:

ICETOOL uses the capabilities of DFSORT to perform multiple operations on one or more data sets in a single job step. These operations include the following:

1. Creating multiple copies of sorted, edited, or unedited input data sets
2. Creating output data sets containing subsets of input data sets based on various criteria for character and numeric field values or the number of times unique values occur
3. Creating output data sets containing different field arrangements of input data sets
4. Creating list data sets showing character and numeric fields in a variety of simple, tailored, and sectioned report formats, allowing control of title, date, time, page numbers, headings, lines per page, field formats, and total, maximum, minimum and average values for the columns of numeric data
5. Printing messages that give statistical information for selected numeric fields such as minimum, maximum, average, total, count of values, and count of unique values
6. Printing messages that identify invalid decimal values
7. Printing messages that give record counts
8. Setting RC=12 or RC=0 based on record counts
9. Creating a list data set showing the DFSORT installation defaults in use
10. Creating list data sets showing unique values for selected character and numeric fields and the number of times each occurs, in a variety of simple and tailored report formats
11. Creating list and output data sets for records with: duplicate values, non-duplicate values, or values that occur n times, less than n times or more than n times

Creating output data sets with information spliced together from two or more input records with duplicate values. The information in the input records can originate from different data sets, helping you to perform various file "join" and "match" operations. Using three different modes (stop, continue, and scan) to control error checking and actions after error detection for groups of operators.

The only restriction with ICETOOL is that one can use ICETOOL for SORT and COPY operations, but ICETOOL can not be used for MERGE operations. You might find more details here: http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecen ... icetnr.htm