How to read a Vartable sequentially from first to last entry or vice versa

Products

• CMDB for z/OS
• NetSpy Network Performance
• NetMaster Network Automation
• SOLVE
• NetMaster Network Management for SNA
• NetMaster Network Management for TCP/IP
• NetMaster File Transfer Management
• SOLVE:Operations Automation
• SOLVE:Access Session Management
• SOLVE:FTS

Issue/Introduction

Vartables are stored in ascending sequence of the values in the Key field inside the storage of the SOLVE-or NetMaster-Region. The entries of a Vartable consist of one key field and up to 16 attached Data fields. Access to the entries is possible using NCL verb &VARTABLE GET where the value of the Key needs to be provided.

It may be necessary to read a complete Vartable from the first to the last entry or vice versa. Here you find out how easy this is using NCL.

Environment

Release: SLOPFC00200-12.1-NetMaster-File Transfer Management
Component:

Resolution

An easy way to get the first (or the last) entry of a Vartable is by using parameter OPT=FIRST (or OPT=LAST) in the first &VARTABLE GET statement. Just make sure that the Key of the first entry is stored in a variable. In the loop you read the next entry by referencing that key and using OPT=KGT (Key greater than), meaning that the next entry must be greater than the previously read. The loop is controlled by the Feedback provided into variable &ZFDBK. As long as this value is 0, an entry of the Vartable could be read. When trying to read after the last record was read, &ZFDBK contains 4 and the loop ends.

The following example shows how a complete Vartable is read in ascending order:

-*---------------------------------------*
-* Reading a Vartable in ascending order *
-*---------------------------------------*
&VARTABLE GET ID=TABLE SCOPE=REGION     +
              OPT=FIRST                 +
              FIELDS=(.KEY,DATA1,DATA2) +
              VARS=(K,F,L)
&DOWHILE &ZFDBK = 0
   ...
   processing of Vartable entry
   ...
   &VARTABLE GET ID=TABLE SCOPE=REGION     +
                 KEY=K                     +
                 OPT=KGT                   +
                 FIELDS=(.KEY,DATA1,DATA2) +
                 VARS=(K,F,L)
&DOEND

Note that if using OPT=FIRST there is no need to provide parameter KEY=..., in turn, both parameters are mutually exclusive.
The complete Vartable can be read in descending order, too. Two small changes in the above example will fulfill that:

• Change OPT=FIRST to OPT=LAST in the &VARTABLE GET preceding the loop.
• Change KEY=KGT to KEY=KLT in the &VARTABLE GET inside the loop. Then the next lower Key value is read.

-*----------------------------------------*
-* Reading a Vartable in descending order *
-*----------------------------------------*
&VARTABLE GET ID=TABLE SCOPE=REGION     +
              OPT=LAST                  +
              FIELDS=(.KEY,DATA1,DATA2) +
              VARS=(K,F,L)
&DOWHILE &ZFDBK = 0
   ...
   processing of Vartable entry
   ...
   &VARTABLE GET ID=TABLE SCOPE=REGION     +
                 KEY=K                     +
                 OPT=KLT                   +
                 FIELDS=(.KEY,DATA1,DATA2) +
                 VARS=(K,F,L)
&DOEND

Additional Information

Here is a link to a Video explaining that technique: http://cainc.to/OI3l2C