Rules of Variable Resolution

By default, columns 1 through 72 of JCL lines are searched for variables which are then analyzed and resolved. If column 72 contains an asterisk (*), the active range for resolution is columns 1 through 71 (to support continuation lines).

Multiple AutoEdit variables (and constants) can be joined together into a complex term. When a term contains multiple variables, those variables are resolved from right to left.

The methods of joining multiple variables together are described below.

• Two variables can be joined to form a single complex variable by linking them together (such as %%A%%B).

  Example 1

  Given:	%%A=1, %%B=2, %%A2=100
  Resolve:	%%A%%B
  Explanation:	The process of resolution is as follows:
  	Initial expression to resolve	%%A%%B
  	Resolve %%B	2
  	Replace %%B with value 2	%%A2
  	(%%A%%B partially resolves to a single variable %%A2)
  	Resolve %%A2	100
  Solution:	%%A%%B resolves to 100

  Example 2

  Given:	The day is the 3rd of the month.
  Resolve:	//SYSBKP DD UNIT=TAPE,VOL=SER=%%BACKUP_TAPE_%%ODAY,
  Solution:	This statement partially resolves to:
  	//SYSBKP DD UNIT=TAPE,VOL=SER=%%BACKUP_TAPE_03,
  	%%BACKUP_TAPE_03 is a single user-defined variable. If the value of this variable is known to Control-M as EE1022, the statement would fully resolve to:
  	//SYSBKP DD UNIT=TAPE,VOL=SER=EE1022,

• Two variables can be concatenated into two distinct but joined variables by placing a period between them (such as %%A.%%B).

  Example 1

  Given:	%%A=1, %%B=2, %%A2=100
  Resolve:	%%A.%%B
  Explanation:	The process of resolution is as follows:
  	Initial expression to resolve	%%A.%%B
  	Resolve %%B	2
  	(The partially resolved variable now reads	%%A.2)
  	Resolve %%A	1
  	(The partially resolved variable now reads	1.2)
  	Final resolution of the two values (based on the rule that two variables joined by a period resolve to a concatenated value)	12
  Solution:	%%A.%%B resolves to 12

  Example 2

  On the 4th of December, %%ODAY.%%OMONTH resolves to 0412

  (If the expression had been written %%ODAY%%OMONTH (without the period), it would have partially resolved to %%ODAY12, which is a user-defined variable requiring further resolution.)

• Two variables can be concatenated into two distinct variables joined by a period by placing two periods between them (such as %%A..%%B).

  Example 1

  Given:	%%A=1, %%B=2, %%A2=100
  Resolve:	%%A..%%B
  Explanation:	The process of resolution is similar to the resolution of two variables joined by one period:
  	Initial expression to resolve	%%A..%%B
  	Resolve %%B	2
  	(The partially resolved variable now reads	%%A..2)
  	Resolve %%A	1
  	(The partially resolved variable now reads	1..2)
  	Final resolution of the two values (based on the rule that two variables joined by two periods resolve to two values joined by a period)	1.2
  Solution:	%%A..%%B resolves to 1.2

  Example 2

  On the 4th of December, %%ODAY..%%OMONTH resolves to 04.12

• A constant can be appended to a variable by prefixing the constant with the concatenation symbol %%. or %%.. For example, in expression %%AA%%.UP, constant UP is appended to variable %%AA.

  Without symbol %%., the constant would be treated as part of the variable (for example, expression %%AAUP consists of one variable).

  The %%. or %%.. symbol is not required if the constant precedes the variable (for example, UNIT%%AA) since the %% prefix of the variable differentiates it from the constant.

  Example

  Given:	%%MODE = PROD
  Resolve:	CTM.%%MODE%%.01.JCL
  Explanation:	The process of resolution is as follows:
  	Initial expression to resolve	CTM.%%MODE%%.01.JCL
  	Resolve %%MODE	PROD
  	(The partially resolved variable now reads CTM.PROD%%.01.JCL)
  	Final resolution (based on the rule that symbol %%. joins a constant to a variable)	CTM.PROD01.JCL
  Solution:	CTM.%%MODE%%.01.JCL resolves to CTM.PROD01.JCL

Note: To separate a constant (JCL) from a variable (%%MODE) by a period, specifying the period is sufficient. For example: CTM.%%MODE.JCL would resolve to CTM.PROD.JCL.