Introduction

This handout provides ready-to-use JCL examples to help you simulate controlled return codes and intentional abends, which are useful for testing COND, IF/THEN/ELSE, and error-handling logic in JCL procedures. These scenarios are commonly used during training and debugging.

The first example shows how to trigger a specific return code using a simple REXX script. This can help test how your JCL behaves when steps return various RC values.

The second example introduces a COBOL program designed to intentionally abend with a U4038 error, allowing you to observe how JCL handles abends within procedures or job steps.

The third example introduces a COBOL program designed to run for specific amount of time, allowing you to trigger time condition or even some time to longer running job to see sync issues.

Compiling and Running Cobol

Most training systems provide the IGYWCLG cataloged procedure procedure for compile-link-go, which includes steps to compile, link-edit, and execute a COBOL program.

In some cases, it is more efficient to use the IGYWCL procedure to compile and link-edit the program once, and then reuse only the GO step for repeated execution.

Both The proc may slightly differ from system to system depending on cobol version. if not available use the one in the link. If the proc is not available through concantenated library make sure to use JCLLIB ORDER=

Sample JCL to compile, link, and execute:

//COBCL1  EXEC IGYWCLG,SRC=U4038PGM
//COBOL.SYSIN DD *
<ANY Cobol code>
/*

Trigger return code using REXX

Use the following sample JCL to simulate different return codes. This will help create multi-step jobs with varying COND logic.

note

Replace <Your ID> with your training ID and <YOUR REXX EXEC> with the dataset containing the RETRC REXX member.

Create a dataset with RECFM=FB, LRECL=80, BLKSIZE=800 to store the REXX script named RETRC. The script is provided below:

/* REXX RETURN EXPECTED RC */
PARSE ARG RETCD
SAY RETCD
IF DATATYPE(RETCD) <> 'NUM' THEN RETCD = 0
EXIT RETCD

Submitting the REXX to get the desired RC code (In Example RC=2).

//<YOUR ID>C  JOB ,NOTIFY=&SYSUID
//COMBINE   EXEC PGM=IRXJCL,PARM='RETRC 2'
//SYSEXEC   DD DSN=<YOUR REXX EXEC>,DISP=SHR
//SYSTSIN   DD DUMMY                                        
//SYSTSPRT  DD DSN=&&TEMPPS1,DISP=(NEW,PASS),
//         DCB=(RECFM=FB,LRECL=80,BLKSIZE=80)

Trigger Abend using Cobol

To simulate abends such as U4038, use the following COBOL program. This helps test COND=ONLY and COND=EVEN behaviors and various other scenarios.

       CBL SSRANGE
       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. U4038PGM.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 WS-TABLE.
           05 WS-ITEM PIC X(10) OCCURS 5 TIMES.
       01 IDX PIC 9(3) VALUE 100.

       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           MOVE 'CRASH' TO WS-ITEM(IDX)
           DISPLAY 'You should not see this'
           GOBACK.

Run the program for specific second

To simulate running program for specific time, use the following COBOL program. It takes SYSIN Numeric value and execute the application for specified seconds.

       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. LOOPCBL.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  WS-INPUT-CHAR        PIC X(5).
       01  WS-START-TIME        PIC 9(8).
       01  WS-CURRENT-TIME      PIC 9(8).
       01  WS-START-SECONDS     PIC 9(9).
       01  WS-CURRENT-SECONDS   PIC 9(9).
       01  WS-LAST-SECONDS      PIC 9(9).
       01  WS-ELAPSED-SECONDS   PIC 9(4).
       01  WS-INPUT-NUM         PIC 9(5) COMP-3.
      ******************************************************************
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       100-MAIN.
           ACCEPT WS-INPUT-CHAR
           DISPLAY WS-INPUT-CHAR
           
           COMPUTE WS-INPUT-NUM = FUNCTION NUMVAL(WS-INPUT-CHAR)

           DISPLAY '>> Starting ' WS-INPUT-CHAR ' second loop...'

           ACCEPT WS-START-TIME FROM TIME
           DISPLAY WS-START-TIME
           COMPUTE WS-START-SECONDS =
               FUNCTION NUMVAL (WS-START-TIME(1:2)) * 3600 +
               FUNCTION NUMVAL (WS-START-TIME(3:2)) * 60 +
               FUNCTION NUMVAL (WS-START-TIME(5:2))

           DISPLAY WS-START-SECONDS
           MOVE WS-START-SECONDS TO WS-LAST-SECONDS

           PERFORM UNTIL WS-ELAPSED-SECONDS >= WS-INPUT-NUM
               ACCEPT WS-CURRENT-TIME FROM TIME
               COMPUTE WS-CURRENT-SECONDS =
                   FUNCTION NUMVAL (WS-CURRENT-TIME(1:2)) * 3600 +
                   FUNCTION NUMVAL (WS-CURRENT-TIME(3:2)) * 60 +
                   FUNCTION NUMVAL (WS-CURRENT-TIME(5:2))

               COMPUTE WS-ELAPSED-SECONDS =
                   WS-CURRENT-SECONDS - WS-START-SECONDS
               
               IF WS-CURRENT-SECONDS > WS-LAST-SECONDS THEN
                   DISPLAY WS-CURRENT-SECONDS
                   MOVE WS-CURRENT-SECONDS TO WS-LAST-SECONDS
               END-IF

           END-PERFORM

           DISPLAY '>> Starting ' WS-INPUT-CHAR ' second ends...'
      **********************************
           STOP RUN.
/*