Managing Spool Files

The SPOOLF command lets you change the characteristics of spool files such as the device, the output priority, the number of copies to print, and whether or not the spool file should be saved or deferred. You may also use it to print or delete spool files.

Altering spool files

You may use the ;ALTER parameter of the SPOOLF command to alter the characteristics of spool files. The ;ALTER parameter may not be used concurrently with the ;PRINT or ;DELETE parameters described below. If none of ;ALTER, ;PRINT, or ;DELETE are specified, ;ALTER is taken as the default. The general form of the SPOOLF command with the ;ALTER parameter is as follows:

     SPOOLF  [IDNAME=] {spoolid

                        (spoolid[,spoolid]. . .)}

     [ [;ALTER] [;SELEQ= {[select-eq]

                          ^indirect_file}]

       [  ;DEV={ldev

                devclass

                devname}]

       [;PRI=outpri] [;COPIES= numcopies]

       [;SPSAVE] [;DEFER

                  ;UNDEFER] [;SHOW] ]

When you are use the ALTER parameter of the SPOOLF command,cyou have four choices for how to specify the spool files you want to change:

specify one or more spool files by entering their spool file identification numbers (SPOOLIDs) on the command line. For example:
SPOOLF IDNAME=357,375,458;ALTER;PRI=4
use the wildcard symbol in SPOOLID to specify all output spool files if you are the console user or if you have SM or OP capability. For example:
SPOOLF IDNAME=O@;COPIES=4
write a selection equation that specifies which spool files to include or exclude in the operation. For example, this sample command would select output spool files with output priorities less than 8 and set them to 12.
SPOOLF O@;SELEQ=[PRI < 8];ALTER;PRI=12
write a selection equation and put it in an indirect file, which you then specify on the command line. For example, if you created an indirect file named INDFILE, you would specify it on the SPOOLF command line like this:
SPOOLF O@;SELEQ=^INDFILE;ALTER;PRI=12
You may give your indirect file any name that suits you. Remember to precede the indirect file with the ^ sign in the SPOOLF command.

When you use selection equations, the files that qualify depend upon your capabilities and whether or not you issue the command from the console. The selection is made from all output spool files if you are the console user or if you have SM or OP capability. If you are an AM user, the selection is made from all output spool files in your logon account. If you are not the console, user nor have SM, OP, or AM capability, the selection is made from the output spool files in your user.account.

Selection equations are described in detail in previous sections of this chapter. Please refer there for more information.

Changing the output device

To alter the print device (to device class LP2) for three spool files, enter:

   SPOOLF IDNAME=357,375,458;ALTER;DEV=LP2

Or, omitting the IDNAME=, enter:

   SPOOLF (357,375,458);ALTER;DEV=LP2

You may specify a device class, as in the example, or you may specify a logical device number or device name.

Changing the output priority

To alter the output priority of all linked output spool files of which you are the owner (or, if you are logged onto the console, or have OP or SM capability, all output spool files on the system), enter:

   SPOOLF O@;ALTER;PRI=12

This command alters the priority of all output spool files in your logon account if you have AM capabilty.

Changing the number of copies

To alter the number of copies for one or more output spool files, enter:

   SPOOLF (357,375,458);ALTER;COPIES=3

Saving a spool file

To save one or more output spool files, enter:

   SPOOLF (357,375,458);ALTER;SPSAVE

   SPOOLF (357,375,458);SPSAVE

The second example uses ;ALTER as the default.

When an output spool file is saved, a copy of it remains in the OUT group of the HPSPOOL account after it is printed.

Deferring a spool file

To defer one or more spool files, enter:

   SPOOLF (357,375,458);ALTER;DEFER

A deferred spool file does not print until it is undeferred.

When a spool file is deferred in this way, its priority is not changed. Instead, it is simply marked as deferred. (Its state is DEFER.)

Undeferring a spool file

To undefer one or more spool files, enter:

   SPOOLF (357,375,458);ALTER;UNDEFER

An undeferred output spool file does print if its output priority exceeds the outfence of the printer to which it has been sent.

Performing multiple operations simultaneously

You may use any of the above keyword parameters simultaneously. You may save and undefer an output spool file and change its device, priority and number of copies all at once, as in the following example:

   SPOOLF 327;ALTER;UNDEFER;SPSAVE;COPIES=4;DEV=6;PRI=11

Displaying results of the SPOOLF command

To see the results of your SPOOLF command, add the ;SHOW parameter. For example:

   SPOOLF 327;ALTER;UNDEFER;SPSAVE;COPIES=3;SHOW

The ;SHOW parameter may be used with any combination of other SPOOLF parameters.

Printing spool files

You may use the ;PRINT option of the SPOOLF command to print output spool files. The ;PRINT option makes a linked copy of the specified spool file. Like the ;ALTER option described above, you may also use it to save; defer and undefer a spool file; and to specify the print device, the priority, and the number of copies. The general form of the ;PRINT option of the SPOOLF command is as follows:

 

   SPOOLF [IDNAME=] {fileset (fileset [,fileset]...)}

   [ [;PRINT] [;DEV= {ldev devclass devname}]

     [;PRI=outpri] 

     [;COPIES= numcopies] 

     [;SPSAVE] 

     [;DEFER ;UNDEFER]

     [;SHOW] ]

All parameters for the ;PRINT option are used exactly as described above for the ;ALTER option (and produce the same results) except for the IDNAME. One or more filesets are required for the IDNAME. A file set has the general form:

    filename[/lockword[.groupname[.acctname]]]

Wildcards are supported. Even so, all spool files in the file set must be output spool files. If a spool file is not an output spool file, the print option fails, and the command continues on the rest of the spool files. Files that are not spool files are ignored since SPOOLF applies only to spool files.

If the spool file name is not fully qualified (the group and account names are not given), the default is the user's current logon group and account. If any spool file has a lockword, it must be supplied with the command in batch mode; therefore, the spool file cannot be part of a set defined with wildcards. This restriction does not apply in interactive mode because the system prompts the user for each required lockword. If you do not supply the correct lockword, the print option on that spool file fails with a warning message, and the command continues to operate on remaining spool files.

Remember, each file you specify must be a valid spool file.

Printing a spool file that you create

Suppose that you create spool file O98 with the SPSAVE option. The file prints once, then remains in OUT.HPSPOOL instead of being deleted from the account because you instructed the spooler to save it after printing. To print another copy of the file, you would use the SPOOLF command, like this:

   SPOOLF O98.OUT.HPSPOOL;PRINT;DEV=LP

The resulting linked spool file has the default priority of 8 and one copy is printed.

Printing a spool file in your logon group and account

Suppose that you have copied a spool file from the OUT group of the HPSPOOL account into the PUB group of the MFGRPTS account and named it MFGDATA. To print this spool file, while you are logged onto that group and account, you would enter:

   SPOOLF MFGDATA;PRINT;DEV=LP

Printing a spool file from a different group and account

To print MFGDATA from a different logon group and account, add the spool file's group and account name as follows:

   SPOOLF MFGDATA.PUB.MFGRPTS;PRINT;DEV=LP

You must have access to MFGDATA.PUB.MFGRPTS in order to print it.

Printing a spool file with a lockword

Suppose that the spool file MFGDATA contains a lockword. You could enter it as follows:

   SPOOLF MFGDATA/LOCKWORD.PUB.MFGRPTS;PRINT;DEV=LP

Whenever the SPOOLF command is executed in batch mode the lockword must be supplied with the spool file name as in this example. In session mode the system prompts you for lockwords.

Other PRINT options

The ;PRINT option of the SPOOLF command offers all of the options described above for the ;ALTER option except for the selection equation (;SELEQ=). So you may specify the device, the output priority, and the number of copies to print as well as whether to save, defer, or undefer the spool file. A sample command follows:

SPOOLF MFGDATA;PRINT;DEV=6;PRI=9;COPIES=3;SPSAVE;DEFER;SHOW

These parameters are described above in the discussion of the ;ALTER parameter.

Using wildcards to print spool files

You may use wildcards in the file set. For example, if you have SM or OP capability, print copies of all spool files in the OUT group of the HPSPOOL account by entering:

   SPOOLF O@.OUT.HPSPOOL;PRINT;DEV=6

If you do not have SM or OP capability and you enter this command, you get an error when the system encounters the first file in the file set to which you do not have access.

Deleting spool files

The ;DELETE option of the SPOOLF command allows you to delete linked spool files. The IDNAME and ;SELEQ parameters of the ;DELETE option of the SPOOLF command operate in precisely the same way as they do for the ;ALTER parameter previously described in this section. The general form of the SPOOLF command with the ;DELETE option is:

   SPOOLF  [IDNAME=] {spoolid 

                      (spoolid[,spoolid]...)}

   [ [;DELETE] [;SELEQ= {select-eq

                         ^indirect_file}]

     [;SHOW] ]

You may use the wildcard symbol in IDNAME to specify all output spool files. For example:

   SPOOLF IDNAME=O@;DELETE;SHOW

Similarly, you could use SPOOLF O@;DELETE to delete all spool files to which you have access. For example, if you have SM or OP capability, it deletes all output spool files on the system. Because this form of the command is so powerful, be very judicious when using it.

   SPOOLF O@;DELETE;SHOW

Deleting one or more spool files

To delete one or more spool files, enter:

   SPOOLF (357,375,458);DELETE;SHOW

If you are using SPOOLF to delete input data spool files, you must use the format Innn for the spool file identification.

Also, $STDIN input spool files cannot be deleted with the SPOOLF command. These files can be deleted only by issuing an ABORTJOB command against the job number to which the $STDIN is associated. Under normal circumstances, you seldom need do this, because the system deletes $STDIN spool files when their associated job terminates.

Using a selection equation to delete spool files

You may use selection equations with the ;DELETE option to delete a subset of spool files. Here is an example:

   SPOOLF O@;DELETE;SELEQ=[PRI<8]

You may put your selection equation in an indirect file. Indirect files are described earlier in this section under the SPOOLF ;ALTER parameter.