Server Guide

Specifying a configuration file on native OS/390

The configuration file, or INI file, is a series of keywords and values that are processed when you start your packaged image. Using an INI file allows you to have generic parameters in your code and specify the actual parameter value inside the INI file, allowing you to change the parameter without repackaging the image. For example, using an INI file would be helpful if one resource is accessed when the application is running in a test environment and another resource is accessed when the application is running in a production environment. Without the INI file, you would have to repackage the image each time you call a different resource.

The data for the INI can be uploaded from a workstation or entered on OS/390. When entering or changing an INI file on OS/390, the left and right square brackets must maintain their hex values of x'AD' and x'BD' respectively.

On OS/390, the default when starting a packaged image is no configuration file. If you want to specify configuration options, specify the -INI: command line argument in the CLA option when running the packaged image or building the load module from the Smalltalk image. This argument specifies the location of the INI file to use. If the -INI: command line argument is not present then no INI file is read. The INI file can be placed in three different locations:

Using a configuration file in an HFS directory

To use an INI file that is in an HFS directory, do the following:

  1. Place the INI file into a HFS directory.
  2. In your JCL, add the -INI: command line argument to the PARMS parameters. Either a back slash (\) or forward slash (/) may be used. Back slashes will be converted to forward slashes at execution time. For example, if your INI file contains PARMS='-INI:\username\inifile.ini', it will automatically be converted to PARMS='-INI:/username/inifile.ini'.
    Note:When forward slashes are used and there are no LE options specified, the first character in the PARMS statement must be a forward slash (/) because LE uses it as the ending delimeter. For example: PARMS='/-INI/username/inifile.ini'

    If the ini file is to be specified by the CLA option when building the load module from the Smalltalk image, the INI option must be written with back slashes in the place of forward slashes. For example, CLA='-INI:\username\inifile.ini'

Using a configuration file in a data set

You can store a configuration file in either a sequential data set or as a member in a partitioned data set.

To use an INI file that is in a data, do the following:

  1. Place the ini file into a data set.
  2. In your JCL, add the -INI:DD: option to the PARMS parameters. The DD: indicates the ini file is referenced by a Data Definition job control statement specified in the JCL. For example,
    //RUNSTEP  EXEC PGM=SMALTALK,PARMS='-INI:DD:MYINI' 		
    //MYINI    DD DSNAME=USER.INIFILES(MYINI),DISP=SHR
    

Using a configuration file in a load module

To use an INI file that is in a load module, do the following:

  1. Place the ini file in a sequential data set, a member of a partition data set, or in a HFS directory.
  2. Copy and Execute the JCL in member ABTXINIJ located in the data set hlq.V4R5M0.SABTJLIB. Modifiy the parameters for ABTINI and OUTFILE where ABTINI specifies the location of the INI file and OUTFILE specifies where the created INI load module is to be stored.
  3. Specify the command line argument option -INI:MM: in either the PARMS parameter of the execution step for the Smalltalk application or in the CLA parameter when creating the Smalltalk load module using the JCL procedure ABTBBLD.
Note:The data set containing the INI load module must be in the load module search path. The following is an example of specifing the -INI parameter in the PARMS parameter in the execution step.
//RUNSTEP EXEC PGM=SMALTALK,PARMS='-INI:MM:MYINILM'

Printing INI information contained in a load module

To find out the contents of the configuration data in a load module, you need to copy and execute the JCL in member ABTXIPRT located in the data set hlq.V4R5M0.SABTJLIB. Modify the parameters for MODNAME and LOADLIB to specify the load module containing the configuration data. The configuration data is written to DD SYSPRINT.


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