Copy MVS PDS to PC file structure as ASCII

Copy MVS Source PDS in EBCDIC to PC file structure as ASCII

Location: http://www.geocities.com/davemcritchie/rexx02/htm/ftpcopy.htm The REXX Macros Toolbox: http://www.geocities.com/davemcritchie/home.htm

Things than can be done to get data from MVS

Create an ASCII version of MVS files to PC

c:
cd \mvsfiles\is03\share\text
help ftp
ftp -?
     open hostname
     cd 'is03.share.text'
     mget *
     dir > $$
bye
rename *. *.txt

The change directory above will not create a directory you must already have created such directories on your PC. XCOPY can create directories in one shot, if that would help. If mget is not available on your FTP you will probably want to create an ftp script with individual filenames created programmatically. The rename is not necessary, but as shown will provide a standard extension used on PC.

There are drawbacks to ASCII translations which are not often 100% reversible even though the same systems are used.

Another disadvantage is that the ISPF statistics are not included in the PC file directory information but the above will include the ISPF statistics in $$ file (or $$.txt file). Advantages to an ASCII version include being able to run a local search on your PC for text using AltaVista Discovery (FREE, see their web site).
http://discovery.altavista.com/

Unrelated -- Newest Search around for general information. It doesn't replace your expert use of AltaVista and does not include newsgroups as does DejaNews but I think you will find it interesting.
http://www.ask.com/ "Ask Jeeves"

Possibly also zip to a diskette as a continuation of above
a:
c:\winzip\pkzip is03txt.zip *
dir a:

Things you might want to do after copying files:

DIR *.* /S /ON
TREE instead of DIR

HELP information for FTP

C:\>ftp -?

Transfers files to and from a computer running an FTP server service
(sometimes called a daemon). Ftp can be used interactively.

FTP [-v] [-d] [-i] [-n] [-g] [-s:filename] [-a] [-w:windowsize] [host]

-v             Suppresses display of remote server responses.
-n             Suppresses auto-login upon initial connection.
-i             Turns off interactive prompting during multiple file
                 transfers.
-d             Enables debugging.
-g             Disables filename globbing (see GLOB command).
-s:filename    Specifies a text file containing FTP commands; the
                 commands will automatically run after FTP starts.
-a             Use any local interface when binding data connection.
-w:buffersize Overrides the default transfer buffer size of 4096.
host           Specifies the host name or IP address of the remote
                 host to connect to.

HELP within FTP
!	delete	literal	prompt	send
?	debug	ls	put	status
append	dir	mdelete	pwd	trace
ascii	disconnect	mdir	quit	type
bell	get	mget	quote	user
binary	glob	mkdir	recv	verbose
bye	hash	mls	remotehelp
cd	help	mput	rename
close	lcd	open	rmdir

Related items of Interest

There are many different ways of creating a copy of your MVS source files on a PC. Problems that will happen when converting EBCDIC to ASCII and back include translations that are not fully compatible even with the same systems involved. You may end up with different characters once restored to an MVS system with mput. Check DejaNews searching the bit.listserv.ibm-main newsgroup for subject: "PDS Extraction on the PC". I would have supplied hypertext for the original entry but many of the answerers appear to have replied to the newsgroup instead of posting to the questions and replies.

Visitors to this page, since Jan 02, 1999 (will be more updates later)

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