Home
Working with File Manager
Creating and editing templates
For many tasks performed with File Manager, you can manipulate your view of a data set by applying a template.
Template types and structure
A File Manager template is a collection of information that you can use to select and format records and fields in an application data set.
Data description support
Support for COBOL data description entries

Working with File Manager
- File Manager overview
- Getting started with File Manager
- Viewing and changing data sets
  To view data stored in a supported data set, use the View Utility or the Edit Utility.
- Creating and editing templates
  For many tasks performed with File Manager, you can manipulate your view of a data set by applying a template.
  - Template types and structure
    A File Manager template is a collection of information that you can use to select and format records and fields in an application data set.
  - Template repository
    The template repository is a VSAM KSDS file that is used to associate a data set or resource name with its corresponding template.
  - Managing templates
  - Manipulating the display of fields in records
  - Managing templates with the Template Workbench
  - Specifying scrambling options
  - Mapping fields between templates
  - Copybook View and Print Utility
    Use the Copybook View and Print Utility to view or print field definition information.
  - XML templates
    A File Manager template can be exported to an external XML format using the Template Export utility.
- Working with the Template List
  Display a list of templates and perform actions on them.
- Filtering records with templates
- Managing data sets
- Using File Manager utilities
- Tape Specific Functions
- Disk/VSAM Data Functions
- OAM Functions
- Using UNIX™ System Services and the Hierarchical File System
- Introduction to programming with File Manager functions
- Enhancing File Manager processing
  You can enhance normal processing of a number of File Manager tasks by supplying a procedure that runs in conjunction with the File Manager process.
- Redefines criteria
  Redefines criteria can be specified for a field with a REDEFINES clause, or a field that is the target of a REDEFINES clause.
- Enhanced ISPF: Reference List, Search, Change, and PDSE Workbench
  File Manager provides several enhancements to the basic facilities that are available in an ISPF session: Enhanced Reference List, Enhanced Search, Enhanced Change, and PDSE Workbench.
- File Manager Service Provider for z/OS® Connect Enterprise Edition
  File Manager Service Provider for IBM® z/OS® Connect Enterprise Edition enables client applications to access IBM Z data sources using z/OS Connect.
- Function and panel reference lists

Support for COBOL data description entries

In the COBOL data description entries specified in a copybook, File Manager supports:

ASSIGN clause
OCCURS clause (including OCCURS DEPENDING ON)
PICTURE clause
REDEFINES clause
RENAMES clause
USAGE clause
VALUE clause

File Manager ignores:

BLANK WHEN ZERO clause
DATE FORMAT clause
EXTERNAL clause
GLOBAL clause
JUSTIFIED clause

Note: In general, File Manager treats Numeric Edited fields as alphanumeric. A special code, ZA, is used for unsupported zoned decimals.

File Manager supports all data item level numbers except 88 (condition-names).

The literal value that you specify in a VALUE clause is used in the template to specify the Start value (for numeric fields) or Pattern (for alphanumeric fields) “create attribute” on the Field Attributes panel for that field.

File Manager uses this attribute to initialize the value of the field when creating data or inserting new fields when copying data.