What's new in IBM File Manager for z/OS® 15.1

Latest service: For details of the APARs that have been addressed in each release, see Latest PTFs for IBM File Manager for z/OS.

New features and enhancements in V15.1.6, November 2024

This version of File Manager for z/OS® rolls up a number of miscellaneous fixes. It also includes the following new support:
  • File Manager provides updated internal COBOL and PL/I compilers with this version.

    To determine which File Manager COBOL compiler is to be used, a new option, ALTCOB, has been added. See ALTCOB for more information about the available COBOL compilers.

    To determine which File Manager PL/I compiler is to be used, a new option, ALTPLI, has been added. See ALTPLI for more information about the available PL/I compilers.

    To discover the level of the internal PL/I compiler being used, a new command is available, SHOWPLI, from both batch and the File Manager command line. See Customizing for processing PL/I include books for more information about submitting this command.
  • Auto detect for compiler languages now supports Assembler and is more efficient. See "Auto detect" in Selecting your compiler language.
  • A new option has been added to the Editor Options panel, Show nullable column indicators, so that FM/Db2 displays an indicator for columns with nullable status. See Editor Options (4 of 8) panel for more details. For example output, see Table Edit panel, Table Browse panel, and Table View panel.
  • New keywords for the File Manager DEFV function to produce VSAM define statements for Data, Index, and Catalog names in addition to supporting alternate Index, Path, and GDG data sets. See DEFV (Define VSAM Statements) for the syntax and details.
  • FM/Db2 IVP updates for supported versions of Db2 Version 12 and later. See the section Verifying the customization of FM/Db2 for the updates.
  • Enhancement of SQL prototyping. See Basic SELECT Prototyping panel.
  • Added support for simple comments in SQL statement execution. See Enter, Execute and Explain SQL Statements panel.

New features and enhancements in V15.1.5 (refresh July 2024)

This version of File Manager for z/OS® is a refresh of Version 15.1.5. It rolls up a number of miscellaneous fixes. It also includes the following new support:
  • The Size column can now be changed to a User column showing the last user to modify the member on the Enhanced Reference and Index member list displays. This is supported via F11 (USER column) and F10 (Size column) function keys. See Field Descriptions for the Enhanced Reference List panel.
  • Proclib and Parmlib data sets are now available for selection via the Enhanced Edit key Select option 3. See Using F4 from any edit or view session when positioned on a string or word.
  • Reference data set list definitions are now supported. Leaving the Reference data set name blank now provides for the selection from a predefined Reference data set list if an FMNLREFS DD is found, as well as selection from a user history. See Defining a Reference data set selection list.
  • Index data set list definitions are now supported. Leaving the Index data set name blank now provides for the selection from a predefined Index Data Set List if an FMNLIDXS DD is found, as well as selection from a user history. See Defining an Index Data Set List.

New features and enhancements in V15.1.5, June 2024

This version of File Manager for z/OS® rolls up a number of miscellaneous fixes. It also includes the following new support:
  • A comma character (,) is now supported in place of a decimal separator when processing numeric values. This new support includes a new File Manager installation option, COMMADEC, an additional option on the Compiler Language Selection panel, and a new keyword definition in the SET (Set Processing Options).
  • Load Module link date and time:
  • Four new options (Dslist, UDlist, Search, Change) have been added to the menu displayed when pressing F4 (enhanced edit key) from the command line of an enhanced search report. See Using F4 for enhanced search report filtering commands.
  • You can now create your index definition member with an ISPF dialog that guides you in generating an index definition member. See Index data set name panel and Index language/data set groups panel.
  • The DEFV function now supports generating the DATACLASS, MANAGEMENTCLASS, and STORAGECLASS values via a new keyword, SMS=YES. See DEFV (Define VSAM Statements) for the complete syntax.
  • File Manager provides the SHOWCOB command, from both batch and the File Manager command line, to determine which COBOL compiler is being used, internal or external. When the File Manager internal COBOL compiler is being used, more detailed messages are provided with this release to indicate why it is being used. See Customizing for processing COBOL copybooks for more information.
  • Data set detail panels now display the encryption status and key label of a data set, and data set definition panels provide the option of specifying a key label when defining a data set. When an encrypted data set is copied to a previously non-existent data set using the DSNOUT keyword with the DSC command, File Manager attempts to create the new data set with the same key label as the original data set. See Allocate (Two) panel, Non-VSAM Allocate panel, Non-VSAM Entry Detail panel, VSAM Define panel, and VSAM Entry Detail panel.

New features and enhancements in V15.1.4, March 2024

This version of File Manager for z/OS® rolls up a number of miscellaneous fixes. It also includes the following new support:
  • A new keyword option, KSDSUPD, has been added to the Data Set Copy (DSC) function to manage matching record keys. When record keys from the source data set match record keys in the destination data set, you can choose to either overlay them in the destination data set or, you can leave them unchanged and return a message indicating that there is a duplicate key. See DSC (Data Set Copy) for more information about this keyword.
  • The IMS Data Definition utility (DFS3ID00) is the default and recommended method for generating dynamic PSBs when IMS manages ACBs. The other method uses the IMS Catalog Populate utility (DFS3PU00), but this method has now been deprecated and is no longer the default. As a result, the default value for the USEDDL parameter on the FMN0POPI macro statement is now Y.

    See Dynamic PSBs, IMS management of ACBs, and USEDDL for more detailed information.

New features and enhancements in V15.1.3 (refresh January 2024)

This version of File Manager for z/OS® rolls up a number of miscellaneous fixes. It also includes the following new support:
  • Enhancements to the enhanced ISPF processing:
    • Extended member lists are now produced for view or edit functions when a partitioned data set with a generic or blank member name is being processed.
    • A view or edit of a DD statement containing concatenated partitioned data sets now supports an extended member list for all corresponding cataloged data sets.
    • Variables defined in an INCLUDE member are now processed and resolved when processing data set names.
    • Option 4, Dslist, has been extended to support the display of an ISPF data set list when positioned on a DD statement, and a UNIX directory list when positioned on a UNIX path or file name. See Using F4 from any edit or view session when positioned on a string or word for more information.
    • Two new prefix commands are available for the enhanced reference list display:
      • L: produces an ISPF data set list.
      • U: produces a UNIX directory list.
      For more details about these prefix commands, see Line Commands.
    • Pressing the function key with 4 in the command line when viewing or editing produces a data set list for up to 30 data set names referenced in the session.
    • Pressing the function key with 4U in the command line when viewing or editing produces a UNIX directory list for up to 30 path or file names referenced in the session.

New features and enhancements in V15.1.3, October 2023

This version of File Manager for z/OS® rolls up a number of miscellaneous fixes. It also includes the following new support:
  • FM/Db2 V15.1.3 now supports running against Db2® Version 12 function level 100 subsystems. This support introduces a new FM/Db2 sample, FMN2BN1K, to be used in place of FMN2BN2K when binding against Db2® V12 FL100 subsystems.

    See Binding Db2 (required) for more information about this new support.

New features and enhancements in V15.1.2 (refresh August 2023)

  • A new option, option 13, has been added to the Enhanced Search KEY menu panel to allocate, change or invoke catalog services against a data set name that the cursor is positioned on. See Using F4 from any edit or view session when positioned on a string or word for more information about this new option.
  • Indexed search changes:
    • The restriction of a maximum of 22 data sets when duplicated members are not being processed has been removed.
    • Automatic word detection has been introduced as the simpler and recommended method for determining words. See Automatic word detection for more details.
    See Indexed search for details on the indexed search capability.
  • A new option, ASIS, has been added to suppress automatic encapsulation and, automatic encapsulation has been limited to when a delimiter is encountered or when the first character is a quote. See Copy To panel and DSC (Data Set Copy) for more details about automatic encapsulation.

New features and enhancements in V15.1.2, June 2023

  • The indexed search provides a way to perform a fast search across one or more partitioned data sets. The results are displayed in the index search report containing the list of matching words, the number of lines where the word occurs, the number of data sets containing occurrences of the word, and the number of members. See Indexed search for more information about how to set up and use the indexed search facility.
  • The File Manager copy function (DSC) and the FM/Db2 Import function (DBI) now support importing CSV files. See DSC (Data Set Copy), Copy From panel, and Copy To panel for more information. See Import Options panel and DBI (Import) batch command for more details.
  • Db2 CSV export now supports Quoted values, Single quotes and Leading zeros options similar to the File Manager copy function. See Export Options (2 of 3) panel and DBX (Export) batch command for more information about these options.
  • FM/IMS has been enhanced with the following features:
    • Support for the specification of the IMSplex that the IMS™ subsystem is in.
    • FM/IMS serializes the use of dynamic PSBs across the IMSplex when they are used to access IMS subsystems that share ACBs with other IMS subsystems in an IMSplex (ACBSHR=Y).
    For information on how to code the IMSPLEX and ACBSHR parameters, see FM/IMS options.

New features and enhancements in V15.1.1, March 2023

  • File Manager provides internal PL/I compilers that are used regardless of any external PL/I compiler previously installed. If you want to use File Manager view, edit, copy, print, or data create functions with a PL/I include book, you must use the runtime support provided by the Language Environment®. To discover the level of the internal PL/I compiler, you can use the SHOWPLI command from both batch and the File Manager command line. See Customizing for processing PL/I include books for more information about submitting this command.
  • FM/IMS has been enhanced to support using the IMS Data Definition Utility (DFS3ID00) to generate dynamic program specification blocks (PSBs) when IMS manages the runtime application control blocks (ACBs).

New features and enhancements in V15.1.0, First edition, October 2022

  • The indexed search provides a way to perform a fast search across one or more partitioned data sets. The results are displayed in the index search report containing the list of matching words, the number of lines where the word occurs, the number of data sets containing occurrences of the word, and the number of members. See Indexed search for more information about how to set up and use the indexed search facility..
  • Improved the usability and task orientation of the documentation that explains how File Manager can use FM/CICS to access CICS resources from different environments. The documentation has been reworked and reorganized, and a checklist clearly defines the steps based on the environment. For more information, see Preparing to access CICS resources from File Manager.
  • Two new options added to the Db2® CSV Export Options panels and the DBX (Export) batch command: LEADING=YES/NO and TRAILING= YES/NO. These options specify if leading and trailing blanks within Db2 CHAR and VARCHAR columns are to be included in the CSV exported data set. By default, leading blanks are included and trailing blanks are not included. See Export Options (2 of 3) panel and DBX (Export) batch command for more information about these options.
  • FM/Db2 supports Db2® version 13.
  • New versions of CICS Transaction Server, Enterprise COBOL, Enterprise PL/I, and Automatic Binary Optimizer are supported:
    • CICS Transaction Server for z/OS 6.1.
    • Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.4.
    • IBM Enterprise PL/I for z/OS 6.1.
    • Automatic Binary Optimizer for z/OS 2.2
  • The default value for the FM/CICS FMN3POPI option, START, is now START=TASK. In previous versions, the default value was START=BATCH. See START for the complete syntax.
  • Removed the USERLMS parameter from the LMS File Manager option in the FMN0POPI macro statement.
  • The security method using the FMNSECUR security exit has been removed from the product.