ALIST is a TSO command that provides a better display of the same information that the IBM supplied LISTALC command shows, which is all datasets allocated to the current TSO User session. Where LISTALC only shows the dataset name, ALIST includes the DD Name, dataset organization (DSORG), allocation type, volume serial number, and dataset name.
ALIST is a product of Lionel Dyck at Rockwell International in Seal Beach, CA. This version is from the older CBT tape, version #249.
In order to assemble ALIST, you need some specialized macros, also provided by Lionel, but in a separate file on the CBT249 image. It also requires the IHAQDB macro, which is available in the MVS 3.8j source material (library SYM1-1). I have gathered all the required macros and the source, and placed them in a single jobstream, along with a simple help text. The jobstream - alist.jcl - is contained in the archive alist.tgz [MD5: 8D79382E9BAC6A53A0A3D609342D0E0F]. Download the archive and extract the jobstream (WinZip on Windows/?? or tar on Linux). Submit the jobstream to assemble and link the single load module for ALIST into SYS2.CMDLIB and copy the help text into SYS2.HELP. If you don't have SYS2.CMDLIB defined, you will need to modify the jobstream to specify a different target load library. Also if you do not have SYS2.HELP defined, you may modify the jobstream to place the help information into SYS1.HELP.
ALIST is simple to use. It has no operands. When issued it will display all datasets currently allocation to your TSO User session
Update 01/2015 I have added an updated ALIST from the September 1994 XEPHON MVS Update (file #830 of CBT); unfortunately the name of the author of this program was not supplied. I am retaining the original version above and adding this as a different archive so that a choice is available to those who simply prefer the familiar version. In fact, you could change the load module and help member name in the installation jobstream and have both available on your system.
Update 01/2022 John Boos alerted me that the XEPHON version of ALIST was going into a loop when it encounters a VSAM dataset. I have modified this version to:
In order to assemble this new version of ALIST with IFOX00, I had to make a change to an computed length used in a DS instruction. I also had to add register equates. My changes can be identified by the initials 'jlm' in columns 68-71. There was no help supplied with the program, so I have included a help member in the installation jobstream that includes help specifically for this updated version.
The jobstream - alist.jcl - is contained in the archive alist.zip [MD5: 99ddca14e4c746129ecc0f1940741762]. Download the archive and extract the jobstream (WinZip on Windows or tar on Linux). Submit the jobstream to assemble and link the single load module for ALIST into SYS2.CMDLIB and copy the help text into SYS2.HELP. If you don't have SYS2.CMDLIB defined, you will need to modify the jobstream to specify a different target load library. Also if you do not have SYS2.HELP defined, you may modify the jobstream to place the help information into SYS1.HELP.
The new version, like the original, has no operands. When issued it will display all datasets currently allocated to your TSO User session:
READY alist STEPLIB --- -P------ SHRoMVS000 SYS1.ISPLOAD ISPPLIB --- -P------ SHRoMVS000 SYS1.ISPPLIB ISPMLIB --- -P------ SHRoMVS000 SYS1.ISPMLIB ISPSLIB --- -P------ SHRoMVS000 SYS1.ISPSLIB ISPPARM --- -P------ SHRoMVS000 SYS1.ISPPARM SYS00003 --- D--CI-C- SHRoPUB000 UCPUB000 SYSPROC PO DP------ SHRoPUB000 JAY01.CLIST PO DP------ SHR MVS000 SYS1.CMDPROC SYS00013 --- D--CI-C- SHRoSYSP01 UCSYSP01 SYSHELP PO DP------ SHRoMVSRES SYS1.HELP PO DP------ SHR MVS000 SYS2.HELP READY
The legend for the Dataset Allocation Block (DSAB) flag fields is contained in the help member:
ALIST FUNCTIONS - THE ALIST COMMAND WILL LIST ALL ALLOCATED FILES FOR YOUR TSO SESSION IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT: ISPPROF PO -------- SHRxVOLSER TSOUSER.ISPFPDF.PROFILE |||||||| |||||||*-JOBCAT/STEPCAT dataset (J) ||||||*--dataset is a catalog (C) |||||*---VIO dataset (V) ||||*----dataset in-use (I) |||*-----convertible (C) ||*------dynamically converted (D) |*-------permanently allocated (P) *--------dynamically allocated (D) FIELDS SHOWN ARE DDNAME, DSORG, DSAB FLAG FIELDS, ALLOCATION TYPE, VOLUME SERIAL NUMBER, AND DATASET NAME. SYNTAX - ALIST OPERANDS - ALIST COMMAND TAKES NO OPERANDS
I hope that you have found my instructions useful. If you have questions that I can answer to help expand upon my explanations and examples shown here, please don't hesitate to send them to me:
This page was last updated on April 11, 2022 .