KR edition 179

KR-179 : ALTER properties - idea contributed by Gowri...

We'll take a look at the TSO ALTER command in this edition 

We sometimes come across situations where we've created a dataset with a particular management class but later want to change the management class. One option is to create a new datset based on the properties of the existing dataset and give the new management class that we want.

Wouldn't it be better if we could just say "change the management class to xxxxx"?

• The TSO ALTER command helps serve this purpose.

• Just type TSO ALTER on the command line in any ISPF panel. 

• The entry name will be asked for. Entry name here refers to the dataset whose property we want to change. Along with this we need to specify the property we want to change. 

• Ex: Let's say we want to change the management class for a PDS named test.dummy.pds to BACKUP5. 

• We first type TSO ALTER and then the following pops up on the ISPF screen.

           ENTER ENTRY NAME - 
          'test.dummy.pds' managementclass 
          ENTER 'MANAGEMENTCLASS' NAME - 
          backup5 

• If the class BACKUP5 is not defined on the system TSO will throw an error message. (We can also give this command in 3.4 dataset listing screen by preceeding the dataset name by ALTER \ and then giving entry name as MANAGEMENTCLASS). 

• Type TSO HELP ALTER to get the entire documentation on the ALTER command; there are numerous properties that can be changed using this command

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