system - Run CL command

Synopsis

system [-iKknpqsv] CLcommand [ arg ... ]

Description

The system utility runs a CL command. Any spool file output generated by CLcommand is written to standard output. By default, the spool files are deleted after they are written and the job log of the job running system is deleted.

Any messages generated by CLcommand are written to standard error. By default, all messages generated by CLcommand are written using the following format:

MsgId: Text

where "MsgId" is the seven character i5/OS(TM) message identifier (for example CPF0001) and "Text" is the text of the message. Use the -n option to not include the "MsgId" prefix.

By default, system checks the number of threads running in the job. If there is more than one thread running, it starts a second job and runs CLcommand in the second job. Use the -i option to force system to always run CLcommand in the current job.

Options

-i
Always run CLcommand in the current job and set the exit status to the ILE return code of the program called by CLcommand. Note that some CL commands do not run in a multi-thread capable job or when there are multiple threads running in the job.
-K
Keep all spool files generated by CLcommand and the job log of the job running system. If this option is not specified, all spool files are deleted after they are written and the job log is deleted.
-k
Keep all spool files generated by CLcommand. If this option is not specified, all spool files are deleted after they are written.
-n
Do not include the message identifier when writing the messages to standard error. Only the message text of the messages are written to standard error. This option is ignored if the -q option is also specified.
-p
Only write the messages sent to the program's message queue by CLcommand to standard error. This option is ignored if the -q option is also specified.
-q
Do not write messages generated by CLcommand to standard error.
-s
Do not write spool files generated by CLcommand to standard output.
-v
Write the complete command string to standard output before running it.

Note that for compatibility with the PASE system utility, system does not return an error if the -b, -e, -E, -I, or -O options are specified, but the options are ignored.

Operands

Each arg is a parameter to CLcommand. You may need to enclose CLcommand and args in quotes to prevent qsh from expanding any special characters in them. Both CL and qsh use some of the same special characters, for example, the asterisk (*) character.

Environment Variables

The system utility is affected by the following environment variables:

QIBM_SYSTEM_ALWMLTTHD
Set this environment variable to control how the system utility behaves in a multi-thread capable job. If the value of the variable is "N", system starts a new job to run the CL command when the current job is multi-thread capable even if there is only one thread running in the job. There is no default value.

QIBM_SYSTEM_USE_ILE_RC
Set this environment variable to control how the system utility sets the exit status. If the value of the variable is "Y", system sets the exit status to the ILE return code of the program called by CLcommand, or zero if the program did not set a return code. There is no default value. The environment variable is ignored if the -i option is specified.

Exit Status

When the -i option is specified or the environment variable QIBM_SYSTEM_USE_ILE_RC=Y is set, system sets the exit status to the ILE return code of the program called by CLcommand, or zero if the program did not set a return code.

Related Information

Examples

  1. List all of the active jobs: 
    system wrkactjob
  2. Create a test library: 
    system "CRTLIB LIB(TESTDATA) TYPE(*TEST)"
  3. Delete a library and do not write any messages: 
    system -q "DLTLIB LIB(TESTDATA)"