It is essential that you understand how your i5/OS™ system searches for Advanced Function Presentation™ (AFP™) resources. When you create a spooled file, the operating system saves the libraries in your library list. Within that list are the libraries that contain the resources used to create the spooled file.
Why you should use a library list
When specifying an overlay, page definition, or page segment, you need to include the library that contains the resource in your library list. If you have more than one overlay, page definition, or page segment with the same name, make sure the one you want to use is in the first library searched. Otherwise, you might specify the correct name, but get the wrong resource in your output.
If you have a resource that you want many users access (fonts, for example), you might put that resource in a library that everyone can access. For example, you could put it in a library identified in the system value QSYSLIBL.
Search order for resources that are not specified by the AFPRSC keyword
When the operating system searches libraries for the resources needed to print a spooled file, the user library list is searched first and then the device library list. By default, the operating system searches libraries in the following order:
These libraries are identified in system value QSYSLIBL. System libraries are available to all users; they are identified in your library list with a Type of SYS.
The current library is identified in your user profile as the value for the current library (CURLIB) parameter. In your library list, the current library has a Type of CUR.
User libraries are identified in system value QUSRLIBL or in a job description. In your library list, these libraries are identified with a Type of USR.
You can override the system library search list and specify a library search list for a particular device or user. To do this, use a PSF configuration object. If you create a PSF configuration object, the default for the user and device library lists will be the same as the library search described previously.
Search order for resources that are specified by the AFPRSC keyword
When you specify a resource by using the AFPRSC Data description specifications (DDS) keyword, the operating system uses a different method to search for that resource. Instead, it uses a search order that involves the environment variable QIBM_AFP_RESOURCES_PATH. The system searches the integrated file system for those resources as described in the AFPRSC topic.
The QIBM_AFP_RESOURCES_PATH environment variable
The QIBM_AFP_RESOURCES_PATH environment variable is used when The DDS keyword AFPRSC is used to specify objects in the integrated file system. This environment variable specifies the paths to search for the specified object.
To specify multiple paths in QIBM_AFP_RESOURCES_PATH, use a colon to separate them. For example, /home/officers/signatures:/home/checkimages/2003 identifies two directories to be searched:
The directories are searched in the order in which they are listed.
The /QIBM/UserData/OS400/AFPresources directory is created when i5/OS is installed. It is always available for use.
You can use these CL commands to work with environment variables:
Related concepts
Related reference
Add Environment Variable (ADDENVVAR) CL command
Change Environment Variable (CHGENVVAR) CL command
Remove Environment Variable (RMVENVVAR) CL command
Work with Environment Variables (WRKENVVAR) CL command