Programs that control the routing step

To determine the best approach for a particular job, you must first determine which program should control the routing step.

Using QSYS/CMD for interactive jobs - benefits

The IBM-supplied command processor QSYS/QCMD gives the greatest flexibility in terms of making functions available to workstation users. Using QCMD to control the routing step gives you the following benefits:

The attention program is activated if it is specified in the user profile.
The initial program that is specified in the user profile is called.
The initial menu that is specified in the user profile is called.
The user is placed in System/36™ environment as it is specified in the user profile.

In addition, the default using QCMD brings you to the Main Menu where you can enter commands directly, including the CALL command, which is used to call user-written functions. Menu options with online help are provided to give easy access to system functions. Also provided are command selection menus, quick access to index search, and the command entry function (called by CALL QCMD). The command entry functions are intended primarily for programmers and operators who require the full range of functions available through the direct use of commands.

Calling a user program directly for interactive jobs - benefits

Your programs can be directly called to control the routing steps for interactive jobs. These programs can be designed to give a more specialized access to functions needed by your workstation users than the IBM-supplied programs give. In addition, because your programs are tailored for specific functions, they should typically require even less system resource to support their running than the IBM-supplied programs. You may also want to provide functions such as an initial program and initial menu.