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Using XPSWTOR

The XPSWTOR utility issues a WTOR (Write To Operator with Reply) and waits for an operator response. The reply is validated against a list of acceptable characters, and the character's position in the list determines the return code. This allows operator-controlled decision points in JCL via COND= or IF/THEN/ELSE testing.

Invocation​

//DECIDE   EXEC PGM=XPSWTOR,
// PARM='Reply Y to continue or N to cancel'

If no PARM is provided, XPSWTOR issues the default message:

*nn XPSWTOR - Reply U to continue or N to stop

How It Works​

  1. XPSWTOR issues the PARM text as a WTOR with ROUTCDE=14.
  2. The operator sees the message and must reply with a single character.
  3. The reply is forced to uppercase and validated against the acceptable reply list.
  4. If the reply is not in the list, the message Invalid Reply is issued and the WTOR is redisplayed.
  5. Once a valid reply is entered, XPSWTOR exits with a return code equal to the 0-based position of the reply character in the list.

Default Reply List​

The default acceptable replies are U, N, Y, producing the following return codes:

ReplyReturn CodeMeaning (default)
U0Continue (Up)
N1Stop (No)
Y2Yes

Prerequisites​

  • No special authorization is required.
  • An operator (or automation product) must be available to reply to the WTOR.
  • If the LSAM has a WTO trigger with an auto-reply matching the XPSWTOR message, the reply can be automated. See Automated Response Feature for details on setting up auto-replies.
Example

Use XPSWTOR to let an operator decide whether to continue processing:

//ASK      EXEC PGM=XPSWTOR,
// PARM='Reply Y to rebuild or N to skip'
//REBUILD  EXEC PGM=MYPROG,COND=(1,LE,ASK)

In this example, if the operator replies U (RC=0) or N (RC=1), the REBUILD step is skipped because 1 LE 0 is false but 1 LE 1 is true. Only a reply of Y (RC=2) allows REBUILD to execute.

Example

Automate the reply using a WTO trigger with the auto-reply feature. Define a WTO trigger entry where the message key matches XPSWTOR and the action is set to +Y. When XPSWTOR issues its WTOR, the LSAM will automatically reply Y, resulting in RC=2.