How to document outputs of a JCLExec or JobExec command

[dennis-behm]

A user recently reached out to me and asked how they could document outputs that are produced by a JCLExec of a JobExec command.

Background

DBB provides a very simple API to generate records. MVSExec and CopyToPDS allow users to define the outputs. When the step is executed, DBB generates the record automatically.

The below snippet defines the outputs of the link step for the Cobol language script:

dbb-zappbuild/languages/Cobol.groovy

Line 358 in a719842

linkedit.dd(new DDStatement().name("SYSLMOD").dsn("${props.cobol_loadPDS}($member)").options('shr').output(true).deployType(deployType))

You can read more about the available Build Report Records in the DBB Documentation.

It's worth to check out the JAVA Doc for DBB Build Records as well. FYI - with DBB 2.0.2 a new Record has been introduced - the UnixRecord for any tasks producing outputs on Unix System Services.

Document outputs in JCLExec, JobExec

JCLExec or JobExec don't provide a output method to define the outputs attribute for their records (worth opening an IDEA for it!), therefore users have implemented a workaround. The way, I have seen users who wanted to document outputs of JCLExec or JobExec have chosen one of the below options.

Option 1 After evaluating the return code of the JCL, users have implemented an MVSExec command using IEFBR14 (the do nothing program on z/OS), which they use to document the (known) outputs of JCL step including an deployType including a reference to the buildFile (the relative path of the file such as MortgageApplication/cobol/epscmort.cbl).

Option 2 If their use case it a bit different, some have gone the route to use the AnyTypeRecord to define their own record type, they they then parse during the packaging process. zAppBuild uses the AnyTypeRecord to create a DELETE_RECORD that can then be processed by the packaging steps:

dbb-zappbuild/utilities/BuildReportUtilities.groovy

Lines 43 to 44 in a719842

	AnyTypeRecord deleteRecord = new AnyTypeRecord("DELETE_RECORD")
	deleteRecord.setAttribute("file", deletedFile)

[Bill-Pratt]

Is there a way to use AnyTypeRecord to add this structure to the BuildReport?
"outputs": [
{
"dataset": "AL73418.COMP.SYSADATA(RRMAS001)",
"deployType": "SYSDATA"
}
],

[dennis-behm]

Unfortunately not.

Please check out the Java Doc for AnyTypeRecord

As indicated it is just key value pairs; values could be lists of strings, but your sample contains another structure under outputs.

zAppBuild generates a custom DELETE_RECORD, that looks like this:

 "file": "jcls\/DELETEME.jcl",
            "deletedBuildOutputs": [
                JENKINS.ZDAT.RETIRE.JCL(DELETEME),
                JENKINS.ZDAT.RETIRE.SOURCE(DELETEME)
            ],
            "id": "DELETE_RECORD_1",
            "type": "DELETE_RECORD"
        },

Please note the difference comma-separated list of strings vs a list of own data structures.