ACR/Detail 9.1 Release Notes

ACR/Detail 9.1 enhancements include:

Global Return Code Action Codes in User Options File

In prior releases, the return code action codes were specified at the rule level and the job level. This enhancement allows the action codes to be entered at the User Options level. The return code action codes entered in the User Options File override those entered at the job level and rule level.

The new indicator determines how the system should take action if the return code is greater than 0000. Altogether there are 3 types of return code action code overrides:

• Override set zero return code option
  • Enables you to override the job level completion code option for jobs that currently set a completion code of zero.
• Override set step return code option
  • Enables you to override the job level completion code option for jobs that currently set a non-zero completion code.
• Override set abend return code option
  • Enables you to override the job level completion code option for jobs that currently force a user abend

Additional Job Options

This enhancement is applicable to IBM i only.

The following job options are added to make IBM i consistent with other platforms.

• Truncate/Round Results
• Automatic Cycle Format
• Rewrite History File
• Reconciliation Key Mask

Capture File Name as Item

The name of the input file can now be extracted from the input source or from an extraction variable. The extracted value can then be assigned to an internal item or extraction variable. Partial file name can also be extracted.

This enhancement is implemented for the following access modes and types of field:

• Access Mode 1 – 4 : Field Value
• Access Mode 6 – 8 : Detail Field and Key Field

If the file name is extracted from ‘Input Source’, the data set name of the input source currently being processed is retrieved. If multiple data sets are concatenated to the DDname of the input source, the name of the first data set assigned to the input source is always returned.

If the extraction variable is storing a file name (e.g. picked up from an input record or a literal), you can also extract the value from the extraction variable as file name. There are two ways to extract the file name:

• Using levels (total 20 levels)
• Using position and length

If multiple jobs are included in the JCL stream and some of them have the same step name, the DDnames specified for the first job will be used for the file name retrieval. If multiple data sets are assigned to the DDname of the input source, the name of the first data set will be returned as the file name.

When porting the definitions from one platform to the other, the file name in the F0 card should be removed as the structures of file name vary for different platforms. Review and revise the definitions as needed.

Ability to Use a Start Position Range for Select Statements and Dynamic Pickup for Field Extraction

This enhancement is implemented for the Selection Field of Access Mode 6 – 8. To allow a range of positions on the record where the beginning of the select value can appear, a new ‘maximum start position’ field is added. This capability is only allowed if data is extracted from the ‘Input Area’ (i.e. input record) and field format is ‘Alphanumeric’.

Dynamic Pickup for Field Extraction

Instead of specifying a fixed starting position to extract the field, the field can now be picked up dynamically based upon the actual start position of the select field if the new relative position direction indicator (i.e. position type) is turned on. This capability is only allowed if data is extracted from the ‘Input Area’ (i.e. input record). Available options are:

• N (No) - Start position cannot vary.
• L (Left of Previous Select) – Pick up the data to the left of the previous select statement meeting the selection criteria.
• R (Right of Previous Select) – Pick up the data to the right of the previous select statement meeting the selection criteria.

This enhancement is implemented for Selection, Reformat, Key, and Detail field types in Access Modes 6, 7, and 8.

Date/Cycle Extraction when Day or Month Values do not have Leading Zeroes

You can now extract an input date value that does not contain a leading zero for either the day or month elements. You can define new controls by specifying the date separator character, if the input data does not contain leading zeros.

If the input date always has leading zero for its components, do not enter the date separator. Otherwise, the processing time may be prolonged.

This enhancement is implemented in the following areas:

• Access Mode 1 – 4 : Field value (F3) and Field cycle (F3)
• Access Mode 6 – 8 : Date field (F7) and Key cycle (F6)

The following date format/cycle formats allow date extraction without the leading zero:

• YYMMDD
• MMDDYY
• MMDDCCYY
• DDMMYY
• DDMMCCYY
• CYYMMDD
• CCYYMMDD
• DDMMMYY
• DDMMMCCYY
• MMMDDYY
• MMMDDCCYY

Email Notification

Email notification is only allowed in batch balancing/reconciliation mode. When email notification is turned on, the rule highest return code is used to check against all the messages setup for the job. Multiple messages may be setup for the same return code. Instead of sending an email for each message, the return code messages and report attachments for each email recipient are consolidated. As a result, each email recipient will receive one email.

A master switch to turn on/off email notification is added to the User Options File.

Email notification processing requires a larger amount of memory to run the job, increase the region size as needed.

This enhancement is applicable to z/OS only.

Set Truncate/Round Result Override at Item Level

You can specify how to handle decimal values for the results from Calculated Items and Standard Balancing Rules. In prior releases, the ability to set the round or truncate options was available only at the Job level.

In this release, rounding options specified at the Job level can be overridden individually during the definition of Calculated Items or Standard Rules. Users have the option to use the rounding options specified at the Job level (default), or specify round/truncate options individually.

Support of Binary and Packed Decimal Data Types

The functionality of ACR/Summary and ACR/Detail on IBM i platform has been extended to support the processing of binary and packed decimal data types to make it consistent with the product on other platforms.

This enhancement is implemented for Selection, Reformat, Key, and Detail field types in Access Modes 6, 7, and 8.

Internal Translation Table Performance Improvement

To make Internal Translation table processing more efficient, instead of reloading an Internal Translation table multiple times, the whole table is loaded into memory when the table is referenced for the first time.