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POIs there a list of Special characters to be avoided in JCL/MVS Script variables
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  1. POIs there a list of Special characters to be avoided in JCL/MVS Script variables
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    copied!<p>I have a program that generates random pin codes. These pins are generated in Java, then stored in the mainframe, via a <strong>NATURAL</strong> program. From there, they are eventually physically printed by a batch JCL job that calls an <strong>MVS SCRIPT</strong> to print the form, with the pin code on it.</p> <p>I've come across some issues with special characters before such as: <code>|{}![]^~&lt;&gt;;</code> that for one reason or another do not print properly. I've also removed <code>0OQ1l</code> for OCR reasons.</p> <p>Recently, an error came to my attention with another character that doesn't print properly, <code>.</code> but the <code>.</code> character <em>only</em> fails when it is the <em>first</em> character of the PIN Code.</p> <p>So since I've run into this issue I thought I would see if I could find other special <a href="/questions/tagged/jcl" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;jcl&#39;" rel="tag">jcl</a>, <strong>Natural</strong> or <strong>MVS Script</strong> characters that might interfere with my programs operation so that I can test them now and hopefully not run into this issue later or have to fallback to only using OCR'ed AlphaNumeric characters.</p> <p><strong>EDIT</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Java</strong> - Web Application Runs Under Tomcat 6.x on a Solaris Server.</li> <li><strong>Natural</strong> - The Natural Program is called using <a href="/questions/tagged/webmethods" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;webmethods&#39;" rel="tag">webmethods</a> Broker generated classes (POJOs). <ul> <li>My understanding is it uses <em>RPC</em> for actual communication.</li> <li>The program verifies some data and stores the Pin in combination with a GUID on a record, in ADABAS.</li> </ul></li> <li>There is a batch job that runs to print the forms. The Batch job is written in JCL. <ul> <li>My Understanding from the maintainer of the Batch Job, and the Forms stuff is the actual language to describe the forms themselves and how they get printed is an outdated/unsupported language called <em>MVS SCRIPT</em>.</li> </ul></li> <li>the Bottom section of the script looks like this:</li> </ul> <pre class="lang-jcl prettyprint-override"><code>//********************************************************************** //* PRINT SORTED FORMS TO #### USING MVS SCRIPT //********************************************************************** PRINTALL EXEC PGM=DSMSPEXEC,PARM='LIST' //* less 'interesting' lines omitted SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=* PRINT1 DD SYSOUT=A, OUTPUT=*.C####, RECFM=VBM,LRECL=####,BLKSIZE=#### //* less 'interesting' lines omitted //SYSIN DD * AUTH /* redacted */ SCRIPT FROM(MYFORMS) (MESSAGE(ID TRACE) CONT - FILE(PRINT1) PROFILE(redacted) - NOSEGLIB DEVICE(PG4A) CHARS(X0A055BC)) </code></pre> <p>.C#### is an actual number and is a variable that points to the chosen printer.</p> <p><strong>NOTE:</strong> I'm a Web Programmer, I don't speak mainframe, JCL, MVS, etc. </p>
 

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