title: Symbolic JCL Confusion
body: <p>I am a bit confused on how to create a symbolic variable in JCL for an assignment I am doing in my COBOL class.</p>
  
  <p>For example, I am supposed to "Specify a symbolic parameter for the PARM option and specify TEST and APOST as the default."</p>
  
  <p>How do I designate the "PARM" option to be a symbolic parameter?</p>
  
  <p>EDIT: Forgive the oversight; it seems that I forgot to mention what OS I am running in.  I am writing this JCL file in z/OS.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks in advance!</p>
  
  <p>EDIT:</p>
  
  <p>@avisser:</p>
  
  <p>So, what you're saying is that I can just call it "&amp;PARM='TEST,APOST'" and, if I wanted to change that parameter when I run this proc with another JCL statement, the parms listed can be changed from the calling JCL?</p>
  
  <p>EDIT:</p>
  
  <p>@avisser:</p>
  
  <p>Yeah, sorry, I really need to work on being more specific...  In my COBOL JCL, I am calling the COBOL compiler (IGYCRCTL), the Linkage Editor (HEWL) and a program fetch (EXEC PGM=).</p>
  
  <p>EDIT:</p>
  
  <p>Perhaps it would help to see what my output is.  I really do appreciate all those who have tried to help so far.</p>
  
  <p>Output:</p>
  
  <p>------ JES2 JOB STATISTICS ------                                                                                                   </p>
  
  <pre><code>       37 CARDS READ                                                                                                            
  
         61 SYSOUT PRINT RECORDS                                                                                                  
  
          0 SYSOUT PUNCH RECORDS                                                                                                  
  
          3 SYSOUT SPOOL KBYTES                                                                                                   
  
       0.00 MINUTES EXECUTION TIME                                                                                                
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>!! END OF JES SPOOL FILE !!
         1 //KC03CEFA JOB ,'MATT R',MSGCLASS=H,TYPRUN=SCAN                    JOB07731
           //*<br>
         2 //STEP01 EXEC PGM=IGYCRCTL,&amp;REGION=248K,<br>
           //     &amp;PARM='TEST,APOST'<br>
         3 //STEPLIB DD DSN=IGY340.SIGYCOMP,DISP=SHR<br>
           /*<br>
         4 //SYSLIN DD &amp;DSN=&amp;&amp;OBJSET,UNIT=DISK,SPACE=(TRK,(3,3)),<br>
           //         &amp;DISP=(NEW,PASS,DELETE)<br>
         5 //SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*<br>
         6 //SYSUT1   DD UNIT=DISK,SPACE=(CYL,(1,1))<br>
         7 //SYSUT2   DD UNIT=DISK,SPACE=(CYL,(1,1))<br>
         8 //SYSUT3   DD UNIT=DISK,SPACE=(CYL,(1,1))<br>
         9 //SYSUT4   DD UNIT=DISK,SPACE=(CYL,(1,1))<br>
        10 //SYSUT5   DD UNIT=DISK,SPACE=(CYL,(1,1))<br>
        11 //SYSUT6   DD UNIT=DISK,SPACE=(CYL,(1,1))<br>
        12 //SYSUT7   DD UNIT=DISK,SPACE=(CYL,(1,1))<br>
           //*<br>
           //*<br>
        13 //STEP02   EXEC PGM=HEWL,&amp;COND=,&amp;REAGION=2048K,<br>
           //         &amp;PARM=<br>
        14 //SYSLIB   DD DSN=CEE.SCEELKED,DISP=SHR<br>
        15 //SYSLIN   DD &amp;DSN=&amp;&amp;OBJSET,&amp;DISP=(OLD,DELETE)<br>
        16 //SYSLMOD  DD DSN=&amp;&amp;TEMPLIB(PGM6),<br>
           //          SPACE=(1024,(50,20,1)),UNIT=DISK,<br>
           //          DISP=(NEW,CATLG,DELETE)<br>
        17 //SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*<br>
        18 //PRINTER  DD SYSOUT=*<br>
        19 //SYSUT1   DD UNIT=DISK,SPACE=(TRK,(10,10))<br>
           //*<br>
           //*<br>
        20 //STEP01   EXEC PGM=PGM6,&amp;PARM=TERMTHDACT(DUMP)<br>
        21 //STEPLIB  DD DSN=&amp;&amp;TEMPLIB,DISP=SHR<br>
        22 //CEEDUMP<br>
        23 //SYSUDUMP<br>
        24 //PRINTER  DD SYSOUT=*<br>
        25 //PRODUCTS DD DSN=KC02322.CSCI465.SP09(DATA1),DISP=SHR<br>
        26 //SYSIN DD *<br>
  !! END OF JES SPOOL FILE !!
   STMT NO. MESSAGE
          2 IEFC630I UNIDENTIFIED KEYWORD &amp;REGION
          2 IEFC630I UNIDENTIFIED KEYWORD &amp;PARM
          4 IEFC630I UNIDENTIFIED KEYWORD &amp;DSN
          4 IEFC630I UNIDENTIFIED KEYWORD &amp;DISP
         13 IEFC630I UNIDENTIFIED KEYWORD &amp;COND
         13 IEFC630I UNIDENTIFIED KEYWORD &amp;REAGION
         13 IEFC630I UNIDENTIFIED KEYWORD &amp;PARM
         15 IEFC630I UNIDENTIFIED KEYWORD &amp;DSN
         15 IEFC630I UNIDENTIFIED KEYWORD &amp;DISP
         20 IEFC630I UNIDENTIFIED KEYWORD &amp;PARM
         22 IEFC605I UNIDENTIFIED OPERATION FIELD
         23 IEFC605I UNIDENTIFIED OPERATION FIELD
  !! END OF JES SPOOL FILE !!</p>