TOPS-20 Commands Reference Manual

MODIFY

Adds or changes switches for a request placed in a batch or output queue.

Format

     @MODIFY (REQUEST TYPE) queue (ID) identifier /switch(es)

where:

queue is the waiting list in which you placed the original request, chosen from the following list:
BATCH for requests made using the SUBMIT command
CARDS for requests made using the PUNCH CARDS command
PAPER-TAPE for requests made using the PUNCH PAPER-TAPE command
PLOT for requests made using the PLOT command
PRINT for requests made using the PRINT command

In the switch summary and descriptions, the word Output in the column headed Applicable Queues means all queues except the batch queue.

identifier is one of the following:
request ID number the unique identifier assigned by the system to your request. This is the number appearing under the heading "Req#" in the list of requests shown by the INFORMATION BATCH-REQUESTS or INFORMATION OUTPUT-REQUESTS command.
jobname the jobname of the request, either the first six characters of the first filename in the request, or the argument you supplied to a /JOBNAME switch when making the original request. This is the name appearing under the heading "Job Name" in the list of requests shown by the INFORMATION BATCH-REQUESTS or INFORMATION OUTPUT-REQUESTS command.
/JOBNAME:jobname switch showing the jobname of the request to modify. You can specify a particular jobname when making the original request. See Special Cases - /JOBNAME Switch, below.
/SEQUENCE:sequence number switch showing the sequence number of the request to modify. You can specify a particular sequence number when making the original request.

Use an asterisk (*) as identifier to modify all your requests in the specified queue.

/switches are keywords, chosen from the list below, specifying the parameter you want to change (and, where applicable, the new value of this parameter)
Summary of MODIFY Command Switches
SwitchApplicable Queues
/AFTER:date and/or time All
/BEGIN:n All
/CARDS:n BATCH
/COPIES:n Output
/DELETE PRINT BATCH
/DEPENDENCY-COUNT:n BATCH
/DESTINATION-NODE:node name:: All
/FEET:n BATCH
/FILE: ASCII
COBOL
ELEVEN
FORTRAN
PRINT
PRINT
PRINT
PRINT
/FORMS:forms name Output
/GENERIC Output
/HEADER Output
/JOBNAME:jobname All
/LIMIT:n PRINT
/LOWERCASE PRINT
/MODE:output mode Output
/NOHEADER Output
/NOTE:12-character message Output
/OUTPUT: ALWAYS
ERRORS
NOLOG
BATCH
BATCH
BATCH
/PAGES:n BATCH
/PRIORITY:n All
/PRESERVE All
/PROCESSING-NODE:node name BATCH
/REMOTE-PRINTER: PRINT
/REPORT:title PRINT
/RESTARTABLE: NO
YES

BATCH
/SEQUENCE:n All
SPACING: SINGLE
DOUBLE
TRIPLE

PRINT
/TIME:hh:mm:ss All
/TPLOT:n BATCH
/UNIQUE: 0 or NO
1 or YES

BATCH
/UNIT:octal number Output
/UPPERCASE PRINT
/USER:user name All
MODIFY Command Switches
Applicable Queues
/AFTER:date and/or time, or day of week (or TODAY) and/or time All ensures that the request will not be processed until after he revised date and/or time specified. NOV-12-79, and 18:00 illustrate two arguments to this switch. If you give both date and time, separate them with a space. When given alone, the time may be preceded by a plus sign (+), which will delay processing by the indicated length of time from the present.

Alternatively, you can give a day of the week (for example, MONDAY) or TODAY as argument; then the job will not be printed until the beginning of the following day. If you follow this argument with a plus sign and a time, the job will be further delayed by this amount.

/BEGIN:n All gives the decimal line number of the control file at which processing is to begin (for BATCH), or the decimal page number of the file at which the output is to begin (for CARDS, PAPER-TAPE, PLOT, and PRINT)
/CARDS:n BATCH specifies the decimal number of spooled cards the job is allowed to punch
/COPIES:n Output tells how many copies of the file to produce
/DELETE All deletes the file after processing. Opposite of /PRESERVE.
/DEPENDENCY-COUNT:n BATCH sets the request's dependency count to the new value n. This switch can also be followed by a signed value, such as +n or -n, which will increase or decrease the old value by the specified amount.

A batch request is not processed until its dependency count is 0. See the TOPS-10/20 Batch Reference Manual for more information about dependency counts.

/DESTINATION-NODE:node-name All specifies the node on whose line printer the log file of your batch job is to be printed (for BATCH), or the node on whose line printer or other output device your request is to be processed (CARDS, PAPER-TAPE, PLOT, and PRINT). Two colons (::) following the node name are optional.
/FEET:n BATCH specifies the decimal number of feet of spooled paper tape the job is allowed to punch.
/FILE: ASCII
COBOL
ELEVEN
FORTRAN
PRINT specifies that the file consists of ASCII text, or COBOL SIXBIT text; or (ELEVEN) contains four eight-bit bytes in each 36-bit word; or is FORTRAN ASCII text, where column 1 of each line is interpreted as a carriage control character.
/FORMS:forms name Output specifies, in six or fewer characters, new forms (determining the size of banner, header, and trailer sections; the paper color, width, and weight; vertical format, carriage control tape, the number of plotter steps per inch, etc.) to use with the job
/GENERIC Output allows the output to be produced on any available device. Use along with argument PRINT to cancel the /LOWERCASE or /UPPERCASE switch, or with PLOT, PRINT, CARDS, or PAPER-TAPE to cancel the /UNIT switch.
/HEADER Output causes a header section containing the jobname to be plotted, printed, or punched before the file itself is produced.
/JOBNAME:jobname All does not change the jobname, but specifies which job to modify. Same as jobname in "identifier" argument.
/LIMIT:n Output places a new limit of n cards, feet, or pages on the output of the job.
/LOWERCASE PRINT specifies that the file is to be produced on a line printer capable of printing lowercase characters.
/MODE: ASCII
BCD
BINARY
IMAGE
CARDS designates the mode for punching the file onto cards. See the /MODE switch in the PUNCH command description for details.
/MODE: ASCII
BINARY
IMAGE
IMAGE-BINARY
PAPER-TAPE designates the mode for punching the file onto paper tape. See the /MODE switch in the PUNCH command description for details.
/MODE: ASCII
BINARY
IMAGE
PLOT designates the mode for plotting the file. See the /MODE switch in the PLOT command description for details.
/MODE: ARROW
ASCII
OCTAL
SUPPRESS
PRINT designates the mode for printing the file. See the /MODE switch in the PRINT command description for details.
/NOHEADER Output prevents a header section containing the jobname from being produced before the file is produced.
/NOTE:message Output labels the header section of output (the section displaying the jobname) with a message or notation of up to 12 characters. The message must be enclosed in double quotation marks if it contains spaces or punctuation characters.
/OUTPUT: ALWAYS
ERRORS
NOLOG
BATCH says whether you want the log file to be printed always, or only in the case of unhandled errors occurring within the job, or never. No matter which option you choose, the log file is always created.
/PAGES:n BATCH specifies the decimal number of spooled line printer pages the job is allowed to print.
/PRESERVE All saves the file after it is processed. Opposite of /DELETE.
/PRIORITY:n All assigns a new number n reflecting the urgency of the request. This n must be from 1 to 63, with larger numbers receiving earlier treatment.
/PROCESSING-NODE:node name:: BATCH specifies the IBM host system on whose CPU the JCL batch job is to be run. The node name must be of six or fewer characters and must be followed by two colons (::).
/REMOTE-PRINTER: n PRINT specifies the name of a remote print queue to print the file.
/REPORT:title PRINT scans your files and processes only those lines whose first characters are the title you give. This title can contain up to 12 characters (including the quotation marks that must enclose the title if it contains spaces). The switch is used along with the COBOL report writer.
/RESTARTABLE: NO
YES
BATCH specifies whether the job should be started again if the system crashes and restarts.
/SEQUENCE:n All does not change the sequence number of the job but rather specifies which job to modify. Giving this switch is an alternative to supplying a request ID as the request identifier when you have several jobs with the same jobname (if you supply only the jobname to identify the job, the MODIFY command affects all of them).
/SPACINGS: DOUBLE
SINGLE
TRIPLE
PRINT determines the spacing between printed lines.
/TIME:hh:mm:ss BATCH revises the limit for the maximum amount of CPU time available to the job; given in hours, minutes, and seconds.
/TPLOT:n BATCH limits to n the maximum number of minutes of spooled plotter time allowed for the job.
/UNIQUE: NO or 0
YES or 1
BATCH changes your declaration, if two or more jobs are submitted from the same connected directory, whether they must run at separate times.
/UNIT:octal number Output directs your request to the line printer of the specified octal unit number.
/UPPERCASE PRINT specifies that the file is to be produced on a line printer that uses uppercase characters only.
/USER:user name PRINT, BATCH specifies the user whose request is to be modified; for privileged users only. This switch is required to modify a request from a user other than yourself.

Characteristics

MODIFY Effective Only Before Processing

The MODIFY command affects a batch or output request only before processing has begun. After processing has begun, you can only cancel the request with the CANCEL command, and then make a new request.

Hints

Using the /DEPENDENCY-COUNT Switch

You can use the /DEPENDENCY-COUNT switch to specify the order in which your batch jobs are processed. Set the dependency count of all but the first job to some positive value when you submit them, and include MODIFY commands in each job's control file to bring the next job's dependency count to 0 at the appropriate time. See Example 4.

Special Cases

/JOBNAME Switch

In the singular case when you want to modify several queue requests of the same jobname using only one command, and that jobname is purely numerical (for example, 5045), you must use the /JOBNAME:jobname switch as second argument to the MODIFY command. Do not also give the request ID or jobname as a command argument if you give the /JOBNAME:jobname switch.

Related Commands

CANCEL for removing batch and output requests
INFORMATION BATCH-REQUESTS for examining entries in the batch queue
INFORMATION OUTPUT-REQUESTS for examining entries in the output queues
PLOT for placing requests in a plotter output queue
PRINT for placing requests in a line printer output queue
PUNCH for placing requests in a card punch or paper tape punch output queue
SUBMIT for placing requests in the batch input queue

Examples

  1. Modify a batch request (of jobname ARTIFI) to make it start more quickly. 
    @MODIFY BATCH ARTIFI /PRIORITY:63
[1 Job modified]
  2. Modify a print request (of jobname PHIAL) to include a note on the header page. 
    @MODIFY PRINT PHIAL /NOTE:"DUE: 11/4"
[1 Job modified]
  3. Modify one job of several having the same jobname. 
    @INFORMATION OUTPUT-REQUESTS /USER

Printer Queue:
Job Name  Req#  Limit            User
--------  ----  -----  ------------------------
  PRTSK    226   27    LATTA /After: 8-Nov-84 17:00
  PRTSK    236   27    LATTA /After: 8-Nov-84 17:00
  PRTSK    237   27    LATTA /After: 8-Nov-84 17:00
  PRTSK    238   27    LATTA /After: 8-Nov-84 17:00
  TESTF1   219   54    LATTA /Forms:NARROW
            /After:8-Nov-84 17:00
There are 5 jobs in the queue (none in progress)

@MODIFY PRINT 237 /AFTER:18:00
[1 Job modified]
/new
  4. Use the TYPE command to examine some of your control files. (Notice the use of the MODIFY command within these files to ensure that they are processed in a certain order when submitted together.) Submit these three control files and verify their placement in the batch input queue. 
    @TYPE ARVM%.CTL
 ARVM1.CTL.2

@RUN TESTF1
@PRINT TESTF1.RSM
@MODIFY BATCH ARVM2 /DEPENDENCY-COUNT:0

 ARVM2.CTL.2

@RUN TESTF2
@PRINT TESTF2.RSM
@MODIFY BATCH ARVM3 /DEPENDENCY-COUNT:0

 ARVM3.CTL.2

@RUN TESTF3
@PRINT TESTF3.RSM
@PRINT SUMJOB.RSM
@SUBMIT /AFTER:17:00 ARVM1
[Batch job ARVM1 queued, request-ID 240, limit 0:05:00]
@SUBMIT /DEPENDENCY-COUNT:1 ARVM2
[Batch job ARVM2 queued, request-ID 241, limit 0:05:00]
@SUBMIT /DEPENDENCY-COUNT:1 ARVM3
[Batch job ARVM3 queued, request-ID 242, limit 0:05:00]
@INFORMATION BATCH-REQUESTS /ALL/USER

Batch Queue:
Job Name  Req#  Run Time            User
--------  ----  --------  ------------------------
  ARVM1    240  00:05:00  LATTA /After: 8-Nov-84 17:00
          /Uniq:Yes  /Restart:No   /Assist:Yes  /Seq:1804
  ARVM2    241  00:05:00  LATTA /Dep:1  /Uniq:Yes  /Restart:No
          /Assist:Yes  /Seq:1805
  ARVM3    242  00:30:00  LATTA /Dep:1  /Uniq:Yes  /Restart:No
          /Assist:Yes  /Seq:1806
There are 3 jobs in the queue (none in progress)