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From: tp@ndm20
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Unix, Unixpeople, Usenix - from a n
Message-ID: <400004@ndm20>
Date: Tue, 29-Oct-85 07:16:00 EST
Article-I.D.: ndm20.400004
Posted: Tue Oct 29 07:16:00 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 10-Nov-85 06:58:29 EST
References: <96@tekadg.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:tekadg.UUCP:-9600:ndm20:400004:000:1447
Nf-From: ndm20!tp    Oct 29 06:16:00 1985


>>Unix may have its problems, but I'd rather wander through the man pages,
>>documentation and (gasp!) the source code, rather than look through 100

But what if you don't  have the  sources?   I don't,  and I certainly
can't justify the price of them for my site.  Better documentation IS
needed.  

>>IBM manuals trying to find out  what IEFBR14  means.  
>How about the system messages manual ?  It lists them in order.  

You just illustrated one of the problems with IBM.  I  doubt you will
find IEFBR14 in the system messages manual, because it  is a program.
Sure looks like an error code doesn't it?   It  happens to  be one of
the most important and useful programs on an IBM - it does absolutely
nothing!  I think this alone says something about  IBM.   (You see BR
14 is the IBM return instruction ...  Who knows or cares  what IEF is
(some sort of facility code I believe)).  IBM uses this program a lot
because  JCL can't  actually do  anything without  running a program,
even if the program does nothing.   Want  to delete  a file?   Set up
your DD cards so the file is  deleted on  program exit,  and then run
IEFBR14!    What could  be simpler  or more  intuitive?   Who needs a
delete file command when there is  such an  obviously superior method
available?

Terry Poot
Nathan D. Maier Consulting Engineers
(214)739-4741
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