Dumb Question

["Dave Odom" <Dave.Odom@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

John Candidi wrote:

>>Our 3rd party vendor has a physical file which has FTP source code in
it
(basic user-id and password info, etc). This somehow gets called in
our
nightly process but as far as I know, it's not compiled anywhere. How
does
it execute? <<

First, not a dumb question.   If you don't know how something works,
then, you don't and seeking knowledge to replace what you don't know is
NEVER dumb.    

FTP is a facility that functions using text input and therefore is
interpretive, not compiled.   While I can't tell you how your particular
situation works as I don't know it, I can tell you how I use FTP and run
as scheduled processes.   I suspect what you're doing there is somewhat
similar.  I use REXX  which is a common Executor Language for all IBM
OS's, in conjunction with the FTP facility.    

In my implementations, I use the REXX program to call FTP and tell FTP
to look to another file for its input commands or "parms".    So, I
invoke my REXX program either manually or via the iSeries scheduler at a
time of my choosing, which in turn calls FTP and using the second file
for its commands.  This file will contain only FTP commands is most
likely the one you are talking about.   Usually those commands are:

- Userid and Password for the system being accessed as commanded by the
REXX program that invoked FTP
- The command to be executed i.e.,  GET  DODOM1/BFUT145AP  
DODOM1/BFUT145AP (REPLACE  or a PUT command and then QUIT to stop the
process and return control back to the REXX program.

The combination of REXX and FTP can create some handy and powerful
scheduled processes with little effort.   And the beauty is, because
neither REXX nor FTP are compiled, it is VERY easy to quickly make
changes and retest your utility.   And given that REXX is very fast,
you'll hardly know the difference between REXX and a compiled program.  
Can increase your programmer productivity and the skills are
transferable across all IBM OS's.

Hope that helps.   Let me know if you have other questions.

Dave Odom
Arizona