Choosing a verb

Every command synonym definition must have a verb. Only the object name is optional.

The verb is your own word for the QMF RUN command, CICS, TSO, or CMS command stored in the SYNONYM_DEFINITION column. For example, you might create the synonym COMPUTE for the QMF base verb RUN if your company has financial analysts who run only procedures that return financial results.

Rules for the VERB column

Ensure entries in the VERB column of the synonym table:

• Are 1 to 18 characters long.
• Do not contain blanks.
• Do not include the verb QMF (other base QMF commands are allowed).
• Have an alphabetic or national character as the first character. (In English, national characters are #, @, and $.)

Characters after the first letter can be alphabetic, national characters, decimal digits, or the underscore. No other characters are allowed.

The following examples demonstrate these rules. QMF ignores rows that have invalid entries in the VERB column, and displays a warning message.

Valid Verbs:

Invalid Verbs:

COMPUTE

DO SALES (Blanks not allowed unless surrounded by double quotes)

DISPLAY

ADJ%AGE (% not allowed)

PRINT

PRINT__PRODUCTIVITY__TOTALS (more than 18 characters)

Using base QMF verbs as command synonym verbs

You can use base QMF commands, such as PRINT, as synonyms. For example, you might choose to define a synonym that automatically routes print output to a GDDM-defined printer.

When you define a synonym that is also a base QMF command, instruct users to precede the command with the letters QMF when they want to use the base QMF command. For example, the synonym DISPLAY might represent a synonym definition that executes the QMF command RUN PROC SALES__REPORT. The SALES__REPORT procedure runs a query and prints a report on a GDDM-defined printer. Users who forget to enter QMF in front of DISPLAY might get a formatted, printed report of data they did not necessarily want. Using base verbs in verb-object synonyms has a similar impact.

Some base QMF commands must be followed by a parameter. For example, you need to follow the IMPORT command with an object type, such as TABLE. If you are using a verb such as IMPORT in a verb-object pair, choose an object name that is not one of these parameters to prevent users from inadvertently running the synonym. For other base commands you use, see the syntax diagrams in the QMF Reference manual to find out if the command requires a parameter.

OS/390 concerns

The verb is your own word for the QMF RUN command, CICS, or TSO command stored in the SYNONYM_DEFINITION column. For example, you might create the synonym COMPUTE for the QMF base verb RUN if your company has financial analysts who run only procedures that return financial results.

VM concerns

The verb is your own word for the QMF RUN command or CMS command stored in the SYNONYM_DEFINITION column. For example, you might create the synonym COMPUTE for the QMF base verb RUN if your company has financial analysts who run only procedures that return financial results.

VSE concerns.

The verb is your own word for the QMF RUN command or CICS command stored in the SYNONYM_DEFINITION column. For example, you might create the synonym COMPUTE for the QMF base verb RUN if your company has financial analysts who run only procedures that return financial results.