EGL Reference Guide for iSeries

Symbolic parameters

A symbolic parameter is a variable that is substituted in certain build descriptor options and in iSeries build scripts to affect placement and preparation of generated outputs.

Some symbolic parameters are predefined by the generator. EZEGTIME, for example, contains the time at which generation occurs. For a list of these, see Predefined symbolic parameters for EGL generation. Users may also define their own symbolic parameters.

You can use symbolic parameters in the values for the genDirectory and the destDirectory generation options and in build scripts.

When specifying symbolic parameters with genDirectory and destDirectory, you reference the value of a symbolic parameter by delimiting the parameter name with percentage signs (%). If you want to refer to the time at which generation occurs, for example, specify %EZEGTIME%.

You can also use more than one symbolic parameter to assign a value. The following symbols represent date and time, separated by a space:

        %EZEGDATE% %EZEGTIME%

When specifying symbolic parameters in build scripts you reference the value by preceding the symbolic parameter name with an ampersand (&) and appending a period (.).

        &EZEGDATE.

For example, if genDirectory is set to C:\MyProject\%EZEENV%, and the build descriptor option is set to ZOSCICS, then generation outputs will be written to C:\MyProject\ZOSCICS. (The EZEENV predefined symbolic parameter is populated from the option system.)

You also can specify your own symbolic parameters, and for each such parameter you assign a value; MYDIR, for example, might contain the name of a directory. It is not valid to define the same symbolic parameter (like MYDIR) twice in the same build descriptor.

Note:
User-defined symbols cannot start with the prefix EZE.

If the build descriptor you are using for generation uses the nextBuildDescriptor option to chain multiple build descriptors, and you define the same-named symbolic parameter in multiple build descriptors that are chained together, the value in use at generation time is determined by the precedence rules described in the page on build descriptors.

The value assigned to the symbolic parameter MYDIR in the master build descriptor, for example, takes precedence over the value assigned to MYDIR in any other build descriptor.

Both predefined and user-defined symbolic parameters are available as substitution variables in the build scripts used to prepare COBOL output.For details, see the EGL Server Guide for iSeries.

Predefined symbols

The substitution values for predefined symbols are automatically set at generation. You do not define values for these symbols. There are two categories of predefined symbols.

User-defined symbols cannot start with the prefix EZE.


Related concepts
Build descriptor part
Source of additional information on EGL


Related reference
Build descriptor options
Predefined symbolic parameters for EGL generation


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