Advanced Topics in PL/I - Topical Outline

Day One

Introduction
   Computer Exercise: Lab set up

Built-in Functions
    General syntax
    Arithmetic and precision-handling built-in functions
    String-handling built-in functions and pseudovariables
    Array-handling built-in functions
    Mathematical built-in functions
    Date / time built-in functions
    Miscellaneous built-in functions
    Computer Exercise: String Handling with Built-in Functions

Varying length string processing
The PL/I compiler and its options
Subroutines
    Invocation
    Arguments and parameters
    Dummy arguments
The Binder / Linkage Editor
    Control statements
    Parambers
Obtaining PARM data from the EXEC statement
   Computer Exercise: Working with Subroutines

Day Two

Behind the scenes
    Object Modules
    Load Modules
Module maintenance 1 - replacing a subroutine
User-written Functions
Built-in Subroutines
   Computer Exercise: Maintaining a Subroutine

Module maintenance 2 - Dynamic calls
    FETCH and RELEASE
    Bind alternatives
    DLLs
Packages
Memory issues
z/OS memory organization
   Computer Exercise: A Fetching Program

Conditions
    Enabling / Disabling
    User condition handling
    Data handling, I/O, program checkout, and miscellaneous conditions
    Using conditions
Variable Length Record format files
    Physical layout
    Self-defining data
    How you work with variable length records in PL/I
    Computer Exercise: Variable Length Records

Day Three

Storage management
    Scope attributes: INTERNAL and EXTERNAL
    Scope rules
    Storage attributes: STATIC, AUTOMATIC, CONTROLLED, BASED
    Stacks and DSA's
ALLOCATE / FREE for CONTROLLED variables
Pointers and based variables
    Locate mode I/O
    Computer Exercise: Locate Mode I/O

ALLOCATE for BASED variables
NULL
FREE for BASED variables
List Processing
    Types
    How to do list processing in PL/I
    List processing pseudo-code
    Computer Exercise: List Processing

Day Four

Areas
   Introduction
   Areas and storage classes
   Extents
   Area I/O
   Offsets
   Area built-in functions
   The AREA condition
Storage and pointer built-in functions
Storage and pointer built-in subroutines
    Computer Exercise: Areas, Offsets, and Sorted List Processing

The PL/I Pre-processor - overview
Including files
The preprocessors: Include, Macro, SQL, and CICS
The Macro preprocessor
   Compiler parameters
   Compiler directives
   Preprocessor variables
   Preprocessor statements
   Preprocessor built-in functions
   Preprocessor procedures
   Computer Exercise: Using the Preprocessor

Day Five

Stream I/O
   Declaring stream files
   Print files
   Data directed I/O - GET DATA / PUT DATA
   List directed I/O - GET LIST / PUT LIST
   Edit directed /IO - GET EDIT / PUT EDIT
   Edit format items
   Other stream I/O options
    Computer Exercise: Using Stream I/O

PL/I Run time options
    Storage management: stack and heap Issues
   TRAP
Performance considerations
   Things to avoid
   Good stuff
   Compiler options that affect performance
    Computer Exercise: Tuning and Storage Control

Odds and ends
   Introduction to multi-threading
   Introduction to interlanguage communication
   Introduction to XML in PL/I
    Computer Exercise: Multi-threading

Course information: E-720 / 5 Days            These Materials © Copyright 2009 by Hunter Cobb             V5.x

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this page last updated: 06 September, 2009
this page copyright © 2009 by The Trainer's Friend, Inc.