Introduction

PCMPOUTQ compares two sets of spool files, based on any selection of 1) output queue and 2) job number and 3) user profile. This is one of the commands in our ISeries utilities library (click this URL for full Prospero Software PSPUTIL contact and pricing details).

Selections are cumulative i.e. AND’ed rather than OR’ed. PCMPOUTQ displays a screen split horizontally to list records for each of the two selections in a subfile. F7 switches between the two selections. Regular subfile selections ‘5’ and ‘8’ display the spool file and its attributes respectively (same as options from WRKSPLF or WRKOUTQ). Options ‘5’ and ‘8’ are processed when you hit Enter.

The third subfile option is ‘1’ to compare spool file records. You can select only one spool file from each list to compare. The selection is processed when you press F9. This runs the PCMPSPLF command. So PCMPOUTQ is also a relatively simple front-end to PCMPSPLF.

Examples

PCMPOUTQ OUTQ1(QPRINT) OUTQ2(QPRINT2)

The above command compares spool files on two output queues QPRINT and QPRINT2.

PCMPOUTQ USER1(VIPOFR) USER2(VIPOFR)

The above command compares spool files for one user VIPOFR.

Restrictions

There is a hard-coded limitation (internal size of multiple-occurrence data structure) on the number of spool files in each of the two subfiles. This limit is 500. If you hit this limit, or if your selection picks up no spool files at all, the count for the number of spool files (right-hand side of screen on lines 2 and 12) is highlighted via blinking. This is the colour red on some displays.

IBM rebranded the AS/400 - some users called it AS400 - to ISeries several years ago and then to System i. All 3 names - ISeries, AS/400, AS400, System i - refer to exactly the same system.