The configuration file, or INI file, is a series of keywords and values that are processed when you start your packaged image. Using an INI file allows you to have generic parameters in your code and specify the actual parameter value inside the INI file, allowing you to change the parameter without repackaging the image. For example, using an INI file would be helpful if one resource is accessed when the application is running in a test environment and another resource is accessed when the application is running in a production environment. Without the INI file, you would have to repackage the image each time you call a different resource.
The data for the INI can be uploaded from a workstation or entered on MVS. When entering or changing an INI file on MVS, the left and right square brackets must maintain their hex values of x'AD' and x'BD' respectively.
On MVS, the default when starting a packaged image is no configuration file. If you want to specify configuration options, specify the -INI: command line argument in the CLA option when running the packaged image or building the load module from the Smalltalk image. This argument specifies the location of the INI file to use. If the -INI: command line argument is not present then no INI file is read. The INI file can be placed in three different locations:
To use an INI file that is in an HFS directory, do the following:
If the ini file is to be specified by the CLA option when building the load module from the Smalltalk image, the INI option must be written with back slashes in the place of forward slashes. For example, CLA='-INI:\username\inifile.ini'
You can store a configuration file in either a sequential data set or as a member in a partitioned data set.
To use an INI file that is in a data, do the following:
//RUNSTEP EXEC PGM=SMALTALK,PARMS='-INI:DD:MYINI' //MYINI DD DSNAME=USER.INIFILES(MYINI),DISP=SHR
To use an INI file that is in a load module, do the following:
//RUNSTEP EXEC PGM=SMALTALK,PARMS='-INI:MM:MYINILM'
To find out the contents of the configuration data in a load module, you need to copy and execute the JCL in member ABTXIPRT located in the data set hlq.V6R0M0.SABTJLIB. Modify the parameters for MODNAME and LOADLIB to specify the load module containing the configuration data. The configuration data is written to DD SYSPRINT.