The MVS™ operating system allows you to store job control statements under a unique member name in a procedure library. Such a series of statements is called a cataloged procedure. These JCL statements can be recalled at any time to specify the requirements for a job. To request this procedure, place an EXEC statement in the input stream. This EXEC statement specifies the unique member name of the desired procedure.

The specifications in a cataloged procedure can be temporarily overridden, and DD statements can be added. The information that you alter is in effect only for the duration of the job step; the cataloged procedures are not altered permanently. Any additional DD statements that you supply must follow those that override existing JCL statements in the same procedure step. For more information on using cataloged procedures, see z/OS MVS JCL User's Guide.

Two binder cataloged procedures are provided: a single-step procedure that binds the input and produces a program module (LKED procedure), and a two-step procedure that binds the input, produces a program module, and executes that module (LKEDG procedure). Many of the cataloged procedures provided for language translators also contain binder steps. The EXEC and DD statement specifications in these steps are similar to the specifications in the cataloged procedures described in the following paragraphs.