CBFORMAT subcommand — format a control block

Use the CBFORMAT subcommand to format and display a control block or data area that is defined in the exit data table. CBFORMAT can also be used to test and run user-written formatting routines and control block models. Control blocks and data areas scanned, mapped, and formatted lists the control blocks and data areas that CBFORMAT formats.

The maximum size of the control block or data area is 64 kilobytes.

After successful processing, CBFORMAT sets X, the current address, to the starting address of the data area being formatted. If a data area has no IPCS formatting support, IPCS issues message BLS17004I, which identifies the requested control block or data area name specified with the STRUCTURE parameter.

You can use the CBFORMAT subcommand to format literal data as if it was a valid instance of a control block. IBM® does not recommend this use unless: