Global Search and Replace

Q:

What kinds of input files are supported?

A:

For z/OS, sequetial, PDS and PDSE files are supported.  For z/VSE, sequential, sublibrary and ICCF members are supported.

Q:

What's the difference between "FIND" and "SEARCH", and between "CHANGE" and "REPLACE"?

A:

None.  "FIND" and "SEARCH" are synonyms and convert internally to the pre-release 3.5 format of "S OLD=". "CHANGE" and "REPLACE" are also both synonyms for the pre-release 3.5 format of "S NEW=". The old formats are still supported.

Q:

How do you search for lower case search strings?

A:

Edit the JCL and set CAPS OFF before entering your search string.

Q:

Is it possible to change multiple values at the same time?

A:

To change "XXX" to "YYY" and "ABC" to "abc", supply the SEARCH= and REPLACE= statements in the correct sequence:

FIND=XXX
CHANGE=YYY
SEARCH=ABC
REPLACE=abc

Q:

When you use GSR to replace values, do the "searched for" string and the "replacement" string have to be the same lengths?

A:

If the replacement string is not the same length as the original string, the data to the right of the replaced string is shifted accordingly.

Q:

Can your search be retricted to the 1st card of each member for a string?

Q:

How can I use GSR to change
"RCPT TO: Mary Smith " to
"RCPT TO: "

A:

Release 2.5 indtroduced the "SET WILDCARD VARYING Statement: which changed the traditional function of the wildcard character.