Flushed step return code in jcl

Question

I have encountered below scenarion and I am confused a little on how cond parameter works for previous step which is flsuhed out.

For example......

//STep 1 EXEC
//Step 2 EXEC cond=(0,ne,step1)
//step 3 EXEC cond=(0,ne,step2)

In the above case for one input file step1 RC was 4 and therefore Step2 was flushed out, but step 3 has executed.
This is where I am confused will the jcl see flushed step rc as 0 or what caused step3 to execute even though step2 was not executed.

Any explaination regarding this is appreciated and thanks advance.

Answer 1

From the documentation...

Use the COND parameter to test return codes from previous job steps and determine whether to bypass this job step. You can specify one or more tests on the COND parameter, and you can test return codes from particular job steps or from every job step that has completed processing. If any of the test conditions are satisfied, the system evaluates the COND parameter as true and bypasses the job step. If none of the test conditions specified on the COND parameter are satisfied, the system evaluates the COND parameter as false and executes the job step.

The system performs the COND parameter tests against return codes from the current execution of the job. If a test returns a previously bypassed step, the system evaluates the test as false.

Note the text I have italicized. Because "the system evaluates the test as false" the job step is executed. In other words, the COND parameter of the EXEC statement is working as documented. As to why the parameter was designed to work this way, I'm afraid I wasn't working in this field when it was invented some 40+ years ago and thus cannot speak to the reasoning of the original developers.

You might want to look into the IF statement, which provides the capability of testing if a given step has run in addition to testing its return code.

//STEP01 EXEC 
//CK01   IF STEP1.RC EQ 0 THEN
//STEP02 EXEC
//CK01E  ENDIF
//CK02   IF STEP2.RUN & STEP2.RC EQ 0
//STEP03 EXEC
//CK02E  ENDIF

alternatively, you could code...

//STEP01 EXEC 
//CK01   IF STEP1.RC EQ 0 THEN
//STEP02 EXEC
//CK02   IF STEP2.RC EQ 0
//STEP03 EXEC
//CK02E  ENDIF
//CK01E  ENDIF