Thread: JCL and JCL Utilities

JOB vs EXEC vs DD - what each card is for

Started by Alex • user3 replies302 viewsLast activity 2 weeks ago
Post #1
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Alex
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Posted: Jul 30, 2026, 10:19 AM

Absolute beginner JCL question. I see //JOB, //STEP1 EXEC, //DD everywhere. What is the job of each line?

Post #2
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Jen
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Posted: Jul 30, 2026, 11:19 AM

JOB = names the job, accounting, class, etc. One per job.
EXEC = runs a program or PROC. You can have multiple steps.
DD = data definition. Connects a ddname to a dataset, sysout, or * for inline data.

Post #3
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Tyler
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Posted: Jul 30, 2026, 2:19 PM

Think: JOB is the envelope, EXEC is "run this", DD is "here are the files."

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