Programmer Name

Purpose

The Programmer Name in JCL is a required positional parameter on the JOB statement that identifies the owner or creator of the job. It appears in job listings, system messages, and output headers to indicate who is responsible for the job.

Syntax

jcl
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//jobname JOB (accounting-information),programmer-name[,keyword-parameters]

The programmer name appears after the accounting information (and its comma). If accounting information is omitted, the comma must still be included before the programmer name:

jcl
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//jobname JOB ,programmer-name

Format

  • 1-20 characters in length
  • Can contain letters (A-Z), numbers (0-9), and special characters
  • Should be enclosed in single quotes if it contains special characters or spaces
  • If enclosed in quotes, a single quote within the name must be represented by two consecutive single quotes
  • Cannot span multiple lines

Examples

Simple Programmer Name

jcl
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//MYJOB JOB (D58472),SMITH

Job with a simple programmer name (SMITH) that doesn't require quotes

With Spaces in Name

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//COMPILE JOB (D58472),'JOHN SMITH'

Programmer name with a space requires enclosure in single quotes

With Special Characters

jcl
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//WEEKLY JOB (D58472),'SMITH, J.'

Programmer name with comma and period requires enclosure in single quotes

With Embedded Quote

jcl
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//REPORT JOB (D58472),'O''BRIEN'

Programmer name with an apostrophe requires two consecutive apostrophes

Without Accounting Information

jcl
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//NOACCT JOB ,SMITH

Job with no accounting information but with a programmer name

Notes

  • The programmer name is a required parameter in standard JCL
  • Some installations may have security exits that allow it to be omitted
  • The programmer name typically appears on job output headers and system messages
  • In modern z/OS environments, the programmer name field may be used for various identification purposes beyond just programmer names
  • Some installations may have standards for how the programmer name should be formatted
  • Even if the programmer name is omitted (in installations where this is allowed), the comma before it must be coded if there is an accounting information field
  • If both accounting information and programmer name are omitted (where allowed): //JOBNAME JOB

Usage Tips

  • Use a consistent format for programmer names within your organization
  • Some shops use department codes or other identifiers in this field
  • The programmer name may be used for output distribution in some installations
  • In automated environments, this field might contain application identifiers rather than actual names

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to enclose a name containing spaces or special characters in quotes
  • Using incorrect quote handling (single quotes must be doubled inside quoted strings)
  • Omitting the comma before the programmer name when accounting information is omitted
  • Making the programmer name too long (exceeding 20 characters)

Related Concepts

Related Pages