A procedure is a series of commands that can be executed repeatedly and automatically within your Analyzer Project. Virtually all Analyzer commands can be executed within a procedure. You can create a procedure to analyze data using a specific series of commands and then reuse the procedure later. By creating standard, repeatable applications, you will realize significant savings of time and resources in your data analysis project.
Procedures can be designed to run unattended or to prompt you for input. Users can vary their input each time the procedure is run. Procedures are especially useful if users regularly repeat an analysis. You do not have to be the creator of the procedure to use it effectively. For more information, see Interactive Procedures.
The time you spend planning the procedure will save you time and effort later. Some of the issues to consider before you create a procedure are:
| • | What will the procedure do? |
| • | Will the procedure require user input and if so, how will it be collected? |
| • | What errors can occur and how will they be identified? |
| • | Who will run the procedure? |
You can maximize the analytical power, processing efficiency and usefulness of your procedures with any combination of groups, variables or macros. For more information, see Groups, Variables and Using Macros in Procedures.
For information on executing procedures at startup, see Auto-start Procedures.
For information on running JCL commands or displaying JES listings from Analyzer procedures, see Run.