News - Press Release - August 2010

COLE SOFTWARE^® ANNOUNCES z/XDC^® z1.12 Beta

AFTON, Va. , August 16, 2010 -- ColeSoft Marketing of Afton, VA is pleased to announce the beta version of z/XDC z1.12 for existing customers.

This latest beta version of the powerful Assembler debugging tool, z/XDC, includes:

• Numerous SRB debugging support improvements
• New reporting commands regarding access lists and data spaces
• The ability to access (display and zap) data spaces that previously were not accessible.
• Improvements in formatted storage displays
• New Helper Dialogs for assisting with various debugging processes (in progress)
• New z/Enterprise machine instructions (planned)
• Infrastructure for planned new capabilities

Here's some news from Dave Cole on the beta test program:

If you are interested in trying out this beta version of z1.12, then please read over the following information, and have appropriate management sign off on it. As soon as I receive your response, I'll send you my current development copy of z/XDC. The packaging will be informal, so its installation will be rather different than normal. I'll send you details when I send the product.

I'll need CPU and SYSPLEX information for the machines on which you will want to run z/XDC z1.12. It can be the same machine(s) on which you run your current XDC or different ones; it doesn't matter, and I don't care. The beta copy of z1.12 coexists quite peacefully with all prior XDCs.

I will apply the necessary licensing codes myself to z/XDC z1.12's license module, so it will be able to run on your designated system(s) "out of the box". The licensing codes will expire at the end of October.

I will make additional changes before final release. When I do, I will send replacement modules which I would like for you to install as soon as you get them. (I'll do my best not to break your system.)

For this beta, z/XDC will be named Z1C . This means the following:

• The names of all of XDC's load modules will start with "Z1C..." instead of "XDC...".
• Z1C modules will be able to coexist with older XDCs in your link-list and LPALIBs.
• User's will have to invoke z/XDC using "Z1C" names instead of "XDC" names. (Example: //A EXEC PGM=Z1CCALLA,PARM=IEFBR14)
• In ISPF, you won't need to change anything. The old XDC panels and CLISTs and such will all work just fine with z/XDC. To use the Z1C name, the user, at the XDC Startup Panel will simply have to type Z1C on the command line and then press ENTER. The panel will automatically adjust itself to invoked Z1C instead of XDC.
• You will be able to run a Z1C version of CDF in parallel with your older XDC version. I'll explain the details when I ship you the beta.
• At IPL time you will have to run a Z1C INIT proc (like the XDCINIT proc) that dynamically installs Z1C's system interface routines. (Just be sure that the Z1C INIT proc runs after the XDCINIT proc.) Z1C's system interface and XDC's system interface are completely compatible with each other. They can be used simultaneously without problems.

Documentation at this point is not yet finished, but it is fairly complete.

Of course, I want as much feedback as you can give me. In fact, this is quite important to me! From my point of view, a major part of the value of this beta program lies in getting feedback from the users both in regards to the way in which the product is used, the problems encountered, and usability changes they'd like to see. In fact, continued access to the beta may depend upon the willingness of the customers to give me the feedback that I need.

For all technical questions and problems regarding z/XDC, please contact either myself or Frank Chu. As far as I'm concerned, any user can contact either of us directly.

If you are agreeable to all this, let me know and I will send you the product.

Dave Cole