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Search and compare

Searching data sets and members as ISPF 3.14 and 3.15 do, and comparing members, data sets and z/OS UNIX files with other members, local files or the version before your last save.

Verification state: search and compare are tested against the local z/OSMF-shaped server on Linux. Not yet run against z/OS. Search has not been checked in the running app; EBCDIC column positions and large host libraries are not verified.

Search z/OS data sets

Search z/OS Data Sets... does what ISPF 3.14 and 3.15 do.

  1. Run it from the Command Palette or the z/OS Data Sets view.
  2. Enter the search string and the data set patterns, with member patterns, such as PROD.**.COBOL(PAY*), PROD.JCL.
  3. Choose the matching mode: case-insensitive by default, or Match Case, Match Whole Word (by the Editor's rule, not SuperC's WORD) and regular expressions.
  4. Results appear in the z/OS Search Results view, each member with its matching lines. A line opens the member at the match.

Stop z/OS Search stops a running search; Clear z/OS Search Results empties the view.

  • It only reads. Migrated data sets are never recalled; VSAM data sets and load libraries are listed as not searched; data sets RACF refuses are listed with z/OSMF's message.
  • At most neuralInverse.mainframe.search.maxMembers (1000) member reads per search, neuralInverse.mainframe.search.maxConcurrentRequests (4) at once.

Compare With...

Compare With... on a member, data set or z/OS UNIX file compares it, in the editor's read-only diff, with:

  • another member or data set, or the same member in another library;
  • a local file or a z/OS UNIX file;
  • the version before your last save from this window (kept in memory only);
  • the other of two selected members.

The diff is laid out by record format, so fixed-length padding never counts. Toggle Ignore Sequence Columns in Compare (setting neuralInverse.mainframe.compare.ignoreSequenceColumns, off by default) leaves the sequence columns out.

All reads go through z/OSMF.

To compare records field by field through a copybook, use the Record Viewer's compare: see File Manager functions.

Last reviewed 18 October 2026View as Markdown

Search and compare · Docs · Neural Inverse