Java for OS/390 - Submitting JCL

Question

Does anyone know how to submit a JCL job through Java in MVS? The IBM site has proven to be of absolutely no help (as usual), and I couldn't find any references to something like this on the forums here or on Google.
Ideally, I would like to dynamically create my JCL and submit it directly to JES (perhaps using the internal reader?). However, I have found an API that will (supposedly) allow me to create datasets... if there is a way to submit an actual dataset containing JCL, then that would be acceptable as well.

Answer 1

For anyone who may stumble upon this thread in the future, I eventually found a way to submit JCL jobs FROM JAVA using JNI. Enjoy...
Here is the C program. You must compile it into a native library.
/*  DISCLAIMER                                                        */
/*  THIS SAMPLE PROGRAM IS PROVIDED FOR TUTORIAL PURPOSES ONLY.  A    */
/*  COMPLETE HANDLING OF ERROR CONDITIONS HAS NOT BEEN SHOWN OR       */
/*  ATTEMPTED, AND THIS PROGRAM HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED TO FORMAL IBM  */
/*  TESTING.  THIS PROGRAM IS DISTRIBUTED ON AN 'AS IS' BASIS         */
/*  WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.               */
/*  Copyright 1996, IBM Corporation                                   */
/*  All rights reserved                                               */
/*  Author: Frank De Gilio [email protected]                         */
/*  Derivative work from: John Pfuntner                               */
/* Submit JNI C code                                                  */
/* Submit a batch job from Java class                                 */
#define VERSION 1
#define RELEASE 1
   Program: Submit.c
   Version: 1 Release: 1
   Usage: intended to be a DLL called by a Java class
   Change history:
     Feb. 2002 initial release (V1R1)
#define _ALL_SOURCE
#define _EXT
#ifndef _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED
#define _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED 1
#endif
#include <jni.h>
#include <jni_convert.h>
#include "MVSJob.h"
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <strings.h>
#include <dynit.h>
#include <stdarg.h>
#include <pwd.h>
#define true 1
#define false 0
#define turn_on_HOB(x) x = (char*) ((int) x | 0x80000000)
char *create_text_unit(int key, char *value) {
  /* malloc a SVC99 text unit to be used by dynalloc() */
  char *ret=NULL;
  short *i;
  int len;
  errno = 0;
  if ((ret = malloc((len = strlen(value)+6))) == NULL)
    perror("malloc() error");
  else {
    i = (short*) ret;
    *(i++) = key;
    *(i++) = 1;
    *(i++) = strlen(value);
    strncpy(ret+6, value, strlen(value));
  return ret;
void freeit(char *ddname) {
  /* free a ddname */
  __S99parms plist;
  int rc;
  char *text_units[] = {NULL};
  memset(&plist, 0, sizeof(plist));
  plist.__S99RBLN  = 20;
  plist.__S99VERB  = 2;
  plist.__S99FLAG1 = 0x00;
  plist.__S99TXTPP = text_units;
  text_units[0] = create_text_unit(0x01, ddname);
  turn_on_HOB(text_units[0]);
  if ((rc = svc99(&plist)) != 0){
    if (plist.__S99ERROR == 0x0438);/* DDNAME was not in use */
    else
    fprintf(stderr, "ret=%d, error=%04x\n", rc,
            plist.__S99ERROR);
  else ;
FILE * OpenIntReader(void) {
  /* open a stream to the internal reader */
  FILE *stream=NULL;
  __dyn_t dyn;
  char *extra_text_units[2] = {NULL, NULL};
  int ret;
  char * pIntrdrVar;
  freeit("INTRDR");
  pIntrdrVar=getenv("INTRDRCLASS");
  if (NULL==pIntrdrVar){
    pIntrdrVar=(char *) malloc(2);
    strcpy(pIntrdrVar,"A");
  dyninit(&dyn);
  dyn.__ddname = "INTRDR";
  dyn.__recfm  = _F_;
  dyn.__lrecl  = 80;
  dyn.__miscitems = extra_text_units;
  extra_text_units[0] = create_text_unit(0x19, "INTRDR");
  extra_text_units[1] = create_text_unit(0x18, pIntrdrVar);
  turn_on_HOB(extra_text_units[1]);
  if ((ret = dynalloc(&dyn)) != 0) {
    fprintf(stderr, "ret=%d, error=%04x, info=%04x\n", ret,
            dyn.__errcode, dyn.__infocode);
  else {
    if ((stream = fopen("//dd:intrdr", "w")) == NULL)
     fprintf(stderr,"Error opening dd intrdr\n");
  return stream;
void WriteToReader(FILE * Stream, char * Buffer){
int i;
int Bufflen;
  if ((Bufflen=strlen(Buffer))>80){
    for (i=0;i<Bufflen;i+=80)
     fwrite(((char *)(Buffer+i)),1,80,Stream);
  fwrite(Buffer,1,80,Stream);
void CloseIntReader(FILE * Stream){
  /* Close the internal reader stream */
  fclose(Stream);
  /* free the dd */
  freeit("INTRDR");
JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_MVSJob_submitDLL
   (JNIEnv * env, jobject obj, jstring Cards){
FILE * Stream;
jint rc;
jint outlen;
char * Buffer;
rc = GetStringPlatformLength(env, Cards, &outlen, NULL);
Buffer=(char *) malloc(outlen);
GetStringPlatform(env,Cards,Buffer,outlen,NULL);
if(NULL==(Stream=OpenIntReader())) return;
WriteToReader(Stream,Buffer);
CloseIntReader(Stream);
return;
}Here is the Java class, with the native method submitDLL(String[]):
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
*MVSJob is a class used to submit JCL to the JES internal reader.
* It requires that "libJavaMVSJob.so" (the complied native DLL)
* be included in the LIBPATH.
public class MVSJob {
private String Cards;
static{
          System.loadLibrary("JavaMVSJob");
* Makes an empty intance of MVSJob.
public MVSJob() {
     super();
     Cards=new String("");
* Add a card to the vector of jobcards.
* @param Card  the jobcard to be added to the end of the jobcard vector
public void addCard(String Card) {
        //Make sure you leave in the spaces, so the job card is filled to the end
     Card=Card.concat("                                                                                ");
     Card=Card.substring(0,80);
     Cards=Cards.concat(Card);
* Submit the Cards to the internal reader.
public void submit() {
     submitDLL(Cards);
* Native method to submit the job.
private native void submitDLL(String JobCards);
}