Documentation and newbies

>> Why don't you check the API documentation?
>> If you look under the security APIs you'll find:
>
>Assumes they know the API's are documented.

Who assumes otherwise?  Specifically, what programmer assumes that there's
no documentation?

>Assumes they have access to the documentation.

Huh?  Who lets a programmer lose on a system without giving her access to
documentation?

>Assumes they can make sense of the
>way the API documentation is filed.

Clearly not the case for the original question regarding adopted authority.
The poster understood this to be a security issue.

>> If you check the DSPxxx commands
>> you'll also find DSPPGMADP.
>
>Which is faster, looking at every command
>on the system hoping you find the right
>combination of verbs; or asking a knowledgeable
>mailing list set up for that very purpose?

I have tried to help my share of newcomers to the platform, but it is
clearly not in the best interest of a newbie to ask a mailing list every
question that pops into her mind.  Learning how to find, understand and use
official documentation ought to be a crucial part of being a programmer.

>> If you run GO SECTOOLS, you'll find option
>> 21 which prints a report of adopting objects.
>
>Assumes knowledge of the SecTools menu.
>Assumes command line access.

A programmer without command line access?

>Bottom line, don't assume every
>questioner knows where to even start.

Fair enough.  And this poster actually did a little bit of homework before
asking.  Simon's point (tersely made I'll grant you) is that he could have
done some more homework.  Rather than keeping newcomers dependent upon a
knowledgeable mailing list, we serve their interest better by explaining how
they can become independent of us.

In the interest of doing just that, here's the original message:

===
I've been asked to create a list of all programs
that use adopted authority.

My approach was to perform a DSPOBJD on *Pgm to
an outfile.  Then read this file doing a DSPPGM.
DSPPGM only allows Display or *print.

The problem I'm running into is that on the DSPPGM
I'm getting errors, telling me I've created more
spool files than allowed for this job.

Is there an API I can use to get this information,
or Other Suggestions.
===

What was good about this post?  Well, the technical problem is clearly
stated.  A description of the solution was given, along with the problems
encountered.  What wasn't good?  No description of the business problem
(it's hard to supply Other Suggestions when we can't tell if we're
addressing the actual problem or not.)  The poster is guessing that there's
an API, but hasn't mentioned trying to look for it.  There's no background
information on the system (perhaps the poster is using DSPPGM because he's
on a V2R1 system and hasn't got any API's to call!) or on the environment
(perhaps he's working on a customer box and has severely restricted
authority.)

In light of that, Simon's reply described several other very specific
suggestions for finding the information, answering the original question
exactly.

Finally, see this URL for a bit more understanding of _why_ Simon answered
the way he did:
http://www.tuxedo.org/%7Eesr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Regards,
  --buck