Re: Issue with ovrprtf/dltovr (is this an activation group issue)

Hello,

With a batch job, the program is in memory and is released when the job
ends. With an interactive job, it is in memory until the program ends.

That's not true. Interactive and batch work the same. But, perhaps you use a different paradigm when you write your batch jobs from your interactive jobs?

OPM programs, or OPM-compatible ILE programs will be unloaded from memory when the program ends (or in RPG, when they end with *INLR=ON)

ILE programs (not in OPM-compatible mode) will be unloaded from memory when the activation group ends. (Activation groups are sub-sections of a job -- so when the job ends, the activation group also ends.)

ILE programs that are compiled with DFTACTGRP(*YES) will be in OPM-compatibility mode, and will behave like an OPM program.

ILE programs that are compiled with DFTACTGRP(*NO) will act like real ILE programs. (Even if they run in the default activation group via ACTGRP(*CALLER))

Frustratingly, the DFTACTGRP parameter is mis-named. Sure, when you set DFTACTGRP(*YES), it puts the program in the default activation group, but it also changes the way it behaves -- it changes it to behave like an OPM program. When you specify DFTACTGRP(*NO) it may still run in the default activation group (via ACTGRP(*CALLER), that is) so it doesn't really mean that it's not in the default activation group. But, what it does mean is that it will act like an ILE program. (Which is why you need DFTACTGRP(*NO) to use ILE features like procedures)

I wish they had named this parameter OPMCOMPAT() instead of DFTACTGRP(), because of the confusion it causes.

But anyway, it's not a difference between interactive and batch, it's a difference between DFTACTGRP(*YES and *NO). Plus, the fact that batch jobs tend to run, and then end immediately, whereas interactive programs tend to be started once, then re-used for many tasks...