DSPJOB and Job Information Basics

Learning Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain what DSPJOB shows, and use it to inspect a job's log, call stack, library list, and basic attributes.

Simple Explanation

The Working with IBM i Job Attributes in CLLE lesson covered RTVJOBA, which retrieves specific job attributes into CL variables for a program to use. DSPJOB (Display Job) is different: it is an interactive command a developer runs directly, opening a menu of information about a job for a person to actually look at.

From DSPJOB's menu, a few especially useful options include:

• Job log, the same message history covered in the Understanding Job Logs lesson, viewable directly from within DSPJOB rather than only through a separate DSPJOBLOG command.
• Call stack, showing which programs and procedures are currently active in the job, and how they called each other, covered in full in the Understanding Call Stack Basics lesson later in this group.
• Library list, showing exactly which libraries the job will search, and in what order, when it looks for an object, connecting to the Library List Explained in Depth lesson.
• Job attributes, similar in spirit to what RTVJOBA retrieves programmatically, but shown here for a person to read directly.

Why It Matters

DSPJOB is one of the most practical everyday tools for understanding exactly what state a job is in right now: what it has logged, what programs are currently active within it, and what library list it is using. Rather than reaching for several separate commands, DSPJOB brings this information together in one place.

Practical Example

Imagine a developer investigating why a program cannot find an object it expects to exist. Running DSPJOB and selecting the library list option shows exactly which libraries the job is actually searching, and in what order, quickly revealing whether the expected library is missing or simply not being searched before the wrong one. The same DSPJOB session could also show that job's log or call stack without needing separate commands.

This is a simplified, illustrative example rather than a specific real investigation, but it reflects a genuinely common, everyday reason developers reach for DSPJOB.

Common Confusions

"Is DSPJOB the same thing as RTVJOBA?" No. RTVJOBA, covered in the Working with IBM i Job Attributes in CLLE lesson, retrieves specific attributes into CL variables for a program to use programmatically. DSPJOB is an interactive command for a person to directly view a job's information, including its log, call stack, and library list, not just its attributes.

"Do I need to already know a job's exact name and number to use DSPJOB?" Not necessarily for your own current job; running DSPJOB without specifying one shows information about the job you are currently signed on to. Looking at a different job, such as one found with WRKACTJOB, covered in the next lesson, generally does require identifying it first.

"Does DSPJOB show live, constantly updating information, or a snapshot?" It shows the job's information as of when you view it; if you need to see how something has changed since then, you would run DSPJOB again to get an updated view.

Quick Recap

• DSPJOB (Display Job) is an interactive command opening a menu of information about a job, for a person to explore directly.
• Its options include the job log, call stack, library list, and job attributes.
• RTVJOBA retrieves specific attributes programmatically for a CLLE program; DSPJOB is for a person directly inspecting a job.
• Running DSPJOB without specifying a job shows information about your own current job.

Try Asking the AI Tutor

Use the AI Tutor to ask follow-up questions about this lesson. For example, try asking:

• "What other information does DSPJOB show besides job log, call stack, and library list?"
• "How would I use DSPJOB to look at a job other than the one I'm currently signed on to?"