                           A S K C A T


      This routine can be recalled from a Cobol or Assembler program
in MVS environment; it verify that a determined file entry is present in
a VSAM or ICF catalog; in short, with in input the physical file name,
if the file exist, some characterisics of this VSAM file are returned,
as record length and key length. If file is not existent (or it isn't
a VSAM file) routine end with a return code different from 0.

      To recall this routine in COBOL:

      CALL 'ASKCAT' USING RC DSNAME LRECL KEYLEN RKP

      with this variables:

          RC         PIC    S9(7)   COMP.
          DSNAME     PIC     X(44).
          LRECL      PIC    S9(7)   COMP.
          KEYLEN     PIC    S9(7)   COMP.
          RKP        PIC    S9(7)   COMP.

      in which:
      RC:      return return code (see later)

      DSNAME:  physical file name (or entry name to search in catalog)

      LRECL:   record length (0, if file not exist or entry is not a
               VSAM Cluster or entry is the name of a data component
               of a VSAM file)
      KEYLEN:  key length if file is a KSDS VSAM file; is equal to 0 if
               entry is a ESDS
      RKP:     key offset if file is a KSDS;



      To recall this routine in ASSEMBLER:

      CALL ASKCAT,(RC,DSNAME,LRECL,KEYLEN,RKP),VL

      with this variable definition:

      RC       DS     F
      DSNAME   DS     CL44
      LRECL    DS     F
      KEYLEN   DS     F
      RKP      DS     F

  Errors returned by this routine in RC variable are:
          1 : file name is data component of a VSAM FILE
              (values are in any case returned)
          2 : file name is index component of a VSAM KSDS file
          3 : file name is an upgrade set
         20 : file name not exist in catalog
         32 : file name is a NONVSAM or a GDG file
       other: see return codes of SHOWCAT macro

Note:
    in MVS search is done following what is specified in JOBCAT statement
or what is specified in ALIASes defined in Master Catalog.

    Is not possible to use this routine in a CICS program.

