The Generate Message Catalog Utility (GENCAT) does not accept symbolic message identifiers; you must use the MKCATDEF utility if you want to use symbolic message identifiers in your message source file for use with GENCAT.

MKCATDEF processes a message source file containing symbolic identifiers and produces the following output:

• The SYMBOLNAME.H file, containing statements that equate symbolic identifiers with the set numbers and message ID numbers assigned by MKCATDEF. You must include the SYMBOLNAME.H file in your application program to associate the symbolic names to the set and message numbers assigned by MKCATDEF.

• A new message source file containing message numbers instead of symbolic message identifiers. This output is suitable for input to GENCAT.

MKCATDEF sends the new message source file, with numbers instead of symbolic identifiers, to standard output. You can use MKCATDEF output as input to GENCAT in the following ways:

• Use MKCATDEF with a > (redirection symbol) to write the new message source to a file. Use this file as input to GENCAT.

• Pipe the MKCATDEF output file directly to GENCAT.

After running MKCATDEF, you can use symbolic names in an application to refer to messages.