The grace init command scaffolds a new Grace workflow directory structure, making it easy to get started with a new project.

It creates a standard layout including a starter grace.yml configuration file, a src/ directory for your source code (like COBOL programs), and a .grace/ directory for Grace's operational outputs like generated JCL decks and logs.

Usage

grace init [workspace-name] [flags]

Arguments

Arguments

• [workspace-name] (optional):

  • If provided, Grace creates a new subdirectory with this name and scaffolds the workflow inside it.
  • If omitted, Grace attempts to initialize the workflow in the current directory. The workflow name for configuration purposes will default to the name of the current directory.

Flags

--tutorial

• Optional boolean flag.
• If specified, grace init scaffolds a pre-configured "Hello, Grace" tutorial workflow. This includes:
  • A grace.yml file with sample compile, link-edit, and execute jobs.
  • A src/hello.cbl COBOL program.
• This is a great way to quickly get a runnable example.
• Example: grace init my-first-workflow --tutorial

-h, --help

• Displays help information for the init command.

Interactive Prompt

When you run grace init (without --tutorial and potentially without a workspace-name if you want to configure the current directory), it launches an interactive TUI (Text-based User Interface) to help you populate key fields in the generated grace.yml:

1. Workflow Name:

• If you provided [workspace-name] on the command line, this field will be pre-filled with that name.
• If you didn't provide [workspace-name], it defaults to the current directory's name (you can change it). If you accept the default to use the current directory, Grace will initialize files directly in CWD.
• This name is used for the directory (if creating a new one) and as a default for some internal naming if not overridden elsewhere.

2. HLQ (High-Level Qualifier):

• The high-level qualifier your site uses for creating datasets (e.g., MYUSER, PROJ001).
• This will populate datasets.jcl, datasets.src, and datasets.loadlib in grace.yml using a pattern like HLQ.WORKFLOW_NAME.JCL.
• Defaults to IBMUSER if left blank.

3. Profile (Zowe CLI Profile):

• The name of the Zowe CLI profile Grace should use to connect to your z/OS system (e.g., zosmf, my_lpar_profile).
• This populates config.profile in grace.yml.
• Defaults to zosmf if left blank.

You can navigate between fields using Tab / Shift+Tab or Arrow Keys, and submit with Enter. Press Esc or Ctrl+C to cancel.

What it creates

Assuming you run grace init my_workflow_proj:

my_workflow_proj/
├── .grace/               # Internal directory for Grace operations
│   ├── deck/             # Stores JCL generated by 'grace deck'
│   └── logs/             # Stores logs and summaries from 'grace run/submit'
├── src/                  # Place your COBOL, PL/I, etc. source files here
│   └── (empty or tutorial files if --tutorial is used)
└── grace.yml             # Your main workflow definition file

If run without [workspace-name] in an existing directory, these files/folders will be scattered directly in the current location (Grace will warn if it's about to overwrite existing files/directories like .grace or src).

After grace init

1. Navigate into your new workflow directory (if one was created).
2. Review and edit grace.yml:
   • Crucially, ensure config.profile matches your working Zowe CLI profile.
   • Adjust datasets (JCL, SRC, LOADLIB HLQs and names) to suit your z/OS environment and naming conventions.
   • Verify config.defaults.compiler and config.defaults.linker settings (PGM names, PARMs, STEPLIBs) match your site's COBOL compiler and Linkage Editor.
3. Add source files: Place your COBOL programs or other source files into the src/ directory.
4. Validate: Run grace lint to check your grace.yml for syntax and structural correctness.

You are now ready to define jobs and use commands like grace deck and grace run.