"wide" and not-fixed-width text files to VM users

[trothtech]

When sending a text file (ASCII or plain text), it is presented as PRT (printed output).
PRT files are RECFM F when received, and typically LRECL 132.
It may be possible to leverage AFP support in z/VM to (1) get wider text files and (2) have them received as RECFM V.

[trothtech]

Using virtual spooling device "VAFP" instead of "PRT" extends the record length from 132 to 204.
Received record format is still FIXED.

The documentation says that VAFP can handle records up to 32767.
It is not clear why records would necessarily be truncated to 204 nor how to avoid that.

[trothtech]

As of release 1.10.7, the VM/CMS implementation defines a temporary "unit record" device for delivery as "VAFP" rather than "PRT". This allows for record length to 204, up from 132. The received record format is still F (fixed length records).

According to IBM documentation, the maximum data length for a VAFP spool file is 32767 bytes. But that length appears to require special handling (other than RDRLIST and RECEIVE by Class G VM/CMS users).

It may be that the only way around this for general class users is to encode incoming files as NETDATA.