FWIW, here are some command files that I use to do setvars (and other
things) on the local system to match setvars on the remote (execute them
from the local system). The approach is the same as what Barry has
already shown. Just more generic (pronounced 'complex') and canned.

ANYPARM VARSET=''
COMMENT FILE=LCLSETVR.CMD
REMOTE FILE SHOWVART=SHOWVART:$BACK
REMOTE SHOWVAR !VARSET >*SHOWVART

FORREC <SHOWVART LCLSETV2

PURGE SHOWVART,TEMP
REMOTE RESET SHOWVART

DELETEVAR FORREC_BUF
DELETEVAR FORREC_BUF_FOUND
DELETEVAR LCLSETV2_VARNAME
DELETEVAR TOKEN
COMMENT END LCLSETVR.CMD



PARM CMD, VARNAME=FORREC_BUF
COMMENT FILE=FORREC.CMDSUB

SETVAR FORREC_BUF_FOUND FALSE
CONTINUE
WHILE NOT FORREC_BUF_FOUND
  SETVAR HPCIERR OK
  SETVAR HPMSGFENCE 2
    CONTINUE
    INPUT !VARNAME
  SETVAR HPMSGFENCE 0
  IF HPCIERR <> OK
    RETURN
  ENDIF
  SETVAR !VARNAME RTRIM (LTRIM ('![!VARNAME]'))
  CONTINUE
  !CMD
ENDWHILE
COMMENT END FORREC.CMDSUB



PARM VARSET=''
COMMENT FILE=LCLSETV2.CMDSUB
TOKEN '!FORREC_BUF'
SETVAR LCLSETV2_VARNAME RTRIM (TOKEN)

TOKEN '!FORREC_BUF',,-1
SETVAR LCLSETVR_!LCLSETV2_VARNAME '!TOKEN'
COMMENT END LCLSETV2.CMDSUB


The above 3 command files let me have vars on a remote machine and on
the local machine I can get their values mirrored by doing:

:LCLSETVR MYVAR@

The same var names as on the remote machine will be created on the local
machine prepended with LCLSETVR_

HTH