I have rewritten it as a batch job (not a pretty version as yet),instead of
a command file that is run interactively and still get the same error.
>
!JOB TSTCOPY,MANAGER.SYS,SYSOPER;HIPRI;PRI=CS;OUTCLASS=LP,9
!SETVAR DATE,"!HPMONTH/!HPDATE/!HPYEAR"
!SETVAR DIR,"@[log in to unmask]@[log in to unmask]@.@3000@"
!SETVAR NEW,";DIRECTORY;INTER;PROGRESS=3"
!SETVAR NEW1,";COMPRESSION=HIGH;MAXTAPEBUF;DATE>=!DATE"
!COPY DDFS.SYSOPER,DDFS1.SYSOPER
!CONTINUE
!PURGE DDFS.SYSOPER.SYS
!SETJCW CIERROR=0
!BUILD DDFS.SYSOPER;REC=,,F,ASCII;DISC=1
!FILE DDFS=DDFS.SYSOPER,OLD;DEV=DISC
!SETJCW CIERROR=0
!ECHO !DIR>*DDFS.SYSOPER.SYS
!ECHO !NEW!NEW1>>*DDFS.SYSOPER.SYS
!ECHO ;ONLINE=START>>*DDFS.SYSOPER.SYS
!DELETVAR DATE
!DELETEVAR DIR
!DELETEVAR NEW
!DELETEVAR NEW1
!EOJ

On the first ECHO command receive :-
INVALID FILE REFERENCE (FSERR 54)
Couldn't open output redirection file, command failed.  (CIERR 9425)
Remainder of job flushed.
I can not see anything obvious to show that the code is wrong.  There must
be some other reason.  We are on 5.5 powerpatch 6 with Y2K patches applied.
regards  ...  Terry

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Growing old is mandatory, acting old is optional

Terry Prime
Client Services Officer
Queensland University of Technology
(07) 38641784