100% found this document useful (1 vote)

429 views

CICS Application Programming Guide

This edition applies to Version 2 Release 1 of CICS Transaction Server for z / OS, program number 5697-E93. Make sure you are using the correct edition for the level of the product. When you send information to IBM, you grant it a nonexclusive right to use or distribute it.

Uploaded by

Venkat Koyagura

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

100% found this document useful (1 vote)

429 views

CICS Application Programming Guide

Uploaded by

Venkat Koyagura

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

You are on page 1/ 661

CICS Transaction Server for z/OS

CICS Application Programming Guide

V ersion 2 Release 1

SC34-5702-00

CICS Transaction Server for z/OS

CICS Application Programming Guide

V ersion 2 Release 1

SC34-5702-00

Note! Before using this information and the product it supports, be sure to read the general information under Notices on page 631.

First edition (March 2001) This edition applies to Version 2 Release 1 of CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, program number 5697-E93, and to all subsequent versions, releases, and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions. Make sure you are using the correct edition for the level of the product. Order publications through your IBM representative or the IBM branch office serving your locality. Publications are not stocked at the address given below. At the back of this publication is a page entitled Sending your comments to IBM. If you want to make comments, but the methods described are not available to you, please address them to: IBM United Kingdom Laboratories, Information Development, Mail Point 095, Hursley Park, Winchester, Hampshire, England, SO21 2JN. When you send information to IBM, you grant IBM a nonexclusive right to use or distribute the information in any way it believes appropriate without incurring any obligation to you. Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 1989, 2001. All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix What this book is about . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix Who should read this book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix Summary of changes . . . . . . Changes for CICS Transaction Server Changes for CICS Transaction Server Changes for CICS Transaction Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . for z/OS Version 2 Release 1 . . for OS/390 Version 1 Release 3 . for OS/390 Version 1 Release 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi xxi xxi xxii

Part 1. Writing CICS Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

| Chapter 1. What is a CICS application? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 CICS programs, transactions and tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Chapter 2. CICS programming . . CICS programming commands . . System programming commands. EXEC interface block (EIB) . . . Translation . . . . . . . . . . Translator Options . . . . . . CICS programming roadmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 5 6 6 6 6 6

| | | | | |

Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL . . . . . Using based addressing with COBOL . . . . . Using WITH DEBUGGING MODE . . . . . COBOL programming restrictions . . . . . . Restrictions for 31-bit addressing . . . . . Using the DL/I CALL interface . . . . . . Mixing languages . . . . . . . . . . . . Calling subprograms from COBOL. . . . . . Using COBOL with the ANSI 85 standard . . . Literals intervening in blank lines . . . . . Sequence numbers containing any character . REPLACE statement. . . . . . . . . . Batch compilation . . . . . . . . . . . Nested programs . . . . . . . . . . . Reference modification . . . . . . . . . Global variables . . . . . . . . . . . Comma and semicolon as delimiters . . . . Symbolic character definition . . . . . . . Summary of ANS185 restrictions . . . . . Using the COBOL2 translator option . . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . . Using the COBOL3 translator option . . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . . Using the OO COBOL translator option . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . . Nesting programs . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++ C and C++ programming restrictions . . Passing arguments in C or C++. . . . Accessing the EIB. . . . . . . . .
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . 9 . . . 9 . . . 10 . . . 10 . . . 12 . . . 12 . . . 13 . . . 14 . . . 18 . . . 19 . . . 19 . . . 20 . . . 20 . . . 22 . . . 27 . . . 27 . . . 27 . . . 27 . . . 28 . . . 28 . . . 28 . . . 29 . . . 29 . . . 29 . . . 30 . . . 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 32 34 36

. . . .

iii

Naming EIB fields . Using Locale support Programming in C++ . Restrictions . . .

. . . .

36 37 37 37

Chapter 5. Programming in PL/I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 PL/I programming restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Using PL/I and dynamic storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Chapter 6. Programming in Assembler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Calling Assembler programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Chapter 7. Language Environment . . . . . . . . . . Levels of support in Language Environment . . . . . . . Language Environment services . . . . . . . . . . . Using Language Environment Abend-handling . . . . . . User-written LE condition handlers. . . . . . . . . . Managing Language Environment storage . . . . . . . . Using C/C++ applications with Language Environment . . . Using COBOL applications with Language Environment . . . Using PL/I applications with Language Environment . . . . Using Assembler applications with Language Environment . . Mixing languages in Language Environment . . . . . . . Using Dynamic Link Libraries and Language Environment . . Defining run-time options for Language Environment . . . . Run-time options in child enclaves. . . . . . . . . . CEEBXITA coding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Determining which options were used . . . . . . . . Writing a CEEBINT initialization exit for Language Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 47 48 49 50 50 51 52 54 55 57 59 60 61 61 62 62

Part 2. Preparing applications to run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

| | | | Chapter 8. Translation and compilation . . . The integrated CICS translator . . . . . . . Supported compilers . . . . . . . . . . Using the integrated CICS translator . . . . Specifying CICS translator options. . . . . The translation process . . . . . . . . . . The CICS-supplied translators . . . . . . . Dynamic invocation of the separate translator Using a separate translator . . . . . . . . Defining translator options . . . . . . . . . Translator options . . . . . . . . . . . Translator options table . . . . . . . . . Using COPY statements . . . . . . . . . The CICS-supplied interface modules . . . . The EXEC interface modules. . . . . . . The CPI Communications interface module . The SAA Resource Recovery interface module Using the EXEC interface modules . . . . . COBOL and PL/I . . . . . . . . . . . C and C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assembler language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 67 67 68 68 69 72 72 73 74 75 84 85 86 86 86 86 86 87 87 87

Chapter 9. Installing application programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Program installation roadmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Preparing for program installation . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining MVS residence and addressing modes. . . . . . . . Establishing a programs addressing mode . . . . . . . . CICS address space considerations . . . . . . . . . . . Making programs permanently resident . . . . . . . . . . Running applications in the link pack area . . . . . . . . . . Running application programs in the RDSAs . . . . . . . . . Assembler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C and C/++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COBOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PL/I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using BMS map sets in application programs . . . . . . . . Using the CICS-supplied procedures to install application programs Installing programs in load library secondary extents . . . . . Including the CICS-supplied interface modules . . . . . . . . Installing assembler language application programs . . . . . . Sample JCL to install assembler application programs . . . . Installing COBOL application programs . . . . . . . . . . Sample JCL to install COBOL application programs . . . . . Installing PL/I application programs . . . . . . . . . . . . Sample JCL to install PL/I application programs . . . . . . Installing C application programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sample JCL to install C application programs . . . . . . . Using your own job streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Translator requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online programs that use EXEC CICS or EXEC DLI commands Online programs that use the CALL DLI interface . . . . . . Batch or BMP programs that use EXEC DLI commands . . . Batch or BMP programs that use DL/I CALL commands . . . Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets . . . Installing map sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Types of map sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing physical map sets . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing symbolic description map sets . . . . . . . Installing physical and symbolic description maps together Installing partition sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining programs, map sets, and partition sets to CICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. 90 . 91 . 91 . 91 . 92 . 92 . 93 . 93 . 94 . 94 . 95 . 96 . 96 . 97 . 97 . 98 . 99 . 100 . 101 . 104 . 104 . 106 . 107 . 108 . 109 . 109 . 112 . 112 . 112 . . . . . . . . 113 114 114 116 118 119 121 123

| | | | | | |

Part 3. Application design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Contents

Temporary storage . . . . . . . . . Intrapartition transient data . . . . . . GETMAIN SHARED command . . . . Your own data sets . . . . . . . . . Lengths of areas passed to CICS commands LENGTH options. . . . . . . . . . Journal records . . . . . . . . . . Data set definitions . . . . . . . . . Recommendation . . . . . . . . . Minimizing errors. . . . . . . . . . . Protecting CICS from application errors . Testing applications . . . . . . . . . Non-terminal transaction security . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

141 142 143 143 143 144 144 144 144 144 145 145 146 147 147 148 149 151 152 153 153 154 154 154 156 156 156 157 157 157 160 162 163 165 165 165 168 169 169

Chapter 12. Design for performance . . . . . Program size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virtual storage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reducing paging effects . . . . . . . . . Exclusive control of resources . . . . . . . . Operational control . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating system waits . . . . . . . . . . The NOSUSPEND option . . . . . . . . . Efficient data operations . . . . . . . . . . Efficient database operations . . . . . . . Efficient data set operations. . . . . . . . Efficient browsing (in non-RLS mode) . . . . Efficient logging . . . . . . . . . . . . Efficient sequential data set access . . . . . Efficient terminal operations. . . . . . . . . Length of the data stream sent to the terminal . Basic mapping support considerations . . . . Page-building and routing operations . . . . Requests for printed output . . . . . . . . Additional terminal control considerations . . . Chapter 13. Sharing data across transactions Using the common work area (CWA) . . . . Protecting the CWA. . . . . . . . . . Using the TCTTE user area (TCTUA) . . . . Using the COMMAREA in RETURN commands Using the display screen to share data . . . Chapter 14. Affinity . . . . . . . Types of affinity . . . . . . . . . Inter-transaction affinity . . . . . Transaction-system affinity . . . . Programming techniques and affinity . Safe techniques . . . . . . . . Unsafe techniques . . . . . . . Suspect techniques . . . . . . . Recommendations . . . . . . . Safe programming to avoid affinity . . The COMMAREA . . . . . . . The TCTUA . . . . . . . . . Using ENQ and DEQ commands with BTS containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ENQMODEL resource definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . .

171 172 172 172 173 173 173 174 174 174 175 176 177 . . 179

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Unsafe programming for affinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the common work area . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using GETMAIN SHARED storage . . . . . . . . . . . Using the LOAD PROGRAM HOLD command . . . . . . . Sharing task-lifetime storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the WAIT EVENT command . . . . . . . . . . . Using ENQ and DEQ commands without ENQMODEL resource Suspect programming for affinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using temporary storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using transient data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the RETRIEVE WAIT and START commands . . . . . Using the START and CANCEL REQID commands . . . . . Using the DELAY and CANCEL REQID commands . . . . . Using the POST and CANCEL REQID commands . . . . . Detecting inter-transaction affinities . . . . . . . . . . . . Inter-transaction affinities caused by application generators . . Duration and scope of inter-transaction affinities . . . . . . . Affinity transaction groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Relations and lifetimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 15. Recovery design . Journaling . . . . . . . . . Journal records . . . . . . Journal output synchronization. Syncpointing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

179 179 180 181 182 184 185 186 186 188 189 191 193 194 196 196 197 197 197 205 205 205 205 207 209 209 210 210 211 212 213 214 215 215 216 217 218 218 221 222 223 224 225 225 226 229 229 229 230 230 230

Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions . Default CICS exception handling . . . . . . . . Handling exception conditions by in-line code . . . How to use the RESP and RESP2 options . . . An example of exception handling in C . . . . An example of exception handling in COBOL . . Modifying default CICS exception handling . . . . Using the HANDLE CONDITION command . . . . RESP and NOHANDLE options . . . . . . . How CICS keeps track of what to do . . . . . Using the HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command. Using the IGNORE CONDITION command . . . . Using the HANDLE ABEND command . . . . . . Using PUSH HANDLE and POP HANDLE commands Chapter 17. Abnormal termination recovery . Creating a program-level abend exit . . . . Retrying operations . . . . . . . . . . . Trace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trace entry points . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 18. The QUERY SECURITY command . Using the QUERY SECURITY command . . . . Security protection at the record or field level . CICS-defined resource identifiers. . . . . . SEC system initialization parameter . . . . . Programming hints . . . . . . . . . . .

Contents

vii

Part 4. Data Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Chapter 19. An overview of file control. . . . . . VSAM data sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Key-sequenced data set (KSDS) . . . . . . . . Entry-sequenced data set (ESDS) . . . . . . . Relative record data set (RRDS) . . . . . . . . Empty data sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VSAM alternate indexes . . . . . . . . . . . Accessing files in RLS mode . . . . . . . . . BDAM data sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CICS shared data tables . . . . . . . . . . . . Coupling facility data tables . . . . . . . . . . . Coupling facility data table models . . . . . . . Techniques for sharing data. . . . . . . . . . . Using CICS commands to read records . . . . . . Direct reading (using READ command) . . . . . Sequential reading (browsing) . . . . . . . . . Skip-sequential processing . . . . . . . . . . Using CICS commands to update records . . . . . Using CICS commands to delete records . . . . . . Deleting single records . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting groups of records (generic delete) . . . . Read integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using CICS commands to add records . . . . . . Adding to a KSDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding to an ESDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding to an RRDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . Records that are already locked . . . . . . . . Specifying record length . . . . . . . . . . . Sequential adding of records (WRITE MASSINSERT File control command options . . . . . . . . . . The RIDFLD option . . . . . . . . . . . . . The INTO and SET options . . . . . . . . . . The FROM option . . . . . . . . . . . . . The TOKEN option . . . . . . . . . . . . . KEYLENGTH option for remote data sets. . . . . Transaction deadlocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . VSAM-detected deadlocks (RLS only) . . . . . . Rules for avoiding deadlocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . command) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 235 235 236 236 236 237 237 238 239 240 241 242 244 245 246 248 249 250 250 251 251 251 251 252 252 252 252 252 252 253 253 253 254 254 255 256 257 259 259 259 259 260 260 261 261 264 264 264

Chapter 20. File controlVSAM considerations . . . . . . VSAM record identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Relative byte address (RBA) and relative record number (RRN) Locking of VSAM records in recoverable files . . . . . . . . Update locks and delete locks (non-RLS mode only) . . . . Record locking of VSAM records for files accessed in RLS mode . Exclusive locks and shared locks. . . . . . . . . . . . Conditional VSAM file update requests . . . . . . . . . . File control implementation of NOSUSPEND . . . . . . . CICS locking for writing to ESDS . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 21. File controlBDAM considerations . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Identifying BDAM records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Block reference subfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

viii

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Physical key subfield . . . . . . . Deblocking argument subfield . . . . Browsing records from BDAM data sets . Adding records to BDAM data sets . . . Updating records from BDAM data sets Chapter 22. Database control DL/I databases . . . . . . DATABASE 2 (DB2) databases Requests to DB2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

267 267 268 269 270 271 271 271 271 273 273 273 274 274 275 276 277 279 280 281 283 283 284 284 285 287 287 289 296

Chapter 23. CICS documents . . . . . . Using the DOCUMENT programming interface . Creating a document . . . . . . . . . Programming with documents . . . . . . . Setting symbol values . . . . . . . . . Embedded template commands . . . . . Using templates in your application . . . . The lifespan of a document . . . . . . . Constructing a document. . . . . . . . Using Bookmarks . . . . . . . . . . Codepages and codepage conversion . . . Chapter 24. Named counter servers . . The named counter fields . . . . . . Named counter pools . . . . . . . . Named counter options table . . . . Using the named counter EXEC interface Using the named counter CALL interface . Application programming considerations Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . Return codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part 5. Data Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299

Chapter 25. Terminal control . . . . . . . Terminal access method support . . . . . . Terminal control commands . . . . . . . . Send/receive mode . . . . . . . . . . Speaking out of turn . . . . . . . . . Interrupting . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terminal waits . . . . . . . . . . . . Using data transmission commands . . . . . What you get on a RECEIVE . . . . . . Device control commands . . . . . . . . Terminal device support . . . . . . . . . Finding out about your terminal . . . . . . EIB feedback on terminal control operations. Using VTAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chaining input data . . . . . . . . . . Chaining output data . . . . . . . . . Handling logical records . . . . . . . . Response protocol . . . . . . . . . . Using function management headers . . . Preventing interruptions (bracket protocol) . Using sequential terminal support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 303 304 304 306 306 307 307 308 309 309 314 315 316 316 317 317 318 318 319 319

Contents

Coding considerations for sequential terminals . Using TCAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coding for the DCB interface . . . . . . . Coding for the ACB interface . . . . . . . Using batch data interchange . . . . . . . . Destination selection and identification . . . . Definite response . . . . . . . . . . . Waiting for function completion . . . . . . Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals History of the 3270 . . . . . . . . . Screen fields . . . . . . . . . . Personal computers . . . . . . . The 3270 buffer . . . . . . . . . . The output datastream . . . . . . . 3270 write commands . . . . . . . Write control character . . . . . . 3270 display fields . . . . . . . . . Display characteristics . . . . . . . 3270 field attributes. . . . . . . . . Protection . . . . . . . . . . . Modification . . . . . . . . . . Intensity . . . . . . . . . . . . Base color . . . . . . . . . . . Extended attributes . . . . . . . . Orders in the data stream . . . . . . The start field order. . . . . . . . The modify field order . . . . . . . The set buffer address order . . . . The set attribute order . . . . . . . Outbound data stream sample. . . . . Input from a 3270 terminal . . . . . . Data keys . . . . . . . . . . . Keyboard control keys. . . . . . . Attention keys . . . . . . . . . . Reading from a 3270 terminal . . . . . Inbound field format . . . . . . . . Input data stream example . . . . . . Unformatted mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

320 321 321 322 322 323 324 324 325 325 326 326 328 328 328 329 329 330 330 330 331 331 332 332 333 333 334 335 335 336 338 338 338 338 339 340 341 341 343 343 344 345 345 346 346 346 347 348 348 349 349 349 350 350

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Printing with a START command . . . Printing with transient data . . . . . Printing with BMS routing . . . . . Using Non-CICS printers . . . . . . . Formatting for non-CICS printers . . . Non-CICS printers: Delivering the data. Programming for non-CICS printers . . Notifying the print application . . . . Printing display screens . . . . . . . CICS print key . . . . . . . . . ISSUE PRINT and ISSUE COPY. . . Hardware print key . . . . . . . . BMS screen copy . . . . . . . . Chapter 28. CICS interface to JES Using the CICS interface to JES . . Spool interface restrictions . . . Creating output spool files . . . . Using the MVS internal reader. . Reading input spool files . . . . . JES exits . . . . . . . . . Identifying spool files . . . . . . Examples of SPOOL commands . . COBOL . . . . . . . . . . PL/I . . . . . . . . . . . C . . . . . . . . . . . . ASSEMBLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

350 351 352 353 353 353 353 355 355 355 356 356 357 359 361 361 361 362 362 363 363 367 367 368 368 369

371 371 372 372 372 373 374 376 381 385 385 385 . . 386

Part 6. Basic Mapping Support (BMS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389

Chapter 31. Creating the map Defining map fields: DFHMDF . Defining the map: DFHMDI . . Defining the map set: DFHMSD Writing BMS macros . . . .

Contents

Assembling the map . . . . . . . . . . Physical and symbolic map sets . . . . . The SDF II alternative . . . . . . . . . Grouping maps into map sets . . . . . . The Application Data Structure (ADS) . . . Using complex fields . . . . . . . . . . Composite fields: the GRPNAME option . . Repeated fields: the OCCURS option . . . Block data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Support for non-3270 terminals . . . . . . Output considerations for non-3270 devices . Differences on input . . . . . . . . . Special options for non-3270 terminals. . . Device-dependent maps . . . . . . . . . Device dependent support: DDS . . . . . Finding out about your terminal . . . . . Chapter 32. Sending BMS mapped output Acquiring and defining storage for the maps. BASE and STORAGE options . . . . . Initializing the output map . . . . . . . Moving the variable data to the map . . . Setting the display characteristics . . . . Changing the attributes . . . . . . . Attribute value definitions: DFHBMSCA . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

405 405 406 406 406 407 407 408 409 410 410 411 411 412 413 416 417 417 418 418 419 419 420 421 423 423 424 424 424 425 425 425 426 426 426 427 428 428 429 429 430 433 433 435 436 436 437 438 438 439 439 439 440

Chapter 33. Using the SEND MAP command . . . . SEND MAP control options . . . . . . . . . . . . Other BMS SEND options: WAIT and LAST . . . . . Merging the symbolic and physical maps . . . . . . . MAPONLY option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DATAONLY option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The SEND CONTROL command . . . . . . . . . Building the output screen . . . . . . . . . . . . What you start with . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What is sent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where the values come from . . . . . . . . . . Outside the map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using GDDM and BMS . . . . . . . . . . . . Positioning the cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sending invalid data and other errors . . . . . . . . Output disposition options: TERMINAL, SET, and PAGING Using SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data . An input-output example . . . . . . The symbolic input map . . . . . Programming mapped input. . . . . Using the RECEIVE MAP command . Getting storage for mapped input. . . Formatted screen input . . . . . . Modified data . . . . . . . . . Upper case translation . . . . . Using the attention identifier . . . . Using the HANDLE AID command . Finding the cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

xii

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Processing the mapped input . . . . . . Handling input errors . . . . . . . . . Flagging errors . . . . . . . . . . Saving the good input . . . . . . . . Rechecking. . . . . . . . . . . . Sending mapped output after mapped input . MAPFAIL and other exceptional conditions . EOC condition. . . . . . . . . . . Formatting other input . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

440 441 441 442 443 443 444 445 445 447 447 448 448 449 450 451 453 453 454 455 457 457 457 457 458 461 461 461 462 463 463 465 467 467 468 468 469 469 470 471 472 472 473 473 473 474 474 475 475 476 477

Chapter 35. BMS logical messages . . . . Building logical messages . . . . . . . . The SEND PAGE command . . . . . . . RETAIN and RELEASE . . . . . . . . . The AUTOPAGE option . . . . . . . . . Terminal operator paging: the CSPG transaction Logical message recovery . . . . . . . .

Chapter 36. Cumulative output the ACCUM option Floating maps: how BMS places maps using ACCUM . Page breaks: BMS overflow processing . . . . . . Map placement rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . ASSIGN options for cumulative processing . . . . Input from a composite screen. . . . . . . . . . Performance considerations. . . . . . . . . . . Minimizing path length. . . . . . . . . . . . Reducing message lengths . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 37. Text output. . . . The SEND TEXT command. . . Text logical messages . . . . Text pages . . . . . . . . . Text lines . . . . . . . . . Header and trailer format. . . . SEND TEXT MAPPED and SEND . . . . . . . . . . . . TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 38. Message routing . . . . . . . . Message destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . Eligible terminals. . . . . . . . . . . . . Destinations specified with OPCLASS only . . . OPCLASS and LIST omitted . . . . . . . . Route list provided . . . . . . . . . . . . Route list format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Message delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . Undeliverable messages . . . . . . . . . . Recoverable messages . . . . . . . . . . . Message identification . . . . . . . . . . . Programming considerations with routing . . . . . Routing and page overflow . . . . . . . . . Routing with SET . . . . . . . . . . . . Interleaving a conversation with message routing . Chapter 39. The MAPPINGDEV facility . . . SEND MAP with the MAPPINGDEV option . . RECEIVE MAP with the MAPPINGDEV option . Sample assembler MAPPINGDEV application . . . . . . . . .

Contents

xiii

Chapter 40. Partition support . . . . . . Uses for partitioned screens . . . . . . . Scrolling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lookaside . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data comparison. . . . . . . . . . . Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . Partition definition . . . . . . . . . . . 3290 character size. . . . . . . . . . Establishing partitioning . . . . . . . . . Partition options for BMS SEND commands . . Determining the active partition . . . . . Partition options for BMS RECEIVE commands ASSIGN options for partitions . . . . . . Partitions and logical messages . . . . . . Partitions and routing . . . . . . . . . Attention identifiers and exception conditions . Terminal sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 41. Support for special hardware . Logical device components . . . . . . . . Defining logical device components . . . . Sending data to a logical device component. LDCs and logical messages . . . . . . LDCs and routing . . . . . . . . . . 10/63 magnetic slot reader . . . . . . . . Field selection features . . . . . . . . . Trigger field support . . . . . . . . . Cursor and pen-detectable fields . . . . . . Selection fields . . . . . . . . . . . Attention fields . . . . . . . . . . . BMS input from detectable fields . . . . . Outboard formatting . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

479 480 480 480 480 481 481 481 482 482 483 483 484 484 484 485 485 486 487 487 487 488 488 488 489 489 489 490 491 491 491 492

Part 7. CICS management functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493

Chapter 45. Storage control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517 Overview of CICS storage protection and transaction isolation . . . . . . . 518

xiv

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Storage protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transaction isolation . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining the storage key for applications . . . . . . System-wide storage areas . . . . . . . . . . Task lifetime storage . . . . . . . . . . . . Program working storage specifically for exit and PLT Passing data by a COMMAREA . . . . . . . . The GETMAIN command . . . . . . . . . . Selecting the execution and storage key . . . . . . User-key applications . . . . . . . . . . . . CICS-key applications . . . . . . . . . . . . Using transaction isolation . . . . . . . . . . . MVS subspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subspaces and basespaces for transactions . . . The common subspace and shared storage . . . . Chapter 46. Transient data control Intrapartition transient data queues . Extrapartition queues . . . . . . Indirect queues . . . . . . . . Automatic transaction initiation (ATI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

518 519 520 521 521 521 521 522 523 524 524 527 529 529 530 533 533 534 534 535

Chapter 47. Temporary storage control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 Temporary storage queues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 Typical uses of temporary storage control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538

Part 8. Testing applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541

Chapter 48. Testing applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543 Preparing the application for testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544 Preparing the system for testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544 Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility Restrictions when using EDF . . . . . Parameter list stacking . . . . . . Security considerations . . . . . . What does EDF display? . . . . . . . The header . . . . . . . . . . . The body . . . . . . . . . . . Using EDF . . . . . . . . . . . . Interrupting program execution . . . Using EDF in single-screen mode . . Using EDF in dual-screen mode . . . EDF and remote transactions . . . . EDF and non-terminal transactions . . EDF and DTP programs . . . . . . Stopping EDF . . . . . . . . . . Overtyping to make changes . . . . . EDF responses . . . . . . . . . Using EDF menu functions . . . . . . (EDF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547 548 549 549 549 550 551 557 557 559 560 560 561 561 562 562 564 564 571 571 573 573 573

Chapter 50. Temporary storage browse (CEBR) Using the CEBR transaction . . . . . . . . What does the CEBR transaction display? . . . The header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The command area . . . . . . . . . . .

Contents

The body . . . . . . . . . . . The message line . . . . . . . . Using the CEBR function keys. . . . . Using the CEBR commands . . . . . Using the CEBR transaction with transient

. . . . . . . . data

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

573 573 573 574 576 579 579 579 580 582 583 583 584 585 586 586 586 588 588 589 590 590 590 590 591 591

Chapter 51. Command-level interpreter (CECI) . What does CECI display? . . . . . . . . . The command line . . . . . . . . . . . The status line . . . . . . . . . . . . The body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The message line . . . . . . . . . . . CECI options on function keys. . . . . . . Using CECI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Making changes . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the CECI function keys . . . . . . . . Expanded area . . . . . . . . . . . . Variables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The EXEC interface block (EIB) . . . . . . Error messages display . . . . . . . . . Saving commands . . . . . . . . . . . . How CECI runs . . . . . . . . . . . . . CECI sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . Abends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exception conditions . . . . . . . . . . Program control commands . . . . . . . . Terminal sharing . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part 9. Appendixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593

Appendix. Using OS/VS COBOL . . . . . . Programming with OS/VS COBOL . . . . . . Programming restrictions . . . . . . . . . Restricted OS/VS COBOL language statements Base locator for linkage . . . . . . . . . BLL and chained storage areas . . . . . . BLL and OCCURS DEPENDING ON clauses . BLL and large storage areas . . . . . . . SERVICE RELOAD statement . . . . . . . NOTRUNC compiler option . . . . . . . . Program segments . . . . . . . . . . . OS/VS COBOL translator options . . . . . OS/VS Cobol bibliography . . . . . . . . Conversion to VS COBOL II . . . . . . . . Based addressing . . . . . . . . . . . Artificial assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595 595 595 597 597 598 599 600 601 602 602 603 603 603 603 606 607 607 607 608 608 608 608 609 609

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CICS Transaction Server for z/OS . . . . . . . . CICS books for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS . CICSPlex SM books for CICS Transaction Server for Other CICS books . . . . . . . . . . . . . Books from related libraries . . . . . . . . . . . DL/I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MVS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DB2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . z/OS . . . . . . . . . .

xvi

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Screen definition facility II (SDF II) . . . . . . . . Common programming interface . . . . . . . . . Common user access . . . . . . . . . . . . . Programming languages . . . . . . . . . . . . Teleprocessing Network Simulator (TPNS) . . . . . Distributed Processing Programming Executive (DPPX): Language Environment: . . . . . . . . . . . . Miscellaneous books . . . . . . . . . . . . . Determining if a publication is current . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . .

609 609 609 609 610 610 610 610 611

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613 Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631 Trademarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632 Sending your comments to IBM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 633

Contents

xvii

xviii

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Preface
What this book is about
This book gives guidance about the development of procedural application programs that use the CICS EXEC application programming interface to access CICS services and resources; it complements the reference information in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. For guidance information on debugging such CICS applications, see the CICS Problem Determination Guide. For guidance on developing application programs using the Java language, see Java Applications in CICS, and for guidance on using the CICS OO classes, see CICS C++ OO Class Libraries.

Who should read this book

This book is mainly for experienced application programmers. Those who are relatively new to CICS should be able to understand it. If you are a system programmer or system analyst, you should still find it useful.

What you need to know to understand this book

You must be able to program in COBOL, C, C++, PL/I, or assembler language, and know about CICS application programming at the CICS Application Programming Primer (VS COBOL II) level.

How to use this book

Read the parts covering what you need to know. (Each part has a full table of contents to help you find what you want.) The book is a guide, not a reference manual. On your first reading, it probably helps to work through any one part of it more or less from start to finish.

Notes on terminology
API ASM MVS refers to the CICS command-level application programming interface unless otherwise stated. is sometimes used as the abbreviation for assembler language. refers to the operating system, which can be either an element of z/OS, OS/390, or MVS/Enterprise System Architecture System Product (MVS/ESA SP). refers to ACF/VTAM. In the sample programs described in this book, the dollar symbol ($) is used as a national currency symbol and is assumed to be assigned the EBCDIC code point X5B. In some countries a different currency symbol, for example the pound symbol (), or the yen symbol (), is assigned the same EBCDIC code point. In these countries, the appropriate currency symbol should be used instead of the dollar symbol.

VTAM

What is not covered in this book

Guidance for usage of the CICS Front End Programming Interface is not discussed in this book. See the CICS Front End Programming Interface Users Guide for background information about FEPI design considerations and programming information about its API.

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

xix

Guidance for usage of the EXEC CICS WEB commands is not discussed in this book. See the CICS Internet Guide for this information. Guidance for the use of object oriented programming languages and techniques is not included in this book. For guidance on developing application programs using the Java language, see Java Applications in CICS, and for guidance on using the CICS OO classes, see CICS C++ OO Class Libraries.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Summary of changes
Changes for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 2 Release 1
The following new function has been added: v Support for an integrated translator. Some compilers can now interpret CICS commands and translate them without the need for a separate translation step, see The integrated CICS translator on page 67. Changes have been made to titles and headings throughout the book, to make them more meaningful, particularly when the book is explored online in the CICS Information Center. Links and cross references have been improved. v Part 1, Writing CICS applications, has been expanded to include an introduction to basic CICS concepts and an application development roadmap. See CICS programming roadmap on page 6. v Part 2 in the previous edition, Object Oriented programming in CICS, has been removed. For guidance on developing application programs using the Java language, see Java Applications in CICS, and for guidance on using the CICS OO classes, see CICS C++ OO Class Libraries. v A new part 2 has been introduced, to bring together all information needed to translate and compile CICS applications. Chapters describing the installation of CICS programs and maps have been moved here from the CICS System Definition Guide. v Part 3, Application design, now separates general application design concepts, see Chapter 11. Application design on page 129, from application design for performance, see Chapter 12. Design for performance on page 147. v BMS has been restructured into separate chapters, to form a new Part 6. v The previous Appendix 1, mapping EXEC CICS commands to obsolete CICS macros has been removed.

Changes for CICS Transaction Server for OS/390 Version 1 Release 3

The following significant changes for this edition are indicated by vertical lines to the left of the changes. v The addition of the JCICS Java classes to access CICS services from Java application programs. Now moved to Java Applications in CICS v Support for running CICS Java programs using the VisualAge for Java, Enterprise ToolKit for OS/390. Now moved to Java Applications in CICS. v Support for running CICS Java programs using the CICS Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Now moved to Java Applications in CICS. v The addition of sysplex-wide ENQ and DEQ. See Using ENQ and DEQ commands with ENQMODEL resource definitions on page 177. v The addition of support for coupling facility data tables (CFDT). See Coupling facility data tables on page 240. v Support for named counter servers. See Chapter 24. Named counter servers on page 283. v Support for documents, and the EXEC CICS DOCUMENT commands. See Chapter 23. CICS documents on page 273. v The programming considerations section has been reorganized into separate chapters for each supported language, including new chapters for OO and Java support in CICS.
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

xxi

Changes for CICS Transaction Server for OS/390 Version 1 Release 2

Significant changes for this edition are indicated by vertical lines to the left of the changes. v The enhancement of the BMS map definition macros to build an Application Data Structure (ADS) descriptor record in the mapset. See The Application Data Structure (ADS) on page 406. v The addition of the MAPPINGDEV option (by APAR) that is specified on the RECEIVE MAP and SEND MAP commands to allow you to perform mapping operations for a device that is not the principal facility. See Chapter 39. The MAPPINGDEV facility on page 475.

xxii

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Part 1. Writing CICS Applications

| | | | | |

Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL . . . . . Using based addressing with COBOL . . . . . Using WITH DEBUGGING MODE . . . . . COBOL programming restrictions . . . . . . Restrictions for 31-bit addressing . . . . . Using the DL/I CALL interface . . . . . . Mixing languages . . . . . . . . . . . . Calling subprograms from COBOL. . . . . . Using COBOL with the ANSI 85 standard . . . Literals intervening in blank lines . . . . . Separate Translator action. . . . . . . Integrated translator action . . . . . . Sequence numbers containing any character . Separate Translator action. . . . . . . Integrated translator action . . . . . . REPLACE statement. . . . . . . . . . Separate translator action . . . . . . . Integrated Translator action . . . . . . Batch compilation . . . . . . . . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . Compiler and linkage editor . . . . . . Nested programs . . . . . . . . . . . Integrated CICS translator . . . . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . Reference modification . . . . . . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . Global variables . . . . . . . . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . Comma and semicolon as delimiters . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . Symbolic character definition . . . . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . Summary of ANS185 restrictions . . . . . Using the COBOL2 translator option . . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . . Using the COBOL3 translator option . . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . . Using the OO COBOL translator option . . . . Translator action . . . . . . . . . . . Nesting programs . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . 9 . . . 9 . . . 10 . . . 10 . . . 12 . . . 12 . . . 13 . . . 14 . . . 18 . . . 19 . . . 19 . . . 19 . . . 19 . . . 19 . . . 20 . . . 20 . . . 20 . . . 20 . . . 20 . . . 20 . . . 20 . . . 22 . . . 23 . . . 23 . . . 27 . . . 27 . . . 27 . . . 27 . . . 27 . . . 27 . . . 27 . . . 28 . . . 28 . . . 28 . . . 28 . . . 29 . . . 29 . . . 29 . . . 30 . . . 30

Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

C and C++ programming restrictions Passing arguments in C or C++. . Accessing the EIB. . . . . . . Naming EIB fields . . . . . . Data types in EIB fields . . . Using Locale support . . . . . Programming in C++ . . . . . . Restrictions . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . .

32 34 36 36 36 37 37 37

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 1. What is a CICS application?

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | An application is a collection of related programs that together perform a business operation, such as processing a product order or preparing a company payroll. CICS applications execute under CICS control, using CICS services and interfaces to access programs and files. CICS is a transaction processing subsystem. That means that it provides services for you to run applications online, by request, at the same time as many other users are submitting requests to run the same applications, using the same files and programs. CICS manages the sharing of resources; integrity of data and prioritization of execution, with fast response. CICS applications are traditionally run by submitting a transaction request. Execution of the transaction consists of running one or more application programs that implement the required function. In CICS documentation you may find CICS application programs sometimes simply called programs, and sometimes the term transaction is used to imply the processing done by the application programs. CICS applications can also take the form of Enterprise JavaBeans. You can find out more about this form of programming in the Java Applications in CICS. You should note that the term transaction is now used extensively in the IT industry to describe a unit of recovery or what CICS calls a unit of work. This is typically a complete operation that is recoverable; it can be committed or backed out as an entirety as a result of programmed command or system failure. In many cases the scope of a CICS transaction is also a single unit of work, but you should be aware of the difference in meaning when reading CICS documentation.

CICS programs, transactions and tasks

To develop and run CICS applications, you need to understand the relationship between CICS programs, transactions and tasks. These terms are used throughout CICS documentation and appear in many commands.: Transaction A transaction is a piece of processing initiated by a single request. This is usually from an end-user at a terminal, but may also be made from a Web page, from a remote workstation program, from an application in another CICS system or triggered automatically at a predefined time. TheCICS Internet Guide and the CICS External Interfaces Guide describe different ways of running CICS transactions. A single transaction consists of one or more application programs that, when run, carry out the processing needed. However, the term transaction is used in CICS to mean both a single event and all other transactions of the same type. You describe each transaction type to CICS with a TRANSACTION resource definition. This definition gives the transaction type a name ( the transaction identifier, or TRANSID) and tells CICS several things about the work to be done; such as what program to invoke first, and what kind of authentication is required throughout the execution of the transaction.

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

You run a transaction by submitting its TRANSID to CICS. CICS uses the information recorded in the TRANSACTION definition to establish the correct execution environment, and starts the first program. The term transaction is now used extensively in the IT industry to describe a unit of recovery or what CICS calls a unit of work. This is typically a complete operation that is recoverable; it can be committed or backed out as an entirety as a result of programmed command or system failure. In many cases the scope of a CICS transaction is also a single unit of work, but you should be aware of the difference in meaning when reading non-CICS documentation. You will also see the word task used extensively in CICS documentation. This word also has a specific meaning in CICS. When CICS receives a request to run a transaction, it starts a new task that is associated with this one instance of the execution of the transaction. type. That is, one execution of a transaction, with a particular set of data, usually on behalf of a particular user at a particular terminal. You can also consider it as analogous to a thread.. When the transaction completes, the task is terminated.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 2. CICS programming

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | You write a CICS program in much the same way as you write any other program. You can use COBOL, OO COBOL, C, C++, Java, PL/I, or assembler language to write CICS application programs. Most of the processing logic is expressed in standard language statements, but you use CICS commands, or the Java and C++ class libraries to request CICS services. This book describes the use of the CICS command level programming interface, EXEC CICS, that can be used in COBOL, OO COBOL, C, C++, PL/I or assembler programs. These commands are defined in detail in the CICS Application Programming Reference. Programming in Java with the JCICS class library is described in the Java in CICS component of the CICS Information Center. Programming in C++ with the CICS C++ classes is described in the CICS C++ OO Class Libraries documentation. For information about writing Web applications to process HTTP/1.0 requests and responses, see the CICS Internet Guide. For further guidance on language use with CICS, see Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL on page 9, Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++ on page 31, Chapter 5. Programming in PL/I on page 39, and Java Applications in CICS. CICS allows you to use SQL statements, DLI requests, CPI statements, and the CICS Front End Programming Interface (FEPI) commands in your program as well as CICS commands. You need to consult additional manuals for information: v SQL Reference manual and the Application Programming and SQL Guide (for SQL) v Application Programming:EXEC DLI Commands manual and the Application Programming: DL/I Calls manual (for DL/I) v IBM SAA: CPI Reference manual and the SAA Common Programming Interface for Resource Recovery Reference manual (for CPI) v CICS Front End Programming Interface Users Guide (for programming information about FEPI commands)

CICS programming commands

The general format of a CICS command is EXECUTE CICS (or EXEC CICS) followed by the name of the required command and possibly one or more options. You can write many application programs using the CICS command-level interface without any knowledge of, or reference to, the fields in the CICS control blocks and storage areas. However, you might need to get information that is valid outside the local environment of your application program. You can use the ADDRESS and ASSIGN commands to access such information. For programming information about these commands, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. When using the ADDRESS and ASSIGN commands, various fields can be read but should not be set or used in any other way. This means that you should not use
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

any of the CICS fields as arguments in CICS commands, because these fields may be altered by the EXEC interface modules.

System programming commands

The INQUIRE, SET, and PERFORM commands allow application programs to access information about CICS resources. The application program can retrieve and modify information for CICS data sets, terminals, system entries, mode names, system attributes, programs, and transactions. These commands plus the spool commands of the CICS interface to JES, are primarily for the use of the system programmer. For programming information, see the CICS System Programming Reference manual.

EXEC interface block (EIB)

In addition to the usual CICS control blocks, each task in a command-level environment has a control block known as the EXEC interface block (EIB) associated with it. An application program can access all of the fields in the EIB by name. The EIB contains information that is useful during the execution of an application program, such as the transaction identifier, the time and date (initially when the task is started, and subsequently, if updated by the application program using ASKTIME), and the cursor position on a display device. The EIB also contains information that is helpful when a dump is used to debug a program. For programming information about EIB fields, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual.

Translation
Most the compilers (and assemblers) cannot process CICS commands directly. This means that an additional step is needed to convert your program into executable code. This step is called translation, and consists of converting CICS commands into the language in which the rest of the program is coded, so that the compiler (or assembler) can understand them. Some compilers now contain integrated translators that can interpret CICS commands and convert them automatically to calls to CICS service routines. If you use one of these compilers, you do not need to perform the translation tasks described in The translation process on page 69. CICS provides a translator program for each of the languages in which you may write, to handle both EXEC CICS and EXEC DLI statements.

Translator Options
You can specify a number of options for the translation process, and you may need to do this for certain types of programs. If you are using EXEC DLI, for example, you need to tell the translator this fact. Using a separate translator on page 73 explains how to specify options, and Defining translator options on page 74 defines the options available.

CICS programming roadmap

Follow these steps to develop a CICS application that uses the EXEC CICS command level programming interface: 1. Design your application, identifying the CICS resources and services you will use. See Chapter 11. Application design on page 129 and Chapter 12. Design for performance on page 147 for guidance on designing CICS applications.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

2. Write your program in the language of your choice, including EXEC CICS commands to request CICS services. See the CICS Application Programming Reference for a list of CICS commands. 3. If you are using a compiler that incorporates The integrated CICS translator on page 67, you will only need to compile your program, and then install it in CICS, using the process described in Program installation roadmap on page 89. Otherwise, you will need to define translator options for your program, using the process described in Using a separate translator on page 73, and then translate and compile your program, and install it in CICS, using the process described in Program installation roadmap on page 89. 4. Define your program and related transaction to CICS with PROGRAM and TRANSACTION resource definition statements and the CEDA transaction described in the CICS Resource Definition Guide . 5. Define any CICS resources that your program uses, such as files, queues or terminals. 6. Make the resources known to CICS using the CEDA INSTALL command described in the CICS Resource Definition Guide. 7. Run your program, by entering the transaction identifier at a CICS terminal, or by using any of the methods described in the CICS External Interfaces Guide and the CICS Internet Guide.

Chapter 2. CICS programming

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

For programming in COBOL language, you can find information about appropriate compilers in the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Migration Guide or the relevant COBOL manuals. Note: OS/VS COBOL is supported for migration purposes to enable you to maintain existing programs. You are not recommended to write new applications using OS/VS COBOL. For information about OS/VS COBOL language considerations and restrictions, see Appendix. Using OS/VS COBOL on page 595. References to COBOL in this chapter do not always apply to OS/VS COBOL. With COBOL and COBOL/370 you must use only EXEC CICS commands to invoke operating system services. Some COBOL statements must not be used. Some features of COBOL that are of interest to the CICS programmer are: v Simplified based addressing using cell pointer variables and the ADDRESS special register. v The ability to use COBOL CALL statements to call assembler language and other COBOL programs. v The LENGTH special register, which CICS uses to deduce the length of data items. v The ability to use the RETURN-CODE special register in a CICS application program. This register allows you to set and access return codes in COBOL programs. v There is no need for the SERVICE RELOAD statement. If included, it is ignored. Users of COBOL with DBCS should not use the copybook DFHTCADS in their programs; copybook DFHCAKJ should be used instead. With compiler option DATA(24), working storage is allocated below the 16MB line. With compiler option DATA(31), working storage is allocated either above or below the 16MB line. This chapter describes: v Using based addressing with COBOL v COBOL programming restrictions on page 10 v Mixing languages on page 13 v Calling subprograms from COBOL on page 14 v Using COBOL with the ANSI 85 standard on page 18 v Using the COBOL2 translator option on page 28 v Using the COBOL3 translator option on page 29 v Using the OO COBOL translator option on page 29

Using based addressing with COBOL

CICS application programs need to access data dynamically when the data is in a CICS internal area, and only the address is passed to the program. Examples are: v CICS areas such as the CWA, TWA, and TCTTE user area (TCTUA), accessed using the ADDRESS command v Input data, obtained by EXEC CICS commands such as READ and RECEIVE with the SET option

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

COBOL provides a simple method of obtaining addressability to the data areas defined in the LINKAGE SECTION using pointer variables and the ADDRESS special register. Figure 1 gives an example of this. The ADDRESS special register holds the address of a record defined in the LINKAGE SECTION with level 01 or 77. This register can be used in the SET option of any command in ADDRESS mode. These commands include GETMAIN, LOAD, READ, and READQ. For programming information, including a complete list of these commands, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. Figure 1 shows the use of ADDRESS special registers in COBOL. If the records in the READ or REWRITE commands are of fixed length, no LENGTH option is required. This example assumes variable-length records. After the read, you can get the length of the record from the field named in the LENGTH option (here, LRECL-REC1). In the REWRITE command, you must code a LENGTH option if you want to replace the updated record with a record of a different length.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 77 LRECL-REC1 PIC S9(4) COMP. LINKAGE SECTION. 01 REC-1. 02 FLAG1 PIC X. 02 MAIN-DATA PIC X(5000). 02 OPTL-DATA PIC X(1000). 01 REC-2. 02 ... PROCEDURE DIVISION. EXEC CICS READ UPDATE... SET(ADDRESS OF REC-1) LENGTH(LRECL-REC1) END-EXEC. IF FLAG1 EQUAL X'Y' MOVE OPTL-DATA TO ... . . . EXEC CICS REWRITE... FROM(REC-1) END-EXEC.

Figure 1. Addressing CICS data areas in locate mode

Using WITH DEBUGGING MODE

If a D is placed in column seven of a COBOL EXEC CICS command, that D is also found in the translated CALL statements. This translated command is only executed if WITH DEBUGGING MODE is specified. A D placed on any line other than the first line of the EXEC CICS statement is not required and is ignored by the translator.

COBOL programming restrictions

This section describes COBOL language elements that you cannot use under CICS, or whose use is restricted or can cause problems under CICS. In general, neither the CICS translator nor the COBOL compiler detects the use of COBOL words affected by the following restrictions. The use of a restricted word in a CICS environment may cause a failure at execution time. However, COBOL provides IGYCCICS, a table of words reserved for CICS. This allows the COBOL compiler to flag any occurrences of COBOL reserved words that conflict with CICS

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

restrictions. How to use and create installation-specific COBOL reserved word tables is documented in the VS COBOL II Installation and Customization for MVS, and COBOL for OS/390 & VM Customization under OS/390 manuals. The following restrictions apply to a COBOL program that is to be used as a CICS application program. (See the appropriate COBOL programming guide for more information about these functions.) v If no IDENTIFICATION DIVISION is present, only the CICS commands are expanded. If the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION only is present, only DFHEIVAR, DFHEIBLK, and DFHCOMMAREA are produced. v Statements that produce variable-length areas, such as OCCURS DEPENDING ON, should be used with caution within the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. v If you have any CICS applications written in COBOL, you may need to review the COBOL run-time options in use at your installation. In particular, if your applications are not coded to ensure that working storage is properly initialized (for example, cleared with binary zeros before sending maps), you should use the WSCLEAR run-time option. The default, as supplied in the COBOL module IGZEOPD (alias of IGZ9OPD) is NOWSCLEAR. The WSCLEAR function is included in VS COBOL II Version 1 Release 3 as supplied. For information about customizing run-time options, see the VS COBOL II Installation and Customization for MVS manual. v You cannot use entry points in COBOL in CICS. v When a debugging line is to be used as a comment, it must not contain any unmatched quotation marks. v Do not use COBOL statements that invoke operating system functions. Instead, use CICS commands. v Do not use EXEC CICS commands in a Declaratives Section. v You must use CICS commands for most input and output processing. Therefore, do not describe files or code any OPEN, CLOSE, READ, START, REWRITE, WRITE, or DELETE statements. Instead, use CICS commands to retrieve, update, insert, and delete data. v Do not use a format-1 ACCEPT statement in a CICS program. Some format-2 ACCEPT statements are supported by Language Environment enabled compilers. See Using COBOL applications with Language Environment on page 52 for more information about Language Environment. v Do not use DISPLAY . . . UPON CONSOLE and DISPLAY . . . UPON SYSPUNCH. DISPLAY to the system logical output device (SYSOUT, SYSLIST, SYSLST) is supported under CICS only by Language Environment enabled compilers. v Do not use STOP literal, where literal does not identify a contained subprogram. v There are restrictions on the use of the SORT statement. See the VS COBOL II Application Programming Guide or the COBOL for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide for information. Do not use MERGE. v Do not use: USE declaratives (except USE FOR DEBUGGING). You may specify USE FOR DEBUGGING, but it has no effect because the DEBUG LE option is ignored in CICS. ENVIRONMENT DIVISION and FILE SECTION entries associated with data management, because CICS handles data management

| | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

| | | |

| | |

User-specified parameters to the main program v Do not use the following compiler options: DYNAM NOLIB (if program is to be translated) NORENT NORES TRUNC v The use of the FDUMP compiler option results in a very large increase in program size. Therefore, short-of-storage problems may occur when using this option. For more information about the FDUMP option, see the VS COBOL II Application Programming Guide or the COBOL3 Application Programming Guide. v Use TRUNC(OPT) for handling binary data items if they conform to the PICTURE definitions, otherwise use TRUNC(BIN). (TRUNC(STD) is the default and TRUNC(BIN) is slower.) v The length of working storage, plus 80 bytes for storage accounting and save areas, must not exceed 64KB when the COBOL compiler option DATA(24) is used. If, however, the compiler option DATA(31) is used, up to 128MB are available. v If the DLI option is specified and an ENTRY statement immediately follows the PROCEDURE DIVISION header, it is recommended that the ENTRY statement be terminated with a period (.). v VS COBOL II and PL/I application programs cannot be link-edited together. For further information about using COBOL with other languages, see the VS COBOL II Application Programming Guide. v The following compiler options have no effect in a CICS environment: ADV FASTSRT OUTDD v If you use HANDLE CONDITION or HANDLE AID, you can avoid addressing problems by using SET(ADDRESS OF A-DATA) or SET(A-POINTER) where A-DATA is a structure in the LINKAGE SECTION and A-POINTER is defined with the USAGE IS POINTER clause.

Restrictions for 31-bit addressing

These restrictions apply to a COBOL program running above the 16MB line: v If the receiving program is link-edited with AMODE(31), addresses passed to it must be 31-bits long (or 24-bits long with the left-most byte set to zeros). v If the receiving program is link-edited with AMODE(24), addresses passed to it must be 24-bits long.

Using the DL/I CALL interface

You should make the following changes to programs that use CALL DL/I: v Remove BLL cells for addressing the user interface block (UIB) and program control blocks (PCBs). v Retain the DLIUIB declaration and at least one PCB declaration in the LINKAGE SECTION. v Change the PCB call to specify the UIB directly, as follows:
CALL 'CBLTDLI' USING PCB-CALL PSB-NAME ADDRESS OF DLIUIB.

v Obtain the address of the required PCB from the address list in the UIB.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Figure 2 illustrates the whole of the above process. The example in the figure assumes that you have three PCBs defined in the PSB and want to use the second PCB in the database CALL. Therefore, when setting up the ADDRESS special register of the LINKAGE SECTION group item PCB, the program uses 2 to index the working-storage table, PCB-ADDRESS-LIST. To use the nth PCB, you use the number n to index PCB-ADDRESS-LIST.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 77 PCB-CALL PIC X(4) VALUE 'PCB '. 77 GET-HOLD-UNIQUE PIC X(4) VALUE 'GHU '. 77 PSB-NAME PIC X(8) VALUE 'CBLPSB'. 77 SSA1 PIC X(40) VALUE SPACES. 01 DLI-IO-AREA. 02 DLI-IO-AREA1 PIC X(99). * LINKAGE SECTION. COPY DLIUIB. 01 OVERLAY-DLIUIB REDEFINES DLIUIB. 02 PCBADDR USAGE IS POINTER. 02 FILLER PIC XX. 01 PCB-ADDR-LIST. 02 PCB-ADDRESS-LIST USAGE IS POINTER OCCURS 10 TIMES. 01 PCB. 02 PCB-DBD-NAME PIC X(8). 02 PCB-SEG-LEVEL PIC XX. 02 PCB-STATUS-CODE PIC XX. * PROCEDURE DIVISION. *SCHEDULE THE PSB AND ADDRESS THE UIB CALL 'CBLTDLI' USING PCB-CALL PSB-NAME ADDRESS OF DLIUIB. * *MOVE VALUE OF UIBPCBAL, ADDRESS OF PCB ADDRESS LIST (HELD IN UIB) *(REDEFINED AS PCBADDR, A POINTER VARIABLE), TO *ADDRESS SPECIAL REGISTER OF PCB-ADDR-LIST TO PCBADDR. SET ADDRESS OF PCB-ADDR-LIST TO PCBADDR. *MOVE VALUE OF SECOND ITEM IN PCB-ADDRESS-LIST TO ADDRESS SPECIAL *REGISTER OF PCB, DEFINED IN LINKAGE SECTION. SET ADDRESS OF PCB TO PCB-ADDRESS-LIST(2). *PERFORM DATABASE CALLS ...... ........ MOVE ........ TO SSA1. CALL 'CBLTDLI' USING GET-HOLD-UNIQUE PCB DLI-IO-AREA SSA1. *CHECK SUCCESS OF CALLS ....... IF UIBFCTR IS NOT EQUAL LOW-VALUES THEN ...... error diagnostic code ........ IF PCB-STATUS-CODE IS NOT EQUAL SPACES THEN ...... error diagnostic code ........

Figure 2. Using the DL/I CALL interface

Mixing languages
A run unit is a running set of one or more programs that communicate with each other by COBOL static or dynamic CALL statements. In a CICS environment, a run unit is entered at the start of a CICS task, or invoked by a LINK or XCTL command. A run unit can be defined as the execution of a program defined by a PROGRAM resource definition, even though for dynamic CALL, the subsequent PROGRAM definition is needed for the called program.

Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

An LE (Language Environment) run-unit can support a mixture of language levels, but if you are not using LE, a COBOL run unit can contain only: v COBOL programs compiled with the same compiler v Assembler language routines A CICS transaction can consist of many run units, each of which can be at a different language level. This means that a single transaction can consist of programs compiled by different compilers (including non-COBOL compilers). | | | | | | VS COBOL II programs can call VS COBOL II or assembler programs dynamically or statically, but programs compiled by different compilers can communicate with each other only using LINK or XCTL commands. COBOL for MVS & VM and later compilers can call any language programs statically or dynamically; LINK or XCTL are not required for inter-language communication.

Calling subprograms from COBOL

In a CICS system, when control is transferred from the active program to an external program, but the transferring program remains active and control can be returned to it, the program to which control is transferred is called a subprogram. There are three ways of transferring control to a subprogram: EXEC CICS LINK The calling program contains a command in one of these forms:
EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM('subpgname') EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM(name)

In the first form, the called subprogram is explicitly named as a nonnumeric literal within quotation marks. In the second form, name refers to the COBOL data area with length equal to that required for the name of the subprogram. Static COBOL call The calling program contains a COBOL statement of the form:
CALL 'subpgname'

The called subprogram is explicitly named as a literal string. Dynamic COBOL call The calling program contains a COBOL statement of the form:
CALL identifier

The identifier is the name of a COBOL data area that must contain the name of the called subprogram. Table 1 on page 15 gives the rules governing the use of the three ways to call a subprogram. This table refers to CICS application logical levels. Each LINK command creates a new logical level, the called program being at a level one lower than the level of the calling program (CICS is taken to be at level 0). Figure 3 on page 18 shows logical levels and the effect of RETURN commands and CALL statements in linked and called programs. The term run unit, used in Figure 3 on page 18, is defined under the heading Mixing languages on page 13. When control is passed by a XCTL command, the

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

program receiving control cannot return control to the calling program by a RETURN command or a GOBACK statement, and is therefore not a subprogram. | | The terms translator and translation in Table 1 refer to the separate translator. This step is not required if a compiler with an integrated translator is used.
Table 1. Rules governing methods of calling subprograms LINK Translation The linked subprogram must be translated if it, or any subprogram invoked from it, contains CICS function. The linked subprogram must be compiled and link-edited as a separate program. Static COBOL CALL Dynamic COBOL CALL The called subprogram must be translated if it contains CICS commands or references to the EXEC interface block (DFHEIBLK) or to the CICS communication area (DFHCOMMAREA). The called subprogram must be link-edited with the calling program to form a single load module (but the programs can be compiled separately). This can produce large program modules, and it also stops two programs that call the same program from sharing a copy of that program. The called subprogram must be compiled and link-edited as a separate load module. It can reside in the link pack area or in a library that is shared with other CICS and non-CICS regions at the same time.

Link-editing (You must always use the NODYNAM compiler option (the default) when you compile a COBOL program that is to run with CICS, even if the program issues dynamic calls.)

CICS system definition data set (CSD) entries without program autoinstall (If you use program autoinstall, you do not need an entry in the CSD.)

The linked subprogram must be defined using RDO. If the linked subprogram is unknown or unavailable, even though autoinstall is active, the LINK fails with the PGMIDERR condition.

The calling program must be defined in the CSD. If program A calls program B and then program B attempts to call program A, COBOL issues a message and an abend (1015). The subprogram is part of the calling program so no CSD entry is required. The called subprogram must be defined in the CSD. If the called subprogram cannot be loaded or is unavailable even though autoinstall is active, COBOL issues a message and abends (1029).

Return from called subprogram

The linked subprogram must return using either RETURN or the COBOL statement GOBACK. Any language supported by CICS.

The called subprogram must return using the COBOL statement GOBACK or EXIT PROGRAM. The use of RETURN in the called subprogram terminates the calling program. COBOL or assembler language.

Language of called subprogram

Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

Table 1. Rules governing methods of calling subprograms (continued) LINK Contents of called or linked subprogram Static COBOL CALL Dynamic COBOL CALL

Any function supported by CICS for the language (including calls to external databases, for example, DB2 and DL/I) with the exception that an assembler language subprogram cannot CALL a lower level subprogram.

Passing parameters Data can be passed by any of the standard CICS methods to the subprogram (COMMAREA, TWA, TCTUA, TS queues) if the called or linked subprogram is processed by the CICS translator. If the COMMAREA is used, its address must be passed in the LINK command. If the linked subprogram uses 24-bit addressing, and the COMMAREA is above the 16MB line, CICS copies it to below the 16MB line, and recopies it on return. The CALL statement may pass DFHEIBLK and DFHCOMMAREA as the first two parameters, if the called program is to issue EXEC CICS requests, or the called program can issue EXEC CICS ADDRESS commands. The COMMAREA is optional but if other parameters are passed, a dummy commarea must also be passed. The rules for nested programs can be different. See Nestingwhat the application programmer must do on page 24. If the called subprogram uses 24-bit addressing and any parameter is above the 16MB line, COBOL issues a message and abends (1033). See the VS COBOL II Application Programming Debugging manual for information about this abend code.

Storage

On each entry to the linked subprogram, a new initialized copy of its working storage is provided, and the run unit is reinitialized (in some circumstances, this can cause a performance degradation).

On the first entry to the called subprogram within a CICS logical level, a new initialized copy of its working storage is provided. On subsequent entries to the called subprogram at the same logical level, the same WORKING STORAGE is provided in its last-used state, that is, no storage is freed, acquired, or initialized. If performance is unsatisfactory with LINK commands, COBOL calls may give improved results.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 1. Rules governing methods of calling subprograms (continued) LINK CICS condition/AID On entry to the called and abend handling subprogram, no abend or condition handling is active. Within the subprogram, the normal CICS rules apply. In order to establish an abend or condition handling environment, that exists for the duration of the subprogram, a new HANDLE command should be issued on entry to the subprogram. The environment so created remains in effect until either a further HANDLE command is issued, or the subprogram returns control to the caller. Static COBOL CALL Dynamic COBOL CALL If the dynamic COBOL CALL fails, CICS abend handling is not invoked, and you may get a COBOL abend code (1013). For COBOL calls without Language Environment/370 and COBOL calls with Language Environment/370 and CBLPSHPOP ON: On entry to the called subprogram, no abend or condition handling is active. Within the subprogram, the normal CICS rules apply. On entry to the called subprogram, COBOL issues a PUSH HANDLE to stack the calling programs condition or abend handlers. In order to establish an abend or condition handling environment that exists for the duration of the subprogram, a new HANDLE command should be issued on entry to the subprogram. The environment that this creates remains in effect until either a further HANDLE command is issued or the subprogram returns control to the caller. When control is returned to the calling program from the subprogram, COBOL unstacks the condition and abend handlers using a POP HANDLE. For COBOL calls with Language Environment/370 and CBLPSHPOP OFF: The condition/AID and abend handling for the calling program remain in effect. Location of called or linked program Can be remote. Must be local. Must be local.

Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

CICS

Level 0

Run Unit A

Program U GOBACK ... STOP RUN ... EXEC CICS RETURN ... CALL ... ... ... EXEC CICS LINK ...

Program V GOBACK ... EXEC CICS RETURN

Level 1

Run Unit B

Program W GOBACK ... STOP RUN ... EXEC CICS RETURN ... CALL ... ... ... EXEC CICS XCTL ...

Program X GOBACK ... EXEC CICS RETURN Level 2

Run Unit C

Program Y CALL ... ... GOBACK ... STOP RUN ... EXEC CICS RETURN

Program Z GOBACK ... STOP RUN ... EXEC CICS RETURN

Figure 3. Flow of control between COBOL programs, run units, and CICS

Using COBOL with the ANSI 85 standard

| | Note: In the rest of this section the term translator refers to the use of separate translator and not to the use of an integrated translator. COBOL supports the ANSI85 COBOL standard. The CICS translator option ANSI85 supports this standard. If invoked with the ANSI85 option, the translator uses the COBOL2 option. The OOCOBOL and COBOL3 options imply both the ANSI85 and COBOL2 options. CICS support for this standard takes the form of changes to the translator. Because the translator is not a compiler, it is not affected by the ANSI85 standard.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The 1985 COBOL rules that affect the separate translator are: v Literals intervening in blank lines v Sequence numbers containing any character v Lower-case characters supported in all COBOL words v REPLACE statement v Batch compilation v Nested programs v Reference modification v Global variables v Interchangeability of comma, semicolon, and space v Symbolic character definition If a standard is not fully supported by the translator, a programming restriction applies. The 1985 COBOL rules are described under their appropriate headings, and each description is followed by a Separate Translator action. Summary of ANS185 restrictions on page 28 summarizes this information. The translator actions assume that you have specified the ANSI85 translator option. The term unit of compilation means a section of source input from which the compiler produces a single object program. A unit of compilation can contain a program and other programs nested within it.

Literals intervening in blank lines

Blank lines can appear anywhere in a COBOL source program. A blank line is a line that contains only blanks between margin C (the continuation column) and margin R (the last character in the line) inclusive.

Separate Translator action

If blank lines occur within literals in a COBOL source program, the translator eliminates them from the translated output but includes them in the translated listing. (If the ANSI85 option is not specified, a blank line in a literal causes a translator error.) | | |

Integrated translator action

If blank lines occur within literals in a COBOL source program, this will have no effect on the translation.

Sequence numbers containing any character

In a COBOL source program, the sequence number field can contain any character in the computers character set. The sequence number fields need not be in any order and need not be unique.

Separate Translator action

The translator makes no check on the contents or sequence of the sequence number fields. If you specify the SEQ translator option, the translator issues a message saying that the SEQ option has no effect when you specify the ANSI85 option. See pageSEQ on page 83 for more information about this option.

Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

| | | | |

Integrated translator action

The compiler checks the sequence numbers if the SEQ COBOL compiler option is in effect. If you specify the SEQ translator option the integrated translator issues a message saying that the SEQ option has no effect when you specify the ANSI85 option.

REPLACE statement
COBOL programs can include the REPLACE statement, which allows the replacement of identified text by defined substitution text. The text to be replaced and inserted is specified as in the REPLACING option of the COPY statement, and can be pseudo-text, an identifier, a literal, or a COBOL word. REPLACE statements are processed after COPY statements.

Separate translator action

The separate translator accepts REPLACE statements but does not translate text between pseudo-text delimiters, with the exception of CICS built-in functions (DFHRESP and DFHVALUE), which are translated wherever they occur. CICS commands should not be placed between pseudo-text delimiters. | | | |

Integrated Translator action

The integrated translator accepts REPLACE statements and does translate text between pseudo-text delimiters. CICS commands can be placed between pseudo-text delimiters.

Batch compilation
Separate COBOL programs can be compiled together as one input file. An END PROGRAM header statement terminates each program and is optional for the last program in the batch.

Translator action
The translator accepts separate COBOL programs in a single input file, and interprets END PROGRAM header statements according to the ANSI85 standard. Translator options specified as parameters when invoking the translator are in effect for the whole batch, but can be overridden for a unit of compilation by options specified in the CBL or PROCESS card that initiates the unit. The options for a unit of compilation are determined according to the following order of priority: 1. Options specified in the CBL or PROCESS card that initiates the unit 2. Options specified when the translator is invoked 3. Default options For more information about compilation, see the Chapter 9. Installing application programs on page 89.

Compiler and linkage editor

If you are using batch compilation, you must take some additional action to ensure that compilation and linkage editing are successful, as follows: v Include the compiler NAME option as a parameter in the JCL statement that invokes the compiler or in a CBL statement for each top-level (nonnested) program. This causes the inclusion of a NAME statement at the end of each program. See Figure 4 on page 21 for more information. v Edit the compiler output to add INCLUDE and ORDER statements for the CICS COBOL stub to each object module. These statements cause the linkage editor

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

to include the stub at the start of each load module. These statements can be anywhere in the module, though by convention they are at the start. You may find it convenient to place them at the end of the module, immediately before each NAME statement. Figure 5 on page 22 shows the output from Figure 4 after editing in this way. For batch compilation you must vary the procedure described in the Chapter 9. Installing application programs on page 89. The following is a suggested method: 1. Split the supplied cataloged procedure DFHEITCL into two procedures; PROC1 containing the translate and compilation steps (TRN and COB), and PROC2 containing the linkage editor step LKED. 2. In PROC1, add the NAME option to the parameters in the EXEC statement for the compiler, which then looks like this:
//COB // // EXEC PGM=IGYCRCTL, PARM='....,NAME,....', REGION=1024K

3. In PROC1, change the name and disposition of the compiler output data set &&LOADSET. At least remove the initial && from the data set name and change the disposition to CATLG. The SYSLIN statement should then read:
//SYSLIN DD DSN=LOADSET, // DISP=(NEW,CATLG),UNIT=&WORK, // SPACE=(80,(250,100))

4. Run PROC1.
................. ....program a.... ................. NAME PROGA(R) ................. ................. ....program b.... ................. ................. NAME PROGB(R) ................. ....program c.... ................. NAME PROGC(R)

Figure 4. Compiler output before editing

5. Edit the compiler output in the data set LOADSET to add the INCLUDE and ORDER statements as shown in Figure 5 on page 22. If you use large numbers of programs in batches, you should write a simple program or REXX EXEC to insert the ORDER and INCLUDE statements. Note: For Language Environment/370 applications, a different COBOL stub should be used and the order statement in Figure 5 on page 22 should be changed. The new sequence of statements reads as follows:
INCLUDE SDFHCOB(DFHELII) ORDER DFHELII NAME PROGA(R)

To use the new stub, the procedure DFHEITCL (DFHEITVL for COBOL users) should be changed. The line that reads STUB=DFHEILIC should be changed to STUB=DFHEILID and the line LIB=SDFHCOB should be changed to LIB=SDFHC370. An alternative method would be to specify
Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

STUB=DFHEILID when invoking the procedure to include DFHELII. This can be done by passing the stub value as a parameter when invoking the procedure as follows:
// EXEC PROC=DFHEITCL

or
// EXEC PROC=DFHEITCL,STUB=DFHEILID,LIB=SDFHC370

6. In PROC2, add a DD statement for the library that includes the CICS stub. The standard name of this library is CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHCOB. The INCLUDE statement for the stub refers to this library by the DD name. In Figure 5, it is assumed you have used the DD name SDFHCOB. The suggested statement is:
//SDFHCOB DD DSN=CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHCOB, // DISP=SHR

7. In PROC2, replace the SYSLIN concatenation with the single statement:

//SYSLIN DD DSN=LOADSET, // DISP=(OLD,DELETE)

In this statement it is assumed that you have renamed the compiler output data set LOADSET. 8. Run PROC2.
....program a.... ................. INCLUDE SDFHCOB(DFHECI) ORDER DFHECI NAME PROGA(R) ................. ................. ....program b.... ................. ................. INCLUDE SDFHCOB(DFHECI) ORDER DFHECI NAME PROGB(R) ................. ....program c.... ................. INCLUDE SDFHCOB(DFHECI) ORDER DFHECI NAME PROGC(R)

Figure 5. Linkage editor input

Nested programs
Under the ANSI85 standard: v COBOL programs can contain COBOL programs. v Contained programs are included immediately before the END PROGRAM statement of the containing program. v A contained program can also be a containing program, that is, it can itself contain other programs. v Each contained or containing program is terminated by an END PROGRAM statement.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

For an explanation of valid calls to nested programs and of the COMMON attribute of a nested program, see the VS COBOL II Application Programming Guide. | | | | | | | | | |

Integrated CICS translator

When using the integrated CICS translator no action is necessary for nested programs that contain EXEC CICS commands. The compiler, in effect, declares DFHEIBLK and DFHCOMMAREA as global in the top-level program. This means that explicit coding of EIB and COMMAREA on the USING phrases on CALL and on the PROCEDURE DIVISION are not required, as described in Translator action, for the separate translator. Existing or modified programs will require appropriate modification for use with the CICS integrated translator. If modification is difficult the user should continue to use separate translation and compilation.

Translator action
The translator treats top-level and nested programs differently. The translator translates a top-level program (a program that is not contained by any other program) in the normal way, with one addition. The translator uses the GLOBAL storage class for all translator-generated variables in the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. The translator translates nested or contained programs in a special way as follows: v A DATA DIVISION and LINKAGE SECTION are added if they do not already exist. v Declarations for DFHEIBLK (EXEC interface block) and DFHCOMMAREA (communication area) are inserted into the LINKAGE SECTION. v EXEC CICS commands and CICS built-in functions are translated. v The PROCEDURE DIVISION statement is not modified. v No translator-generated temporary variables, used for pre-call assignments, are inserted in the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. Recognition of nested programs: If the ANSI85 option is specified, the translator interprets that the input source starts with a top-level program if the first noncomment record is any of the following: v IDENTIFICATION DIVISION statement v CBL card v PROCESS card If the first record is none of these, the translator treats the input as part of the PROCEDURE DIVISION of a nested program. The first CBL or PROCESS card indicates the start of a top-level program and of a new unit of compilation. Any IDENTIFICATION DIVISION statements that are found before the first top-level program indicate the start of a new nested program. The practical effect of these rules is that nested programs cannot be held in separate files and translated separately. A top-level program and all its directly- and indirectly- contained programs constitute a single unit of compilation and should be submitted together to the translator. Positioning of comments: The translator treats comments that follow an END PROGRAM statement as belonging to the next program in the input source. Comments that precede an IDENTIFICATION DIVISION statement appear in the listing after the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION statement.
Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

To avoid confusion always place comments: v After the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION statement that initiates the program to which they refer and v Before the END PROGRAM statement that terminates the program to which they refer. Nestingwhat the application programmer must do: 1. Submit a top-level containing program and all its directly and indirectly contained programs as a single unit of compilation. 2. In each nested program that contains EXEC CICS commands, CICS built-in functions, or references to the EIB or COMMAREA, code DFHEIBLK and DFHCOMMAREA as the first two parameters of the PROCEDURE DIVISION statement as follows:
PROCEDURE DIVISION USING DFHEIBLK DFHCOMMAREA PARM1 PARM2 ...

3. In every call to a nested program that contains EXEC CICS commands, CICS built-in functions, or references to the EIB or COMMAREA, code DFHEIBLK and DFHCOMMAREA as the first two parameters of the CALL statement as follows:
CALL 'PROGA' USING DFHEIBLK DFHCOMMAREA PARM1 PARM2 ...

4. For every call that forms part of the control hierarchy between the top-level program and a nested program that contains EXEC CICS commands, CICS built-in functions, or references to the EIB or COMMAREA, code DFHEIBLK and COMMAREA as the first two parameters of the CALL For a PROCEDURE DIVISION statements in the calling and called programs respectively code DFHEIBLK and DFHCOMMAREA. This is necessary to allow addressability to the EIB and COMMAREA to be passed to programs not directly contained by the top-level program. 5. If it is not necessary to insert DFHEIBLK and DFHCOMMAREA in the PROCEDURE DIVISION of a nested program for any of the reasons given above (2, 3, and 4), calls to that program should not include DFHEIBLK and COMMAREA in the parameter list of the CALL statement. An example of a nested program: A unit of compilation (see Figure 6 on page 25) consists of a top-level program W and three nested programs, X, Y, and Z, all directly contained by W. Program W During initialization and termination, calls Y and Z to do initial CICS processing and non-CICS file access. Calls X to do main processing. Program X Calls Z for non-CICS file access and Y for CICS processing. Program Y Issues CICS commands. Calls Z for non-CICS file access. Program Z Accesses files in batch mode.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

PROGRAM W

PROGRAM X

PROGRAM Y

PROGRAM Z

Figure 6. Nested program examplenesting structure

Applying the rules: v Y must be COMMON to enable a call from X. v Z must be COMMON to enable calls from X and Y. v Y issues CICS commands, therefore: All calls to Y must have DFHEIBLK and a COMMAREA as the first two parameters. Ys PROCEDURE DIVISION statement must have DFHEIBLK and DFHCOMMAREA as the first two parameters. v Though X does not access the EIB or the communication area, it calls Y, which issues CICS commands. Therefore the call to X must have DFHEIBLK and a COMMAREA as the first two parameters and Xs PROCEDURE DIVISION statement must have DFHEIBLK and DFHCOMMAREA as its first two parameters. Figure 7 on page 26 illustrates the points in Nestingwhat the application programmer must do on page 24.

Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID.W. . . . PROCEDURE DIVISION. . . . . . . CALL Z.

. . .

CALL Y USING DFHEIBLK COMMAREA.

. . .

CALL X USING DFHEIBLK COMMAREA.

. . .

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID.X.

. . . . . .

PROCEDURE DIVISION USING DFHEIBLK DFHCOMMAREA.

CALL Z.

. . .

CALL Y USING DFHEIBLK COMMAREA.

. . .

END PROGRAM X. IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID.Y IS COMMON

. . . . . . . . .

PROCEDURE DIVISION USING DFHEIBLK DFHCOMMAREA.

CALL Z.

EXEC CICS ....

. . .

END PROGRAM Y. IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID.Z IS COMMON

CICS Transaction Server: PROCEDURE Programming Guide CICS Application DIVISION.

. . .

Reference modification
Reference modification supports a method of referencing a substring of a character data item by specifying the starting (leftmost) position of the substring in the data item and, optionally the length of the substring. The acceptable formats are:
data-name (starting-position:) data-name (starting-position: length)

Data-name can be subscripted or qualified or both. Both starting-position and length can be arithmetic expressions.

Translator action
The translator accepts reference modification wherever the name of a character variable is permitted in a COBOL program or in an EXEC CICS command. Note: If a CICS command uses reference modification in defining a data value, it must include a LENGTH option to specify the data length. Otherwise the translator generates a COBOL call with a LENGTH register reference in the form:
LENGTH OF (reference modification)

This is rejected by the compiler.

Global variables
The GLOBAL variable storage class is supported. A variable defined with the GLOBAL variable storage class in a top-level program (see Translator action on page 23) can be referred to in any of its nested programs, whether directly or indirectly contained.

Translator action
The translator accepts the GLOBAL keyword.

Comma and semicolon as delimiters

A separator comma is a comma followed by a space. A separator semicolon is a semicolon followed by a space. A separator comma or a separator semicolon can be used as a separator wherever a space alone can be used. (VS COBOL II Release 1.2 restricts the use of commas and semicolons to positions specifically defined in individual statement formats.)

Translator action
The translator accepts the use in COBOL statements of a separator comma or a separator semicolon wherever a space can be used. For example, the translator accepts the statement:
IDENTIFICATION; DIVISION

The translator does not support the use of the separator comma and separator semicolon as delimiters in EXEC CICS commands. The only acceptable word delimiter in an EXEC CICS command continues to be a space.

Symbolic character definition

Symbolic characters can be defined in the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph after the ALPHABET clause. A symbolic character is a program-defined word that represents a 1-character figurative constant.
Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

Translator action
The translator accepts the use of symbolic characters as specified in the standard. Note: In general, the compiler does not accept the use of figurative constants and symbolic characters as arguments in CALL statements. For this reason, do not use figurative constants or symbolic constants in EXEC CICS commands, which are converted into CALL statements by the translator. There is one exception to this restriction: a figurative constant is acceptable in an EXEC CICS command as an argument to pass a value if it is of the correct data type. For example, a numeric figurative constant can be used in the LENGTH option.

Summary of ANS185 restrictions

The following is a summary of the programming restrictions associated with CICS translator support for the ANSI85 COBOL standard: v With the ANSI85 option, the translator varies the rule for parameters to be passed by a static COBOL call. For details, see Nestingwhat the application programmer must do on page 24. v A REPLACE statement must not contain an EXEC CICS command in pseudo-text. v Programs cannot use a comma or semicolon as a word separator in a CICS command. v Programs cannot use a symbolic character as an argument in a CICS command. v Comments should not precede the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION statement or follow the END PROGRAM statement. v CICS commands that use reference modification to define a character data value must include a LENGTH option to define the data length. v A name that must match an external definition, for example a file name or a transaction ID, must be coded in the same case as the external definition.

Using the COBOL2 translator option

If you are using the COBOL2 option you must use the VS COBOL II Compiler (5668-958 and 5668-023) to process your COBOL application programs. This compiler is a licensed program that conforms to the standard set by American National Standard COBOL, X3.23-1974. When you translate this program, you must use the COBOL2 translator option. For information about translating your program and preparing it for execution, see Chapter 8. Translation and compilation on page 67. Lower-case characters can occur anywhere in any COBOL word, including user-defined names, system names, and reserved words. A lower-case character can be used wherever an upper-case character is required by a COBOL compiler that does not conform to the ANSI85 standard.

Translator action
The translator listing and output preserve the case of COBOL text as entered. In addition, the translator accepts mixed case in: v Translator options v EXEC CICS commands, both for keywords and for arguments to keywords

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

(If the ANSI85 option is not specified, the translator expects COBOL words to consist entirely of upper-case characters.) Notes: 1. The translator does not translate lower-case text into upper-case. Some names in COBOL text, for example, file names and transaction IDs, must match with externally defined names. Such names should always be entered in the same case as the external definition. 2. CBL and PROCESS statements must be in upper case.

Using the COBOL3 translator option

If you are using the COBOL3 option you must use a Language Environment conforming compiler to process your application programs. See Levels of support in Language Environment on page 47. You can use either the COBOL3 or OOCOBOL translator option, depending on whether the program contains OO COBOL syntax. For information about translating your program and preparing it for execution, see Chapter 8. Translation and compilation on page 67. Lower-case characters can occur anywhere in any COBOL word, including user-defined names, system names, and reserved words.

Translator action
The translator listing and output preserve the case of COBOL text as entered. In v v v v addition, the translator accepts mixed case in: Translator options EXEC CICS commands, both for keywords and for arguments to keywords CBL and PROCESS statements Compiler directives such as EJECT and SKIP1

Using the OO COBOL translator option

If you are using the OOCOBOL option, you must use a Language Environment conforming compiler to process your application programs. See Levels of support in Language Environment on page 47. For information about translating your program and preparing it for execution, see Chapter 8. Translation and compilation on page 67. Lower-case characters can occur anywhere in any COBOL word, including user-defined names, system names, and reserved words.

Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL

The translator does not translate lower-case text into upper-case. Some names in COBOL text, for example file names and transaction IDs, must match with externally defined names. Such names should always be entered in the same case as the external definition. | | If you specify the LINKAGE translator option, or allow it to default, a mixed-case version of the EIB structure (DFHEIBLC) is inserted into the LINKAGE SECTION. The translator considers each class to be a separate unit of compilation. The translator does not monitor correct use of syntax. It makes the following assumptions about a user program: v Classes and methods are correctly terminated. v A class encapsulates only methods. v Methods do not encapsulate anything else. v A unit of compilation contains either a class or a program. The translator rejects any EXEC statements that appear in the PROCEDURE DIVISION of a class. The translator checks that a DATA DIVISION statement and a WORKING STORAGE SECTION both exist in a class definition.

Nesting programs
For OO COBOL, use the DFHEIBLC copybook, which is a lower-case version of DFHEIBLK. Apart from case, DFHEIBLC is the same as DFHEIBLK in all other respects except that the top-level name is 01 dfheiblk. instead of 01 EIBLK.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++

For programming in C, you can find information about appropriate compilers in the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Migration Guide or the relevant C or C++ manual. C++ applications can also use the CICS C++ OO classes to access CICS services, instead of the EXEC CICS interface. See the CICS C++ OO Class Libraries manual, for more information about this interface. All the EXEC CICS commands available in COBOL, PL/I, and assembler language applications are also supported in C and C++ applications, with the exception of those commands related to nonstructured exception handling: v HANDLE ABEND LABEL(label) v HANDLE AID v HANDLE CONDITION v IGNORE CONDITION v PUSH HANDLE v POP HANDLE Use of these commands is diagnosed by the translator. Note the following programming considerations: Condition handling In a C or C++ application, every EXEC CICS command is treated as if it had the NOHANDLE or RESP option specified. This means that the set of system action transaction abends that result from a condition occurring but not being handled, is not possible in a C or C++ application. Control always flows to the next instruction, and it is up to the application to test for a normal response. ABEND handling HANDLE ABEND PROGRAM commands are allowed, but you cannot use PUSH HANDLE or POP HANDLE. COMMAREA The address of the communication area is not passed as an argument to a C or C++ main function. This means that C and C++ functions must use ADDRESS COMMAREA to obtain the address of the communications area. OVERFLOW conditions If you want any OVERFLOW condition to be indicated in the RESP field on return from a SEND MAP command with the ACCUM option, you should specify the NOFLUSH option. AMODE C and C++ language programs must be link-edited with the attributes AMODE(31), and may reside above the 16MB line in the same way as PL/I programs. See Using PL/I and dynamic storage on page 40 for information about PL/I programs. Working storage In C and C++, working storage consists of the stack and the heap. The location of the stack and heap, with respect to the 16MB line, is controlled by the ANYWHERE and BELOW options on the stack and heap run time options. The default is that both the stack and heap are located above the 16MB line.

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

Return codes On return from a C or C++ language application, any value passed by C or C++ by the exit function or the return statement is saved in EIBRESP2. Sample programs A set of sample application programs is provided in Table 2 to show how EXEC CICS commands can be used in a program written in the C or C++ language.
Table 2. Sample programs Sample program DFH$DMNU Operator instruction (3270) DFH$DALL Update (3270) DFH$DBRW Browse (3270) DFH$DREN Order entry (3270) DFH$DCOM Order entry queue print (3270) DFH$DREP Report (3270) Map set DFH$DGA DFH$DGB DFH$DGC DFH$DGK DFH$DGL DFH$DGD Map source DFH$DMA DFH$DMB DFH$DMC DFH$DMK DFH$DML DFH$DMD Transaction ID DMNU DINQ, DADD, DUPD DBRW DORD DORQ DREP

The transaction and program definitions are provided in group DFH$DFLA in the CSD and should be installed using the command:
CEDA INSTALL GROUP(DFH$DFLA)

The following record description files are provided as C or C++ language header files: DFH$DFILFILEA record descriptor DFH$DL86L860 record descriptor Data declarations The following data declarations are provided by CICS for C and C++: v Execution interface block definitions (EIB) v BMS screen attributes definitionsC and C++ versions of the DFHBMSCA, DFHMSRCA, and DFHAID files are supplied by CICS, and may be included by the application programmer when using BMS. v DL/I supporta C language version of DFHDIB is included by the DLI translator if the translator option has been specified. (You have to include DLIUIB if the CALL DLI interface is used.) The EIB declarations are enclosed in #ifndef and #endif lines, and are included in all translated files. The C or C++ compiler ignores duplicated declarations. The inserted code contains definitions of all the fields in the EIB, coded in C and C++.

C and C++ programming restrictions

The following list describes some of the restrictions that exist in various versions of the C run-time libraries. You should check the relevant language guide for more specific details about those that apply to your installation: v CICS does not support extended precision floating point.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v C and C++ languages do not support packed decimal data. The application has access to packed decimal data using the character string data type. No C or C++ standard library functions are available to perform arithmetic on this data, but you may write your own. v You can easily use HOURS, MINUTES, and SECONDS options. You may define expiration times using TIME or INTERVAL options if you provide functions to handle them in your application. v You can enter all CICS keywords in mixed case, except for CICS keywords on #pragma directives, which must be in upper case only. v You must specify the LENGTH option from commands that support the LENGTH option (for example, READ, READNEXT, READPREV, and WRITE commands). v All native C and C++ functions are allowed in the source program, but the following functions are not recommended. Some are not executable and result in return codes or pointers indicating that the function has failed. Some may work but impact the performance or execution of CICS. CDUMP CSNAP CTEST CTRACE CLOCK CTDLI SVC99 SYSTEM SETLOCALE The following commands are supported only if you use a Language Environment (LE) conforming compiler: FETCH RELEASE For further information see the Users Guide. Native C or C++ functions are implemented in the C or C++ run-time library. Native C or C++ file operations operate only on files opened with type=memory specified. I/O to CICS-supported access methods must use the CICS API. The string handling functions in the C or C++ standard library use a null character as an end-of-string marker. Because CICS does not recognize a null as an end-of-string marker, you must take care when using C or C++ functions, for example strcmp, to operate on CICS data areas. Two arguments, argc and argv, are normally passed to a C or C++ main function. argc denotes how many variables have been passed; argv is an array of zero-terminated variable strings. In CICS, the value of argc is 1, argv[0] is the transaction ID, and argv[1] is NULL. Where CICS expects a fixed-length character string such as a program name, map name, or queue name, you must pad the literal with blanks up to the required length if it is shorter than expected. For EXEC DLI commands, the SEGMENT name is padded by the translator if a literal is passed. Take care not to use field names, which, though acceptable to the assembler compiler, cause the C or C++ compiler to abend. These include $, #, and @. See the relevant users guide for more information.

v v

Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++

v In C and C++ there is a STACK option with a 4KB default and suboptions of ANY and below. Additionally there are ANYHEAP (for heap storage above the 16MB line) and BELOWHEAP to control heap allocations. There is a heap manager that optimizes allocations.

Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++ on page 31 Passing arguments in C or C++ Accessing the EIB on page 36 Using Locale support on page 37 Programming in C++ on page 37

Passing arguments in C or C++

Arguments in C and C++ language are copied to the program stack at run time, where they are read by the function. These arguments can either be values in their own right, or they can be pointers to areas of memory that contain the data being passed. Passing a pointer is also known as passing a value by reference. Other languages, such as COBOL and PL/I, pass their arguments by reference, which means that the compiler passes a list of addresses pointing to the arguments to be passed. This is the call interface supported by CICS. To pass an argument by reference, you prefix the variable name with &, unless it is already a pointer, as in the case when an array is being passed. As part of the build process, the compiler may convert arguments from one data type to another. For example, an argument of type char may be converted to type short or type long. When you send values from a C or C++ program to CICS, the translator takes the necessary action to generate code that results in an argument list of the correct format being passed to CICS. The translator does not always have enough information to enable it to do this, but in general, if the argument is a single-character or halfword variable, the translator makes a precall assignment to a variable of the correct data type and passes the address of this temporary variable in the call. When you receive data from CICS, the translator prefixes the receiving variable name with &, which causes the C or C++ compiler to pass it values by reference rather than by value (with the exception of a character string name, which is left unchanged). Without the addition of &, the compiler would copy the receiving variable and then pass the address of the copy to CICS. Any promotion occurring during this copying could result in data returned by CICS being lost. Table 3 shows the rules that apply when passing values as arguments in EXEC CICS commands.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 3. Rules for passing values as arguments in EXEC CICS commands Data type Character literal Usage Data-value (S) Coding the argument The user must specify the character literal directly. The translator takes care of any required indirection. The user must specify a pointer to the variable, possibly by prefixing the variable name with &. The user must specify the character variable directly. The translator takes care of any required indirection. The user can either code the string directly as a literal string or use a pointer which points to the first character of the string. Whether receiving or sending, the argument should be the name of the character array containing the stringthe address of the first element of the array. The user must specify a pointer to the variable, possibly by prefixing the variable name with &. The user must specify the name of the variable. The translator looks after any indirection that is required. The user must specify the integer constant directly. The translator takes care of any required indirection. The user must code the address of the start of the structure or union, possibly by prefixing its name with &.

Character variable (char)

Data-area (R)

Data-value (S)

Character string literal

Name (S)

Character string variable

Data-area (R) Name (S)

Integer variable (short, long, or int) Data-area (R)

Data-value (S)

Integer constant (short, long, or int)

Data-value (S)

Structure or union

Data-area (S) Data-area (R)

Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++

Table 3. Rules for passing values as arguments in EXEC CICS commands (continued) Data type Array (of anything) Usage Data-area (R) Data-value (S) Coding the argument The translator does nothing. You must code the address of the first member of the array. This is normally done simply by coding the name of the array, which the compiler interprets as the address of the first member. Whether receiving or sending, the argument should be the name of the variable that denotes the address of interest. The translator takes care of the extra level of indirection that is necessary to allow CICS to update the pointer.

Pointer (to anything)

Ptr-ref (R) Data-area (S)

Note: (R) indicates Receiver, where data is being received from CICS; (S) indicates Sender, where data is being passed to CICS.

Accessing the EIB

The address of the exec interface block (EIB) is not passed as an argument to a C or C++ main function. This means that C and C++ functions must use the ADDRESS EIB command to obtain the address of the EIB. Addressability is achieved by using the command:
EXEC CICS ADDRESS EIB(dfheiptr);

or by passing the EIB address or particular fields therein as arguments to the CALL statement that invokes the external procedure. If access to the EIB is required, an ADDRESS EIB command is required at the beginning of each application. This applies to any commands that include RESP or RESP2 options.

Naming EIB fields

Within a C or C++ application program, fields in the EIB are referred to in lower case and fully qualified as, for example, dfheiptr->eibtrnid, in contrast to EIBTRNID as used in other CICS applications.

Data types in EIB fields

The following mapping of data types is used: v Halfword binary integers are defined as short int v Fullword binary integers are defined as long int

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v Single-character fields are defined as unsigned char v Character strings are defined as unsigned char arrays

Using Locale support

The translator, by default, assumes that programs written in the C language have been edited with the codeset IBM-1047, also known as the Coded Character Set for Latin 1/Open Systems. The codeset may also be specified in a pragma filetag compiler directive at the start of the application program. The CICS translator scans for the presence of this directive, but currently CICS provides support only for the default IBM-1047 and for the codeset for Germany, IBM-273 For example, if the program has been prepared with an editor using the codeset specific to Germany, it should begin with the following directive:
??=pragma filetag ("IBM-273")

The presence of the pragma filetag implies that the program is compiled with the IBM C for MVS/ESA compiler. A comparison of some of the code-points and characters is shown below:
Table 4. C language codesets Character \ backslash } right brace { left brace # hash IBM-1047 E0 D0 C0 7B IBM-273 EC DC 43 7B

Programming in C++
C++ supports object-oriented programming and you can use this language in the same way as you would use the C language. You must specify that the translator is to translate C++ using the CPP option. C++ programs must also be defined as Language Environment/370. See Chapter 7. Language Environment on page 47 for information about this environment.

Restrictions
C++ uses // for single line comments. Do not put a comment in the middle of an EXEC CICS command. For instance, this example does not work:
EXEC CICS SEND TEXT FROM(errmsg) LENGTH(msglen) // Send error message to screen RESP(rcode) RESP2(rcode2);

These examples are valid:

EXEC CICS SEND TEXT FROM(errmsg) LENGTH(msglen) RESP(rcode) RESP2(rcode2); //Send error message to screen
Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++

EXEC CICS SEND TEXT FROM(errmsg) LENGTH(msglen) /* Send error message to screen */ RESP(rcode) RESP2(rcode2);

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 5. Programming in PL/I

For information about suitable compilers for PL/I, you should see the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Migration Guide or the relevant PL/I manual. Note the following programming considerations: STAE execution-time option If this option is specified, an abend occurring in the transaction is handled by PL/I error handling routines, and the transaction may terminate normally, in which case, CICS facilities, such as dynamic transaction backout (DTB), are not invoked. If you issue an ABEND command with the STAE option specified, you can suppress the dump by using the NODUMP option. To get a meaningful abend code, you must also use the ABCODE option. Alternatively, specify the NOSTAE option, which bypasses PL/I routines handling the abend, allowing a meaningful abend code to be issued. Further information about PL/I and the STAE option is given in the CICS Recovery and Restart Guide. OPTIONS(MAIN) If OPTIONS(MAIN) is specified in an application program, that program can be the first program of a transaction, or control can be passed to it by means of a LINK or XCTL command. In application programs where OPTIONS(MAIN) is not specified, it cannot be the first program in a transaction, nor can it have control passed to it by an LINK or XCTL command, but it can be link-edited to a main program. This chapter describes: v PL/I programming restrictions v Using PL/I and dynamic storage on page 40

PL/I programming restrictions

The following restrictions apply to a PL/I program that is to be used as a CICS application program. Refer to the PL/I Optimizing Compiler Programmers Guide for more guidance information about these facilities. v You cannot use the multitasking built-in functions:
COMPLETION PRIORITY STATUS

v You cannot use the multitasking options:

EVENT PRIORITY TASK

v You should not use the PL/I statements:

CLOSE DELETE EXIT HALT DELAY DISPLAY GET LOCATE

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

OPEN READ STOP UNLOCK

PUT REWRITE WRITE

The following commands are supported only if you use a Language Environment (LE) conforming compiler:
FETCH RELEASE

You are provided with EXEC CICS commands for the storage and retrieval of data, and for communication with terminals. (However, you can use CLOSE, PUT, and OPEN, for SYSPRINT.) Refer to the PL/I Optimizing Compiler Programmers Guide for more guidance information about when the use of these PL/I statements is necessary and the consequences of using them. v You cannot use PL/I Sort/Merge. v You cannot use static storage (except for read-only data). v If you declare a variable with the STATIC attribute and EXTERNAL attribute you should also include the INITIAL attribute. If you do not, such a declaration generates a common CSECT that cannot be handled by CICS. v You cannot use the PL/I 48-character set option in EXEC CICS statements. v Do not define variables or structures with variable names that are the same as variable names generated by the translator. These begin with DFH. Care must be taken with the LIKE keyword to avoid implicitly generating such variable names. v All PROCEDURE statements must be in upper case, with the exception of the PROCEDURE name, which may be in lower case. v The suboptions of the XOPTS option of the *PROCESS statement must be in upper case. v If a CICS command uses the SUBSTR built-in function in defining a data value, it must include a LENGTH option to specify the data length. If it does not, the translator generates a PL/I call including an invocation of the CSTG built-in function in the form:
CSTG(SUBSTR(..,..,..))

This is rejected by the compiler.

Using PL/I and dynamic storage

If your program is running LE-enabled, storage allocation is performed in accordance with the LE-run-time options you have established. For more information about running PL/I applications as LE-enabled programs, refer to the PL/I for MVS and VM Programming Guide. If you are using PL/I and your load module requires more than 64KB of dynamic storage to initialize, this results in the PL/I abend, APLG. With MVS, this limit is increased to one megabyte for areas that you allocate explicitly above the 16MB line using a GETMAIN command with the FLENGTH option. However, you should be aware that all automatic storage and DSA for PL/I save areas are below the 16MB line even when the program is specified as AMODE(31) and RMODE(ANY). This is because PL/I has to do a single GETMAIN operation below the line for this storage and CICS has a restriction of 64KB in a single GETMAIN operation below the 16MB line. The ISA size should be sufficient to satisfy all storage allocation. To

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

estimate this size, activate the REPORT option during the test phase. This option tells you if the ISA size is sufficient or if you need to perform GETMAIN operations during program processing. You can avoid this problem happening in an ESA AMODE(31) environment by coding your program as follows. Instead of making your biggest PL/I structures and arrays AUTOMATIC, define them as BASED on a POINTER variable, which you initialize using GETMAIN SET (pointer) FLENGTH(length). (Note that you must use FLENGTH instead of LENGTH.) For example, suppose you have a PL/I program with these arrays declared:
DCL A(10,10) FLOAT

and
DCL B(100,10) CHAR(100)

These arrays need 400 (that is, 10 x 10 x 4) and 100000 (that is, 100 x 10 x 100), respectively. You code your PL/I program as illustrated in Figure 8.
DCL (APOINTER, BPOINTER) DCL A(10,10) B(100,10) CSTG EXEC CICS GETMAIN SET(APOINTER) FLENGTH(CSTG(A)); EXEC CICS GETMAIN SET(BPOINTER) FLENGTH(CSTG(B)); POINTER; FLOAT BASED(APOINTER), CHAR(100) BASED(BPOINTER), BUILTIN;

Figure 8. Example of a PL/I program with arrays declared

This prevents a PL/I abend (APLG) occurring, and means that your program can use storage above the line that would otherwise have been needed below the line.

Chapter 5. Programming in PL/I

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 6. Programming in Assembler

For programming in assembler language, you can find information about appropriate compilers in the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Migration Guide or the relevant assembler manual. Note the following Assembler language programming considerations: Language restrictions The following instructions cannot be used in an assembler language program that is to be used as a CICS application program: COM Identify blank common control section. ICTL Input format control. OPSYN Equate operation code. Working storage Working storage is allocated either above or below the 16MB line, according to the value of the DATALOCATION parameter on the PROGRAM definition in the CSD. BAKR When using BAKR instructions (branch and stack) to provide linkage between assembler programs, take care that the linked-to program does not issue EXEC CICS requests. If CICS receives control and performs a task switch before the linked-to program returns by a PR instruction (program return), then other tasks might be dispatched and issue further BAKR / PR calls. These modify the linkage-stack and result in the wrong environment being restored when the original task issues its PR instruction. 31bit addressing The following restrictions apply to an assembler language application program executing in 31-bit mode: v The interval control command WAIT EVENT is not supported when the associated event control block (ECB) resides above the 16MB line. Instead, you can use the task control command WAIT EXTERNAL with the ECBLIST option. v The COMMAREA option is restricted in a mixed addressing mode transaction environment. For a discussion of the restriction, see Using mixed addressing modes on page 509. MVS restrictions The following restrictions apply to an assembler language application program that uses access registers to exploit the extended addressability of ESA/370 processors: v You must be in primary addressing mode when invoking any CICS service. The primary address-space must be the home address-space. All parameters passed to CICS must reside in the primary address-space. v CICS does not always preserve access registers. You must save them before you invoke a CICS service, and restore them before using the access registers again. For more guidance information about using access registers, see the OS/390 MVS Programming: Extended Addressability Guide.
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

Calling Assembler programs

Assembler language application programs that contain commands can have their own RDO program definition. Such programs can be invoked by COBOL, C or C++, PL/I, or assembler language application programs using LINK or XCTL commands (see Chapter 44. Program control on page 503). However, because programs that contain commands are invoked by a system standard call, they can also be invoked by a COBOL, C, C++, or PL/I CALL statement or by an assembler language CALL macro. A single CICS application program, as defined in an RDO program definition, may consist of separate CSECTs compiled or assembled separately, but linked together. An assembler language application program that contains commands can be linked with other assembler language programs, or with programs in one, and only one, of the high-level languages (COBOL, C, C++, or PL/I). When you do this, the high-level language program must be listed ahead of the assembler language program when you link edit, and the RDO program definition must specify that high-level language. If an assembler language program contains command-level calls, and is called from a high-level language program, it requires its own CICS interface stub. The message MSGIEW024I is issued, but this can be ignored. Because assembler language application programs containing commands are always passed the parameters EIB and COMMAREA when invoked, the CALL statement or macro must pass these two parameters followed, optionally, by other parameters. For example, the PL/I program in file PLITEST PLI calls the assembler language program ASMPROG, which is in file ASMTEST ASSEMBLE. The PL/I program passes three parameters to the assembler language program, the EIB, the COMMAREA, and a message string.
PLIPROG:PROC OPTIONS(MAIN); DCL ASMPROG ENTRY EXTERNAL; DCL COMA CHAR(20), MSG CHAR(14) INIT('HELLO FROM PLI'); CALL ASMPROG(DFHEIBLK,COMA,MSG); EXEC CICS RETURN; END;

Figure 9. PLITEST PLI

The assembler language program performs an EXEC CICS SEND TEXT command, which displays the message string passed from the PL/I program.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

DFHEISTG MSG MYRESP ASMPROG

DSECT DS CL14 DS F CSECT L 5,8(1) L 5,0(5) MVC MSG,0(5) EXEC CICS SEND TEXT FROM(MSG) LENGTH(14) RESP(MYRESP) END

Figure 10. ASMTEST ASSEMBLE

For this to work, first link edit the assembler language program, as follows: and then link the PL/I and assembler language programs together:
INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHEAI) INCLUDE OBJECT NAME ASMTEST(R)

INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHPL1OI) INCLUDE OBJECT INCLUDE SYSLIB(ASMTEST) NAME PLITEST(R)

An assembler language application program that is called by another begins with the DFHEIENT macro and ends with the DFHEIRET macro. The CICS translator inserts these for you, so if the program contains EXEC CICS commands and is to be passed to the translator, as in the example just given, you do not need to code these macros.

Chapter 6. Programming in Assembler

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 7. Language Environment

CICS supports Language Environment, which provides a common run-time environment for IBM implementations of assembler and those high-level languages (HLLs) supported by CICS, namely COBOL, PL/I, C, and C++. Before the introduction of Language Environment, each of the HLLs had to provide a separate run-time environment. With Language Environment, you can use one run-time environment for your applications, regardless of the programming language or system resource needs, because most system dependencies have been removed. This common environment offers two significant advantages: 1. You can mix all the languages supported by CICS in a single program. The compatibility and consistency problems of mixing different languages that occurred in the past are largely overcome. 2. The same Language Environment callable services are available to all programs. This means, for example, that: v A linked-list created with storage obtained using Language Environment callable services in a PL/I program can be processed later and the storage freed using the callable services from a COBOL routine. v The currency symbol to be used on a series of reports can be set in an assembler routine, even though the reports themselves are produced by COBOL programs. v System messages from programs written in different languages are all sent to the same output destination. Because of these advantages, enhancements to language support under CICS depend upon Language Environment. See the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 Concepts Guide for more information. Note: If you are using the CICS JVM to run to CICS Java programs or enterprise beans, you will need to have Language Environment installed and enabled. See Java Applications in CICS for more information about requirements for the CICS JVM.

Levels of support in Language Environment

Language Environment provides two levels of support for HLLs, depending on the compiler used. These two levels are: Language Environment-conforming support If an application program is compiled by a fully-conforming compiler, that program is said to be Language Environment-conforming. A conforming program can take advantage of Language Environment services in a CICS region and cannot execute without Language Environment support. The following fully Language Environment-conforming compilers are available: v OS/390 C/C++ v C/C++ for MVS/ESA v AD/CYCLE C/370 v COBOL for OS/390 & VM v COBOL for MVS & VM v AD/CYCLE for COBOL/370 v PL/I for MVS & VM v AD/CYCLE PL/I for MVS & VM v VisualAge PL/I for OS/390
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

Language Environment also provides macros that enable assembler programs to be fully-conforming and so take advantage of the facilities provided under Language Environment. For details of these macros, see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide. Compatibility support Language Environment also supports the execution of programs that are not compiled with Language Environment-conforming compilers and assembler programs that do not use the macros provided. Such programs are known as non-Language Environment-conforming. They do not have to be recompiled or re-link-edited to run correctly in what Language Environment defines as compatibility mode. However, few of the advantages of Language Environment are available to such programs. The language in the PROGRAM definition for non-conforming programs does not have to be Language Environment for the program to execute correctly. Specify either the actual language or no language. The Language Environment libraries must be above all the other language libraries in the JCL concatenations of the CICS startup job for both STEPLIB and DFHRPL. This ensures that the programs are processed by Language Environment. The following are the non-Language Environment-conforming compilers supported: v C/370 V1 & V2 v AD/Cycle C/370 V1R1 v OS/VS COBOL v VS COBOL II v OS PL/I Version 1 Release 3.0 onwards v OS PL/I Version 2

Language Environment services

The following points apply to all programs using Language Environment under CICS. Callable services Language Environment provides callable services, which are classified in the following categories: Storage services These allow you to allocate and free storage from the Language Environment heaps. Error handling services These provide a common method of obtaining information to enable you to process errors. Message services These provide a common method of handling and issuing messages. Date and time These allow you to read, calculate, and write values representing the date and time. Language Environment offers unique pattern-matching capabilities that let you process almost any date and time format contained in an input record or produced by operating system services.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

National language support These allow you to customize Language Environment output (such as messages, RPTOPTS reports, RPTSTG reports, and dumps) for a given country. Locale These allow you to customize culturally-sensitive output for a given national language, country, and codeset by specifying a locale name. General These are a set of callable services that are not directly related to a specific Language Environment function, for example, dump. Mathematical These allow you to perform standard mathematical computations. With the exception of date and time services which may be dynamically called by VS COBOL II programs, these services are only available to Language Environment-conforming programs. For further information about the details of these services, see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide. For information about the syntax required to call any of the services, see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Reference. CICS condition and AID handling Language Environment condition handling does not alter the behavior of applications that use CICS HANDLE CONDITION or HANDLE AID commands. Language Environment is not involved in the handling of CICS-defined exception conditions, which are raised and handled only by CICS. Similarly, AID detection is a CICS function unaffected by Language Environment. Abend handling Language Environment Abend handling depends on the use of CICS HANDLE ABEND. See Using Language Environment Abend-handlingfor details. Storage Language Environment uses storage obtained from CICS for each run-unit. See Managing Language Environment storage on page 50 for information about CICS parameters to control this. Message and dump destinations When the CEEMOUT (dispatch a message) and CEE3DMP (generate dump) services are running under CICS, both the messages and dumps are sent to a transient data queue called CESE, and not to their usual destinations. These usual destinations are the ddname specified in the MSGFILE run-time option for messages and the ddname given in the fname argument of the CEE3DMP service for dumps. CICS ignores both of these ddnames.

Using Language Environment Abend-handling

When a CICS application is running under Language Environment, the action taken when a task is scheduled for abnormal termination depends on whether a CICS HANDLE ABEND is active or not active. When a HANDLE ABEND is active, Language Environment condition handling does not gain control for any abends or program interrupts, and any user-written condition handlers that have been established by CEEHDLR are ignored. Instead, the action defined in the CICS HANDLE ABEND takes place.
Chapter 7. Language Environment

When a CICS HANDLE ABEND is not active, Language Environment condition handling does gain control for abends and program interrupts if the run-time option TRAP(ON) is specified. Normal Language Environment condition handling is then performed. If TRAP(OFF) is specified, no error handling takes place; the abend proceeds. For details of the actions taken during normal Language Environment condition handling, see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide.

User-written LE condition handlers

The run-time option USRHDLR allows you to register a user-written condition handler at the highest level. At a lower level, for example after a subroutine CALL, you can use the CEEHDLR service to register a condition handler for that level. This lower level handler is automatically unregistered on return from the lower level. If desired you can explicitly unregister it by using the CEEHDLU service. For an explanation of stack levels and for details of the USRHDLR run-time option and the CEEHDLR and CEEHDLU services, see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide. If you write your own user-written Language Environment condition handler (other than in COBOL), you can use most CICS commands, provided they are coded with a NOHANDLE, RESP or RESP2 option, to prevent further conditions being raised during execution of the condition handler. The only commands you cannot use are the following, which must not appear in either the condition handler or any program it calls: v ABEND v HANDLE ABEND v HANDLE AID v HANDLE CONDITION v IGNORE CONDITION v POP HANDLE v PUSH HANDLE Do not use the CICS translator to translate a COBOL user-written condition handler that you have registered for a routine using the CEEHDLR service. This is because the CICS translator adds two extra arguments to the PROCEDURE DIVISION header of the COBOL program, the EXEC Interface Block (EIB) and the COMMAREA. These arguments do not match the arguments passed by Language Environment. A COBOL condition handler cannot, therefore, contain any CICS commands. However, a user-written condition handler can call a subroutine to perform CICS commands (and this could be a COBOL routine). If you need to pass arguments to this subroutine, place two dummy arguments before them in the caller. The called subroutine must issue EXEC CICS ADDRESS EIB(DFHEIPTR) before executing any other CICS commands. For full details of the required interface to any Language Environment condition handling routine, see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide.

Managing Language Environment storage

When each program is first used, Language Environment tells CICS how much storage the run unit work area (RUWA) requires. The allocation of storage depends on the setting of the CICS system initialization parameter, RUWAPOOL.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

If you specify RUWAPOOL=NO, at the start of each CICS link level, CICS issues a GETMAIN for this storage and passes it to Language Environment to use for its control blocks and for storage areas such as STACK, LIBSTACK, and HEAP. The storage is acquired in the default key specified on the transaction. The storage is freed (using FREEMAIN) when the program terminates. If you specify RUWAPOOL=YES, the first run of a transaction is the same as with RUWAPOOL=NO, but CICS keeps a history of the total storage for RUWAs that is requested to run the transaction. This means that when the transaction is run again, CICS issues a single GETMAIN for the total storage (and a single FREEMAIN at task end), creating a RUWAPOOL. If the transaction follows the same path, CICS allocates the storage from the RUWAPOOL, and no further GETMAIN has to be issued. If more storage is required for RUWAs because of different or extra CICS links, CICS issues a GETMAIN and updates the history, so that next time the single GETMAIN (and FREEMAIN) is for the larger amount. For transactions that issue a large number of CICS LINK commands, the performance improvement can be considerable. If a program specifies a run-time option of ALL31(OFF) and Language Environment needs to use storage below the 16MB line, two areas of storage are allocated, one below 16MB and one above the 16MB line. If necessary, any application can obtain CICSDATAKEY or USERDATAKEY storage by using a CICS GETMAIN command. However, a program with an EXECKEY of USER cannot use CICSDATAKEY storage.

Using C/C++ applications with Language Environment

The information given in Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++ on page 31 applies to C and C++ programs using Language Environment under CICS, except for the differences noted below. Fetch function Language Environment-conforming programs support the fetch() and release() functions. Modules to be fetched must be defined as PROGRAM resources to CICS, either explicitly or implicitly through autoinstall. System function CICS does not support the system() function, but two CICS commands, LINK and XCTL, provide equivalent function. Macros C/C++ does not support the use of CICS commands in macros. Clock function The clock() function returns a value (time_t) of -1. Locale functions All locale functions are supported for locales that have been defined in the CSD. CSD definitions for the IBM-supplied locales are provided in member CEECCSD of the SCEESAMP library. The setlocale() function returns NULL if the locale is not defined. Debugging functions The dump functions csnap(), cdump(), and ctrace() are supported. The output is sent to the CESE transient data queue. The dump cannot be written if the queue does not have a sufficient record length (LRECL). An LRECL of at least 161 is recommended.

Chapter 7. Language Environment

iscics function If you are adapting an existing program or writing a new program that is designed to run outside CICS as well as under CICS, the iscics() function may prove useful. It returns a non-zero value if your program is currently running under CICS, or zero otherwise. This function is an extension to the C library. Return value If you terminate a C or C++ program with an exit() function or return statement instead of a CICS RETURN command, the value passed through the exit() function is saved in the EIBRESP2 field of the EIB on return from the program. Invoking CSP programs All C/C++ programs running under CICS must run with AMODE(31), RMODE(ANY). Consequently, when passing parameters to a program produced by the Cross-System Product (CSP) interactive application generator, you must either: v Pass parameters below 16MB, or v Re-link the CSP load library with AMODE(31).

Using COBOL applications with Language Environment

CICS supports COBOL programs that have been compiled by any of the following compilers: v COBOL for OS/390 & VM v COBOL for MVS & VM v COBOL/370 v VS COBOL II v OS/VS COBOL Programs compiled by any of these compilers can run under Language Environment, but only the first three (COBOL for OS/390 & VM, COBOL for MVS & VM, and COBOL/370) are Language Environment-conforming. There are some restrictions associated with the others, as described below: Communication between modules compiled by different COBOL compilers Calls between COBOL programs compiled with one of the three Language Environment-conforming compilers, both static and dynamic, are fully supported, and there are no restrictions on the called program. Programs compiled with the VS COBOL II compiler and link-edited using the Language Environment library fall into the same category with respect to calls. However, the only way that programs in this category can invoke or be invoked by any OS/VS COBOL program is by a CICS LINK or XCTL command. Language Environment callable services Programs compiled by one of the Language Environment-conforming COBOL compilers can use all Language Environment callable services, either dynamically or statically. VS COBOL II programs can make dynamic calls to the date and time callable services, but no other calls, either static or dynamic, to Language Environment callable services are supported. No callable services are available to OS/VS COBOL programs. OS/VS COBOL restrictions Language Environment provides a set of compatibility library routines that permit you to run OS/VS COBOL applications under CICS in compatibility mode. When you run an OS/VS COBOL application under CICS, the

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

environment that is established for a run unit by the compatibility library routines supports only OS/VS COBOL. This compatibility library does not contain many of the services normally offered under Language Environment. In particular: v Language Environment run-time options and callable services are not supported. v Only static calls are permitted, and only to other OS/VS COBOL-compiled programs and assembler programs. v The called program cannot contain CICS commands. Utilities for re-linking If object modules are not available for re-linking existing COBOL programs to run under Language Environment, three sample jobs are provided in the SCEESAMP sample library that can be used to replace all OS/VS COBOL and VS COBOL II library routines in load modules containing OS/VS COBOL and VS COBOL II programs. These sample jobs are: v IGZWRLKA to re-link-edit a VS COBOL II load module with Language Environment v IGZWRLKB to re-link-edit an OS/VS COBOL load module with Language Environment v IGZWRLKC to re-link-edit a load module that contains both OS/VS COBOL programs and VS COBOL II programs with Language Environment. CICS stub Although COBOL programs linked with the old CICS stub, DFHECI, run under Language Environment, use of the DFHELII stub is recommended and could be essential in a mixed language environment. CBLPSHPOP option The CBLPSHPOP run-time option controls whether Language Environment automatically issues an EXEC CICS PUSH HANDLE command during initialization and an EXEC CICS POP HANDLE command during termination whenever a COBOL for OS/390 & VM, COBOL for MVS & VM, COBOL/370 or a VS COBOL II subroutine is called. If your application makes many COBOL subroutine CALLs under CICS, performance is better with CBLPSHPOP(OFF) than with CBLPSHPOP(ON). You can set CBLPSHPOP on an individual transaction basis by using CEEUOPT, as explained in Defining run-time options for Language Environment on page 60. However, because condition handling has not been stacked, be aware that: v If your called routine raises a condition that causes CICS to attempt to pass control to a condition handler in the calling routine, this is an error and your transaction will be abnormally terminated. v If you use any of the PUSHable CICS commands, HANDLE ABEND, HANDLE AID, HANDLE CONDITION, or IGNORE CONDITION, within the called routine, you will be changing the settings of your caller and this could lead to later errors. Using CEEWUCHA If you are adapting VS COBOL II programs to run under Language Environment, the sample user condition handler, CEEWUCHA, supplied by Language Environment in the SCEESAMP library, can be used to advantage. It does the following: v It provides compatibility with existing VS COBOL II applications running under CICS by allowing EXEC CICS HANDLE ABEND LABEL statements to get control when a run-time detected error occurs.

Chapter 7. Language Environment

v It converts all unhandled run-time detected errors to the corresponding user 1xxx abend issued by VS COBOL II. v It suppresses all IGZ0014W messages, which are generated when IGZETUN or IGZEOPT is link-edited with a VS COBOL II application. (Performance is better if the programs are not link-edited with IGZETUN or IGZEOPT.) For further information on migrating existing COBOL programs to run under Language Environment, see the COBOL for OS/390 & VM Compiler and Run-Time Migration Guide.

Using PL/I applications with Language Environment

The advice and restrictions listed in Chapter 5. Programming in PL/I on page 39apply to PL/I programs running under Language Environment, except that the restriction on FETCH and RELEASE statements has been removed. Language Environment-conforming PL/I programs can CALL a program that appears in a FETCH or RELEASE statement and can RELEASE it subsequently. There are some restrictions on the PL/I for MVS & VM statements that can be used in a fetched procedure. These restrictions are described in PL/I for MVS & VM Language Reference. Many of the restrictions have been removed with VisualAge PL/I. To enable a PL/I procedure to be fetched, code the option FETCHABLE in the OPTIONS on the PROCEDURE statement. This option indicates that the procedure can only be invoked dynamically. An OPTIONS(MAIN) procedure cannot be fetched; FETCHABLE and MAIN are mutually exclusive options. Treat the FETCHABLE procedure like a normal CICS program: that is, link-edited with any required subroutines, placed in the CICS application program library, defined, and installed as a program, either in the CSD or using program autoinstall. No special considerations apply to the use of FETCH when both the fetching and the fetched programs have the same AMODE attribute. Language Environment, however, also supports the fetching of a load module that has an AMODE attribute different to the program issuing the FETCH. In this case, Language Environment performs the AMODE switch, and the following constraints apply: v If any fetched module is to execute in 24-bit addressing mode, the fetching module must have the RMODE(24) attribute regardless of its AMODE attribute. v Any variables passed to a fetched routine must be addressable in the AMODE of the fetched procedure. Communicating between modules compiled with different compilers You can link-edit non-Language Environment-conforming PL/I subroutines with a Language Environment-conforming main program. Static calls are supported from any version of PL/I, but dynamic calls are supported only from Language Environment-conforming procedures. Called subroutines can issue CICS commands if the address of the EIB is available in the subroutine. You can achieve this either by passing the address of the EIB to the subroutine, or by coding EXEC CICS ADDRESS EIB(DFHEIPTR) in the subroutine before issuing any other CICS commands. Entry point CEESTART is the only entry point for PL/I applications running under Language Environment. This entry point is set for programs compiled using Language Environment-conforming compilers. You can re-link object modules produced by

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

non-Language Environment-conforming compilers for running under Language Environment by using the following linkage-editor statements:
INCLUDE SYSLIB(CEESTART) INCLUDE SYSLIB(CEESG010) INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHELII) REPLACE PLISTART CHANGE PLIMAIN(CEEMAIN) INCLUDE mainprog INCLUDE subprog1 ....... ....... ORDER CEESTART ENTRY CEESTART NAME progname(R)

The INCLUDE statement for the object modules must come immediately after the CHANGE statement and there is also a requirement under Language Environment that the main program must be included before any subroutines. (This requirement did not exist for modules produced by non-conforming compilers.) Re-link utility for PL/I If you have only the load module for a CICS program compiled by a non-conforming compiler, there is a file of linkage editor input, IBMWRLKC, specifically for CICS programs, located in the sample library SCEESAMP, to replace OS PL/I library routines in a non-conforming executable program with Language Environment routines. For more information about using IBMWRLKC, see PL/I for MVS & VM Compiler and Run-Time Migration Guide. Abend codes If a CICS PL/I program abends under Language Environment, your CICS abend handlers are given a Language Environment abend code, rather than a PL/I abend code. To avoid changing your programs, you can modify the sample user condition handler, CEEWUCHA, supplied by Language Environment in the SCEESAMP library. This user condition handler can be made to return PL/I abend codes instead of the Language Environment codes. Use the USRHDLR run-time option to register it to do this. For details of this option see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide.

Using Assembler applications with Language Environment

Like HLL programs, assembler programs are classified as either conforming or non-conforming with respect to Language Environment. For assembler programs, conformance depends on the linkage and register conventions observed, rather than the assembler used. By definition, a Language Environment-conforming assembler routine is defined as one coded using the CEEENTRY and associated Language Environment macros. Conformance governs the use of assembler programs by call from an HLL program. Both conforming and non-conforming assembler subroutines may be called either statically or dynamically from C/C++, COBOL or PL/I. However, there are differences in register conventions and other requirements for the two types. These are described below. Rules for mixing languages, including assembler, are discussed in Mixing languages in Language Environment on page 57. Conforming routines If you are coding a new assembler routine that you want to conform to the Language Environment interface or if your assembler routine calls Language Environment services, observe the following:
Chapter 7. Language Environment

v Use the macros provided by Language Environment. For a list of these macros, see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide. v Ensure that the CEEENTRY macro contains the option MAIN=NO. ( Language Environment-conforming assembler main routines are not supported under CICS and MAIN=YES is the default). v Translate your assembler routine with *ASM XOPTS(NOPROLOG NOEPILOG) if it contains CICS commands. v Ensure that the CEEENTRY macro contains the option NAB=NO if your routine is invoked by a static call from OS/VS COBOL or VS COBOL II. (NAB is Next Available Byte (of storage). NAB=NO means that this field may not be available, so the CEEENTRY macro generates code to find the available storage.) To communicate properly with assembler routines, observe certain register conventions on entry to the assembler routine, while it is running, and on exit from the assembler routine. Entry On entry into a Language Environment-conforming assembler subroutine, these registers must contain the following values when NAB=YES is specified on the CEEENTRY macro: R0 R1 R12 R13 R14 R15 Reserved Address of the parameter list, or zero Common anchor area (CAA) address Callers dynamic storage area (DSA) Return address Entry point address

Language Environment-conforming HLLs generate code that follows these register conventions, and the supplied macros do the same when you use them to write your Language Environment-conforming assembler routine. On entry to an assembler routine, CEEENTRY saves the callers registers (R14 through R12) in the DSA provided by the caller. It allocates a new DSA and sets the NAB field correctly in this new DSA. The first half word of the new DSA is set to binary zero and the back chain in the second word is set to point to the callers DSA. While the subroutine is running R13 must point to the routines DSA at all times while the Language Environment-conforming assembler routine is running. At any point in your code where you CALL another program, R12 must contain the common anchor area (CAA) address, except in the following cases: v When calling a COBOL program v When calling an assembler routine that is not Language Environment-conforming v When calling a Language Environment-conforming assembler routine that specifies NAB=NO on the CEEENTRY macro Exit

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

On exit from a Language Environment-conforming assembler routine, R0, R1, R14, and R15 are undefined. All the other registers must have the contents they had upon entry. The CEEENTRY macro automatically sets a module to AMODE (ANY) and RMODE (ANY). If you are converting an existing assembler routine to be Language Environment-conforming and the routine contains data management macros coded using 24-bit addressing mode, then you should change the macros to use 31-bit mode (see DFSMS/MVS Macro Instructions for Data Sets). If it is not possible to change all the modules making up a program to use 31-bit addressing mode, and if none of the modules explicitly sets RMODE (24), then you should set the program to be RMODE (24) during the link-edit process. Non-conforming routines Observe the following conventions when running non-Language Environment-conforming subroutines under Language Environment: v R13 must contain the address of the executing routines register save area. v The first two bytes of the register save area must be binary zeros. v The register save area back chain must be set to a valid 31-bit address (the high-order byte must be zero if it is a 24-bit address). If your assembler routine relies on C/C++, COBOL, or PL/I control blocks (for example, a routine that tests flags or switches in these control blocks), check that these control blocks have not changed under Language Environment. For more information, see the appropriate Language Environment migration guide. Non-conforming routines cannot use Language Environment callable services. For more information or for explanations of the terms used in this section see the chapter on Assembler Considerations in the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide.

Mixing languages in Language Environment

This section tells you how to build an application that is composed of programs that have been written in different high-level source languages. Assembler subroutines called from an HLL program are fairly straightforward and not uncommon. A subroutine called from one HLL but written in another needs much more careful consideration and involves what is called interlanguage communication (ILC). Language Environment defines an ILC application as one built of two or more HLLs and, optionally, assembler. See OS/390 Language Environment Writing Interlanguage Applications for full details on this subject. Language Environment dictates that if there is any ILC within a run unit under CICS, each compile unit must be compiled with a Language Environmentconforming compiler. However, you can make programs that have been compiled with earlier versions of compilers Language Environment-conforming by re-link-editing. This will achieve the same result. CICS supports three HLLs: C/C++, COBOL, and PL/I. We consider the interfaces in pairs. If your application contains only two HLLs, consult the appropriate section. If your application contains all three HLLs, consult those sections corresponding to each of the interfaces within your application.

Chapter 7. Language Environment

C/C++ and COBOL The conditions under which Language Environment supports ILC between routines written in C/C++ and COBOL depend on the following: v Whether the language is C or C++ v Which COBOL compiler is being used and whether or not DLL is specified as a compiler option v Whether the call is static or dynamic v Whether the function being invoked is within the module or exported from a DLL v Whether or not the program is reentrant v What, if any, #pragma linkage statement you have in your C program v Whether your C program exports functions or variables v What, if any, extern statement you have in your C++ program The results of all this are specified in five tables in the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Writing Interlanguage Communication Applicationsmanual; you should consult this book if your application mixes C/C++ and COBOL. C/C++ and PL/I Under CICS, if all the components of your C/C++ and PL/I application are reentrant, Language Environment supports ILC between routines compiled by OS/390 C/C++ and PL/I for MVS & VM or VisualAge PL/I for OS/390 as follows: v C/C++ routines can statically call PL/I routines and PL/I routines can statically call C/C++ routines. v C/C++ routines can fetch() PL/I routines that have OPTIONS(FETCHABLE) specified. If the called routine contains any CICS commands, then C/C++ must pass the EIB and the COMMAREA as the first two parameters on the call statement. v PL/I routines can FETCH only those OS/390 C/C++ routines that have not been processed by the CICS translator. This is because during the dynamic call certain static fields created by the translator cannot be correctly set. COBOL and PL/I Under CICS, Language Environment supports ILC between routines compiled with COBOL for OS/390 & VM, COBOL for MVS & VM or COBOL/370, and PL/I for MVS & VM or VisualAge PL/I for OS/390 as follows: v COBOL routines can statically call PL/I routines, and PL/I routines can statically call COBOL routines. v COBOL programs can dynamically call PL/I routines that have OPTIONS(FETCHABLE) specified and PL/I routines can FETCH COBOL programs. If the called routine contains any CICS commands then the calling routine must pass the EIB and the COMMAREA as the first two parameters on the CALL statement. Assembler The following rules apply: v You can make static or dynamic calls from any Language Environment-conforming HLL program to a Language Environmentconforming assembler subroutine. Conversely, a Language Environment-conforming assembler routine can make a static call to any Language Environment-conforming routine, and can dynamically load another

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

routine, either assembler or HLL, by using either of the Language Environment macros CEEFETCH or CEELOAD. v You cannot delete (release) an ILC module that has been loaded using CEELOAD. v You can use the CEERELES macro to release an ILC module which has been fetched using CEEFETCH. v Use the language that fetched it to delete an assembler routine. This can only be done from C/C++, COBOL, and PL/I, if there is no ILC with PL/I in the module being released. Additionally, you can make static calls from any Language Environmentconforming HLL program or assembler subroutine to a non-conforming assembler subroutine. However, a non-conforming assembler routine cannot make a static call to any Language Environment-conforming routine, nor can it fetch or load a conforming routine, since it cannot use the Language Environment macros. Notes: 1. For assembler to call C or C++, you must include the following statement: C #pragma linkage(,OS) C++ extern OS 2. If you want to call a Language Environment-conforming assembler routine from a VS COBOL II program, specify NAB=NO on the CEEENTRY macro. DL/I If you are using DL/I in your ILC application under CICS, calls to DL/I, either by an EXEC DLI statement or by a CALL xxxTDLI, can be made only in programs with the same language as the main program. Language Environment does not support CALL CEETDLI under CICS.

Using Dynamic Link Libraries and Language Environment

The OS/390 dynamic link library (DLL) facility provides a mechanism for packaging programs and data into load modules (DLLs) that can be accessed from other separate load modules. A DLL can export symbols representing routines that can be called from outside the DLL, and can import symbols representing routines or data or both in other DLLs, avoiding the need to link the target routines into the same load module as the referencing routine. When an application references a separate DLL for the first time, the system automatically loads the DLL into memory. DLL support is available for applications under CICS where the code has been compiled using any of the compilers for the following programming languages, specifying the DLL compiler option where required: v C and C++ v COBOL for OS/390 and VM v VisualAge PL/I for OS/390 You should define all potential DLL executable modules as PROGRAM resources to CICS. For more information on building and using DLLs, see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide.

Chapter 7. Language Environment

Defining run-time options for Language Environment

Language Environment provides run-time options to control your programs processing. Under CICS, exactly which options apply to the execution of a particular program depends not only on the program, but also on how it is run. Programs initiated from the Web, Java or through the CICS IIOP services use the Language Environment preinitialization module, CEEPEPI. This has its own version of the CEEDOPT CSECT and such programs get their run-time options from this CSECT. For normal CICS tasks, such as those started from a terminal, use any of the methods listed below to set the Language Environment run-time options. The methods are shown in the order in which they are processed. Each setting could be overridden by a following one. This is, in effect, a reverse order of precedence. 1. In the CEEDOPT CSECT, where the installation default options for CICS are located. This CSECT is generated from the CEECOPT sample and is incorporated into the CEECCICS load module. 2. In the CEEROPT CSECT, where the region-wide default options are located. This CSECT is link-edited into a load module of the same name and placed in a data set in the DFHRPL library concatenation for the CICS job. 3. In the CEEUOPT CSECT, where user-supplied application program-level run-time options are located. This CSECT is linked with the application program itself. 4. In the application source code using the programming language options statements, as follows: v In C programs, through the #pragma runopts statement in the program source. For example:
#pragma runopts(rptstg(on))

v In PL/I programs, through the PLIXOPT declaration statement within the program. For example:
DECLARE PLIXOPT CHARACTER(18) VARYING STATIC EXTERNAL INIT('RPTOPTS(ON) NOSTAE');

Note: There is no source code mechanism that allows the setting of run-time options within COBOL programs or within C++ programs. In most installations, the first method in the list above is not available to application programmers, and the second is often not available. However, application programmer can use the last two methods. They are in effect equivalent (some of the newer compilers, for example VisualAge for PL/I, make them equivalent by generating a CEEUOPT CSECT when PLIXOPT is declared). Choose either methods 3 or method 4; do not attempt to use both methods. For details of generating a CEEUOPT CSECT to link with your application, see Language Environment for OS/390 Customization. Notes: 1. Both CEEDOPT and CEEROPT are able to set any option so that it cannot be overridden by a later specification. 2. Under CICS many of the Language Environment option settings are ignored. These are all the Fortran-only options plus the following:
ABPERC DEBUG MSGFILE RTEREUS VERSION AIXBLD EXECOPS NONIPTSTACK RTLS CBLOPTS INTERRUPT PLITASKCOUNT SIMVRD CBLQDA LIBRARY POSIX THREADHEAP

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Finally, be aware that , after all the above changes, there are two exits that are called in the following order and both of these can change some of the options as follows: 1. By setting the CEEAUE_A_OPTION return parameter of the CEEBXITA Language Environment user exit (apart from the LIBRARY, RTLS, STACK, and VERSION options). 2. In the storage tuning user exit, CEECSTX, the options STACK, LIBSTACK, HEAP, ANYHEAP, and BELOWHEAP can be set. The storage tuning exit, like the CEEROPT CSECT, is region wide, but CEEBXITA is linked into every program. Language Environment calls CEEBXITA the assembler exit because, like CEECSTX, it is invoked before the environment is fully established and must therefore be coded in assembler. Language Environment supplies a sample source version of CEEBXITA in the SCEESAMP library (it simply returns to its caller for whatever reason it is called). You can use this as it is or modify it for use as the installation default version. However, you can link-edit a specifically tailored version of CEEBXITA with any application program and this version is then used instead of the installation default version. Take great care if you choose this method since CEEBXITA is invoked for up to five different reasons during the course of program execution, and an application-specific version of CEEBXITA must be capable of handling all these invocations. For more details on both CEEBXITA and CEECSTX see Language Environment for OS/390 Customization.

Run-time options in child enclaves

Under CICS the execution of a CICS LINK command creates what Language Environment calls a Child Enclave. A new environment is initialized and the child enclave gets its run-time options exactly as discussed above. These run-time options are completely independent of those that existed in the creating enclave. Frequent use of EXEC CICS LINK, and the individual setting of many run-time options could affect performance (see also the CICS system initialization parameter RUWAPOOL for CICS LINK performance considerations). A static or dynamic call does not incur these overheads. If you need to use CEEUOPT to specify options, specifying only those options that are different from the defaults will improve performance. Something similar happens when a CICS XCTL command is executed. In this case we do not get a child enclave, but the existing enclave is terminated and then reinitialized with the run-time options determined for the new program. The same performance considerations apply.

CEEBXITA coding
If you write your own version of CEEBXITA, you must write it in assembler. You can use all CICS commands except the ones listed here, provided you specify the NOHANDLE, RESP or RESP2 option, to prevent conditions being raised during the execution of the exit. These are the commands that cannot be used within CEEBXITA, or any routines called by CEEBXITA: v ABEND v HANDLE ABEND v HANDLE AID
Chapter 7. Language Environment

v v v v

HANDLE CONDITION IGNORE CONDITION POP HANDLE PUSH HANDLE

Determining which options were used

If you want to know which options were in effect when your program ran, specify the option RPTOPTS(ON). When the program ends this produces a list of all the run-time options used. The list is written to the CESE TD queue. The list contains not only the actual settings of the options, but also their origin, that is, whether they are the default for the installation or the region, or whether they were set by the programmer or in one of the exits. Note: Do not use RPTOPTS(ON) in a production environment - there is significant overhead and it causes a large amount of data to be written to the CESE queue. For more information about how to specify Language Environment run-time options and also for their meanings, see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide.

Writing a CEEBINT initialization exit for Language Environment

All programs running under Language Environment invoke a subroutine called CEEBINT at program initialization time, just after invocation of the CEEBXITA and CEECSTX exits. The run-time environment is fully operational at this point and Language Environment calls this program the HLL user exit. Language Environment provides a module containing this program in the SCEELKED library (it simply returns to its caller) and this is, therefore, the installation default version. However, you can also write and link-edit a tailored version in to any program to replace the default. Ordinary Language Environment coding rules apply to CEEBINT, and you can write it in C, C++, PL/I, or Language Environment-conforming assembler. CEEBINT applies to COBOL programs just as any others, but it cannot be written in COBOL or call COBOL programs. If CEEBINT introduces a second HLL to a program, the rules for mixing HLLs described in Mixing languages in Language Environment on page 57 apply. For more information on the High Level Language user exit, CEEBINT, see the OS/390 Language Environment for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Part 2. Preparing applications to run

| | | | Chapter 8. Translation and compilation . . . The integrated CICS translator . . . . . . . Supported compilers . . . . . . . . . . Using the integrated CICS translator . . . . Specifying CICS translator options. . . . . The translation process . . . . . . . . . . The CICS-supplied translators . . . . . . . Dynamic invocation of the separate translator Translator option list . . . . . . . . . Data definition (DD name) list . . . . . Using a separate translator . . . . . . . . Defining translator options . . . . . . . . . Translator options . . . . . . . . . . . ANS185 . . . . . . . . . . . . . APOST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . CBLCARD . . . . . . . . . . . . CICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COBOL2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . COBOL3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . CPP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CPSM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DBCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DEBUG . . . . . . . . . . . . . DLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EPILOG . . . . . . . . . . . . . EXCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FEPI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FLAG (I, W, E, or S) . . . . . . . . . GDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GRAPHIC. . . . . . . . . . . . . LENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . LINECOUNT(n). . . . . . . . . . . LINKAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . MARGINS(m,n[,c]) . . . . . . . . . NATLANG(EN or KA) . . . . . . . . NOCBLCARD . . . . . . . . . . . NOCPSM . . . . . . . . . . . . . NODEBUG . . . . . . . . . . . . NOEDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOEPILOG . . . . . . . . . . . . NOFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOFEPI . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOLENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . NOLINKAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . NONUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOOPSEQUENCE . . . . . . . . . NOOPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . NOPROLOG. . . . . . . . . . . . NOSEQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOSEQUENCE . . . . . . . . . . NOSOURCE. . . . . . . . . . . .
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

67 67 67 68 68 69 72 72 72 72 73 74 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 77 77 77 77 77 78 78 78 78 79 79 79 79 79 79 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 81 81 81 81

NOSPIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOVBREF . . . . . . . . . . . . NUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOCOBOL . . . . . . . . . . . . OPMARGINS(m,n[,c]) . . . . . . . . OPSEQUENCE(m,n). . . . . . . . . OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . PROLOG . . . . . . . . . . . . . QUOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEQUENCE(m,n) . . . . . . . . . . SOURCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . SP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SPACE(1 or 2 or 3) . . . . . . . . . SPIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SYSEIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . VBREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Translator options table . . . . . . . . . Using COPY statements . . . . . . . . . The CICS-supplied interface modules . . . . The EXEC interface modules. . . . . . . The CPI Communications interface module . The SAA Resource Recovery interface module Using the EXEC interface modules . . . . . COBOL and PL/I . . . . . . . . . . . C and C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assembler language . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

81 81 81 82 82 82 82 82 82 83 83 83 83 83 84 84 84 84 85 86 86 86 86 86 87 87 87

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Chapter 9. Installing application programs. . . . . . . . . Program installation roadmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preparing for program installation . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining MVS residence and addressing modes. . . . . . . . Establishing a programs addressing mode . . . . . . . . CICS address space considerations . . . . . . . . . . . Making programs permanently resident . . . . . . . . . . Running applications in the link pack area . . . . . . . . . . Running application programs in the RDSAs . . . . . . . . . Assembler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C and C/++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COBOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PL/I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using BMS map sets in application programs . . . . . . . . Using the CICS-supplied procedures to install application programs Installing programs in load library secondary extents . . . . . Including the CICS-supplied interface modules . . . . . . . . Installing assembler language application programs . . . . . . Sample JCL to install assembler application programs . . . . Installing COBOL application programs . . . . . . . . . . Sample JCL to install COBOL application programs . . . . . Installing PL/I application programs . . . . . . . . . . . . Sample JCL to install PL/I application programs . . . . . . Installing C application programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sample JCL to install C application programs . . . . . . . Using your own job streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Translator requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online programs that use EXEC CICS or EXEC DLI commands

. 89 . 89 . 90 . 91 . 91 . 91 . 92 . 92 . 93 . 93 . 94 . 94 . 95 . 96 . 96 . 97 . 97 . 98 . 99 . 100 . 101 . 104 . 104 . 106 . 107 . 108 . 109 . 109

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | |

Online programs that use the CALL DLI interface . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Batch or BMP programs that use EXEC DLI commands . . . . . . . . 112 Batch or BMP programs that use DL/I CALL commands . . . . . . . . 112 Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets . . . Installing map sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Types of map sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining the type of map set you require . . . . . . Using extended data stream terminals . . . . . . . Installing physical map sets . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing symbolic description map sets . . . . . . . Installing physical and symbolic description maps together JCL to install physical and symbolic description maps . Adding a CSECT to your map assembly . . . . . . Installing partition sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining programs, map sets, and partition sets to CICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 114 114 115 116 116 118 119 120 121 121 123

| | | | | | | | | | |

Part 2. Preparing applications to run

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

| | | | | | | | | | Most compilers (and assemblers) cannot process CICS commands directly. This means that an additional step is needed to convert your program into executable code. This step is called separate translation, and consists of converting CICS commands into the language in which the rest of the program is coded, so that the compiler (or assembler) can understand them. Some compilers allow you to use the integrated CICS translator approach, where the compiler interfaces with CICS at compile time to interpret CICS commands and convert them automatically to calls to CICS service routines. If you use the integrated CICS translator approach then many of the translation tasks described in The translation process on page 69 are done at compile time for you. This chapter describes: v The integrated CICS translator v The translation process on page 69 v The CICS-supplied translators on page 72 v Using a separate translator on page 73 v Defining translator options on page 74 v Using COPY statements on page 85 v The CICS-supplied interface modules on page 86 v Using the EXEC interface modules on page 86 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

The integrated CICS translator

In earlier CICS releases, CICS application programs had to be translated before they could be be compiled. The translators find EXEC CICS commands, make them into comments, and generate CALLs appropriate to the language. The CICS-supplied jobs for compiling user application programs all contain an initial job step that invokes the translator appropriate to the compiler invoked in the following job step. The separate translators change the line numbers in source programs, which means that an intermediate listing, with the translator-generated CALLs, which must be used when debugging an application program. With the integrated translator, application development is made easier because there is only one listing the original source statements, and the CICS error messages are included in the compiler listing. The process of translating and compiling is also less error-prone because it is no longer necessary to translate included members separately. The Language Environment-conforming language compilers that support the integrated CICS translator scan the application source and call the integrated CICS translator at relevant points.

Supported compilers
The CICS integrated translator is supported by the following releases of the COBOL and PL/I compilers: v IBM COBOL for OS/390 & VM, Version 2 Release 2, program number 5648-A25, with APAR PQ45462 applied. v IBM VisualAge PL/I for OS/390, Version 2 Release 2.1, program number 5655-B22, with APAR PQ45562 applied.

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

If you use any other compiler, you will need to translate your program in the traditional way descibed in Chapter 8. Translation and compilation on page 67.

Using the integrated CICS translator

The language compilers provide various procedures that you can use with the integrated CICS translator. These procedures are documented in APAR PQ45462 for COBOL, and APAR PQ45562 for PL/I. The procedure that you use needs to have CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD added to the STEPLIB concatenation for the compile step and the link-edit step should include the interface module DFHELII at the start of the step. To use the integrated CICS translator for PL/I you must specify the compiler option SYSTEM(CICS). To use the integrated CICS translator for COBOL the compiler options CICS, LIB, NODYNAM, RENT and NOANALYZE must be in effect. You cannot use SIZE(MAX) when compiling large programs using CICS statements. Storage must be left in the user region for integrated CICS translator services.

Specifying CICS translator options

To specify CICS translator options when using the PL/I compiler specify the compiler option, PP(CICS), with the translator options enclosed in apostrophes and inside parenthesis. For example:
PP(CICS('opt1 opt2 optn ...'))

For more information on specifying PL/I compiler options see the VisualAge PL/I for OS/390 Programming Guide. To specify CICS translator options when using the COBOL compiler specify the compiler option, CICS, with the translator options enclosed in apostrophes and inside parenthesis. For example:
CICS('opt1 opt2 optn ...')

Note: The XOPTS translator option must be changed to the CICS compiler option. XOPTS is not accepted when using the integrated CICS translator. For more information on specifying COBOL compiler options see the COBOL for OS/390 & VM Programming Guide. For more information on the CICS compiler option, see APAR PQ45462. For a description of all of the translator options see Defining translator options on page 74. Many of the translator options, such as those associated with translator listings, do not apply when using the integrated CICS translator. These options, if specified, are ignored. The EXCI option is not supported, the CICS option is assumed. For COBOL the OOCOBOL option is assumed. The translator options that can be used effectively with the integrated CICS translator are: v APOST or QUOTE v CPSM or NOCPSM v CICS v DBCS

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | |

v v v v v v v v v v v

DEBUG or NODEBUG DLI EDF or NOEDF FEPI or NOFEPI GRAPHIC LENGTH or NOLENGTH LINKAGE or NOLINKAGE NATLANG OOCOBOL SP SYSEIB

The translation process

For compilers without integrated translators, CICS provides a translator program for each of the languages in which you may write, to handle both EXEC CICS and EXEC DLI statements. | | For compilers with integrated translators, the compilers interface with CICS to handle both EXEC CICS and EXEC DLI statements. A language translator reads your source program and creates a new one; most normal language statements remain unchanged, but CICS commands are translated into CALL statements of the form required by the language in which you are coding. The calls invoke CICS-provided EXEC interface modules, which later get link-edited into your load module, and these in turn invoke the requested services at execution time. There are three steps: translation, compilation (assembly), and link-edit. Figure 11 on page 70 shows the process.

Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

SYSIN (source program)

CICS Translation

Commandlevel language translator

SYSPUNCH (translated source program)

SYSPRINT (translator listing)

Compilation (assembly)

High-level language compiler (or assembler) Object module

High-level language compiler (or assembler) listing

Link-editor

Link-editor listing

Link Edit

Load library

Figure 11. Preparing an application program

The translators for all languages use one input and two output files: SYSIN (Translator input) is the file that contains your source program. If the SYSIN file is defined as a fixed blocked data set, the maximum record length that the data set can possess is 80 bytes. Passing a fixed blocked data set with a record length of greater than 80 bytes to the translator results in termination of translator execution. If the SYSIN file is defined as a variable blocked data set, the maximum record length that the data set can possess is 100 bytes. Passing a variable blocked data set with a record length greater than 100 bytes to the translator causes the translator to stop with an error. SYSPUNCH (Translated source) is the translated version of your source code, which becomes the input to the compile (assemble) step. In this file, your source has been changed as follows: v The EXEC interface block (EIB) structure has been inserted. v EXEC CICS and EXEC DLI commands have been turned into function call statements. v CICS DFHRESP and DFHVALUE built-in functions have been processed.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v A data interchange block (DIB) structure and initialization call have been inserted if the program contains EXEC DLI statements. The CICS commands that get translated still appear in the source, but as comments only. Generally the non-CICS statements are unchanged. The output from the translator always goes to an 80 byte fixed-record length data set. SYSPRINT (Translator listing) shows the number of messages produced by the translator, and the highest severity code associated with any message. The options used in translating your program also appear, unless these have been suppressed with the NOOPTIONS option. For COBOL, C, C++, and PL/I programs, SYSPRINT also contains the messages themselves. In addition, if you specify the SOURCE option of the translator, you also get an annotated listing of the source in SYSPRINT. This listing contains almost the same information as the subsequent compilation listing, and therefore many installations elect to omit it (the NOSOURCE option). One item you may need from this listing which is not present in the compile listing, however, is the line numbers, if the translator is assigning them. Line numbers are one way to indicate points in the code when you debug with the execution diagnostic facility (EDF). If you specify the VBREF option, you also get a list of the commands in your program, cross-referenced by line number, and you can use this as an alternative to the source listing for EDF purposes. For assembler language programs, SYSPRINT contains only the translator options, the message count and maximum severity code. The messages themselves are inserted into the SYSPUNCH file as comments after the related statement. This causes the assembler to copy them through to the assembler listing, where you can check them. You may also see MNOTEs that are generated by the assembler as the result of problems encountered by the translator. Note: If you use EXEC SQL, you need additional steps to translate the SQL statements and bind; see the Application Programming and SQL Guide for information about these extra steps. CICS provides a procedure to execute these steps in sequence for each of the languages it supports. The describes how to use these procedures, and exactly what they do. You can control the translation process by specifying a number of options. For example, if your program uses EXEC DLI calls, you need to tell the the translator. The translator may produce error messages, and it is as important to check these messages as it is to check the messages produced by the compiler and link-editor. See The CICS-supplied translators on page 72 for the location of these messages. EXEC commands are translated into CALL statements that invoke CICS interface modules. These modules get incorporated into your object module in the link-edit step, and you see them in your link-edit output listing. You can read more about these modules in Page-building and routing operations on page 160.

Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

The CICS-supplied translators

The following CICS-supplied translators are installed in the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD library: Assembler DFHEAP1$ C DFHEDP1$ COBOL DFHECP1$ PL/I DFHEPP1$

Dynamic invocation of the separate translator

You can invoke the command-level language translator dynamically from a batch assembler-language program using an ATTACH, CALL, LINK, or XCTL macro; or from a C, PL/I, or COBOL program using CALL. If you use ATTACH, LINK, or XCTL, use the appropriate translator load module, DFHExP1$, where x=A for assembler language, x=C for COBOL, x=D for C, or x=P for PL/I. If you use CALL, specify PREPROC as the entry point name to call the translator. In all cases, pass the following address parameters to the translator: v The address of the translator option list v The address of a list of DD names used by the translator (this is optional) These addresses must be in adjacent fullwords, aligned on a fullword boundary. Register 1 must point to the first address in the list, and the high-order bit of the last address must be set to one, to indicate the end of the list. This is true for both one or two addresses.

Translator option list

The translator option list must begin on a halfword boundary. The first two bytes contain a binary count of the number of bytes in the list (excluding the count field). The remainder of the list can contain any of the translator option keywords, separated by commas, blanks, or both.

Data definition (DD name) list

The DD name list must begin on a halfword boundary. The first two bytes contain a binary count of the number of bytes in the list (excluding the count field). Each entry in the list must occupy an 8-byte field. The sequence of entries is:
Entry 1 2 Standard DD name Entry Standard DD name Entry Standard DD name SYSIN SYSPRINT SYSPUNCH

not applicable 3 not applicable 4

not applicable 5 not applicable 6 7

If you omit an applicable entry, the translator uses the standard DD name. If you use a DD name less than 8 bytes long, fill the field with blanks on the right. You can omit an entry by placing X'FF' in the first byte. You can omit entries at the end of the list entirely.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Using a separate translator

A language translator reads your source program and creates a new one; most normal language statements remain unchanged, but CICS commands are translated into CALL statements of the form required by the language in which you are coding. The calls invoke CICS-provided EXEC interface modules, which later get link-edited into your load module, and these in turn invoke the requested services at execution time. You can control the translation process by specifying translator options. The translator options you can choose are listed in Defining translator options on page 74. You can specify your choices in one of two ways: v List them as suboptions of the XOPTS option on the statement that the compiler (assembler) provides for specifying options. These statements are: Language Statement COBOL CBL COBOL PROCESS C #pragma C++ #pragma PL/I * PROCESS Assembler *ASM or *PROCESS v List your options in the PARM operand of the EXEC job control statement for the translate step. Most installations use catalogued procedures to translate, compile (assemble) and link CICS programs, and therefore you specify this PARM field in the EXEC job control statement that invokes the procedure. For example, if the name of the procedure for COBOL programs is DFHEITCL, and the name of the translate step within is TRN, you set translator options for a COBOL program with a statement such as this one:
// EXEC DFHEITCL,PARM.TRN=(VBREF,QUOTE,SPACE(2),NOCBLCARD)

If you specify an option by one method and the same option or an option that conflicts by the other method, the specifications in the language statement override those in the EXEC statement. Similarly, if you specify multiple values for a single option or options that conflict on either type of statement, the last setting takes precedence. Except for COBOL programs translated with the ANSI85 option, these statements must precede each source program; there is no way to batch the processing of multiple programs in other languages. Translator options may appear in any order, separated by one or more blanks or by a comma. If you specify them on the language statement for options, they must appear in parentheses following the XOPTS parameter, because other options are ignored by the translator and passed through to the compiler. The following COBOL example shows both translator and compiler options being passed together:
CBL LIB XOPTS(QUOTE SPACE(2))

These examples show translator options being passed alone:

#pragma XOPTS(FLAG(W) SOURCE); * PROCESS XOPTS(FLAG(W) SOURCE); *ASM XOPTS(NOPROLOG NOEPILOG)

Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

If you use the PARM operand of the EXEC job control statement to specify options, the XOPTS keyword is unnecessary, because the only options permitted here are translator options. However, you may use XOPTS, with or without its associated parentheses. If you use XOPTS with parentheses, be sure to enclose all of the translator options. For example, the following forms are valid:
PARM=(op1 op2 .. opn) PARM=(XOPTS op1 op2 .. opn) PARM=XOPTS(op1 op2 .. opn)

but the following is not valid:

PARM=(XOPTS(op1 op2) opn)

(For compatibility with previous releases, the keyword CICS can be used as an alternative to XOPTS, except when you are translating batch EXEC DLI programs.) Remember, if you alter the default margins for C or C++ #PRAGMA card processing using the PARM operand, the sequence margins should be altered too. You can do this using the NOSEQUENCE option. Notes: 1. For assembler programs, *ASM statements contain translator options only. They are treated as comments by the assembler. *PROCESS statements can contain translator or assembler options for the High Level assembler, HLASM. 2. Translator and assembler options must not coexist on the same *PROCESS statement. 3. *PROCESS and *ASM statements must be at the beginning of the input and no assembler statements must appear before them. This includes comments and statements such as PRINT ON and EJECT. Both *PROCESS and *ASM statements can be included, in any order. 4. *PROCESS statements containing only translator options contain information for the translator only and are not passed to the assembler 5. *PROCESS statements containing assembler options are placed in the translated program.

Defining translator options

You can specify the translator options that apply to all languages except where stated otherwise. Table 5 on page 84 lists all the translator options, the program languages that apply, and any valid abbreviations. If your installation uses the CICS-provided procedures in the distributed form, the default options are the ones that are underlined or explicitly noted. Many installations change the defaults, however. You can tell which options get used by default at your installation by looking at the SYSPRINT translator listing output from the translate step (see The CICS-supplied translators on page 72). If you want an option that is not the default, you must specify it, as described in Using a separate translator on page 73. Note: Translator options for programs to be compiled with OS/VS COBOL are described in Appendix. Using OS/VS COBOL on page 595. OS/VS COBOL is supported for migration purposes to enable you to maintain existing programs. You are not recommended to write new applications using OS/VS COBOL.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Translator options
ANS185
(COBOL only) ANS185 specifies that the translator is to translate COBOL programs that implement the ANSI85 standards. Note: This option causes the COBOL2 and NOSEQ options to be used, even if you have specified SEQ. ANSI85 is implied by either OOCOBOL or COBOL3 options.

APOST
(COBOL only) APOST indicates that literals are delineated by the apostrophe (). This is the defaultQUOTE is the alternative. The same value must be specified for the translator step and the following compile step. | | APOST and QUOTE apply only to VS COBOL II and COBOL /370. Later compilers can use either option with both types of delimiters in the same program. The CICS-supplied COBOL copybooks use APOST.

CBLCARD
(COBOL only) CBLCARD specifies that the translator is to generate a CBL statement. This is the defaultthe alternative is NOCBLCARD.

CICS
CICS specifies that the translator is to process EXEC CICS commands. It is the default specification in the translator. CICS is also an old name for the XOPTS keyword for specifying translator options, which means that you can specify the CICS option explicitly either by including it in your XOPTS list or by using it in place of XOPTS to name the list. The only way to indicate that there are no CICS commands is to use the XOPTS keyword without the option CICS. You must do this in a batch DL/I program using EXEC DLI commands. For example, to translate a batch DL/I program written in assembler language, specify:
*ASM XOPTS(DLI)

To translate a batch program written in COBOL, containing EXEC API commands, specify:
CBL XOPTS(EXCI)

COBOL2
(COBOL only) COBOL2 specifies that the translator is to translate programs compiled by the VS COBOL II (or later) compilers.

COBOL3
(COBOL only) COBOL3 specifies that the translator is to translate programs compiled by a Language Environment conforming compiler. See Levels of support in Language Environment on page 47. This option implies the ANSI85 and COBOL2 options.
Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

CPP
(C++ only)CPP specifies that the translator is to translate C++ programs for compilation by a supported C++ compiler, such as IBM C/C++ for MVS.

CPSM
CPSM specifies that the translator is to process EXEC CPSM commands. The alternative is NOCPSM, which is the default.

DBCS
(COBOL only) DBCS specifies that the source program may contain double-byte characters. It causes the translator to treat hexadecimal codes X'0E' and X'0F' as shift-out (SO) and shift-in (SI) codes, respectively, wherever they appear in the program. | | | | For more detailed information about how to program in COBOL using DBCS, see the section on DBCS character strings in the VS COBOL II Application Programming: Language Reference and the COBOL for OS/390 &VM Language Reference. If you specify this option, the COBOL2 option is assumed.

DEBUG
(COBOL, C, C++, and PL/I only) DEBUG instructs the translator to produce code that passes the line number through to CICS for use by the execution diagnostic facility (EDF). DEBUG is the defaultNODEBUG is the alternative.

DLI
DLI specifies that the translator is to process EXEC DLI commands. You must specify it with the XOPTS option, that is, XOPTS(DLI).

EDF
EDF specifies that the execution diagnostic facility is to apply to the program. EDF is the defaultthe alternative is NOEDF.

EPILOG
(Assembler language only) EPILOG specifies that the translator is to insert the macro DFHEIRET at the end of the program being translated. DFHEIRET returns control from the issuing program to the program which invoked it. If you want to use any of the options of the RETURN command, you should use RETURN and specify NOEPILOG. EPILOG is the defaultthe alternative, NOEPILOG, prevents the translator inserting the macro DFHEIRET. (See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about the DFHEIRET macro.)

EXCI
EXCI specifies that the translator is to process EXEC API commands for the External CICS Interface (EXCI). These commands must be used only in batch programs, and so the EXCI translator option is mutually exclusive to the CICS translator option, or any translator option that implies the CICS option. An error message is produced if both CICS and EXCI are specified, or EXCI and a translator option that implies CICS are specified.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The EXCI option is also mutually exclusive to the DLI option. EXEC API commands for the External CICS Interface cannot be coded in batch programs using EXEC DLI commands. An error message is produced if both EXCI and DLI translator commands are specified. The EXCI translator option is specified by XOPTS, that is, XOPTS(EXCI).

FE
(COBOL only) FE produces translator information messages that print (in hexadecimal notation) the bit pattern corresponding to the first argument of the translated call. This bit pattern has the encoded information that CICS uses to determine which function is required and which options are specified. All diagnostic messages are listed, whatever the FLAG option specifies. The alternative is NOFE, which is the default.

FEPI
FEPI allows access to the FEPI API commands of the CICS Front End Programming Interface (FEPI). FEPI is only available if you have installed the CICS Front End Programming Interface. The alternative is NOFEPI. FEPI commands and design are not discussed in this book, but are discussed in the CICS Front End Programming Interface Users Guide.

FLAG (I, W, E, or S)
(COBOL, C, C++, and PL/I only) Abbreviation: F FLAG specifies the minimum severity of error in the translation which requires a message to be listed. I All messages.

W (Default) All except information messages. E S All except warning and information messages. Only severe and unrecoverable error messages.

Note: The FE option overrides the FLAG option.

GDS
(C, C++, and assembler language only) GDS specifies that the translator is to process CICS GDS (generalized data stream) commands. For programming information about these commands, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual.

GRAPHIC
(PL/I only) GRAPHIC specifies that the source program may contain double-byte characters. It causes the translator to treat hexadecimal codes X'0E' and X'0F' as shift-out (SO) and shift-in (SI) codes, respectively, wherever they appear in the program. It also prevents the translator from generating parameter lists that contain the shift-out and shift-in values in hexadecimal form. Wherever these values would ordinarily appear, the translator expresses them in binary form, so that there are no unintended DBCS delimiters in the data stream that the compiler receives.

Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

If the compiler you are using supports DBCS, you need to prevent unintended shift-out and shift-in codes, even if you are not using double-byte characters. You can do this by specifying the GRAPHIC option for the translator, so that it does not create them, or by specifying NOGRAPHIC on the compile step, so that the compiler does not interpret them as DBCS delimiters. For more detailed information about how to program in PL/I using DBCS, see the PL/I Programming: Language Reference manual.

LENGTH
(COBOL, Assembler and PL/I only) LENGTH instructs the translator to generate a default length if the LENGTH option is omitted from a CICS command in the application program. The alternative is NOLENGTH.

LINECOUNT(n)
Abbreviation: LC LINECOUNT specifies the number of lines to be included in each page of translator listing, including heading and blank lines. The value of n must be an integer in the range 1 through 255; if n is less than 5, only the heading and one line of listing are included on each page. The default is 60.

LINKAGE
(COBOL only) LINKAGE requests the translator to modify the LINKAGE SECTION and PROCEDURE DIVISION statements in top-level programs according to the existing rules. This means that the translator will insert a USING DFHEIBLK DFHCOMMAREA statement in the PROCEDURE DIVISION, if one does not already exist, and will ensure that the LINKAGE SECTION (creating one if necessary) contains definitions for DFHEIBLK and DFHCOMMAREA. | | DFHEIBLK is defined in upper-case, but if OOCOBOL or COBOL3 are also specified, a mixed-case version of the EIB structure (DFHEIBLC) is inserted. LINKAGE is the defaultthe alternative is NOLINKAGE. The LINKAGE option has no effect on the translation of classes and methods.

MARGINS(m,n[,c])
(C, C++, and PL/I only) Abbreviation: MAR MARGINS specifies the columns of each line or record of input that contain language or CICS statements. The translator does not process data that is outside these limits, though it does include it in the source listings. The option can also specify the position of an American National Standard printer control character to format the listing produced when the SOURCE option is specified; otherwise, the input records are listed without any intervening blank lines. The margin parameters are: m n Column number of left-hand margin. Column number of right-hand margin. It must be greater than m.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Note: When used as a C or C++ compiler option, the asterisk (*) is allowable for the second argument on the MARGIN option. For the translator, however, a numeric value between 1 and 100 inclusive must be specified. When the input data set has fixed-length records, the maximum value allowable for the right hand margin is 80. When the input data set has variable-length records, the maximum value allowable is 100. c Column number of the American National Standard printer control character. It must be outside the values specified for m and n. A zero value for c means no printer control character. If c is nonzero, only the following printer control characters can appear in the source: (blank) Skip 1 line before printing. 0 Skip 2 lines before printing. Skip 3 lines before printing. + No skip before printing. 1 New page.

The default for C and C++ is MARGINS(1,72,0) for fixed-length records, and for variable-length records it is the same as the record length (1,record length,0). The default for PL/I is MARGINS(2,72,0) for fixed-length records, and MARGINS(10,100,0) for variable-length records.

NATLANG(EN or KA)
NATLANG specifies what language is to be used for the translator message output: EN KA (Default) English. Kanji.

(Take care not to confuse this option with the NATLANG API option.)

NOCBLCARD
(COBOL only) NOCBLCARD specifies that the translator is not to generate a CBL statement. The parameters which the CICS translator normally inserts must be set using VS COBOL IIs IGYCOPT macro. These parameters are RENT, RES, NODYNAM, and LIB.

NOCPSM
NOCPSM specifies that the translator is not to process EXEC CPSM commands. This is the defaultthe alternative is CPSM.

NODEBUG
(COBOL, C, C++, and PL/I only) NODEBUG instructs the translator not to produce code that passes the line number through to CICS for use by the execution diagnostic facility (EDF).

NOEDF
NOEDF specifies that the execution diagnostic facility is not to apply to the program. There is no performance advantage in specifying NOEDF, but the option can be useful to prevent commands in well-debugged subprograms appearing on EDF displays.

NOEPILOG
(Assembler language only)
Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

NOEPILOG instructs the translator not to insert the macro DFHEIRET at the end of the program being translated. DFHEIRET returns control from the issuing program to the program which invoked it. If you want to use any of the options of the EXEC CICS RETURN command, you should use EXEC CICS RETURN and specify NOEPILOG. NOEPILOG prevents the translator inserting the macro DFHEIRET. The alternative is EPILOG, which is the default. (See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about the DFHEIRET macro.)

NOFE
(COBOL only) NOFE does not produce translator information messages that print the bit pattern corresponding to the first argument of the translated call. NOFE is the defaultthe alternative is FE.

NOFEPI
NOFEPI disallows access to the FEPI API commands of the CICS Front End Programming Interface (FEPI). NOFEPI is the defaultthe alternative is FEPI.

NOLENGTH
(COBOL, Assembler and PL/I only) NOLENGTH instructs the translator not to generate a default length if the LENGTH option is omitted from a CICS command in the application program. The default is LENGTH.

NOLINKAGE
(COBOL only) NOLINKAGE requests the translator not to modify the LINKAGE SECTION and PROCEDURE DIVISION statements to supply missing DFHEIBLK and DFHCOMMAREA statements. This means that you can provide COBOL copybooks to define a COMMAREA and use the EXEC CICS ADDRESS command. LINKAGE is the default.

NONUM
(COBOL only) NONUM instructs the translator not to use the line numbers appearing in columns one through six of each line of the program as the line number in its diagnostic messages and cross-reference listing, but to generate its own line numbers. NONUM is the defaultthe alternative is NUM.

NOOPSEQUENCE
(C, C++, and PL/I only) Abbreviation: NOS NOOPSEQUENCE specifies the position of the sequence field in the translator output records. The default for C and C++ is OPSEQUENCE(73,80) for fixed-length records and NOOPSEQUENCE for variable-length records. For PL/I, the default is OPSEQUENCE(73,80) for both types of records.

NOOPTIONS
Abbreviation: NOP

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

NOOPTIONS instructs the translator not to include a list of the options used during this translation in its output listing.

NOPROLOG
(Assembler language only) NOPROLOG instructs the translator not to insert the macros DFHEISTG, DFHEIEND, and DFHEIENT into the program being assembled. These macros define local program storage and execute at program entry. (See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about these prolog macros.)

NOSEQ
(COBOL only) NOSEQ instructs the translator not to check the sequence field of the source statements, in columns 1-6. The alternative, SEQ, is the default. If SEQ is specified and a statement is not in sequence, it is flagged. If you specify the ANSI85 option for COBOL, the translator does no sequence checking and the SEQ or NOSEQ option is ignored.

NOSEQUENCE
(C, C++, and PL/I only) Abbreviation: NSEQ NOSEQUENCE specifies that statements in the translator input are not sequence numbered and that the translator must assign its own line numbers. The default for fixed-length records is SEQUENCE(73,80). For variable-length records in C and C++, the default is NOSEQUENCE and for variable-length records in PL/I the default is SEQUENCE(1,8).

NOSOURCE
(C, C++ and PL/I only) NOSOURCE instructs the translator not to include a listing of the translated source program in the translator listing.

NOSPIE
NOSPIE prevents the translator from trapping irrecoverable errors; instead, a dump is produced. You should use NOSPIE only when requested to do so by the IBM support center.

NOVBREF
(COBOL, C, C++ and PL/I only) NOVBREF instructs the translator not to include a cross-reference of commands with line numbers in the translator listing. (NOVBREF used to be called NOXREF; for compatibility, NOXREF is still accepted.) NOVBREF is the defaultthe alternative is VBREF.

NUM
(COBOL only) NUM instructs the translator to use the line numbers appearing in columns one through six of each line of the program as the line number in its diagnostic messages and cross-reference listing. The alternative is NONUM, which is the default.
Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

OOCOBOL
(OO COBOL only) OOCOBOL instructs the translator to recognize the object-oriented COBOL (OO COBOL) syntax. The phrases: v CLASS-ID xxx...xxx v END CLASS xxx...xxx v METHOD-ID xxx...xxx v END METHOD xxx...xxx are recognized but their correct usage is not monitored. The translator considers each class as a separate unit of compilation. This option implies the ANSI85, COBOL2, and COBOL3 options.

OPMARGINS(m,n[,c])
(C, C++ and PL/I only) Abbreviation: OM OPMARGINS specifies the translator output margins, that is, the margins of the input to the following compiler. Normally these are the same as the input margins for the translator. For a definition of input margins and the meaning of m, n, and c, see MARGINS. The default for C and C++ is OPMARGINS(1,72,0) and for PL/I, the default is OPMARGINS(2,72,0). The maximum n value allowable for the OPMARGINS option is 80. The output from the translator is always of a fixed-length record format. If the OPMARGINS option is used to set the output from the translator to a certain format, it may be necessary to change the input margins for the compiler being used. If the OPMARGINS value is allowed to default this is not necessary.

OPSEQUENCE(m,n)
(C, C++, and PL/I only) Abbreviation: OS OPSEQUENCE specifies the position of the sequence field in the translator output records. For the meaning of m and n, see SEQUENCE. The default for C and C++ is OPSEQUENCE(73,80) for fixed-length records and NOOPSEQUENCE for variable-length records. For PL/I, the default is OPSEQUENCE(73,80) for both types of records.

OPTIONS
Abbreviations: OP OPTIONS instructs the translator to include a list of the options used during this translation in its output listing.

PROLOG
(Assembler language only) PROLOG instructs the translator to insert the macros DFHEISTG, DFHEIEND, and DFHEIENT into the program being assembled. These macros define local program storage and execute at program entry. (See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about these prolog macros.) PROLOG is the defaultthe alternative is NOPROLOG.

QUOTE
(COBOL only)

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

QUOTE indicates that literals are delineated by the double quotation mark (). The same value must be specified for the translator step and the following compiler step. The CICS-supplied COBOL copybooks use APOST, the default, instead of QUOTE. Note: COBOL for MVS & VM and later compilers can use either apostrophes or quotes or both in the same program, and this option is not so important for these compilers.

SEQ
(COBOL only) SEQ instructs the translator to check the sequence field of the source statements, in columns 1-6. SEQ is the defaultthe alternative is NOSEQ. If a statement is not in sequence, it is flagged. If you specify the ANSI85 option for COBOL, the translator does no sequence checking and the SEQ option is ignored.

SEQUENCE(m,n)
(C, C++, and PL/I only) Abbreviation: SEQ SEQUENCE specifies that statements in the translator input are sequence numbered and the columns in each line or record that contain the sequence field. The translator uses this number as the line number in error messages and cross-reference listings. No attempt is made to sort the input lines or records into sequence. If no sequence field is specified, the translator assigns its own line numbers. The SEQUENCE parameters are: m n Leftmost sequence number column. Rightmost sequence number column.

The sequence number field must not exceed eight characters and must not overlap the source program (as specified in the MARGINS option). The default for fixed-length records is SEQUENCE(73,80). For variable-length records in C and C++ the default is NOSEQUENCE and for variable-length records in PL/I the default is SEQUENCE(1,8).

SOURCE
(C, C++, and PL/I only) SOURCE instructs the translator to include a listing of the translated source program in the translator listing. SOURCE is the defaultthe alternative is NOSOURCE.

SP
SP must be specified for application programs that contain special (SP) CICS commands or they will be rejected at translate time. These commands are ACQUIRE, COLLECT, CREATE, DISABLE, DISCARD, ENABLE, EXTRACT, INQUIRE, PERFORM, RESYNC, and SET. They are generally used by system programmers. For programming information about these commands, see the CICS System Programming Reference manual.

SPACE(1 or 2 or 3)
(COBOL only)
Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

SPACE indicates the type of spacing to be used in the output listing: SPACE(1) specifies single spacing, SPACE(2) double spacing, and SPACE(3) triple spacing. SPACE(3) is the default.

SPIE
SPIE specifies that the translator is to trap irrecoverable errors. SPIE is the defaultthe alternative is NOSPIE.

SYSEIB
SYSEIB indicates that the program is to use the system EIB instead of the application EIB. The SYSEIB option allows programs to execute CICS commands without updating the application EIB, making that aspect of execution transparent to the application. However, this option imposes restrictions on programs using it, and should be used only in special situations. A program translated with the SYSEIB option must: v Execute in AMODE(31), as the system EIB is assumed to be located in TASKDATALOC(ANY) storage. v Obtain the address of the system EIB using the ADDRESS EIB command (if the program is translated with the SYSEIB option, this command automatically returns the address of the system EIB). v Be aware that the use of the SYSEIB option implies the use of the NOHANDLE option on all CICS commands issued by the program. (Commands should use the RESP option as required.)

VBREF
(COBOL, C, C++, and PL/I only) VBREF specifies whether the translator is to include a cross-reference of commands with line numbers in the translator listing. (VBREF used to be called XREF, and is still accepted.)

Translator options table

Table 5. Translator options applicable to programming language Translator option ANSI85 APOST or QUOTE CBLCARD or NOCBLCARD CICS COBOL2 COBOL3 CPP CPSM or NOCPSM DBCS DEBUG or NODEBUG DLI EDF or NOEDF EPILOG or NOEPILOG EXCI FE or NOFE X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X COBOL X X X X X X X X X X X X X X C C++ PL/I Assembler

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 5. Translator options applicable to programming language (continued) Translator option FEPI or NOFEPI FLAG(I or W or E or S) GDS GRAPHIC LENGTH or NOLENGTH LINECOUNT(n) LINKAGE or NOLINKAGE MARGINS(m,n) NATLANG NUM or NONUM OOCOBOL OPMARGINS(m,n[,c ]) OPSEQUENCE(m,n) or NOOPSEQUENCE OPTIONS or NOOPTIONS PROLOG or NOPROLOG QUOTE or APOST SEQ or NOSEQ SEQUENCE(m,n) or NOSEQUENCE SOURCE or NOSOURCE SP SPACE(1 or 2 or 3) SPIE or NOSPIE SYSEIB VBREF or NOVBREF X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X COBOL X X C X X X C++ X X X X X X X X PL/I X X X Assembler X

Using COPY statements

The compiler (or assembler) reads the translated version of your program as input, rather than your original source. This affects what you see on your compiler (assembler) listing. It also means that COPY statements in your source code must not bring in untranslated CICS commands, because it is too late for the translator to convert them. | | | | | | | | | If you are using a separate translator and the source within any copybook contains CICS commands, you must translate it separately before translation and compilation of the program in which it will be included. If you are using the integrated CICS translator and the source within any copybook contains CICS commands, you do not have to translate it separately before compilation of the program in which it will be included. The external propram must always be passed through the CICS translator, or compiled with a compiler that has an integrated CICS translator, even if all the CICS commands are in included copybooks.

Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

The CICS-supplied interface modules

Each of your application programs to run under CICS requires one or more interface modules (also known as stubs) to use the following facilities: v The EXEC interface v The CPI Communications facility v The SAA Resource Recovery facility v The CICSPlex SM application programming interface (for information about CICSPlex SM stubs, see CICSPlex SM Application Programming Guide).

The EXEC interface modules

Each of your CICS application programs must contain an interface to CICS. This takes the form of an EXEC interface module, used by the CICS high-level programming interface. The module, installed in the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD library, must be link-edited with your application program to provide communication between your code and the EXEC interface program, DFHEIP.

The CPI Communications interface module

Each of your CICS application programs that uses the Common Programming Interface for Communications (CPI Communications) must contain an interface to CPI Communications. This takes the form of an interface module, used by the CICS high-level programming interface, common to all the programming languages. The module, DFHCPLC, that is installed in the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD library, must be link-edited with each application program that uses CPI Communications.

The SAA Resource Recovery interface module

Each of your CICS application programs that uses SAA Resource Recovery must contain an interface to SAA Resource Recovery. This takes the form of an interface module, used by the CICS high-level programming interface, common to all the programming languages. The module, DFHCPLRR, that is installed in the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD library, must be link-edited with each application program that uses the SAA Resource Recovery facility.

Using the EXEC interface modules

A language translator reads your source program and creates a new one; normal language statements remain unchanged, but CICS commands are translated into CALL statements of the form required by the language in which you are coding. The calls invoke CICS-provided EXEC interface modules or stubs , which is a function-dependent piece of code used by the CICS high-level programming interface. The stub, provided in the SDFHLOAD library, must be link-edited with your application program to provide communication between your code and the CICS EXEC interface program, DFHEIP. These stubs are invoked during execution of EXEC CICS and EXEC DLI commands.. Java application programs that use the VisualAge for Java, Enterprise ToolKit for OS/390 do not need EXEC interface stubs, but there are stubs for each of the other supported programming languages. Language Environment-conforming languages require the DFHELII interface module. Otherwise, you should use the following interface modules for the assembler, C, COBOL, and PL/I programming languages:
Table 6. Interface modules Language ASSEMBLER Interface module name DFHEAI and DFHEA10

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 6. Interface modules (continued) Language C COBOL PL/I Language Environment enabled Interface module name DFHELII DFHECI DFHPL1OI supplied by PL/I ( and DFHEPI which is part of the PL/I DFHPLIO1 module). DFHELII

COBOL and PL/I

Each EXEC command is translated into a COBOL CALL statement or PL/I CALL statement (as appropriate) by the command translator. The external entry point invoked by the CALL statement is resolved to an entry in the stub. The COBOL command-level interface has an assembler language stub in the COBOL library. Similarly, a PL/I application program must include a PL/I-supplied stub as well as the EXEC interface stub. This stub is included by automatic library call.

C and C++
These programs must include the EXEC interface stub called DFHELII. There is no library stub. The stub must be link-edited with your application program to provide communication between your code and the EXEC interface program (DFHEIP). For C and C++, each EXEC CICS command is translated by the command translator into a C or C++ function invocation. The external entry point is invoked by the function and is resolved by an entry in the stub.

Assembler language
Each EXEC command is translated into an invocation of the DFHECALL macro by the command translator and the external entry point invoked by DFHECALL is resolved to an entry in the stub.

Chapter 8. Translation and compilation

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 9. Installing application programs

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | This section describes what you have to do to install an application program to run under CICS. Installation of a CICS application program involves translation and compilation of the source statements, and link-edit of the resulting object modules into CICS libraries. An application program generally means any user program that uses the CICS command-level application programming interface (API). Such programs can also use: v SQL statements v DLI requests v Common programming interface (CPI) statements v SAA Resource Recovery statements v External CICS interface commands Note: If you are developing application programs to use the CICS dynamic transaction routing facility, use the Transaction Affinities Utility to detect whether the programs are likely to cause intertransaction affinity. See Chapter 14. Affinity on page 171 for a description of intertransaction affinity. This chapter includes: v Program installation roadmap v Defining MVS residence and addressing modes on page 91 v Running application programs in the RDSAs on page 93 v Using BMS map sets in application programs on page 96 v Using the CICS-supplied procedures to install application programs on page 96 v Including the CICS-supplied interface modules on page 97 v Installing assembler language application programs on page 98 v Installing COBOL application programs on page 100 v Installing PL/I application programs on page 104 v Installing C application programs on page 106 v Using your own job streams on page 108

Program installation roadmap

The following steps are required to install application programs to run under CICS. For detailed information about using the CICS-supplied procedures to install application programs, see Using the CICS-supplied procedures to install application programs on page 96. To use your own JCL to install application programs, see Using your own job streams on page 108. 1. Compile your program source if you are using a compiler with an integrated translator. 2. If your compiler does not translate CICS commands, you will need to translate the program source code, turning CICS commands into calls that are understood by the compiler, then compile or assemble the translator output to produce object code. Notes: a. If your program does not use CICS commands and is only invoked by a running transaction (and never directly by CICS task initiation), no translator step is needed. b. CICS command-level programs that access DL/I services through either the DL/I CALL or EXEC DLI interfaces must also be translated. Applications that
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

access IBM DATABASE 2 (DB2) services using the EXEC SQL interface need an additional precompilation step. For information about this step, see the IBM DATABASE 2 Application Programming and SQL Guide. 3. Pre-link any C and C++ programs. 4. Link-edit the object module to produce a load module, which you store in an application load library that is concatenated to the DFHRPL DD statement of the CICS startup job stream. Additional INCLUDE statements are required for applications that access DB2 services using the EXEC SQL interface. For information about these extra statements, see the IBM DATABASE 2 Application Programming and SQL Guide. 5. Create resource definition entries, in the CSD, for any transaction that calls the program, and install them.. 6. Do one of the following: v If you are using program autoinstall, ensure that the autoinstall user-replaceable module can correctly install a resource definition for the program. v If you are not using program autoinstall, create a resource definition entry in the CSD for the program, and install it. If you have macro-level programs from an earlier release of CICS, recode them as command-level programs. Furthermore, references to the CSA or to the TCA are not allowed. You can specify YES for the system initialization parameter DISMACP to cause CICS to disable any transaction whose program invokes a CICS macro or references the CSA or the TCA. CICS provides a utility program, DFHMSCAN, to identify the macro-level programs used by your CICS applications. For information about using the DFHMSCAN utility to identify macro-level programs, see the CICS Operations and Utilities Guide.

Preparing for program installation

Points to consider when installing application programs. v If you want your application program to use CPI Communications or SAA Resource Recovery, make the appropriate interface modules available to your program. For information about the CPI Communications interface module and the SAA Resource Recovery interface module, see The CICS-supplied interface modules on page 86. v If you want your application program to reside in the MVS link pack area (LPA), specify appropriate options when installing your program. Options appropriate to each language are given for the sample job streams in the following sections. For information on preparing programs to run in the link pack area (LPA), see Running applications in the link pack area on page 92. For information on preparing programs to run in the read-only DSAs, see Running application programs in the RDSAs on page 93. v If you want your application program to use BMS maps, first prepare the map sets. For more information, see Using BMS map sets in application programs on page 96.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Defining MVS residence and addressing modes

This section describes the effect of the MVS residence and addressing modes on application programs, how you can change the modes, and how you can make application programs permanently resident. An application written to run on MVS/370 can run on any MVS system, if it is link-edited with the AMODE(24) and RMODE(24) options. A command-level program written in assembler language, C/370, VS COBOL II, or PL/I Version 1 Release 5.1 or later, can reside above 16MB, and address areas above 16MB. The program can contain EXEC CICS, EXEC DLI, and CALL DL/I commands.

Establishing a programs addressing mode

Every program that executes in MVS is assigned two attributes: an addressing mode (AMODE), and a residency mode (RMODE). AMODE specifies the addressing mode in which your program is designed to receive control. Generally, your program is designed to execute in that mode, although you can switch modes in the program, and have different AMODE attributes for different entry points within a load module. The RMODE attribute indicates where in virtual storage your program can reside. Valid AMODE and RMODE specifications are:
AMODE(24) AMODE(31) AMODE(ANY) RMODE(24) Specifies 24-bit addressing mode. Specifies 31-bit addressing mode. Specifies either 24- or 31-bit addressing mode. Indicates that the module must reside in virtual storage below 16MB. You can specify RMODE(24) for 31-bit programs that have 24-bit dependencies. Indicates that the module can reside anywhere in virtual storage.

RMODE(ANY)

Note: C/370 language programs must be link-edited with AMODE(31). If you do not specify any AMODE or RMODE attributes for your program, MVS assigns the system defaults AMODE(24) and RMODE(24). To override these defaults, you can specify AMODE and RMODE in one or more of the following places. Assignments in this list overwrite assignments later in the list. 1. On the link-edit MODE control statement:
MODE AMODE(31),RMODE(ANY)

2. Either of the following: a. In the PARM string on the EXEC statement of the link-edit job step:
//LKED EXEC PGM=IEWL,PARM='AMODE(31),RMODE(ANY),..'

b. On the LINK TSO command, which causes processing equivalent to that of the EXEC statement in the link-edit step. 3. On AMODE or RMODE statements within the source code of an assembler program. (You can also set these modes in COBOL by means of the compiler options; for information about COBOL compiler options, see the relevant application programming guide for your COBOL compiler.) 4. The link-edit modules DFHECI and DFHEPI assign AMODE(31) and RMODE(ANY) to COBOL and PL/I programs.

CICS address space considerations

Table 7 gives the valid combinations of the AMODE and RMODE attributes and their effects:
Chapter 9. Installing application programs

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Table 7. Valid AMODE and RMODE specifications and their effects AMODE 24 31 ANY 31 RMODE 24 24 24 ANY Residence Below 16MB Below 16MB Below 16MB Above 16MB Addressing 24-bit mode 31-bit mode 31-bit mode 31-bit mode

The following example shows link-edit control statements for a program coded to 31-bit standards:
//LKED.SYSIN DD * MODE AMODE(31),RMODE(ANY) NAME anyname(R) ("anyname" is your load module name) /* //

Making programs permanently resident

If you define a program in the CSD with the resident attribute, RESIDENT(YES), it is loaded on first reference. This applies to programs link-edited with either RMODE(ANY) or RMODE(24). However, be aware that the storage compression algorithm that CICS uses does not remove resident programs. If there is not enough storage for a task to load a program, the task is suspended until enough storage becomes available. If any of the DSAs get close to being short on storage, CICS frees the storage occupied by programs that are not in use. (For more information about the dynamic storage areas in CICS, see CICS System Definition Guide.) Instead of making RMODE(24) programs resident, you can make them non-resident and use the library lookaside (LLA) function. The space occupied by such a program is freed when its usage count reaches zero, making more virtual storage available. LLA keeps its library directory in storage and stages (places) copies of LLA-managed library modules in a data space managed by the virtual lookaside facility (VLF). CICS locates a program module from LLAs directory in storage, rather than searching program directories on DASD. When CICS requests a staged module, LLA gets it from storage without any I/O.

Running applications in the link pack area

Programs written in assembler language, C, VS COBOL II or later, or PL/I Release 5.1, can reside in the link pack area (LPA). To do so, they must be read-only and have been link-edited with the RENT and REFR options. Other requirements are as follows: Assembler Use the RENT assembler option. C Use the RENT compiler option.

COBOL Do not overwrite WORKING STORAGE. (The CICS translator generates a CBL statement with the required compiler RENT option (unless you specify the translator option NOCBLCARD). For the COBOL and COBOL2 translator options, the translator also generates the RES compiler option.)

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

PL/I Version 1 Release 5.1 or later Do not overwrite STATIC storage. (The CICS translator inserts the required REENTRANT option into the PROCEDURE statement.) If you want CICS to use modules that you have written to these standards, and installed in the LPA, specify USELPACOPY(YES) on the program resource definitions in the CSD. For information about installing CICS modules in the LPA, see the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Installation Guide.

Running application programs in the RDSAs

Programs that are eligible to reside above 16MB, and are read-only, can reside in the CICS extended read-only DSA (ERDSA). Therefore, to be eligible for the ERDSA, programs must be: v Properly written to read-only standards v Written to 31-bit addressing standards v Link-edited with the RENT attribute and the RMODE(ANY) residency attribute Programs that are not eligible to reside above 16MB, and are read-only, can reside in the CICS read-only DSA (RDSA) below 16MB. Therefore, to be eligible for the RDSA, programs must be: v Properly written to read-only standards v Link-edited with the RENT attribute Note: When you are running CICS with RENTPGM=PROTECT specified as a system initialization parameter, the RDSAs are allocated from key-0 read-only storage. Programs link-edited with RENT and RMODE(ANY) are automatically loaded by CICS into the ERDSA. ERDSA requirements for the specific languages are described as follows.

Assembler
If you want CICS to load your assembler programs in the ERDSA, assemble and link-edit them with the following options: 1. The RENT assembler option 2. The link-edit RENT attribute 3. The RMODE(ANY) residency mode Note: If you specify these options, ensure that the program is truly read-only (that is, does not modify itself in any wayfor example, by writing to static storage), otherwise storage exceptions occur. The program must also be written to 31-bit addressing standards. See the CICS Problem Determination Guide for some possible causes of storage protection exceptions in programs resident in the ERDSA. The CICS-supplied procedure, DFHEITAL, has a LNKPARM parameter that specifies the XREF and LIST options only. To link-edit an ERDSA-eligible program, override LNKPARM from the calling job, specifying the RENT and RMODE(ANY) options in addition to any others you require. For example:
//ASMPROG JOB 1,user_name,MSGCLASS=A,CLASS=A,NOTIFY=userid //EITAL EXEC DFHEITAL, .
Chapter 9. Installing application programs

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

(other parameters as necessary) . LNKPARM='LIST,XREF,RMODE(ANY),RENT'

Note: The CICS EXEC interface module for assembler programs (DFHEAI) specifies AMODE(ANY) and RMODE(ANY). However, because the assembler defaults your application to AMODE(24) and RMODE(24), the resulting load module also becomes AMODE(24) and RMODE(24). If you want your application program link-edited as AMODE(31) and RMODE(ANY), you are recommended to use appropriate statements in your assembler program. For example:
MYPROG MYPROG MYPROG CSECT AMODE 31 RMODE ANY

There are two ways of setting AMODE and RMODE: v You can set the required AMODE and RMODE specification by using link-edit (or binder) control information in the JCL PARM keyword. For example:
//EITAL EXEC DFHEITAL, LNKPARM='LIST,XREF,RENT,AMODE(31),RMODE(ANY)'

v Alternatively, you can use the MODE control statement in the SYSIN dataset in the link-edit, or the binder step in your JCL. When using the binder, you may see unexpected warning messages about conflicting AMODE and RMODE specifications.

C and C/++
If you want CICS to load your C and C++ programs into the ERDSA, compile and link-edit them with: 1. The RENT compiler option. The CICS-supplied procedures DFHYITDL (for C) and DFHYITEL (for C++) have a LNKPARM parameter that specifies a number of link-edit options. To link-edit an ERDSA-eligible program, override this parameter from the calling job, and add RENT to the other options you require. You do not need to add the RMODE(ANY ) option, because the CICS EXEC interface module for C/370 (DFHELII) is link-edited with AMODE(31) and RMODE(ANY). Therefore, your program is link-edited as AMODE(31) and RMODE(ANY) automatically when you include the CICS EXEC interface stub, see The CICS-supplied interface modules on page 86. The following sample job statements show the LNKPARM parameter with the RENT option added:
//C370PROG JOB 1,user_name,MSGCLASS=A,CLASS=A,NOTIFY=userid //EYTDL EXEC DFHEYTDL, . (other parameters as necessary) . // LNKPARM='LIST,MAP,LET,XREF,RENT'

COBOL
If you use the integrated CICS translator then the compile requires the RENT compiler option, so no CBL card needs to be added during translation.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

LE-conforming COBOL and VS COBOL II programs that require a separate translation step, are automatically eligible for the ERDSA, because: v The translator option, CBLCARD (the default), causes the required compiler option, RENT, to be included automatically on the CBL statement generated by the CICS translator. If you use the translator option, NOCBLCARD, you can specify the RENT option either on the PARM statement of the compile job step, or by using the COBOL macro IGYCOPT to set installation-defined options. v The COBOL compiler automatically generates code that conforms to read-only and 31-bit addressing standards. v The CICS EXEC interface module for COBOL (DFHECI) is link-edited with AMODE(31) and RMODE(ANY). Therefore, your program is link-edited as AMODE(31) and RMODE(ANY) automatically when you include the CICS EXEC interface interface stub, see The CICS-supplied interface modules on page 86. You also need to specify the reentrant attribute to link-edit. The CICS-supplied procedure, DFHYITVL (and also DFHEITVL), has a LNKPARM parameter that specifies a number of link-edit options. To link-edit an ERDSA-eligible program, override this parameter from the calling job, and add RENT to any other options you require. For example:
//COB2PROG JOB 1,user_name,MSGCLASS=A,CLASS=A,NOTIFY=userid //YITVL EXEC DFHYITVL, . (other parameters as necessary) . // LNKPARM='LIST,XREF,RENT'

PL/I
CICS PL/I programs are generally eligible for the ERDSA, provided they do not change static storage. The following requirements are enforced, either by CICS or PL/I: v The required REENTRANT option is included automatically, by the CICS translator, on the PL/I PROCEDURE statement. v The PL/I compiler automatically generates code that conforms to 31-bit addressing standards. v The CICS EXEC interface module for PL/I (DFHEPI, which is part of the PL/I DFHPL1OI module) is link-edited with AMODE(31) and RMODE(ANY). Therefore, your program is link-edited as AMODE(31) and RMODE(ANY) automatically when you include the CICS EXEC interface stub, see The CICS-supplied interface modules on page 86. You also need to specify the reentrant attribute to the link-edit. The CICS-supplied procedure, DFHYITPL (and DFHEITPL), has a LNKPARM parameter that specifies a number of link-edit options. To link-edit an ERDSA-eligible program, override this parameter from the calling job, and add RENT to any other options you require. For example:
//PLIPROG JOB 1,user_name,MSGCLASS=A,CLASS=A,NOTIFY=userid //YITPL EXEC DFHYITPL, . (other parameters as necessary) . // LNKPARM='LIST,XREF,RENT'

Note: Do not specify the RENT attribute on the link-edit step unless you have ensured the program is truly read-only (and does not, for example, write to static storage), otherwise storage exceptions will occur. See the CICS
Chapter 9. Installing application programs

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Problem Determination Guide for some possible causes of storage protection exceptions in programs resident in the ERDSA.

Using BMS map sets in application programs

This section describes what to do to use BMS map sets in application programs. Before you install an application program to run under CICS: v Create any BMS map sets used by the program, as described in Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets on page 113. v Include the physical map sets (used by BMS in its formatting activities) in a library that is in the DFHRPL concatenation. v Either include the symbolic map sets (copied into the application programs) in a user copy library, or insert them directly into the application program source. The DFHMAPS procedure writes the symbolic map set output to the library specified on the DSCTLIB parameter, which defaults to the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHMAC library. If you want to include symbolic map sets in a user copy library: v Specify the library name by the DSCTLIB=name operand on the EXEC statement for the DFHMAPS procedure used to install physical and symbolic map sets together. v Include a DD statement for the user copy library in the SYSLIB concatenation of the job stream used to assemble and compile the application program. If you choose to let the DFHMAPS procedure write the symbolic map sets to the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHMAC library (the default), include a DD statement for the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHMAC library in the SYSLIB concatenation of the job stream used to compile the application program. This is not necessary for the DFHEITAL procedure used to assemble assembler-language programs, because these jobs already include a DD statement for the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHMAC library in the SYSLIB concatenation. v For PL/I, specify a library that has a block size of 400 bytes. This is necessary to overcome the blocksize restriction on the PL/I compiler. For more information about installing map sets, see Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets on page 113. For information about writing programs to use BMS services, seeChapter 30. Basic mapping support on page 393.

Using the CICS-supplied procedures to install application programs

CICS supplies job control statements (JCL) for the translate, compile, and link-edit steps, in separate cataloged procedures for each programming language supported. After CICS is installed, you should copy these procedures, installed in the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHPROC library, into a procedure library. Each procedure has a name of the form DFHwxTyL, where the variables w, x, and y depend on the type of program (EXCI batch or CICS online), the type of compiler, and the programming language. Using the preceding naming convention, the procedure names are given in Table 8 on page 97.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Table 8. Procedures for installing application programs Language LE-conforming compilers Online Assembler C C++ COBOL PL/I DFHYITDL DFHYITEL DFHYITVL DFHYITPL EXCI DFHYXTDL DFHYXTEL DFHYXTVL DFHYXTPL non-LE-conforming compilers Online DFHEITAL DFHEITDL DFHEITVL DFHEITPL EXCI DFHEXTAL DFHEXTDL DFHEXTVL DFHEXTPL

Note: DFHYITEL may also be used for C as long as you specify the correct name of the C compiler on the COMPILER parameter. All the sample job streams shown apply if your program source statements are imbedded in the text. If your program source is a member of a partitioned data set, replace the //TRN.SYSIN statement by a statement in one of the following forms:
//TRN.SYSIN DD DSN=partition.dataset.name(programname),DISP=SHR //SYSIN DD DSN=partition.dataset.name(programname),DISP=SHR

Installing programs in load library secondary extents

CICS supports load library secondary extents that are created while CICS is running. If you define libraries in the DFHRPL concatenation with primary and secondary extents, and secondary extents are added as a result of link-editing into the DFHRPL library while CICS is running, the CICS loader detects the occurrence, closes, and then reopens the library. This means that you can introduce new versions using the CEMT NEWCOPY command, even if the new copy of the program has caused a new library extent. However, this can increase the search time when loading modules from the secondary extents. You should avoid using secondary extents if possible.

Including the CICS-supplied interface modules

The CICS-supplied procedures to install your online application programs in a CICS library specify the CICS library member that contains the INCLUDE statement for the appropriate language EXEC interface module. These library members are named DFHEILIx, where x is A for assembler, C for COBOL, D for C, or P for PL/I. For example, the DFHYITVL procedure uses the following statements:
//COPYLINK //SYSUT1 //SYSUT2 // // //SYSPRINT //SYSIN . . . //SYSLIN // // EXEC PGM=IEBGENER,COND=(7,LT,COB) DD DSN=&INDEX..SDFHCOB(&STUB),DISP=SHR DD DSN=&&COPYLINK,DISP=(NEW,PASS), DCB=(LRECL=80,BLKSIZE=400,RECFM=FB), UNIT=&WORK,SPACE=(400,(20,20)) DD SYSOUT=&OUTC DD DUMMY DD DSN=&&COPYLINK,DISP=(OLD,DELETE) DD DSN=&&LOADSET,DISP=(OLD,DELETE) DD DDNAME=SYSIN

In this COBOL example, the symbolic parameter STUB defaults to DFHEILIC. The DFHEILIC member contains the statement INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHECI).

Chapter 9. Installing application programs

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

In the DFHEITPL procedure for installing PL/I application programs, the SYS1.PL1BASE library is included in the SYSLIB concatenation. This is needed because the INCLUDE statement in the DFHEILIP module specifies INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHPL1OI), where DFHPL1OI is the name of the PL/I interface module supplied by PL/I. . In the DFHEILIP module, after the INCLUDE statement, there is the REPLACE PLISTART link-edit command. This command causes the CSECT PLISTART, which is inserted by the compiler, to be removed because equivalent function is in the stub DFHPL1OI. The REPLACE PLISTART command is needed for programs to run under Language Environment, but is optional for other PL/I programs that run under CICS. If your application program is to use CPI Communications or the SAA Resource Recovery facility, do one of the following: v Add appropriate INCLUDE statements to the LKED.SYSIN override in the job used to call the CICS-supplied procedure to install your application program. Add the following INCLUDE statements: INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHCPLC) if your program uses CPI Communications INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHCPLRR) if your program uses SAA Resource Recovery v Rely on the link-edit automatic library-call mechanism to include the necessary modules. Warning messages may appear during the link-edit step, indicating DUPLICATE definitions for the DFHEI1 module. You may ignore these messages. For more information about link-edit requirements, see Using your own job streams on page 108.

Installing assembler language application programs

You can use the DFHEITAL procedure (see Figure 12 on page 99) to translate, assemble, and link-edit application programs written in assembler language.

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

|
Assembler-language source

Command-level language translator

Translator listing

Intermediate storage Assembler Assembly listing

CICS. SDFHMAC

Intermediate storage Linkage Editor CICS. SDFHLOAD Linkage Editor listing

CICS. SDFHLOAD

| | Figure 12. Installing assembler language programs using the DFHEITAL procedure | | | | | | | | |

Sample JCL to install assembler application programs

You can use the sample job control statements shown in Figure 13 on page 100 to process application programs written in assembler language. In the procedure name, x depends on whether your programs are CICS application programs or EXCI batch programs. For the names of the CICS-supplied procedures, see Table 8 on page 97.

Chapter 9. Installing application programs

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

//jobname JOB accounting info,name,MSGLEVEL=1 // EXEC PROC=DFHExTAL //TRN.SYSIN DD * *ASM XOPTS(translator options . . .) . assembler-language source statements . /* //LKED.SYSIN DD * NAME anyname(R) /* //

1 2

where anyname is your load module name

Figure 13. Sample job control statements to call the DFHwxTAL procedures

Notes: 1 If you are installing a program into either of the read-only DSAs, see Running application programs in the RDSAs on page 93 for more details. If you are installing a program that is to be used from the LPA, add: v RENT to the PARM options in the EXEC statement for the ASM step of the DFHEITAL procedure v RENT and REFR options to the LNKPARM parameter on the call to the DFHEITAL procedure (See Running applications in the link pack area on page 92.) 2 For information about the translator options you can include on the XOPTS statement, see Defining translator options on page 74. .

Installing COBOL application programs

Figure 14 on page 101 illustrates the flow of control in the cataloged procedures for COBOL and PL/I programs that require a separate translator step. If you use an integrated translator, the high-level language source and CICS.SDFHLOAD both input to the compiler, and a combined translator and compiler listing is produced.

100

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

|
High-level language source

CICS. SDFHLOAD

Command-level language translator

Translator listing

Intermediate storage DFHBMSCA DFHAID CICS. SDFHCOB or SDFHPL1 High-level language compiler Compiler listing

DFHEILIC DFHEILIP Intermediate storage DFHECI DFHEPI Linkage Editor Linkage Editor listing

CICS. SDFHLOAD

DFHPL1OI

SYS1.PLIBASE or COBLIB

CICS. SDFHLOAD

| | Figure 14. Installing COBOL and PL/I programs | | | | | | | | |

Sample JCL to install COBOL application programs

You can use the job control statements shown in Figure 15 on page 102 to process COBOL application programs. In the procedure name, wx depends on whether your programs are to be compiled by an LE-conforming compiler or otherwise, and whether it is a CICS application program or an EXCI batch program. For the names of the CICS-supplied COBOL procedures, see Table 8 on page 97.

Chapter 9. Installing application programs

101

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

//jobname JOB accounting info,name,MSGLEVEL=1 // EXEC PROC=DFHwxTVL //TRN.SYSIN DD * CBL XOPTS(Translator options . . .) . COBOL source statements . /* //LKED.SYSIN DD * NAME anyname(R) /* //

1 2 3

where anyname is your load module name

Figure 15. Sample job control statements to call the DFHwxTVL procedures

Notes for installing COBOL programs 1 Translator options: Specify the following translator options according to the version of the COBOL compiler called in the compile step. OOCOBOL for the IBM COBOL for MVS & VM, and COBOL for OS/390 & VM compilers. This option is only needed if the object-oriented syntax (such as class-id and method-id), is used in the application program. The OOCOBOL option implies the COBOL3, ANSI85 and COBOL2 translator options. COBOL3 for one of the LE-conforming COBOL compilers. COBOL3 implies the ANSI85 and COBOL2 translator options. ANSI85 for the VS COBOL II compiler. This option specifies that the translator is to translate VS COBOL II programs that implement the ANSI85 standards. ANSI85 implies the COBOL2 option. COBOL2 for the VS COBOL II compiler. Compiler options: To compile a VS COBOL II application program, you need the compiler options: RENT, RES, NODYNAM, and LIB. If you use the translator option, CBLCARD (the default), the CICS translator automatically generates a CBL statement containing these options. You can prevent the generation of a CBL or PROCESS card by specifying the translator option NOCBLCARD. To compile a COBOL program with one of the LE-conforming compilers, you need the compiler options: RENT, NODYNAM, and LIB. To compile a COBOL program with a compiler that has an integrated translator, you also need to use the CICS compiler option. The PARM statement of the COB step in DFHwxTVL specifies values for the compiler options. For example,

102

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

//COB //

EXEC PGM=IGYCRCTL,REGION=&REG, PARM='NODYNAM,LIB,OBJECT,RENT,RES,APOST,MAP,XREF'

It does not specify values for the SIZE and BUF options. The defaults are SIZE=MAX, and BUF=4K. SIZE defines the amount of virtual storage available to the compiler, and BUF defines the amount of dynamic storage to be allocated to each compiler buffer work file. You can change these options with a PARM.COB parameter in the EXEC statement that invokes the procedure. For example:
EXEC PROC=DFHwxTVL,PARM.COB='SIZE=512K,BUF=16K,.,.,.'

Ensure that the APOST|QUOTE option in effect for the VS COBOL II compiler matches that for the translator. There is no BATCH compiler option for VS COBOL II. For information about VS COBOL II compiler options, see Defining translator options on page 74. You can change compiler options by using any of the following methods: v By overriding the PARM statement defined on the COB step of the DFHwxTCL procedure. If you specify a PARM statement in the job that calls the procedure, it overrides all the options specified in the procedure JCL. Ensure that all the options you want are specified in the override, or in a CBL statement. v Specifying a CBL statement at the start of the source statements in the job stream used to call the DFHwxTCL procedure. v The COBOL installation defaults macro, IGYCOPT. This is needed if you do not use a CBL statement; that is, have specified the translator option NOCBLCARD, and the compiler option ALOWCBL=NO. For information about the translator option CBLCARD|NOCBLCARD, see Defining translator options on page 74. If you choose to use the NOCBLCARD option, also specify the COBOL compiler option ALOWCBL=NO to prevent an error message of IGYOS4006-E being issued. The ALOWCBL=NO option can be overridden at compile time by the JCL PARM option or a TSO command. For more information about the ALOWCBL compiler option, see the relevant Installation and Customization manual for your version of COBOL. 2 If you have no input for the translator, you can specify DD DUMMY instead of DD *. However, if you specify DD DUMMY, also code a suitable DCB operand. (The translator does not supply all the data control block information for the SYSIN data set.) 3 The translator options on the XOPTS statement override similar options in the DFHwxTVL procedure. Any translator options you specify should include the type of COBOL translator option, COBOL2 or COBOL3. For information about the translator options you can include on the XOPTS statement, see Defining translator options on page 74. 4 You can ignore weak external references unresolved by the link-edit. The link-edit job step requires access to the libraries containing the environment-specific modules for CICS, the general VS COBOL II library subroutines, and the Language Environment link-edit modules, as appropriate. The
Chapter 9. Installing application programs

103

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

required libraries are included in the SYSLIB concatenation of procedures for VS COBOL II. Override or change the names of these libraries if the modules and library subroutines are installed in libraries with different names. If you are installing a program into either of the read-only DSAs, see Running application programs in the RDSAs on page 93 for more details. If you are installing a program that is to be used from the LPA, add the RENT and REFR options to the LNKPARM parameter on the call to the DFHEITVL procedure. (See Running applications in the link pack area on page 92.)

Installing PL/I application programs

Figure 14 on page 101 illustrates the flow of control in the cataloged procedures for PL/I programs. PL/I-CICS application programs must be link-edited in a different way than non-CICS PL/I applications. This is because the normal entry point, control section PLISTART, is not required on CICS systems. Instead, the module DFHPL1OI is provided by PL/I, which acts as the entry point to the program and must be link-edited with the application program. The CICS loader requires that DFHPL1OI be positioned at the head of the load module. For example, assuming the PL/I application is made up of members PLIAPP and EXTSUB, which reside in the library defined by ddname L1, and that the SYSLIB data set contains DFHPL1OI, then the following link-edit statements should be used:
INCLUDE SYSLIB (DFHPL1OI) Ensure that DFHPL1OI is at the head of the load module. REPLACE PLISTART Delete unwanted CSECTs from following INCLUDE. INCLUDE L1 (PLIAPP) Application procedure (1). REPLACE PLISTART Delete unwanted CSECTs from following INCLUDE. INCLUDE L1 (EXTSUB) Application procedure (2). INCLUDE DFHSHRE (PLISHRE) Optional. Use if shared library is to be used. NAME APROG (R) Optional. Defines name of load module.

For more information about preparing PL/I programs, see the OS PL/I Version 2 Programming Guide, SC26-4307-02.

Sample JCL to install PL/I application programs

You can use the job control statements shown in Figure 16 on page 105 to process PL/I application programs. In the procedure name, wx depends on whether your programs are to be compiled by an LE-conforming compiler or otherwise, and whether it is a CICS application program or an EXCI batch program. For the names of the CICS-supplied procedures, see Table 8 on page 97.

104

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

//jobname JOB accounting info,name,MSGLEVEL=1 // EXEC PROC=DFHwxTPL 1 //TRN.SYSIN DD * 2 *PROCESS XOPTS(translator options...)PL/I compiler options...; 3 . PL/I source statements 4 . /* //LKED.SYSIN DD * 5 NAME anyname(R) /* //

where anyname is your load module name

Figure 16. Sample job control statements to call the DFHwxTPL procedures

Notes for installing a PL/I program: These notes apply to the DFHEITPL procedure only. 1 In the DFHEITPL procedure, the link-edit step includes module DFHPL1OI. This module is generated during the installation of PL/I and is normally placed either in the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD library, the SYS1.PLIBASE library, or a user library. Find out which library contains this module, and either copy the module to the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD library or concatenate the appropriate library in LKED.SYSLIB. If you include the PL/I REPORT and COUNT execution time options, output goes to the CPLI transient data destination. There is an example of this transient data queue coded in the sample destination control table in the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHSAMP library. 2 If you have no input for the translator, you can specify DD DUMMY instead of DD *. However, if you specify DD DUMMY also code a suitable DCB operand. (The translator does not supply all the data control block information for the SYSIN data set.) 3 Translator and compiler options: For information about the translator options you can include on the XOPTS statement, see Defining translator options on page 74. . Ignore the message from the PL/I compiler: IEL0548I PARAMETER TO MAIN PROCEDURE NOT VARYING CHARACTER STRING. Warning messages may appear from the PL/I compiler stating that arguments and parameters do not match for calls to procedure DFHxxxx. These messages indicate that arguments specified in operands to CICS commands may not have the correct data type. Carefully check all fields mentioned in these messages, especially receiver fields. 4 If you include the CALL PLIDUMP statement in an application program, output goes to the CPLD transient data destination. The CICS supplied resource definition group, in the CSD, DFHDCTG, contains an entry for CPLD. 5 link-edit considerations:

Chapter 9. Installing application programs

105

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

You can ignore weak external references unresolved by the link-edit. If you are installing a program into either of the read-only DSAs, see Running application programs in the RDSAs on page 93 for more details. If you are installing a program that is to be used from the LPA, add the RENT and REFR options to the LNKPARM parameter on the call to the DFHEITPL procedure. (See Running applications in the link pack area on page 92 for more information.) To use the PL/I shared library facility, generate the module PLISHRE (see CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Installation Guide) before you compile and link-edit your application programs. When you have re-link-edited the PLISHRE module into the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD library, put the INCLUDE SYSLIB(PLISHRE) control statement immediately after the INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHPL1OI) statement in the DFHEILIP member in the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHPL1 library. Also, code a LKED.SYSLIB DD statement to concatenate the library that contains the PLISHRE module in front of the SYS1.PLIBASE library. For example:
//LKED.SYSLIB // DD DSN=CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD,DISP=SHR DD DSN=SYS1.PLIBASE,DISP=SHR

Installing C application programs

Figure 17 on page 107 illustrates the flow of control in the cataloged procedures for C command-level programs. Before you can install any C programs, have installed the C library and compiler and generated CICS support for C. (See CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Installation Guide.)

106

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

|
High-level language source

CICS. SDFHLOAD

Command-level language translator

Translator listing

Intermediate storage High-level language compiler Compiler listing

EDC.V1R2M0 SEDCHDRS SEDCMSGS (EDCMSGE)

DFHBMSCA DFHAID

Intermediate storage Pre-linkage editor Pre-linkage editor listing

EDC.V1R2M0 SEDCLINK SEDCCOMP SEDCMSGS (EDCMSGE) EDC.V2R2M1 SIBMLINK

Intermediate storage

DFHEILID DFHELII Linkage Editor CICS. SDFHLOAD Linkage Editor listing

EDC.V1R2M0 SEDCBASE

EDC.V2R2M1 SIBMBASE

CICS. SDFHLOAD

| | Figure 17. Installing C programs using the DFHxyTzL procedure | | | | | |

Sample JCL to install C application programs

You can use the job control statements shown in Figure 18 on page 108 to process C application programs. In the procedure name, w and x depend on whether your programs are to be compiled by an LE-conforming compiler or otherwise, and
Chapter 9. Installing application programs

107

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

whether it is a CICS application program or an EXCI batch program. For the names of the CICS-supplied procedures, see Table 8 on page 97.
//jobname JOB accounting info,name,MSGLEVEL=1 // EXEC PROC=DFHwxTDL //TRN.SYSIN DD * #pragma XOPTS(Translator options . . .) . C source statements . /* //LKED.SYSIN DD * NAME anyname(R) /* // 1 2 3

where anyname is your load module name

Figure 18. Sample JCL to call the DFHwxTDL procedures

Notes for installing a C program: 1 Compiler options: You can code compiler options by using the parameter override (PARM.C) in the EXEC statement that invokes the procedure, or by a C statement at the start of the source statements. If you use a C statement, you need a parameter override of BATCH on the EXEC PROC=DFHEITyL statement. You can compile your C/370 applications under Version 1 Release 2 of the C/370 compiler and run them under Version 1 Release 2 of the C/370 library. 2 If you have no input for the translator, you can specify DD DUMMY instead of DD *. However, if you specify DD DUMMY, also code a suitable DCB operand. (The translator does not supply all the data control block information for the SYSIN data set.) 3 Translator options: For information about the translator options you can include on the XOPTS statement, see Defining translator options on page 74 . 4 If you are installing a program into either of the read-only DSAs, see Running application programs in the RDSAs on page 93 for more details. If you are installing a program that is to be used from the LPA, add the RENT and REFR options to the LNKPARM parameter on the call to the DFHEITyL procedure. (See Running applications in the link pack area on page 92 for more information.) C language programs must be link-edited with AMODE(31), so the DFHwxTDL procedures specify AMODE(31) by default.

Using your own job streams

If you want to write your own JCL to translate, assemble (or compile), and link-edit your application programs, you can use the supplied cataloged procedures as a model. They are installed in the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHPROC library.

108

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

The rest of this section summarizes the important points about the translator and each of the main categories of program. For simplicity, the following discussion states that you load programs into CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD or IMS.PGMLIB. In fact, you can use any libraries, but only when they are either included in the DFHRPL library concatenation in the CICS job stream, or included in the STEPLIB library concatenation in the batch job stream (for a stand-alone IMS batch program). Note: The IMS libraries referred to in the job streams are identified by IMS.libnam (for example IMS.PGMLIB). If you use your own naming convention for IMS libraries, please rename the IMS libraries accordingly.

Translator requirements
The CICS translator requires a minimum of 256KB of virtual storage. You may need to use the translator options CICS and DLI. If you have no input for the translator, you can specify DD DUMMY instead of DD *. However, if you specify DD DUMMY, also code a suitable DCB operand. (The translator does not supply all the data control block information for the SYSIN data set.)

Online programs that use EXEC CICS or EXEC DLI commands

1. Always use the translator option CICS. If the program issues EXEC DLI commands, use the translator option DLI. 2. The link-edit input (defined by the SYSLIN DD statement) must include the correct interface module before the object deck. Therefore, place an INCLUDE statement for the interface module before the object deck. Also put ORDER statements before the INCLUDE statements, and an ENTRY statement after all the INCLUDE statements. The interface modules are: DFHEAI Assembler DFHELII C DFHECI COBOL DFHPL1OI PL/I DFHELII LE-conforming compilers Note: Assembler and PL/I programs require additional modules, DFHEAI0 and DFHEPI respectively. In each case, inclusion of the interface module named above generates a reference to the additional module, and it is automatically included. In the CICS-supplied procedures, the input to the link-edit step (defined by the SYSLIN DD statement) concatenates a library member with the object deck. This member contains an INCLUDE statement for the required interface module. For example, the DFHEITVL procedure concatenates the library member DFHEILIC, which contains the following INCLUDE statement:
INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHECI)

Chapter 9. Installing application programs

109

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

3. Place the load module output from the link-edit (defined by the SYSLMOD DD statement) in CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD, or a user-defined application program library. Figure 19 shows sample JCL and an inline procedure, based on the CICS-supplied procedure DFHEITVL, that can be used to install VS COBOL II application programs. The procedure does not include the COPYLINK step and concatenation of the library member DFHEILIC that contains the INCLUDE statement for the required interface module (as included in the DFHEITVL procedure). Instead, the JCL provides the following INCLUDE statement:
INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHECI)

If this statement was not provided, the link-edit would return an error message for unresolved external references, and the program output would be marked as not executable.
//COB2APPL JOB accounting info,name,MSGCLASS=A,MSGLEVEL=(1,1), // CLASS=A //* //********************************************************************* //* THIS JOB CAN BE USED TO INSTALL A VS COBOL II PROGRAM. //* //* THE JOB ILLUSTRATES THE USE OF: //* //* 1) AN INLINE PROCEDURE BASED ON THE CICS=SUPPLIED PROCEDURE, DFHEITVL //* //* 2) INCLUDE AND ORDER STATEMENTS FOR INTERFACE MODULE DFHECI //* //********************************************************************* //* //MYEITVL PROC SUFFIX=1$, // INDEX='CICSTS21.CICS', // INDEX2='CICSTS21.CICS', // OUTC=A, // REG=5M, // LNKPARM='XREF,RENT,REFR', // WORK=SYSDA //* //* THIS PROCEDURE CONTAINS 3 STEPS //* 1. EXEC THE COBOL TRANSLATOR (USING SUFFIX 1$) //* 2. EXEC THE VS COBOL II COMPILER //* 3. LINKEDIT THE OUTPUT TO SDFHLOAD LIBRARY //*

Figure 19. Sample user-defined JCL to install a VS COBOL II program (Part 1 of 2)

110

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

//TRN EXEC PGM=DFHECP&SUFFIX, // PARM='COBOL2', // REGION=&REG //STEPLIB DD DSN=&INDEX..SDFHLOAD,DISP=SHR //SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=&OUTC //SYSPUNCH DD DSN=&&SYSCIN, // DISP=(,PASS),UNIT=&WORK, // DCB=BLKSIZE=400, // SPACE=(400,(400,100)) //COB EXEC PGM=IGYCRCTL,REGION=&REG, // PARM='NODYNAM,LIB,OBJECT,RENT,RES,APOST,MAP,XREF' //STEPLIB DD DSN=PP.COB2.COB2COMP,DISP=SHR //SYSLIB DD DSN=&INDEX..SDFHCOB,DISP=SHR // DD DSN=&INDEX..SDFHSAMP,DISP=SHR //* DD DSN=&INDEX2..SAMPLIB,DISP=SHR //SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=&OUTC //SYSIN DD DSN=&&SYSCIN,DISP=(OLD,DELETE) //SYSLIN DD DSN=&&LOADSET,DISP=(MOD,PASS), // UNIT=&WORK,SPACE=(80,(250,100)) //SYSUT1 DD UNIT=&WORK,SPACE=(460,(350,100)) //SYSUT2 DD UNIT=&WORK,SPACE=(460,(350,100)) //SYSUT3 DD UNIT=&WORK,SPACE=(460,(350,100)) //SYSUT4 DD UNIT=&WORK,SPACE=(460,(350,100)) //SYSUT5 DD UNIT=&WORK,SPACE=(460,(350,100)) //SYSUT6 DD UNIT=&WORK,SPACE=(460,(350,100)) //SYSUT7 DD UNIT=&WORK,SPACE=(460,(350,100)) //* //LKED EXEC PGM=IEWL,REGION=&REG, // PARM='&LNKPARM', // COND=(5,LT,COB) //SYSLIB DD DSN=&INDEX..SDFHLOAD,DISP=SHR // DD DSN=SYS2.COB2.COB2CICS,DISP=SHR // DD DSN=SYS2.COB2.COB2LIB,DISP=SHR //* SYSLMOD DD DSN=&INDEX2..LOADLIB,DISP=SHR //SYSLMOD DD DSN=&INDEX2..SDFHLOAD,DISP=SHR //SYSUT1 DD UNIT=&WORK,DCB=BLKSIZE=1024, // SPACE=(1024,(200,20)) //SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=&OUTC //SYSLIN DD DSN=&&LOADSET,DISP=(OLD,DELETE) // DD DDNAME=SYSIN // PEND //* //COB2TEST EXEC MYEITVL, // INDEX='CICSTS21.CICS', QUALIFIER FOR CICS LIBRARIES // INDEX2='user.qualif', QUALIFIER FOR USER LIBRARIES // OUTC='*', // REG='2048K', SYSOUT CLASS // WORK='SYSDA', UNIT FOR TEMPORARY DATA SETS // LNKPARM='XREF,LIST,RENT' //TRN.SYSIN DD * ... VS COBOL II source statements ... /* //LKED.SYSIN DD * INCLUDE SYSLIB(DFHECI) NAME name(R) /* //

Figure 19. Sample user-defined JCL to install a VS COBOL II program (Part 2 of 2)

Chapter 9. Installing application programs

111

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Online programs that use the CALL DLI interface

1. Specify the translator option CICS, but not the translator option DLI. Note: For a program that does not use CICS commands and is only invoked by a running transaction (and never directly by CICS task initiation), no translator step is needed. 2. The interface module, DFHDLIAI, is automatically included by the link-edit. If you use an INCLUDE statement in the link-edit input, place it after the object deck. 3. Include the module DLIUIB. 4. Place the load module output from the link-edit (defined by the SYSLMOD DD statement) in CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD, or a user-defined application program library.

Batch or BMP programs that use EXEC DLI commands

1. The translator option DLI is required. Do not specify the translator option CICS. 2. The INCLUDE statement for the interface module must follow the object deck in the input to the link-edit (defined by the SYSLIN DD statement). The interface module, DFSLI000, which resides on IMS.RESLIB, is the same for all programming languages. If you include CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLOAD in the input to the link-edit (defined by the SYSLIB DD statement), concatenate it after IMS.RESLIB. 3. Place the load module output from the link-edit (defined by the SYSLMOD DD statement) in IMS.PGMLIB, or a library concatenated in the STEPLIB DD statement of the batch job stream.

Batch or BMP programs that use DL/I CALL commands

If you want to prepare assembler, COBOL, or PL/I programs that use the DL/I CALL interface, do not use any of the CICS-supplied procedures. Programs that contain CALL ASMTDLI, CALL CBLTDLI, or CALL PLITDLI should be assembled or compiled, and link-edited, as IMS applications, and are not subject to any CICS requirements. See the relevant IMS manual for information about how to prepare application programs that use the DL/I CALL interface.

112

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | This chapter describes how to assemble and link-edit map sets and partition sets for use with the basic mapping (BMS) facility of CICS. It also describes how to install HTML templates generated from BMS maps. If your program uses BMS maps, you need to create the maps. The traditional method for doing this is to code the map in BMS macros and assemble these macros. You actually do the assembly twice, with different output options. v One assembly creates a set of definitions. You copy these definitions into your program using the appropriate language statement, and they allow you to refer to the fields in the map by name. v The second assembly creates an object module that is used when your program actually executes. The process is illustrated in the following diagram:.

BMS macro statements defining map set

Ty p e = DSECT

Assembler

Copy library

Ty p e = MAP

Assembler listing

Assembler

Assembler listing

Object module library

Link Editor

Link edit listing

CICS load library

| | | | |

Figure 20. Preparing a map

Whatever way you produce maps, you need to create a map before you compile (assemble) any program that uses it. In addition, if you change the map, you
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

113

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

usually need to recompile (reassemble) all programs that use it. Some changes affect only the physical map and are not reflected in the corresponding symbolic map used by the program. One of these is a change in field position that does not alter the order of the fields. However, changes in data type, field length, field sequence, and others do affect the symbolic map, and it is always safest to recompile (reassemble). CICS also supports the definition of BMS map sets and partition sets interactively by using licensed programs such as the IBM Screen Definition Facility II (SDF II), program number 5665-366. For more information about SDF II, see the Screen Definition Facility II Primer for CICS/BMS Programs and Screen Definition Facility II General Information manuals. For information about writing programs to use BMS services, see Chapter 30. Basic mapping support on page 393. CICS loads BMS map sets and partition sets above the 16MB line if you specify the residency mode for the map set or partition set as RMODE(ANY) in the link-edit step. If you are using either map sets or partition sets from earlier releases of CICS, you can load them above the 16MB line by link-editing them again with RMODE(ANY). For examples of link-edit steps specifying RMODE(ANY), see the sample job streams in this chapter. CICS also provides the DFHASMVS procedure (installed in the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHPROC library) that you can use to assemble and link-edit map sets. Note: The DFHASMVS procedure refers to the MVS library SYS1.MODGEN. If you have not yet restructured MVS (moving members from SYS1.AMODGEN to SYS1.MODGEN), change the SYS1.MODGEN reference to SYS1.AMODGEN in the DFHASMVS procedure, until you have restructured MVS. When you have restructured MVS, you must return the SYS1.AMODGEN reference to SYS1.MODGEN. This chapter includes: v Installing map sets v Installing partition sets on page 121 v Defining programs, map sets, and partition sets to CICS on page 123

Installing map sets

This section first describes the types of map sets, how you define them, and how CICS recognizes them. This is followed by a description of how to prepare physical map sets and symbolic description map sets separately. Finally, there is a description of how to prepare both physical and symbolic description map sets in one job. In these descriptions, it is assumed that the SYSPARM parameter is used to distinguish the two types of map sets.

Types of map sets

To install a map set, you must actually prepare two types of map sets: v A physical map set, used by BMS to translate data from the standard device-independent form used by application programs to the device-dependent form required by terminals.

114

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

v A symbolic description map set, used in the application program to define the standard device-independent form of the user data. This is a DSECT in assembler language, a data definition in COBOL, a BASED or AUTOMATIC structure in PL/I, and a struct in C/370. Physical map sets must be cataloged in the CICS load library. Symbolic description map sets can be cataloged in a user copy library, or inserted directly into the application program itself. The map set definition macros are assembled twice; once to produce the physical map set used by BMS in its formatting activities, and once to produce the symbolic description map set that is copied into the application program.

Defining the type of map set you require

The two types of map set can be distinguished by either: v The TYPE operand of the DFHMSD macro v Use of the SYSPARM operand on the EXEC statement of the job used to assemble the map set If you use the SYSPARM operand for this purpose, the TYPE operand of the DFHMSD macro is ignored. Using SYSPARM allows both the physical map set and the symbolic description map set to be generated from the same unchanged set of BMS map set definition macros. Map sets can be assembled as either unaligned or aligned (an aligned map is one in which the length field is aligned on a halfword boundary). Use unaligned maps except in cases where an application package needs to use aligned maps. The SYSPARM value alone determines whether the map set is aligned or unaligned, and is specified on the EXEC PROC=DFHASMVS statement. The TYPE operand of the DFHMSD macro can only define whether a physical or symbolic description map set is required. The SYSPARM operand can also be used to specify whether a physical map set or a symbolic description map set (DSECT) is to be assembled, in which case it overrides the TYPE operand. If neither operand is specified, an unaligned DSECT is generated. For the possible combinations of operands to generate the various types of map set, see Table 9.
Table 9. SYSPARM and DFHMSD operand combinations for map assembly Type of map set Aligned symbolic description map set (DSECT) Aligned physical map set Unaligned symbolic description map set (DSECT) Unaligned physical map set SYSPARM operand of EXEC DFHASMVS statement A A ADSECT A AMAP Not specified Not specified DSECT Not specified MAP TYPE operand of DFHMSD macro Not specified DSECT Any (takes SYSPARM) MAP Any (takes SYSPARM) Not specified DSECT Any (takes SYSPARM) MAP Any (takes SYSPARM)

Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets

115

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

The physical map set indicates whether it was assembled for aligned or unaligned maps. This information is tested at execution time, and the appropriate map alignment used. Thus aligned and unaligned map sets can be mixed.

Using extended data stream terminals

Applications and maps designed for the 3270 Information Display System run unchanged on devices supporting extensions to the 3270 data stream such as color, extended highlighting, programmed symbols, and validation. To use fixed extended attributes such as color, you only need to reassemble the physical map set. If dynamic attribute modification by the application program is needed, you must reassemble both the physical and symbolic description map sets, and you must reassemble or recompile the application program.

Installing physical map sets

Figure 21 shows the procedure for installing physical map sets.

Macro statements defining the map set

Assembler CICS. SDFHMAC

Assembly listing

Linkage Editor input (object)

Linkage Editor

Linkage Editor listing

CICS. SDFHLOAD

| | | | | |

Figure 21. Installing physical map sets

Figure 22 on page 117 gives an example job stream for the assembly and link-editing of physical map sets.

116

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

//PREP //STEP1 //SYSPUNCH // //SYSIN . . . . . .

JOB 'accounting information',CLASS=A,MSGLEVEL=1 EXEC PROC=DFHASMVS,PARM.ASSEM='SYSPARM(MAP)' DD DSN=&&TEMP,DCB=(RECFM=FB,BLKSIZE=2960), SPACE=(2960,(10,10)),UNIT=SYSDA,DISP=(NEW,PASS) DD *

Macro statements defining the map set

/* //STEP2 //SYSLIN // /* //

EXEC DD DD MODE NAME

PROC=DFHLNKVS,PARM='LIST,LET,XREF' DSN=&&TEMP,DISP=(OLD,DELETE) * RMODE(ANY|24) mapsetname(R)

2 3 4

Figure 22. Assembling and link-editing a physical map set

Notes: 1 For halfword-aligned length fields, specify the option SYSPARM(AMAP) instead of SYSPARM(MAP). 2 Physical map sets are loaded into CICS-key storage, unless they are link-edited with the RMODE(ANY) and RENT options. If they are link-edited with these options, they are loaded into key-0 protected storage, provided that RENTPGM=PROTECT is specified on the RENTPGM initialization parameter. However, it is recommended that map sets (except for those that are only sent to 3270 or LU1 devices) should not be link-edited with the RENT or the REFR options because, in some cases, CICS modifies the map set. Generally, use the RENT or REFR options for map sets that are only sent to 3270 or LU1 devices. For more information about the storage protection facilities available in CICS, see CICS System Definition Guide. 3 The MODE statement specifies whether the map set is to be loaded above (RMODE(ANY)) or below (RMODE(24)) the 16MB line. RMODE(ANY) indicates that CICS can load the map set anywhere in virtual storage, but tries to load it above the 16MB line, if possible. 4 Use the NAME statement to specify the name of the physical map set that BMS loads into storage. If the map set is device-dependent, derive the map set name by appending the device suffix to the original 1- to 7-character map set name used in the application program. The suffixes to be appended for the various terminals supported by CICS BMS depend on the parameter specified in the TERM or SUFFIX operand of the DFHMSD macros used to define the map set. For programming information giving a complete list of map set suffixes, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. To use a physical map set, you must define and install a resource definition for it. You can do this either by using the program autoinstall function or by using the CEDA DEFINE MAPSET and INSTALL commands. as described in Defining programs, map sets, and partition sets to CICS on page 123.

Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets

117

| | | | | |

Installing symbolic description map sets

Symbolic description map sets enable the application programmer to make symbolic references to fields in the physical map set. Figure 23 shows the preparation of symbolic description map sets for BMS.

Macro statements defining the symbolic map

CICS. SDFHMAC

Assembler

Assembly listing

SYSPUNCH

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Figure 23. Installing symbolic description map sets using the DFHASMVS procedure

To use a symbolic description map set in a program, you must assemble the source statements for the map set and obtain a punched copy of the storage definition through SYSPUNCH. The first time this is done, you can direct the SYSPUNCH output to SYSOUT=A to get a listing of the symbolic description map set. If many map sets are to be used at your installation, or there are multiple users of common map sets, establish a private user copy library for each language that you use. When a symbolic description is prepared under the same name for more than one programming language, a separate copy of the symbolic description map set must be placed in each user copy library. You must ensure that the user copy libraries are correctly concatenated with SYSLIB. You need only one symbolic description map set corresponding to all the different suffixed versions of the physical map set. For example, to run the same application on terminals with different screen sizes, you would: 1. Define two map sets each with the same fields, but positioned to suit the screen sizes. Each map set has the same name but a different suffix, which would match the suffix specified for the terminal. 2. Assemble and link-edit the different physical map sets separately, but create only one symbolic description map set, because the symbolic description map set would be the same for all physical map sets. You can use the sample job stream in Figure 24 on page 119 to obtain a listing of a symbolic description map set. It applies to all the programming languages supported by CICS.

118

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

//DSECT //ASM //SYSPUNCH //SYSIN . . . . . . /* //

JOB EXEC DD DD

'accounting information',CLASS=A,MSGLEVEL=1 PROC=DFHASMVS,PARM.ASSEM='SYSPARM(DSECT)' SYSOUT=A *

Macro statements defining the map set

Figure 24. Listing of a symbolic description map set

If you want to assemble symbolic description map sets in which length fields are halfword-aligned, change the EXEC statement of the sample job in Figure 24 to the following:
//ASSEM EXEC PROC=DFHASMVS,PARM.ASSEM='SYSPARM(ADSECT)'

To obtain a punched copy of a symbolic description map set, code the //SYSPUNCH statement in the above example to direct output to the punch data stream. For example:
//SYSPUNCH DD SYSOUT=B

To store a symbolic description map set in a private copy library, use job control statements similar to the following:
//SYSPUNCH DD //SYSPUNCH DD //SYSPUNCH DD DSN=USER.MAPLIB.ASM(map set name),DISP=OLD DSN=USER.MAPLIB.COB(map set name),DISP=OLD DSN=USER.MAPLIB.PLI(map set name),DISP=OLD

Installing physical and symbolic description maps together

Figure 25 on page 120 shows the DFHMAPS procedure for installing physical and symbolic description maps together. The DFHMAPS procedure consists of the following four steps, shown in Figure 25: 1. The BMS macros that you coded for the map set are added to a temporary sequential data set. 2. The macros are assembled to create the physical map set. The MAP option is coded in the SYSPARM global variable in the EXEC statement (PARM='SYSPARM(MAP)'). 3. The physical map set is link-edited to the CICS load library. 4. Finally, the macros are assembled again, this time to produce the symbolic description map set. In this step, DSECT is coded in the SYSPARM global variable in the EXEC statement (PARM='SYSPARM(DSECT)'). Output is directed to the destination specified in the //SYSPUNCH DD statement. In the DFHMAPS procedure, that destination is the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHMAC library.

Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets

119

1
Macro statements defining the map set

2
CICS. SDFHMAC Assembler

Assembly listing

Linkage Editor input (object)

3
CICS. SDFHLOAD Linkage Editor Linkage Editor listing

4
Macro statements defining the map set Assembler CICS. SDFHMAC

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Figure 25. Installing a physical map set and a symbolic description map set together

The DFHMAPT procedure is similar to DFHMAPS, with an additional step that installs HTML templates generated from the BMS maps. In this step, TEMPLATE is coded in the SYSPARM global variable in the EXEC statement (PARM='SYSPARM(TEMPLATE)'). In the DFHMAPT procedure, the output is directed to CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHHTML.

JCL to install physical and symbolic description maps

The load module from the assembly of the physical map set and the source statements for the symbolic description map set can be produced in the same job by using the sample job stream in Figure 26.
//PREPARE JOB 'accounting information',CLASS=A,MSGLEVEL=1 //ASSEM EXEC PROC=DFHMAPS,MAPNAME=mapsetname,RMODE=ANY|24 //SYSUT1 DD * . . . . . . /* // Macro statements defining the map set (see note)

Figure 26. Installing physical and symbolic description maps together

Note: The RMODE statement specifies whether the map set is to be loaded above (RMODE=ANY) or below (RMODE=24) the 16MB line. RMODE=ANY indicates that CICS can load the map set anywhere in virtual storage, but tries to load it above the 16MB line, if possible.

120

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

The DFHMAPS procedure produces map sets that are not halfword-aligned. If you want the length fields in input maps to be halfword-aligned, you have to code A=A on the EXEC statement. In the sample job in Figure 26 on page 120, change the EXEC statement to:
//ASSEM EXEC PROC=DFHMAPS,MAPNAME=mapsetname,A=A

This change results in the SYSPARM operands in the assembly steps being altered to SYSPARM(AMAP) and SYSPARM(ADSECT) respectively. The DFHMAPS procedure directs the symbolic description map set output (SYSPUNCH) to the CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHMAC library. Override this by specifying DSCTLIB=name on the EXEC statement, where name is the name of the chosen user copy library.

Adding a CSECT to your map assembly

It is possible that you might need to generate your BMS maps with a CSECT. For example, you might need to specify AMODE and RMODE options to ensure your maps reside above 16MB, or you might need to use the DFSMS binder IDENTIFY statement for reasons of change management. In this case, you need not only include the appropriate CSECT at the front of your BMS macro statements, but also add some conditional assembler statements to ensure that the CSECT statement is not included in the symbolic description map. The following example shows how you can add both a CSECT name and AMODE and RMODE statements:
//PREPARE //ASSEM //SYSUT1 ... . . . AIF ('&SYSPARM' EQ 'DSECT').SKIPSD AIF ('&SYSPARM' EQ 'ADSECT').SKIPSD ANYNAME CSECT Binder IDENTIFY requires CSECT name ANYNAME AMODE 31 ANYNAME RMODE ANY .SKIPSD ANOP , DFH0STM DFHMSD TYPE=DSECT,MODE=INOUT,CTRL=FREEKB,LANG=COBOL, TIOAPFX=YES,TERM=3270-2,MAPATTS=(COLOR,HILIGHT), DSATTS=(COLOR,HILIGHT) SPACE DFH0STM DFHMDI SIZE=(24,80) . . . . . SPACE DFHMSD TYPE=FINAL END. . . /* // JOB 'accounting information',CLASS=A,MSGLEVEL=1 EXEC PROC=DFHMAPS,MAPNAME=mapsetname,RMODE=ANY|24 DD *

C C

| | Figure 27. Adding a CSECT to the map assembly | | | Installing partition sets | | Partition sets are installed in the same way as physical map sets (as illustrated in Figure 21 on page 116). There is no concept of a symbolic description partition set.
Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets

121

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

The job stream in Figure 28 is an example of the assembly and link-edit of partition sets.
//PREP //STEP1 //SYSPUNCH // //SYSIN . . . . . . JOB 'accounting information',CLASS=A,MSGLEVEL=1 EXEC PROC=DFHASMVS DD DSN=&&TEMP,DCB=(RECFM=FB,BLKSIZE=2960), SPACE=(2960,(10,10)),UNIT=SYSDA,DISP=(NEW,PASS) DD *

Macro statements defining the partition set

/* //STEP2 //SYSLIN // /* //

EXEC DD DD MODE NAME

PROC=DFHLNKVS,PARM='LIST,LET,XREF' DSN=&&TEMP,DISP=(OLD,DELETE) * RMODE(ANY|24) partitionsetname(R)

1 2 3

Figure 28. Assembling and link-editing a partition set

Notes: 1 A partition set is loaded into CICS-key storage, unless it is link-edited with the RMODE(ANY) and RENT options. If it is link-edited with these options, it is loaded into key-0 protected storage, provided that RENTPGM=PROTECT is specified on the RENTPGM initialization parameter. For more information about the storage protection facilities available in CICS, see CICS System Definition Guide. 2 The MODE statement specifies whether the partition set is to be loaded above (RMODE(ANY)) or below (RMODE(24)) the 16MB line. RMODE(ANY) indicates that CICS can load the partition set anywhere in virtual storage, but tries to load it above the 16MB line, if possible. 3 Use the NAME statement to specify the name of the partition set which BMS loads into storage. If the partition set is device-dependent, derive the partition set name by appending the device suffix to the original 1- to 7-character partition set name used in the application program. The suffixes that BMS appends for the various terminals depend on the parameter specified in the SUFFIX operand of the DFHPSD macro that defined the partition set. For programming information giving a complete list of partition-set suffixes, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. To use a partition set, you must define and install a resource definition for it. You can do this either by using the program autoinstall function or by using the CEDA DEFINE PARTITIONSET and INSTALL commands, as described in the CICS Resource Definition Guide.

122

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Defining programs, map sets, and partition sets to CICS

To be able to use a program that you have installed in one of the load libraries specified in your CICS startup JCL, the program, and any map sets and partition sets that it uses, must be defined to CICS. To do this, CICS uses the resource definitions MAPSET (for map sets), PARTITIONSET (for partition sets), and PROGRAM (for programs). You can create and install such resource definitions in any of the following ways: v CICS can dynamically create, install, and catalog a definition for the program, map set, or partition set when it is first loaded, by using the autoinstall for programs function. v You can create a specific resource definition for the program, map set, or partition set and install that resource definition in your CICS region. You can install resource definitions in either of the following ways: At CICS initialization, by including the resource definition group in the group list specified on the GRPLIST system initialization parameter. While CICS is running, by the CEDA INSTALL command. For information about defining programs to CICS, see the CICS Resource Definition Guide.

Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets

123

124

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Part 3. Application design

Chapter 11. Application design . . . . . . . Pseudoconversational and conversational design . Terminal interruptibility . . . . . . . . . . How tasks are started . . . . . . . . . . . Which transaction? . . . . . . . . . . . . Separating business and presentation logic . . . Multithreading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quasi-reentrant application programs . . . . Threadsafe programs . . . . . . . . . . Non-reentrant programs . . . . . . . . . Storing data within a transaction . . . . . . . Transaction work area (TWA) . . . . . . . User storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMMAREA in LINK and XCTL commands . . Program storage . . . . . . . . . . . . Temporary storage . . . . . . . . . . . Intrapartition transient data . . . . . . . . GETMAIN SHARED command . . . . . . Your own data sets . . . . . . . . . . . Lengths of areas passed to CICS commands . . LENGTH options. . . . . . . . . . . . Journal records . . . . . . . . . . . . Data set definitions . . . . . . . . . . . Recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . Minimizing errors. . . . . . . . . . . . . Protecting CICS from application errors . . . Testing applications . . . . . . . . . . . Non-terminal transaction security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 129 131 131 132 135 136 136 137 138 139 139 139 140 141 141 142 143 143 143 144 144 144 144 144 145 145 146 147 147 148 149 149 150 150 151 152 153 153 154 154 154 154 156 156 156 156 157 157 157 157 158

Chapter 12. Design for performance . . . . . . . . . . Program size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virtual storage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reducing paging effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Locality of reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reference set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exclusive control of resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operational control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating system waits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The NOSUSPEND option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Efficient data operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Efficient database operations . . . . . . . . . . . . Efficient data set operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . VSAM data sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BDAM data sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Efficient browsing (in non-RLS mode) . . . . . . . . . Efficient logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Efficient sequential data set access . . . . . . . . . . Efficient terminal operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Length of the data stream sent to the terminal . . . . . . Basic mapping support considerations . . . . . . . . . Avoid turning on modified data tags (MDTs) unnecessarily Use FRSET to reduce inbound traffic . . . . . . . .
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

125

Do not send blank fields to the screen . . . . . . . . . . Address CICS areas correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . Use the MAPONLY option when possible. . . . . . . . . Send only changed fields to an existing screen . . . . . . Design data entry operations to reduce line traffic . . . . . Compress data sent to the screen . . . . . . . . . . . Use nulls instead of blanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Use methods that avoid the need for nulls or blanks. . . . . Page-building and routing operations . . . . . . . . . . . Sending multipage output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sending messages to destinations other than the input terminal Sending pages built from multiple maps . . . . . . . . . Using the BMS page-copy facility. . . . . . . . . . . . Requests for printed output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Additional terminal control considerations . . . . . . . . . . Use only one physical SEND command per screen . . . . . On BTAM, avoid the WAIT option on a SEND command . . . Use the CONVERSE command . . . . . . . . . . . . Limit the use of message integrity options . . . . . . . . Avoid using the DEFRESP option on SEND commands . . . Avoid using unnecessary transactions . . . . . . . . . . Send unformatted data without maps . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 13. Sharing data across transactions Using the common work area (CWA) . . . . Protecting the CWA. . . . . . . . . . Using the TCTTE user area (TCTUA) . . . . Using the COMMAREA in RETURN commands Using the display screen to share data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

158 159 159 159 159 160 160 160 160 160 161 162 162 162 163 163 163 163 163 163 163 163 165 165 165 168 169 169 171 172 172 172 172 173 173 173 174 174 174 175 176 177 177 178 178 179 179 179 180 181 182 184 185 186

Chapter 14. Affinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Types of affinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inter-transaction affinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transaction-system affinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using INQUIRE and SET commands and global user exits . . . . . Programming techniques and affinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Safe techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unsafe techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Suspect techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Safe programming to avoid affinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The COMMAREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The TCTUA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the TCTUA in an unsafe way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using ENQ and DEQ commands with ENQMODEL resource definitions Overview of sysplex enqueue and dequeue . . . . . . . . . . . Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BTS containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unsafe programming for affinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the common work area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using GETMAIN SHARED storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the LOAD PROGRAM HOLD command . . . . . . . . . . . Sharing task-lifetime storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the WAIT EVENT command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using ENQ and DEQ commands without ENQMODEL resource definitions Suspect programming for affinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

126

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Using temporary storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . Naming conventions for remote queues . . . . . . Exception conditions for globally accessible queues . . Using transient data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exception conditions for globally accessible queues . . Using the RETRIEVE WAIT and START commands . . . Using the START and CANCEL REQID commands . . . Using the DELAY and CANCEL REQID commands . . . Using the POST and CANCEL REQID commands . . . Detecting inter-transaction affinities . . . . . . . . . . Inter-transaction affinities caused by application generators Duration and scope of inter-transaction affinities . . . . . Affinity transaction groups . . . . . . . . . . . . Relations and lifetimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . The global relation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The LUname (terminal) relation . . . . . . . . . The userid relation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The BAPPL relation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 15. Recovery design . Journaling . . . . . . . . . Journal records . . . . . . Journal output synchronization. Syncpointing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

186 187 188 188 189 189 191 193 194 196 196 197 197 197 197 199 200 201 205 205 205 205 207 209 209 210 210 210 211 211 211 212 213 214 215 215 216 217 218 218 221 222 223 224 225 225 225 225 225 225 226

Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions . . Default CICS exception handling . . . . . . . . . Handling exception conditions by in-line code . . . . How to use the RESP and RESP2 options . . . . Use of RESP and DFHRESP in COBOL and PL/I. Use of RESP and DFHRESP in C and C++ . . . Use of DFHRESP in assembler . . . . . . . An example of exception handling in C . . . . . An example of exception handling in COBOL . . . Modifying default CICS exception handling . . . . . Using the HANDLE CONDITION command . . . . . RESP and NOHANDLE options . . . . . . . . How CICS keeps track of what to do . . . . . . Using the HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command. . Using the IGNORE CONDITION command . . . . . Using the HANDLE ABEND command . . . . . . . Using PUSH HANDLE and POP HANDLE commands . Chapter 17. Abnormal termination recovery . Creating a program-level abend exit . . . . Retrying operations . . . . . . . . . . . Trace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trace entry points . . . . . . . . . . System trace entry points . . . . . . User trace entry points . . . . . . . Exception trace entry points. . . . . . User exception trace entry points. . . . Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 18. The QUERY SECURITY command . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Part 3. Application design

127

Using the QUERY SECURITY command . Security protection at the record or field CICS-defined resource identifiers. . . SEC system initialization parameter . . Programming hints . . . . . . . .

. . level . . . . . .

. . . . .

229 229 230 230 230

128

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 11. Application design

This chapter introduces some basic concepts to help you design CICS applications. Changes are suggested that can improve performance and efficiency, but further guidance on programming for efficiency is provided in Chapter 12. Design for performance on page 147. v Pseudoconversational and conversational design v How tasks are started on page 131 v Which transaction? on page 132 v Separating business and presentation logic on page 135 v Multithreading on page 136 v Storing data within a transaction on page 139 v Lengths of areas passed to CICS commands on page 143 v Minimizing errors on page 144 v Non-terminal transaction security on page 146

Pseudoconversational and conversational design

In a conversational transaction, the length of time spent in processing each of a users responses is extremely short when compared to the amount of time waiting for the input. A conversational transaction is one that involves more than one input from the terminal, so that the transaction and the user enter into a conversation. A nonconversational transaction has only one input (the one that causes the transaction to be invoked). It processes that input, responds to the terminal and terminates. Processor speeds, even allowing for accessing data sets, are considerably faster than terminal transmission times, which are considerably faster than user response times. This is especially true if users have to think about the entry or have to enter many characters of input. Consequently, conversational transactions tie up storage and other resources for much longer than nonconversational transactions. A pseudoconversational transaction sequence contains a series of nonconversational transactions that look to the user like a single conversational transaction involving several screens of input. Each transaction in the sequence handles one input, sends back the response, and terminates. Before a pseudoconversational transaction terminates, it can pass data forward to be used by the next transaction initiated from the same terminal, whenever that transaction arrives. A pseudoconversational transaction can specify what the next transaction is to be, using the TRANSID option of the RETURN command, However, you should be aware that if another transaction is started for that device, it may interrupt the pseudoconversational chain you have designed, unless you specify the IMMEDIATE option on the RETURN command. In this case, the transaction specified by the TRANSID command is attached regardless of any other transactions queued for this terminal. The RETURN command is described in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. No transaction exists for the terminal from the time a response is written until the user sends the next input and CICS starts the next transaction to respond to it. Information that would normally be stored in the program between inputs is passed from one transaction in the sequence to the next using the COMMAREA or one of
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

129

the other facilities that CICS provides for this purpose. (See Chapter 13. Sharing data across transactions on page 165 for details.) There are two major issues to consider in choosing between conversational and pseudoconversational programming. v The effect of the transaction on contention resources, such as storage and processor usage. Storage is required for control blocks, data areas, and programs that make up a transaction, and the processor is required to start, process, and terminate tasks. Conversational programs have a very high impact on storage, because they last so long, relative to the sum of the transactions that make up an equivalent pseudoconversational sequence. However, there is less processor overhead, because only one transaction is initiated instead of one for every input. v The effect on exclusive-use resources, such as records in recoverable data sets, recoverable transient data queues, enqueue items, and so on. Again, a conversational transaction holds on to these resources for much longer than the corresponding sequence of nonconversational transactions. From this point of view, pseudoconversational transactions are better for quick responses, but recovery and integrity implications may mean that you prefer to use conversational transactions. To summarize, although conversational tasks may be easier to write, they have serious disadvantagesboth in performance (especially the need for virtual storage) and in their effect on the overall operability of the CICS systems containing them. Processors are now larger, with more real storage and more power than in the past, and this makes conversational tasks less painful in small amounts; but if you use conversational applications, you may rapidly run into virtual storage constraint. If you run application programs above the line, you will probably encounter ENQ problems before running into virtual storage constraints. CICS ensures that changes to recoverable resources (such as data sets, transient data, and temporary storage) made by a unit of work (UOW) are made completely or not at all. A UOW is equivalent to a transaction, unless that transaction issues SYNCPOINT commands, in which case a UOW lasts between syncpoints. For a more detailed description of syncpoints and UOWs, see the CICS Recovery and Restart Guide. When a transaction makes a change to a recoverable resource, CICS makes that resource unavailable to any other transaction that wants to change it until the original transaction has completed. In the case of a conversational transaction, the resources in question may be unavailable to other terminals for relatively long periods. For example, if one user tries to update a particular record in a recoverable data set, and another user tries to do so before the first one finishes, the second users transaction is suspended. This has advantages and disadvantages. You would not want the second user to begin updating the record while the first user is changing it, because one of them is working from what is about to become an obsolete version of the record, and these changes erase the other users changes. On the other hand, you also do not want the second user to experience the long, unexplained wait that occurs when that transaction attempts to READ for UPDATE the record that is being changed. If you use pseudoconversational transactions, however, the resources are only very briefly unavailable (that is, during the short component transactions). However,

130

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

unless all recoverable resources can be updated in just one of these transactions, recovery is impossible because UOWs cannot extend across transactions. So, if you cannot isolate updates to recoverable resources in this way, you must use conversational transactions. The previous example poses a further problem for pseudoconversational transactions. Although you could confine all updating to the final transaction of the sequence, there is nothing to prevent a second user from beginning an update transaction against the same record while the first user is still entering changes. This means that you need additional application logic to ensure integrity. You can use some form of enqueuing, or you can have the transaction compare the original version of the record with the current version before actually applying the update.

Terminal interruptibility
When a conversational task is running, CICS allows nothing else to send messages to that tasks terminal. This has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that unexpected messages (for example, broadcasts) cannot interrupt the user-machine dialogue and, worse, corrupt the formatted screen. The disadvantage is that the end user cannot then be informed of important information, such as the intention of the control operator to shut down CICS after 10 minutes. More importantly, the unwitting failure of the end user to terminate the conversation may in fact prevent or delay a normal CICS shutdown. Pseudoconversational applications can allow messages to come through between message pairs of a conversation. This means that notices like shutdown warnings can be delivered. This might disturb the display screen contents, and can sometimes interfere with transaction sequences controlled by the RETURN command with the TRANSID option. However, this can be prevented by using the IMMEDIATE option, or by forcing the terminal into NOATI status during the middle of a linked sequence of interactions.

How tasks are started

Work is started in CICSthat is, tasks are initiatedin one of two ways: 1. From unsolicited input 2. By automatic task initiation (ATI) Automatic task initiation occurs when: v An existing task asks CICS to create another one. The START command, the IMMEDIATE option on a RETURN command (discussed in RETURN IMMEDIATE on page 305), and the SEND PAGE command (in The SEND PAGE command on page 448) all do this. v CICS creates a task to process a transient data queue (see Automatic transaction initiation (ATI) on page 535). v CICS creates a task to deliver a message sent by a BMS ROUTE request (see Chapter 38. Message routing on page 467). The CSPG tasks you see after using the CICS-supplied transaction CMSG are an example of this. CMSG uses a ROUTE command which creates a CSPG transaction for each target terminal in your destination list. The primary mechanism for initiating tasks, however, is unsolicited input. When a user transmits input from a terminal which is not the principal facility of an existing task, CICS creates a task to process it. The terminal that sent the input becomes the principal facility of the new task.

Chapter 11. Application design

131

Principal facility CICS allows a task to communicate directly with only one terminal, namely its principal facility. CICS assigns the principal facility when it initiates the task, and the task owns the facility for its duration. No other task can use that terminal until the owning task ends. If a task needs to communicate with a terminal other than its principal facility, it must do so indirectly, by creating another task that has the terminal as its principal facility. This requirement arises most commonly in connection with printing, and how you can create such a task is explained in Using CICS printers on page 350.1 Unsolicited inputs from other systems are handled in the same way: CICS creates a task to process the input, and assigns the conversation over which the input arrived as the principal facility. (Thus a conversation with another system may be either a principal or alternate facility. In the case where a task in one CICS region initiates a conversation with another CICS region, the conversation is an alternate facility of the initiating task, but the principal facility of the partner task created by the receiving system. By contrast, a terminal is always the principal facility.) Alternate facility Although a task may communicate directly with only one terminal, it can also establish communications with one or more remote systems. It does this by asking CICS to assign a conversation with that system to it as an alternate facility. The task owns its alternate facilities in the same way that it owns its principal facility. Ownership lasts from the point of assignment until task end or until the task releases the facility. Not all tasks have a principal facility. Tasks that result from unsolicited input always do, by definition, but a task that comes about from automatic task initiation may or may not need one. When it does, CICS waits to initiate the task until the requested facility is available for assignment to the task.

Which transaction?
Having received an unsolicited input, how does CICS decide what to do with it? That is, what transaction should the task created to process it execute? The short answer is that the previous task with the same principal facility usually tells CICS what transaction to execute next just before it ends, by the TRANSID option on its final RETURN. This is almost always the case in a pseudoconversational transaction sequence, and usually in menu-driven applications as well. Failing that, and in any case to get a sequence started, CICS interprets the first few characters of the input as a transaction code. However, it is more complicated than that; the exact process goes as follows. The step numbers indicate the order in which the tests are made and refer to Figure 29 on page 133, a diagram of this logic.

1. You can specify a terminal destination other than your principal facility in a SEND command if the destination is under TCAM control, an apparent exception to this rule. This is possible because communications with TCAM terminals are always queued. Thus your task does not write directly to the destination terminal, but instead writes to a queue that will be delivered to it subsequently by TCAM (see Using TCAM on page 321). BMS routing, described in Chapter 38. Message routing on page 467, is another form of indirect access to other terminals by queues.

132

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

0
Terminal defined as to be queried? No Yes Has query been run to this terminal? Yes Yes Initiate printing No Initiate CQRY

1
3270 print request key? No Terminal supported by paging? No Yes Paging command entered? Yes Initiate CSPG

3
Transaction specified by TCT TRANSID? No Yes

No Initiate specified transaction

4
Transaction specified by TRANSID of RETURN? No Yes Initiate specified transaction

5
Attach FMH present? Yes

Initiate transaction specified in attach FMH

6
Yes 3270? PA, PF, LPA, or OPID? Yes TASKREQ= specified? Yes

Initiate transaction specified by term input AID

7
Terminal input begins with tranid? Yes

Initiate transaction specified by terminal input

Send "invalid tranid" message to terminal

Global user exit XZCATT in module DFHZATT is invoked at these points.

Figure 29. Determining which transaction to execute

On the very first input from a terminal, CICS sometimes schedules a preliminary task before creating one to process the input. This task executes the CICS-supplied query transaction, CQRY, which causes the

Chapter 11. Application design

133

terminal to transmit an encoded description of some of its hardware characteristicsextended attributes, character sets, and so on. CQRY allows the system programmer to simplify maintenance of the terminal network by omitting these particulars from the terminal definitions. It occurs only if the terminal definition so specifies, and has no effect on the subsequent determination of what transaction to use to process the input, which goes as follows. 1. If the terminal is a 3270 and the input is the print request key, the CICS-supplied transaction that prints the contents of the screen, CSPP, is initiated. See CICS print key on page 355 for more information about this feature. For this purpose, a 3270 logical unit or any other device that accepts the 3270 data stream counts as a 3270. If full BMS support is present, the terminal is of a type supported by BMS terminal paging, and the input is a paging command, the CICS-supplied transaction CSPG is initiated to process the request. BMS support levels are explained in BMS support levels on page 393, and the same section contains a list of the terminals that BMS supports. The PGRET, SKRxxxx, PGCHAIN, PGCOPY, and PGPURGE options in the system initialization table define the paging commands. As paging requires full BMS, this step is skipped if the CICS system contains less than that level. If the terminal definition indicates that a specific transaction should be used to process all unsolicited inputs from that terminal, the indicated transaction is executed. (If present, this information appears in the TRANSACTION attribute of the TERMINAL definition.) If the previous task at the terminal specified the TRANSID option of the RETURN command that ended it, the transaction named is executed. If an attach function management header is present in the input, the attach names in the header are converted to a 4-character CICS transaction identifier, and that transaction is executed. If the terminal is a 3270, and the attention identifier is defined as a transaction, that transaction is executed. Attention keys on page 338 explains attention identifiers. You define one as a transaction identifier with the TASKREQ attribute of the corresponding TRANSACTION definition. If all of the preceding tests fail, the initial characters of the input are used to identify the transaction to be executed. The characters used are the first ones (up to four) after any control information in the data stream and before the first field separator character. Field separators are defined in the FLDSEP option of the system initialization table (the default is a blank). If there are no such characters in the input, as occurs when you use the CLEAR key, for example, or if there is no transaction definition that matches the input, CICS cannot determine what transaction to execute and sends an invalid transaction identification message to the terminal. Note: This logic for deciding which transaction to execute applies only to tasks initiated to process unsolicited inputs. For automatic transaction initiation, the transaction is always known. You specify it in the TRANSID option when you create a task with a START or RETURN IMMEDIATE. Similarly, you specify what transaction should be used to process a transient data queue in the queue definition. Tasks created to route messages always execute the CICS-supplied transaction CSPG.

4. 5.

134

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

| | | | | | | | | | | |

Separating business and presentation logic

Figure 30 illustrates a simple CICS application that accepts data from an end user, updates a record in a file, and sends a response back to the end user. The transaction that runs this program is the second in a pseudoconversation. The first transaction has sent a BMS map to the end users terminal, and the second transaction reads the data with the EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP command, updates the record in the file, and sends the response with the EXEC CICS SEND MAP command. The EXEC CICS RECEIVE and EXEC CICS SEND MAP commands are part of the transactions presentation logic, while the EXEC CICS READ UPDATE and EXEC CICS REWRITE commands are part of the business logic.
.. EXEC .. EXEC .. EXEC .. EXEC ..

CICS RECEIVE MAP CICS READ UPDATE CICS REWRITE CICS SEND MAP

Figure 30. CICS functions in a single application program

| | | | |

A sound principle of modular programming in CICS application design is to separate the presentation logic from the business logic, and to use a communication area and the EXEC CICS LINK command to make them into a single transaction. Figure 31 and Figure 32illustrate this approach to application design.
.. EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP .. EXEC CICS LINK.. .. EXEC CICS SEND MAP ..

Figure 31. Presentation logic .. EXEC .. EXEC .. EXEC .. EXEC CICS ADDRESS COMMAREA CICS READ UPDATE CICS REWRITE CICS RETURN..

Figure 32. Business logic

| | | | |

Once the business logic of a transaction has been isolated from the presentation logic and given a communication area interface, it is available for reuse with different presentation methods. For example, you could use Distributed Program Link (DPL) to implement a two-tier model, or CICS Web support with the CICS business logic interface, where the presentation logic is HTTP-based.
Chapter 11. Application design

135

Multithreading
Multithreading is a technique that allows a single copy of an application program to be processed by several transactions concurrently. For example, one transaction may begin to execute an application program. When an EXEC CICS command is reached, causing a CICS WAIT and call to the dispatcher, another transaction may then execute the same copy of the application program. (Compare this with single-threading, which is the execution of a program to completion: processing of the program by one transaction is completed before another transaction can use it.) Multithreading requires that all CICS application programs be quasi- reentrant; that is, they must be serially reusable between entry and exit points. CICS application programs using the EXEC CICS interface obey this rule automatically. For COBOL, C, and C++ programs, reentrancy is ensured by a fresh copy of working storage being obtained each time the program is invoked. You should always use the RENT option on the compile or pre-link utility even for C and C++ programs that do not have writable statics and are naturally reentrant. Temporary variables and DFHEPTR fields inserted by the CICS translator are usually defined as writable static variables and require the RENT option. For these programs to stay reentrant, variable data should not appear as static storage in PL/I, or as a DC in the program CSECT in assembler language. As well as requiring that your application programs are compiled and link-edited as reentrant, CICS also identifies programs as being either quasi-reentrant or threadsafe. These attributes are discussed in the following sections.

Quasi-reentrant application programs

CICS runs user programs under a CICS-managed task control block (TCB). If your programs are defined as quasi-reentrant (on the CONCURRENCY attribute of the program resource definition), CICS always invokes them under the CICS quasi-reentrant (QR) TCB. The requirements for a quasi-reentrant program in a multithreading context are less stringent than if the program were to execute concurrently on multiple TCBs. CICS requires that an application program is reentrant so that it guarantees consistent conditions. In practice, an application program may not be truly reentrant; CICS expects quasi-reentrancy. This means that the application program should be in a consistent state when control is passed to it, both on entry, and before and after each EXEC CICS command. Such quasi-reentrancy guarantees that each invocation of an application program is unaffected by previous runs, or by concurrent multi-threading through the program by multiple CICS tasks. For example, application programs could modify their executable code, or the variables defined within the program storage, but these changes must be undone, or the code and variables reinitialized, before there is any possibility of the task losing control and another task executing the same program. CICS quasi-reentrant user programs (application programs, user-replaceable modules, global user exits, and task-related user exits) are given control by the CICS dispatcher under the QR TCB. When running under this TCB, a program can be sure that no other quasi-reentrant program can run until it relinquishes control during a CICS request, at which point the user task is suspended, leaving the program still in use.The same program can then be reinvoked for another task, which means the application program can be in use concurrently by more than one task, although only one task at a time can actually be executing.

136

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

To ensure that programs cannot interfere with each others working storage, CICS obtains a separate copy of working storage for each execution of an application program. Thus, if a user application program is in use by 11 user tasks, there are 11 copies of working storage in the appropriate dynamic storage area (DSA). Quasi-reentrancy allows programs to access globally shared resourcesfor example, the CICS common work area (CWA)without the need to protect those resources from concurrent access by other programs. Such resources are effectively locked exclusively to the running program, until it issues its next CICS request. Thus, for example, an application can update a field in the CWA without using compare and swap (CS) instructions or locking (enqueuing on) the resource. Note: The CICS QR TCB provides protection through exclusive control of global resources only if all user tasks that access those resources run under the QR TCB. It does not provide automatic protection from other tasks that execute concurrently under another (open) TCB. Take care if a program involves lengthy calculations: because an application program retains control from one EXEC CICS command to the next, the processing of other transactions on the QR TCB is completely excluded. However, you can use the task-control SUSPEND command to allow other transaction processing to proceed; see Chapter 43. Task control on page 499 for details. Note that runaway task time interval is controlled by the transaction definition and the system initialization parameter ICVR. CICS purges a task that does not return control before expiry of the IVCR-specified interval.

Threadsafe programs
In the CICS open transaction environment, threadsafe application programs and open task-related user exits, global user exit programs, and user-replaceable modules cannot rely on quasi-reentrancy, because they can run concurrently on an open TCB. Furthermore, even quasi-reentrant programs are at risk if they access resources that can also be accessed by a user task running concurrently under an open TCB. This means that the techniques used by user programs to access shared resources must take into account the possibility of simultaneous access by other programs. Programs that use appropriate serialization techniques when accessing shared resources are described as threadsafe. (The term fully reentrant is also used sometimes, but this can be misunderstood, hence threadsafe is the preferred term.) For most resources, such as files, transient data queues, temporary storage queues, and DB2 tables, CICS processing automatically ensures access in a threadsafe manner. However, for any other resources, such as shared storage, which are accessed directly by user programs, it is the responsibility of the user program to ensure threadsafe processing. Typical examples of shared storage are the CICS CWA, global user exit global work areas, and storage acquired by EXEC CICS GETMAIN SHARED commands. Note: When identifying programs that use shared resources, you should also include any program that modifies itself. Such a program is effectively sharing storage and should be considerd at risk. Techniques that you can use to provide threadsafe processing when accessing a shared resource are as follows: v Retry access, if the resource has been changed concurrently by another program, using the compare and swap instruction. v Enqueue on the resource, to obtain exclusive control and ensure that no other program can access the resource, using:
Chapter 11. Application design

137

An EXEC CICS ENQ command, in an application program An XPI ENQUEUE function call to the CICS enqueue (NQ) domain, in a global user exit program An MVS service such as ENQ (in an open API task-related user exit only when L8 TCBs are enabled for use). v Perform accesses to shared resources only in a program that is defined as quasirent, by linking to the quasirent program using the EXEC CICS LINK command. This technique applies to threadsafe application programs and open API task-related user exits only. A linked-to program defined as quasi-reentrant runs under the QR TCB and can take advantage of the serialization provided by CICS quasi-reentrancy. Note that even in quasi-reentrant mode, serialization is provided only for as long as the program retains control and does not wait (see Quasi-reentrant application programs on page 136 for more information). v Place all transactions that access the shared resource into a restricted transaction class (TRANCLASS), one that is defined with the number of active tasks specified as MAXACTIVE(1). This last approach effectively provides a very coarse locking mechanism, but may have a severe impact on performance. Note: Although the term threadsafe is defined in the context of individual programs, a user application as a whole can only be considered threadsafe if all the application programs that access shared resources obey the rules. A program that is written correctly to threadsafe standards cannot safely update shared resources if another program that accesses the same resources does not obey the threadsafe rules.

Non-reentrant programs
There is nothing to prevent non-reentrant application programs being executed by CICS. However, such an application program would not provide consistent results in a multi-threading environment. To use non-reentrant application programs, or tables or control blocks that are modifiable by the execution of associated application programs, specify the RELOAD(YES) option on their resource definition. RELOAD(YES) results in a fresh copy of the program or module being loaded into storage for each request. This option ensures that multithreading tasks that access a non- reentrant program or table each work from their own copy of the program, and are unaffected by changes made to another version of the program by other concurrent tasks running in the CICS region. For information about RELOAD(YES), see the CICS Resource Definition Guide. CICS/ESA loads any program link-edited with the RENT attributes into a CICS read-only dynamic storage area (DSA). CICS uses the RDSA for RMODE(24) programs, and the ERDSA for RMODE(ANY) programs.By default, the storage for these DSAs is allocated from read-only key-0 protected storage, protecting any modules loaded into them from all except programs running in key-zero or supervisor state.(If CICS initializes with the RENTPGM=NOPROTECT system initialization parameter, it does not use read-only key-0 storage, and use CICS-key storage instead.)

138

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

If you want to execute a non-reentrant program or module, it must be loaded into a non-read-only DSA. The SDSA and ESDSA are user-key storage areas for non-reentrant user-key programs and modules. For more information about CICS DSAs, refer to the CICS System Definition Guide .

Storing data within a transaction

CICS provides a variety of facilities for storing data within and between transactions. Each one differs according to how available it leaves data to other programs within a transaction and to other transactions; in the way it is implemented; and in its overhead, recovery, and enqueuing characteristics. Storage facilities that exist for the lifetime of a transaction include: v Transaction work area (TWA) v User storage (by a GETMAIN command issued without the SHARED option) v COMMAREA v Program storage All of these areas are main storage facilities and come from the same basic sourcethe dynamic storage areas (DSAs) and extended dynamic storage areas (EDSAs). None of them is recoverable, and none can be protected by resource security keys. They differ, however, in accessibility and duration, and therefore each meets a different set of storage needs.

Transaction work area (TWA)

The transaction work area (TWA) is allocated when a transaction is initiated, and is initialized to binary zeroes. It lasts for the entire duration of the transaction, and is accessible to all local programs in the transaction. Any remote programs that are linked by a distributed program link command do not have access to the TWA of the client transaction. The size of the TWA is determined by the TWASIZE option on the transaction resource definition. If this size is nonzero, the TWA is always allocated. See the CICS Resource Definition Guide for more information about determining the TWASIZE. Processor overhead associated with using the TWA is minimal. You do not need a GETMAIN command to access it, and you address it using a single ADDRESS command. The TASKDATAKEY option governs whether the TWA is obtained in CICS-key or user-key storage. (See Chapter 45. Storage control on page 517 for a full explanation of CICS-key and user-key storage.) The TASKDATALOC option of the transaction definition governs whether the acquired storage can be above the 16MB line or not. The TWA is suitable for quite small data storage requirements and for larger requirements that are both relatively fixed in size and are used more or less for the duration of the transaction. Because the TWA exists for the entire transaction, a large TWA size has much greater effect for conversational than for nonconversational transactions.

User storage
User storage is available to all the programs in a transaction, but some effort is required to pass it between programs using LINK or XCTL commands. Its size is not fixed, and it can be obtained (using GETMAIN commands) just when the

Chapter 11. Application design

139

transaction requires it and returned as soon as it is not needed. Therefore, user storage is useful for large storage requirements that are variable in size or are shorter-lived than the transaction. See Chapter 45. Storage control on page 517 for information about how USERDATAKEY and CICSDATAKEY override the TASKDATAKEY option of the GETMAIN command. The SHARED option of the GETMAIN command causes the acquired storage to be retained after the end of the task. The storage can be passed in the communication area from one task to the next at the same terminal. The first task returns the address of the communication area in the COMMAREA option of the RETURN command. The second task accesses the address in the COMMAREA option of the ADDRESS command. You must use the SHARED option of the GETMAIN command to ensure that your storage is in common storage. The amount of processor overhead involved in a GETMAIN command means that you should not use it for a small amount of storage. You should use the TWA for the smaller amounts or group them together into a larger request. Although the storage acquired by a GETMAIN command may be held somewhat longer when using combined requests, the processor overhead and the reference set size are both reduced.

COMMAREA in LINK and XCTL commands

A communication area (COMMAREA) is a facility used to transfer information between two programs within a transaction or between two transactions from the same terminal. For information about using COMMAREA between transactions, see Using the COMMAREA in RETURN commands on page 169. Information in COMMAREA is available only to the two participating programs, unless those programs take explicit steps to make the data available to other programs that may be invoked later in the transaction. When one program links to another, the COMMAREA may be any data area to which the linking program has access. It is often in the working storage or LINKAGE SECTION of that program. In this area, the linking program can both pass data to the program it is invoking and receive results from that program. When a program transfers control (an XCTL command) to another, CICS may copy the specified COMMAREA into a new area of storage, because the invoking program and its control blocks may no longer be available after it transfers control. In either case, the address of the area is passed to the program that is receiving control, and the CICS command-level interface sets up addressability. See Chapter 44. Program control on page 503 for further information. CICS ensures that any COMMAREA is addressable by the program that receives it, by copying below the 16MB line and/or to the USERKEY storage where necessary, depending on the addressing mode and EXECKEY attributes of the receiving program. See Chapter 45. Storage control on page 517 for more information about EXECKEY. CICS contains algorithms designed to reduce the number of bytes to be transmitted. The algorithms remove some trailing binary zeros from the COMMAREA before transmission and restore them after transmission. The operation of these algorithms is transparent to the application programs, which always see the full-size COMMAREA.

140

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The overhead for using COMMAREA in an LINK command is minimal; it is slightly more with the XCTL and RETURN commands, when CICS creates the COMMAREA from a larger area of storage used by the program.

Program storage
CICS creates a separate copy of the variable area of a CICS program for each transaction using the program. This area is known as program storage. This area is called the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION in COBOL, automatic storage in C, C++, and PL/I, and the DFHEISTG section in assembler language. Like the TWA, this area is of fixed size and is allocated by CICS without you having to issue a GETMAIN command. The EXEC CICS interface sets up addressability automatically. Unlike the TWA, however, this storage lasts only while the program is being run, not for the duration of the transaction. This makes it useful for data areas that are not required outside the program and that are either small or, if large, are fixed in size and are required for all or most of the execution time of the program.

Temporary storage
Temporary storage is the primary CICS facility for storing data that must be available to multiple transactions. Data items in temporary storage are kept in queues whose names are assigned dynamically by the program storing the data. A temporary storage queue containing multiple items can be thought of as a small data set whose records can be addressed either sequentially or directly, by item number. If a queue contains only a single item, it can be thought of as a named scratch-pad area. Temporary storage data sharing means that main or auxiliary storage can be replaced by one or more temporary storage pools. Temporary storage is implemented by the following methods: v By using a particular queue that is determined by what is specified on the command that creates the first item v By specifying the MAIN option so that the queue is kept in main storage, in space taken from the dynamic storage area v By using the AUXILIARY option so that the queue is written to an entry-sequenced VSAM data set Whichever method you use, CICS maintains an index of items in main storage. Note that if the QNAME option matches the prefix of an installed TSMODEL resource definition, the MAIN or AUXILIARY value specified in the TSMODEL takes precedence over that specified in the command. See CICS Resource Definition Guide for more information about the use of TSMODELs to define temporary storage queues. The addition of temporary storage data sharing gives another type of temporary storage queue that can be supported concurrently. These temporary storage queues can be defined as local, remote, or shared, and they can be stored in TS pools in the coupling facility. These methods have characteristics that you should bear in mind: v Main temporary storage requires much more virtual storage than auxiliary. In general, you should use it only for small queues that have short lifetimes or are
Chapter 11. Application design

141

v v

accessed frequently. Auxiliary temporary storage is specifically designed for relatively large amounts of data that have a relatively long lifetime or are accessed infrequently. You may find it useful to establish a cutoff point of a lifetime of one second to decide which queues should be in main storage and which should be in auxiliary. You can make queues in auxiliary storage recoverable, but not queues in main storage: Shared temporary storage applies only to non-recoverable queues. Only one transaction at a time can update a recoverable temporary storage queue. So, if you choose to make queues recoverable, bear in mind the probability of enqueues. You should ensure that there are enough buffers and VSAM strings to eliminate as much contention as possible. If a task tries to write to temporary storage and there is no space available, CICS normally suspends it, although the task can regain control in this situation by using either a HANDLE CONDITION NOSPACE command, or the RESP or NOHANDLE option on the WRITEQ TS command. If suspended, the task is not resumed until some other task frees the necessary space in main storage or the VSAM data set. This can produce unexplained response delays, especially if the waiting task owns exclusive-use resources, in which case all other tasks needing those resources must also wait. It can be more efficient to use main temporary storage exclusively in very low-volume systems that have no need for recovery. You need to balance the needs for additional main storage requirement for the VSAM access method and a larger temporary storage program with the need for main storage for the temporary storage records.

The following points apply to temporary storage in general: v You must use an EXEC CICS command every time data is written to or read from a temporary storage queue, and CICS must find or insert the data using its internal index. This means that the overhead for using main temporary storage is greater than for the CWA or TCTUA. With auxiliary storage, (often the most frequently used), there is usually data set I/O as well, which increases overhead even more. v You need not allocate temporary storage until it is required; you need keep it only as long as it is required, and the item size is not fixed until you issue the command that creates it. This makes it a good choice for relatively high-volume data and data that varies in length or duration. v The fact that temporary storage queues can be named as they are created provides a very powerful form of direct access to saved data. You can access scratch-pad areas for terminals, data set records, and so on, simply by including the terminal name or record key in the queue name. v Resource protection is available for temporary storage.

Intrapartition transient data

Intrapartition transient data has some characteristics in common with auxiliary temporary storage. (See Efficient sequential data set access on page 156 for information about extrapartition transient data.) Like temporary storage, intrapartition transient data consists of queues of data, kept together in a single data set, with an index that CICS maintains in main storage. You can use transient data for many of the purposes for which you would use auxiliary temporary storage, but there are some important differences:

142

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v Transient data does not have the same dynamic characteristics as temporary storage. Unlike temporary storage queues, transient data queues cannot be created at the time data is written by an application program. However, transient data queues can be defined and installed using RDO while CICS is running. v Transient data queues must be read sequentially. Each item can be read only once. After a transaction reads an item, that item is removed from the queue and is not available to any other transaction. In contrast, items in temporary storage queues may be read either sequentially or directly (by item number). They can be read any number of times and are not removed from the queue until the entire queue is purged. These two characteristics make transient data inappropriate for scratch-pad data but suitable for queued data such as audit trails and output to be printed. In fact, for data that is read sequentially once, transient data is preferable to temporary storage. v Items in a temporary storage queue can be changed; items in transient data queues cannot. v Transient data queues are always written to a data set. (There is no form of transient data that corresponds to main temporary storage.) v You can define transient data queues so that writing items to the queue causes a specific transaction to be initiated (for example, to process the queue). Temporary storage has nothing that corresponds to this trigger mechanism, although you may be able to use a START command to perform a similar function. v Transient data has more recovery options than temporary storage. Transient data queues can be physically or logically recoverable. v Because the commands for intrapartition and extrapartition transient data are identical, you can switch between the two types of data set. To do this, change only the transient data queue definitions and not your application programs themselves. Temporary storage has no corresponding function of this kind.

GETMAIN SHARED command

Storage acquired using the SHARED option of the GETMAIN command is not released when the acquiring task ends. This enables one task to leave data in storage for use by another task. The storage is not released until a FREEMAIN command is issued, either by the acquiring task or by another task.

Your own data sets

You can also use your own data sets to save data between transactions. This method probably has the largest overhead in terms of instructions processed, buffers, control blocks, and user programming requirements, but does provide extra functions and flexibility. Not only can you define data sets as recoverable resources, but you can log changes to them for forward recovery. You can specify the number of strings for the data set, (as well as on the temporary storage and transient data sets), to ensure against access contention, and you can use resource security.

Lengths of areas passed to CICS commands

When a CICS command includes a LENGTH option, it usually accepts the length as a signed halfword binary value. This places a theoretical upper limit of 32KB on the length. In practice, the limits are less than this and vary for each command. The limits depend on data set definitions, recoverability requirements, buffer sizes, and local networking characteristics.

Chapter 11. Application design

143

LENGTH options
In COBOL, C, C++, PL/I, and assembler language, the translator deals with lengths. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information, including details of when you need to specify the LENGTH option. You should not let the length of your CICS commands exceed 24KB, if possible. Many commands involve the transfer of data between the application program and CICS. In all cases, the length of the data to be transferred must be provided by the application program. In most cases, the LENGTH option must be specified if the SET option is used; the syntax of each command and its associated options show whether this rule applies. There are options on the WAIT EXTERNAL command and a number of QUERY SECURITY commands that give the resource status or definition. CICS supplies the values associated with these options, hence the name, CICS-value data areas. The options are shown in the syntax of the commands with the term cvda in parentheses. For programming information about CVDAs, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. For journal commands, the restrictions apply to the sum of the LENGTH and PFXLENG values. (See Journaling on page 205.)

Journal records
For journal records, the journal buffer size may impose a limit lower than 64KB. Note that the limit applies to the sum of the LENGTH and PFXLENG values.

Data set definitions

For temporary storage, transient data, and file control, the data set definitions can impose limits lower than 24KB. For details, see the CICS System Definition Guide (for information about creating data sets) and the CICS Resource Definition Guide (for information about resource definition for files).

Recommendation
For any command in any system, 24KB is a good working limit for LENGTH specifications. Subject to user-specified record and buffer sizes, this limit is unlikely either to cause an error or to place a constraint on applications. You will probably not find a 24KB limit too much of a hindrance; online programs do not often handle such large amounts of data, for the sake of efficiency and response time. Note: The value in the LENGTH option should never exceed the length of the data area addressed by the command.

Minimizing errors
This section describes ways of making your applications error-free. Some of these suggestions apply not only to programming, but also to operations and systems. What often happens is that, when two application systems that run perfectly by themselves are run together, performance goes down and you begin experiencing lockouts or waits. The scope of each system has not been defined well enough.

144

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The key points in a well-designed application system are: v At all levels, each function is defined clearly with inputs and outputs well-stated v Resources that the system uses are adequately-defined v Interactions with other systems are known

Protecting CICS from application errors

There are various tools and techniques you can use to minimize errors in your application programs. In general: v You can use the storage protection facility to prevent CICS code and control blocks from being overwritten accidentally by your application programs. You can choose whether you want to use this facility by means of CICS system initialization parameters. See the CICS System Definition Guide for more information about this facility. v Consider using standards that avoid problems that may be caused by techniques such as the use of GETMAIN commands.

Testing applications
The following general rules apply to testing applications: v Do not test on a production CICS systemuse a test system, where you can isolate errors without affecting live databases. v Have the testing done by someone other than the application developer, if possible. v Document the data you use for testing. v Test your applications several times. See Chapter 48. Testing applications on page 543 for more information about testing applications. v Use the CEDF transaction for initial testing. See Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF) on page 547 for more information about using CEDF. v Use stress or volume testing to catch problems that may not arise in a single-user environment. Teleprocessing Network Simulator (TPNS, licensed program number 5740-XT4) is a good tool for doing this. TPNS is a telecommunications testing package that enables you to test and evaluate application programs before you install them. You can use TPNS for testing logic, user exit routines, message logging, data encryption, and device-dependencies, if these are used in application programs in your organization. It is useful in investigating system performance and response times, stress testing, and evaluating TP network design. For further information, see the TPNS General Information manual. v Test whether the application can handle correct data and incorrect data. v Test against complete copies of the related databases. v Consider using multiregion operation. (See the CICS Intercommunication Guide for more information.) v Before you move an application to the production system, it is a good idea to run a final set of tests against a copy of the production database to catch any errors. In particular, look for destroyed storage chains. Assembler language programs (if not addressing data areas properly) can be harder to identify because they can alter something that affects (and abends) another transaction. For more information about solving a problem, see the CICS Problem Determination Guide.
Chapter 11. Application design

145

Non-terminal transaction security

CICS can now protect, against unauthorized use, resources used in transactions that are not associated with a terminal. These transactions are of three types: v Transactions that are started by a START command and that do not specify a terminal ID. v Transactions that are started, without a terminal, as a result of the trigger level being reached for an intrapartition transient data queue. v The CICS internal transaction (CPLT), which runs during CICS startup, to execute programs specified in the program list table (PLT). This transaction executes both first and second phases of PLTs. Also, resource security checking can now be carried out for PLT programs that are run during CICS shutdown. PLT shutdown programs execute as part of the transaction that requests the shutdown, and therefore run under the authorization of the user issuing the shutdown command. The START command handles security for non-terminal transactions started by the START command. A surrogate user who is authorized to attach a transaction for another user, or cause it to be attached, or who inherits all the resource access authorizations for that transaction, can act for the user. CICS can issue up to three surrogate user security checks on a single START command, depending on the circumstances: 1. The userid of the transaction that issues the START command, if USERID is specified 2. The userid of the CEDF transaction, if the transaction that issues the START command is being run in CEDF dual-screen mode 3. The CICS region userid of the remote system, if the START command is function shipped to another CICS system and link security is in effect. A separate surrogate user security check is done for each of these userids, as required, before the transaction is attached. For programming information about the USERID option, USERIDERR condition, and INVREQ, and NOTAUTH conditions, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual.

146

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 12. Design for performance

In this chapter, design changes are suggested that can improve performance and efficiency without much change to the application program itself. v Program size v Virtual storage on page 148 v Exclusive control of resources on page 151 v Operational control on page 152 v Operating system waits on page 153 v The NOSUSPEND option on page 153 v Efficient data operations on page 154 v Efficient terminal operations on page 157 Other aspects of application design are addressed in Chapter 11. Application design on page 129 If you have a performance problem that applies in a particular situation, try to isolate the changes you make so that their effects apply only in that situation. After fixing the problem and testing the changes, use them in your most commonly-used programs and transactions, where the effects on performance are most noticeable.

Program size
The early emphasis on small programs led CICS programmers to break up programs into units that were as small as possible, and to transfer control using the XCTL command, or link using the LINK command, between them. In current systems, however, it is not always better to break up programs into such small units, because there is CICS processing overhead for each transfer and, for LINK commands, there is also storage overhead for the register save areas (RSAs). For modestly-sized blocks of code that are processed sequentially, inline code is most efficient. The exceptions to this rule are blocks of code that are: v Fairly long and used independently at several different points in the application v Subject to frequent change (in which case, you balance the overhead of LINK or XCTL commands with ease of maintenance) v Infrequently used, such as error recovery logic and code to handle uncommon data combinations If you have a block of code that for one of these reasons, has to be written as a subroutine, the best way of dealing with this from a performance viewpoint is to use a closed subroutine within the invoking program (for example, code that is dealt with by a PERFORM command in COBOL). If it is needed by other programs, it should be a separate program. A separate program can be called, with a CALL statement (macro), or it can be kept separate and processed using an XCTL or a LINK command. Execution overhead is least for a CALL, because no CICS services are invoked; for example, the working storage of the program being called is not copied. A called program, however, must be linked into the calling one and so cannot be shared by other programs that need it unless you use special COBOL, C/370, or PL/I facilities. A called subroutine is loaded as part of each program that CALLs it and hence uses more storage. Thus, subsequent transactions using the program may or may not have the changes in the working storage made to the called program. This depends entirely on whether CICS has loaded a new copy of the program into storage.

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

147

Overhead (but also flexibility) is highest with the XCTL and LINK commands. Both processor and storage requirements are much greater for a LINK command than for an XCTL command. Therefore, if the invoking program does not need to have control returned to it after the invoked program is processed, it should use an XCTL command. | | | | | | | | | The load module resulting from any application program can occupy up to two gigabytes of main storage. Clearly, there is an extra cost associated with loading and initializing very large load modules, and CICS dynamic storage limits (EDSA) would need to be set correspondingly high. You should, if possible, avoid the use of large load modules. However large applications written in an object-oriented language, such as C++, can easily exceed 16M in size. Experience with C++ classes bound into a single DLL is that performance of the classes is degraded if the single DLL is reorganized into two or more DLLs. This is due to the processing required to resolve function references between multiple DLLs. You may get an abend code of APCG if your program occupies all the available storage in the dynamic storage area (DSA).

Virtual storage
A truly conversational CICS task is one that converses with the terminal user for several or many interactions, by issuing a terminal read request after each write (for example, using either a SEND command followed by a RECEIVE command, or a CONVERSE command). This means that the task spends most of its extended life waiting for the next input from the terminal user. Any CICS task requires some virtual storage throughout its life and, in a conversational task, some of this virtual storage is carried over the periods when the task is waiting for terminal I/O. The storage areas involved include the TCA and associated task control blocks (including EIS or EIB, JCA, and LLAif used) and the storage required for all programs that are in use when any terminal read request is issued. Also included are the work areas (such as copies of COBOL working storage) associated with this tasks use of those programs. With careful design, you can sometimes arrange for only one very small program to be retained during the period of the conversation. The storage needed could be shared by other users. You must multiply the rest of the virtual storage requirement by the number of concurrent conversational sessions using that code. By contrast, a pseudoconversational sequence of tasks requires almost all of its virtual storage only for the period actually spent processing message pairs. Typically, this takes a period of 13 seconds in each minute (the rest being time waiting for operator input). The overall requirement for multiple concurrent users is thus perhaps five percent of that needed for conversational tasks. However, you should allow for data areas that are passed from each task to the next. This may be a COMMAREA of a few bytes or a large area of temporary storage. If it is the latter, you are normally recommended to use temporary storage on disk rather than in main storage, but that means adding extra temporary storage I/O overhead in a pseudoconversational setup, which you do not need with conversational processing. The extra virtual storage you need for conversational applications usually means that you need a correspondingly greater amount of real storage. The paging you need to control storage involves additional overhead and virtual storage. The

148

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

adverse effects of paging increase as transaction rates go up, and so you should minimize its use as much as possible. See Reducing paging effects for information about doing so.

Reducing paging effects

Reducing paging effects is a technique used by CICS in a virtual-storage environment. The key objective of programming in this environment is the reduction of page faults. A page fault occurs when a program refers to instructions or data that do not reside in real storage, in which case the page in virtual storage that contains the instructions or data referred to must be paged into real storage. The more paging required, the lower the overall system performance. Although an application program may be able to communicate directly with the operating system, the results of such action are unpredictable and can degrade performance. An understanding of the following terms is necessary for writing application programs to be run in a virtual-storage environment: Locality of reference The consistent reference, during the execution of the application program, to instructions and data within a relatively small number of pages (compared to the total number of pages in a program) for relatively long periods. Working set The number and combination of pages of a program needed during a given period. Reference set Direct reference to the required pages, without intermediate storage references that retrieve useless data.

Locality of reference
Keep the instructions processed and data used in a program within a relatively small number of pages (4096-byte segments). This quality in a program is known as locality of reference. You can do this by: v Making the execution of the program as linear as possible. v Keeping any subroutines you use in the normal execution sequence as close as possible to the code that invokes them. v Placing code inline, even if you have to repeat it, if you have a short subroutine that is called from only a small number of places. v Separating error-handling and other infrequently processed code from the main flow of the program. v Separating data used by such code from data used in normal execution. v Defining data items (especially arrays and other large structures) in the order in which they are referred to. v Defining the elements within a data structure in the approximate order in which they are referred to. For example, in PL/I, all the elements of one row are stored, then the next row, and so on. You should define an array so that you can process it by row rather than by column. v Initializing data as close as possible to where it is first used. v Avoiding COBOL variable MOVE operations because these expand into subroutine calls.

Chapter 12. Design for performance

149

v Issuing as few GETMAIN commands as possible. It is generally better for the program to add up its requirements and do one GETMAIN command than to do several smaller ones, unless the durations of these requirements vary greatly. v Avoiding use of the INITIMG option on a GETMAIN command, if possible. It causes an immediate page reference to the storage that is obtained, which might otherwise not occur until much later in the program, when there are other references to the same area. Note: Some of the suggestions above may conflict with your installations programming standards if these are aimed at the readability and maintainability of the code, rather than speed of execution in a virtual-storage environment. Some structured programming methods, in particular modular programming techniques, make extensive use of the PERFORM command in COBOL (and the equivalent programming techniques in C/370, PL/I, and assembler language) to make the structure of the program clear. This may also result in more exceptions to sequential processing than are found in a nonstructured program. Nevertheless, the much greater productivity associated with structured code may be worth the possible loss of locality of reference.

Working set
The working set is the number and combination of pages of a program needed during a given period. To minimize the size of the working set, the amount of storage that a program refers to in a given period should be as small as possible. You can do this by: v Writing modular programs and structuring the modules according to frequency and anticipated time of reference. Do not modularize merely for the sake of size; consider duplicate code inline as opposed to subroutines or separate modules. v Using separate subprograms whenever the flow of the program suggests that execution is not be sequential. v Not tying up main storage awaiting a reply from a terminal user. v Using command-level file control locate-mode input/output rather than move-mode. v In COBOL programs, specifying constants as literals in the PROCEDURE DIVISION, rather than as data variables in the WORKING STORAGE section. v In C, C++, and PL/I programs, using static storage for constant data. v Avoiding the use of LINK commands where possible, because they generate requests for main storage.

Reference set
Try to keep the overall number of pages that a program uses during normal operation as small as possible. These pages are termed the reference set, and they give an indication of the real storage requirement of the program. You can reduce the reference set by: v Specifying constants in COBOL programs as literals in the PROCEDURE DIVISION, rather than as data variables in the WORKING STORAGE SECTION. The reason for this is that there is a separate copy of working storage for every task executing the program, whereas literals are considered part of the program itself, of which only one copy is used in CICS. v Using static storage in C, C++, and PL/I for data that is genuinely constant, for the same reason as in the previous point. v Reusing data areas in the program as much as possible. You can do this with the REDEFINES clause in COBOL, the union clause in C and C++, based storage in PL/I, and ORG or equivalents in assembler language. In particular, if you have a

150

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

map set that uses only one map at a time, code the DFHMSD map set definition without specifying either the STORAGE=AUTO or the BASE operand. This allows the maps in the map set to redefine one another. v Using the COBOL RES option. COBOL subroutines coded with this option are not link-edited into the calling program, but instead are loaded on their first use. They can then be shared by any other COBOL program requiring them. v Using the PL/I shared library (PLISHRE) for such subroutines. Refer to data directly by: v Avoiding long searches for data in tables v Using data structures that can be addressed directly, such as arrays, rather than structures that must be searched, such as chains v Avoiding methods that simulate indirect addressing No attempt should be made to use overlays (paging techniques) in an application program. System paging is provided automatically and has superior performance. The design of an application program for a virtual-storage environment is similar to that for a real environment. The system should have all modules resident so that code on pages not referred to need not be paged in. If the program is dynamic, the entire program must be loaded across adjacent pages before execution begins. Dynamic programs can be purged from storage if they are not being used and an unsatisfied storage request exists. Allowing sufficient dynamic area to prevent purging is more expensive than making them resident, because a dynamic program does not share unused space on a page with another program.

Exclusive control of resources

The very fundamental and powerful recovery facilities that CICS provides have performance implications. CICS serializes updates to recoverable resources so that if a transaction fails, its changes to those resources can be backed out independently of those made by any other transaction. Consequently, a transaction updating a recoverable resource gets control of that resource until it terminates or indicates that it wants to commit those changes with a SYNCPOINT command. Other transactions requiring the same resource must wait until the first transaction finishes with it. The primary resources that produce these locking delays are data sets, DL/I databases, temporary storage, and transient data queues. The unit where protection is based is the individual record (key) for data sets, the program specification block (PSB) for DL/I databases, and the queue name for temporary storage. For transient data, the read end of the queue is considered a separate resource from the write end (that is, one transaction can read from a queue while another is writing to it). To reduce transaction delays from contention for resource ownership, the length of time between the claiming of the resource and its release (the end of the UOW) should be minimized. In particular, conversational transactions should not own a critical resource across a terminal read. Note: Even for nonrecoverable data sets, VSAM prevents two transactions from reading the same record for update at the same time. This enqueue ends as soon as the update is complete, however, rather than at the end of the

Chapter 12. Design for performance

151

UOW. Even this protection for a BDAM data set, can be relinquished by defining them with no exclusive control (SERVREQ=NOEXCTL) in the file control table. This protection scheme can also produce deadlocks as well as delays, unless specific conventions are observed. If two transactions update more than one recoverable resource, they should always update the resources in the same order. If they each update two data sets, for example, data set A should be updated before data set B in all transactions. Similarly, if transactions update several records in a single data set, they should always do so in some predictable order (low key to high, or conversely). You might also consider including the TOKEN keyword with each READ UPDATE command. See The TOKEN option on page 254 for information about the TOKEN keyword. Transient data, temporary storage, and user journals must be included among such resources. The CICS Recovery and Restart Guide contains further information on the extent of resource protection. It may be appropriate here to note the difference between CICS data sets on a VSAM control interval, and VSAM internal locks on the data set. Because CICS has no information about VSAM enqueue, a SHARE OPTION 4 control interval that is updated simultaneously from batch and CICS can result in, at best, reduced performance and, at worst, an undetectable deadlock situation between batch and CICS. You should avoid such simultaneous updates between batch and CICS. In any case, if a data set is updated by both batch and CICS, CICS is unable to ensure data integrity.

Operational control
The following operational techniques can be used to influence the performance and efficiency of the CICS system: MXT The CICS system initialization parameter MXT specifies the maximum number of user tasks that can exist in a CICS system at the same time. MXT is invaluable for avoiding short-on-storage (SOS) conditions and for controlling contention for resources in CICS systems. It works by delaying the creation of user tasks to process input messages, if there are already too many activities in the CICS system. In particular, the virtual storage occupied by a message awaiting processing is usually much less than that needed for the task to process it, so you save virtual storage by delaying the processing of the message until you can do so quickly. Transaction classes are useful in limiting the number of tasks of a particular user-defined type, or class, if these are heavy resource users. Runaway tasks CICS only resets a tasks runaway time (ICVR) when a task is suspended. An EXEC CICS command cannot be guaranteed to cause a task to suspend during processing because of the unique nature of each CICS implementation. The runaway time may be exceeded causing a task to abend AICA. This abend can be prevented by coding an EXEC CICS SUSPEND command in the application This causes the dispatcher to suspend the task that issued the request and allow any task of higher priority to run. If there is no task ready to run, the program that issued the suspend is resumed. For further information about abend AICA, see the CICS Problem Determination Guide. Auxiliary trace

152

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Use auxiliary trace to review your application programs. For example, it can show up any obviously unnecessary code, such as a data set browse from the beginning of a data set instead of after a SETL, too many or too large GETMAIN commands, failure to release storage when it is no longer needed, unintentional logic loops, and failure to unlock records held for exclusive control that are no longer needed.

Operating system waits

You should avoid using facilities that cause operating system waits. All CICS activity stops when one of these waits occurs, and all transactions suffer response delays. The chief sources of such waits are: v Extrapartition transient data sets. (See Efficient sequential data set access on page 156.) v Those COBOL, C, C++, and PL/I language facilities that you should not use in CICS programs and for which CICS generally provides alternative facilities. For guidance information about the language restrictions, see Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL on page 9, Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++ on page 31, and Chapter 5. Programming in PL/I on page 39. v SVCs and assembler language macros that invoke operating system services, such as write-to-operator (WTO).

The NOSUSPEND option

The default action for the ENQBUSY, NOJBUFSP, NOSPACE, NOSTG, QBUSY, SESSBUSY, and SYSBUSY conditions is to suspend the execution of the application until the required resource (for example, storage) becomes available, and then resume processing the command. The commands that can give rise to these conditions are: ALLOCATE, ENQ, GETMAIN, WRITE JOURNALNAME, WRITE JOURNALNUM, READQ TD, and WRITEQ TS. On these commands, you can use the NOSUSPEND option (also known as the NOQUEUE option in the case of the ALLOCATE command) to inhibit this waiting and cause an immediate return to the instruction in the application program following the command. CICS maintains a table of conditions referred to by the HANDLE CONDITION and IGNORE CONDITION commands in a COBOL application program2. Execution of these commands either updates the existing entry, or causes a new entry to be made if the condition has not yet been the subject of such a command. Each entry indicates one of the three states described below: v A label is currently specified, as follows:
HANDLE CONDITION condition(label)

v The condition is to be ignored, as follows:

IGNORE CONDITION

v No label is currently specified, as follows:

HANDLE CONDITION

When the condition occurs, the following tests are made:

2. HANDLE CONDITION and IGNORE CONDITION commands are not supported for C and C++ programs. Chapter 12. Design for performance

153

1. If the command has the NOHANDLE or RESP option, control returns to the next instruction in the application program. Otherwise, the condition table is scanned to see what to do. 2. If an entry for the condition exists, this determines the action. 3. If no entry exists and the default action for this condition is to suspend execution: v If the command has the NOSUSPEND or NOQUEUE option, control returns to the next instruction. v If the command does not have one of these options, the task is suspended. 4. If no entry exists and the default action for this condition is to abend, a second search is made looking for the ERROR condition: v If found, this entry determines the action. v If ERROR is searched for and not found, the task is abended.

Efficient data operations

CICS supports: v DL/I database operations v VSAM and BDAM data set operations v Browsing v Logging v Sequential data set access

Efficient database operations

The following recommendations apply to using DL/I with CICS: v Use command codes with CALL level and keywords with command level to reduce the number of requests whenever appropriate. See the CICS IMS Database Control Guide for more information. For example, a DL/I path call is more efficient than a number of individual DL/I calls. With individual DL/I calls, the GN call gives the best performance. Although several DL/I calls may get their information from the DL/I or VSAM buffers, some of the instructions have to be processed within a DL/I call. You should, therefore, consider the number of DL/I calls needed for the processing of a transaction. v It is more efficient to use qualified segment-search areas (SSAs) than to check on segment found in the application program. v Scheduling calls should be issued at the latest possible time, so as to minimize the time that the transaction has exclusive control of the PSB. (This control is released at the end of the UOW, which occurs at the next TERM call, explicit SYNCPOINT command, or the syncpoint implicit in task termination.) v Be aware of the effects of explicit syncpointing on performance and recovery.

Efficient data set operations

The efficiency of database and data set operations is an important factor in the performance of any CICS system. In VSAM, the main impact on efficiency, and thus on response time, comes from contention for serial-use resources (record keys, control intervals, and strings), and for storage use and processor overhead. As is usual in these situations, any improvements you make in one area may be at the expense of other areas.

VSAM data sets

To minimize contention delays using VSAM data sets:

154

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v Minimize the time that VSAM resources are reserved for exclusive use. The exclusive use enqueue is the way CICS and VSAM prevent concurrent updates. If you use VSAM record-level sharing, described in Accessing files in RLS mode on page 237, VSAM locks a record that has been requested for update, so that no other transaction can attempt to update the record at the same time. If the file is recoverable, VSAM releases the lock at the next syncpoint. If the file is not recoverable, VSAM releases the lock when the request is complete. The recoverability of a file, is defined in the integrated catalog facility (ICF) catalog. If you do not use VSAM record-level sharing, CICS serializes update requests by base cluster record key. VSAM serializes by enqueuing on the control interval (CI), so that no transaction can update a record in the same control interval as another record being updated. The VSAM hold for exclusive use ends when the request is complete in VSAM terms. For example, in an update operation, exclusive use that starts with the READ command with the UPDATE option and ends when VSAM has completed the REWRITE command. For nonrecoverable data sets, the CICS exclusive use ends at the same time. For recoverable data sets, however, it does not end until the task ends or issues a SYNCPOINT command. Recoverability is specified in the data set resource definition. See the CICS Resource Definition Guide for more information about the FILE resource definitions. Table 10 shows which requests require exclusive use and when that reservation terminates. This table applies only if you are not using record-level sharing.
Table 10. Requests that require exclusive use and when reservation terminates Command READ.. UPDATE WRITE.. MASSINSERT WRITE DELETE.. RIDFLD Released by VSAM at REWRITE/DELETE/UNLOCK UNLOCK Completion of WRITE Completion of DELETE

v Hold position in a VSAM data set for as short a time as possible. Table 11 shows which commands hold position and when the hold is released.
Table 11. Commands that hold position and when hold is released Command READ.. UPDATE WRITE.. MASSINSERT STARTBR Released by VSAM at REWRITE/DELETE/UNLOCK UNLOCK ENDBR

Each request in progress against a VSAM data set requires at least one string. Requests that hold position tie up a string until a command is issued to release the hold position. Requests that do not hold position release the string as soon as that request is complete. To minimize processor overhead when using VSAM data sets: v Use the MASSINSERT option if you are adding many records in sequence. This improves performance by minimizing processor overheads and therefore improves the response times. For ESDSs and KSDSs, adding records with MASSINSERT causes CICS to use sequential VSAM processing. This changes the way VSAM places records within control intervals when a split is required, resulting in fewer splits and less unused space within the affected CIs.

Chapter 12. Design for performance

155

v Use skip sequential processing if you are reading many records in sequence whose keys are relatively close together but not necessarily adjacent. (Skip sequential processing begins with a start browse (STARTBR command).) Each record is retrieved with an READNEXT command, but the key feedback area pointed to by RIDFLD is supplied with the key of the next requested record before the READNEXT command is issued. v Use the GENERIC option on the DELETE command when deleting a group of records whose keys start with a common character string. CICS internally optimizes a generic DELETE.

BDAM data sets

BDAM data sets are less efficient than VSAM because CICS has to do some single-thread processing and issue some operating system waits to handle BDAM data set requests. Therefore, if possible, you should use a relative record VSAM data set or an entry-sequenced data set addressed by relative byte address (RBA) in place of a BDAM data set. If you are using BDAM data sets in update mode, you should be aware that performance is affected dramatically by the means of data set integrity you choose. If you specify exclusive control in file control table SERVREQ operands for a BDAM data set, CICS requests the operating system to prevent concurrent updates. However, this involves significant overhead.

Efficient browsing (in non-RLS mode)

A data set browse is often the source of the output in transactions that produce a large number of output screens, which can monopolize system resources. A long browse can put a severe load on the system, locking out other transactions and increasing overall response time, in addition to the overhead needed for BMS, task control, and terminals. This is because CICS control philosophy is based on the assumption that the terminal operator initiates a transaction that accesses a few data records, processes the information, and returns the results to the operator. This process involves numerous waits that enable CICS to do multitasking. However, CICS is not an interrupt-driven multitasking system, so tasks that involve small amounts of I/O relative to processing can monopolize the system regardless of priority. A browse of a data set with many records in a control interval is just such a transaction. You can prevent this by issuing DELAY or SUSPEND commands periodically, so that other tasks can get control. If the browse produces paged output, you should consider breaking the transaction up in one of the ways suggested in Page-building and routing operations on page 160.

Efficient logging
CICS provides options to log some or all types of activity against a data set. Logging updates enables you to reconstruct data sets from backup copies, if necessary. You may also want to log reads for security reasons. Again, you have to balance the need for data integrity and security against the performance effects of logging. These are the actual operations needed to do the logging and the possible delays caused because of the exclusive control that logging implies.

Efficient sequential data set access

CICS provides a number of different sequential processing options. Temporary storage and intrapartition transient data queues (already discussed in Temporary

156

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

storage on page 141 and in Intrapartition transient data on page 142) are the most efficient to use, but they must be created and processed entirely within CICS. Extrapartition transient data is the CICS way of handling standard sequential (QSAM/BSAM) data sets. It is the least efficient of the three forms of sequential support listed, because CICS has to issue operating system waits to process the data sets, as it does when handling BDAM. Moreover, extrapartition transient data sets are not recoverable. VSAM ESDSs, on the other hand, are recoverable within limitations, and processing is more efficient. The recovery limitation is that records added to an ESDS during an uncompleted UOW cannot be removed physically during the backout process, because of VSAM restrictions. They can, however, be flagged as deleted by a user exit routine. CICS journals provide another good alternative to extrapartition transient data, although only for output data sets. Journals are managed by the MVS system logger, but flexible processing options permit very efficient processing. Each journal command specifies operation characteristics, for example, synchronous or asynchronous, whereas extrapartition operations are governed entirely by the parameters in the transient data queue definition. Transactions should journal asynchronously, if possible, to minimize task waits in connection with journaling. However, if integrity considerations require that the journal records be physically written before end of task, you must use a synchronous write. If there are several journal writes, the transaction should use asynchronous writes for all but the last logical record, so that the logical records for the task are written with a minimum number of physical I/Os and only one wait. You can use journals for input (in batch) as well as output (online) while CICS is running. The supplied batch utility DFHJUP can be used for access to journal data, for example, by printing or copying. Note that reading a journal in batch involves the following restrictions: v Access to MVS system logger log stream data is provided through a subsystem interface, LOGR. v Reading records from a journal is possible offline by means of a batch job only.

Efficient terminal operations

There are some design factors, related to communicating with terminals, that may affect performance.

Length of the data stream sent to the terminal

Good screen design and effective use of 3270 hardware features can significantly affect the number of bytes transmitted on a teleprocessing link. It is particularly important to keep the number of bytes as small as possible because, in most cases, this is the slowest part of the path a transaction takes. The efficiency of the data stream therefore affects both response time and line usage.

Basic mapping support considerations

When building a formatted data stream with basic mapping support (BMS), you should bear in mind, the factors described in the following sections.

Avoid turning on modified data tags (MDTs) unnecessarily

The MDT is the bit in the attribute byte that determines whether a field should be transmitted on a READ MODIFIED command (the command used by CICS for all but copy operations).
Chapter 12. Design for performance

157

The MDT for a field is normally turned on by the 3270 hardware when the user enters data into a field. However, you can also turn the tag on when you send a map to the screen, either by specifying FSET in the map or by sending an override attribute byte that has the tag on. You should never set the tag on in this way for a field that is constant in the map, or for a field that has no label (and is not sent to the program that receives the map). Also, you do not normally need to specify FSET for an ordinary input field. This is because, as already mentioned, the MDT is turned on automatically in any field in which the user enters data. This is then included in the next RECEIVE command. These tags remain on, no matter how many times the screen is sent, until explicitly turned off by the program (by the FRSET, ERASEAUP, or ERASE option, or by an override attribute with the tag off). You can store information, between inputs, that the user did not enter on the screen. This is an intended reason for turning the MDT on by a program. However, this storage technique is appropriate only to small amounts of data, and is more suitable for local than for remote terminals, because of the transmission overhead involved. For example, this technique is particularly useful for storing default values for input fields. In some applications, the user must complete a screen in which some fields already contain default values. A user who does not want to change a default just skips that field. The program processing the input has to be informed what these defaults are. If they are always the same, they can be supplied as constants in the program. If they are variable, however, and depend on earlier inputs, you can simply save them on the screen by turning the MDT on with FSET in the map that writes the screen. The program reading the screen then receives the default value from a user who does not change the field and the new value from a user who does. Note: The saved values are not returned to the screen if the CLEAR, PA1, PA2, or PA3 key is pressed.

Use FRSET to reduce inbound traffic

If you have a screen with many input fields, which you may have to read several times, you can reduce the length of the input data stream by specifying FRSET when you write back to the screen in preparation for the next read. FRSET turns off the MDTs, so that fields entered before that write are not present unless the user reenters them the next time. If you are dealing with a relatively full screen and a process where there may be a number of error cycles (or repeat transmissions for some other reason), this can be a substantial saving. However, because only changed fields are sent on subsequent reads, the program must save input from each cycle and merge the new data with the old. This is not necessary if you are not using FRSET, because the MDTs remain on, and all fields are sent regardless of when they were entered.

Do not send blank fields to the screen

Sending fields to the screen that consist entirely of blanks or that are filled out on the right by trailing blanks usually wastes line capacity. The only case where BMS requires you to do this is when you need to erase a field on the screen that currently contains data, or to replace it with data shorter than that currently on the screen, without changing the rest of the screen. This is because, when BMS builds the data stream representing your map, it includes blanks (X'40') but omits nulls (X'00'). This makes the output data stream shorter. BMS omits any field whose first data character is null, regardless of subsequent characters in the field.

158

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

BMS requires you to initialize to nulls any area to be used to build a map. This is done by moving nulls (X'00') to the mapnameO field in the symbolic map structure. See Initializing the output map on page 418 for more information. BMS uses nulls in attribute positions and in the first position of data to indicate that no change is to be made to the value in the map. If you are reusing a map area in a program or in a TIOA, you should take special care to clear it in this way.

Address CICS areas correctly

There are several ways to check that CICS areas are addressed correctly. Ensure that: v Each COBOL program with a LINKAGE SECTION structure that exceeds 4KB has the required definition and the setting of more than one contiguous BLL cell. v Every BLL pointer points to an area that is a 01-level item. v Call level DL/I is only used with PSBs that are correctly addressed.

Use the MAPONLY option when possible

The MAPONLY option sends only the constant data in a map, and does not merge any variable data from the program. The resulting data stream is not always shorter, but the operation has a shorter path length in BMS. When you send a skeleton screen to be used for data entry, you can often use MAPONLY.

Send only changed fields to an existing screen

Sending only changed fields is important when, for example, a message is added to the screen, or one or two fields on an input screen are highlighted to show errors. In these situations, you should use the DATAONLY option to send a map that consists of nulls except for the changed fields. For fields where the only the attribute byte has changed, you need send only that byte, and send the remaining fields as nulls. BMS uses this input to build a data stream consisting of only the fields in question, and all other fields on the screen remain unchanged. It may be tempting to ignore this advice and send an unnecessarily long data stream. For example, when a program that is checking an input screen for errors finds one, there are two options. v It can simply add the error information to the input map (highlighted attributes, error messages, and so on) and resend it. v It can build an entirely new screen, consisting of just the error and message fields. The former is slightly easier to code (you do not need to have two map areas or move any fields), but it may result in very much longer transmissions because the output data stream contains the correct input fields as well as the error and message fields. In fact, it may even be longer than the original input stream because, if there were empty or short fields in the input, BMS may have replaced the missing characters with blanks or zeros. With the 3270 hardware, if the input stream for a terminal exceeds 256 bytes, the terminal control unit automatically breaks it up into separate transmissions of 256 bytes maximum. This means that a long input stream may require several physical I/O operations. Although this is transparent to the application program, it does cause additional line and processor overhead. The output stream is generally sent in a single transmission.

Design data entry operations to reduce line traffic

Often, users are required to complete the same screen several times. Only the data changes on each cycle; the titles, field labels, instructions, and so on remain unchanged. In this situation, when an entry is accepted and processed, you can
Chapter 12. Design for performance

159

respond with a SEND CONTROL ERASEAUP command (or a map that contains only a short confirmation message and specifies the ERASEAUP option). This causes all the unprotected fields on the screen (that is, all the input data from the last entry) to be erased and to have their MDTs reset. The labels and other text, which are in protected fields, are unchanged, the screen is ready for the next data-entry cycle, and only the necessary data has been sent.

Compress data sent to the screen

When you send unformatted data to the screen, or create a formatted screen outside BMS, you can compress the data further by inserting set buffer address (SBA) and repeat-to-address (RA) orders into the data stream. SBA allows you to position data on the screen, and RA causes the character following it to be generated from the current point in the buffer until a specified ending address. SBA is useful whenever there are substantial unused areas on the screen that are followed by data. RA is useful when there are long sequences of the same character, such as blanks or dashes, on the screen. However, you should note that the speed with which RA processes is not uniform across all models of 3270 control units. You should check how it applies to your configuration before use. CICS provides an exit that is driven just before output is sent to a terminal (XTC OUT). You may want to add SBA and RA substitutions to this exit to compress the data stream using a general subroutine. This has the dual benefit of removing compression logic from your application program and of applying to all output data streams, whether they are produced by BMS or not.

Use nulls instead of blanks

You should note that, outside BMS, nulls have no special significance in an output data stream. If you need a blank area on a screen, you can send either blanks or nulls to it; they take up the same space in the output stream. However, if the blank field is likely to be changed by the user and subsequently read, use nulls, because they are not transmitted back.

Use methods that avoid the need for nulls or blanks

For any large area of a screen that needs to be blank, you should consider methods other than transmitting blanks or nulls; for example, when using BMS, putting SBA and RA orders directly into the data stream, or using the ERASE and ERASEAUP options.

Page-building and routing operations

BMS page-building facilities provide a powerful and flexible tool for building and displaying long messages, sending messages to multiple destinations, and formatting a single message for several devices with different physical characteristics. However, as for any high-function tool, it requires a substantial overhead, as mentioned in Efficient browsing (in non-RLS mode) on page 156. You may need the page-building option (ACCUM) when: v Sending messages whose length exceeds the capacity of the output device (multipage output) v Using destinations other than the input terminal v Sending pages built from multiple maps v Using the BMS page-copy facility

Sending multipage output

Transactions that produce very large output messages, consisting of many screen-size pages, tend to tax system resources. First, all the pages have to be created, which involves processor activity, execution of the CSPG transaction, and

160

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

data set I/O activity. The pages must then be saved in temporary storage. If the terminal user looks at every page in a message, a large number of transactions are run to process the paging requests, each of which needs line and processor overhead. Obviously some overhead is caused by the size and complexity of the transaction, and it may be unavoidable. Indeed, if several users are scrolling rapidly through paged output at the same time, the transactions needed can monopolize a system. If users really need to see all the pages, and need to scroll backward and forward frequently, it may be more efficient to produce all the pages at the same time and present them using traditional CICS paging services. However, if users need only a few of the pages, or can easily specify how far back or forward in the message they would like to scroll, there are two choices: 1. First, construct a pseudoconversational transaction to produce just one screen of output. The first time this transaction is run, it produces the first page of the many-page output. The output screen contains space for users to indicate the page they want next. The transaction always sets the next transaction identifier to point to itself, so that it can display the requested page when it is next run. You will probably want to give users some of the options that CICS provides (such as one page forward, one page back, and skip to a selected page) and some relevant to the application, such as a data set key at which to begin the next page of output. 2. The alternative is to page-build a multipage output message with the ACCUM option, but to limit the number of pages in the message (say to five). Users page through the subset pages with the usual CICS page commands. On the last screen of the output, you add an indication that there is more output and a place for them to indicate whether they want to see the next segment. As in the first example, the next transaction identifier is set to the original transaction so that, if CICS does not receive a paging command, it invokes that transaction.

Sending messages to destinations other than the input terminal

If you need to send a message to a terminal other than the input terminal associated with a task, BMS routing may be the most efficient way of doing so. This is especially so if the message must be sent to multiple destinations or if it involves multiple pages. Routing is the recommended method if the message recipients need CICS paging commands to access it. However, if neither of the above conditions apply, you have a choice of two other methods of delivering output to a terminal not associated with the transaction. 1. You can use a START command, with the TERMID option, to specify the terminal to which you want to write and the FROM option to specify the data you want to send. Your own transaction is the started transaction. It issues an RETRIEVE command for the message and then sends it to its own terminal. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about the START command. 2. Similarly, you can put messages destined for a particular terminal on to an intrapartition transient data queue. The definition for the transient data queue must specify: v The destination as a TERMINAL v The terminal identifier v A trigger level v A transaction name Your own transaction reads the transient data queue and sends the message to its terminal. It repeats this sequence until the queue is empty, and then
Chapter 12. Design for performance

161

terminates. The trigger level you specified means that it is invoked every time the specified number of messages have been placed on the queue. The CICS/ESA Sample Applications Guide describes the DFHTDWT sample program that performs this function. Note: Because of the overhead associated with routing messages (by whatever means), you should use facilities such as ROUTE=ALL with caution.

Sending pages built from multiple maps

Although you can easily build a screen gradually using different maps, you can sometimes avoid considerable overhead by not using page-building operations, especially where there is only one screen of output and no other need for paging. An example of this is an application whose output consists of a header map, followed by a variable number of detail segments, sent with a second map, and finally a trailer map following the detail. Suppose the average output screen for such an application contains eight (2-line) detail segments, plus header and trailer, and all this fits on a single screen. Writing this screen with page-building requires 11 BMS calls (header, details, trailer, and page-out) whereas, if the program builds the output screen internally, it only needs one call.

Using the BMS page-copy facility

Because the individual pages that make up an accumulated BMS message are saved in temporary storage, BMS enables the terminal user to copy individual pages to other terminals. However, if the ability to copy is the only reason for using page-building, you should consider using either the 3274 control unit copy facilities or the CICS copy key facility instead. The 3274 copy facilities require no participation from CICS and no transmission, and are by far the most efficient method. The CICS copy key facility does have an overhead (see Requests for printed output), although of a different type from the BMS copy facility. It also has destination restrictions that do not apply to BMS copying.

Requests for printed output

A CICS print request asks CICS to copy what is on the requesting screen to the first available printer on the same control unit. The overhead involved depends on whether a printer is available, and whether the requesting terminal is remote or local to CICS. If no printer is available, and the request is from a remote or a local device: v CICS reads the buffer to the display terminal. This involves transmitting every position on the screen, including nulls. For requests from a local device, the READ BUFFER command takes place at channel speeds, so that the large input message size does not increase response time too much, and does not monopolize the line. v An error task is generated so that the terminal error program can dispose of the message. If a printer is available and the request is from a local device, this step is not needed. v The 3270 print task (CSPP) is attached to write the entire buffer to the printer when it is available. If a printer is available, and the request is from a remote device, CICS sends a very short data stream to the control unit asking for a copy of the requesting device buffer to be sent to the output device buffer.

162

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Additional terminal control considerations

The following sections describe additional points to consider when using the CICS terminal control services.

Use only one physical SEND command per screen

We mentioned earlier that it is usually more efficient to create a screen with a single call to BMS, than to build the screen with a series of SEND MAP ACCUM commands. It is important to send the screen in a single physical output to the terminal. It is very inefficient to build a screen in parts and send each part with a separate command, because of the additional processor overhead of using several commands and the additional line and access method overhead.

On BTAM, avoid the WAIT option on a SEND command

Note: CICS does not support BTAM. You can run BTAM transactions on CICS if you initiate them from a system that supports BTAM transactions, and use transaction routing to CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, Version 2 Release 1. If your program is pseudoconversational, it has only one SEND command, by definition. (See Pseudoconversational and conversational design on page 129.) Unless you require notification to this program of an error on the SEND command, omit the WAIT option. This allows CICS task control to reclaim the control blocks and user storage for your program long before it would otherwise be able to do so. Indeed, use of the WAIT option reduces substantially the savings effected by pseudoconversational programming.

Use the CONVERSE command

Use the CONVERSE command rather than the SEND and RECEIVE commands (or a SEND, WAIT, RECEIVE command sequence if your program is conversational). They are functionally equivalent, but the CONVERSE command crosses the CICS services interface only once, which saves processor time.

Limit the use of message integrity options

Like specifying the WAIT option on the final SEND command of a transaction, the MSGINTEG option of CEDA requires CICS to keep the transaction running until the last message has been delivered successfully. The PROTECT option of the PROFILE definition implies message integrity and causes the system to log all input and output messages, which adds to I/O and processor overhead.

Avoid using the DEFRESP option on SEND commands

Avoid using the DEFRESP option on SEND commands, unless the transaction must verify successful delivery of the output message. It delays termination of the transaction in the same way as MSGINTEG.

Avoid using unnecessary transactions

Avoid situations that may cause users to enter an incorrect transaction or to use the CLEAR key unnecessarily, thus adding to terminal input, task control processing, terminal output, and overhead. Good screen design and standardized PF and PA key assignments should minimize this.

Send unformatted data without maps

If your output to a terminal is entirely or even mostly unformatted, you can send it using terminal control commands rather than BMS commands (that is, using a BMS SEND command without the MAP or TEXT options).
Chapter 12. Design for performance

163

164

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 13. Sharing data across transactions

CICS facilities for sharing data across transactions include: v The Common Work Area (CWA) v The TCTTE user area (TCTUA) v The COMMAREA v The display screen Data stored in the TCTUA and the CWA is available to any transaction in the system. Subject to resource security and storage protection restrictions, any transaction may write to them and any transaction may read them. The use of some of these facilities may cause inter-transaction affinities. See Chapter 14. Affinity on page 171 for more information about transaction affinities. This chapter describes: v Using the common work area (CWA) v Using the TCTTE user area (TCTUA) on page 168 v Using the COMMAREA in RETURN commands on page 169 v Using the display screen to share data on page 169

Using the common work area (CWA)

The common work area (CWA) is a single control block that is allocated at system startup time and exists for the duration of that CICS session. The size is fixed, as specified in the system initialization parameter, WRKAREA. The CWA has the following characteristics: v There is almost no overhead in storing or retrieving data from the CWA. Command-level programs must issue one ADDRESS command to get the address of the area but, after that, they can access it directly. v Data in the CWA is not recovered if a transaction or the system fails. v It is not subject to resource security. v CICS does not regulate use of the CWA. All programs in all applications that use the CWA must follow the same rules for shared use. These are usually set down by the system programmers, in cooperation with application developers, and require all programs to use the same copy module to describe the layout of the area. You must not exceed the length of the CWA, because this causes a storage violation. Furthermore, you must ensure that the data used in one transaction does not overlay data used in another. One way to protect CWA data is to use the storage protection facility that protects the CWA from being written to by user-key applications. See Protecting the CWA for more information. v The CWA is especially suitable for small amounts of data, such as status information, that are read or updated frequently by multiple programs in an application. v The CWA is not suitable for large-volume or short-lived data because it is always allocated.

Protecting the CWA

The CWAKEY system initialization parameter allows you to specify whether the CWA is to be allocated from CICS-key or user-key storage. See the CICS System Definition Guide for details about the CWAKEY parameter.
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

165

If you want to restrict write access to the CWA, you can specify CWAKEY=CICS. This means that CICS allocates the CWA from CICS-key storage, restricting application programs defined with EXECKEY(USER) to read-only access to the CWA. The only programs allowed to write to a CWA allocated from CICS-key storage are those you define with EXECKEY(CICS). Because any program that executes in CICS key can also write to CICS storage, you should ensure that such programs are thoroughly tested to make sure that they do not overwrite CICS storage. If you want to give preference to protecting CICS rather than the CWA, specify CWAKEY=USER for the CWA, and EXECKEY(USER) for all programs that write to the CWA. This ensures that if a program exceeds the length of the CWA it does not overwrite CICS storage. For more information about storage protection, see Chapter 45. Storage control on page 517. Figure 33 illustrates a particular use of the CWA where the CWA itself is protected from user-key application programs by CWAKEY=CICS. In this illustration, the CWA is not used directly to store application data and constants. The CWA contains pairs of application identifiers and associated addresses, with the address fields containing the addresses of data areas that hold the application-related data. For protection, the CWA is defined with CWAKEY=CICS, therefore the program which in this illustration is a program defined in the program list table post initialization (PLTPI) list, and that loads the CWA with addresses and application identifiers must be defined with EXECKEY(CICS). Any application programs requiring access to the CWA should be defined with EXECKEY(USER), thereby ensuring the CWA is protected from overwriting by application programs. In Figure 33, one of the data areas is obtained from CICS-key storage, while the other is obtained from user-key storage.
CWA (defined with CWAKEY=CICS) appl1_id ptr_ref1 appl2_id ptr_ref2 Application Storage Area (for appl2) (obtained from user-key storage) The CWA is initialized by an AMODE(31) PLTPI program, which obtains storage for application-related tables, and stores the addresses of the GETMAINed storage in the CWA.
Figure 33. Example of use of CWA in CICS-key storage. This illustrates how the CWA can be used to reference storage that is obtained in user-key or CICS-key storage for use by application programs, while the CWA itself is protected by being in CICS-key storage.

Application Storage Area (for appl1) (obtained from CICS-key storage)

In the sample code shown in Figure 34 on page 167, the program list table post-initialization (PLTPI) program is setting up the application data areas, with pointers to the data stored in the CWA.

166

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

ID DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. PLTPROG. ENVIRONMENT DIVISION. DATA DIVISION. WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 77 APPLID PIC X(8) VALUE SPACES. 77 SYSID PIC X(4) VALUE SPACES. 01 COMM-DATA. 03 AREA-PTR USAGE IS POINTER. 03 AREA-LENGTH PIC S9(8) COMP. LINKAGE SECTION. 01 COMMON-WORK-AREA. 03 APPL-1-ID PIC X(4). 03 APPL-1-PTR USAGE IS POINTER. 03 APPL-2-ID PIC X(4). 03 APPL-2-PTR USAGE IS POINTER. PROCEDURE DIVISION. MAIN-PROCESSING SECTION. * Obtain APPLID and SYSID values EXEC CICS ASSIGN APPLID(APPLID) SYSID(SYSID) END-EXEC. * Set up addressability to the CWA EXEC CICS ADDRESS CWA(ADDRESS OF COMMON-WORK-AREA) END-EXEC. * Get 12KB of CICS-key storage for the first application ('APP1') MOVE 12288 TO AREA-LENGTH. EXEC CICS GETMAIN SET(AREA-PTR) FLENGTH(AREA-LENGTH) SHARED END-EXEC. * Initialize CWA fields and link to load program * for storage area 1. MOVE 'APP1' TO APPL-1-ID. SET APPL-1-PTR TO AREA-PTR. EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM('LOADTAB1') COMMAREA(COMM-DATA) END-EXEC.

Figure 34. Sample code for loading the CWA (Part 1 of 2). This example illustrates how to create global data for use by application programs, with addresses of the data stored in the CWAfor example, by a PLTPI program. The first data area is obtained from CICS-key storage, which is the default on a GETMAIN command issued by a PLTPI program, the second from user-key storage by specifying the USERDATAKEY option. The CWA itself is in CICS-key storage, and PLTPROG is defined with EXECKEY(CICS).

Chapter 13. Sharing data across transactions

167

* Get 2KB of user-key storage for the second application ('APP2') MOVE 2048 TO AREA-LENGTH. EXEC CICS GETMAIN SET(AREA-PTR) FLENGTH(AREA-LENGTH) SHARED USERDATAKEY END-EXEC. * Initialize CWA fields and link to load program * for storage area 2. MOVE 'APP2' TO APPL-2-ID. SET APPL-2-PTR TO AREA-PTR. EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM('LOADTAB2') COMMAREA(COMM-DATA) END-EXEC. EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC. MAIN-PROCESSING-EXIT. GOBACK.

Figure 34. Sample code for loading the CWA (Part 2 of 2). This example illustrates how to create global data for use by application programs, with addresses of the data stored in the CWAfor example, by a PLTPI program. The first data area is obtained from CICS-key storage, which is the default on a GETMAIN command issued by a PLTPI program, the second from user-key storage by specifying the USERDATAKEY option. The CWA itself is in CICS-key storage, and PLTPROG is defined with EXECKEY(CICS).

Using the TCTTE user area (TCTUA)

The TCT user area (TCTUA) is an optional extension to the terminal control table entry (TCTTE). Each entry in the TCT specifies whether this extension is present and, if so, how long it is (by means of the USERAREALEN attribute of the TYPETERM resource definition used for the terminal). See the CICS Resource Definition Guide for more information about the TYPETERM resource definition. The system initialization parameters TCTUALOC and TCTUAKEY specify the location and storage key for all TCTUAs. v TCTUALOC=BELOW or ANY specifies whether you want 24- or 31-bit addressability to the TCTUAs, and whether TCTCUAs must be stored below the 16MB line or may be either above or below the line. v TCTUAKEY=USER or CICS specifies whether you want the TCTUAs allocated from user-key or CICS-key storage. TCTUAs have the following characteristics in common with the CWA: v Minimal processor overhead (only one ADDRESS command needed) v No recovery v No resource security v No regulation of use by CICS v Fixed length v Unsuitability for large-volume or short-lived data Unlike the CWA, however, the TCTUA for a particular terminal is usually shared only among transactions using that terminal. It is therefore useful for storing small amounts of data of fairly standard length between a series of transactions in a pseudoconversational sequence. Another difference is that it is not necessarily permanently allocated, because the TCTUA only exists while the TCTTE is set up. For non-autoinstall terminals the TCTUA is allocated from system startup; for autoinstall terminals the TCTUA is allocated when the TCTTE is generated.

168

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Using the TCTUA in this way does not require special discipline among using transactions, because data is always read by the transaction following the one that wrote it. However, if you use TCTUAs to store longer-term data (for example, terminal or operator information needed by an entire application), they require the same care as the CWA to ensure that data used in one transaction does not overlay data used in another. You should not exceed the length of the allocated TCTUA, because this produces a storage violation.

Using the COMMAREA in RETURN commands

The COMMAREA option of the RETURN command is designed specifically for passing data between successive transactions in a pseudoconversational sequence. It is implemented as a special form of user storage, although the EXEC interface, rather than the application program, issues the GETMAIN and FREEMAIN requests. The COMMAREA is allocated from the CICS shared subpool in main storage, and is addressed by the TCTTE, between tasks of a pseudoconversational application. The COMMAREA is freed unless it is passed to the next task. The first program in the next task has automatic addressability to the passed COMMAREA, as if the program had been invoked by either a LINK command or an XCTL command (see COMMAREA in LINK and XCTL commands on page 140). You can also use the COMMAREA option of the ADDRESS command to obtain the address of the COMMAREA. For a COMMAREA passed between successive transactions in a pseudoconversational sequence in a distributed environment, VTAM imposes a limit of 32KB on the size of the total data length. This limit applies to the entire transmitted package, which includes control data added by VTAM. The amount of control data increases if the transmission uses intermediate links. To summarize: v Processor overhead is low (equivalent to using COMMAREA with an XCTL command and approximately equal to using main temporary storage). v It is not recoverable. v There is no resource security. v It is not suitable for very large amounts of data (because main storage is used, and it is held until the terminal user responds). v As with using COMMAREA to transfer data between programs, it is available only to the first program in a transaction, unless that program explicitly passes the data or its address to succeeding programs.

Using the display screen to share data

You can also store data between pseudoconversational transactions from a 3270 display terminal on the display screen itself. For example, if users make errors in data that they are asked to enter on a screen, the transaction processing the input usually points out the errors on the screen (with highlights or messages), sets the next transaction identifier to point to itself (so that it processes the corrected input), and returns to CICS. The transaction has two ways of using the valid data. It can save it (for example, in COMMAREA), and pass it on for the next time it is run. In this case, the transaction

Chapter 13. Sharing data across transactions

169

must merge the changed data on the screen with the data from previous entries. Alternatively, it can save the data on the screen by not turning off the modified data tags of the keyed fields. Saving the data on the screen is very easy to code, but it is not very secure. You are not recommended to save screens that contain large amounts of data as errors may occur because of the additional network traffic needed to resend the unchanged data. (This restriction does not apply to locally-attached terminals.) Secondly, if the user presses the CLEAR key, the screen data is lost, and the transaction must be able to recover from this. You can avoid this by defining the CLEAR key to mean CANCEL or QUIT, if this is appropriate for the application concerned. Data other than keyed data may also be stored on the screen. This data can be protected from changes (except those caused by CLEAR) and can be nondisplay, if necessary.

170

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 14. Affinity

CICS transactions and programs use many different techniques to pass data from one to another. Some of these techniques require that the transactions or programs exchanging data must execute in the same CICS region. This imposes restrictions on the regions to which transactions and distributed program link (DPL) requests can be dynamically routed. If transactions or programs exchange data in ways that impose such restrictions, there is said to be an affinity among them.

| | | | |

Java This guidance on affinity between transactions describes applications written using the EXEC CICS API. However, many of the comments are equally valid for Java applications and enterprise beans executing in a CICSplex. For guidance on developing Java applications and enterprise beans, see Java Applications in CICS.

| | |

Transactions, program-link requests, EXEC CICS START requests, CICS business transaction services (BTS) activities, and enterprise bean method calls can all be dynamically routed. You can use a dynamic routing program to dynamically route: v Transactions started from terminals v Transactions started by eligible terminal-related EXEC CICS START commands v Eligible CICS-to-CICS DPL requests v Eligible program-link requests received from outside CICS. You can use a distributed routing program to dynamically route: v Eligible BTS processes and activities. (BTS is described in the CICS Business Transaction Services manual.) v Eligible non-terminal-related EXEC CICS START requests. For detailed introductory information about dynamic and distributed routing, see the CICS Intercommunication Guide.

Important The following sections talk exclusively about affinities between transactions. Keep in mind throughout the chapter that: v Affinities can also exist between programs. (Although, strictly speaking, we could say that it is the transactions associated with the programs that have the affinity.) This may impose restrictions on the regions to which program-link requests can be routed. v The sections on safe, unsafe, and suspect programming techniques apply to the routing of program-link and START requests, as well as to the routing of transactions.

This chapter describes: v Types of affinity on page 172 v Programming techniques and affinity on page 173 v Safe programming to avoid affinity on page 174 v Unsafe programming for affinity on page 179
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

171

v Suspect programming for affinity on page 186 v Detecting inter-transaction affinities on page 196 v Duration and scope of inter-transaction affinities on page 197

Types of affinity
There are two types of affinity that affect dynamic routing: v Inter-transaction affinity v Transaction-system affinity

Inter-transaction affinity
Transaction affinity among two or more CICS transactions is caused by the transactions using techniques to pass information between one another, or to synchronize activity between one another, in a way that requires the transactions to execute in the same CICS region. This type of affinity is inter-transaction affinity, where a set of transactions share a common resource and/or coordinate their processing. Inter-transaction affinity, which imposes restrictions on the dynamic routing of transactions, can occur in the following circumstances: v One transaction terminates, leaving state data in a place that a second transaction can only access by running in the same CICS region as the first transaction. v One transaction creates data that a second transaction accesses while the first transaction is still running. For this to work safely, the first transaction usually waits on some event, which the second transaction posts when it has read the data created by the first transaction. This technique requires that both transactions are routed to the same CICS region. v Two transactions synchronize, using an event control block (ECB) mechanism. Because CICS has no function shipping support for this technique, this type of affinity means the two transactions must be routed to the same CICS region. Note: The same is true if two transactions synchronize, using an enqueue (ENQ) mechanism, unless you have used appropriate ENQMODEL resource definitions (see the CICS Resource Definition Guide for a description of ENQMODELs) to give sysplex-wide scope to the ENQs.

Transaction-system affinity
There is another type of transaction affinity that is not an affinity among transactions themselves. It is an affinity between a transaction and a particular CICS region, where the transaction interrogates or changes the properties of that CICS regiontransaction-system affinity. Transactions with affinity to a particular system, rather than another transaction, are not eligible for dynamic routing. In general, they are transactions that use INQUIRE and SET commands, or have some dependency on global user exit programs, which also have an affinity with a particular CICS region.

Using INQUIRE and SET commands and global user exits

There is no remote (that is, function shipping) support for INQUIRE and SET commands, nor is there a SYSID option on them, hence transactions using these commands must be routed to the CICS regions that own the resources to which they refer. In general, such transactions cannot be dynamically routed to any target region, and therefore transactions that use INQUIRE and SET should be statically routed.

172

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Global user exits running in different CICS regions cannot exchange data. It is unlikely that user transactions pass data or parameters by means of user exits, but if such transactions do exist, they must run in the same target region as the global user exits.

Programming techniques and affinity

From the point of view of inter-transaction affinity in a dynamic or distributed routing environment, the programming techniques used by your application programs can be considered in three broad categories: v Those techniques that are generally safe and do not cause inter-transaction affinities v Those techniques that are inherently unsafe v Those techniques that are suspect in that they may, or may not, create affinities depending on exactly how they are implemented

Safe techniques
The programming techniques in the generally safe category are: v The use of the communication area (COMMAREA), supported by the CICS API on a number of CICS commands. However, it is the COMMAREA option on the CICS RETURN command only that is of interest in a dynamic or distributed routing environment with regard to transaction affinity, because it is the COMMAREA on a RETURN command that is passed to the next transaction in a pseudoconversational transaction. v The use of a TCT user area (TCTUA) that is optionally available for each terminal defined to CICS. v Synchronization or serialization of tasks using CICS commands: ENQ / DEQ,provided that you have used appropriate ENQMODEL resource definitions (see Using ENQ and DEQ commands with ENQMODEL resource definitions on page 177 and the CICS Resource Definition Guide for a description of ENQMODELs) to give sysplex-wide scope to the ENQs. v The use of containers to pass data between CICS Business Transaction Services (BTS) activities. Container data is saved in an RLS-enabled BTS VSAM file. For more information about the COMMAREA and the TCTUA, see Safe programming to avoid affinity on page 174.

Unsafe techniques
The programming techniques in the unsafe category are: v The use of long-life shared storage: The common work area (CWA) GETMAIN SHARED storage Storage obtained by a LOAD PROGRAM HOLD v The use of task-lifetime local storage shared by synchronized tasks It is possible for one task to pass the address of some task-lifetime storage to another task. It may be safe for the receiving task to use the passed address, provided the owning task does not terminate. It is possible, but ill-advised, to use a CICS task-synchronization technique to allow the receiving task to prevent the sending task from terminating (or freeing the storage in some other way) before the receiver has finished with the address. However, such designs are not robust because there is a danger of the sending task being purged by some outside agency.
Chapter 14. Affinity

173

See Sharing task-lifetime storage on page 182 for more details. v Synchronization or serialization of tasks using CICS commands: WAIT EVENT / WAIT EXTERNAL / WAITCICS ENQ / DEQ,unless you have used appropriate ENQMODEL resource definitions (see Using ENQ and DEQ commands with ENQMODEL resource definitions on page 177 and the CICS Resource Definition Guide for a description of ENQMODELs) to give sysplex-wide scope to the ENQs. For more information about unsafe programming techniques, see Unsafe programming for affinity on page 179.

Suspect techniques
Some programming techniques may, or may not, create affinity depending on exactly how they are implemented. A good example is the use of temporary storage. Application programs using techniques in this category must be checked to determine whether they work without restrictions in a dynamic or distributed routing environment. The programming techniques in the suspect category are: v The use of temporary storage queues with restrictive naming conventions v Transient data queues and the use of trigger levels v Synchronization or serialization of tasks using CICS commands: RETRIEVE WAIT / START START / CANCEL REQID DELAY / CANCEL REQID POST / CANCEL REQID v INQUIRE and SET commands and global user exits For more information about suspect programming techniques, see Suspect programming for affinity on page 186.

Recommendations
The best way to deal with inter-transaction affinity is to avoid creating inter-transaction affinity in the first place. Where it is not possible to avoid affinities, you should: v Make the inter-transaction affinity easily recognizable, by using appropriate naming conventions, and v Keep the lifetime of the affinities as short as possible. Even if you could avoid inter-transaction affinities by changing your application programs, this is not absolutely necessary provided you include logic in your dynamic and distributed routing programs to cope with the affinities. Finally, you can statically route the affected transactions.

Safe programming to avoid affinity

Some techniques for passing data between transactions are generally safe in that they do not create inter-transaction affinity. These involve the use of a communication area (COMMAREA), a terminal control table user area (TCTUA), or BTS containers. However, to remain free from affinity, COMMAREAs, TCTUAs, and BTS containers must not contain addresses. Generally the storage referenced by such addresses

174

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

would have to be long-life storage, the use of which is an unsafe programming technique in a dynamic transaction routing environment.

The COMMAREA
The use of the COMMAREA option on the RETURN command is the principal example of a safe programming technique that you can use to pass data between successive transactions in a CICS pseudoconversational transaction. CICS treats the COMMAREA as a special form of user storage, even though it is CICS that issues the GETMAIN and FREEMAIN requests for the storage, and not the application program. CICS ensures that the contents of the COMMAREA specified on a RETURN command are always made available to the first program in the next transaction. This is true even when the sending and receiving transactions execute in different target regions. In a pseudoconversation, regardless of the target region to which a dynamic routing program chooses to route the next transaction, CICS ensures the COMMAREA specified on the previous RETURN command is made available in the target region. This is illustrated in Figure 35 on page 176. Some general characteristics of a COMMAREA are: v Processor overhead is low. v It is not recoverable. v The length of a COMMAREA on a RETURN command can vary from transaction to transaction, up to a theoretical upper limit of 32 763 bytes. (However to be safe, you should not exceed 24KB (1KB = 1024 bytes), as recommended in the Application Programming Reference manual, because of a number of factors that can reduce the limit from the theoretical maximum.) v CICS holds a COMMAREA in CICS main storage until the terminal user responds with the next transaction. This may be an important consideration if you are using large COMMAREAs, because the number of COMMAREAs held by CICS relates to terminal usage, and not to the maximum number of tasks in a region at any one time. v A COMMAREA is available only to the first program in the next transaction, unless that program explicitly passes the data to another program or a succeeding transaction.

Chapter 14. Affinity

175

TOR1 (1) Using DTR, routes TRN1 to AOR1. (2) Using DTR, routes TRN2 to AOR2 AOR1 Executes TRN1 TRN1 terminates with EXEC CICS RETURN COMMAREA(DATA) TRANSID(TRN2) AOR2 Executes TRN2 TRN2 has access to the COMMAREA data passed by TRN1

Figure 35. The use of a COMMAREA by a pseudoconversation in a dynamic transaction routing environment

The COMMAREA used in a pseudoconversational transaction, as shown in Figure 35, can be passed from transaction to transaction across a CICSplex, and, provided the COMMAREA contains only data and not addresses of storage areas, no inter-transaction affinity is created.

The TCTUA
The TCTUA is an optional extension to the terminal control table entry (TCTTE), each entry specifying whether the extension is present, and its length. You specify that you want a TCTUA associated with a terminal by defining its length on the USERAREALEN parameter of a TYPETERM resource definition. This means that the TCTUAs are of fixed length for all the terminals created using the same TYPETERM definition. A terminal control table user area (TCTUA) is safe to use in a dynamic transaction routing environment as a means of passing data between successive transactions in a pseudoconversational transaction. Like the COMMAREA, the TCTUA is always accessible to transactions initiated at a user terminal, even when the transactions in a pseudoconversation are routed to different target regions. This is illustrated in Figure 36 on page 177. Some other general characteristics of TCTUAs are: v Minimal processor overhead (only one CICS command is needed to obtain the address). v It is not recoverable. v The length is fixed for the group of terminals associated with a given TYPETERM definition. It is suitable only for small amounts of data, the maximum size allowed being 255 bytes. v If the terminal is autoinstalled, the TCTUA lasts as long as the TCTTE, the retention of which is determined by the AILDELAY system initialization parameter. The TCTTE, and therefore any associated TCTUA, is deleted when the AILDELAY interval expires after a session between CICS and a terminal is ended. If the terminal is defined to CICS by an explicit terminal definition, the TCTTE and its associated TCTUA are created when the terminal is installed and remain until the next initial or cold start of CICS.

176

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Note that the TCTUA is available to a dynamic routing environment in the routing region as well as application programs in the target region. It can be used store information relating to the dynamic routing of a transaction. For example, you can use the TCTUA to store the name of the selected target region to which a transaction is routed.

TOR1 (1) Using DTR, routes TRN1 to AOR1. (2) Using DTR, routes TRN2 to AOR2

AOR1 Executes TRN1 which: (1) Gets TCTUA address (2) Stores data in TCTUA for next transaction (3) Ends with EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID(TRN2)

AOR2 Executes TRN2 which: (1) Gets address of the TCTUA (2) Accesses the data stored by TRN1.

Figure 36. The use of a TCTUA by a pseudoconversation in a dynamic routing environment

Using the TCTUA in an unsafe way

The EXEC CICS ADDRESS TCTUA(ptr-ref) provides direct addressability to the TCTUA, and this is how each task requiring access to a TCTUA should obtain the TCTUA address. If tasks attempt to pass the address of their TCTUAs in some other way, such as in a temporary storage queue, or to use the TCTUA itself to pass addresses of other storage areas, the TCTUA ceases to provide a safe programming technique for use in a dynamic transaction routing environment. It is also possible for a task to obtain the TCTUA of a principal facility other than its own, by issuing an INQUIRE TERMINAL command that names the terminal associated with another task (the INQUIRE TERMINAL command returns the TCTUA address of the specified terminal). Using the TCTUA address of a terminal other than a tasks own principal facility is another example an unsafe use of the TCTUA facility. Depending on the circumstances, particularly in a dynamic routing environment , the TCTUA of a terminal that is not the inquiring tasks principal facility could be deleted after the address has been obtained. For example, in an target region, an INQUIRE TERMINAL command could return the TCTUA address associated with a surrogate terminal that is running a dynamically routed transaction. If the next transaction from the terminal is routed to a different target region, the TCTUA address ceases to be valid.

Using ENQ and DEQ commands with ENQMODEL resource definitions

The ENQ and DEQ commands are used to serialize access to a shared resource. In earlier releases of CICS, these commands were limited to the scope of CICS tasks running in the same region, and could not be used to serialize access to a
Chapter 14. Affinity

177

resource shared by tasks in different regions. Now, provided that the ENQs and DEQs are supported by appropriate ENQMODEL resource definitions (see the CICS Resource Definition Guide for a description of ENQMODELs) they can have sysplex-wide scope. This is primarily of interest to the system programmer who will determine transaction routing decisions, but application programmers should be aware of the advantages now available.

Overview of sysplex enqueue and dequeue

Changes to the CICS enqueue/dequeue function extend the CICS application programming interface to provide an enqueue mechanism that serializes access to a named resource across a specified set of CICS regions operating within a sysplex. This applies equally to a CICSplex within a single MVS image and to a CICSplex that resides in more than one MVS. (Note that sysplex-wide enqueue is supported only for a resource, and not for an enqueue on an address.) Local enqueues within a single CICS region are managed within the CICS address space. Sysplex-wide enqueues that affect more than one CICS region are managed by Global Resource Services (GRS). The main points of the changes to the CICS enqueue/dequeue mechanism are as follows: v Sysplex enqueue and dequeue expands the scope of an EXEC CICS ENQ|DEQ command from region to sysplex, by introducing a new CICS resource definition type, ENQMODEL, to define resource names that are to be sysplex-wide. v ENQSCOPE, an attribute of the ENQMODEL resource definition, defines the set of regions that share the same enqueue scope. v When an EXEC CICS ENQ (or DEQ) command is issued for a resource whose name matches that of an installed ENQMODEL resource definition, CICS checks the value of the ENQSCOPE attribute to determine whether the scope is local or sysplex-wide, as follows: If the ENQSCOPE attribute is left blank (the default value), CICS treats the ENQ|DEQ as local to the issuing CICS region. If the ENQSCOPE is non-blank, CICS treats the ENQ|DEQ as sysplex-wide, and passes a queue name and the resource name to GRS to manage the enqueue. The resource name is as specified on the EXEC CICS ENQ|DEQ command, and the queue name is made up by prefixing the 4-character ENQSCOPE with the letters DFHE. v The CICS regions that need to use sysplex-wide enqueue/dequeue function must all have the required ENQMODELs defined and installed. The recommended way to ensure this is for the CICS regions to share a CSD, and for the initialization group lists to include the same ENQMODEL groups. Changes have been made to the CICS Affinity Utility to make it easier to create affinity groups for enqueues by address separately from enqueues by name. Existing applications can use sysplex enqueues simply by defining appropriate ENQMODELs, without any change to the application programs.

Benefits
Sysplex enqueue provides the following benefits: v Eliminates one of the most common causes of inter-transaction affinity. v Enables better exploitation of a parallel sysplex providing better price/performance, capacity, and availability.

178

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v Reduces the need for inter-transaction affinity rules in dynamic and distributed routing programs thereby lowering the systems management cost of exploiting parallel sysplex. v Enables serialization of concurrent updates to shared temporary storage queues, performed by multiple CICS tasks across the sysplex. v Makes it possible to prevent interleaving of records written by concurrent tasks in different CICS regions to a remote transient data queue. v Allows the single-threading and synchronization of tasks across the sysplex. It is not designed for the locking of recoverable resources.

BTS containers
A container is owned by a BTS activity. Containers cannot be used outside of an activity; for more information, see the CICS Business Transaction Services manual . A container may be used to pass data between BTS activities or between different activations of the same activity. An activity uses GET and PUT container to update the containers contents. CICS ensures that the appropriate containers are available to an activity by saving all the information (including containers) associated with a BTS activity in an RLS-enabled VSAM file. For this reason, note that a BTS environment cannot extend outside a sysplex (see CICS Business Transaction Services), but you can use dynamic routing within a sysplex passing data in containers. Some general characteristics of containers are: v An activity may own any number of containers; you are not limited to one. v There is no size restriction. v They are recoverable. v They exist in main storage only while the associated activity is executing. Otherwise they are held on disk. Therefore, you do not need to be overly concerned with their storage requirements, unlike terminal COMMAREAs.

Unsafe programming for affinity

Some CICS application programming techniques, notably those that pass, or obtain, addresses to shared storage, create an affinity between transactions. The programming techniques that are generally unsafe are described in the following sections.

Using the common work area

The CWA in a CICS region is created (optionally) during CICS initialization, exists until CICS terminates, and is not recovered on a CICS restart (warm or emergency). The ADDRESS CWA(ptr-ref) command provides direct addressability to the CWA. A good example of how the use of long-life shared storage such as the CWA can create affinity is when one task stores data in the CWA, and a later task reads the data from it. Clearly, the task retrieving the data must run in the same target region as the task that stored the data, or it references a completely different storage area in a different address space. This restricts the workload balancing capability of the dynamic or distributed routing program, as shown in Figure 37 on page 180.

Chapter 14. Affinity

179

TOR DTR program If the dynamic routing program routes TRN2 to AOR3 as shown, TRN2 will fail to access the data stored for it by TRN1.

AOR1 CWA

AOR2 CWA

AOR3 CWA

TRN1 writes data to CWA intended for TRN2

TRN2 fails to read the TRN1 data from the CWA

CWA
Figure 37. Illustration of inter-transaction affinity created by use of the CWA. The dynamic routing program needs to be aware of this CWA affinity, and ensure it routes TRN2 to the same target region as TRN1.

However, if the CWA contains read-only data, and this data is replicated in more than one target region, it is possible to use the CWA and continue to have the full benefits of dynamic routing. For example, you can run a program during the post-initialization phase of CICS startup (a PLTPI program) that loads the CWA with read-only data in each of a number of selected target regions. In this way, all transactions routed to target regions loaded with the same CWA data have equal access to the data, regardless of which of the target regions to which the transactions are routed. With CICS subsystem storage protection, you can ensure the read-only integrity of the CWA data by requesting the CWA from CICS-key storage, and define all the programs that read the CWA to execute in user key.

Using GETMAIN SHARED storage

Shared storage is allocated by a GETMAIN SHARED command, and remains allocated until explicitly freed by the same, or by a different, task. Shared storage can be used to exchange data between any CICS tasks that run during the lifetime of the shared storage. Transactions designed in this way must execute in the same CICS region to work correctly. The dynamic or distributed routing program should ensure that transactions using shared storage are routed to the same target region. Figure 38 on page 181 illustrates the use of shared storage.

180

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

TOR DTR program

In this example, the TOR must route TRN2 to AOR1, because it needs access to shared storage obtained by TRN1 in that region.

AOR1 Executes TRN1 which: (1) GETMAINs some SHARED storage (2) Stores data in shared storage (3) WRITEs address to a TS queue Terminates (leaving shared storage still allocated) Executes TRN2 which: (1) READs address from TS queue (2) Reads data from shared storage (3) FREEMAINs the shared storage Terminates

AOR2

Figure 38. Illustration of inter-transaction affinity created by use of shared storage. The dynamic transaction routing program needs to be aware of this affinity, and ensure it routes TRN2 to the same target region as TRN1.

If the two transactions shown in Figure 38 are parts of a pseudoconversational transaction, the use of shared storage should be replaced by a COMMAREA (provided that the amount of storage fits within the COMMAREA size limits).

Using the LOAD PROGRAM HOLD command

A program (or table) that CICS loads in response to a LOAD PROGRAM HOLD command remains in directly addressable storage until explicitly released by the same, or by a different, task. Any CICS tasks that run while the loaded program (table) is held in storage can use the loaded programs storage to exchange data, provided that: v The program is not loaded into read-only storage, or v The program is not defined to CICS with RELOAD(YES) Although you could use a temporary storage queue to make the address of the loaded programs storage available to other tasks, the more usual method would be for other tasks to issue a LOAD PROGRAM command also, with the SET(ptr_ref) option so that CICS can return the address of the held program. The nature of the affinity caused by the use of the LOAD PROGRAM HOLD command is virtually identical to that caused by the use of GETMAIN SHARED storage (see Figure 38 and Figure 39 on page 182), and the same rule applies: to preserve the application design, the dynamic or distributed routing program must

Chapter 14. Affinity

181

ensure that all transactions that use the address of the loaded program (or table) are routed to the same target region.

TOR DTR program In this example, the TOR must route to AOR1 all other transactions that require access to the program (table) loaded by TRN1.

AOR1 Executes TRN1 which: (1) Issues LOAD PROGRAM HOLD command. (2) Terminates. Executes other transactions that: (1) Issue LOAD PROGRAM with SET option. (2) Read data from the loaded program (table) (3) Terminate.

AOR2

Figure 39. Illustration of inter-transaction affinity created by use of shared storage. The dynamic routing program needs to be aware of this affinity, and ensure it routes TRN2 to the same target region as TRN1.

Note: This rule applies also to programs defined with the RESIDENT option on the resource definition for the loaded program (whether or not the HOLD option is specified on the LOAD command). However, regardless of affinity considerations, it is unsafe to use the RESIDENT option to enable transactions to share data, because programs defined with RESIDENT are subject to SET PROGRAM(program_name) NEWCOPY commands, and can therefore be changed. The rule also applies to a non-resident, non-held, loaded program where the communicating tasks are synchronized.

Sharing task-lifetime storage

The use of any task-lifetime storage belonging to one task can be shared with another task, provided the owning task can pass the address to the other task in the same CICS address space. This technique creates an affinity among the communicating tasks, and requires that any task retrieving and using the passed address must execute in the same target region as the task owning the task-lifetime storage.

182

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

For example, it is possible to use a temporary storage queue to pass the address of a PL/I automatic variable, or the address of a COBOL working-storage structure (see Figure 40 for an example).

TOR DTR program

AOR TRN1 1. Stores the address of task-lifetime storage (in TS queue) for TRN2 2. Suspends until TRN2 completes . (waiting) . . 3. Continues. TRN2 1. Reads address from TS queue. 2. Accesses the storage. 3. Resumes TRN1.

Figure 40. Illustration of inter-transaction affinity created by use of task-lifetime storage. TRN2 must execute in the same target region as TRN1. Also, TRN1 must not terminate until TRN2 has finished using its task-lifetime storage.

For two tasks to share task-lifetime storage belonging to one of them requires that the tasks are synchronized in some way. See Table 12 for commands that provide ways of suspending and resuming a task that passes the address of its local storage.
Table 12. Methods for suspending and resuming (synchronizing) tasks Suspending operation WAIT EVENT, WAIT EXTERNAL, WAITCICS RETRIEVE WAIT DELAY POST START ENQ Resuming operation POST START CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL DEQ

Some of these techniques themselves require that the transactions using them must execute in the same target region, and these are discussed later in this chapter. However, even in those cases where tasks running in different target regions can be synchronized, it is not safe to pass the address of task-lifetime storage from one to the other. Even without dynamic routing, designs that are based on the synchronization techniques shown in Table 12 are fundamentally unsafe because it is possible that the storage-owning task could be purged.

Chapter 14. Affinity

183

Notes: 1. Using synchronization techniques, such as RETRIEVE WAIT/START, to allow sharing of task-lifetime storage is unsafe in CICS Version 2 because the task issuing, for example, the RETRIEVE WAIT could be purged by a CEMT SET TASK(...) PURGE command. In CICS/ESA Version 3 and later, the SPURGE parameter on the transaction definition could be used to protect the first task, but even so the design is not recommended. 2. No inter-transaction affinity is caused in those cases where the task sharing another tasks task-lifetime storage is started by an START command, except when the START command is function-shipped or routed to a remote system.

Using the WAIT EVENT command

The WAIT EVENT command is used to synchronize a task with the completion of an event performed by some other CICS or MVS task. The completion of the event is signalled (posted) by the setting of a bit pattern into the event control block (ECB). Both the waiting task and the posting task must have direct addressability to the ECB, hence both tasks must execute in the same target region. The use of a temporary storage queue is one way that the waiting task can pass the address of the ECB to another task. This synchronization technique is illustrated in Figure 41.

TOR DTR program

AOR TRN1 1. Stores the address of ECB in temporary storage queue for TRN2 2. Suspends with WAIT EVENT ECADDR(ptr-ref) . . (waiting) . . . . 3. Resumed by CICS

TRN2 1. At end of processing, (completion of event) reads address of ECB from TS queue. 2. Posts ECB (by MVS POST or 'hand-posted') 3. Returns control to CICS

Figure 41. Illustration of inter-transaction affinity created by use of WAIT EXTERNAL command. TRN2 must execute in the same target region as TRN1.

If TRN2 shown in Figure 41 executed in a different target region from TRN1, the value of ptr-ref would be invalid, the post operation would have unpredictable results, and the waiting task would never be resumed. For this reason, a dynamic

184

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

or distributed routing program must ensure that a posting task executes in the same target region as the waiting task to preserve the application design. The same considerations apply to the use of WAIT EXTERNAL and WAITCICS commands for synchronizing tasks.

Using ENQ and DEQ commands without ENQMODEL resource definitions

The ENQ and DEQ commands are used to serialize access to a shared resource. These commands only work for CICS tasks running in the same region, and cannot be used to serialize access to a resource shared by tasks in different regions, unless they are supported by appropriate ENQMODEL resource definitions (see Using ENQ and DEQ commands with ENQMODEL resource definitions on page 177 and the CICS Resource Definition Guide for a description of ENQMODELs) so that they have sysplex-wide scope. Note that any ENQ that does not specify the LENGTH option is treated as an enqueue on an address and therefore has only local scope. The use of ENQ and DEQ for serialization (without ENQMODEL definitions to give sysplex-wide scope) is illustrated in Figure 42.

TOR DTR program

AOR TRN1 1. Issues ENQ command on resource name of shared resource 2. Modifies or uses shared resource . . 3. Issues DEQ command on shared resource. TRN2 1. Issues ENQ command on resource name of shared resource 2. Suspended by CICS while resource in use by TRN1 3. Resumed by CICS when resource free

Figure 42. Illustration of inter-transaction affinity created by use of ENQ/DEQ commands. TRN2 must execute in the same target region as TRN1.

If TRN2 shown in Figure 42 executed in a different target region from TRN1, TRN2 would not be suspended while TRN1 accessed the shared resource. For this reason, a dynamic or distributed routing program must ensure that all tasks that enqueue on a given resource name must execute in the same target region to

Chapter 14. Affinity

185

preserve the application design. TRN2 would, of course, be serialized with other CICS tasks that issue ENQ commands on the same resource name in its target region.

Suspect programming for affinity

Some CICS application programming techniques may create an affinity between transactions depending on how they are implemented. The programming techniques that may be suspect are described in the following sections.

Using temporary storage

CICS application programs commonly use temporary storage (TS) queues to hold temporary application data, and to act as scratch pads. Sometimes a TS queue is used to pass data between application programs that execute under one instance of a transaction (for example, between programs that pass control by a LINK or XCTL command in a multi-program transaction). Such use of a TS queue requires that the queue exists only for the lifetime of the transaction instance, and therefore it does not need to be shared between different target regions, because a transaction instance executes in one, and only one, target region. Note: This latter statement is not strictly true in the case of a multi-program transaction, where one of the programs is linked by a distributed program link command and the linked-to program resides in a remote system. In this case, the program linked by a DPL command runs under another CICS task in the remote region. The recommended method for passing data to a DPL program is by a COMMAREA, but if a TS queue is used for passing data in a DPL application, the queue must be shared between the two regions. Sometimes a TS queue holds information that is specific to the target region, or holds read-only data. In this case the TS queue can be replicated in each target region, and no sharing of data between target regions is necessary. However, in many cases a TS queue is used to pass data between transactions, in which case the queue must be globally accessible to enable the transactions using the queue to run in any dynamically selected target region. It is possible to make a temporary storage queue globally accessible by function shipping TS requests to a queue-owning region (QOR), provided the TS queue can be defined as remote. Shared queues are defined by using a temporary storage pool in a coupling facility. Shared temporary storage applies only to non-recoverable queues. You can make queues in auxiliary storage recoverable, but not queues in main storage. In a pseudoconversational transaction, you can change the program to use a COMMAREA to pass data between the phases of the conversation. However, using temporary storage data-sharing avoids inter-transaction affinity by being able to use dynamic routing to any target region. Shared temporary storage queue requests for specific SYSIDs are routed in the same way as remote queue requests. The SYSID value defined to shared TS pools is TST TYPE=SHARED. The methods for specifying TS pool make it easy to migrate queues from a QOR to a TS data-sharing pool. You can use the temporary storage global user exit, XTSEREQ, to modify the SYSID on a TS request so that it references a TS

186

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

data-sharing pool. See Figure 43 for an illustration of a temporary storage data-sharing server.

TOR DTR program DFHTSTXX Prefix| Sysid AOR1 TST=XX AOR2 TST=XX AOR3 TST=XX AOR4 TST=XX AAAA* ABCD* XXXX* ZZZZ* Sysid CICQ DFHXQMN TS Server CICQ CICQ CICQ CICQ Pool DFHXQTS1

Coupling Facility
Figure 43. Example of the use of the temporary storage data-sharing server

Naming conventions for remote queues

To define a queue as remote you must include an entry for the queue in a temporary storage table (TST), or use an appropriate TSMODEL . TS queue names are frequently generated dynamically, but they can also be unique fixed names. v The TST naming convention allows for dynamic names by accepting generic names formed by a constant prefix, to which a CICS application program can add a variable suffix. (Generic names are formed from the leading characters of the 8-character queue names and can be up to seven characters long. Names in a TST entry using all eight characters specify unique TS queues.) v The names of TS queues defined by TSMODEL resource definitions may have a prefix of up to 16 characters (using a specified set of character) if defined by the Prefix or Remoteprefix option, or of up to 32 characters (using any hexadecimal string) if defined by the XPrefix or XRemoteprefix option. The CICS Resource Definition Guide has more information about Prefix, Remoteprefix, XPrefix and XRemoteprefix. The usual convention is a 4-character prefix (for example, the transaction identifier) followed by a 4-character terminal identifier as the suffix. This generates queue names that are unique for a given terminal. Such generic queue names can be defined easily as remote queues that are owned, for example, by: v A QOR (thus avoiding transaction affinity problems) v Shared queues residing in temporary storage data-sharing queue pools v Remote queues that are owned by an target region, or in a temporary storage data-sharing queue pool

Chapter 14. Affinity

187

Remote queues and shared queues can be defined in the same way for application programs, but requests for specific SYSIDs are routed to a temporary storage data server by means of TST TYPE=SHARED. However, if the naming convention for dynamically named queues does not conform to this rule, the queue cannot be defined as remote, and all transactions that access the queue must be routed to the target region where the queue was created. Furthermore, a TS queue name cannot be changed from a local to a remote queue name using the global user exits for TS requests. See Figure 44 for an illustration of the use of a remote queue-owning region.

TOR DTR program

DFHTSTXX Prefix Sysid AOR1 TST=XX AOR2 TST=XX AOR3 TST=XX AOR4 TST=XX AAAA* ABCD* XXXX* ZZZZ* CICQ CICQ CICQ CICQ

ROR

Figure 44. Using remote queues to avoid inter-transaction affinity relating to temporary storage. This example shows a combined file-owning and queue-owning region. Separate regions can be used, but these require special care during recovery operations because of in-doubt windows that can occur when recovering data managed independently by file control and temporary storage control.

Exception conditions for globally accessible queues

When you eliminate inter-transaction affinity relating to TS queues by the use of a global QOR, you must also take care to review exception condition handling. This is because some exception conditions can occur that previously were not possible when the transactions and the queue were local in the same region. This situation arises because the target region and QOR can fail independently, causing circumstances where: v The queue already exists, because only the target region failed while the QOR continued. v The queue is not found, because only the QOR failed while the target region continued.

Using transient data

Another form of data queue that CICS application programs commonly use is the transient data queue (TD). The dynamic transaction routing considerations for TD queues have much in common with those for temporary storage. To enable transactions that use a TD queue that needs to be shared, to be dynamically routed to an target region, you must ensure that the TD queues are globally accessible.

188

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

All transient data queues must be defined to CICS, and must be installed before the resources become available to a CICS region. These definitions can be changed to support a remote transient data queue-owning region (QOR). However, there is a restriction for TD queues that use the trigger function. The transaction to be invoked when the trigger level is reached must be defined as a local transaction in the region where the queue resides (in the QOR). Thus the trigger transaction must execute in the QOR. However, any terminal associated with the queue need not be defined as a local terminal in the QOR. This does not create an inter-transaction affinity. Figure 45 illustrates the use of a remote transient data queue-owning region.

TOR DTR program

TDQ defn. Queue AOR1 AOR2 AOR3 AOR4 AAAA ABCD XXXX ZZZZ CICQ CICQ CICQ CICQ Syst.

TDQ definition Queue FOR QOR (CICQ) AAAA ABCD XXXX ZZZZ Trig. Tran. Term. nn nn BBBB CCCC Tnnn Pnnn

Figure 45. Using remote queues to avoid inter-transaction affinity relating to transient data. The transient data queue definitions installed in the target regions are defined as owned by the QOR (CICQ). All the transient data queue definitions installed in the QOR are local, some with trigger levels.

Exception conditions for globally accessible queues

When you eliminate inter-transaction affinity relating to TD queues by the use of a global QOR, there should not be any new exception conditions (other than SYSIDERR if there is a system definition error or failure).

Using the RETRIEVE WAIT and START commands

The use of some synchronization techniques permit the sharing of task-lifetime storage between two synchronized tasks. For example, the RETRIEVE WAIT and START commands could be used for this purpose, as illustrated in Figure 46 on page 190. In this example, TRN1 is designed to retrieve data from an asynchronous task, TRN2, and therefore must wait until TRN2 makes the data available. Note that for this mechanism to work, TRN1 must be a terminal-related transaction.

Chapter 14. Affinity

189

The steps are as follows: 1. TRN1 writes data to a TS queue, containing its TRANSID and TERMID. 2. To cause itself to suspend, TRN1 issues a RETRIEVE WAIT command, which causes CICS to suspend the task until the RETRIEVE can be satisfied, which is not until TRN2 issues a START command with data passed by the FROM parameter. 3. However, TRN2 can only issue a START command to resume TRN1 if it knows the TRANSID and TERMID of the suspended task (TRN1 in our example). Thus it reads the TS queue to obtain the information written by TRN1. Using a temporary storage queue is one way that this information can be passed by the suspending task. 4. Using the information from the TS queue, TRN2 issues the START command for TRN1, causing CICS to resume TRN1 by satisfying the outstanding RETRIEVE WAIT.

TOR DTR program

AOR TRN1 1. Stores its TRANSID and TERMID in a TS queue for TRN2 2. Suspends by issuing a RETRIEVE WAIT . . (suspended) . . 3. Resumes. TRN2 1. Reads TRANSID & of TRN1 from TS . (process) . 3. Resumes TRN1 by START with FROM TERMID queue

issuing option.

Figure 46. Illustration of task synchronization using RETRIEVE WAIT and START commands

In the example of task synchronization using RETRIEVE WAIT and START commands shown in Figure 46, the START command that satisfies the RETRIEVE WAIT must: v Be issued in same target region as the transaction (TRN1 in our example) issuing the RETRIEVE WAIT command, or v Specify the SYSID of the target region where the RETRIEVE WAIT command was executed, or v Specify a TRANSID (TRN1 in our example) that is defined as a remote transaction residing on the target region that executed the RETRIEVE WAIT command.

190

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

An application design based on the remote TRANSID technique only works for two target regions. An application design using the SYSID option on the START command only works for multiple target regions if all target regions have connections to all other target regions (which may not be desirable). In either case, the application programs need to be modified: there is no acceptable way to use this programming technique in a dynamic or distributed routing program except by imposing restrictions on the routing program. In general, this means that the dynamic or distributed routing program has to ensure that TRN2 has to execute in the same region as TRN1 to preserve the application design.

Using the START and CANCEL REQID commands

Using this CICS application programming technique, one transaction issues a START command to start another transaction after a specified interval. Another transaction (not the one requested on the START command) determines that it is no longer necessary to run the requested transaction, (which is identified by the REQID parameter) and cancels the START request. Note that the cancel is only effective if the specified interval has not yet expired. A temporary storage queue is one way that the REQID can be passed from task to task. Note: To use this technique, the CANCEL command must specify the REQID option, but the START command need not. This is because, provided the NOCHECK option is not specified on the START command, CICS generates a REQID for the request and stores it in the EXEC interface block (EIB) in field EIBREQID. Figure 47 on page 192 illustrates this programming technique.

Chapter 14. Affinity

191

TOR DTR program

AOR TRN1 1. Starts TRNX and obtains the REQID 2. Writes the REQID for the START request to a TS queue 3. Terminates. (suspended) TRN2 1. Reads REQID from TS 2. Cancels TRNX using REQID

Figure 47. Illustration of the use of the START and CANCEL REQID commands

Using this application programming technique, the CANCEL command that cancels the START request must: v Be issued in same target region that the START command was executed in, or v Specify the SYSID of the target region where the START command was executed, or v Specify a TRANSID (TRNX in our example) that is defined as a remote transaction residing on the target region where the START command was executed. Note: A START command is not necessarily executed in the same region as the application program issuing the command. It can be function shipped (or, in the case of a non-terminal-related START, routed) and executed in a different CICS region. The above rules apply to the region where the START command is finally executed. An application design based on the remote TRANSID technique only works for two target regions. An application design using the SYSID option on the cancel command only works for multiple target regions if all target regions have connections to all other target regions. In either case, the application programs need to be modified: there is no acceptable way to use this programming technique in a dynamic or distributed routing program except by imposing restrictions on the routing program. In general, this means that the dynamic or distributed routing program has to ensure that TRN2 executes in the same region as TRN1 to preserve the application design, and also that TRNX is defined as a local transaction in the same region.

192

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Using the DELAY and CANCEL REQID commands

Using this CICS application programming technique, one task can resume another task that has been suspended by a DELAY command. A DELAY request can only be cancelled by a different task from the one issuing the DELAY command, and the CANCEL command must specify the REQID associated with DELAY command. Both the DELAY and CANCEL command must specify the REQID option to use this technique. The steps involved in this technique using a temporary storage queue to pass the REQID are as follows: 1. A task (TRN1) writes a predefined DELAY REQID to a TS queue. For example:
EXEC CICS WRITEQ TS QUEUE('DELAYQUE') FROM(reqid_value)

2. The task waits on another task by issuing a DELAY command, using the reqid_value as the REQID. For example:
EXEC CICS DELAY INTERVAL(1000) REQID(reqid_value)

3. Another task, TRN2, reads the REQID of the DELAY request from TS queue called DELAYQUE. 4. TRN2 completes its processing, and resumes TRN1 by cancelling the DELAY request. The process using a TS queue is illustrated in Figure 48 on page 194. Another way to pass the REQID when employing this technique would be for TRN1 to start TRN2 using the START command with the FROM and TERMID options. TRN2 could then obtain the REQID with the RETRIEVE command, using the INTO option.

Chapter 14. Affinity

193

TOR DTR program

AOR TRN1 1. Writes DELAY command REQID to TS queue for use by TRN2 2. Issues DELAY to wait until TRN2 issues CANCEL command . . (suspended) . . . . 3. Resumes. TRN2 1. Reads REQID of DELAY from TS queue . (process) . 2. Completes processing 3. Resumes TRN1 by CANCELing the DELAY.

Figure 48. Illustration of the use of the DELAY and CANCEL REQID commands

Using this application programming technique, the CANCEL command that cancels the DELAY request must: v Be issued in same target region as the DELAY command was executed in, or v Specify the SYSID of the target region where the DELAY command was executed, or v Specify a TRANSID (TRN1 in our example) that is defined as a remote transaction residing on the target region where the DELAY command was executed. An application design based on the remote TRANSID technique only works for two target regions. An application design using the SYSID option on the cancel command only works for multiple target regions if all target regions have connections to all other target regions. In either case, the application programs need to be modified: there is no acceptable way to use this programming technique in a dynamic or distributed routing environment except by imposing restrictions on the routing program. If the CANCEL command is issued by a transaction that is initiated from a terminal, it is possible that the transaction could be dynamically routed to the wrong target region.

Using the POST and CANCEL REQID commands

The CICS POST command is used to request notification that a specified time has expired. Another transaction (TRN2) can force notification, as if the specified time has expired, by issuing a CANCEL of the POST request.

194

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The time limit is signalled (posted) by CICS by setting a bit pattern in the event control block (ECB). To determine whether notification has been received, the requesting transaction (TRN1) has either to test the ECB periodically, or to issue a WAIT command on the ECB. A TS storage queue is one way that can be used to pass the REQID of the POST request from task to task. Figure 49 illustrates this technique.

TOR DTR program

AOR TRN1 1. Issues POST command 2. Stores REQID of POST in TS queue for use by TRN2 . (process) . . . 3. Periodically check if posted 4. Resumes when time expired, or when POST cancelled by TRN2.

TRN2 1. Reads REQID of POST request . (process) . 2. Completes processing 3. Resumes TRN1 by CANCELing the POST.

Figure 49. Illustration of the use of the POST command

If this technique is used, the dynamic or distributed routing program has to ensure that TRN2 executes in the same CICS region as TRN1 to preserve the application design. The CANCEL command that notifies the task that issued the POST must: v Be issued in same target region that the POST command was executed in, or v Specify the SYSID of the target region where the POST command was executed, or v Specify a TRANSID (TRN1 in our example) that is defined as a remote transaction residing on the target region where the POST command was executed. An application design based on the remote TRANSID technique only works for two target regions. An application design using the SYSID option on the cancel command only works for multiple target regions if all target regions have connections to all other target regions. In either case, the application programs

Chapter 14. Affinity

195

need to be modified: there is no acceptable way to use this programming technique in a dynamic or distributed routing program except by imposing restrictions on the routing program. In general, this means that the dynamic or distributed routing program has to ensure that TRN2 executes in the same region as TRN1 to preserve the application design. Clearly, there is no problem if the CANCEL is issued by the same task that issued the POST. If a different task cancels the POST command, it must specify REQID to identify the particular instance of that command. Hence the CANCEL command with REQID is indicative of an inter-transaction affinity problem. However, REQID need not be specified on the POST command because CICS automatically generates a REQID and pass it to the application in EIBREQID.

Detecting inter-transaction affinities

To manage transaction affinities in a dynamic routing environment, you must first discover which transactions have affinities. How do you do this? The recommended way is to use the Transaction Affinities Utility to detect affinities. The CICS Transaction Affinities Utility Guide describes the utility and how to use it. Note: If you dynamically route program-link requests, you must discover which programs (or their associated transactions) have affinities. You cannot use the Transaction Affinities Utility to do this. If you do not use the utility, you can use one of the following methods to detect affinities, although you are strongly recommended to use the utility. v Review application design, paying particular attention to the techniques used for inter-transaction communication. v Search the source of application programs, looking for instances of the EXEC CICS commands that can give rise to inter-transaction affinity. v Run a trace analysis program that can analyze CICS auxiliary trace. For example, if you run the CICS trace utility program, DFHTUP, with the ABBREV option to format CICS auxiliary trace output, you can analyze the resulting abbreviated trace data to find instances of suspect commands.

Inter-transaction affinities caused by application generators

Application generators may give rise to particularly difficult problems of inter-transaction affinity: v The affinity may be hidden from the application programmer. v The application generator may have a different concept of a transaction to CICS: it is affinity among CICS transactions that is of concern, because these are the entities that are dynamically routed. v Some application generators use a single transaction code for all transactions within an application, making it difficult for the router to select those instances of transactions that have affinities.

196

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Duration and scope of inter-transaction affinities

When planning your dynamic routing strategy, and planning how to manage inter-transaction affinities, it is important to understand the concepts of affinity relations and affinity lifetimes. The relations and lifetimes of inter-transaction affinities must be taken into account when designing a dynamic or distributed routing program, because they define the scope and duration of inter-transaction affinities. Clearly, the ideal situation for a dynamic or distributed routing program is for there to be no inter-transaction affinities at all, which means there are no restrictions in the choice of available target regions for dynamic routing. However, even when inter-transaction affinities do exist, there are limits to the scope of these affinities, the scope of the affinity being determined by affinity relation and affinity lifetime. Understanding the relations and lifetimes of transaction affinities is important in deciding how to manage them in a dynamic routing environment.

Affinity transaction groups

In order to manage affinities within a dynamic routing environment, you must first categorize transactions by their affinity. One way to do this is to place transactions in groups, where a group is a set of transactions that have inter-transaction affinity. Each affinity transaction group (or affinity group, for short) thus represents a group of transactions that have an affinity with one another. Defining affinity groups is one way that a dynamic or distributed routing program can determine to which target region a transaction should be routed. Clearly, the more inter-transaction affinity you have in a given CICS workload, the less effective a dynamic routing program can be in balancing the workload across a CICSplex. To minimize the impact of inter-transaction affinity, affinities within an affinity group can characterized by their relation and lifetime. These relation and lifetime attributes determine the scope and duration of an affinity. Thus, ideally, an affinity transaction group consists of an affinity group identifier, a set of transactions that constitute the affinity group, with the affinity relation and affinity lifetime associated with the group.

Relations and lifetimes

When you create an affinity group, you should assign to the group the appropriate affinity relation and affinity lifetime attributes. The relation determines how the dynamic or distributed routing program is to select a target region for a transaction instance associated with the affinity, and the lifetime determines when the affinity is ended. There are four possible affinity relations that you can assign to your affinity groups: 1. Global 2. LUname 3. Userid 4. BAPPL These are described in the following sections, together with the permitted lifetimes for each relation.

The global relation

A group of transactions whose affinity relation is defined as global is one where all instances of all transactions in the group that are initiated from any terminal, by any
Chapter 14. Affinity

197

START command, or by any CICS BTS process, must execute in the same target region for the lifetime of the affinity. The affinity lifetime for global relations can be as follows: System The affinity lasts for as long as the target region exists, and ends whenever the target region terminates (at a normal, immediate, or abnormal termination). Permanent The affinity extends across all CICS restarts. This is the most restrictive of all the inter-transaction affinities. If you are running CICSPlex SM, this affinity lasts for as long as any CMAS involved in managing the CICSplex using the workload is active. An example of a global inter-transaction affinity with a lifetime of permanent is where the transaction uses (reads and/or writes) a local, recoverable, temporary storage queue, and where the TS queue name is not derived from the terminal. (You can only specify that a TS queue is recoverable in the CICS region in which the queue is local.) Generally, transactions in this affinity category are not suitable candidates for dynamic routing and you should consider making them statically routed transactions. An example of a global relation is illustrated in Figure 50.

Terminal User enters tranid GGGG TOR Calls DTR program Routes GGGG to AOR2 DTR program Affinity group Relation: GLOBAL Lifetime: PERM Transids: GGGG

1. Checks affinity groups for GGGG 2. Start global affinity for transid GGGG 3. Select AOR from candidate list 4. Records choice of AOR (for example, AOR2) for this group.

GGGG sent to AOR2

AOR1

AOR2 GGGG

AOR3

AOR4

AOR5

AOR6

Figure 50. Managing inter-transaction affinity with global relation and permanent lifetime

In this example, the first instance of transid GGGG, from any terminal, starts a permanent-lifetime affinity. The first instance of GGGG can be routed to any suitable target region (AOR1 through AOR6), but all other instances, from any terminal, must be routed to whichever target region is selected for GGGG.

198

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The LUname (terminal) relation

A group of transactions whose affinity relation is defined as LUname is one where all instances of all transactions in the group that are associated with the same terminal must execute in the same target region for the lifetime of the affinity. The affinity lifetime for LUname relations can be as follows: Pseudoconversation The affinity lasts for the whole pseudoconversation, and ends when the pseudoconversation ends at the terminal. Each transaction must end with an EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID, not with the pseudoconversation mode of END. Logon The affinity lasts for as long as the terminal remains logged-on to CICS, and ends when the terminal logs off. System The affinity lasts for as long as the target region exists, and ends whenever the target region terminates (at a normal, immediate, or abnormal termination). Permanent The affinity extends across all CICS restarts. If you are running CICSPlex SM, this affinity lasts for as long as any CMAS involved in managing the CICSplex using the workload is active. Delimit The affinity continues until a transaction with a pseudoconversation mode of END is encountered. A typical example of transactions that have an LUname relation are those that: v Use a local TS queue to pass data between the transactions in a pseudoconversation, and v The TS queue name is derived, in part, from the terminal name (see Naming conventions for remote queues on page 187 for information about TS queue names). These types of transaction can be placed in an affinity group with a relation of terminal and lifetime of pseudoconversation. When the dynamic routing program detects the first transaction in the pseudoconversation initiated by a specific terminal (LUname), it is free to route the transaction to any target region that is a valid candidate for that transaction. However, any subsequent transaction within the affinity group that is initiated at the same terminal must be routed to the same target region as the transaction that started the pseudoconversation. When the affinity ends (at the end of the pseudoconversation on a given terminal), the dynamic routing program is again free to route the first transaction to any candidate target region. This form of affinity is manageable and does not impose too severe a constraint on dynamic transaction routing, and may occur commonly in many CICSplexes. It can be managed easily by a dynamic routing program, and should not inhibit the use of dynamic routing. This example is illustrated in Figure 51 on page 200.

Chapter 14. Affinity

199

LUNAME= IGKS201 User enters tranid AAAA

TOR Calls DTR program Routes AAAA to AOR4 DTR program Affinity group Relation: LUNAME Lifetime: PCONV Transids: AAAA BBBB . . ZZZZ AAAA on IGKS201 sent to AOR4

1. Checks affinity groups for AAAA 2. Detects start of pseudoconv. 3. Selects an AOR from candidate list. 4. Records choice of AOR (for example, AOR4) for this group.

AOR1

AOR2

AOR3

AOR4 AAAA

AOR5

AOR6

Figure 51. Managing inter-transaction affinity with LUname relation and pseudoconversation lifetime

In this example, each instance of transid AAAA from a terminal starts a pseudoconversational-lifetime affinity. AAAA can be routed to any suitable target region (AOR1 through AOR6), but other transactions in the group from the same terminal (IGKS201 in this example) must be routed to whichever target region is selected for AAAA.

The userid relation

A group of transactions whose affinity relation is defined as userid is one where all instances of the transactions that are initiated from a terminal, by a START command, or by a CICS BTS activity, and executed on behalf of the same userid, must execute in the same target region for the lifetime of the affinity. The affinity lifetime for userid relations can be as follows: Pseudoconversation The affinity lasts for the whole pseudoconversation, and ends when the pseudoconversation ends for that userid. Each transaction must end with an EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID, not with the pseudoconversation mode of END. Signon The affinity lasts for as long as the user is signed on, and ends when the user signs off. Note this lifetime is only possible in those situations where only one user per userid is permitted. Signon lifetime cannot be detected if multiple users are permitted to be signed on with the same userid at the same time (at different terminals). System The affinity lasts for as long as the target region exists, and ends whenever the target region terminates (at a normal, immediate, or abnormal termination). Permanent The affinity extends across all CICS restarts. If you are running CICSPlex SM, this affinity lasts for as long as any CMAS involved in managing the CICSplex using the workload is active.

200

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Delimit The affinity continues until a transaction with a pseudoconversation mode of END is encountered. A typical example of transactions that have a userid relation is where the userid is used dynamically to identify a resource, such as a TS queue. The least restrictive of the affinities in this category is one that lasts only for as long as the user remains signed on. An example of an affinity group with the userid relation and a signon lifetime is shown in Figure 52.

Userid= ANOTHER User enters tranid WWWW

TOR Calls DTR program Routes WWWW to AOR4 DTR program Affinity group Relation: USERID Lifetime: SIGNON Transids: WWWW XXXX . . YYYY WWWW sent to AOR4 for user=ANOTHER

1. Checks affinity groups for WWWW 2. Detects start of pseudoconv. 3. Selects an AOR from candidate list. 4. Records choice of AOR (for example, AOR4) for this group.

AOR1

AOR2

AOR3

AOR4 WWWW

AOR5

AOR6

Figure 52. Managing inter-transaction affinity with userid relation and sign-on lifetime

In this example, any instance of a transaction from a terminal starts a sign-on lifetime affinity. It can be routed to any suitable target region (AOR1 through AOR6), but other transactions in the group for the same user (ANOTHER in this example) must be routed to whichever target region is selected for the first instance of a transaction in the group.

The BAPPL relation

A group of transactions whose affinity relation is defined as BAPPL is one where all instances of all transactions in the group that are associated with the same BTS process are to be directed to the same target region. The affinity lifetimes for BAPPL relations can be as follows: Process The affinity lasts for as long as the associated process exists. Activity The affinity lasts for as long as the associated activity exists. System The affinity lasts for as long as the target region exists, and ends whenever the target region terminates (at a normal, immediate, or abnormal termination).
Chapter 14. Affinity

201

Permanent The affinity extends across all CICS restarts. If you are running CICSPlex SM, this affinity lasts for as long as any CMAS involved in managing the CICSplex using the workload is active. A typical example of transactions that have a BAPPL relation is where a local temporary storage queue is used to pass data between the transactions within a BTS activity or process. An example of an affinity group with the BAPPL relation is shown in Figure 53.

AOR 1 BAPPL activity started Transid BAP1 Calls dynamic routing program Routes BAP1 to AOR4 Dynamic routing program 1. Checks affinity groups for BAP1. 2. Start BAPPL affinity for transid BAP1 3. Select target region from candidate list 4. Record choice of target region (for example, AOR4) for this group. Affinity group Relation: BAPPL Lifetime: ACTIVITY Transid : BAP1

Sent BAP1 to AOR4

AOR2

AOR3

AOR4

AOR5

AOR6

Figure 53. Managing inter-transaction affinity with BAPPL relation and activity lifetime

In this example, the first instance of BTS transaction BAP1 starts a BAPPLactivity affinity. The first instance of BAP1 can be routed to any suitable target region (AOR1 through AOR6), but all other instances of the activity must be routed to whichever target region is selected for BAP1. Although BTS itself does not introduce any affinities, and discourages programming techniques that do, it does support existing code that may introduce affinities. You must define such affinities to workload management. It is particularly important to specify each affinitys lifetime. Failure to do this may restrict unnecessarily the workload management routing options. It is important to note that a given activity can be run both synchronously and asynchronously. Workload management is only able to honour invocations that are made asynchronously. Furthermore, you are strongly encouraged not to create these affinities, particularly activity and process affinities, because these affinities are synchronized across the BTS-set. This could have serious performance impacts on your systems.

202

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

You should also note that, with CICSPlex SM, the longest time that an affinity can be maintained is while a CMAS involved in the workload is active; that is, an affinity of PERMANENT. If there is a total system failure, or a planned shutdown, affinities will be lost, but activities in CICS will be recovered from the BTS RLS data set.

Chapter 14. Affinity

203

204

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 15. Recovery design

CICS provides two techniques that can help you to recover or reconstruct events or data changes during CICS execution: v Journaling v Syncpointing on page 207

Journaling
CICS provides facilities for creating and managing journals during CICS processing. Journals may contain any and all data the user needs to facilitate subsequent reconstruction of events or data changes. For example, a journal might act as an audit trail, a change-file of database updates and additions, or a record of transactions passing through the system (often referred to as a log). Each journal can be written from any task. Journal control commands are provided to allow the application programmer to: v Create a journal record (WRITE JOURNALNAME or WRITE JOURNALNUM command) v Synchronize with (wait for completion of) journal output (WAIT JOURNALNAME or WAIT JOURNALNUM command) Exception conditions that occur during execution of a journal control command are handled as described in Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions on page 209. (The earlier JFILEID option is supported for compatibility purposes only.)

Journal records
Each journal is identified by a name or number known as the journal identifier. This number may range from 1 through 99. The name DFHLOG is reserved for the journal known as the system log. When a journal record is built, the data is moved to the journal buffer area. All buffer space and other work areas needed for journal operations are acquired and managed by CICS. The user task supplies only the data to be written to the journal. Log manager is designed so that the application programmer requesting output services does not have to be concerned with the detailed layout and precise contents of journal records. The programmer has to know only which journal to use, what user data to specify, and which user-identifier to supply.

Journal output synchronization

When a synchronous journal record is created by issuing the WRITE JOURNALNAME or WRITE JOURNALNUM command with the WAIT option, the requesting task can wait until the output has been completed. By specifying that this should happen, the application programmer ensures that the journal record is written on the external storage device associated with the journal before processing continues; the task is said to be synchronized with the output operation. The application programmer can also request asynchronous journal output. This causes a journal record to be created in the journal buffer area but allows the requesting task to retain control and thus to continue with other processing. The task may check and wait for output completion (that is, synchronize) later by issuing the WAIT JOURNALNAME or WAIT JOURNALNUM command.

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

205

Note: In some cases, a SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE can cause user journal records to be lost, if they have been written to a log manager buffer but not to external storage. This is also the case if the CICS shut-down assist transaction (CESD) forces SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE during a normal shutdown, because normal shutdown is hanging. To avoid the risk of losing journal records, you are recommended to issue CICS WAIT JOURNALNUM requests periodically, and before ending your program. Without WAIT, CICS does not write data to the log stream until it has a full buffer of data, or until some other unrelated activity requests that the buffer be hardened, thus reducing the number of I/O operations. Using WAIT makes it more difficult for CICS to calculate accurately log structure buffer sizes. For CF log streams, this could lead to inefficient use of storage in the coupling facility. The basic process of building journal records in the CICS buffer space of a given journal continues until one of the following events occurs: v For system logs: Whenever the system requires it to ensure integrity and to permit a future emergency restart The log stream buffer is filled v For user journals: The log stream buffer is filled (or, if the journal resides on SMF, when the journal buffer is filled) A request specifying the WAIT option is made (from any task) for output of a journal record An EXEC CICS SET JOURNALNAME command is issued An EXEC CICS DISCARD JOURNALNAME command is issued Any of the above occurring for any other journal which maps onto the same log stream On a normal shutdown v For forward recovery logs: The log stream buffer is filled At syncpoint (first phase) On file closure v For autojournals: The log stream buffer is filled A request specifying the WAIT option is made (from any task) for output of a journal record On file closure v For the log-of-logs (DFHLGLOG): On file OPEN and CLOSE requests When any one of these occurs, all journal records present in the buffer, including any deferred output resulting from asynchronous requests, are written to the log stream as one block. The advantages that may be gained by deferring journal output are: v Transactions may get better response times by waiting less. v The load of physical I/O requests on the host system may be reduced.

206

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v Log streams may contain fewer but larger blocks and so better utilize primary storage. However, these advantages are achievable only at the cost of greater programming complexity. It is necessary to plan and program to control synchronizing with journal output. Additional decisions that depend on the data content of the journal record and how it is to be used must be made in the application program. In any case, the full benefit of deferring journal output is obtained only when the load on the journal is high. If the journal buffer space available at the time of the request is not sufficient to contain the journal record, the NOJBUFSP condition occurs. If no HANDLE CONDITION command is active for this condition, the requesting task loses control, the contents of the current buffer are written, and the journal record is built in the resulting freed buffer space before control returns to the requesting task. If the requesting task is not willing to lose control (for example, if some housekeeping must be performed before other tasks get control), a HANDLE CONDITION command should be issued. If the NOJBUFSP condition occurs, no journal record is built for the request, and control is returned directly to the requesting program at the location provided in the HANDLE CONDITION command. The requesting program can perform any housekeeping needed before reissuing the journal output request. Journal commands can cause immediate or deferred output to the journal. System log records are distinguished from all other records by specifying JOURNALNAME(DFHLOG) on the request. User journal records are created using some other JOURNALNAME or a JOURNALNUM. All records must include a journal type identifier, (JTYPEID). If the user journaling is to the system log, the journal type identifier (according to the setting of the high-order bit) also serves to control the presentation of these to the global user exit XRCINPT at a warm or emergency restart. Records are presented during the backward scan of the log as follows: v For in-flight or in-doubt tasks only (high-order bit off) v For all records encountered until the scan is terminated (high-order bit on) See the CICS Customization Guide for information about the format and structure of journal records. See the section on emergency restart in the CICS Recovery and Restart Guide for background information and a description of the recovery process.

Syncpointing
To facilitate recovery in the event of abnormal termination of a CICS task or of failure of the CICS system, the system programmer can, during CICS table generation, define specific resources (for example, files) as recoverable. If a task is terminated abnormally, these resources are restored to the condition they were in at the start of the task, and can then be rerun. The process of restoring the resources associated with a task is termed backout. If an individual task fails, backout is performed by the dynamic transaction backout program. If the CICS system fails, backout is performed as part of the emergency restart process. See the CICS Recovery and Restart Guide which describes these facilities, which in general have no effect on the coding of application programs. However, for long-running programs, it may be undesirable to have a large number of changes, accumulated over a period of time, exposed to the possibility of
Chapter 15. Recovery design

207

backout in the event of task or system failure. This possibility can be avoided by using the SYNCPOINT command to split the program into logically separate sections known as units of work (UOWs); the end of an UOW is referred to as a synchronization point (syncpoint). For more information about syncpoints, see the CICS Recovery and Restart Guide. If failure occurs after a syncpoint but before the task has been completed, only changes made after the syncpoint are backed out. Alternatively, you can use the SAA Resource Recovery interface instead of the SYNCPOINT command. This provides an alternative API to existing CICS resource recovery services. You may wish to use the SAA Resource Recovery interface in networks that include multiple SAA platforms, where the consistency of a common API is seen to be of benefit. In a CICS system, the SAA Resource Recovery interface provides the same function as the EXEC CICS API.3 The SAA Resource Recovery interface is implemented as a call interface, having two call types: SRRCMIT CommitEquivalent to SYNCPOINT command. SRRBACK BackoutEquivalent to SYNCPOINT ROLLBACK command. For further information about the SAA Resource Recovery interface, see SAA Common Programming Interface for Resource Recovery Reference manual. UOWs should be entirely logically independent, not merely with regard to protected resources, but also with regard to execution flow. Typically, an UOW comprises a complete conversational operation bounded by SEND and RECEIVE commands. A browse is another example of an UOW; an ENDBR command must therefore precede the syncpoint. In addition to a DL/I termination call being considered to be a syncpoint, the execution of a SYNCPOINT command causes CICS to issue a DL/I termination call. If a DL/I PSB is required in a subsequent UOW, it must be rescheduled using a program control block (PCB) call or a SCHEDULE command. With distributed program link (DPL), it is possible to specify that a syncpoint is taken in the server program, to commit the server resources before returning control to the client. This is achieved by using the SYNCONRETURN option on the LINK command. For programming information about the SYNCONRETURN option, see The SYNCONRETURN option for the server program on page 5 on page 379 and the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. A BMS logical message, started but not completed when a SYNCPOINT command is processed, is forced to completion by an implied SEND PAGE command. However, you should not rely on this because a logical message whose first page is incomplete is lost. You should also code an explicit SEND PAGE command before the SYNCPOINT command or before termination of the transaction. Consult your system programmer if syncpoints are to be issued in a transaction that is eligible for transaction restart.
3. Full SAA Resource Recovery provides some return codes that are not supported in its CICS implementation. (See the CICS appendix in the SAA Common Programming Interface for Resource Recovery Reference manual.)

208

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions

Every time you process an EXEC CICS command in one of your applications, CICS automatically raises a condition, or return code, to tell you what happened. You can choose to have this condition, which is usually NORMAL, passed back by the CICS EXEC interface program to your application. It is sometimes called a RESP value, because you may get hold of it by using the RESP option in your command. Alternatively, you may obtain this value by reading it from the EXEC interface block (EIB). If something out of the ordinary happens, you get an exception condition, which simply means a condition other than NORMAL. By testing this condition, you can find out what has happened and, possibly, why. Many exception conditions have an additional (RESP2) value associated with them, which gives further information. You may obtain this RESP2 value either by using the RESP2 option in your command in addition to the RESP option, or by reading it from the EIB. Not all conditions denote an error situation, even if they are not NORMAL. For example, if you get an ENDFILE condition on a READNEXT command during a file browse, it might be exactly what you expect. For information about all possible conditions and the commands on which they can occur, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. This chapter describes: v Default CICS exception handling v Handling exception conditions by in-line code on page 210 v Modifying default CICS exception handling on page 213

Default CICS exception handling

If your application is written in a language other than C, C++, or Java and you do not specify otherwise, CICS uses its built-in exception handling whenever an exception condition occurs. If your application is written in C or C++, CICS itself takes no action when an exception condition occurs and it is left to the application to handle it. See Handling exception conditions by in-line code on page 210 for information on handling exception conditions. The most common action by CICS is to cause an abend of some type to happen. The particular behaviors for each condition and for each command are detailed in the CICS Application Programming Reference and CICS System Programming Reference manuals. Sometimes you will be satisfied with the CICS default exception handling, in which case you need do nothing. More often you will prefer some other course of action. These are the different ways of turning off the default CICS handling of exception conditions. v Turn off the default CICS handling of exception conditions on a particular EXEC CICS command call by specifying the NOHANDLE option. v Alternatively, turn off the default CICS handling of exception conditions by specifying the RESP option on the command. This, of itself, switches off the default CICS exception handling in the same way as NOHANDLE does. It also
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

209

causes the variable named by the argument of RESP to be updated with the value of the condition returned by the command. This is described in more detail in Handling exception conditions by in-line code. v Write your application program in C or C++. If the default CICS exception handling is turned off you should ensure that your program copes with anything that may happen in the command call. The traditional, but no longer recommended, way to specify some other course of action is available only if you are programming in a language other than C or C++: it is to use combinations of the HANDLE ABEND, HANDLE CONDITION, and IGNORE CONDITION commands to modify the default CICS exception handling. This is described in Modifying default CICS exception handling on page 213.

Handling exception conditions by in-line code

This section describes the method of handling exception conditions which is recommended for new applications and is the only available choice if your programs are in C or C++ language. If your program is not written in C or C++, it involves either using the NOHANDLE option or specifying the RESP option on EXEC CICS commands, which prevents CICS performing its default exception handling. Additionally, the RESP option makes the value of the exception condition directly available to your program, for it to take remedial action. If your program is written in C or C++, in-line code is the only means you have of handling exception conditions. If you use the NOHANDLE or RESP option, you should ensure that your program can cope with whatever condition may arise in the course of executing the commands. The RESP value is available to enable your program to decide what to do and more information which it may need to use is carried in the EXEC interface block (EIB). In particular, the RESP2 value is contained in one of the fields of the EIB. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for more information on the EIB. Alternatively, if your program specifies RESP2 in the command, the RESP2 value is returned by CICS directly. The DFHRESP built-in translator function makes it very easy to test the RESP value. It allows, you to examine RESP values symbolically. This is easier than examining binary values that are less meaningful to someone reading the code.

How to use the RESP and RESP2 options

The argument of RESP is a user-defined fullword binary data area (long integer). On return from the command, it contains a value corresponding to the condition that may have been raised. Normally its value is DFHRESP(NORMAL).

Use of RESP and DFHRESP in COBOL and PL/I

Here is an example of an EXEC CICS call in COBOL which uses the RESP option. A PL/I example would be similar, but would end in ; instead of END-EXEC.
EXEC CICS WRITEQ TS FROM(abc) QUEUE(qname) NOSUSPEND RESP(xxx) END-EXEC.

An example of using DFHRESP to check the RESP value is:

IF xxx=DFHRESP(NOSPACE) THEN ...

210

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Use of RESP and DFHRESP in C and C++

Here is an example of an EXEC CICS call in C, which uses the RESP option, including the declaration of the RESP variable:
long response; . . . EXEC CICS WRITEQ TS FROM(abc) QUEUE(qname) NOSUSPEND RESP(response);

An example of using DFHRESP to check the RESP value is:

if (response == DFHRESP(NOSPACE)) { . . . }

Use of DFHRESP in assembler

An example of a test for the RESP value in assembler language is:
CLC BE xxx,DFHRESP(NOSPACE) ...

An example of exception handling in C

The following example is a typical function which could be used to receive a BMS map and to cope with exception conditions:
int ReadAccountMap(char *mapname, void *map) { long response; int ExitKey; EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP(mapname) MAPSET("ACCOUNT") INTO(map) RESP(response); switch (response) { case DFHRESP(NORMAL): ExitKey = dfheiptr->eibaid; ModifyMap(map); break; case DFHRESP(MAPFAIL): ExitKey = dfheiptr->eibaid; break; default: ExitKey = DFHCLEAR; break; } return ExitKey; }

Figure 54. An example of exception handling in C

The ReadAccountMap function has two arguments: 1. mapname is the variable which contains the name of the map which is to be received. 2. map is the address of the area in memory to which the map is to be written.

Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions

211

The RESP value will be returned in response. The declaration of response sets up the appropriate type of automatic variable. The EXEC CICS statement asks for a map of the name given by mapname, of the mapset ACCOUNT, to be read into the area of memory to which the variable map points, with the value of the condition being held by the variable response. The condition handling can be done by using if statements. However, to improve readability, it is often better, as here, to use a switch statement, instead of compound if ... else statements. The effect on program execution time is negligible. Specific cases for two conditions: 1. A condition of NORMAL is what is normally expected. If a condition of NORMAL is detected in the example here, the function then finds out what key the user pressed to return to CICS and this value is passed to ExitKey. The program then makes some update to the map held in memory by the ModifyMap function, which need not concern us further. 2. A condition of MAPFAIL, signifying that the user has made no updates to the screen, is also fairly normal and is specifically dealt with here. In this case the program again updates ExitKey but does not call ModifyMap. In this example, any other condition is held to be an error. The example sets ExitKey to DFHCLEARthe same value that it would have set if the user had cleared the screenwhich it then returns to the calling program. By checking the return code from ReadAccountMap, the calling program would know that the map had not been updated and that some remedial action is required.

An example of exception handling in COBOL

The following example is a typical function which could be used to receive a BMS map and to cope with exception conditions:
03 03 . . . RESPONSE EXITKEY PIC S9(8) PIC X(4) BINARY. COMP-3.

EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP(MAPNAME) MAPSET('ACCOUNT') INTO(MAP) RESP(RESPONSE) END-EXEC. IF (RESPONSE NOT = DFHRESP(NORMAL)) AND (RESPONSE NOT = DFHRESP(MAPFAIL)) MOVE DFHCLEAR TO EXITKEY ELSE MOVE EIBAID TO EXITKEY IF RESPONSE = DFHRESP(NORMAL) GO TO MODIFYMAP. END-IF. . . . MODIFYMAP. . . . Figure 55. An example of exception handling in COBOL

MAPNAME is the variable which contains the name of the map which is to be received.

212

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The RESP value is returned in RESPONSE. RESPONSE is declared as a fullword binary variable in the data section. The EXEC CICS statement asks for a map of the name given by MAPNAME, of the mapset ACCOUNT, to be read, with the value of the condition being held by the variable RESPONSE. The condition handling is done by using IF ... statements. If the condition is neither NORMAL nor MAPFAIL the program behaves as if the user had cleared the screen. If the condition is either NORMAL or MAPFAIL the program saves the value of the key which the user pressed to exit the screen in EXITKEY. In addition, if the condition is NORMAL, the program branches to MODIFYMAP to perform some additional function.

Modifying default CICS exception handling

CICS provides the following EXEC CICS commands which modify the default CICS exception handling and one which modifies the way CICS handles abends: Note: These commands cannot be used in C, C++, or Java programs. The rest of this chapter is not relevant for these languages. HANDLE CONDITION Specify the label to which control is to be passed if a condition occurs. IGNORE CONDITION Specify that no action is to be taken if a condition occurs. HANDLE ABEND Activate, cancel, or reactivate an exit for abnormal termination processing. An abend is the commonest way in which CICS handles exception conditions. The current effect of IGNORE CONDITION, HANDLE ABEND, and HANDLE CONDITION may be suspended by using PUSH HANDLE and reinstated by using POP HANDLE . You have two ways of passing control to a specified label: 1. Use a HANDLE CONDITION condition(label) command, where condition is the name of an exception condition 2. Use a HANDLE CONDITION ERROR(label) command The HANDLE CONDITION command sets up some CICS code to name conditions that interest you, and then uses this code to pass control to appropriate sections of your application if those conditions arise. So with an active HANDLE CONDITION command, control goes to whichever label you specified for that particular condition. The same condition can arise, in some cases, on many different commands, and for a variety of reasons. For example, you can get an IOERR condition during file control operations, interval control operations, and others. One of your first tasks, therefore, is to sort out which command has raised a particular condition; only when you have discovered that, can you begin to investigate why it has happened. This, for many programmers, is reason enough to start using the RESP option in their new CICS applications. Although you need only one HANDLE CONDITION command to set your error-handling for several conditions, it can sometimes be

Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions

213

awkward to pinpoint exactly which of several HANDLE CONDITION commands is currently active when a CICS command fails somewhere in your code. If a condition which you have not named arises, CICS takes the default action, unless this is to abend the task, in which case it raises the ERROR condition. If you name the condition but leave out its label, any HANDLE CONDITION command for that condition is deactivated, and CICS reverts to taking the default action for it, if and when it occurs. The need to deal with all conditions is a common source of errors when using the HANDLE CONDITION command. When using an unfamiliar command, you should refer to the description of the command in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual to find out which exception conditions are possible. Even if you then issue HANDLE commands for all of these, you may not finish all the error-handling code adequately. The outcome is sometimes an error-handling routine that, by issuing a RETURN command, allows incomplete or incorrect data changes to be committed. The best approach is to use the HANDLE CONDITION command, but to let the system default action take over if you cannot see an obvious way round a particular problem. Bearing in mind the distinction between an error condition, a condition that merely causes a wait (see page How CICS keeps track of what to do on page 215 for examples of conditions that cause a wait), and the special case of the SEND MAP command overflow processing, a HANDLE CONDITION command is active after a HANDLE CONDITION condition(label), or HANDLE CONDITION ERROR(label) command has been run in your application. If no HANDLE CONDITION command is active for a condition, but one is active for ERROR, control passes to the label for ERROR, if the condition is an error, not a wait. If you use HANDLE CONDITION commands, or are maintaining an application that uses them, do not include any commands in your error routine that can cause the same condition that gave you the original branch to the routine, because you will cause a loop. Take special care not to cause a loop on the ERROR condition itself. You can avoid a loop by reverting temporarily to the system default action for the ERROR condition. Do this by coding a HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command with no label specified. At the end of your error processing routine, you can reinstate your error action by including a HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command with the appropriate label. If you know the previous HANDLE CONDITION state, you can do this explicitly. In a general subroutine, which might be called from several different points in your code, the PUSH HANDLE and POP HANDLE command may be usefulsee Using PUSH HANDLE and POP HANDLE commands on page 218.

Using the HANDLE CONDITION command

Use the HANDLE CONDITION command to specify the label to which control is to be passed if a condition occurs. You must include the name of the condition and you must ensure that the HANDLE CONDITION command is executed before the command that may give rise to the associated condition.

214

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

You cannot include more than 16 conditions in the same command. You must specify any additional conditions in further HANDLE CONDITION commands. You can also use the ERROR condition within the same list to specify that all other conditions are to cause control to be passed to the same label. The HANDLE CONDITION command for a given condition applies only to the program in which it is specified. The HANDLE CONDITION command: v Remains active while the program is running, or until: An IGNORE CONDITION command for the same condition is met, in which case the HANDLE CONDITION command is overridden Another HANDLE CONDITION command for the same condition is met, in which case the new command overrides the previous one v Is temporarily deactivated by the NOHANDLE or RESP option on a command When control passes to another program, by a LINK or XCTL command, the HANDLE CONDITION commands that were active in the calling program are deactivated. When control returns to a program from a program at a lower logical level, the HANDLE CONDITION commands that were active in the higher-level program before control was transferred from it are reactivated, and those in the lower-level program are deactivated. (Refer to Application program logical levels on page 504 for information about logical levels.) The following example shows you how to handle conditions, such as DUPREC, LENGERR, and so on, that can occur when you use a WRITE command to add a record to a data set. Suppose that you want DUPREC to be handled as a special case; that you want standard system action (that is, to terminate the task abnormally) to be taken for LENGERR; and that you want all other conditions to be handled by the error routine ERRHANDL. You would code:
EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION ERROR(ERRHANDL) DUPREC(DUPRTN) LENGERR END-EXEC.

In a PL/I application program, a branch to a label in an inactive procedure or in an inactive begin block, caused by a condition, produces unpredictable results. In an assembler language application program, if a HANDLE condition and the command that caused the condition are at the same logical level, the registers are restored to their values in the application program at the point where the command that caused the condition was issued. However, when the command that causes a condition occurs at a lower logical level, the registers are restored to the values saved in DFHEISTG when control is passed from the HANDLE CONDITION level.

RESP and NOHANDLE options

You can temporarily deactivate the effect of any HANDLE CONDITION command by using the RESP or NOHANDLE option on a command. The way to use these options is described in Handling exception conditions by in-line code on page 210. If you do this, you lose the ability to use any system default action for that command. In other words, you have to do your own catch-all error processing.

How CICS keeps track of what to do

CICS has a table of the conditions referred to by HANDLE CONDITION and IGNORE CONDITION commands in your application. Each execution of one of these commands either updates an existing entry in this table, or causes CICS to
Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions

215

make a new entry if this is the first time the condition has been quoted in such a command. Each entry tells CICS what to do by indicating one of the three exception-handling states your application can be in, namely: 1. Let the program continue, with control coming straight back from CICS to the next instruction following the command that has failed in your program. You can then find out what happened by testing, for example, the RESP value that CICS returns after executing a command. The result of this test enables you decide what to do next. For details, see Handling exception conditions by in-line code on page 210. This is the recommended method, which is the approach taken in the File A sample programs referred to in the Sample Applications Guide and in the COBOL sample ACCT application in the CICS Application Programming Primer (VS COBOL II). It is also the recommended approach for any new CICS applications. It lends itself to structured code and removes the need for implied GOTOs that CICS required in the past. 2. Pass control to a specified label if a named condition arises. You do this by using a HANDLE CONDITION command or HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command to name both the condition and the label of a routine in your code to deal with it. For details, see Using the HANDLE CONDITION command on page 214 and Using the HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command. 3. Taking the CICS system default action, where for most conditions, this is to terminate the task abnormally and means that you do nothing by way of testing or handling conditions. For the conditions ENQBUSY, NOJBUFSP, NOSTG, QBUSY, SESSBUSY, and SYSBUSY, the normal default is to force the task to wait until the required resource (for example, storage) becomes available, and then resume processing the command. You can change this behavior to ignoring the condition by using the NOSUSPEND option. For the condition NOSPACE, the normal default is to wait if processing a WRITEQ TS command, but to abend the task if processing a WRITEQ TD, WRITE, or REWRITE command. Coding the WRITEQ TS command with the NOSUSPEND option makes it ignore any NOSPACE condition that arises. For more information see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. CICS keeps a table of these conditions for each link level. Essentially, therefore, each program level has its own HANDLE state table governing its own condition handling. This behavior is modified by two more EXEC CICS commands:

Using the HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command

Figure 56 shows the first of only two HANDLE CONDITION commands used in program ACCT01:
* * * PROCEDURE DIVISION. INITIALIZE. TRAP ANY UNEXPECTED ERRORS. EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION ERROR(OTHER-ERRORS) END-EXEC.

Figure 56. Trapping the unexpected with the HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command

216

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

It passes control to the paragraph at label OTHER-ERRORS if any condition arises for a command that does not specify NOHANDLE or RESP. The HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command is the first command executed in the procedure division of this COBOL program. This is because a HANDLE CONDITION command must be processed before any CICS command is processed that can raise the condition being handled. Note, however, that your program does not see the effects when it processes the HANDLE CONDITION command; it only sees them later, if and when it issues a CICS command that actually raises one of the named conditions. In this, and the other ACCT programs, you generally use the RESP option. All the commands specifying the RESP option have been written with a catch-all test (IF RESPONSE NOT = DFHRESP(NORMAL) GO TO OTHER-ERRORS) after any explicit tests for specific conditions So any exceptions, other than those you might particularly expect, take control to the paragraph at OTHER-ERRORS in each program. Those relatively few commands that do not have RESP on them take control to exactly the same place if they result in any condition other than NORMAL because of this HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command.

Using the IGNORE CONDITION command

Just as you can arrange for control to pass to a particular label for a specific condition with a HANDLE CONDITION command, so you can have the program continue when a specific condition occurs. You do this by setting up an IGNORE CONDITION command to ignore one or more of the conditions that can potentially arise on a command. The IGNORE CONDITION command means that no action is to be taken if a condition occurs; control returns to the instruction following the command and return codes are set in the EIB. The following example ignores the MAPFAIL condition:
EXEC CICS IGNORE CONDITION MAPFAIL END-EXEC.

While a single EXEC CICS command is being processed, it can raise several conditions.4 CICS checks these and passes back to your application program the first one that is not ignored (by your IGNORE CONDITION command). CICS passes back only one exception condition at a time to your application program. An IGNORE CONDITION command for a given condition applies only to the program you put it in, and it remains active while the program is running, or until a later HANDLE CONDITION command naming the same condition is met, in which case the IGNORE CONDITION command is overridden. You can choose an IGNORE CONDITION command if you have a program reading records that are sometimes longer than the space you provided, but you do not consider this an error and do not want anything done about it. You might, therefore, code IGNORE CONDITION LENGERR before issuing READ commands. You can also use an IGNORE CONDITION ERROR command to catch any condition considered as an error for which there is no currently active HANDLE CONDITION command that includes a label. When an error occurs, control is passed to the next statement and it is up to the program to check for return codes

4. For example, you may have a file control command that is not only invalid but also applies to a file not defined in the file control table. Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions

217

in the EIB. See page How CICS keeps track of what to do on page 215 for examples of conditions that are not considered as errors. You can also switch from ignoring a condition to handling it, or to using the system default action. For example, you could code:
* MIXED ERROR PROCESSING EXEC CICS IGNORE CONDITION LENGERR . END-EXEC. . . EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION DUPREC(DUPRTN) LENGERR ERROR(ERRHANDL) END-EXEC.

Because this code initially ignores condition LENGERR, nothing happens if the program raises a LENGERR condition; the application simply continues its processing. Of course, if the fact that LENGERR has arisen means that the application cannot sensibly continue, you have a problem. Later in the code, you can explicitly set condition LENGERR to the system default action by naming it in a HANDLE CONDITION command without a label. When this command has been executed, the program no longer ignores condition LENGERR, and if it subsequently occurs, it now causes the system default action. The point about mixing methods is that you can, and that each condition is treated separately. You cannot code more than 16 conditions in the same command. You must specify additional conditions in further IGNORE CONDITION commands.

Using the HANDLE ABEND command

Note to Java, C and C++ programmers Handle ABEND is not applicable to Java programs. Although HANDLE ABEND is supported in C and C++ when used with the PROGRAM option, it is not helpful in the context of this chapter because exception conditions in C and C++ programs do not cause abends.

The HANDLE ABEND command activates or reactivates a program-level abend exit within your application program; you can also use this command to cancel a previously activated exit. For more information see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. HANDLE ABEND lets you supply your own code to be executed when an abend is processed. This means that your application can cope with the abnormal situation in an orderly manner and carry on executing. You provide the user exit programs and rely on CICS calling them when required. The flow of control during abend processing is shown in Figure 57 on page 224.

Using PUSH HANDLE and POP HANDLE commands

PUSH HANDLE Suspends the current effect of HANDLE CONDITION, IGNORE CONDITION, HANDLE ABEND and HANDLE AID commands.

218

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

POP HANDLE Reinstates the effect of HANDLE CONDITION, IGNORE CONDITION, HANDLE ABEND and HANDLE AID commands to what they were before the previous PUSH HANDLE was called. CICS also keeps a table of conditions for each PUSH HANDLE command which has not been countermanded by a matching POP HANDLE command. When each condition occurs, CICS performs the following sequence of tests: 1. If the command has the RESP or NOHANDLE option, control returns to the next instruction in your application program. Otherwise, CICS scans the condition table to see what to do. 2. If an entry for the condition exists, this determines the action. 3. If no entry exists and the default action for this condition is to suspend execution: a. If the command has the NOSUSPEND or NOQUEUE option, control returns to the next instruction. b. If the command does not have one of these options, the task is suspended. 4. If no entry exists and the default action for this condition is to abend, a second search is made, this time for the ERROR condition: a. If found, this entry determines the action. b. If ERROR cannot be found, the task is abended. You can choose to handle abends. For information about the HANDLE ABEND command, see the CICS Application Programming Reference. Note: The OVERFLOW condition on aSEND MAP command is an exception to the above rules. See the CICS Application Programming Reference for more information. The commands ALLOCATE, ENQ, GETMAIN, WRITE JOURNALNAME, WRITE JOURNALNUM, READQ TD, and WRITEQ TS can all raise conditions for which the default action is to suspend your application program until the specified resource becomes available. So, on these commands, you have the NOSUSPEND option to inhibit this waiting and return immediately to the next instruction in your application program. Some conditions can occur during the execution of a number of unrelated commands. If you want the same action for all occurrences, code a single HANDLE CONDITION command at the start of your program. Note: As using RESP implies NOHANDLE, be careful when using RESP with the RECEIVE command, because it overrides the HANDLE AID command as well as the HANDLE CONDITION command. This means that PF key responses are ignored, and is the reason for testing them earlier in the ACCT code. See Using the HANDLE AID command on page 439.

Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions

219

220

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 17. Abnormal termination recovery

CICS provides a program-level abend exit facility so that you can write exits of your own which can receive control during abnormal termination of a task. The cleanup of a program that has started but not completed normally is an example of a function performed by such an abend exit. Here are some causes of abnormal terminations: v A user request by, for example:
EXEC CICS ABEND ABCODE(...)

v A CICS request as a result of an invalid user request. For example, an invalid FREEMAIN request gives the transaction abend code ASCF. v A program check, in which case the system recovery program (DFHSRP) is driven, and the task abends with code ASRA. v An operating system abend, in which case DFHSRP is driven, and the task abends with code ASRB. v A looping task, in which case DFHSRP is driven, and the task abends with code AICA. Note: If an ASRB or ASRA is detected in CICS code, CICS produces a dump before calling your HANDLE ABEND exit. See the CICS Problem Determination Guide for full details about fixing problems, and see the CICS Messages and Codes for information about the transaction abend codes for abnormal terminations that are initiated by CICS, their meanings, and your responses. The HANDLE ABEND command activates or reactivates a program-level abend exit within your application program; you can also use this command to cancel a previously activated exit. When activating an exit, you must use the PROGRAM option to specify the name of a program to receive control, or (except for C, C++, and PL/I programs) the LABEL option to specify a routine label to which control branches when an abnormal termination condition occurs. Using an ON ERROR block in PL/I is the equivalent of using the HANDLE ABEND LABEL command. A HANDLE ABEND command overrides any preceding such command in any application program at the same logical level. Each application program of a transaction can have its own abend exit, but only one abend exit at each logical level can be active. (Logical levels are explained in Chapter 44. Program control on page 503.) When a task terminates abnormally, CICS searches for an active abend exit, starting at the logical level of the application program in which the abend occurred, and proceeding to successively higher levels. The first active abend exit found, if any, is given control. This procedure is shown in Figure 57 on page 224, which also shows how subsequent abend processing is determined by the user-written abend exit. If CICS finds no abend exit, it passes control to the abnormal condition program to terminate the task abnormally. This program invokes the user replaceable program

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

221

error program, DFHPEP. See the CICS Customization Guide for programming information about how to customize DFHPEP. CICS deactivates the exit upon entry to the exit routine or program to prevent recursive abends in an abend exit. If you wish to retry the operation, you can branch to a point in the program that was in control at the time of the abend and issue a HANDLE ABEND RESET command to reactivate the abend exit. You can also use this command to reactivate an abend exit (at the logical level of the issuing program) that was canceled previously by a HANDLE ABEND CANCEL command. You can suspend the HANDLE ABEND command by means of the PUSH HANDLE and POP HANDLE commands as described in Using PUSH HANDLE and POP HANDLE commands on page 218. Note that when an abend is handled, the dynamic transaction backout program is not be invoked. If you need the dynamic transaction backout program, you take an implicit or explicit syncpoint or issue SYNCPOINT ROLLBACK or issue an ABEND command. Where the abend is the result of a failure in a transaction running in an IRC-connected system, for example AZI2, the syncpoint processing may abend ASP1 if it attempts to use the same IRC connection during its backout processing. The HANDLE ABEND command cannot intercept ASPx or APSJ abend codes. This chapter describes: v Creating a program-level abend exit v Retrying operations on page 223 v Trace on page 224 v Monitoring on page 225 v Dump on page 226

Creating a program-level abend exit

You can either define abend exits by using RDO or by using the program autoinstall exit. If you use the autoinstall method, the program definition is not available at the time of the HANDLE ABEND. This may mean that a program functions differently the first time it is invoked. If the program is not defined at the time the HANDLE ABEND is issued, and program autoinstall is active, the security check on the name of the program is the only one which takes place. Other checks occur at the time the abend program is invoked. If the autoinstall fails, the task abends APCT and control is passed to the next higher level. Abend exit programs can be coded in any supported language, but abend exit routines must be coded in the same language as their program. For abend exit routines, the addressing mode and execution key are set to the addressing mode and execution key in which the HANDLE ABEND command has been issued. Upon entry to an abend exit program, no addressability can be assumed other than that normally assumed for any application program coded in that language. There are no register values for C, C++, or PL/I languages as these languages do not support HANDLE ABEND label. Upon entry to an abend exit routine, the register values are:

222

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

COBOL Control returns to the HANDLE ABEND command with the registers restored; a COBOL GOTO is then executed. Assembler Reg 15 Abend label. Reg 0-14 Contents at the time of the last CICS service request. There are three means of terminating processing in an abend exit routine or program, as listed below. It is recommended that when abend routines and programs are called by CICS internal logic they should terminate with an abend because further processing is likely to cause more problems. 1. Using a RETURN command to indicate that the task is to continue running with control passed to the program on the next higher logical level. If no such program exists, the task is terminated normally, and any recoverable resources are committed. 2. Using an ABEND command to indicate that the task is to be abnormally terminated with control passed either to an abend exit specified for a program on a higher logical level or, if there is not one, to the abnormal condition program for abnormal termination processing. 3. Branching to retry an operation. When you are using this method of retrying an operation, and you want to reenter the original abend exit routine or program if a second failure occurs, the abend exit routine or program should issue the HANDLE ABEND RESET command before branching. This is because CICS has disabled the exit routine or program to prevent it reentering the abend exit. In the case of an abend caused by a timeout on an outstanding RECEIVE command, it is important to let the CICS abend continue, so that CICS can cancel the RECEIVE.

Retrying operations
If an abend occurs during the invocation of a CICS service, you should be aware that issuing a further request for the same service may cause unpredictable results, because the reinitialization of pointers and work areas, and the freeing of storage areas in the exit routine, may not have been completed. You should not try to recover from ATNI or ATND abends by attempting further I/O operations. Either of these abends results in a TERMERR condition, requiring the session to be terminated in all cases. You should not try to issue terminal control commands while recovering from an AZCT abend, as CICS has not fully cleaned up from the RTIMOUT, and an indefinite wait can occur. If intersystem communication is being used, an abend in the remote system may cause a branch to the specified program or label, but subsequent requests to use resources in the remote system fails. If an abend occurs as a result of a BMS command, control blocks are not tidied up before control is returned to the BMS program, and results are unpredictable if the command is retried.

Chapter 17. Abnormal termination recovery

223

Task ABEND

Is there an exit active at this level?

Yes

Deactivate the exit

Transfer control to program or branch to label

Is application program at highest level?

Yes

Terminate the task abnormally

Action taken in exit program or routine

ABEND

RETURN

Look at the next higher level

Is application program at highest level?

Yes

Terminate the task normally

Exit to program at the next higher level

Figure 57. ABEND exit processing

Trace
CICS trace is a debugging aid for application programmers, system programmers, and IBM field engineers. It produces trace entries in response to trace commands. The trace entries can be sent to any trace destination that is currently active. The destinations are: v Internal trace table v Auxiliary trace data set v Generalized trace facility (GTF) data set For information about trace destinations, see the CICS Problem Determination Guide. You can: v Specify user trace entry points (ENTER TRACENUM ). (The earlier ENTER TRACEID command is supported for compatibility purposes. See the CICS for MVS/ESA 4.1 Migration Guide for details.) v Switch CICS internal trace on or off using the SET TRACEDEST, SET TRACEFLAG, and SET TRACETYPE commands.

224

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Trace entry points

The points at which trace entries are produced during CICS operation are of four types: system trace entry points, user trace entry points, exception trace entry points, and user exception trace entry points. See the CICS Problem Determination Guide for more information about tracing.

System trace entry points

These are points within CICS at which trace control requests are made. The most important system trace entry points for application programmers are for the EXEC interface program. These produce entries in the trace table whenever a CICS command is processed. Two trace entries are made: the first when the command is issued, and the second when CICS has performed the required function and is about to return control to your application program. Between them, these two trace entries allow you to trace the flow of control through an application, and to check which exception conditions, if any, occurred during its execution. The ABEND, RETURN, TRACEFLAG, and XCTL commands produce single entries only.

User trace entry points

These are additional points within your application program that you can include in the trace table to allow complete program debugging. For example, you could specify an entry for a program loop containing a counter value showing the number of times that the loop had been entered. A trace entry is produced wherever the ENTER TRACENUM command is run. Each trace entry request, which can be given a unique identifier, causes data to be placed in the trace table.

Exception trace entry points

These are additional points where CICS has detected an exception condition. These are made from specific points in the CICS code, and data is taken from areas that might provide some information about the cause. Exception trace entry points do not have an associated level attribute; trace calls are only ever made from them when exception conditions occur.

User exception trace entry points

These are trace entries that are always written to the internal trace table (even if internal tracing is set off), but are written to other destinations only if they are active. You can identify them by the character string *EXCU in any formatted trace output produced by the CICS utility programs. See the CICS Problem Determination Guide for general information about user exception trace entry points; programming information is in the CICS Customization Guide.

Monitoring
CICS monitoring provides information about the performance of your application transactions. You should use the MONITOR command for user event monitoring points. In addition to the monitoring data collected from a system defined elsewhere, monitoring points (EMPs) within CICS, a user application program can contribute data to user fields within the CICS monitoring records. You can do this by using the MONITOR POINT command to invoke user-defined EMPs. At each of these EMPs,

Chapter 17. Abnormal termination recovery

225

you can add or change up to 4096 bytes of your own data in each performance monitoring record. In those 4096 bytes, you can have any combination of the following: v In the range 0 through 256 counters v In the range 0 through 256 clocks v A single 256-byte character string For example, you could use these user EMPs to count the number of times a certain event occurs, or to time the interval between two events. For programming information about monitoring, see the CICS Customization Guide; for background information, see the CICS Performance Guide.

Dump
CICS dump allows you to specify areas of main storage to be dumped, by means of the DUMP TRANSACTION , onto a sequential data set, which can be either on disk or tape. The PERFORM DUMP command allows you to request a system dump. See the CICS System Programming Reference manual for programming information about PERFORM DUMP. You can format the contents of the dump data set and you can print them offline using the CICS dump utility program (DFHDU610) for transaction dumps or the interactive problem control system (IPCS) for system dumps. Instructions on using these programs are given in the CICS Operations and Utilities Guide. Only one dump control command is processed at a time. If you issue additional dump control commands, while another task is taking a transaction dump, activity within the tasks associated with those commands is suspended until the dump is completed. Remaining dump commands are processed in the order in which they are made. Using the DUMP TRANSACTION command causes some fields (for example, EIBFN and EIBRCODE) in the EIB and the TCA to be overwritten.See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about DUMP TRANSACTION. Options on the DUMP TRANSACTION command allow you to dump the following areas of main storage in various combinations: v Task-related storage areas: selected main storage areas related to the requesting task. You would normally use a dump of these areas to test and debug your application program. (CICS automatically provides this service if the related task is terminated abnormally.) v CICS control tables: File control table (FCT) Destination control table (DCT) Program control table (PCT) Processing program table (PPT) System initialization table (SIT) Terminal control table (TCT) A dump of these tables is typically the first dump taken in a test in which the base of the test must be established; subsequent dumps are usually of the task-related storage type. v It is sometimes appropriate during execution of a task to have a dump of both task-related storage areas and CICS control tables. Specifying one CICS control

226

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

tables dump and a number of task-related storage dumps is generally more efficient than specifying a comparable number of complete dumps. However, you should not use this facility excessively because CICS control tables are primarily static areas. v In addition, the DUMP TRANSACTION command used with the three options, SEGMENTLIST, LENGTHLIST, and NUMSEGMENTS, allows you to dump a series of task-related storage areas simultaneously. Program storage is not dumped for programs defined with the attribute RELOAD(YES). You also get a list of the CICS nucleus modules and active PPT programs, indexed by address, at the end of the printed dump.

Chapter 17. Abnormal termination recovery

227

228

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 18. The QUERY SECURITY command

QUERY SECURITY is effective with RACF or any equivalent external security manager (ESM). You can use this command to query whether the terminal user has access to resources that are defined to the external security manager. These can be: v Resources in CICS resource classes v Resources in user-defined resource classes The terminal user in this context is the user invoking the transaction that contains the QUERY SECURITY command.

Java and C++ The application programming interface described in this chapter is the EXEC CICS API, which is not used in Java programs. For information about Java programs using the JCICS classes to access security control services, see Java Applications in CICS and the JCICS Javadoc html documentation. For information about C++ programs using the CICS C++ classes, see the CICS C++ OO Class Libraries manual.

In response to a QUERY SECURITY command, CICS returns information about the terminal users security authorizations. CICS obtains this information from the external security manager. You can code the application to proceed in different ways depending on the users permitted accesses. You specify the type of resource that you are querying by the CICS resource type name. For example, if you want to query a users authorization to access a file, you can specify RESTYPE(FILE). To identify a particular file within the type, you specify the RESID parameter.

Using the QUERY SECURITY command

A typical use of the QUERY SECURITY command is to check whether a user is authorized to use a particular transaction before displaying the transaction code in a menu.

Security protection at the record or field level

Another use for QUERY SECURITY is to enable you to control access to data at the record or field level. The normal CICS resource security checking for file resources, for example, works only at the file level. To control access to individual records, or even fields within records, you can use QUERY SECURITY. For this purpose, your security administrator must define resource profile names, with appropriate access authorizations, for the records or fields that you want to protect. These profiles are defined in user resource classes defined by the administrator, not in CICS resource classes. To query these classes and resources, the QUERY SECURITY command uses the RESCLASS and RESID options (RESCLASS and RESTYPE are mutually exclusive options). You can use the CVDA values returned by QUERY SECURITY to determine whether to access the record or field.

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

229

CICS-defined resource identifiers

In all cases except for the SPCOMMAND resource type, the resource identifiers are user-defined. However, for the SPCOMMAND type, the identifiers are fixed by CICS. The CICS RACF Security Guide details the possible RESID values for the SPCOMMAND resource type.

SEC system initialization parameter

The setting of the SEC system initialization parameter affects the CVDA values returned by the QUERY SECURITY command. The SEC system initialization parameters are described in more detail in the CICS RACF Security Guide.

Programming hints
v A transaction can use the QUERY SECURITY command to query a number of resources in order to prepare a list of resources to which the terminal user has access. The use of this technique could generate up to four resource violation messages for each query on a resource that the transaction is not authorized to access. These messages appear on the system console, the CSCS TD queue, and the SMF log data set. If you want to suppress these messages, code NOLOG in the QUERY SECURITY command. v If a transaction accesses the same resource many times in one execution, you can probably improve performance by defining the transaction with RESSEC(NO) in the transaction resource definition. You can then code the transaction to issue a single QUERY SECURITY command, and to permit access to the resource according to the CVDA values returned. For detailed guidance, see the CICS RACF Security Guide.

230

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Part 4. Data Management

Chapter 19. An overview of file control. . . . . . . . . . VSAM data sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Key-sequenced data set (KSDS) . . . . . . . . . . . . Entry-sequenced data set (ESDS) . . . . . . . . . . . Relative record data set (RRDS) . . . . . . . . . . . . Empty data sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VSAM alternate indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accessing files in RLS mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . Some RLS limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BDAM data sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CICS shared data tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coupling facility data tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coupling facility data table models . . . . . . . . . . . Techniques for sharing data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using CICS commands to read records . . . . . . . . . . Direct reading (using READ command) . . . . . . . . . Direct reading from a KSDS . . . . . . . . . . . . Direct reading from an ESDS . . . . . . . . . . . . Direct reading from an RRDS . . . . . . . . . . . . Direct reading by way of a path . . . . . . . . . . . Read integrity (in RLS mode) . . . . . . . . . . . . Sequential reading (browsing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Browsing through a KSDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Browsing through an ESDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Browsing through an RRDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . Browsing using a path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Browse integrity (in RLS mode) . . . . . . . . . . . Ending the browse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simultaneous browse operations . . . . . . . . . . . Skip-sequential processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using CICS commands to update records . . . . . . . . . Using CICS commands to delete records . . . . . . . . . . Deleting single records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Updating and deleting records in a browse (VSAM RLS only) Deleting groups of records (generic delete) . . . . . . . . Read integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using CICS commands to add records . . . . . . . . . . Adding to a KSDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding to an ESDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding to an RRDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Records that are already locked . . . . . . . . . . . . Specifying record length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sequential adding of records (WRITE MASSINSERT command) File control command options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The RIDFLD option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The INTO and SET options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The FROM option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The TOKEN option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KEYLENGTH option for remote data sets. . . . . . . . . Transaction deadlocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VSAM-detected deadlocks (RLS only) . . . . . . . . . . Rules for avoiding deadlocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 235 235 236 236 236 237 237 238 238 239 240 241 242 244 245 245 245 245 245 246 246 247 248 248 248 248 248 248 248 249 250 250 250 251 251 251 251 252 252 252 252 252 252 253 253 253 254 254 255 256 257

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

231

Chapter 20. File controlVSAM considerations . . . . . . VSAM record identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Relative byte address (RBA) and relative record number (RRN) RBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RRN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Locking of VSAM records in recoverable files . . . . . . . . Update locks and delete locks (non-RLS mode only) . . . . Record locking of VSAM records for files accessed in RLS mode . Exclusive locks and shared locks. . . . . . . . . . . . Exclusive locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shared locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lock duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Active and retained states for locks . . . . . . . . . . Conditional VSAM file update requests . . . . . . . . . . File control implementation of NOSUSPEND . . . . . . . CICS locking for writing to ESDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 21. File controlBDAM considerations Identifying BDAM records . . . . . . . . . Block reference subfield . . . . . . . . . Physical key subfield . . . . . . . . . . Deblocking argument subfield . . . . . . . Browsing records from BDAM data sets . . . . Adding records to BDAM data sets . . . . . . Updating records from BDAM data sets . . . Chapter 22. Database control DL/I databases . . . . . . DATABASE 2 (DB2) databases Requests to DB2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

259 259 259 259 259 260 260 260 261 261 262 262 262 263 264 264 264 267 267 267 267 267 268 269 270 271 271 271 271 273 273 273 273 273 274 274 274 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 280 281 283 283 284 284 285 287

Chapter 23. CICS documents . . . . . . . . . . Using the DOCUMENT programming interface . . . . . Creating a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . The BINARY option . . . . . . . . . . . . . The TEXT option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . The FROMDOC option . . . . . . . . . . . The TEMPLATE option . . . . . . . . . . . Programming with documents . . . . . . . . . . . Setting symbol values . . . . . . . . . . . . . Embedded template commands . . . . . . . . . Using templates in your application . . . . . . . . The lifespan of a document . . . . . . . . . . . Retrieving the document without control information . Constructing a document. . . . . . . . . . . . Using Bookmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Replacing data in the document . . . . . . . . Codepages and codepage conversion . . . . . . . Chapter 24. Named counter servers . . The named counter fields . . . . . . Named counter pools . . . . . . . . Named counter options table . . . . Using the named counter EXEC interface Using the named counter CALL interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

232

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Application programming considerations . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example of DFHNCTR calls with null parameters . Return codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . .

287 289 295 296

Part 4. Data Management

233

234

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

CICS data management services have traditionally been known as CICS file control. CICS file control l offers you access to data sets that are managed by either the virtual storage access method (VSAM) or the basic direct access method (BDAM). CICS file control lets you read, update, add, and browse data in VSAM and BDAM data sets and delete data from VSAM data sets. You can also access CICS shared data tables and coupling facility data tables using file control. A CICS application program reads and writes its data in the form of individual records. Each read or write request is made by a CICS command. To access a record, the application program must identify both the record and the data set that holds it. It must also specify the storage area into which the record is to be read or from which it is to be written. This chapter describes: v VSAM data sets v BDAM data sets on page 238 v CICS shared data tables on page 239 v Coupling facility data tables on page 240 v Techniques for sharing data on page 242 v Using CICS commands to read records on page 244 v Using CICS commands to update records on page 249 v Using CICS commands to delete records on page 250 v Using CICS commands to add records on page 251 v File control command options on page 252 v Transaction deadlocks on page 255

VSAM data sets

CICS supports access to the following types of data set: v Key-sequenced data set (KSDS) v Entry-sequenced data set (ESDS) v Relative record data set (RRDS) (both fixed and variable record lengths) VSAM data sets are held on direct access storage devices (DASD) auxiliary storage. VSAM divides its data set storage into control areas (CA), which are further divided into control intervals (CI). Control intervals are the unit of data transmission between virtual and auxiliary storage. Each one is of fixed size and, in general, contains a number of records. A KSDS or ESDS can have records that extend over more than one control interval. These are called spanned records.

Key-sequenced data set (KSDS)

A key-sequenced data set has each of its records identified by a key. (The key of each record is simply a field in a predefined position within the record.) Each key must be unique in the data set. When the data set is initially loaded with data, or when new records are added, the logical order of the records depends on the collating sequence of the key field. This also fixes the order in which you retrieve records when you browse through the data set.
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

235

To find the physical location of a record in a KSDS, VSAM creates and maintains an index. This relates the key of each record to the records relative location in the data set. When you add or delete records, this index is updated accordingly. | | | | With releases of DFSMS/MVS 1.4 and later, a data set can be greater than 4GB in size if it is defined as extended format and extended addressability in the storage class. CICS supports, in both RL and non-RLS mode, KSDS data sets that are defined with these extended attributes.

Entry-sequenced data set (ESDS)

An entry-sequenced data set is one in which each record is identified by its relative byte address (RBA). Records are held in an ESDS in the order in which they were first loaded into the data set. New records added to an ESDS always go after the last record in the data set. You may not delete records or alter their lengths. After a record has been stored in an ESDS, its RBA remains constant. When browsing, records are retrieved in the order in which they were added to the data set. | | | | | With releases of DFSMS/MVS 1.5 and later, a data set can be greater than 4GB in size if it is defined as extended format and extended addressability in the storage class. However, CICS does not support ESDS data sets that are defined with these extended attributes. Attempts to open data sets defined with the extended attribute fail with error message DFHFC0966, codes 8504, 0008,0068.

Relative record data set (RRDS)

A relative record data set has records that are identified by their relative record number (RRN). The first record in the data set is RRN 1, the second is RRN 2, and so on. Records in an RRDS can be fixed or variable length records, and the way in which VSAM handles the data depends on whether the data set is a fixed or variable RRDS. A fixed RRDS has fixed-length slots predefined to VSAM, into which records are stored. The length of a record on a fixed RRDS is always equal to the size of the slot. VSAM locates records in a fixed RRDS by multiplying the slot size by the RRN (which you supply on the file control request), to calculate the byte offset from the start of the data set. A variable RRDS, on the other hand, can accept records of any length up to the maximum for the data set. In a variable RRDS VSAM locates the records by means of an index. A fixed RRDS generally offers better performance. A variable RRDS offers greater function. | | | | | With releases of DFSMS/MVS 1.5 and later, a data set can be greater than 4GB in size if it is defined as extended format and extended addressability in the storage class. However, CICS does not support RRDS or VRRDS data sets that are defined with these extended attributes. Attempts to open data sets defined with the extended attribute fail with error message DFHFC0966, codes 8504, 0008,0068.

Empty data sets

An empty data set is a data set that has not yet had any records written to it. VSAM imposes several restrictions on an empty data set that is opened in non-RLS

236

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

access mode. However, CICS hides all these restrictions from you, allowing you to use an empty data set in the same way as a data set that contains data, regardless of the access mode.

VSAM alternate indexes

Sometimes you want to access the same set of records in different ways. For example, you may have records in a personnel data set that have as their key an employee number. No matter how many Smiths you have, each of them has a unique employee number. Think of this as the primary key. If you were producing a telephone directory from the data set, you would want to list people by name rather than by employee number. You can identify records in a data set with a secondary (alternate) key instead of the primary key described above. So the primary key is the employee number, and the employee name is the alternate key. Alternate keys are just like the primary key in a KSDSfields of fixed length and fixed position within the record. You can have any number of alternate keys per base file and, unlike the primary or base key, alternate keys need not be unique. To continue the personnel example, the employees department code might be defined as a further alternate key. VSAM allows KSDS and ESDS (but not RRDS) data sets to have alternate keys. When the data set is created, one secondary or alternate index is built for each alternate key in the record and is related to the primary or base key. To access records using an alternate key, you must define a further VSAM object, an alternate index path. The path then behaves as if it were a KSDS in which records are accessed using the alternate key. When you update a record by way of a path, the corresponding alternate index is updated to reflect the change. However, if you update the record directly by way of the base, or by a different path, the alternate index is only updated if it has been defined to VSAM (when created) to belong to the upgrade set of the base data set. For most applications, you probably want your alternate index to be in the upgrade set. A CICS application program disregards whether the file it is accessing is a path or the base. In a running CICS system, access to a single base data set can be made by way of the base and by any of the paths defined to it, if each access route is defined in the file control table (FCT). It is also possible for a CICS application program to access a file that has been directly defined as an alternate index rather than a path. This results in index data being returned to the application program rather than file data. This operation is not supported for files opened in record-level sharing (RLS) mode.

Accessing files in RLS mode

Record-level sharing (RLS) is a VSAM function, provided by DFSMS Version 1 Release 3 and later releases, that enables VSAM data to be shared, with full update capability, between many applications running in many CICS regions. With RLS, CICS regions that share VSAM data sets can reside in one or more MVS images within an MVS parallel sysplex. RLS also provides some benefits when data sets are being shared between CICS regions and batch jobs.

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

237

If you open a file in RLS mode, locking takes place at the record level instead of the Control-Interval level, thus reducing the risk of deadlocks. CICS supports record-level sharing (RLS) access to the following types of VSAM data set: v Key sequenced data sets (KSDS) v Entry sequenced data sets (ESDS) v Relative record data sets (RRDS), for both fixed and variable length records However, if you are using KSDS, you cannot use the relative byte address (RBA) to access files. Note: If you issue the SET FILE EMPTY command for a file that specifies RLS mode, the request is accepted but is ignored all the time the file is opened in RLS mode. If you close and switch the file to non-RLS mode, the data set is then reset to empty (provided it is defined as reusable on its IDCAMS definition).

Some RLS limitations

Most types of data set are eligible to participate in VSAM record level sharing and most CICS applications can benefit from this mode of access. However, there are some limitations that could affect some applications. The following types of file, data set, or method of access are not supported in RLS mode: v RBA access to a KSDS v Key-range data sets v Temporary data sets v VSAM clusters with the IMBED attribute v Direct opening of an alternate index v Opening individual components of a cluster v Access to catalogs or to VVDS data sets v CICS-maintained data tables v Hiperbatch

BDAM data sets

CICS supports access to keyed and nonkeyed BDAM data sets. BDAM support uses the physical nature of a record on a DASD device. BDAM data sets consist of unblocked records with the following format:
Physical (recorded) key

Count

Data

Physical record
Figure 58. Format of unblocked records in a BDAM data set

Keyed BDAM files have a physical key identifying the BDAM record. The count area contains the physical key length, the physical data length, and the records data location. CICS can define a further structure on top of BDAM data sets, introducing the concept of blocked-data sets:

238

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Count

Physical key

Data logrec 1 logrec 2

Physical record
Figure 59. Blocked-data set

The data portion of the physical record is viewed as a block containing logical records. CICS supports the retrieval of logical records from the data part of the physical record. CICS also supports unblocked records (where the structure reverts to the original BDAM concept of one logical record per physical record). To retrieve data from a physical record in a BDAM file under CICS, a record identification field (RIDFLD) has to be defined to specify how the physical record should be retrieved. This may be done using the physical key, by relative address, or by absolute address. If the data set is defined to CICS as being blocked, individual records within the block can be retrieved (deblocked) in two addressing modes: by key or by relative record. Deblocking by key uses the key of the logical record (that is, the key contained in the logical record) to identify which record is required from the block. Deblocking by relative record uses the record number in the block, relative to zero, of the record to be retrieved. You specify the key or relative record number used for deblocking in a subfield of the RIDFLD option used when accessing CICS BDAM files. The addressing mode for CICS BDAM files is set in the FCT using the RELTYPE keyword. For more details about record identification and BDAM record access, see Chapter 21. File controlBDAM considerations on page 267.

CICS shared data tables

The file control commands can access shared data tables. Shared data tables offer a method of constructing, maintaining, and gaining rapid access to data records contained in tables held in virtual storage, above the 16MB line. Each shared data table is associated with a VSAM KSDS, known as its source data set. For more information about shared data tables, see the CICS Shared Data Tables Guide. A table is defined using the CEDA DEFINE FILE panel. When a table is opened, CICS builds it by extracting data from the tables corresponding source data set and loading it into virtual storage above the 16MB line. CICS supports two types of shared data table, as follows: CICS-maintained tables (CMTs) This type of data table is kept in synchronization with its source data set by CICS. All changes to the data table are reflected in the source data set. Similarly all changes to the source data set are reflected in the data table. Note that the source for a CICS-maintained data table cannot be a file opened in RLS access mode.

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

239

User-maintained tables (UMTs) This type of data table is completely detached from its source data set after it has been loaded. Changes to the table are not automatically reflected in the source data set. The full file control API appropriate to VSAM KSDS data sets is supported for CICS-maintained data tables. Requests that cannot be satisfied by reference to the data table result in calls to VSAM to access the source data set. Tables defined to be recoverable are supported with full integrity. A subset of the file control API is supported for user-maintained tables. For programming information about the commands, you should see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual where they are listed separately under the file control command name, followed by UMT. For example, the information on writing a record to a user-maintained table is given under WRITE(UMT). A table defined as recoverable participates in dynamic transaction backout but is not recovered at restart or XRF takeover.

Coupling facility data tables

The CICS file control commands can access coupling facility data tables (CFDTs). Coupling facility data tables provide a method of file data sharing, without the need for a file-owning region, and without the need for VSAM RLS support. CICS coupling facility data table support is designed to provide rapid sharing of working data across a sysplex, with update integrity. The data is held in a coupling facility, in a table that is similar in many ways to a shared user-maintained data table. A coupling facility data table is different from a UMT in one important respect in that initial loading from a VSAM source data set is optional . You can specify LOAD(NO) and load the table by writing data directly from a user application program. The API used to store and retrieve the data is based on the file control API used for user-maintained data tables. Read access and write access to CFDTs have similar performance, making this form of table particularly useful for informal shared data. Informal shared data is characterised as: v Data that is relatively short-term in nature (it is either created as the application is running, or is initially loaded from an external source) v Data volumes that are not usually very large v Data that needs to be accessed fast v Data of which the occasional loss can be tolerated by user applications v Data that commonly requires update integrity. Typical uses might include sharing scratchpad data between CICS regions across a sysplex, or sharing of files for which changes do not have to be permanently saved. There are many different ways in which applications use informal shared data, and most of these could be implemented using coupling facility data tables. Coupling facility data tables are particularly useful for grouping data into different tables, where the items can be identified and retrieved by their keys. For example, you could use a record in a coupling facility data table to maintain the next free order number for use by an order processing application. Other examples are: v Look-up tables of telephone numbers or the numbers of stolen credit cards v Working data consisting of a few items, such as a subset of customers from a customer list v Information that is specific to the user of the application, or that relates to the terminal from which the application is being run v Data extracted from a larger file or database for further processing.

240

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Coupling facility data tables allow various types of access to your informal data: read-only, single updater, multiple updaters, sequential access, random access, random insertion and deletion. For many purposes, because it is global in scope, coupling facility data tables can offer significant advantages over resources such as the CICS common work area (CWA). To an application program, a CFDT appears much like a sysplex-wide user-maintained data table: a CFDT is accessed using the same subset of the API as a UMT (that is, the full file control API except for the MASSINSERT and RBA options). However, a CFDT is restricted to a maximum key-length of 16 bytes. Note the following comparisons with user-maintained data tables: v Updates to a CFDT, like updates to a UMT, are not reflected in the base VSAM data set (if the table was initially loaded from one). Updates are made to the CFDT only. v A CFDT is loaded once only, when the table is first created in the coupling facility data table, and remains in existence in the coupling facility, even when the last file referring to the CFDT is closed (whereas a UMT is deleted each time the owning region terminates). You can force a reload of a CFDT from the original source data set only by first deleting the table from the CFDT pool, using a CFDT server DELETE TABLE command. The first file opened against the CFDT after the delete operation causes the server to reload the table. Note: A coupling facility data table pool is defined as a coupling facility list structure, and can hold more than one data table (see the CICS System Definition Guide for information about creating a list structure for coupling facility data tables). v The access rules for a UMT that is in the course of loading allow any direct read request to be satisfied either from the table (if the record has already been loaded) or from the source data set, but reject any update request, or imprecise read or browse request, with the LOADING condition. For a CFDT, any request is allowed during loading, but requests succeed only for records that are within the key range already loaded.

Coupling facility data table models

There are two models of coupling facility data table: Contention model This gives optimal performance, but requires programs that are written to handle the situation where the data has been changed since it issued a read-for-update request. The new CHANGED response can occur on a REWRITE or DELETE command. There is also a new use for the existing NOTFND response, which may be returned to indicate to the application program that the record has been deleted since the program issued the read-for-update request. Note: It might be possible to use existing programs with the contention model if you are sure they cannot receive the CHANGED or NOTFND exceptions on a REWRITE or DELETE. An example of this could be where an application program operates only on records that relate to the user of the program, and therefore no other user could be updating the same records.

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

241

Locking model This model is API-compatible with existing programs that conform to the UMT subset of the file control API. The locking model can be: Non-recoverable For updates to non-recoverable CFDTs, locks do not last until syncpoint (they are released on completion of the file control request) and updates are not backed out if a unit of work fails Recoverable CFDTs are recoverable in the event of a unit of work failure, and in the event of a CICS region failure, a CFDT server failure, and an MVS failure (updates made by units of work that were in-flight at the time of the failure are backed out). The recoverable locking model supports in-doubt and backout failures: if a unit of work fails when backing out an update to the CFDT, or if it fails in-doubt during syncpoint processing, the locks are converted to retained locks and the unit of work is shunted. CFDTs cannot be forward recoverable. A CFDT does not survive the loss of the CF structure in which it resides. You specify the update model you want for each table on its file resource definition, enabling different tables to use different models.

Techniques for sharing data

This topic indicates when you should consider using a coupling facility data table by comparing, in tabular form, the various CICS techniques that you can use for different situations.
Table 13. Techniques for sharing scratchpad data Constraints and factors Technique no longer recommended (too restrictive) Recommended method for single area for each transaction Existing application programs use temporary storage (TS) queues Existing programs use UMT Random insert and delete required Multiple types of data stored Single Region TWA Single MVS Sysplex

COMMAREA

Local TS queue

Remote TS queue

Shared TS queue

UMT

Remote UMT

CFDT (contention model)

In Table 13, different techniques are considered for passing scratchpad data between phases of a transaction, where only one task is accessing the data at a time, but the data may be passed from a task in one region to a task in another. Note that remote UMT means a shared user-maintained data table that is accessed from AORs either by function shipping where necessary (that is, for update accesses) or by SDT cross-memory sharing for non-update accesses. The table shows that, within a Parallel Sysplex, a coupling facility data table is the best

242

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

solution for random insertion and deletion of data, and where multiple types of data need to be stored. Without these constraints, shared TS queues are a more appropriate choice if the application programs are already using temporary storage.
Table 14. Techniques for sharing queues of data Constraints and factors Read-only at head, write-only at tail Triggering required Process batches of items Delete each item after processing. Random insert and delete required. Single Region Local transient data (TD) TS queue or UMT Single MVS Remote TD Remote TS or remote UMT Remote UMT Sysplex Remote TD Shared TS or CFDT CFDT

UMT

In Table 14, different techniques for sharing queues of data are shown, where information is stored in a specific sequence, to be processed by another application program or task in the same sequence. The CICS transient data and temporary storage queue facilities are recommended in the majority of cases, with a few instances where data tables provide a more appropriate solution for handling sequenced data.
Table 15. Techniques for sharing control records Constraints and factors Technique no longer recommended Single updating region, single record Multiple updating regions or multiple records Single Region CWA TS queue or UMT UMT Single MVS Sysplex

MVS CSA

Remote TS queue or Shared TS queue or UMT CFDT (contention model) Remote UMT CFDT

In Table 15, different techniques for managing control records are shown. This illustrates where a central control record is used to make information available to all transactions. For example, this may contain the next unused order number, or customer number, to make it easier for programs to create new records in a keyed file or database. (For this type of application, you should also consider the named counter function, which is also a sysplex-wide facility. See Chapter 24. Named counter servers on page 283 for details.) The table shows that within an MVS image, if there is a single region that makes all the updates to a single record, you can use a UMT without any function shipping overheads. Where there are multiple regions updating the control record, or there is more than one control record to update, then a coupling facility data table is the only solution within a Parallel Sysplex environment, and it could also be more effective than function shipping the updates to a UMT within a single MVS.
Table 16. Techniques for sharing keyed data Constraints and factors Read-only or rarely updated Single Region UMT Single MVS UMT Sysplex Replicated UMT

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

243

Table 16. Techniques for sharing keyed data (continued) Constraints and factors Single updating region Multiple updating regions Recoverable (backout only) Single Region UMT UMT Single MVS Sysplex Replicated UMT or CFDT CFDT

UMT Remote UMT or CFDT

In Table 16 on page 243, different techniques for sharing keyed data are shown. This covers applications that use data similar in structure to a conventional keyed file, but where the information does not need to be stored permanently, and the performance benefits are sufficient to justify the use of main storage or coupling facility resources to store the relevant data. This kind of data is most appropriately accessed using the file control API, which means that within a Parallel Sysplex, the solution is to use: v A replicated user-maintained data table where the highest performance is required, and where access is either read-only, or updates are rare and you can arrange to make these from a single region and refresh the replicated UMT in other regions v A coupling facility data table. Note that recovery support for UMTs is limited to transaction backout after a failure. For coupling facility data tables, recovery is also provided for CICS and CFDT server failures, and also for in-doubt failures,

Using CICS commands to read records

This section describes the facilities available to application programs for accessing data sets. Although VSAM data sets, are discussed, most of the facilities apply equally to BDAM. It describes: v Direct reading (using READ command) on page 245 v Sequential reading (browsing) on page 246 v Skip-sequential processing on page 248 A file can be defined in the file definition as containing either fixed-length or variable-length records. Fixed-length records should be defined only if: v The definition of the VSAM data set (using access method services) specifies an average record size that is equal to the maximum record size and v All the records in the data set are of that length. For direct reading and browsing, if the file contains fixed-length records, and if the application program provides an area into which the record is to be read, that area must be of the defined length. If the file contains variable-length records, the command must also specify the length of the area provided to hold them (which should normally be the maximum length of records in the file). For fixed-length records and for records retrieved into storage provided by CICS (when you use the SET option), you need not specify the LENGTH argument. However, although the LENGTH argument is optional, you are recommended to specify it when using the INTO option, because it causes CICS to check that the

244

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

record being read is not too long for the available data area. If you specify LENGTH, CICS uses the LENGTH field to return the actual length of the record retrieved.

Direct reading (using READ command)

You read a record in the file with the READ command. This must identify the record you want and say whether it is to be read into an area of storage provided by your application program (READ INTO), or into CICS SET storage acquired by file control (READ SET). If the latter, the address of the data in the CICS SET storage is returned to your program. CICS SET storage normally remains valid until the next syncpoint, or the end of the task, or until next READ against the same file, whichever comes first.

Direct reading from a KSDS

When reading from a KSDS, you can identify the record you want uniquely by specifying its full key, or you can retrieve the first (lowest key) record whose key meets certain requirements. There are two options that qualify your key value; GENERIC and GTEQ. The GENERIC option indicates that you require a match on only a part of the key; when you specify the GENERIC option, you also must specify the KEYLENGTH option, to say how many positions of the key, starting from the left, must match. For the READ command, CICS uses only the first KEYLENGTH option characters. The GTEQ option indicates that you want the first record whose key is greater than or equal to the key you have specified. You can use GTEQ with either a full or a generic key. The opposite of the GTEQ option is the EQUAL option (the default), which means that you want only a record whose key matches exactly that portion (full or generic) of the key that you have specified.

Direct reading from an ESDS

When reading from an ESDS, the individual record you want is identified by an RBA. Because the RBA of a record in an ESDS cannot change, your application program can keep track of the values of the RBAs corresponding to the records it wants to access. An RBA must always point to the beginning of a record. There is no equivalent to the GENERIC or GTEQ options that you can use to position approximately in a KSDS.

Direct reading from an RRDS

When reading from an RRDS, the record to be retrieved is identified by its relative record number. The application program must know the RRN values of the records it wants. There is no equivalent to the GENERIC or GTEQ options that you can use to position approximately in a KSDS.

Direct reading by way of a path

If a KSDS or an ESDS has an alternate index and an alternate index path (and an appropriate entry in the FCT), you can retrieve a record in the file by using the alternate key that you set up in the alternate index. The GENERIC option and the GTEQ (greater than or equal to) option still work in the same way as for a read from a KSDS using the primary key.

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

245

If the alternate key in a READ command is not unique, the first record in the file with that key is read and you get the DUPKEY condition. To retrieve other records with the same alternate key, you have to start a browse operation at this point.

Read integrity (in RLS mode)

CICS supports three options to control read integrity with RLS. You can specify these options on the file control API. Alternatively, if the application request does not specify any of the options (UNCOMMITTED, CONSISTENT, or REPEATABLE), the value from the file resource definition is used. These options are: UNCOMMITTED There is no read integrity and shared locks are not used for read requests. (See Record locking of VSAM records for files accessed in RLS mode on page 261 for information about shared and exclusive locks.) This is the default and is the way in which file control works for files that are opened in non-RLS mode. CONSISTENT A request to read a record is queued if the record is being updated by another task. The read completes only when the update is complete, and the updating unit of work (UOW) relinquishes its exclusive lock. UOWs and syncpoints are discussed in Syncpointing on page 207. REPEATABLE Processing of the read request is the same as for consistent read requests. However, in this case, the reader holds on to its shared lock until syncpoint. This applies to both recoverable and non-recoverable files. This ensures that a record read in a UOW cannot be modified while the UOW makes further read requests. It is particularly useful when you issue a series of related read requests and you want to ensure that none of the records is modified before the last record is read. Note: Specify read integrity only when an application cannot tolerate stale data. This is because RLS uses locks to support read integrity, and as a result your applications could encounter deadlocks that do not occur in releases of CICS that do not support read integrity. This is particularly important if you define read integrity on file resource definitions. The application programs that reference these files may have been written for releases of CICS that do not support read integrity, and are not designed to deal with deadlock conditions on read-only file accesses. If you specify either CONSISTENT or REPEATABLE, you can also specify the NOSUSPEND option on a READ command to ensure that the request does not wait if the record is locked by VSAM with an active lock. See Active and retained states for locks on page 263 for more information about active locks.

Sequential reading (browsing)

You start a browse with the STARTBR command, identifying a particular record in the same way as for a direct read. However, the STARTBR command only identifies the starting position for the browse; it does not retrieve a record. The READNEXT command reads records sequentially from this starting point. On completion of each READNEXT command, CICS returns the full key of the record it retrieved in the field specified in the RIDFLD option. (Be sure to provide a field as long as the full key, even if you use a STARTBR command with a shorter generic key.)

246

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

As in the case of a direct read, the record may be read into an area supplied by the application program (when you use the INTO option), or into storage provided by CICS (when you use the SET option). In the latter case, the CICS storage addressed by the SET pointer remains valid until the next operation in the browse, or until the browse ends, syncpoint, or end of task, whichever occurs first. You can also browse backwards in the file, by using READPREV commands instead of READNEXT commands, and you can switch from one direction to the other at any time. The READPREV command is like the READPREV command, except that the records are read sequentially backward from the current position. As you switch from one direction to the other, you retrieve the same record twice, unless you reposition. When the browse has started, you can change the current browse position either by using a RESETBR command, or a READNEXT command, or a READPREV command. The RESETBR command can also be used for other purposes, however. For VSAM, but not for BDAM, you can reposition simply by varying the value in RIDFLD when you issue the next READNEXT or READPREV command. When you change RIDFLD, the record identifier must be in the same form as on the previous STARTBR or RESETBR command (key, RBA, or RRN). In addition, you can change the length of a generic key by specifying a KEYLENGTH in your READPREV command, which is different from the current generic key length and not equal to the full length. If you change the length of a generic key in this way, you reposition to the generic key specified by RIDFLD option. RESETBR command must be used to change the browse position in a BDAM file. If you wish to change the form of the key from key to RBA or vice versa, you must use a RESETBR command. You must also use a RESETBR command to switch between generic and full keys or between equal to and greater than or equal to searches. You can also only use X'FF' characters to point to the last record in the file if you are using a RESETBR or STARTBR command. Under certain conditions, CICS uses VSAM skip-sequential processing when you change the key in this way, as explained in Skip-sequential processing on page 248.

Browsing through a KSDS

You can use a generic key on the STARTBR command when browsing through a KSDS. However, the browse can only continue forward through the file. If you process a READPREV command during such a browse, you get the INVREQ condition. You can use the options key equal to and key greater than or equal to on the STARTBR command and they have the same meaning as on the READ command. However, the STARTBR command assumes that you want to position at the key specified or the first key greater if that key does not exist. That is, option GTEQ is the default for the STARTBR command, whereas EQUAL is the default for the READ command. You can start a forward browse through a KSDS at the start of the file by specifying a key of hexadecimal zeros, or by specifying options GENERIC, GTEQ, and KEYLENGTH(0) on the STARTBR, RESETBR, READNEXT, or READPREV command. (In the latter case, you need the RIDFLD keyword although its value is not used and, after the command completes, CICS is using a generic key length of one.)
Chapter 19. An overview of file control

247

You can start from the end of the data set by specifying a complete key of X'FF' characters on the STARTBR or RESETBR command. This points to the last record in the file ready for a backward browse. A STARTBR, RESETBR, or READNEXT command having the option KEYLENGTH(0) is always treated as if KEYLENGTH(1) and a partial key of one byte of binary zeros have been specified.

Browsing through an ESDS

Positioning for a browse in an ESDS is identical to that for reading. If you want to begin reading at the beginning of the data set, use an RBA of low values (X'00'), and to begin at the end, use high values (X'FF').

Browsing through an RRDS

You can use the GTEQ option on a STARTBR command when browsing through an RRDS. It is the default, even though on a direct READ this option has no effect. A direct read command with the GTEQ option that specifies an RRN that does not exist returns the NOTFND condition, because only the EQUAL option is taken. However, a STARTBR GTEQ command using the same RRN completes successfully, and sets a pointer to the relevant position in the data set for the start of the browse. The first record in the file is identified using an RRN of 1, and the last record by high values (X'FF').

Browsing using a path

Browsing can also use an alternate index path to a KSDS or an ESDS. The browse is just like that for a KSDS, but using the alternate key. The records are retrieved in alternate key order. If the alternate key is not unique, the DUPKEY condition is raised for each retrieval operation except the last occurrence of the duplicate key. For example, if there are three records with the same alternate key, DUPKEY is raised on the first two, but not the third. The order in which records with duplicate alternate keys are returned is the order in which they were written to the data set. This is true whether you are using a READNEXT or a READPREV command. For this reason, you cannot retrieve records with the same alternate key in reverse order.

Browse integrity (in RLS mode)

The options UNCOMMITTED, CONSISTENT, REPEATABLE, and NOSUSPEND, discussed in Read integrity (in RLS mode) on page 246, also apply to the CICS browse commands.

Ending the browse

Trying to browse past the last record in a file raises the ENDFILE condition. Stop a browse with the ENDBR command. You must issue the ENDBR command before performing an update operation on the same file (a READ UPDATE, DELETE with RIDFLD, or WRITE command). If you do not, you get unpredictable results, possibly including deadlock within your own transaction.

Simultaneous browse operations

CICS allows a transaction to perform more than one browse on the same file at the same time. You distinguish between browse operations by including the REQID option on each browse command.

Skip-sequential processing
When possible, CICS uses VSAM skip-sequential processing to speed browsing. Skip-sequential processing applies only to forward browsing of a file when RIDFLD is specified in key form. CICS uses it when you increase the key value in RIDFLD

248

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

on your READNEXT command and make no other key-related specification, such as KEYLENGTH. In this situation, VSAM locates the next desired record by reading forward through the index, rather than repositioning from scratch. This method is faster if the records you are retrieving are relatively close to each other but not necessarily adjacent; it can have the opposite effect if the records are very far apart in a large file. If you know that the key you are repositioning to is much higher in the file, and that you may incur a long index scan, you may wish to consider using a RESETBR command which forces a reposition from scratch.

Using CICS commands to update records

To update a record, you must first retrieve it using one of the file control read commands that specifies the UPDATE option. The record is identified in exactly the same way as for a direct read. In a KSDS or ESDS, the record may (as with a direct read) be accessed by way of a file definition that refers either to the base, or to a path defined to it. For files opened in RLS mode you can specify the NOSUSPEND option as well as the UPDATE option on an EXEC CICS command to ensure that the request does not wait if the record is already locked by VSAM with an active lock. After modification by the application program, the record is written back to the data set using the REWRITE command, which does not identify the record being rewritten. Within a unit of work, each REWRITE command should be associated with a previous READ UPDATE by a common keyword (TOKEN). You can have one READ UPDATE without a TOKEN outstanding at any one time. Attempts to perform multiple concurrent update requests within a unit of work, upon the same data set without the use of TOKENS, are prevented by CICS. If you want to release the string held by a READ UPDATE without rewriting or deleting the record, use the UNLOCK command. The UNLOCK command releases any CICS storage acquired for the READ command, and releases VSAM resources held by the READ command. If TOKEN is specified with the UNLOCK command, CICS attempts to match this with an outstanding READ UPDATE whose TOKEN has the same value. (For more explanation about the TOKEN option, see The TOKEN option on page 254.) For both update and non-update commands, you must identify the record to be retrieved by the record identification field specified in the RIDFLD option. Immediately on completion of a READ UPDATE command, the RIDFLD data area is available for reuse by the application program. A record retrieved as part of a browse operation can only be updated during the browse if the file is opened in RLS mode (see Updating and deleting records in a browse (VSAM RLS only) on page 250). For files opened in non-RLS mode, the application program must end the browse, read the desired record with a READ UPDATE command, and perform the update. Failure to end the browse before issuing the READ UPDATE command may cause a deadlock. The record to be updated may (as in the case of a direct read) be read into an area of storage supplied by the application program or into storage set by CICS. For a READ UPDATE command, CICS SET storage remains valid until the next REWRITE, UNLOCK, DELETE without RIDFLD, or SYNCPOINT command, whichever is encountered first. For a KSDS, the base key in the record must not be altered when the record is modified. Similarly, if the update is being made by way of a path, the alternate key

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

249

used to identify the record must not be altered either, although other alternate keys may be altered. If the file definition allows variable-length records, the length of the record may be changed. The length of records in an ESDS, a fixed-length RRDS, or a fixed-length KSDS must not be changed on update. For a file defined to CICS as containing fixed-length records, the length of record being rewritten must equal the original length. For variable-length records, you must specify the LENGTH option with both the READ UPDATE and the REWRITE commands. The length must not be greater than the maximum defined to VSAM.

Using CICS commands to delete records

Records can never be deleted from an ESDS.

Deleting single records

You delete a single record in a KSDS or RRDS in one of three ways: 1. Retrieve it for update with a READ UPDATE command, and then issue a DELETE command without specifying the RIDFLD option. 2. Issue a DELETE command specifying the RIDFLD option. 3. For a file opened in RLS modDELETE command. This method is described in Updating and deleting records in a browse (VSAM RLS only). If a full key is provided with the DELETE command, a single record with that key is deleted. So, if the data set is being accessed by way of an alternate index path that allows non-unique alternate keys, only the first record with that key is deleted. After the deletion, you know whether further records exist with the same alternate key, because you get the DUPKEY condition if they do.

Updating and deleting records in a browse (VSAM RLS only)

For files accessed in RLS mode, you can specify the UPDATE option on a READNEXT or READPREV command and then update or delete the record by issuing a DELETE or READNEXT command. If the browse command returns a TOKEN, the TOKEN remains valid only until the next browse request. The TOKEN is invalidated by REWRITE, DELETE, or UNLOCK commands, that specify the same value for TOKEN or by the commands READNEXT, READPREV, or ENDBR that specify the same REQID. If you issue many READNEXT commands with the UPDATE and TOKEN options, the TOKENS invalidate each other and only the last one will be usable. (For more explanation about the TOKEN option, see The TOKEN option on page 254.) Use of the UPDATE option in a browse is subject to the following rules: v You can specify UPDATE within a browse only if the file is accessed in RLS mode. If you specify UPDATE for a file accessed in non-RLS mode, CICS returns an INVREQ condition. v You can specify UPDATE only on the READNEXT and READPREV commands, not on the STARTBR or RESETBR commands. v CICS supports only one TOKEN in a browse sequence, and the TOKEN value on each READNEXT or READPREV command overwrites the previous value. v You can mix update and non-update requests within the same browse. v You must specify on the READNEXT, DELETE, or UNLOCK command the TOKEN to be returned by the corresponding READNEXT or READPREV command.

250

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Locks for UPDATE: Specifying UPDATE on a READNEXT or READPREV command acquires an exclusive lock. The duration of these exclusive locks within a browse depends on the action your application program takes and on whether the file is recoverable or not. v If the file is recoverable and you decide to DELETE or REWRITE the last record acquired by a read for update in a browse (using the associated token), the VSAM exclusive lock remains active until completion of the UOW. That is, until successful syncpoint or rollback. v If the file is not recoverable and you decide to DELETE or REWRITE the last record acquired, the lock is released either when you next issue an ENDBR command or when you issue a subsequent READNEXT or READPREV command. This is explained more fully in Record locking of VSAM records for files accessed in RLS mode on page 261. v If you decide not to update the last recREADPREV command in the browse, or ends the browse. Note: An UNLOCK command does not free an RLS exclusive lock held by VSAM against a record acquired during a browse operation. An UNLOCK within a browse simply invalidates the TOKEN returned by the last request. Another READNEXT or READPREV in the browse also invalidates the TOKEN for the record read by the previous READNEXT or READPREV UPDATE command. Therefore, its not necessary to use UNLOCK in an application program that decides not to update a particular record.

Deleting groups of records (generic delete)

You can use a generic key with the DELETE command. Then, instead of deleting a single record, all the records in the file whose keys match the generic key are deleted with the single command. However, this cannot be used if the KEYLENGTH value is equal to the length of the whole key (even if duplicate keys are allowed). The number of records deleted is returned to the application program if the NUMREC option is included with the command. If access is by way of an alternate index path, the records deleted are all those whose alternate keys match the generic key.

Read integrity
The NOSUSPEND option discussed in Read integrity (in RLS mode) on page 246, also applies to the CICS browse commands when you are using them to update a file.

Using CICS commands to add records

Add new records to a file with the WRITE command. They must always be written from an area provided by the application program.

Adding to a KSDS
When adding a record to a KSDS, the base key of the record identifies the position in the data set where the record is to be inserted. Although the key is part of the record, CICS also requires the application program to specify the key separately using the RIDFLD option on the WRITE command. A record added to a KSDS by way of an alternate index path is also inserted into the data set in the position determined by the base key. However, the command must also include the alternate index key as the record identifier.

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

251

Adding to an ESDS
A record added to an ESDS is always added to the end of the file. You cannot insert a record in an ESDS between existing records. After the operation is completed, the relative byte address in the file where the record was placed is returned to the application program. When adding a record to an ESDS by way of an alternate index path, the record is also placed at the end of the data set. The command must include the alternate index key in the same way as for a KSDS path.

Adding to an RRDS
To add a record to an RRDS, include the relative record number as a record identifier on the WRITE command. The record is then stored in the file in the position corresponding to the RRN.

Records that are already locked

The NOSUSPEND option, described in Read integrity (in RLS mode) on page 246 also applies to the WRITE command for a file opened in RLS mode.

Specifying record length

When writing to a fixed-length file, the record length must match the value specified at the time the file was created. In this case, you need not include the length with the command, although you may do so to check whether the length agrees with that originally defined to VSAM. If the file is defined as containing variable-length records, the command must always include the length of the record.

Sequential adding of records (WRITE MASSINSERT command)

MASSINSERT on a WRITE command offers potential improved performance where there is more than one record to add to a KSDS, ESDS, or path. The performance improvement is only obtained when the keys in successive WRITE MASSINSERT requests are in ascending order. A MASSINSERT is completed by the UNLOCK command. This ensures that all the records are written to the file and the position is released. Always issue an UNLOCK command before performing an update operation on the same data set (read update, delete with RIDFLD, or write). If you do not, you may get unpredictable results, possibly including a deadlock. Without an UNLOCK command, the MASSINSERT is completed when a syncpoint is issued, or at task termination. Note: A READ command does not necessarily retrieve a record that has been added by an incomplete MASSINSERT operation. See VSAM data sets on page 154 for more information about MASSINSERT.

File control command options

Some of the file control command options you may specify are: v The RIDFLD option on page 253 v The INTO and SET options on page 253 v The FROM option on page 253 v The TOKEN option on page 254

252

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v KEYLENGTH option for remote data sets on page 254 Use of the LENGTH option varies, depending on how you use the other options.

The RIDFLD option

Whatever you do to a record (read, add, delete, or start a browse), you identify the record by the RIDFLD option, except when you have read the record for update first. However, there is no RIDFLD for ENDBR, REWRITE, and UNLOCK commands. Further, during a browse using READNEXT or READPREV commands, you must include the RIDFLD option to give CICS a way to return the identifier of each record retrieved. The RIDFLD option identifies a field containing the record identification appropriate to the access method and the type of file being accessed. The RIDFLD option by itself is not always enough to identify a specific record in the file. So, when retrieving records from a KSDS, or from a KSDS or ESDS by way of an alternate index path, or when setting a starting position for a browse in this type of data set, you can have one or both of the further options GTEQ and GENERIC with your command. With READNEXT or READPREV commands, the application program would not usually set the RIDFLD field. After each command, CICS updates this field with the actual identifier of the record retrieved. (You can alter the RIDFLD value to set a new position from which to continue the browse.)

The INTO and SET options

With the READ, READNEXT or READPREV commands, the record is retrieved and put in main storage according to your INTO and SET options. The INTO option specifies the main storage area into which the record is to be put. For fixed-length records, you need not include the LENGTH option. If you do, the length specified must exactly match the defined length; otherwise, you get the LENGERR condition. For variable-length records, always specify (in the LENGTH option) the longest record your application program accepts (which must correspond to the value defined as the maximum record size when the data set was created); otherwise, you get the LENGERR condition. LENGERR occurs if the record exceeds the length specified, and the record is then truncated to that length. After the record retrieval, if you include the LENGTH option, the data area specified in it is set to the actual record length (before any truncation occurs). The SET option specifies a pointer to the buffer in main storage acquired by CICS to hold the record. When using the SET option, you need not include the LENGTH option. If you do include it, the data area specified is set to the actual record length after the record has been retrieved.

The FROM option

When you add records (using the EXEC CICS WRITE command), or update records (using the REWRITE command), specify the record to be written with the FROM option.

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

253

The FROM option specifies the main storage area that contains the record to be written. In general, this area is part of the storage owned by your application program. With the REWRITE command, the FROM area is usually (but not necessarily) the same as the corresponding INTO area on the READ UPDATE command. The length of the record can be changed when rewriting to a KSDS with variable-length records. Always include the LENGTH option when writing to a file with variable-length records. If the value specified exceeds the maximum allowed in the cluster definition, LENGERR is raised when the command is executed. LENGERR is also raised if the LENGTH option is omitted when accessing a file with variable-length records. When writing to a file with fixed-length records, CICS uses the length specified in the cluster definition as the length of the record to be written, so you need not have the LENGTH option. If you do, its value is checked against the defined value and you get a LENGERR condition if the values do not match.

The TOKEN option

The TOKEN option is a unique value within a task that is supplied by CICS on any valid read for update command, and you return this to CICS with an associated REWRITE, DELETE, or UNLOCK command. For each file that is being updated by a task, at any one time you can have only one outstanding read request with the UPDATE option that does not specify the TOKEN option. You can perform multiple concurrent updates on the same data set using the same task by including the TOKEN option with a read for update command, and specifying the token on the associated REWRITE, DELETE, or the UNLOCK command. Note that, for files accessed in non-RLS mode, a set of concurrent updates fails if more than one record is being updated in the same CI, irrespective of the TOKEN associated with the request. Also, only one token remains valid for a given REQID on a browse, and that is the one returned on the last READNEXT or READPREV command (see Updating and deleting records in a browse (VSAM RLS only) on page 250). You can function ship a read for update request containing the TOKEN option. However, if you function ship a request specifying TOKEN to a member of the CICS family of products that does not recognize this keyword, the request fails.

KEYLENGTH option for remote data sets

In general, file control commands need the RIDFLD and KEYLENGTH options. The KEYLENGTH option can be specified explicitly in the command, or determined implicitly from the file definition. For remote files for which the SYSID option has been specified, the KEYLENGTH option must be specified if the RIDFLD option is passing a key to file control. If the remote file is being browsed, the KEYLENGTH option is not required for the READNEXT or READPREV command. For a remote BDAM file, where the DEBKEY or DEBREC options have been specified, KEYLENGTH (when specified explicitly) should be the total length of the key (that is, all specified subfields).

254

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Transaction deadlocks
Design your applications so as to avoid transaction deadlocks. A deadlock occurs if each of two transactions (for example, A and B) needs exclusive use of some resource (for example, a particular record in a data set) that the other already holds. Transaction A waits for the resource to become available. However, if transaction B is not in a position to release it because it, in turn, is waiting on some resource held by A, both are deadlocked and the only way of breaking the deadlock is to cancel one of the transactions, thus releasing its resources. A transaction may have to wait for a resource for several reasons while executing file control commands: v For both VSAM and BDAM data sets, any record that is being modified is held in exclusive control by the access method for the duration of the request. (With VSAM files accessed in non-RLS mode, not just the record but the complete control interval containing the record is held in exclusive control. With files accessed in RLS mode, only the record is locked.) v If a transaction has modified a record in a recoverable file, CICS (or VSAM if the file is accessed in RLS mode) locks that record to the transaction even after the request that performed the change has completed. The transaction can continue to access and modify the same record; other transactions must wait until the transaction releases the lock, either by terminating or by issuing a syncpoint request. For more information, see Syncpointing on page 207. Whether a deadlock actually occurs depends on the relative timing of the acquisition and release of the resources by different concurrent transactions. Application programs may continue to be used for some time before meeting circumstances that cause a deadlock; it is important to recognize and allow for the possibility of deadlock early in the application program design stages. Here are examples of different types of deadlock found in recoverable data sets: v Two transactions running concurrently are modifying records within a single recoverable file, through the same FCT entry, as follows:
Transaction 1 READ UPDATE record 1 UNLOCK record 1 WRITE record 2 Transaction 2 DELETE record 2 READ UPDATE record 1 REWRITE record 1

Transaction 1 has acquired the record lock for record 1 (even though it has completed the READ UPDATE command with an UNLOCK command). Transaction 2 has similarly acquired the record lock for record 2. The transactions are then deadlocked because each wants to acquire the CICS lock held by the other. The CICS lock is not released until syncpoint. v Two transactions running concurrently are modifying two recoverable files as follows:
Transaction 1 READ UPDATE file 1, record 1 REWRITE file 1, record 1 READ UPDATE file 2, record 2 REWRITE file 2, record 2 Transaction 2 READ UPDATE file 2, record 2 REWRITE file 2, record 2 READ UPDATE file 1, record 1 REWRITE file 1, record 1

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

255

Here, the record locks have been acquired on different files as well as different records; however, the deadlock is similar to the first example. v Two transactions running concurrently are modifying a single recoverable KSDS, through the same FCT entry, as follows:
Transaction 1 READ UPDATE record 1 WRITE record 3 Transaction 2 DELETE record 3 READ UPDATE record 2

Suppose records one and two are held in the same control interval (CI) for a file accessed in non-RLS mode. The first READ UPDATE has acquired VSAM exclusive control of the CI holding record one. The DELETE operation has completed and acquired the CICS record lock on record three. The WRITE operation must wait for the lock on record three to be released before it can complete the operation. Finally, the last READ UPDATE must wait for the VSAM exclusive control lock held by transaction one to be released. v A transaction is browsing through a VSAM file (opened in non-RLS mode) that uses shared resources (LSRPOOLID not equal to NONE in the file resource definition). Before the ENDBR command, the transaction issues a further request to update the current record or another record that happens to be in the same control interval. Because VSAM already holds shared control of the control interval on behalf of the first request, the second request wants exclusive control of the control interval and therefore enters deadlock. Depending upon the level of VSAM support that you have, the transaction either waits indefinitely or abends with an AFCG abend code. For VSAM files accessed in non-RLS mode, CICS detects deadlock situations, and a transaction about to enter a deadlock is abended with the abend code AFCF if it is deadlocked by another transaction, or with abend code AFCG if it has deadlocked itself.

VSAM-detected deadlocks (RLS only)

With files accessed in RLS mode, deadlocks can arise between two different CICS regions, possibly running under different MVS images. In these cases, deadlock detection and resolution cannot be performed by CICS, and therefore it is performed by VSAM. If VSAM detects an RLS deadlock condition it returns a deadlock exception condition to CICS, causing CICS file control to abend the transaction with an AFCW abend code. CICS also writes messages and trace entries that identify the members of the deadlock chain. However, VSAM cannot detect a cross-resource deadlock (for example, a deadlock arising from use of RLS and DB2 resources) where another resource manager is involved. A cross-resource deadlock is resolved by VSAM when the timeout period expires, and the waiting request is timed out. In this situation, VSAM cannot determine whether the timeout is caused by a cross-resource deadlock, or a timeout caused by another transaction acquiring an RLS lock and not releasing it. In the event of a timeout, CICS writes trace entries and messages to identify the holder of the lock for which a timed-out transaction is waiting. All file control requests issued in RLS mode have an associated timeout value. This timeout value is that defined by DTIMEOUT if DTIMEOUT is active for the transaction, or FTIMEOUT from the system initialization table if DTIMEOUT is not active.

256

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Rules for avoiding deadlocks

You can avoid deadlocks by following these rules: v All applications that update (modify) multiple resources should do so in the same order. For instance, if a transaction is updating more than one record in a data set, it can do so in ascending key order. A transaction that is accessing more than one file should always do so in the same predefined sequence of files. If a data set has an alternate index, beware of mixing transactions that perform several updates by the base key with transactions that perform several updates by the alternate key. Assume that the transactions that perform updates always access records in ascending key sequence. Then transactions that perform all updates by the base key will not deadlock with other transactions that perform all updates by the base key. Likewise, transactions that perform all updates by the alternate key do not deadlock with other transactions that perform all updates by the alternate key. But transactions that perform all updates by the base key may deadlock with transactions that perform all updates by the alternate key. This is because the key that is locked is always the base key. Consequently, a transaction performing updates by the alternate key may be acquiring locks in a different order to a transaction performing updates by the base key. v An application that issues a READ UPDATE command should follow it with a REWRITE, DELETE without RIDFLD, or UNLOCK command to release the position before doing anything else to the file, or should include the TOKEN option with both parts of each update request. v A sequence of WRITE MASSINSERT commands must terminate with the UNLOCK command to release the position. No other operation on the file should be performed before the UNLOCK command has been issued. v An application must end all browses on a file by means of ENDBR commands (thereby releasing the VSAM lock) before issuing a READ UPDATE, WRITE, or DELETE with RIDFLD command, to the file.

Chapter 19. An overview of file control

257

258

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 20. File controlVSAM considerations

This chapter explains how to perform: v VSAM record identification v Locking of VSAM records in recoverable files on page 260 v Record locking of VSAM records for files accessed in RLS mode on page 261 v Active and retained states for locks on page 263 v CICS locking for writing to ESDS on page 264

VSAM record identification

You identify records in data sets by: v Key v Relative byte address (RBA) and relative record number (RRN)

Key
Generally, if you use a key, you can specify either a complete key or a generic (partial) key. The exceptions to this rule are when you write a record to a KSDS or when you write a record by an alternate index path. In either of these cases you must specify the complete key in the RIDFLD option of the command. When you use a generic key, you must specify its length in the KEYLENGTH option and you must specify the GENERIC option on the command. A generic key cannot have a key length equal to the full key length. You must define it to be shorter than the complete key. You can also specify the GTEQ option on certain commands, for both complete and generic keys. The command then positions at, or applies to, the record with the next higher key if a matching key cannot be found. When accessing a data set by way of an alternate index path, the record identified is the one with the next higher alternate key when a matching record cannot be found. Even when using generic keys, always use a storage area for the record identification field that is equal in length to the length of the complete key. During a browse operation, after retrieving a record, CICS copies into the record identification area the actual identifier of the record retrieved. CICS returns a complete key to your application, even when you specified a generic key on the command. For example, a generic browse through a KSDS returns the complete key to your application on each READNEXT and READPREV command.

Relative byte address (RBA) and relative record number (RRN)

You can use the RBA and RRN options on most commands that access data sets. In effect, they define the format of the record identification field (RIDFLD). Unless you specify either the RBA or the RRN, the RIDFLD option should hold a key to be used for accessing a KSDS (or a KSDS or ESDS by way of an alternate index).

RBA
RBA specifies that the record identification field contains the relative byte address of the record to be accessed. A relative byte address is used to access an ESDS, and it may also be used to access a KSDS that is not opened in RLS access mode. All file control commands that refer to an ESDS base, and specify the RIDFLD option, must also specify the RBA option.

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

259

Note: If a KSDS is accessed in this way, the RBA of the record may change during the transaction as a result of another transaction adding records to, or deleting records from, the same data set.

RRN
RRN specifies that the record identification field contains the relative record number of the record to be accessed. The first record in the data set is number one. All file control commands that refer to an RRDS, and specify the RIDFLD option, must also specify the RRN option.

Locking of VSAM records in recoverable files

Earlier, the prevention of transaction deadlocks in terms of the record locks acquired whenever records in a recoverable file are modified was explained. These locks are acquired by VSAM if the file is accessed in record-level sharing (RLS) mode, and by CICS if not. The locks are held on behalf of the transaction doing the change until it issues a syncpoint request or terminates (at which time a syncpoint is automatically performed). For VSAM recoverable file processing, note the following: v Whenever a VSAM record is obtained for modification or deletion, CICS file control (or VSAM in the case of RLS) locks the record with an ENQUEUE request using the primary record identifier as the enqueue argument. If a record is modified by way of a path, the enqueue uses the base key or the base RBA as an argument. So CICS permits only one transaction at a time to perform its request, the other transactions having to wait until the first has reached a syncpoint. v For the READ UPDATE and REWRITE-related commands the record lock is acquired as soon as the READ UPDATE command has been issued. For a DELETE command that has not been preceded by a READ UPDATE command, or for a WRITE command, the record lock is acquired at the time the VSAM command is executed. For a WRITE MASSINSERT command (which consists of a series of WRITE commands), a separate record lock is acquired at the time each individual WRITE command is performed. Similarly, for a DELETE GENERIC command, each record deleted acquires a separate lock on behalf of the transaction issuing the request.

Update locks and delete locks (non-RLS mode only)

The record locks referred to above are known as update locks, because they are acquired whenever a record is updated (modified). A further type of lock (a delete lock) may also be acquired by file control whenever a DELETE, WRITE, or WRITE MASSINSERT command is being performed for a recoverable KSDS or a recoverable path over a KSDS. A delete operation therefore may acquire two separate locks on the record being deleted. The separate delete lock is needed because of the way file control does its write operations. Before executing a WRITE MASSINSERT command to a KSDS or RRDS, file control finds and locks the empty range into which the new record or records are to go. The empty range is locked by identifying the next existing record in the data set and acquiring its delete lock. The empty range is locked to stop other requests simultaneously adding records into it. Moreover, the record defining the end of the empty range cannot be removed during the add operation. If another transaction issues a request to add records into

260

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

the empty range or to delete the record at the end of the range, the delete lock makes the transaction wait until the WRITE or WRITE MASSINSERT command is complete. The record held with a delete lock may, however, be updated by another transaction during the write operation if it is in another CI. Unlike an update lock, a delete lock is held only for the duration of a delete or write operation, or a sequence of WRITE MASSINSERT commands terminated by an UNLOCK command. A WRITE MASSINSERT command that adds records to the file into more than one empty range releases the previous delete lock as it moves into a new empty range. The CICS enqueuing mechanism is only for updates and deletes and does not prevent a read request being satisfied before the next syncpoint. The integrity of a READ command in these circumstances is not guaranteed.

Record locking of VSAM records for files accessed in RLS mode

Files opened in RLS mode can be accessed by many CICS regions simultaneously. This means it is impractical for the individual CICS regions to attempt to control record locking, and therefore VSAM maintains a single central lock structure using the lock-assist mechanism of the MVS coupling facility. This central lock structure provides sysplex-wide locking at a record levelcontrol interval (CI) locking is not used. This is in contrast to the locks for files in non-RLS mode, the scope of which is limited to a single CICS region, and that are either CI locks or CICS ENQs. Record locks within RLS are owned by a named UOW within a named CICS region. The lock owner name is the APPLID of the CICS region, plus the UOW id. For example, when CICS makes a request that may create a lock, CICS passes to VSAM the UOW id. This enables VSAM to build the lock name using the UOW id, the record key, and the name of the CICS region. CICS releases all locks on completion of a UOW using a VSAM interface. When more than one request requires an exclusive lock against the same resource, VSAM queues the second and subsequent requests until the resource is freed and the lock can be granted. However, VSAM does not queue requests for resources locked by a retained lock (see Active and retained states for locks on page 263). Note: For MASSINSERT operations on a file opened in RLS access mode, CICS acquires a separate update lock at the time each individual WRITE command is issued. Unlike the non-RLS mode operation (described under Locking of VSAM records in recoverable files on page 260) CICS does not acquire the separate delete lock in addition to the update lock. There is no equivalent to range locking for the MASSINSERT function for files opened in non-RLS mode.

Exclusive locks and shared locks

VSAM supports two types of lock for files accessed in RLS mode: 1. Exclusive locks 2. Shared locks Exclusive locks can be active or retained; shared locks can only be active (see Active and retained states for locks on page 263). Note that there are no delete locks in RLS mode.

Chapter 20. File controlVSAM considerations

261

Exclusive locks
Exclusive locks protect updates to file resources, both recoverable and non-recoverable. They can be owned by only one transaction at a time. Any transaction that requires an exclusive lock must wait if another task currently owns an exclusive lock or a shared lock against the requested resource.

Shared locks
Shared locks support read integrity (see Read integrity (in RLS mode) on page 246). They ensure that a record is not in the process of being updated during a read-only request. Shared locks can also be used to prevent updates of a record between the time that a record is read and the next syncpoint. A shared lock on a resource can be owned by several tasks at the same time. However, although several tasks can own shared locks, there are some circumstances in which tasks can be forced to wait for a lock: v A request for a shared lock must wait if another task currently owns an exclusive lock on the resource. v A request for an exclusive lock must wait if other tasks currently own shared locks on this resource. v A new request for a shared lock must wait if another task is waiting for an exclusive lock on a resource that already has a shared lock.

Lock duration
Shared locks for repeatable read requests, for recoverable and non-recoverable data sets, are held until the next syncpoint. Exclusive locks against records in a non-recoverable data set remain held only for the duration of the requestthat is, they are acquired at the start of a request and released on completion of it. For example, a lock acquired by a WRITE request is released when the WRITE request is completed, and a lock acquired by a READ UPDATE request is released as soon as the following REWRITE or DELETE request is completed. Exceptionally, locks acquired by sequential requests may persist beyond the completion of the immediate operation. Sequential requests are WRITE commands that specify the MASSINSERT option and browse for update requests. A lock acquired by a WRITE command with the MASSINSERT option is always released by the time the corresponding UNLOCK command completes, but may have been released by an earlier request in the WRITE MASSINSERT sequence. The exact request in the sequence that causes the lock to be released is not predictable. Similarly, a lock acquired by a READNEXT UPDATE command may still exist after the following DELETE or REWRITE command completes. Although this lock is guaranteed to be released by the time the subsequent ENDBR command completes, it may be released by some intermediate request in the browse sequence. If a request is made to update a recoverable data set, the associated exclusive lock must remain held until the next syncpoint. This ensures that the resource remains protected until a decision is made to commit or back out the request. If CICS fails, VSAM continues to hold the lock until CICS is restarted.

262

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Task 1 Task 2 CICS: READ(filea) UPDATE KEY(99) VSAM: grants exclusive lock - key 99 CICS: READ(filea) KEY(99) with integrity VSAM: Queues request for shared lock CICS: REWRITE(filea) KEY(99) VSAM: holds exclusive lock until syncpoint CICS: task completes and takes syncpoint VSAM: frees exclusive lock VSAM grants shared lock to task 2

Figure 60. Illustration of lock contention between CICS tasks on a recoverable data set

Active and retained states for locks

VSAM RLS supports active and retained states for locks. The difference between these two types of lock is that whereas a request for a resource that has an active lock is queued until the resource becomes available, a request for a resource that has a retained lock fails immediately. The active state is applicable to both exclusive and shared locks. However, only exclusive locks against recoverable resources can have their state changed from active to retained. The important characteristic of these states is that they determine whether or not a task must wait for a lock: v A request for a lock is made to wait if there is already an active lock against the requested resource, except in two cases: 1. A request for a shared lock does not have to wait if the current active lock is also a shared lock, and there are no exclusive lock requests waiting. 2. An update request that specifies NOSUSPEND does not wait for a lock if an active lock already exists. In this case, CICS returns an exception condition indicating that the record is busy. v A request for a lock is rejected immediately with the LOCKED condition if there is a retained lock against the requested resource. When a lock is first acquired, it is an active lock. It is then either released, the duration of the lock depending on the type of lock, or if an event occurs which causes a UOW to fail temporarily and which would therefore cause the lock to be held for an abnormally long time, it is converted into a retained lock. The types of event that can cause a lock to become retained are: v Failure of the CICS system, the VSAM server or the whole MVS system v A unit of work entering the backout failed state v A distributed unit of work becoming indoubt owing to the failure of either the coordinating system or of links to the coordinating system If a UOW fails, VSAM continues to hold the exclusive record locks that were owned by the failed UOW for recoverable data sets. To avoid new requests being made to wait for locks owned by the failed UOW, VSAM converts the active locks owned by the failed UOW into retained locks. Retaining locks ensures that data integrity for the locked records is maintained until the UOW is completed. Exclusive recoverable locks are also converted into retained locks in the event of a CICS failure, to ensure data integrity is maintained until CICS is restarted and performs recovery.
Chapter 20. File controlVSAM considerations

263

Exclusive recoverable locks are also converted into retained locks if the VSAM data-sharing server (SMSVSAM) fails (the conversion is carried out by the other servers in the Sysplex, or by the first server to restart if all servers have failed). This means that a UOW does not itself have to fail in order to hold retained RLS locks. Any shared locks owned by a failed CICS region are discarded, and therefore an active shared lock can never become retained. Similarly, active exclusive non-recoverable locks are discarded. Only locks that are both exclusive and apply to recoverable resources are eligible to become retained.

Conditional VSAM file update requests

On file control update requests against files opened in RLS mode, you can avoid waiting for a lock by making your request conditional upon being given a lock immediately. You do this by specifying the NOSUSPEND option on the request. If another task already holds an active lock, CICS returns the RECORDBUSY condition instead of queueing your request. You can specify NOSUSPEND on READ, READNEXT, READPREV, WRITE, REWRITE, and DELETE commands. It is important to distinguish between the LOCKED and RECORDBUSY responses: v A LOCKED response occurs when a request attempts to access a record that is locked by a retained lock. v A RECORDBUSY response occurs when a request attempts to access a record that is locked by an active lock. Remember that this could be caused by a DEADLOCK, in which case retries may not work. It may be necessary to issue a SYNCPOINT with or without rollback to resolve the condition. Note: Requests that specify NOSUSPEND wait for at least 1 second before CICS returns the RECORDBUSY response. If you do not specify NOSUSPEND on your request, CICS causes it to wait for a lock if the record is already locked by an active lock. If you specify NOSUSPEND, your request receives a RECORDBUSY response if the record is locked by an active lock. If you issue a request (with or without the NOSUSPEND option) against a record locked by a retained lock, CICS returns a LOCKED response.

File control implementation of NOSUSPEND

There is a slight difference in the way that NOSUSPEND works on file control commands compared with the way that NOSUSPEND works on other CICS commands. If you issue HANDLE CONDITION(RECORDBUSY) it does not cause NOSUSPEND to be assumed on subsequent file control requests. On the other hand, specifying HANDLE CONDITION(QBUSY) causes NOSUSPEND to be assumed on subsequent transient data commands even when it is not explicitly specified.

CICS locking for writing to ESDS

CICS write operations to ESDS are single threaded, for both RLS and non-RLS mode access. However, the lock held for serialization can be held for slightly longer for RLS-mode access compared with non-RLS mode. You can compensate for the possible increase in overhead by increasing the task priority of those transactions

264

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

that add new records to ESDS files. It is possible that when you switch an ESDS RLS mode from non-RLS mode that you might see an increase in time-outs for those transactions that add new records.

Chapter 20. File controlVSAM considerations

265

266

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 21. File controlBDAM considerations

This chapter explains how to perform the following functions : v Identifying BDAM records v Browsing records from BDAM data sets on page 268 v Adding records to BDAM data sets on page 269 Note: When a blocked record is read for update, CICS maintains exclusive control of the containing block. An attempt to read a second record from the block before the first is updated (by a REWRITE command), or before exclusive control is released (by an UNLOCK command), causes a deadlock.

Identifying BDAM records

You identify records in BDAM data sets by a block reference, a physical key (keyed data set), or a deblocking argument (blocked-data set). The record identification (in the RIDFLD option) has a subfield for each item. These subfields, when used, must be in the above order. Note: When using EDF, only the first of the above three fields (the block reference subfield) is displayed.

Block reference subfield

This is one of the following: v Relative block address: 3-byte binary, beginning at relative block zero (RELTYPE=BLK). v Relative track and record (hexadecimal format): 2-byte TT, 1-byte R (RELTYPE=HEX). The 2-byte TT begins at relative track zero. The 1-byte R begins at relative record one. v Relative track and record (zoned decimal format): 6-byte TTTTTT, 2-byte RR (RELTYPE=DEC). v Actual (absolute) address: 8-byte MBBCCHHR (RELTYPE operand omitted). The system programmer must specify the type of block reference you are using in the RELTYPE operand of the DFHFCT TYPE=FILE system macro that defines the data set.

Physical key subfield

You only need this if the data set has been defined to contain recorded keys. If used, it must immediately follow the block reference. Its length must match the length specified in the BLKKEYL operand of the DFHFCT TYPE=FILE system macro that defines the data set.

Deblocking argument subfield

You only need this if you want to retrieve specific records from a block. If used, it must immediately follow the physical key (if present) or the block reference. If you omit it, you retrieve an entire block. The deblocking argument can be a key or a relative record number. If it is a key, specify the DEBKEY option on a READ or STARTBR command and make sure its length matches that specified in the KEYLEN operand of the DFHFCT TYPE=FILE
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

267

system macro. If it is a relative record number, specify the DEBREC option on a READ or STARTBR command. It is a 1-byte binary number (first record=zero). The examples in Figure 61 assume a physical key of four bytes and a deblocking key of three bytes.

Byte Number 0 1 2 3 N KEY PH KEY KEY 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Search by relative block; deblock by relative record Search by relative block; deblock by key Search by relative track and record and key; deblock by key Search by actual address; deblock by relative record KEY Search by zoned decimal relative track and record and key; deblock by key Search by relative track and record; deblock by key

RELBLK# RELBLK# T T R

M T

B T

C T

H T

H R

R R

N PH KEY

KEY

Figure 61. Examples of BDAM record identification

Browsing records from BDAM data sets

The record identification field must contain a block reference (for example, TTR or MBBCCHHR) that conforms to the addressing method defined for the data set. Processing begins with the specified block and continues with each subsequent block until you end the browse. If the data set contains blocked records, processing begins at the first record of the first block and continues with each subsequent record, regardless of the contents of the record identification field. In other words, CICS uses only the information held in the TTR or MBBCCHHR subfield of the RIDFLD to identify the record. It ignores all other information, such as physical key and relative record, or logical key. After the READNEXT command, CICS updates the RIDFLD with the complete identification of the record retrieved. For example, assume a browse is to be started with the first record of a blocked, keyed data set, and deblocking by logical key is to be performed. Before issuing the STARTBR command, put the TTR (assuming that is the addressing method) of the first block in the record identification field. After the first READNEXT command, the record identification field might contain X'0000010504', where X'000001' represents the TTR value, X'05' represents the block key, (of length 1), and X'04' represents the logical record key. Now assume that a blocked, nonkeyed data set is being browsed using relative record deblocking and the second record from the second physical block on the third relative track is read by a READNEXT command. Upon return to the application program, the record identification field contains X'00020201', where

268

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

X'0002' represents the track, X'02' represents the block, and X'01' represents the number of the record in the block relative to zero. Note: Specify the options DEBREC and DEBKEY on the STARTBR command when browsing blocked-data sets. This enables CICS to return the correct contents in the RIDFLD. Specifying DEBREC on the STARTBR command causes the relative record number to be returned. Specifying DEBKEY on the STARTBR command causes the logical record key to be returned. Do not omit DEBREC or DEBKEY when browsing a blocked file. If you do, the logical record is retrieved from the block, the length parameter is set equal to the logical record length, but the RIDFLD is not updated with the full identification of the record. Do not use this method. Compare this with what happens if you omit the DEBREC or DEBKEY option when reading from a blocked BDAM data set. In this case, you retrieve the whole block, and the length parameter is set equal to the length of the block.

Adding records to BDAM data sets

When adding records to a BDAM data set, bear in mind the following: v When adding undefined or variable-length records (keyed or nonkeyed), you must specify the track on which each new record is to be added. If space is available on the track, the record is written following the last previously written record, and the record number is put in the R portion of the record identification field of the record. The track specification may be in any format except relative block. If you use zoned-decimal relative format, the record number is returned as a 2-byte zoned decimal number in the seventh and eighth positions of the record identification field. The extended search option allows the record to be added to another track if no space is available on the specified track. The location at which the record is added is returned to the application program in the record identification field being used. When adding records of undefined length, use the LENGTH option to specify the length of the record. When an undefined record is retrieved, the application program must find out its length. v When adding keyed fixed-length records, you must first format the data set with dummy records or slots into which the records may be added. You signify a dummy record by a key of X'FF's. The first byte of data contains the record number. v When adding nonkeyed fixed-length records, give the block reference in the record identification field. The new records are written in the location specified, destroying the previous contents of that location. v When adding keyed fixed-length records, track information only is used to search for a dummy key and record, which, when found, is replaced by the new key and record. The location of the new record is returned to the application program in the block reference subfield of the record identification field. For example, for a record with the following identification field:
0 3 0 ALPHA T T R KEY

the search starts at relative track three. When control is returned to the application program, the record identification field is:
Chapter 21. File controlBDAM considerations

269

0 4 6

ALPHA

showing that the record is now record six on relative track four. v When adding variable-length blocked records you must include a 4-byte record description field (RDF) in each record. The first two bytes specify the length of the record (including the 4-byte RDF); the other two bytes consist of zeros.

Updating records from BDAM data sets

You cannot change the record length of a variable blocked or unblocked BDAM record on a REWRITE command which specifies deblocking. You cannot change the record length of an undefined format BDAM record on a REWRITE command either.

270

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 22. Database control

This chapter introduces DL/I databases and DATABASE 2 (DB2) databases.

DL/I databases
You get a logical view of the database in terms of a hierarchy of segments. DL/I lets you manipulate these segments without needing to know how they are organized. DL/I databases are processed by the IBM licensed program Information Management System/Enterprise Systems Architecture (IMS/ESA) Version 3 and later. CICS has two programming interfaces to DL/I. We recommend that you use the higher-level EXEC DLI interface. It is straight-forward, works with EDF, and can fully exploit a 31-bit environment. The lower-level DL/I programming interface is the DL/I CALL interface.

DATABASE 2 (DB2) databases

DATABASE 2 databases also provide data independence, offering a logical view of the database as a series of tables that you can interrelate more or less as you wish. DB2 lets you manipulate these tables without needing to know how they are organized. DB2 databases are processed by the IBM licensed program DATABASE 2, (DB2), Version 2 and later, Program Number 5665-DB2. CICS has one interface to DB2the EXEC SQL interface, which offers powerful statements for manipulating sets of tablesthus relieving the application program of record-by-record (segment-by-segment, in the case of DL/I) processing. CICS applications that process DB2 tables can also access DL/I databases. Any CICS resources (files, transient data, and so on), DL/I, and DB2 can be accessed from within one transaction. See the CICS IMS Database Control Guide for information about what databases and resources you can access. For information about SQL commands, which are not discussed in this book, see the SQL Reference manual.

Requests to DB2
Requests from CICS applications to DB2 are made using EXEC SQL commands. DB2 runs in its own address space, like DBCTL. The CICS-DB2 and the CICS-DBCTL interfaces are similar in that they both use the task-related user exit interface (also known as the resource manager interface (RMI)) and have a two-phase commit process. However, they differ in a number of respects. For example, The CICS-DB2 interface uses the task-related user exit interface (also known as the resource manager interface (RMI)) and has a two-phase commit process. CICS supports DBCTL and remote DL/I, and has to determine at PSB schedule time which of them is being used. When an application issues an EXEC SQL command, the following processing takes place: 1. The RMI is invoked from a stub that is link-edited to the application. 2. If this is the first DB2 request from this task, the RMI sets up a task interface element (TIE).
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

271

3. The RMI invokes the DB2 task-related user exit. The processing steps are illustrated in Figure 62. and are the responsibility of DB2, until control is returned to the RMI

EXEC SQL request

Application
Invoke RMI

First request for DB2 from this task?

RMI
Set up task interface element (TIE)

Invoke DB2 task-related user exit

Service request

Suspend task that made DB2 request

Return response and any data to applications

DB2

Resume task that made DB2 request

Return control to RMI

Return control to application

RMI

Application

Figure 62. How EXEC SQL requests are processed

272

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 23. CICS documents

The CICS document handler allows you to build up formatted data areas, known as documents. Some examples of how these formatted areas, or documents, can be used, are: v Constructing a COMMAREA v Sending HTML data to be displayed by a Web browser. v Creating standard formats for printing (for example, using your own letterhead, address, and so on).

Using the DOCUMENT programming interface

This section explains the function and use of the commands in the DOCUMENT application programming interface: v DOCUMENT CREATE v DOCUMENT INSERT v DOCUMENT RETRIEVE v DOCUMENT SET

Creating a document
You can create an empty document using the DOCUMENT CREATE command, and then build the contents with subsequent DOCUMENT INSERT commands, or use DOCUMENT CREATE to create and build the document in one step. DOCUMENT CREATE has a mandatory DOCTOKEN parameter requiring a 16byte data-area. The document handler domain uses the DOCTOKEN operand to return a token, which is used to identify the document on subsequent calls. The following example creates an empty document, and returns the token in the variable MYDOC:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(MYDOC)

To create a document with data, use the DOCUMENT CREATE command in any of the following ways: v Using the BINARY option v Using the TEXT option v Using the FROMDOC option to copy an existing document v Using the TEMPLATE option

The BINARY option

Use this option to add to the document the contents of a data-area that must not undergo conversion to a client code page when the data is sent.
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(MYDOC1) BINARY(DATA-AREA)

The TEXT option

Use this option to add the specified contents to the document. For example, if you define a character string variable called DOCTEXT and initialise it to This is an example of text to be added to a document, you can use the following command to create a document consisting of this text string:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(MYDOC2) TEXT(DOCTEXT) LENGTH(53)

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

273

The FROMDOC option

To copy an existing document into a new document, you can use the DOCUMENT CREATE command with the FROMDOC option. The following example shows this:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(MYDOC3) FROMDOC(MYDOC2)

where MYDOC2 and MYDOC3 are 16character variables. MYDOC2 must contain the token returned by a previous DOCUMENT CREATE command. This results in two identical documents, each containing the text This is an example of text to be added to a document.

The TEMPLATE option

Portions of the data which make up a document can be created off-line and then inserted directly into the document. These are known as templates; they are CICS resources, defined using RDO. Templates can contain a mixture of static data with symbols embedded in the data, which are substituted when you issue the DOCUMENT CREATE or DOCUMENT INSERT command. when the template is inserted into the document. An example of the use of this is when a programmer creates HTML web pages using an HTML editor. The output from the HTML editor can then be made accessible to CICS Web Interface applications using templates. Symbols: Symbols represent variable data that is resolved at the time the template is added to the document - at the time the DOCUMENT CREATE or INSERT is issued. You can define values for symbols using the DOCUMENT SET command , or by providing a SYMBOLLIST on the DOCUMENT CREATEcommand.

| | | | |

Programming with documents

This section covers the following topics: v Setting symbol values v Embedded template commands on page 275 v Using templates in your application on page 276 v The lifespan of a document on page 277 v Constructing a document on page 279 v Using Bookmarks on page 280 v Codepages and codepage conversion on page 281

Setting symbol values

The application program needs to define values for the symbols that will be substituted when the template is used. These values can be defined on the DOCUMENT CREATE or the DOCUMENT SET commands. The symbols that are set are associated with a particular document and cannot be used in a different document. The DOCUMENT CREATE and DOCUMENT SET commands both take a SYMBOLLIST operand which allows several symbols to be defined in a single command. The SYMBOLLIST operand is a character string consisting of one or more definitions with single byte separators. By default, the separator is an ampersand, but you can override this by using the DELIMITER option of the DOCUMENT SET or DOCUMENT CREATE commands. A definition consists of a name, an equals sign, and a value. Here is an example:

274

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

mytitle=New Authors&auth1=Halliwell Sutcliffe&auth2=Stanley Weyman

This example defines three symbols. The first symbol called mytitle will have the value New Authors. The second symbol called auth1 will have the value Halliwell Sutcliffe and the last symbol called auth2 will contain the value Stanley Weyman. The following rules apply when setting symbols using a SYMBOLLIST. The name must contain only uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and the special characters dollar ($), underscore (_), hyphen (-), pound (#), period (.) and at sign (@). The name is case-sensitive, so uppercase letters are regarded as different from lowercase letters. The values in the symbol list can contain any characters except the symbol separator (which defaults to an ampersand, but can be overridden by use of the DELIMITER option). The following restrictions on the use of the percent sign (%) and the plus sign (+) apply unless the UNESCAPED option of DOCUMENT CREATE or DOCUMENT SET has been specified.. A percent sign must be followed by two characters that are hexadecimal digits (that is, 09, a-f, and A-F). When the value is put into the symbol table, a plus sign is interpreted as a space, a percent sign and the two hexadecimal digits following it are interpreted as the EBCDIC equivalent of the single ASCII character denoted by the two digits, and the remaining characters are left as they are. If you want a plus sign in the value in the symbol table, you must put %2B in the value in the symbol list. If you want a percent sign in the value in the symbol table, you must put in the value %25 in the symbol list. If you want an ampersand in the value in the symbol table, you must put %26 in the value in the symbol list. If you want a space in the value in the symbol table, the value in your symbol list may contain a space, a plus sign, or a %20. The DOCUMENT SET command allows you to set individual symbol values with the SYMBOL and VALUE options. Ampersands have no special significance when used in the VALUE option. The restrictions on the use of the plus sign and percent sign for SYMBOLLISTS also apply to the VALUE option unless the UNESCAPED option of the DOCUMENT SET has been specified. The following example shows you how you can pass symbol values to the document handler containing embedded plus signs, percent signs, and ampersands, none of which are to undergo unescape processing:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) DELIMITER('!') SYMBOLLIST('COMPANY=BLOGGS & SON!ORDER=NUTS+BOLTS') LISTLENGTH(37) UNESCAPED

Here the symbol COMPANY has a value of BLOGGS & SON, and the symbol ORDER has a value of NUTS+BOLTS. The delimiter used in this example is !, but it is best to use a non-printable character that does not appear in the symbol value. The use of the UNESCAPED option ensures that the plus sign in NUTS+BOLTS does not get converted to a space.

Embedded template commands

The Document Handler recognises three commands that can be embedded in the template. These commands follow the syntax rules for Server Side Include commands. A Server Side Include command starts with the characters left angle
Chapter 23. CICS documents

275

bracket, exclamation mark, hyphen, hyphen, pound followed by the command and it is terminated with the characters hyphen, hyphen, right angle bracket. For example:
(e.g. ).

| | |

The characters used to start and end the Server Side Include must be in codepage 037, otherwise the command will be ignored. The hexadecimal equivalents for these character sequences are X4C5A60607B and X60606E. The three commands that are supported are #set, #echo and #include. #set The #set command is used to set the values of symbols and is useful for setting up default values for symbols. The #set command in the template will be ignored if the symbol has already been given a value using the DOCUMENT SET command. If a previous #set command has been used to assign a value to the symbol, the value will be overriden. A symbol which has been assigned a value using the DOCUMENT SET command can only be changed by issuing another DOCUMENT SET command. #echo The #echo command identifies a symbol that must be substituted when the template is inserted into the document. The string containing the #echo command will be completely replaced by the value associated with the symbol. If no symbol has been defined with that name, the #echo command will remain in the output data. An alternative method to using the #echo command is to specify the symbol name, preceding it with an ampersand and terminating it with a semicolon. If we set a symbol called ASYM and give it a value of sample, the following two templates will give the same result after substitution.
Template 1: This is an example template.  This is a  symbol. Template 2: This is an example template.  This is a &ASYM; symbol. Result of substitution: This is an example template. This is a sample symbol.

#include The #include command allows a template to be embedded within another template. Up to 32 levels of embedding are allowed. | | | | | For example:

where templatename is the name of the template (the 48 byte name) defined in the doctemplate definition. The templatename can also be enclosed in double quotes.

Using templates in your application

If you have created a template and defined it to CICS, the following example shows how you can use the template to create the contents of a document. The following template is created and defined to CICS with the name ASampleTemplate.

276

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

This is a sample document which has been created by user .

In the application program, you can define a 48-byte variable called TEMPLATENAME and initialize it to a value of ASampleTemplate. Once again you must define a 16-byte field for the document token (in this example, ATOKEN). You can then issue the command to create the document.
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEMPLATE(TEMPLATENAME)

This will result in a document being created with the content This is a sample document which has been created by user DFLTUSER.. To change the symbol to another value, you can issue the DOCUMENT CREATE command with the SYMBOLLIST option:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEMPLATE(TEMPLATENAME) SYMBOLLIST('ASYM=Joe Soap') LISTLENGTH(13)

This will result in a document being created with the content This is a sample document which has been created by user Joe Soap..

The lifespan of a document

Documents created by an application exist only for the length of the CICS task in which they are created. This means that when the last program in the CICS task returns control to CICS, all documents created during the tasks lifetime are deleted. It is the applications responsibility to save a document before terminating if the document is going to be used in another task. You can obtain a copy of the document by using the DOCUMENT RETRIEVE. The application can then save this copy to a location of its choice, such as a temporary storage queue. The copy can then be used to recreate the document. The following sequence of commands show how a document can be created, retrieved and stored on a temporary storage queue, assuming that the following variables have been defined and initialised in the application program: v A 16-byte field ATOKEN to hold the document token v A 20-byte buffer DOCBUF to hold the retrieved document v A fullword binary field called FWORDLEN to hold the length of the data retrieved v A halfword binary field called HWORDLEN to hold the length for the temporary storage WRITE command.
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('A sample document.') LENGTH(18) EXEC CICS DOCUMENT RETRIEVE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) INTO(DOCBUF) LENGTH(FWORDLEN) MAXLENGTH(20) EXEC CICS WRITEQ TS QUEUE('AQUEUE') FROM(DOCBUF) LENGTH(HWORDLEN)

Chapter 23. CICS documents

277

You can now use the following sequence of commands to recreate the document in the same or another application.
EXEC CICS READQ TS QUEUE('AQUEUE') INTO(DOCBUF) LENGTH(HWORDLEN) EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) FROM(DOCBUF) LENGTH(FWORDLEN)

When the document is retrieved, the data that is delivered to the application buffer is stored in a form which contains control information necessary to reconstruct an exact replica of the document. The document that is created from the retrieved copy is therefore identical to the original document. To help the application calculate the size of the buffer needed to hold a retrieved document, each document command which alters the size of the document has a DOCSIZE option. This is a fullword value which gives the maximum size that the buffer must be to contain the document when it is retrieved. This size is calculated to include all the control information and data. The size should not be taken as an accurate size of the document as the actual length delivered to the application can often be slightly smaller than this size. The length delivered will however never exceed the length in the DOCSIZE option. The above example introduced the use of the FROM option on the DOCUMENT CREATE command. The data passed on the FROM option was the buffer returned to the application when the DOCUMENT RETRIEVE command was issued. It is possible for the application to supply data on the FROM option that did not originate from the DOCUMENT RETRIEVE command. When this happens, the document handler treats the data as a template and parses the data for template commands and symbols.

Retrieving the document without control information

The document data containing control information is only useful to an application that wishes to recreate a copy of the original document. It is possible to issue a DOCUMENT RETRIEVE command and ask for the control information to be omitted. The following command sequence uses the DATAONLY option on the DOCUMENT RETRIEVE command to instruct the Document Handler to return only the data. This example assumes that the following variables have been defined and initialised in the application program: v A 16-byte field ATOKEN to hold the document token v A 20-byte buffer DOCBUF to hold the retrieved document v A fullword binary field called FWORDLEN to hold the length of the data retrieved.
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('A sample document.') LENGTH(18) EXEC CICS DOCUMENT RETRIEVE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) INTO(DOCBUF) LENGTH(FWORDLEN) MAXLENGTH(20) DATALENGTH

When the commands have executed, the buffer DOCBUF will contain the string A sample document..

278

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Constructing a document
Once a document has been created, the contents can be extended by issuing one or more DOCUMENT INSERT commands. The options on the DOCUMENT INSERT command work in the same way as the equivalent commands on the DOCUMENT CREATE command. The following sequence of commands shows an empty document being created followed by two INSERT commands:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('Sample line 1. ') LENGTH(15) EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('Sample line 2. ') LENGTH(15)

The document resulting from the above commands will contain:

Sample line 1. Sample line 2.

You can use the DOCUMENT RETRIEVE and DOCUMENT INSERT commands to insert a whole document into an existing document. The following variables must first be defined and initialized in the application program: v A 16-byte field RTOKEN which contains the document token of the document to be retrieved v A buffer DOCBUF of sufficient length to hold the retrieved document v A fullword binary field called RETRIEVLEN to hold the length of the data retrieved v A fullword binary field called MAXLEN to hold the maximum amount of data the buffer can receive, i.e. the length of DOCBUF v A 16-byte field ITOKEN which contains the document token of the document that is being inserted into The following sequence of commands shows a document indicated by RTOKEN being inserted into another document indicated by ITOKEN:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT RETRIEVE DOCTOKEN(RTOKEN) INTO(DOCBUF) LENGTH(RETRIEVLEN) MAXLENGTH(MAXLEN) EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ITOKEN) FROM(DOCBUF) LENGTH(RETRIEVLEN)

The retrieved document is inserted at the end of the document specified in the DOCUMENT INSERT command, and all the control information of the retrieved document will be present in the second document. The LENGTH parameter of the DOCUMENT INSERT command must be equal to the value returned from the DOCUMENT RETRIEVE command into the field RETRIEVLEN. The DOCUMENT INSERT command allows an operand called SYMBOL to be used to add blocks of data to the document. SYMBOL must contain the name of a valid
Chapter 23. CICS documents

279

symbol whose value has been set. The Document Handler inserts the value that is associated with the symbol into the document.

Using Bookmarks
The sequence in which an application inserts data into a document might not reflect the desired sequence that the data should appear in the document. Bookmarks allow the application to insert blocks of data in any order yet still control the sequence of the data in the document. A bookmark is a label that the application inserts between blocks of data. Note: a bookmark cannot be inserted in the middle of a block of data. The following example creates a document with two blocks of text and a bookmark:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('Pre-bookmark text. ') LENGTH(19) EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) BOOKMARK('ABookmark

EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('Post-bookmark text. ') LENGTH(20)

The document will now contain:

Pre-bookmark text. <ABookmark>Post-bookmark text.

Note that the text <ABookmark> does not appear in the document content but serves merely as a pointer to that position in the document. To add data to this document, you can insert text at the bookmark as follows:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('Inserted at a bookmark. ') LENGTH(25) AT('ABookmark ')

Logically, the data of the document will contain the following (Note that in this instance, only the data is being shown and not the position of the bookmark).
Pre-bookmark text. Inserted at a bookmark. Post-bookmark text.

If the AT option is omitted, the data is always appended to the end of the document. A special bookmark of TOP can be used to insert data at the top of the document, making it unnecessary to define a bookmark which will mark the top of the document.

Replacing data in the document

The following example shows how data between two bookmarks can be replaced:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('Initial sample text. ') LENGTH(21) EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) BOOKMARK('BMark1

280

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('Text to be replaced. ') LENGTH(21) EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) BOOKMARK('BMark2

EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('Final sample text. ') LENGTH(19)

At this point the logical structure of the document will be as follows:

Initial sample text. <BMark1>Text to be replaced. <BMark2>Final sample text.

You can now issue the command to replace the text between the two bookmarks, BMark1 and BMark2:
EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT DOCTOKEN(ATOKEN) TEXT('Replacement Text. ') LENGTH(18) AT('BMark1 ') TO('BMark2 ')

The document now has the following logical structure:

Initial sample text. <BMark1>Replacement Text. sample text. <BMark2>Final

Codepages and codepage conversion

The documents that an application creates may be transmitted to systems running on other platforms, especially when applications running under the CICS Web interface use the Document Handler to generate Web pages. To assist the application with the problem of converting data from the codepages used on the host to the codepages used on the target system, the Document Handler allows the application to specify the codepages being used on each system. When the EXEC CICS DOCUMENT CREATE and EXEC CICS DOCUMENT INSERT commands are used, the TEXT, FROM, TEMPLATE and SYMBOL options can have a HOSTCODEPAGE option coded to indicate the codepage for that block of data, since the data being added with these options is seen as being textual data. Each block can be specified in a different codepage. When the EXEC CICS DOCUMENT RETRIEVE command is issued, the CLNTCODEPAGE option tells the Document Handler to convert all the individual blocks from their respective host codepages into a single client codepage.

Chapter 23. CICS documents

281

282

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 24. Named counter servers

This chapter describes the services provided by CICS named counter servers. CICS provides a facility for generating unique sequence numbers for use by application programs in a Parallel Sysplex environment. This facility is controlled by a named counter server, which maintains each sequence of numbers as a named counter. Each time a sequence number is assigned, the corresponding named counter is incremented automatically. By default, the increment is 1, ensuring that the next request gets the next number in sequence. You can vary the increment when using the EXEC CICS GET command to request the next number. There are various uses for this facility, such as obtaining a unique number for documents (for example, customer orders, invoices, and despatch notes), or for obtaining a block of numbers for allocating customer record numbers in a customer file. In a single CICS region, there are various methods you can use to control the allocation of a unique number. For example, you could use the CICS common work area (CWA) to store a number that is updated by each application program that uses the number. The problem with the CWA method is that the CWA is unique to the CICS address space, and cannot be shared by other regions that are running the same application. A CICS shared data table could be used to provide such a service, but the CICS regions would all have to reside in the same MVS image. The named counter facility overcomes all the sharing difficulties presented by other methods by maintaining its named counters in the coupling facility, and providing access through a named counter server running in each MVS image in the sysplex. This ensures that all CICS regions throughout the Parallel Sysplex have access to the same named counters. This chapter describes: v The named counter fields v Named counter pools on page 284 v Using the named counter EXEC interface on page 285 v Using the named counter CALL interface on page 287

The named counter fields

Each named counter consists of: The counter name The name can be up to 16-bytes, comprising the characters A through Z, 0 through 9, $ @ # and _. Names less than 16 bytes should be padded with trailing blanks. The current value The next number to be assigned to a requesting application program. The minimum value Specifies the minimum number for a counter, and the number to which a counter is reset by the server in response to a REWIND command. The maximum value Specifies the maximum number that can be assigned by a counter,
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

283

after which the counter must be explicitly reset by a REWIND command (or automatically by the WRAP option). All values are stored internally as 8-byte (doubleword) binary numbers. The EXEC CICS interface allows you use them as either fullword signed binary numbers or doubleword unsigned binary numbers. This can give rise to overflow conditions if you define a named counter using the doubleword command (see Using the named counter EXEC interface on page 285) and request numbers from the server using the signed fullword version of the command.

Named counter pools

A named counter is stored in a named counter pool, which resides in a list structure in a coupling facility. Each pool, even if its list structure is defined with the minimum size of 256KB, can hold up to a thousand named counters. You create a named counter pool by defining the coupling facility list structure for the pool, and then starting the first named counter server for the pool. Pool names are of 1 to 8 bytes from the same character set for counter names. Although pool names can be made up from any of the allowed characters, names of the form DFHNCxxx are recommended. You can create different pools to suit your needs. You could create a pool for use by production CICS regions (for example, called DFHNCPRD), and others for test and development regions (for example, using names like DFHNCTST and DFHNCDEV). See Named counter options table for information about how you can use logical pool names in your application programs, and how these are resolved to actual pool names at runtime. Defining a list structure for a named counter server, and starting a named counter server, is explained in the CICS System Definition Guide.

Named counter options table

The POOL(name) parameter is optional on all the EXEC CICS COUNTER and DCOUNTER commands (see Using the named counter EXEC interface on page 285 for more information). If you specify the POOL parameter, it can refer to either an actual or a logical pool name. Whether you specify a POOL parameter or omit it, CICS resolves the actual pool name by reference to the named counter options table, which is loaded from the link list. The named counter options table, DFHNCOPT, provides several methods for determining the actual pool name referenced by a named counter API command, all of which are described in the CICS System Definition Guide. This also describes the DFHNCO macro that you can use to create your own options table. This section discusses how the POOLSEL parameter in the default options table works in conjunction with the POOL(name) option on the API. The default options table is supplied in source and object form. The pregenerated version is in hlq.SDFHLINK, and the source version, which is supplied in the hlq.SDFHSAMP library ( where hlq represents the high-level qualifier for the library names, established at CICS installation time), contains the following entries:
DFHNCO DFHNCO END POOLSEL=DFHNC*,POOL=YES POOL= DFHNCOPT

The default options table entries work as follows:

284

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

POOLSEL=DFHNC* This pool selection parameter defines a generic logical pool name beginning with the letters DFHNC. If any named counter API request specifies a pool name that matches this generic name, the pool name is determined by the POOL= operand in the DFHNCO entry. Because this is POOL=YES in the default table, the name passed on the POOL(name) option of the API command is taken to be an actual name. Thus, the default options table specifies that all logical pool names beginning with DFHNC are actual pool names. POOL= This entry in the default table is the 'default' entry. Because the POOLSEL parameter is not specified, it defaults to POOLSEL=*, which means it is taken to match any value on a POOL parameter that does not find a more explicit match. Thus, any named counter API request that: v Secifies a POOL value that begins with other than DFHNC, or v Omits the POOL name parameter altogether is mapped to the the default pool (indicated by a POOL= options table parameter that omits a name operand). You can specify the default pool name to be used by a CICS region by specifying the NCPLDFT system initialization parameter. If NCPLDFT is omitted, the pool name defaults to DFHNC001. You can see from the above that you do not need to create you own options table, and named counter API commands do not need to specify the POOL option, if: v You use pool names of the form DFHNCxxx, or v Your CICS region uses only one pool that can be defined by the NCPLDFT system initialization parameter. Notes: 1. DFHNCOPT named counter options tables are not suffixed. A CICS region loads the first table found in the MVS link list. 2. There must be a named counter server running, in the same MVS image as your CICS region, for each named counter pool used by your application programs.

Using the named counter EXEC interface

Although all named counter values are held internally as doubleword unsigned binary numbers, the CICS API provides both a fullword (COUNTER) and doubleword (DCOUNTER) set of commands, which you should not mix. These EXEC CICS commands allow you to perform the following operations on named counters: DEFINE Defines a new named counter, setting minimum and maximum values, and specifying the current number at which the counter is to start. DELETE Deletes a named counter from its named counter pool. GET Gets the current number from the named counter, provided the maximum number has not already been allocated.

Chapter 24. Named counter servers

285

Using the WRAP option: If the maximum number has been allocated to a previous request, the counter is in a counter-at-limit condition and the request fails, unless you specify the WRAP option. This option specifies that a counter in the the counter-at-limit condition is to be reset automatically to its defined minimum value. After the reset, the minimum value is returned as the current number, and the counter is updated ready for the next request. Using the INCREMENT option: By default, a named counter is updated by an increment of 1, after the server has assigned the current number to a GET request. If you want more than one number at a time, you can specify the INCREMENT option, which effectively reserves a block of numbers from the current number. For example , if you specify INCREMENT(50), and the server returns 100 025: v Your application program can use 100 025 through 100 074 v As a result of updating the current number (100 025) by 50, the current number is left at 100 075 ready for the next request. This example assumes that updating the current value by the INCREMENT(50) option does not exceed the maximum value by more than 1. If the range of numbers between the current value and the maximum value plus 1 is less than the specified increment, the request fails unless you also specify the REDUCE option. Using the REDUCE option: To ensure that a request does not fail because the remaining range of numbers is too small to satisfy your INCREMENT value (the current number is too near the maximum value), specify the REDUCE option. With the reduce option, the server automatically adjusts the increment to allow it to assign all the remaining numbers, leaving the counter in the counter-at-limit condition. Using both the WRAP and REDUCE options: If you specify both options, only one is effective depending on the state of the counter: v If the counter is already at its limit when the server receives the GET request, the REDUCE option has no effect and the WRAP option is obeyed. v If the counter is not quite at its limit when the server receives the GET request, but the remaining range is too small for increment, the REDUCE option is obeyed and the WRAP option has no effect. Using the COMPAREMIN and COMPAREMAX options: You can use these options to make the named counter GET (and UPDATE) operation conditional upon the current number being within a specified range, or being greater than, or less than, one of the specified comparison values. QUERY Queries the named counter to obtain the current, minimum, and maximum values. Note that you cannot use more than one named counter command in a way that is atomic, and you cannot rely on the information returned on a QUERY command not having been changed by another task somewhere in the sysplex. Even the CICS sysplex-wide ENQ facility cannot lock a counter for you, because a named counter could be accessed by a batch application program using the named counter CALL interface. If you want to make an operation conditional upon the current value being within a certain range, or greater than, or less than, a certain number, use the COMPAREMIN and COMPAREMAX parameters on your request.

286

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

REWIND Rewinds a named counter that is in the counter-at-limit condition back to its defined minimum value. UPDATE Updates the current value of a named counter to a new current value. For example, you could set the current value to the next free key in a database. Like the GET command, this can be made conditional by specifying COMPAREMIN and COMPAREMAX values.

Using the named counter CALL interface

In addition to the CICS named counter API, CICS provides a call interface that you can use from a batch application to access the same named counters. This could be important where you have an application that uses both CICS and batch programs, and both need to access the same named counter to obtain unique numbers from a specified range. The call interface does not depend on CICS services, therefore it can also be used in applications running under any release of CICS. The named counter call interface does not use CICS command-level API, therefore the system initialization parameter CMDPROT=YES has no effect. If the interface is called from a CICS application program that is excuting in user key, it switches to CICS key while processing the request but CICS does not attempt to verify that the program has write access to the output parameter fields. The first request by a CICS region that addresses a particular pool automatically establishes a connection to the server for that pool. This connection is associated with the current MVS TCB (which for CICS is the quasi-reentrant (QR) TCB) and normally lasts until the TCB terminates at end of job. An application region can have only one connection at a time to each named counter pool, and the connection can be used only from the TCB under which the connection was established. A connection can only be created under another TCB by first terminating the existing connection using the NC_FINISH function, and then creating a new connection from another TCB. Note: The named counter server interface uses MVS name/token services internally. A consequence of this is that jobs using the named counter interface cannot use MVS checkpoint/restart services (as described in APAR OW06685).

Application programming considerations

To use the named counter callable interface: 1. Ensure your application programs include the appropriate copybook that defines the parameter list definition for the application programming language. The copybook defines symbolic constants for the function codes and return codes, and also defines the callable entry point for high level languages. The copybook name is of the form DFHNCxxx where xxx indicates the programming language, as follows:
ASM or EQU for Assembler C for C/C++ COB for COBOL PLI for PL/I

2. Ensure the application program is link-edited with the callable interface linkage routine, DFHNCTR.

Chapter 24. Named counter servers

287

3. Ensure the named counter server interface module, DFHNCIF, and the options table, DFHNCOPT, are available to the CICS region. That is, these objects must be in a STEPLIB library, in a linklist library, or in the LPA. To support CICS application programs that run in user key, DFHNCIF must be loaded from an APF-authorized library. The default option table and the named counter server interface module are supplied in CICSTS21.CICS.SDFHLINK. CICS provides copybooks for all the supported languages: Assembler The standard assembler named counter interface definitions are provided in copybook DFHNCASM. Include these in your application programs using COPY DFHNCASM within a constant CSECT area. The symbolic values are defined as static fullword constants, in fhe form NC_name DC F'nnn'. For example:
NC_BROWSE_NEXT DC F'7'

An alternative set of definitions is provided as symbolic equated values in copy book DFHNCEQU. These symbols are all of the form NC_EQU_name to avoid conflict with the static constants. Note that when these equated values are used for function codes or return code comparisons, they should be used as address constant values, so that for example the function code NC_ASSIGN can be replaced by a reference to =A(NC_EQU_ASSIGN). The syntax of the assembler version of the call to the named counter interface is as follows:
CALL DFHNCTR,(function,return_code,pool_selector,counter_name, X value_length,current_value,minimum_value,maximum_value, X counter_options,update_value,compare_min,compare_max),VL

The CALL macro must specify the VL option to set the end of list indication, as shown in the following example:
CALL DFHNCTR,(NC_ASSIGN,RC,POOL,NAME,CTRLEN,CTR),VL

C/C++ The named counter interface definitions for C/C++ are provided in header file DFHNCC. The symbolic constant names are in upper case. The function name is dfhnctr, in lower case. COBOL The named counter interface definitions for COBOL are provided in copybook DFHNCCOB. COBOL does not allow underscores within names, therefore the symbolic names provided in copy book DFHNCCOB use a hyphen instead of an underscore (for example NC-ASSIGN and NC-COUNTER-AT-LIMIT). Note that the RETURN-CODE special register is set by each call, which affects the program overall return code if it is not explicitly set again before the program terminates. PL/I The named counter interface definitions for PL/I are provided in include file DFHNCPLI.

288

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Syntax
The syntax of the named counter call is as follows:
CALL DFHNCTR(function,return_code,pool_selector,counter_name, value_length,current_value,minimum_value,maximum_value, counter_options,update_value,compare_min,compare_max);

Figure 63. DFHNCTR call syntax-PL/I illustration

Notes: 1. All functions that refer to a named counter require at least the first four parameters, but the remaining parameters are optional, and trailing unused parameters can be omitted. If you do not want to use an imbedded optional parameter, either specify the default value or ensure that the parameter list contains a null address for the omitted parameter. For an example of a call that omits an optional parameter, see Example of DFHNCTR calls with null parameters on page 295. 2. The NC_FINISH function requires the first three parameters only. function specifies the function to be performed, as a 32-bit integer, using one of the following symbolic constants. NC_CREATE Create a new named counter, using the initial value, range limits, and default options specified on the current_value, minimum_value, maximum_value, update_value and counter_options parameters. If you omit an optional value parameter, the new named counter is created using the default for the omitted value. For example, if you omit all the optional parameters, the counter is created with an initial value of 0, a minimum value of 0, and a maximum value of high values (the double word field is filled with X'FF'). NC_ASSIGN Assign the current value of the named counter, then increment it ready for the next request. When the number assigned equals the maximum number specified for the counter, it is incremented finally to a value 1 greater than the maximum. This ensures that any subsequent NC_ASSIGN requests for the named counter fail (with NC_COUNTER_AT_LIMIT) until the counter is reset using the NC_REWIND function, or automatically rewound by the NC_WRAP counter option (see the counter_options parameter). This operation can include a conditional test on the current value of the named counter, using the compare_min and compare_max parameters. The server returns the minimum and maximum values if you specify these fields on the call parameter list and the request is successful. You can use the counter_options parameter on the NC_ASSIGN request to override the counter options set by the NC_CREATE request. You can use the update_value parameter to specify the increment to be used on this request only for the named counter (the default increment is 1). This enables you to obtain
Chapter 24. Named counter servers

289

a range of numbers on a single request. For more information, see the description of the update_value parameter. Note that the named counter is incremented by update_value after the current value is assigned. For example: If the current value is 109 and update_value specifies 25

the named counter server returns 109 and sets the current value to 134 ready for the next NC_ASSIGN request, effectively assigning numbers in the range 109 through 133. The increment can be any value between zero and the limit is determined by the minimum and maximum values set for the named counter. Thus the increment limit is ((maximum_value plus 1) minus minimum value). An increment of zero causes NC_ASSIGN to operate the same as NC_INQUIRE, except for any comparison options. When the increment is greater than 1, and the named counter is near the maximum limit, the server may not be able to increment the current number by the whole value of the specified increment. This situation occurs when incrementing the counter would exceed the maximum value plus 1. You control what action the named counter server takes in this situation through the counter_options NC_NOREDUCE | NC_REDUCE, and NC_NOWRAP | NC_WRAP. See counter_options parameter for information about the operation of these options. NC_BROWSE_FIRST Return the details of the first named counter with a name greater than or equal to the specified name, and update the counter_name field accordingly. NC_BROWSE_NEXT Return the details of the next named counter with a name greater than the specified name, and update the counter_name field accordingly. NC_DELETE Delete the specified named counter. The server returns the current_value, minimum_value, maximum_value, and counter_options if you specify these fields on the parameter list and the request is successful. Terminate the connection between the current MVS task (TCB) and the named counter server for the specified pool. If a further request is made to the same pool, a new connection is established. This function does not apply to a specific counter, therefore the only parameters required are the function, the return code and the pool name. Use this function only when there is a special reason to terminate the connection (for example, to allow the server to be shut down). NC_INQUIRE Return the details (current_value, minimum_value,

NC_FINISH

290

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

maximum_value and counter_options) of a named counter without modifying it. The current value is the value to be returned on the next NC_ASSIGN call. If the maximum value of the named counter has already been assigned, the server returns a current value one greater than the maximum value. NC_REWIND Reset the named counter to its minimum value. This function is valid only when the last number permitted by the maximum value has been assigned, leaving the counter in the NC_COUNTER_AT_LIMIT condition. If an NC_ASSIGN call causes the server to assign the last number for the named counter, use the NC_REWIND function to reset the counter. This operation can include a conditional test on the current value of the named counter, using the compare_min and compare_max parameters. The server returns the new current value, minimum value, and maximum value if you specify these fields on the parameter list and the request is successful. If any option parameter or update_value parameter was specified on an NC_ASSIGN request which failed because the named counter was at its limit, the same parameter values must also be specified on the NC_REWIND request, so that it can check whether the original NC_ASSIGN would still fail. The NC_REWIND request is suppressed with return code 102 (NC_COUNTER_NOT_AT_LIMIT) whenever the corresponding NC_ASSIGN request would succeed. If the NC_WRAP option is in effect, or the update_value parameter is zero, NC_REWIND is suppressed because NC_ASSIGN always succeeds with these conditions. See the counter_options parameter for information about the NC_WRAP option. NC_UPDATE Set the named counter to a new value. This operation can include a conditional test on the current value of the named counter, using the compare_min and compare_max parameters. You specify the new value on the update_value parameter. If you dont specify a new value, the named counter remains unchanged. You can specify a valid counter_options override parameter (or a null address) with this function, but counter options have no effect. Specify either a null address or NC_NONE as the counter_options parameter. return_code specifies a 32-bit integer field to receive the return code. The same information is also returned in register 15, which for COBOL callers is stored in the RETURN-CODE special register. Each return code has a corresponding symbolic constant. See Return codes on page 296 for details of these. pool_selector specifies an 8-character pool selection parameter that you use to identify the pool in which the named counter resides.

Chapter 24. Named counter servers

291

This parameter is optional. If you omit the pool selection parameter, a string of 8 blank X'40') characters is assumed. The acceptable characters for pool_selector are A through Z, 0 through 9, $ @ # and _ (underscore) but the first character cannot be numeric or an underscore. The parameter should be padded to fill 8 characters with trailing spaces as necessary. The parameter can be all spaces to use the default pool for the current region, provided this is mapped by the options table to a valid non-blank named counter name). Depending on the named counter options table in use, you can use the pool selector parameter either as an actual pool name, or as a logical pool name that is mapped to a real pool name through the options table. The default options table assumes: v That any pool selection parameter beginning with DFHNC (matching the table entry with POOLSEL=DFHNC*) is an actual pool name v That any other pool selection parameter (including all blanks) maps to the default pool name. Note: The default pool name for the call interface is DFHNC001. The default pool name for the EXEC CICS API is defined by the NCPLDFT system initialization parameter. See Named counter options table on page 284 for information about the pool selection parameter in the DFHNCOPT options table. counter_name specifies a 16-byte field containing the name of the named counter, padded if necessary with trailing spaces. The acceptable characters for the name are A through Z, 0 through 9, $ @ # and _ (underscore) but the first character cannot be numeric or an underscore. The parameter should be padded to fill 16 characters with trailing spaces as necessary. You are recommended to use names that have a common prefix of up to 8 bytes to avoid conflicts with other applications. Any named counters used internally by CICS have names starting with DFH. For the NC_BROWSE_FIRST and NC_BROWSE_NEXT functions, the actual name is returned in this field, which must be a variable for this purpose. For all other functions, this can be a constant. value_length specifies a 32-bit integer field containing the length of each named counter value field in bytes, in the range 1 to 8. If no value parameters are used on the call, you can either omit all the trailing unused parameters completely, including the value length, or specify value_length as 0. When input values are shorter than 8 bytes, they are extended with high-order zero bytes to the full 8 bytes used internally. When output values are returned in a short value field, the specified number of low-order bytes are returned, ignoring any higher-order bytes. current_value specifies a variable to be used for: v Setting the initial sequence number for the named counter v Receiving the current sequence number from the named counter.

292

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

For the NC_CREATE function this parameter is an input (sender) field and can defined as a constant. The default value is low values (binary zeroes). The value can either be within the range specified by the following minimum and maximum values, or it can be one greater than the maximum value, in which case the counter has to be reset using the NC_REWIND function before it is used. For all other counter functions, this parameter is an output (receiver) field and must be defined as a variable. minimum_value specifies a variable to be used for: v Setting the minimum value for the named counter v Receiving from the named counter the specified minimum value. For the NC_CREATE function this parameter is an input (sender) field and can defined as a constant. For all other functions, this parameter is an output (receiver) field and must be defined as a variable. maximum_value specifies a variable to be used for: v Setting the maximum value for the named counter v Receiving from the named counter the specified maximum value. For the NC_CREATE function this parameter is an input (sender) field and can defined as a constant. If you specify a non-zero value_length parameter but omit maximum_value, it defaults to high values for the specified length, otherwise it is eight bytes of high values. However, if the minimum value is all low values and the maximum value is eight bytes of high values, the maximum value is reduced to allow some reserved values to be available to the server for internal use. For all other functions, this parameter is an output (receiver) field and must be defined as a variable. counter_options specifies an optional fullword field to indicate named counter options that control wrapping and increment reducing. The valid options are represented by the symbolic values NC_WRAP|NC_NOWRAP and NC_REDUCE|NC_NOREDUCE. The default options are NC_NOWRAP and NC_NOREDUCE. NC_NOWRAP The server does not automatically rewind the named counter back to the minimum value in response to an NC_ASSIGN request that fails with the NC_COUNTER_AT_LIMIT condition. With NC_NOWRAP in force, and the named counter in the NC_COUNTER_AT_LIMIT condition, the NC_ASSIGN function is inoperative until the counter is reset by an NC_REWIND request (or the counter option reset to NC_WRAP). NC_WRAP The server automatically performs an NC_REWIND in response an NC_ASSIGN request for a counter that is in the NC_COUNTER_AT_LIMIT condition. The server sets the current value of the named counter equal to the minimum value, returns the new current value to the caller, and increments the named counter.
Chapter 24. Named counter servers

293

NC_NOREDUCE If the range of numbers remaining to be assigned (the difference between the current value and the maximum value plus 1) is less than the increment specified on the update_value parameter, the assign fails (unless NC_WRAP is in force). NC_NOREDUCE, with NC_NOWRAP, means the NC_ASSIGN request fails with the NC_COUNTER_AT_LIMIT condition. For example, if a request specifies an update value of 15 when the current number is 199 990 and the counter maximum number is defined as 199 999, the NC_REQUEST fails because the increment would cause the current number to exceed 200 000. NC_REDUCE If the range of numbers remaining to be assigned (the difference between the current value and the maximum value plus 1) is less than the increment specified on the update_value parameter, the increment is reduced and the assign succeeds. In this case, the NC_ASSIGN request has been assigned a range of numbers less than that specified by the update_value, and the named counter is left in the NC_COUNTER_AT_LIMIT condition. Subsequent NC_ASSIGN requests will fail until the named counter is reset with an NC_REWIND request. The options specified on NC_CREATE are stored with the named counter and are used as the defaults for other named counter functions. You can override the options on NC_ASSIGN, NC_REWIND or NC_UPDATE requests. If you dont want to specify counter_options on a DFHNCTR call, specify the symbolic constant NC_NONE (equal to zero) as the input parameter (or specify a null address). For the NC_CREATE, NC_ASSIGN, NC_REWIND, and NC_UPDATE functions, this parameter is an input field. For the NC_DELETE, NC_INQUIRE, and NC_BROWSE functions, this parameter is an output field, which returns the options specified on NC_CREATE. update_value specifies the value to be used to update the counter. For NC_ASSIGN, this is the increment to be added to the current counter value (after the current number is assigned). See the NC_ASSIGN option on the function parameter for information on how specifying an increment other than 1 can affect an assign operation. For NC_UPDATE, this is the new current value for the named counter. compare_min specifies a value to be compared with the named counters current value. If you specify a value, this parameter makes the NC_ASSIGN, NC_REWIND or NC_UPDATE operation conditional on the current value of the named counter being greater than or equal to the specified value. If the comparison is not satisfied, the operation is rejected with a counter-out-of-range return code (RC 103). If you omit this parameter by specifying a null address, the server does not perform the comparison.

294

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

compare_max specifies a value to be compared with the named counters current value. If you specify a value, this parameter makes the NC_ASSIGN, NC_REWIND or NC_UPDATE operation conditional on the current value of the named counter being less than or equal to the specified value. If the comparison is not satisfied, the operation is rejected with a counter-out-of-range return code (RC 103). If you specifying high values (X'FF') for this parameter, the server does not perform the comparison. You must specify (X'FF') in all the bytes specified by the value_length parameter. If the compare_max value is less than the compare_min value, the valid range is assumed to wrap round, in which case the current value is considered to be in range if it satisfies either comparison, otherwise both comparisons must be satisfied.

Example of DFHNCTR calls with null parameters

If you omit an optional parameter on a DFHNCTR call, ensure that the parameter list is built with a null address for the missing parameter. The example that follows illustrates how to issue, from a COBOL program, an NC_CREATE request with some parameters set to null addresses. DFHNCTR call with null addresses for omitted parameters: In this example, the parameters used on the call are defined in the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION, as follows:
Call parameter function return_code pool_selector counter_name value_length current_value minimum_value maximum_value counter_options update_value compare_min compare_max COBOL variable 01 FUNCTION 01 NC-RETURN-CODE. 01 NC-POOL-SELECTOR 01 NC-COUNTER-NAME 01 NC_VALUE-LENGTH 01 NC-CURRENT-VALUE 01 NC-MIN-VALUE 01 NC-MAX-VALUE 01 NC-OPTIONS 01 NC-UPDATE-VALUE 01 NC-COMP-MIN 01 NC-COMP-MAX Field definition PIC S9(8) COMP VALUE PIC S9(8) COMP VALUE PIC X(8). PIC X(16). PIC S9(8) COMP VALUE PIC S9(8) VALUE +0. PIC S9(8) VALUE +0. PIC S9(8) VALUE -1. PIC S9(8) COMP VALUE PIC S9(8) VALUE +1. PIC S9(8) VALUE +0. PIC S9(8) VALUE +0. +1. +0.

+4.

+0.

The variable used for the null address is defined in the LINKAGE SECTION, as follows: LINKAGE SECTION. 01 NULL-PTR

USAGE IS POINTER.

Using the data names specified in the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION as described above, and the NULL-PTR name as described in the LINKAGE SECTION, the following illustrates a call to a named counter server where value_length, current_value, minimum_value and counter_options are the only optional parameters specified. The others are allowed to default, or, in the case of trailing optional parameters, omitted altogether.
* * NAMED-COUNTER SECTION. SET ADDRESS OF NULL-PTR TO NULLS.

Chapter 24. Named counter servers

295

MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE CALL

1 TO FUNCTION. 100 TO NC-MIN-VALUE NC-CURRENT-VALUE. NC-WRAP TO NC-OPTIONS. "DFHNC001" TO NC-POOL-SELECTOR. "CUSTOMER_NUMBER" TO NC-COUNTER-NAME. 'DFHNCTR' USING FUNCTION NC-RETURN-CODE NC-POOL-SELECTOR NC-COUNTER-NAME NC-VALUE-LENGTH NC-CURRENT-VALUE NC-MIN-VALUE NULL-PTR NC-OPTIONS.

Return codes
The return codes are divided into ranges (100, 200, 300, and 400) according to their severity. Each range of non-zero return codes begins with a dummy return code that describes the return code category, to make it easy to check for values in each range using a symbolic name. In the list that follows, the numeric return code is followed by its symbolic name. 0 (NC_OK) The request completed normally. 100 (NC_COND) Return codes in this range indicate that a conditional function did not succeed because the condition was not satisfied: 101 (NC_COUNTER_AT_LIMIT) An NC_ASSIGN function is rejected because the previous request for this named counter obtained the maximum value and the counter is now at its limit. New counter values cannot be assigned until an NC_REWIND function call is issued to reset the counter. 102 (NC_COUNTER_NOT_AT_LIMIT) An NC_REWIND FUNCTION is rejected because the named counter is not at its limit value. This is most likely to occur when another task has lready succeeded in resetting the counter with an NC_REWIND. 103 (NC_COUNTER_OUT_OF_RANGE) The current value of the named counter is not within the range specified on the compare_min and compare_max parameters. 200 (NC_EXCEPTION) Return codes in this range indicate an exception condition that an application program should be able to handle: 201 (NC_COUNTER_NOT_FOUND) The named counter cannot be found. 202 (NC_DUPLICATE_COUNTER_NAME) An NC_CREATE function is rejected because a named counter with the specified name already exists. 203 (NC_SERVER_NOT_CONNECTED) An NC_FINISH function is rejected because no active connection exists for the selected pool. 300 (NC_ENVIRONMENT_ERROR) Return codes in this range indicate an environment error. These are serious errors, normally caused by some external factor, which a program may not to be able to handle. 301 (NC_UNKNOWN_ERROR) The server has reported an error code that is not understood by the

296

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

interface. Generally, this is not possible unless the interface load module, DFHNCIF, is at a lower maintenance or release level than the server itself. 302 (NC_NO_SPACE_IN_POOL) A new counter cannot be created because there is insufficient space in the named counter pool. 303 (NC_CF_ACCESS_ERROR) An unexpected error, such as structure failure or loss of connectivity, has occurred on a macro used to access the coupling facility. Further information can be found in message DFHNC0441 in the CICS job log. 304 (NC_NO_SERVER_SELECTED) The pool selection parameter specified in the program cannot be resolved to a valid server name using the current options table. 305 (NC_SERVER_NOT_AVAILABLE) The interface is unable to establish a connection to the server for the appropriate named counter pool. Further information can be found in an AXM services message in the CICS job log. 306 (NC_SERVER_REQUEST_FAILED) An abend occurred during server processing of a request. Further information can be found in a message in the CICS job log and the server job log. 307 (NC_NAME_TOKEN_ERROR) An IEANTxx name/token service call within the named counter interface module gave an unexpected return code. 308 (NC_OPTION_TABLE_NOT_FOUND) The DFHNCOPT options table module, required for resolving a pool name, could not be loaded. 309 (NC_OPTION_TABLE_INVALID) During processing of the options table, the named counter interface encountered an unknown entry format. Either the options table is not correctly generated, or the DFHNCIF interface load module is not at the same release level as the options table. 310 (NC_USER_EXIT_NOT_FOUND) An options table entry matching the given pool name specified a user exit program, but the user exit program is not link-edited with the options table and cannot be loaded. 400 (NC_PARAMETER_ERROR) Return codes in this range indicate a parameter error, generally the result of a coding error in the calling program. 401 (NC_INVALID_PARAMETER_LIST) The parameter list is invalid for one of the following reasons: v Too few parameters are specified (less than four, or less than three for the NC_FINISH function) v Too many parameters are given (more than eight) v A parameter address is zero v The end-of-list marker is missing. 402 (NC_INVALID_FUNCTION) The function code parameter is not in the supported range.

Chapter 24. Named counter servers

297

403 (NC_INVALID_POOL_NAME ) The pool selection parameter contains characters that are not allowed, or embedded spaces. 404 (NC_INVALID_COUNTER_NAME) The counter_name parameter contains characters that are not allowed, or embedded spaces. 405 (NC_INVALID_VALUE_LENGTH) The value length parameter is not in the range 0 to 8. 406 (NC_INVALID_COUNTER_VALUE) The specified counter value or increment value is inconsistent with the minimum and maximum limits for the counter. The counter value specified on the current_value parameter for the NC_CREATE function, or the update_value for the NC_UPDATE function, cannot be less than the specified minimum value, and cannot be more than (maximum value + 1). The increment value specified in the update_value parameter for the NC_ASSIGN or NC_REWIND function cannot be greater than the total range of the counter ( (maximum value minimum value) + 1). 407 (NC_INVALID_COUNTER_LIMIT) The maximum value is less than the minimum value. 408 (NC_INVALID_OPTIONS) The value of the counter_options parameter is invalid. It is either a value that does not correspond to any defined option, or it is a value that represents some mutually exclusive options.

298

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Part 5. Data Communication

Chapter 25. Terminal control . . . . . . . . Terminal access method support . . . . . . . Terminal control commands . . . . . . . . . Send/receive mode . . . . . . . . . . . Contention for the terminal . . . . . . . RETURN IMMEDIATE . . . . . . . . . Speaking out of turn . . . . . . . . . . Interrupting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terminal waits . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using data transmission commands . . . . . . What you get on a RECEIVE . . . . . . . Input chaining . . . . . . . . . . . . Logical messages . . . . . . . . . . NOTRUNCATE option . . . . . . . . . Print key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Device control commands . . . . . . . . . Terminal device support . . . . . . . . . . Finding out about your terminal . . . . . . . EIB feedback on terminal control operations. . Using VTAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chaining input data . . . . . . . . . . . Chaining output data . . . . . . . . . . Handling logical records . . . . . . . . . Response protocol . . . . . . . . . . . Using function management headers . . . . Inbound FMH . . . . . . . . . . . . Outbound FMH . . . . . . . . . . . Preventing interruptions (bracket protocol) . . Using sequential terminal support . . . . . . Coding considerations for sequential terminals . Print formatting . . . . . . . . . . . GOODNIGHT convention . . . . . . . Using TCAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coding for the DCB interface . . . . . . . Sending to another terminal. . . . . . . Coding for the ACB interface . . . . . . . Using batch data interchange . . . . . . . . Destination selection and identification . . . . Selection by named data set . . . . . . Selection by medium . . . . . . . . . Definite response . . . . . . . . . . . Waiting for function completion . . . . . . Chapter 26. The 3270 family History of the 3270 . . . . Screen fields . . . . . Personal computers . . PCs as 3270s . . . . The 3270 buffer . . . . . The output datastream . . 3270 write commands . . Write control character . 3270 display fields . . . .
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

303 303 304 304 305 305 306 306 307 307 308 308 308 308 308 309 309 314 315 316 316 317 317 318 318 318 319 319 319 320 321 321 321 321 322 322 322 323 323 323 324 324 325 325 326 326 327 328 328 328 329 329

of terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

299

Display characteristics . . . 3270 field attributes. . . . . Protection . . . . . . . Modification . . . . . . Intensity . . . . . . . . Base color . . . . . . . Extended attributes . . . . Orders in the data stream . . The start field order. . . . The modify field order . . . The set buffer address order The set attribute order . . . Outbound data stream sample. Input from a 3270 terminal . . Data keys . . . . . . . Keyboard control keys. . . Attention keys . . . . . . The AID . . . . . . . Reading from a 3270 terminal . Inbound field format . . . . Input data stream example . . Unformatted mode . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

330 330 330 331 331 332 332 333 333 334 335 335 336 338 338 338 338 339 339 340 341 341 343 343 344 345 345 346 346 346 347 347 347 347 347 348 348 349 349 349 350 350 350 351 352 352 352 353 353 353 353 355 355 355 356

Chapter 27. CICS support for printing . . . . . Formatting for CICS printers . . . . . . . . . CICS 3270 printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . CICS 3270 printer options . . . . . . . . . . PRINT option and print control bit . . . . . . ERASE option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line width options: L40, L64, L80, and HONEOM. NLEOM option . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blank lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Multiple sends. . . . . . . . . . . . . Page width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total page size . . . . . . . . . . . . FORMFEED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PRINTERCOMP option . . . . . . . . . . Non-3270 CICS printers . . . . . . . . . . . SCS input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Determining the characteristics of a CICS printer . . BMS page size, 3270 printers . . . . . . . . Supporting multiple printer types . . . . . . . Using CICS printers . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing with a START command . . . . . . . Printing with transient data . . . . . . . . . Task that wants to print (on printer PRT1): . . Task that gets triggered: . . . . . . . . . Printing with BMS routing . . . . . . . . . Using Non-CICS printers . . . . . . . . . . . Formatting for non-CICS printers . . . . . . . Non-CICS printers: Delivering the data. . . . . Programming for non-CICS printers . . . . . . Notifying the print application . . . . . . . . Printing display screens . . . . . . . . . . . CICS print key . . . . . . . . . . . . . ISSUE PRINT and ISSUE COPY. . . . . . .

300

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Hardware print key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 BMS screen copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 Chapter 28. CICS interface to JES Using the CICS interface to JES . . Spool interface restrictions . . . Creating output spool files . . . . Using the MVS internal reader. . Reading input spool files . . . . . JES exits . . . . . . . . . Identifying spool files . . . . . . Examples of SPOOL commands . . COBOL . . . . . . . . . . PL/I . . . . . . . . . . . C . . . . . . . . . . . . ASSEMBLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359 361 361 361 362 362 363 363 367 367 368 368 369

Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication . . . . . . . . . . . . . Design considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Programming language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transaction routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Function shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Distributed program link (DPL). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the distributed program link function . . . . . . . . . . . Examples of distributed program link . . . . . . . . . . . . . Programming considerations for distributed program link . . . . . . Issuing multiple distributed program links from the same client task . Sharing resources between client and server programs . . . . . Mixing DPL and function shipping to the same CICS system . . . Mixing DPL and DTP to the same CICS system . . . . . . . . Restricting a program to the distributed program link subset . . . . Determining how a program was invoked . . . . . . . . . . . Accessing user-related information with the ASSIGN command . . Exception conditions for LINK command . . . . . . . . . . . Asynchronous processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Distributed transaction processing (DTP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Common Programming Interface Communications (CPI Communications) External CICS interface (EXCI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

371 371 372 372 372 373 374 376 381 381 381 381 382 382 382 382 383 385 385 385 . . 386

Part 5. Data Communication

301

302

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 25. Terminal control

The CICS application programming interface contains two sets of commands for communicating with terminals: 1. Terminal control commands 2. Basic Mapping Support (BMS) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Terminal control interface Terminal control is the more basic of the two. It gives you flexibility and function, at the cost of more programming. In particular, if you code at the terminal control level, you need to build the device data stream in your application. Terminal control commands apply to a variety of devices, reducing the sensitivity of programs to the terminals they support and to the access methods controlling the terminals. In addition to the commands themselves, CICS provides the data translation, synchronization of input and output operations, and session control needed to read from or write to a terminal or logical unit. This helps insulate you from the APIs of the individual communications access methods, which are complex and very different from one another. BMS BMS lets you communicate with a terminal at a much higher language level. It formats your data, and you do not need to know the details of the data stream. It is thus easier to code initially and easier to maintain, especially if your application has to support new types of terminal. However, BMS pathlengths are longer (BMS itself uses terminal control), and BMS does not support all the terminal types that terminal control does. BMS is described in Chapter 30. Basic mapping support on page 393. BMS insulates you even more from the characteristics of particular devices and the mechanics of communication than does terminal control, but at the cost of some flexibility and function. This chapter describes: v Terminal access method support v Terminal control commands on page 304 v Using data transmission commands on page 307 v Device control commands on page 309 v Terminal device support on page 309 v Finding out about your terminal on page 314 v Using VTAM on page 316 v Using sequential terminal support on page 319 v Using TCAM on page 321 v Using batch data interchange on page 322

Terminal access method support

CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, Version 2 Release 1 supports terminals directly through interfaces to the following access methods: Virtual Telecommunications Access Method (VTAM) Telecommunications Access Method (TCAM) for the queued or DCB interface only Basic Graphics Access Method (BGAM) for graphics terminals using GDDM Sequential Access Method (SAM) for terminals simulated by sequential devices
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

303

CICS supports operating system consoles as terminals too, but through operating system services rather than through an access method. The terminal control interface to a console is the same as to other terminals (though certain consoles might have certain restrictions), but BMS is not available. You can find a full list of the terminals supported by CICS in the CICS Resource Definition Guide. Earlier releases of CICS also supported terminals through: BTAM Basic Telecommunications Access Method (BTAM). TCAM Telecommunications Access Method (TCAM)the VTAM-like ACB interface. You can still execute transactions under CICS from terminals using these access methods. However, the terminals themselves must be attached to a CICS system at an earlier level which supports the access method. A transaction running under CICS communicates with a local surrogate for the remote terminal, and the two CICS systems manage the correspondence between the surrogate and the real terminal. The transaction is invoked either when the CICS that owns the terminal routes the transaction to the CICS region, or by automatic transaction initiation (ATI) in the CICS region. With ATI, this region arranges assignment of the terminal as principal facility for the transaction through the CICS region that owns the terminal.

Terminal control commands

The commands described in this chapter apply only to the principal facility of the task issuing them, where that facility is one of the following: v A device connected through BTAM, SAM, or the DCB interface of TCAM v An LU Type 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 connected through VTAM or the ACB interface of TCAM Note: This chapter does not cover program-to-program communication, whether directed to the alternate or principal facility. This is covered in a separate manual, APPC commands are covered in the CICS Distributed Transaction Programming Guide. Terminal control commands fall into four groups: v Basic data transmission commands: RECEIVE, SEND, and CONVERSE v Commands that send device controls, synchronize transmission, end a session, or perform similar control functions v Commands to tell you about your terminal: ASSIGN and INQUIRE. v Special device group commands: the batch data interchange (BDI) commands

Send/receive mode
The terminals and logical units covered in this chapter all operate in half-duplex, flip-flop mode. This means, essentially, that at any given moment, one partner in a conversation is in send mode (allowed to send data or control commands) and the other is in receive mode (restricted to receiving). This protocol is formally defined and enforced under VTAM. CICS observes the same conventions for terminals attached under other access methods, but both the hardware and the access methods work differently, so that not all operations are identical. When a terminal is the principal facility of a task, its conversation partner is the task. When it is not associated with a task, its conversation partner is the terminal control component of CICS. Between tasks, under VTAM, the conversation is left in

304

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

a neutral state where either partner can send first. Ordinarily the terminal goes first, sending the unsolicited input that initiates a task (see How tasks are started on page 131). This transmission also reverses the send/receive roles; thereafter the terminal is in receive mode and CICS, represented by the task that was attached, is in send mode. The task starts and remains in send mode, no matter how many SENDs it executes, until it explicitly changes the direction of the conversation. One way in which you can put the task in receive mode is by specifying the INVITE option on a SEND command. After SEND with INVITE, the task is in receive mode and must issue a RECEIVE before sending to the terminal again. You can also put the task in receive mode simply by issuing a RECEIVE, without a preceding INVITE; INVITE simply optimizes transmissions. Note that the first RECEIVE command in a task initiated by unsolicited input does not count in terms of send/receive mode, because the input message involved has long since transmitted (it started the task). This RECEIVE just makes the message accessible to the task, and sets the related EIB fields. ATI tasksthose initiated automatically by CICSalso start out in send mode, just like tasks started by unsolicited input. Note that if a task is executing normally and performing non-terminal operations when a VTAM/network error occurs, the task is unaware of the error and continues processing until it attempts the next terminal control request. It is at this point that the task receives the TERMERR. If the task does not issue any further terminal control request, it will not receive the TERMERR or ABEND.

Contention for the terminal

CICS satisfies requests for automatic task initiation (ATI) as soon as the terminal required as principal facility is available. When a task ends at a terminal, and CICS has an ATI request for that terminal, there may be contention between CICS, which wants to initiate the ATI task, and the terminal user, who wants to initiate a certain task by unsolicited input. In this situation, CICS always sets itself up as contention loser. That is, if the terminal sends unsolicited input quickly enough after the end of the previous transaction, CICS creates a task to process it and delay fulfilling the ATI request. This is intentionalit gives the user priority in contention situations.

RETURN IMMEDIATE
However, you sometimes need to execute a sequence of particular tasks in succession at a terminal without allowing the user to intervene. CICS provides a way for you to do this, with the IMMEDIATE option on the RETURN command that ends the task. With RETURN IMMEDIATE, CICS initiates a task to execute the transaction named in the TRANSID option immediately, before honoring any other waiting requests for tasks at that terminal and without accepting input from the terminal. The old task can even pass data to the new one. The new task accesses this data with a RECEIVE, as if the user had initiated the task with unsolicited input, but no input/output occurs. This RECEIVE, like the first one in a task initiated by unsolicited input, has no effect on send/receive status; it just makes the passed data available to the new task. If the terminal is using bracket protocol (explained in Preventing interruptions (bracket protocol) on page 319), CICS does not end the bracket at the end of the first task, as it ordinarily does, but instead continues the bracket to include the following task. Consequently, the automatic opening of the keyboard at the end of bracket between tasks does not occur.

Chapter 25. Terminal control

305

Speaking out of turn

It is usually clear to users when they are supposed to talk (key and transmit), and when they are supposed to listen (wait for output), because the application makes this clear. On 3270 displays and many other terminals, the keyboard locks after the user has transmitted to reinforce this convention. It remains locked until the task unlocks it, which it usually does on a SEND before a RECEIVE, or on the last SEND in the task. This means the user has to do something particular (press the keyboard reset key) in order to break protocol. What happens if the user does this? For terminals under BTAM, which is supported by CICS Version 2 and earlier, CICS provides two choices for an input it does not expect. CICS can either discard it or save it for use on the next occasion that an input is required (or acceptable) from that terminal. You specify one of these options using the PUNSOL system generation parameter; the option you choose is applied globally to all BTAM terminals. For terminals connected under VTAM, violating this protocol causes the task to abend (code ATCV) unless read-ahead queueing is in force. Read-ahead queueing allows the logical unit and the task to send and receive at any time; CICS saves input messages in temporary storage until the task needs them. Inputs not read by task end are discarded. Read-ahead queueing is applied at the transaction level (it is specified in the RAQ option of the PROFILE under which the transaction runs). It applies only to LU type 4 devices, and is provided for compatibility reasons, to allow a transaction to support both BTAM-connected and VTAM-connected terminals in the same way. In general, it should not be used except to handle this situation. For devices connected under the DCB interface of TCAM, the send/receive rules are complicated by the fact that messages get queued on their way to and from the terminal. For the ACB interface, supported under earlier releases of CICS, different exceptional circumstances may occur. See the CICS Intercommunication Guide for details of send/receive restrictions for both interfaces. Sequential terminals also differ from others in send/receive rules. Because the input is a pre-prepared file, CICS simply provides input messages whenever the task requests them, and it is impossible to break protocol. If the input is improperly prepared, or is not what the task is programmed to handle, it is possible for the task to get out of synchronization with its inputs, to exhaust them prematurely, or to fail to read some of them.

Interrupting
Both VTAM and BTAM provide a mechanism for a terminal in receive mode to tell its partner that it would like to send. This is the signal data flow in VTAM, which is detected on the next SEND, RECEIVE or ISSUE DISCONNECT command from the task. When a signal flow occurs, CICS raises the SIGNAL condition and sets EIBSIG in the EIB. CICS default action for the SIGNAL condition is to ignore it. For the signal to have any effect, the task must first detect the signal and then honor it by changing the direction of the conversation. In BTAM, the corresponding flow is a reverse interrupt (RVI), which the terminal sends in place of the usual positive acknowledgment (ACK). On a 3270 display terminal and some others, the ATTENTION key is the one that generates the interrupt. Not all terminals have this feature, however, and in VTAM, the bind image must indicate support for it as well, or VTAM ignores the interrupts.

306

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Terminal waits
When a task issues a SEND command without specifying WAIT, CICS can defer transmission of the output to optimize either its overall terminal handling or the transmissions for your task. When it does this, CICS saves the output message and makes your task dispatchable, so that it can continue executing. The ISSUE COPY and ISSUE ERASE commands, which also transmit output, work similarly without WAIT. If you use the WAIT option, CICS does not return control to your task until the output operation is complete. This wait lengthens the elapsed time of your task, with attendant effects on response time and memory occupancy, but it ensures that your task knows whether there has been an error on the SEND before continuing. You can avoid some of this wait and still check the completion of the operation if you have processing to do after your SEND. You issue the SEND without WAIT, continue processing, and then issue a WAIT TERMINAL command at the point where you need to know the results of your SEND. When you issue a RECEIVE command that requires transmission of input, your task always waits, because the transmission must occur before the RECEIVE can be completed. However, there are cases where a RECEIVE does not correspond to terminal input/output. The first RECEIVE in a task initiated by unsolicited terminal input is the most frequent example of this, but there are others, as explained in the next section. Also, when you issue any command involving your terminal, CICS ensures that the previous command is complete (this includes any deferred transmissions), before processing the new one.

Using data transmission commands

There are three commands that transmit data to and from the terminal or logical unit that is the principal facility of your task: RECEIVE reads data from the terminal. SEND writes data to the terminal. CONVERSE writes data to the terminal, waits for input, and reads the input. CONVERSE is essentially a combination of SEND and RECEIVE and is usually the equivalent of SEND followed by RECEIVE. In certain cases you must use CONVERSE instead of SEND and RECEIVE, for example, sending structured-field data to certain 3270 devices. In other cases you must use SEND and RECEIVE, because CONVERSE is not provided; these are noted in Table 19 on page 312. The SEND, RECEIVE, and CONVERSE commands are fully described in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. They are broken down by device group, because the options for different devices and access methods vary considerably. Terminal device support on page 309 tells you which device group to use for your particular device.

Chapter 25. Terminal control

307

What you get on a RECEIVE

We use the terms input message and transmission to mean both what the terminal sent and what the application received. For the most common types of terminals, these are equivalent. A 3270 display, for example, sends whatever was changed in its buffer as a single entity, and the task associated with the terminal normally gets the entire message in response to a single RECEIVE command. However, input messages and physical transmissions are not always equivalent, and there are several factors that can affect the one-to-one relationship of either to RECEIVE commands. These are: v VTAM chaining v Logical records v NOTRUNCATE option v Print PA key

Input chaining
Some SNA devices break up long input messages into multiple physical transmissions, a process called chaining. CICS assembles the component transmissions into a single input message or present them individually, depending on how the terminal associated with the task has been defined. This affects how many RECEIVEs you need to read a chained input message. Details on inbound chaining are explained in Chaining input data on page 316.

Logical messages
Just as some devices break long inputs into multiple transmissions, others block short inputs and send them in a single transmission. Here again, CICS provides an option about who deblocks, CICS or the receiving program. This choice also affects how much data you get on a single RECEIVE. (See Handling logical records on page 317 for more on this subject.)

NOTRUNCATE option
Still another exception to the one-input-message-per-RECEIVE rule occurs when the length of the input data is greater than the program expects. If this occurs and the RECEIVE command specifies NOTRUNCATE, CICS saves the excess data and uses it to satisfy subsequent RECEIVE commands from the program with no corresponding read to the terminal. If you are using NOTRUNCATE, you should issue RECEIVEs until the field EIBCOMPL in the EIB is set on (that is, set to X'FF'). CICS turns on EIBCOMPL when no more of the input message is available. Without NOTRUNCATE, CICS discards the excess data, turns on EIBCOMPL, and raises the LENGERR condition. It reports the true length of the data, before truncation, in the data area named in the LENGTH option, if you provide one.

Print key
If your CICS system has a PA key defined as a print key, another exception to the normal send/receive sequence can occur. If the task issues a RECEIVE, and the user presses the print key in response, CICS intercepts this input, does the necessary processing to fulfil the request, and puts the terminal in receive mode again. The user must send another input to satisfy the original RECEIVE. (See CICS print key on page 355 for more information about the print key.)

308

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Device control commands

In addition to data transmission commands, the CICS API for terminals includes a series of commands that send instructions or control information, rather than data, to the terminal or to the access method controlling it. These commands are listed in the table below, along with a brief description of their function. Not all of these commands apply to all terminals, and for some, different forms apply to different terminals. See Terminal device support before going to the descriptions in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. The terminal in the table below is always the principal facility of the task issuing the command, except where explicitly stated otherwise. It may be a logical unit of a type not ordinarily considered a terminal.
Table 17. Control commands for terminals and logical units Command FREE ISSUE COPY Action Releases the terminal from the task, so that the terminal may be used in another task before the current one ends. Copies the buffer contents of the terminal named in the TERMID option to the buffer of the terminal owned by the task. Both terminals must be 3270s. Schedules termination of the session between CICS and the terminal at the end of the task. Sends an end-of-file notification to the terminal (for 3740 data entry systems only). Sends an end-of-output notification to the terminal (for 3740 data entry systems only). Sends an end-of-data-set function management header (for 3650 interpreter logical units only). Erases all the unprotected fields of the terminal (for 3270 devices only). Instructs the terminal to load the program named in the PROGRAM option (for 3650 interpreter logical units only). Schedules disconnection of the terminal from CICS and its transfer to the VTAM application named in the LUNAME option, at the end of the issuing task. Copies the terminal buffer to the first printer eligible for a print request (for 3270 displays only). Disconnects the line to which the terminal is attached, at task end, (for switched lines under BTAM only). Suspends the issuing task until its terminal sends a SIGNAL dataflow command. Suspends the issuing task until the previous terminal operation has completed.

ISSUE DISCONNECT ISSUE ENDFILE ISSUE ENDOUTPUT ISSUE EODS ISSUE ERASEAUP ISSUE LOAD ISSUE PASS

ISSUE PRINT ISSUE RESET WAIT SIGNAL WAIT TERMINAL

Terminal device support

Hardware and access method sensitivity is one of the major distinctions between using BMS and using terminal control commands to communicate with a terminal. BMS shields an application from hardware dependencies at the expense of some loss of function, whereas terminal control provides all the function.

Chapter 25. Terminal control

309

The result of providing full function is that not all terminal control commands apply to all devices. Some commands require that you know what type of terminal you have, to determine the options that apply and the exceptional conditions that can occur. For some commands, you also need to know what access method is in use. The two tables that follow tell you which commands apply to which terminal and access method combinations. If you need to support several types of terminals, you can find out which type your task has as its principal facility using the commands described in Finding out about your terminal on page 314. To use the tables, look up the terminal type that your program must support in the first column of Table 18. Use the value in the second column to find the corresponding command group in the first column of Table 19 on page 312. The second column of this table tells you the access method, and the third tells you the commands you can use. The commands themselves are described in full in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. Where there is more than one version of a command in that manual, the table tells you which one to use. This information appears in parentheses after the command, just as it does in the manual itself.
Table 18. Devices supported by CICS Device 1050 (1051, 1052, 1053, 1056) 2260, 2265 2740, 2741 2770, 2780 2980 3101 (supported as TWX 33/35) 3230 (VTAM) 3230 (non-VTAM) 3270 displays, 3270 printers (VTAM SNA) 3270 displays, 3270 printers (VTAM non-SNA) 3270 displays, 3270 printers (non-VTAM) SCS printers (VTAM) 3600 Pipeline mode (VTAM) 3601 (VTAM) 3614 (VTAM) 3600 Non-VTAM 3630, attached as 3600 (3631, 3632, 3633, 3643, 3604) 3641, 3644, 3646, 3647 (VTAM, attached as 3767) 3643 (VTAM, attached as LU type 2) 3642, 3645 (VTAM, attached as SCS printer) 3650 interpreter LU 3650 host conversational LU (3270) 3650 host conversational LU (3653) 3650 host command LU (3680, 3684) 3650 interpreter LU 3650 host conversational LU (3270) Use commands for 2741 2260 2741 System/3 2980 3767 3767 2741 LU type 2/3 3270 logical 3270 display SCS 3600 pipeline 3600-3601 3600-3614 3600 BTAM Use 3600 entry 3767 LU type 2/3 SCS 3650 interpreter 3650-3270 3650-3653 3650-3680 3650 interpreter 3650-3270

310

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 18. Devices supported by CICS (continued) Device 3650 host conversational LU (3653) 3650 host command LU (3680, 3684) 3660 3730 3735 3740, 3741 3767 interactive LU (VTAM) 3767 non-VTAM 3770 Interactive LU (VTAM) 3770 Full function LU 3770 Batch LU (3771, 3773, 3774) (VTAM) 3770 Non-VTAM (3775, 3776, 3777) (supported as 2770) 3780 3790 Full function or inquiry 3790 3270 display LU 3790 SCS printer 3790 3270 printer 4700 (supported as 3600) 5100 5110, attached as 2770 5230, 5231, 5260, 5265 (supported as 3741) 5280 attached as 3741 5280 attached as 3270 5520 VTAM, supported as 3790 full-function LU 5520 non-VTAM, supported as 2770 5550 (supported as 3270) 5937 (supported as 3270) 6670 VTAM 6670 non-VTAM, supported as 2770 8130, 8140 under DPCX (supported as 3790) 8100 DPPX/BASE using Host Presentation Services or Host Transaction Facility (attached as 3790) 8100 DPPX/DSC, DPCX/DSC, including 8775 attach (supported as 3270) 8775 8815 CMCST Displaywriter supported as 3270 Displaywriter supported as APPC INTLU (interactive LU) Use commands for 3650-3653 3650-3680 System/3 3790 full function or inquiry 3735 3740 3767 2741 3767 3790 full function or inquiry 3770 System/3 System/3 3790 full function or inquiry 3790 3270-display 3790 SCS 3790 3270-printer Use 3600 entry 2741 System/3 3740 3740 Use 3270 entry 3790 full function or inquiry System/3 Use 3270 entry Use 3270 entry LU type 4 System/3 3790 full function or inquiry 3790 full function or inquiry LU type 2/3 LU type 2/3 APPC 2741 Use 3270 entry APPC 3767

Chapter 25. Terminal control

311

Table 18. Devices supported by CICS (continued) Device Office System/6 (6640, 6670), attached as 2770 PC, PS/2, attached as 3270 Scanmaster Series/1 supported as 3650 pipeline Series/1 supported as 3790 full-function LU System/3 (5406, 5408, 5410, 5412, 5415) System/7 (5010) System/32 (5320) VTAM, supported as 3770 System/32 (5320) non-VTAM, supported as 2770 System/34 (5340) VTAM, supported as 3770 System/34 (5340) non-VTAM System/36

Use commands for System/3 Use 3270 entry APPC 3600 pipeline 3790 full function or inquiry System/3 System/7 Use 3770 entry System/3 Use 3770 entry System/3 Use System/34 entry Use 3770 entry APPC System/3 3767 2741 3767 2741

(supported as System/34) (5381) VTAM, attached as 3770

System/38

System/38 (5381) VTAM, attached as APPC System/38 (5381) non-VTAM TWX 33/35 VTAM NTO TWX 33/35 non-VTAM WTTY VTAM NTO WTTY non-VTAM Table 19. Terminal control commands by device type Device group name 2260 2741 2980 3270 display

Access methods Commands applicable non-VTAM non-VTAM non-VTAM non-VTAM RECEIVE (2260), SEND (2260), CONVERSE (2260), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE RESET RECEIVE (2741), SEND (2741), CONVERSE (2741), ISSUE RESET RECEIVE (2980), SEND (2980) RECEIVE (3270 display), SEND (3270 display), CONVERSE (3270 display), ISSUE COPY (3270 display), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE ERASEAUP, ISSUE PRINT, ISSUE RESET RECEIVE (LU type 2/3), SEND (LU type 2/3), CONVERSE (LU type 2/3), ISSUE COPY (3270 logical), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE ERASEAUP, ISSUE PASS, ISSUE PRINT RECEIVE (3270 logical), SEND (3270 logical), CONVERSE (3270 logical), ISSUE COPY (3270 logical), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE ERASEAUP, ISSUE PASS, ISSUE PRINT SEND (SCS), CONVERSE (SCS), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS RECEIVE (3600 pipeline), SEND (3600 pipeline), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS

LU type 2/3 (3270 SNA)

VTAM

3270 logical (3270 non-SNA)

VTAM

SCS 3600 pipeline

VTAM VTAM

312

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 19. Terminal control commands by device type (continued) Device group name 3600-3601 Access methods Commands applicable VTAM RECEIVE (3600-3601), SEND (3600-3601), CONVERSE (3600-3601), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS, WAIT SIGNAL RECEIVE (3600-3614), SEND (3600-3614), CONVERSE (3600-3614), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS RECEIVE (3600 BTAM), SEND (3600 BTAM), CONVERSE (3600 BTAM), ISSUE RESET RECEIVE (3650), SEND (3650 interpreter), CONVERSE (3650 interpreter), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE EODS, ISSUE LOAD, ISSUE PASS RECEIVE (3650), SEND (3650-3270), CONVERSE (3650-3270), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE ERASEAUP, ISSUE PASS, ISSUE PRINT RECEIVE (3650), SEND (3650-3653), CONVERSE (3650-3653), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS RECEIVE (3650), RECEIVE (3790 full function or inquiry), SEND (3650-3680), SEND (3790 full function or inquiry), CONVERSE(3650-3680), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS RECEIVE (3735), SEND (3735), CONVERSE (3735), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE RESET RECEIVE (3740), SEND (3740), CONVERSE (3740), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE ENDFILE, ISSUE ENDOUTPUT, ISSUE RESET RECEIVE (3767), SEND (3767), CONVERSE (3767), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS, WAIT SIGNAL RECEIVE (3770), SEND (3770), CONVERSE (3770), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS, WAIT SIGNAL RECEIVE (3790 full function or inquiry), SEND (3790 full function or inquiry), CONVERSE (3790 full function or inquiry), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS, WAIT SIGNAL RECEIVE (3790 3270-display), SEND (3790 3270-display), CONVERSE (3790 3270-display), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE ERASEAUP, ISSUE PASS, ISSUE PRINT SEND (3790 3270-printer), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE ERASEAUP, ISSUE PASS SEND (3790 SCS), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS RECEIVE (LU type 4), SEND (LU type 4), CONVERSE (LU type 4), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE PASS, WAIT SIGNAL

3600-3614

VTAM

3600 BTAM 3650 interpreter

non-VTAM VTAM

3650-3270

VTAM

3650-3653

VTAM

3650-3680

VTAM

3735 3740

non-VTAM non-VTAM

3767

VTAM

3770

VTAM

3790 full function or inquiry

VTAM

3790 3270-display

VTAM

3790 3270-printer VTAM 3790 SCS LU type 4 VTAM VTAM

Chapter 25. Terminal control

313

Table 19. Terminal control commands by device type (continued) Device group name Access methods Commands applicable ISSUE ABORT, ISSUE ADD, ISSUE END, ISSUE ERASE, ISSUE NOTE, ISSUE QUERY, ISSUE RECEIVE, ISSUE REPLACE, ISSUE SEND, ISSUE WAIT RECEIVE (System/3), SEND (System/3), CONVERSE (System/3) RECEIVE (System/7), SEND (System/7), CONVERSE (System/7), ISSUE DISCONNECT (default), ISSUE RESET RECEIVE (VTAM default), SEND (VTAM default), CONVERSE (VTAM default), ISSUE PASS RECEIVE (non-VTAM default), SEND (non-VTAM default), CONVERSE (non-VTAM default)

Outboard VTAM controllers (batch data interchange) System/3 System/7 non-VTAM non-VTAM

All others All others

VTAM non-VTAM

Finding out about your terminal

Some applications must support more than one type of terminal, and sometimes the types are sufficiently different that they require separate code. If you are writing such a program, and you need to determine what sort of terminal it is currently communicating with, you can use the ASSIGN command to find out. ASSIGN returns a variety of information about the executing task, including a number of fields that describe its principal facility. Table 20 lists the ones that relate directly to terminal control operations. There are other ASSIGN options that relate to BMS and to other aspects of the task. You can find details on all ASSIGN options in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. The terminal cited in column 2 of the table is always the principal facility of the task.
Table 20. ASSIGN command options for terminals ASSIGN option ALTSCRNHT ALTSCRNWD APLKYBD APLTEXT BTRANS COLOR DEFSCRNHT DEFSCRNWD DELIMITER DESTID DESTIDLENGTH DSSCS DS3270 EXTDS EWASUPP Information returned The alternate height and width of the terminal screen (from its terminal definition); see also SCRNHT and SCRNWD Whether terminal has an APL keyboard Whether terminal has the APL text feature Whether terminal has background transparency capability Whether terminal has extended color capability The default height and width of the terminal screen (from its terminal definition); see also SCRNHT and SCRNWD The data-link control character for the terminal (for 3600 terminals only) The identifier of the outboard destination and its length (for BDI operations only) Whether the terminal is an SCS data stream device Whether the terminal is a 3270 data stream device Whether the terminal supports query structured field orders Whether the terminal supports erase write alternate orders (i.e. has alternate screen size capability)

314

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 20. ASSIGN command options for terminals (continued) ASSIGN option FACILITY FCI GCHARS GCODES HILIGHT KATAKANA LANGINUSE MSRCONTROL NATLANGINUSE NETNAME NUMTAB OPID OPCLASS OUTLINE PARTNS PS SCRNHT SCRNWD SIGDATA SOSI STATIONID TELLERID TERMCODE TERMPRIORITY TEXTKYBD TEXTPRINT UNATTEND USERID USERNAME USERPRIORITY VALIDATION Information returned The 4-character identifier of the terminal The type of principal facility associated with the task (terminal, queue, and so on) The graphic character set global identifier and the code page global identifier associated with the terminal Whether the terminal has extended highlight capability Whether the terminal supports Katakana The 3-character mnemonic Whether the terminal supports magnetic slot reader control The national language in use for the current task The 8-character identifier of the terminal in the VTAM network Number of tabs required to position the print element in the correct passbook area (for 2980s only) Operator identifier code and operator class of user signed on at terminal Whether the terminal has field outlining capability Whether the terminal supports screen partitions Whether the terminal has programmed symbols capability Height and width of the terminal screen for the current task SIGNAL data received from the terminal Whether the terminal has mixed EBCDIC/double-byte character set capability Station and teller identifier of the terminal (for 2980s only) Type and model number of the terminal Terminal priority value Whether the terminal has the TEXTKYBD feature Whether the terminal has the TEXTPRINT feature Whether the terminal is unattended The 8-character identifier, 20-character name and priority of the user signed on at the terminal Whether the terminal has validation capability

You can also use the INQUIRE TERMINAL command to find out about your own terminal or any other terminal. INQUIRE TERMINAL returns information from the terminal definition, whereas ASSIGN describes the use of that terminal in the current task. For many options, however, particularly the hardware characteristics, the information returned is the same. INQUIRE TERMINAL is described in the CICS System Programming Reference manual.

EIB feedback on terminal control operations

CICS reports the results of processing terminal control commands, including those generated by BMS, in the EIB. Because of the complexity of terminal operations,
Chapter 25. Terminal control

315

many EIB fields are specific to terminal commands. Those that apply to the principal facility are listed in Table 21. (Other fields relate only to LU type 6.1, APPC and MRO operations; see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about these.) EIB fields are posted when CICS returns control to your task, and they always describe the most recent command to which they apply. This means that if you are conducting program-to-program communication over an alternate facility and using your principal facility, you need to check the EIB before results from one overlay those of the other. It also means that when a task is initiated by unsolicited input from the terminal, or by a RETURN IMMEDIATE in the previous task at the same terminal, the EIB fields that describe the input are not set at task start. You must issue a RECEIVE to gain access to the input and post the EIB fields. Note: If you are interested only in the EIB values and not the data itself, omit both the INTO and SET options from your RECEIVE. Here are the fields that apply to the principal facility:
Table 21. EIB fields that apply to terminal control commands Field EIBAID EIBATT EIBCOMPL EIBCPOSN EIBEOC EIBFMH EIBFREE EIBRCODE, EIBRESP, EIBRESP2 EIBSIG EIBTRMID Contents The attention identifier (AID) from the last input operation (3270s only, see The AID on page 339) Whether the input contains attach header data (an attach FMH) Whether the RECEIVE command just issued used all the input data, or more RECEIVEs are required (see Chaining output data on page 317) Cursor position at time of last input operation (3270s only) Whether an end-of-chain indicator appeared in the input from the last RECEIVE Whether user data just received or retrieved contains an FMH Whether the facility just used has been freed CICS response code values from the previously issued command Note: For output commands in which transmission can be deferred, these values reflect only the initial CICS processing of the command, not the eventual transmission (see Terminal waits on page 307). Whether the terminal has sent a SIGNAL (CICS) identifier of the terminal

Using VTAM
Under VTAM, communication with logical units is governed by the conventions (protocols) which vary with the type of logical unit. This section describes the options provided by CICS to enable applications to conform to and make best use of these protocols,

Chaining input data

As noted earlier, some SNA devices segment long input messages for transmission. Each individual segment is called a request unit (RU), and the entire logical message is called a chain. CICS provides an option in the terminal definition, BUILDCHAIN, that governs who assembles the chain. If the BUILDCHAIN value for

316

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

the terminal is YES, CICS assembles the chain and presents the entire message to the program in response to a single RECEIVE command. This choice ensures that the whole chain is complete and available before it is presented to the application. If BUILDCHAIN=NO, the application assembles the chain. CICS provides one RU for each RECEIVE. The application can tell when it has received the last RU in the chain, because CICS raises the EOC (end-of-chain) condition at that time. CICS raises this condition even when there is only one RU in the chain, or when it assembles the chain, or when the input is from a terminal that does not support inbound chaining, like a 3270 display. An EOC condition is not considered an error; the CICS default action when it occurs is to ignore the condition. EOC may occur simultaneously with either the EODS (end-of-data-set) or INBFMH (inbound-FMH) conditions, or both. Either condition takes precedence over EOC in determining where control goes if both it and EOC are the subject of active HANDLE CONDITION commands.

Chaining output data

VTAM supports the chaining of outbound as well as inbound terminal data. If the length of an output message exceeds the outbound RU size, and the terminal supports outbound chaining, CICS breaks the message into RU-size segments and transmits them separately. Your application can take advantage of the fact that chaining is permitted by passing a single output message to CICS bit by bit across several SEND commands. To do this, you specify the CNOTCOMPL (chain not complete) option on each SEND except the one that completes the message. (Your message segments do not have to be any particular length; CICS assembles and transmits as many RUs as are required.) The PROFILE definition under which your transaction is running must specify CHAINCONTROL=YES in order for you to do this. Note: Options that apply to a complete logical message (that is, the whole chain) must appear only on the first SEND command for a chain. These include FMH, LAST, and, for the 3601, LDC.

Handling logical records

As noted earlier, some devices block input messages and send multiple inputs in a single transmission. CICS allows you to specify whether CICS or the application should deblock the input. The choice is expressed in the LOGREC option of the PROFILE under which the current transaction is executing. With LOGREC (NO), CICS provides the entire input message in response to a RECEIVE (assuming the input is not chained or BUILDCHAIN=YES). The user is responsible for deblocking the input. If BUILDCHAIN=NO, a RECEIVE retrieves one RU of the chain at a time. In general, logical records do not span RUs, so that a single RU contains one or more complete logical records. The exception is LU type 4 devices, where a logical record may start in one RU and continue in another; for this reason, BUILDCHAIN=YES is recommended if you do your own deblocking for these devices. If the PROFILE specifies LOGREC (YES), CICS provides one logical record in response to each RECEIVE command (whether or not CICS is assembling input chains).

Chapter 25. Terminal control

317

If an RU contains more than one logical record, the records are separated by new line (NL) characters, X'15', interrecord separators (IRS characters), X'1E', or transparent (TRN) characters, X'35'. If NL characters are used, they are not removed when the data is passed to the program and appear at the end of the logical record. If IRS characters are used, however, they are removed. If the delimiter is a transparent character, the logical record can contain any characters, including NL and IRS, which are considered normal data in transparent mode. The terminating TRN is removed, however. CICS limits logical records separated by TRNs to 256 characters.

Response protocol
Under VTAM, CICS allows the use of either definite response or exception response protocol for outbound data. Under exception response, a terminal acknowledges a SEND only if an error occurred. If your task is using exception response, CICS does not wait for the last SEND in the task (which may be the only SEND) to complete before terminating your task. Consequently, if an error does occur, it may not be possible to report it to your task. When this happens, the error is reported to a CICS-supplied task created for the purpose. Definite response requires that the terminal acknowledge every SEND, and CICS does not terminate your task until it gets a response on the last SEND. Using definite response protocol has some performance disadvantages, but it may be necessary in some applications. The MSGINTEG option of the PROFILE under which a task is running determines which response mode is used. However, if you select MSGINTEG (NO) (exception response), you can still ask for definite response on any particular SEND by using the DEFRESP option. In this way, you can use definite response selectively, paying the performance penalty only when necessary.

Using function management headers

SNA architecture defines a particular type of header field that accompanies some messages, called a function management header (FMH). It conveys information about the message and how it should be handled. For some logical units, use of an FMH is mandatory, for others it is optional, and in some cases FMHs cannot be used at all. In particular, FMHs do not apply to LU type 2 and LU type 3 terminals, which are the most common 3270 devices.

Inbound FMH
When an FMH is present in an input message, CICS consults the PROFILE definition under which the transaction is executing to decide whether to remove it or pass it on to the application program that issued the RECEIVE. The PROFILE can specify that no FMHs are to be passed, that only the FMH indicating the end of the data set should be passed, or that all FMHs are to be passed. There is also an option that causes the FMH to be passed to the batch data interchange program. If an FMH is present, it occupies the initial bytes of the input message; its length varies by device type. CICS sets the EIBFMH field in the EIB on (X'FF') to tell you that one is present, and it also raises the INBFMH condition, which you can detect through a HANDLE CONDITION command or by testing the RESP value.

318

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Outbound FMH
On output, the FMH can be built by the application program or by CICS. If your program supplies the FMH, you place it at the front of your output data and specify the FMH option on your SEND command. If CICS is to build the FMH, you reserve the first three bytes of the message for CICS to fill in and omit the FMH option. CICS builds an FMH only for devices that require one; you must supply it for devices for which it is optional.

Preventing interruptions (bracket protocol)

Brackets are an SNA protocol for ensuring that a conversation between two LUs is not interrupted by a request from a third LU. CICS uses bracket protocol to prevent interruption of the conversation between a CICS task and its principal facility for the duration of the task. If the task has an alternate facility, bracket protocol is used there also, for the same reason. The logical unit begins the bracket if it sends unsolicited input to initiate the task, and CICS begins the bracket if it initiates the task automatically. CICS ends the bracket at task end, unless the IMMEDIATE option appears on the final RETURN command. RETURN IMMEDIATE lets you initiate another task at your principal facility without allowing it to enter input. CICS does this by not ending the bracket between the ending task and its successor when brackets are in use. CICS requires the use of brackets for many devices under VTAM. For others, the use of brackets is determined by the value of the BRACKET option in the terminal definition. In general, bracket protocol is transparent to an application program, but it is still possible to optimize flows related to bracket protocol using the LAST option on the SEND command. If you know that a particular SEND is the last command for the terminal in a task, you can improve performance by adding the LAST option. LAST allows VTAM to send the end-of-bracket indicator with the data and saves a separate transmission to send it at task end. If you are sending the last output in a program-built chain (using CNOTCOMPL), LAST must be specified on the first SEND for the chain in order to be effective. If your task has significant work to do or may experience a significant delay after its last SEND, you may want to issue a FREE command. FREE releases the terminal for use in another task.

Using sequential terminal support

One of the many types of terminal that CICS supports is not really a terminal at all, but a pair of sequential devices or files simulating a terminal. One of the pair represents the input side of the terminal, and might be a card reader, a spool file or a SAM file on tape or DASD. The other represents the output, and might be a printer, a punch, spool or SAM file. Many device-type combinations are allowed, and either of the pair can be missing; that is, you can have an input-only or output-only sequential terminal. You read from and write to the devices or files that constitute a sequential terminal with terminal control commands, specifically RECEIVE, SEND, and CONVERSE. (BMS supports sequential terminals too; see Special options for non-3270 terminals on page 411.) The original purpose of sequential terminal support was to permit application developers to test online code before they had access to real terminals. This requirement rarely occurs any more, but sequential terminals are still useful for:

Chapter 25. Terminal control

319

Printing See Programming for non-CICS printers on page 353. Sequential terminals are particularly useful for output that is sometimes directed to a low-speed CICS printer, for which BMS or terminal control commands are required, and sometimes directed to a high-speed system printer (spool or transient data commands). If you define the high-speed printer as a sequential terminal, you can use terminal control or BMS commands, and you can use the same code for both types of printers. (If there are differences in the device data streams, you need to use BMS for complete transparency.) Regression testing Tests run from sequential terminals leave a permanent record of both input and output. This encourages systematic and verifiable initial testing. Also, it allows you to repeat tests after modifications, to ensure that a given set of inputs produces the same set of outputs after the change as before. Initialization Some installations use a sequential terminal to execute one or more initialization transactions, in preference to program list table programs. Transactions initiated from a sequential terminal begin execution as soon as the terminal is in service, and they continue as quickly as CICS can process them until the input is exhausted. Hence the inputs from a sequential terminal can be processed immediately after startup, if the sequential terminal is initially in service, at some later time (when it is put in service) or even as part of a controlled shutdown.

Coding considerations for sequential terminals

The input data submitted from a sequential terminal must be in the form in which it would come from a telecommunication device. For example, the first record usually starts with a transaction code, to tell CICS what transaction to execute. The transaction code must start in the first position of the input, just as it must on a real terminal. Note that this limits the ability to test applications that require input in complex formats. For example, there is no provision for expressing a formatted 3270 input stream as a sequential file, because of all the complex control sequences. However, you can use an unformatted 3270 data stream (or any other similar stream) for input, and you can still use BMS to format your output. When you build the input file, you place an end-of-data indicator (EODI) character after each of your input records. The EODI character is defined in the system initialization table; the default value is a backslash (\, X'E0'), but your installation may have defined some other value. CICS observes only your EODI characters in processing the input stream; it pays no attention to record structure of the input file or device, so that one of your inputs can span records in the input file. Similarly, you do not start each input on a new physical record, but immediately after the EODI terminating the previous one. The length of an input record (the number of characters between EODIs) should not exceed the size of the input buffer (the INAREAL value in the LINE component of the sequential terminal definition). If it does, the transaction that attempts to RECEIVE the long record abends, and CICS positions the input file after the next EODI before resuming input processing. An end-of-file marker in the input also acts as an EODI indicator. Any RECEIVE command issued after end-of-file is detected also causes an abend.

320

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Print formatting
If the definition of a sequential terminal indicates that the output half is a line printer, you can write multiple lines of output with a single SEND. For this type of device, CICS breaks your output message into lines after each new line character (X'15') or after the number of characters defined as the line length, whichever occurs first. Line length is defined by the LPLEN value in the terminal definition. Each SEND begins a new line.

GOODNIGHT convention
CICS continues to initiate transactions from a sequential terminal until it (or the transactions themselves) have exhausted all the input or until the terminal goes out of service. To prevent CICS from attempting to read beyond the end of the input file (which causes a transaction abend), the last transaction executed can put the terminal out of service after its final output. Alternatively (and this is usually easier), the last input can be a CESF GOODNIGHT transaction, which signs the terminal off and puts it out of service. You cannot normally enter further input from a sequential terminal once CICS has processed its original input, without putting it out of service.

Using TCAM
TCAM allows multiple applications to share a single terminal network, much as VTAM allows multiple applications to share an SNA network. Many TCAM applications are entirely user-written, but CICS and TSO (the time-sharing option of MVS) can also be TCAM applications. TCAM originally supported only the binary synchronous (BSC) and asynchronous (start-stop) devices that BTAM does; applications using these terminals do so through the DCB interface of TCAM. TCAM now includes support for SNA devices; applications access these terminals through the ACB interface of TCAM.

Coding for the DCB interface

CICS allows direct use of the DCB interface of TCAM. Under this interface, CICS sees a TCAM terminal as a pair of queuesone from which it reads input messages, and a second to which it sends output messagesvery similar to a sequential terminal. TCAM does all the management of the actual terminals, through a message control program (MCP) that you must supply. The requirements for an MCP and full details of the CICS-TCAM interface are described in the CICS Intercommunication Guide. Although the CICS-TCAM interface screens you from some hardware details, it does require that the data streams sent to and from the terminal be in the correct form for the device. Therefore, you need to format the data stream according to the device type, just as you do when you use terminal control commands for a CICS-attached device. To do this, you use essentially the same terminal control commands for TCAM-managed terminals as for BTAM-managed terminals of the same type. That is, you use Table 18 on page 310 and Table 19 on page 312 in the same way as you would for a terminal managed locally or remotely by CICS. There are some exceptions to the commands and options you can use, however. Most arise from the fact that you are writing to and reading from the terminal indirectly, through queues, and may be sharing the terminal with other applications outside of CICS. Specifically: v You cannot use the BUFFER option of the RECEIVE command. v The conditions ENDINPT and EOF do not occur. v The ISSUE RESET command cannot be used. v The ISSUE COPY and ISSUE PRINT commands for the 3270 cannot be used.
Chapter 25. Terminal control

321

Other restrictions may be imposed by the particular MCP associated with your terminal, and you must also observe any similar rules that exist at your installation.

Sending to another terminal

One option on SEND and CONVERSE commands is available only for TCAM terminals, and it can be very useful, particularly for message switching. This is the DEST option. You can use it to SEND to a terminal other than the principal facility of your task, provided that terminal is a TCAM terminal. As in the case of a TCAM principal facility, you need to ensure that you send the data in the correct format for the hardware and observe any restrictions imposed by its MCP.

Coding for the ACB interface

CICS does not support the ACB interface of TCAM. To use a terminal through this interface, you need to do so through an older version of CICS, as explained in Terminal access method support on page 303. In general, you use the same terminal control commands and options for such a device as you would if it were attached through VTAM. However, the path between your CICS application program and the terminal is much more complex, and consequently there are many more programming possibilities. You should consult the CICS Intercommunication Guide and your own systems staff before designing applications for the ACB interface.

Using batch data interchange

Many installations have a host computer and database at a central location, linked to other computers at branch offices. They do not necessarily contain CICS, but they can communicate with CICS in the host system. The CICS batch data interchange program provides for communication between an application program and a named data set (or destination) that is part of a batch data interchange logical unit in an outboard controller, or with a selected medium on a batch logical unit or an LU type 4 logical unit. This medium indicates the required device such as a printer or console. The term outboard controller is a generalized reference to a programmable subsystem, such as the IBM 3770 Data Communication System, the IBM 3790 Data Communication System, or the IBM 8100 System running DPCX, which uses SNA protocols. (Details of SNA protocols and the data sets that can be used are given in CICS/OS/VS IBM 3767/3770/6670 Guide and CICS/OS/VS IBM 3790/3780/8100 Guide.) Figure 64 gives an overview of batch data interchange.
System with CICS
Card Device

CICS Batch Interchange Program

Data can be moved across this link

Programmable subsystem

Printer

Terminals

Figure 64. CICS batch data interchange

322

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The following batch data interchange commands are provided: ISSUE QUERY Initiate transfer of a data set to the CICS application program. ISSUE RECEIVE Read a record from a data set or read data from an input medium. ISSUE SEND Transmit data to a named data set or to a selected medium. ISSUE ADD Add a record to a data set. ISSUE REPLACE Update (replace) a record in a data set. ISSUE ERASE Delete a record from a data set. ISSUE END Terminate processing of a data set. ISSUE ABORT Terminate processing of a data set abnormally. ISSUE NOTE Request the next record number in a data set. ISSUE WAIT Wait for an operation to be completed. Where the controller is an LU type 4 logical unit, only the ISSUE ABORT, ISSUE END, ISSUE RECEIVE, ISSUE SEND, and ISSUE WAIT commands can be used. Where the data set is a DPCX/DXAM data set, only the ISSUE ADD, ISSUE ERASE, and ISSUE REPLACE commands can be used. Refer to Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions on page 209 for information about how to deal with any exception conditions that occur during execution of a batch data interchange command.

Destination selection and identification

All batch data interchange commands except ISSUE RECEIVE include options that specify the destination. This is either a named data set in a batch data interchange logical unit, or a selected medium in a batch logical unit or LU type 4 logical unit.

Selection by named data set

The DESTID and DESTIDLENG options must always be specified, to supply the data set name and its length (up to a maximum of eight characters). For destinations having diskettes, the VOLUME and VOLUMELENG options may be specified, to supply a volume name and its length (up to a maximum of six characters); the volume name identifies the diskette that contains the data set to be used in the operation. If the VOLUME option is not specified for a multidiskette destination, all diskettes are searched until the required data set is found.

Selection by medium
As an alternative to naming a data set as the destination, various media can be specified by means of the CONSOLE, PRINT, CARD, or WPMEDIA14 options. These media can be specified only in an ISSUE ABORT, ISSUE END, ISSUE SEND, or ISSUE WAIT command.
Chapter 25. Terminal control

323

Definite response
CICS uses terminal control commands to carry out the functions specified in batch data interchange commands. For those commands that cause terminal control output requests to be made, the DEFRESP option can be specified. This option has the same effect as the DEFRESP option of the SEND terminal control command; that is, to request a definite response from the outboard controller, irrespective of the specification of message integrity for the CICS task (by the system programmer). The DEFRESP option can be specified for the ISSUE ADD, ISSUE ERASE, ISSUE REPLACE, and ISSUE SEND commands.

Waiting for function completion

For those batch data interchange commands that cause terminal control output requests to be made, the NOWAIT option can be specified. This option has the effect of allowing CICS task processing to continue; unless the NOWAIT option is specified, task activity is suspended until the batch data interchange command is completed. The NOWAIT option can be specified only on the ISSUE ADD, ISSUE ERASE, ISSUE REPLACE, and ISSUE SEND commands. After a batch data interchange command with the NOWAIT option has been issued, task activity can be suspended, by the ISSUE WAIT command, at a suitable point in the program to wait for the command to be completed.

324

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals

This chapter helps you to understand 3270 facilities and operation, so that you can use these terminals to best advantage in creating the end-user interface for your application. Some appreciation of the 3270 is also crucial to understanding BMS, because so many facilities of BMS exploit features of the 3270. The 3270 is a family of display and printer terminals, with supporting control units, that share common characteristics and use the same encoded data format to communicate between terminal and host processor. This data format is known as the 3270 data stream. The 3270 is a complex device with many features and capabilities. Only basic operations are covered here and the emphasis is on the way CICS supports the 3270. For a comprehensive discussion of 3270 facilities, programming and data stream format, see the IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual. Programmers using terminal control commands still need to consult the IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual for details. The IBM CICS/OS/VS 3270 Data Stream Device Guide also contains much important information. It is primarily intended for programmers using terminal control, but contains information that may be helpful for BMS programmers as well. BMS support for a few special features is discussed in the BMS chapter. (See page Chapter 41. Support for special hardware on page 487 for more information.) Although the discussion in this chapter is focused on display terminals, most of the material applies equally to 3270 printers. A 3270 printer accepts the same data stream as a 3270 display and simply delivers the screen image in hardcopy form. Most of the differences relate to input, which is (mostly) lacking on printers. However, additional formatting facilities are available for use with printers, and there are special considerations in getting your printed output to the desired printer. For more information see Chapter 27. CICS support for printing on page 343. This chapter describes: v History of the 3270 v The 3270 buffer on page 328 v The output datastream on page 328 v Orders in the data stream on page 333 v Outbound data stream sample on page 336 v Input from a 3270 terminal on page 338 v Inbound field format on page 340 v Unformatted mode on page 341

History of the 3270

The development of the 3270 coincided with, and in part caused, the explosive growth of online transaction processing that began in the late 1960s. Consequently, the 3270 was a major influence in the design of transaction processing systems such as CICS. The earliest terminal devices for online processing were adaptations of the teletype, the original and most basic computer terminal. Output was typed, and structure in the input typed by the operator was determined entirely by program convention, without any assists from the hardware. Cathode-ray tube terminals brought a
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

325

revolutionary improvement in output speed, allowing a complexity of application not previously possible, but formatting on early CRTs was not much more sophisticated than on their hard-copy predecessors.

Screen fields
The 3270 transformed the user interface by introducing the concept of fields on a display screen. Each field on the screen has a starting position and individual attributes, such as display intensity, color, and whether or not you can key data into it. Fields introduce structure into the communication between program and terminal operator in the same way that fields in a file record provide structure for interaction between programs and data.

Billing information on customer: Reference Number Full Name Amount Owed KRK123456 Phileas Arthur Fogg $40.07

Figure 65. Part of a formatted screen, showing fields. Each block of text on the screen is a separate field. The fields on the left were filled in by program; those on the right were completed by an operator.

Organizing a screen display into fields has many advantages: v The screen is easier to read, because fields can have different display characteristics. v Data entry is enhanced by providing clear visual and keyboard cues about the order and format of the information required. The screen can be as explicit as a standard fill-in-the-blanks paper form. (Keyboard facilities reinforce the structure imposed by the fields. The keyboard locks if the operator tries to key into the wrong place. There are keys that tab from one field to the next, another that erases just the current field, and so on.) v The length of the outbound data stream is reduced, because you send only nonblank (that is, nonspacer) data. v The inbound data stream is also reduced, because the host normally reads only the changed fields.

Personal computers
The advent of personal computers (PCs) and intelligent workstations brought a second revolution in terminal display function. These terminals differ from 3270s in two important respects: v They are generally all points addressable. That is, you can address any point on the display raster, just as you can on a television screen. A typical display might contain a grid of 640 by 480 points in the space normally used to display a single character on an earlier display. Moreover, a whole palette of colors and intensities is available at each point. In contrast, a 3270 screen is divided into an array of character positions, typically 24 down and 80 across. Each position consists of an array of raster points, but you cannot address them individually. You can only select a character, from a set of about 190 choices, for each position. Some terminals allow you to select from several character sets and to load new sets, allowing a rudimentary form of graphics, but essentially you are working with a terminal that displays text, numbers and symbols. You get some control of how the characters are displayed, but the choices are very limited in comparison with a PC display.

326

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v The second difference is what makes the first possible. Personal computers and intelligent workstations contain a processor, memory, and programming (that is, intelligence) that make it possible to communicate with this very much more complex hardware through a relatively simple programming interface and minimum long-distance transmission of data. These characteristics make possible a much higher-function end-user interface than that of the 3270. You can draw pictures, select from a variety of fonts, scale images in size, and so on. If you are writing a new application, and all of your users access it from such terminals, you may want to take advantage of this function to create the most efficient end-user interface possible for your application. CICS cannot provide this type of function directly, but it does provide a number of ways for a task to communicate with a workstation, so that you can use a software package tailored for your particular workstation in combination with CICS. One popular approach is to use one of these packages, executing on the PC, to build your screens and handle the interactions with your userthat is, to implement the front end of your application. This code can then communicate with the part of your application that does the actual processingthe back end or business logic partexecuting under CICS on the host. Communication between the two parts of the application can be done in several ways, depending on what your workstation supports: v You can use one of the SNA application-to-application protocols, such as APPC. v You can use the CPI-C sockets interface (see Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication on page 371). v You can use CICS on the workstation and use CICS facilities to communicate, or even distribute the business logic between the host and the workstation. CICS runs on many of these platforms, including OS/2, AIX, OS/400, and others. When you do this, you can execute specific commands on the host (file operations, for example), or whole programs, or whole tasks. Executing commands remotely is called function shipping, executing a program remotely is called a distributed program link, and executing the whole task remotely is called transaction routing. See the CICS Intercommunication Guide for a full discussion of the possibilities, and the CICS Distributed Transaction Programming Guide for implementation details. v You can use the terminal in emulation mode, a technique explained in PCs as 3270s. If some of your users have 3270s or other nonprogrammable terminals, on the other hand, or if you are modifying an existing 3270 application, you need to use either terminal control or BMS commands.

PCs as 3270s
Although there is a different programming interface for a PC display, you can use PCs as 3270 terminals. Almost all PCs have programs available that emulate a 3270. These programs convert output in 3270 data stream format into the set of PC instructions that produces the same display on the screen, and similarly convert keyboard input into the form that would have come from a 3270 with the same screen contents. Under an emulator, the PC display has essentially the same level of function as a real 3270. This limits your access to the more powerful PC hardware, although an emulator program often gives you a means to switch easily from its control to other programs that use the display in full function mode. Moreover, the hardware on a particular PC does not always permit exact duplication of 3270 function (the
Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals

327

keyboard may be different, for example). Consequently, your PC may not always behave precisely as described in this chapter or in the IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual, although the differences are usually minor.

The 3270 buffer

Communication with a 3270 device occurs through its character buffer, which is a hardware storage mechanism similar to the memory in a processor. Output to the 3270 is sent to the buffer. The buffer, in turn, drives the display of a display terminal and the print mechanism of a printer terminal. Conversely, keyboard input reaches the host through the buffer, as explained in Input from a 3270 terminal on page 338. Each position on the screen corresponds to one in the buffer, and the contents of that buffer position determine what is displayed on the screen. When the screen is formatted in fields, the first position of each field is used to store certain display characteristics of the field and is not available to display data (it appears blank). In the original models of the 3270, this byte was sufficient to store all of the display characteristics. In later models, which have more types of display characteristics, the additional information is kept in an area of buffer storage not associated with a fixed position on the screen. See Display characteristics on page 330 for more about display characteristics.

The output datastream

To create a 3270 display, you send a stream of data that consists of: v A write command (one byte) v A write control character or WCC (one byte) v Display data (variable number of bytes) The WCC and display data are not always present; the write command determines whether a WCC follows and whether data may or must be present. When you use BMS, CICS builds the entire data stream for you. The WCC is assembled from options in the SEND command, and the write command is selected from other SEND options and information in the PROFILE of the transaction being executed. Display data is built from map or text data that you provide, which BMS translates into 3270 format for you. When you use terminal control commands, such as SEND, CICS still supplies the write command, built from the same information. However, you provide the WCC and you must express the display data in 3270 format.

3270 write commands

Even though CICS supplies the write command, you need to know the possibilities, so that you can select the options that produce the one you want. There are five 3270 commands that send data or instructions to a terminal: v Write v Erase/write v Erase/write alternate v Erase all unprotected fields v Write structured fields

328

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The 3270 write command sends the data that follows it to the 3270 buffer, from which the screen (or printer) is driven. Erase/write and erase/write alternate also do this, but they erase the buffer first (that is, they set it entirely to null values). They also determine the buffer size (the number of rows and columns on the screen), if the terminal has a feature called alternate screen size. Terminals with this feature have two sizes, default size and alternate size. The erase/write command causes the default size to be used in subsequent operations (until the next erase/write or erase/write alternate command), and erase/write alternate selects the alternate size, as the names suggest. CICS uses the plain write command to send data unless you include the ERASE option on your SEND command. If you specify ERASE DEFAULT on your SEND, CICS uses erase/write instead (setting the screen to default size), and ERASE ALTERNATE causes CICS to use erase/write alternate (setting alternate size). If you specify ERASE without DEFAULT or ALTERNATE, CICS looks at the PROFILE definition associated with the transaction you are executing to decide whether to use erase/write or erase/write alternate. The erase unprotected to address command causes a scan of the buffer for unprotected fields (these are defined more precisely in 3270 field attributes on page 330). Any such fields that are found are set to nulls. This selective erasing is useful in data entry operations, as explained in The SEND CONTROL command on page 425. No WCC or data follows this command; you send only the command. Write structured fields causes the data that follows to be interpreted as 3270 structured fields. Structured fields are required for some of the advanced function features of the 3270. They are not covered here, but you can write them with terminal control SEND commands containing the STRFIELD option. See the IBM CICS/OS/VS 3270 Data Stream Device Guide if you wish to do this.

Write control character

The byte that follows a 3270 write, erase/write or erase/write alternate command is the write control character or WCC. The WCC tells the 3270 whether or not to: v Sound the audible alarm v Unlock the keyboard v Turn off the modified data tags v Begin printing (if terminal is a printer) v Reset structured fields v Reset inbound reply mode In BMS, CICS creates the WCC from the ALARM, FREEKB, FRSET, and PRINT options on your SEND MAP command. If you use terminal control commands, you can specify your WCC explicitly, using the CTLCHAR option. If you do not, CICS generates one that unlocks the keyboard and turns off the modified data tags (these are explained shortly, in Modification on page 331).

3270 display fields

Display data consists of a combination of characters to be displayed and instructions to the device on how and where to display them. Under ordinary circumstances, this data consists of a series of field definitions, although it is possible to write the screen without defining fields, as explained in Unformatted mode on page 341.

Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals

329

After a write command that erases, you need to define every field on the screen. Thereafter, you can use a plain write command and send only the fields you want to change. To define a field, you need to tell the 3270: v How to display it v What its contents are v Where it goes on the screen (that is, its starting position in the buffer)

Display characteristics
Each field on the screen has a set of display characteristics, called attributes. Attributes tell the 3270 how to display a field, and you need to understand what the possibilities are whether you are using BMS or terminal control commands. Attributes fall into two categories: Field attributes These include: v Protection (whether the operator can modify the field or not) v Modification (whether the operator did modify the field) v Display intensity All 3270s support field attributes; 3270 field attributes explains your choices for them. Field attributes are stored in the first character position of a field. This byte takes up a position on the screen and not only stores the field attributes, but marks the beginning of the field. The field continues up to the next attributes byte (that is, to the beginning of the next field). If the next field does not start on the same line, the current one wraps from the end of the current line to the beginning of the next line until another field is encountered. A field that has not ended by the last line returns to the first. Extended field attributes (Usually shortened to extended attributes). These are not present on all models of the 3270. Consequently, you need to be aware of which ones are available when you design your end-user interface. Extended attributes include special forms of highlighting and outlining, the ability to use multiple symbol sets and provision for double-byte character sets. Table 22 on page 332 lists the seven extended attributes and the values they can take.

3270 field attributes

As noted above, the field attributes byte holds the protection, modification and display intensity attributes of a field. Your choices for each of these attributes are described here using the terms that BMS uses in defining formats. If you use terminal control commands, you need to set the corresponding bits in the attributes byte to reflect the value you choose. (See the IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual for the bit assignments. See also Attribute value definitions: DFHBMSCA on page 421 for help from CICS in this area.)

Protection
There are four choices for the protection attribute, using up two bit positions in the attributes byte. They are:

330

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Unprotected The operator can enter any data character into an unprotected field. Numeric-only The effect of this designation depends on the keyboard type of the terminal. On a data entry keyboard, a numeric shift occurs, so that the operator can key numbers without shifting. On keyboards equipped with the numeric lock special feature, the keyboard locks if the operator uses any key except one of the digits 0 through 9, a period (decimal point), a dash (minus sign) or the DUP key. This prevents the operator from keying alphabetic data into the field, although the receiving program must still inspect the entry to ensure that it is a number of the form it expects. Without the numeric lock feature, numeric-only allows any data into the field. Protected The operator cannot key into a protected field. Attempting to do so locks the keyboard. Autoskip The operator cannot key into an autoskip field either, but the cursor behaves differently. (The cursor indicates where the operators next keystroke will go; for more information about this, see Input from a 3270 terminal on page 338.) Whenever the cursor is being advanced to a new field (either because the previous field filled or because a field advance key was used), the cursor skips over any autoskip fields in its path and goes to the first field that is either unprotected or numeric-only.

Modification
The second item of information in the field attributes byte occupies only a single bit, called the modified data tag or MDT. The MDT indicates whether the field has been modified or not. The hardware turns on this bit automatically whenever the operator makes any change to the field contents. The MDT bit is very important because, for the read command that CICS normally uses, it determines whether the field is included in the inbound data or not. If the bit is on (that is, the field was changed), the 3270 sends the field; if not, the field is not sent. You can also turn the MDT on by program, when you send a field to the screen. Using this feature ensures that a field is returned on a read, even if the operator cannot or does not change it. The FRSET option on BMS SEND commands allows you to turn off the tags for all the fields on the screen by program; you cannot turn off individual tags by program. If you are using terminal control commands, you turn on a bit in the WCC to turn off an individual tag.

Intensity
The third characteristic stored in the attributes byte is the display intensity of the field. There are three mutually exclusive choices: Normal intensity The field is displayed at normal brightness for the device. Bright The field is displayed at higher than normal intensity, so that it appears highlighted. Nondisplay The field is not displayed at all. The field may contain data in the buffer, and the operator can key into it (provided it is not protected or autoskip), but the data is not visible on the screen.
Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals

331

Two bits are used for display intensity, which allows one more value to be expressed than the three listed above. For terminals that have either of the associated special hardware features, these same two bits are used to determine whether a field is light-pen detectable or cursor selectable. Because there are only two bits, not all combinations of intensity and selectability are possible. The compromise is that bright fields are always detectable, nondisplay fields are never detectable, and normal intensity fields may be either. Cursor and pen-detectable fields on page 490 contains more information about these features.

Base color
Some terminals support base color without, or in addition to, the extended colors included in the extended attributes. There is a mode switch on the front of such a terminal, allowing the operator to select base or default color. Default color shows characters in green unless field attributes specify bright intensity, in which case they are white. In base color mode, the protection and intensity bits are used in combination to select among four colors: normally white, red, blue, and green; the protection bits retain their protection functions as well as determining color.

Extended attributes
In addition to the field attributes just described, some 3270 terminals have extended attributes as well. Table 22 lists the types of extended attributes in the first column and the possible values for each type in the second column.
Table 22. 3270 extended attributes Attribute type Extended color Extended highlighting Field outlining Background transparency Field validation Programmed symbol sets Values Blue, red, pink, green, turquoise, yellow, neutral Blinking, reverse video, underscoring Lines over, under, left and right, in any combination Background transparent, background opaque Field must be entered; field must be filled; field triggers input Number identifying the symbol set Note: The control unit associated with a terminal contains a default symbol set and can store up to five additional ones. To use one of these others, you need to load the symbol set into the controller prior to use. You can use a terminal control SEND command to do this. Shift characters indicating double-byte characters may be present; shift characters are not present

SO/SI creation

The IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual contains details about extended attributes and explains how default values are determined. You can use ASSIGN and INQUIRE commands to determine which extended attributes your particular terminal has. These commands are described in Finding out about your terminal on page 314. Some models of the 3270 also allow you to assign extended attribute values to individual characters within a field that are different from the value for the field as a whole. Generally, you need to use terminal control commands to do this, because BMS does not make explicit provision for character attributes. However, you can

332

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

insert the control sequences for character attributes in text output under BMS, as explained in Text lines on page 463. The set attribute order on page 335 describes the format of such a sequence.

Orders in the data stream

The next several sections tell you how to format outbound data to express the attributes, position, and contents of a field. You need to know this information if you are writing to a 3270 using terminal control commands. If you are using BMS, all this is done for you, and you can move on to Input from a 3270 terminal on page 338. When you define a field in the 3270 data stream, you begin with a start field (SF) or a start field extended (SFE) order. Orders are instructions to the 3270. They tell it how to load its buffer. They are one byte long and usually are followed by data in a format specific to the order.

The start field order

The SF order is supported on all models and lets you specify the field attributes and the display contents of a field, but not extended attributes. To define a field with SF, you insert a sequence in the data stream as in Figure 66.

D4 (M

C5 E

D5 N

E4 U)

Display data: word "MENU" Field attributes: autoskip, normal intensity, MDT off SF order
Figure 66. Field definition using SF order

If you need to specify extended attributes, and your terminal supports them, you use the start field extended order instead. SFE requires a different format, because of the more complex attribute information. Extended attributes are expressed as byte pairs. The first byte is a code indicating which type of attribute is being defined, and the second byte is the value for that attribute. The field attributes are treated collectively as an additional attribute type and also expressed as a byte pair. Immediately after the SFE order, you give a 1-byte count of the attribute pairs, then the attribute pairs, and finally the display data. The whole sequence is shown in Figure 67 on page 334.

Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals

333

D4 (M

C5 E

D5 N

E4 U)

Display data: word "MENU" Field attributes: autoskip, normal intensity, MDT off Attribute code for field attributes Field outlining value for box around field Attribute code for field outlining Count of attribute pairs to follow SFE order
Figure 67. Field definition using SFE order

The modify field order

When a field is on the screen, you can change it with a command almost identical in format to SFE, called modify field (MF). The only differences from SFE are: v The field must already exist. v The command code is X'2C' instead of X'29'. v You send only the attributes you want to change from their current values, and you send display data only if you want to change it. v A null value sets an attribute back to its default for your particular terminal (you accomplish the same thing in an SFE order by omitting the attribute). For example, to change the menu field of earlier examples back to the default color for the terminal and underscore it, you would need the sequence in Figure 68.

Value to set to terminal default Attribute code for foreground color Extended highlighting value for underscore Attribute code for extended highlighting Count of attribute pairs to follow MF order
Figure 68. Changing field attributes within an MF order

334

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The set buffer address order

The SF and SFE orders place the field they define at the current position in the buffer, and MF modifies the field at this position. Unless the field follows the last character sent (that is, begins in the current buffer position), you need to precede these orders with a set buffer address (SBA) order to indicate where you want to place or change a field. To do this, you send an SBA order followed by a 2-byte address, as in Figure 69.

Buffer address (row 2, column 33) SBA order

Figure 69. SBA sequence

The address in the figure is a 12-bit address for position 112 (X'70'), which is row 2, column 33 on an 80-column screen. Note that counting starts in the first row and column (the zero position) and proceeds along the rows. There are two other addressing schemes used: 14-bit and 16-bit. Buffer positions are numbered sequentially in all of them, but in 12- and 14-bit addressing, not all the bits in the address are used, so that they do not appear sequential. (The X'70' (B'1110000') in the figure appears as B'110000' in the low-order six bits of the rightmost byte of the address and B'000001' in the low-order six bits of the left byte.) The IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual explains how to form addresses. After an SF, SFE, or MF order, the current buffer address points to the first position in the buffer you did not fillright after your data, if any, or after the field attributes byte if none.

The set attribute order

To set the attributes of a single character position, you use a set attribute (SA) order for each attribute you want to specify. For example, to make a character blink, you need the sequence in Figure 70.

Extended highlighting value for blinking Attribute code for extended highlighting SA order
Figure 70. SA sequence to make a character blink

The attributes you specify with SA orders are assigned to the current buffer position, in the same way that field definitions are placed at the current buffer position, so you generally need to precede your SAs with SBA sequences.

Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals

335

Outbound data stream sample

This section shows you an annotated example of the data stream required to paint a particular 3270 screen, to reinforce the explanation of how the data stream is built. Figure 71 shows an example screen that is part of an application that keeps track of cars used by the employees at a work site, and is used to record a new car. The only inputs are the employee identification number, the license plate (tag) number, and, if the car is from out-of-state, the licensing state.
Car Record Tag No: ________

Employee No: ______

State: __

Figure 71. Example of a data-entry screen

Note: This is an unrealistically simple screen, designed to keep the explanation manageably short. It does not conform to generally accepted standards of screen design, and you should not use it as a model. There are eight fields on this screen: 1. Screen title, Car Record, on line 1, column 26 2. Label field, Employee No: (line 3, column 1), indicating what the operator is to enter into the next field 3. An input field for the employee number (line 3, column 14), six positions long 4. Label field, Tag. No:, at line 3, column 21 5. An input field (tag number) at line 3, column 31, eight positions long 6. Label field, State:, at line 3, column 40 7. An input field (state), at line 3, column 49, two positions long 8. A field to mark the end of the previous (state) input field, at line 3, column 52 Table 23 shows the outbound data stream:
Table 23. 3270 output data stream Bytes 1 2 3 4-5 6 7 8-17 18-20 21 22 Contents X'F5' X'C2' X'11' X'40D6' X'1D' X'F8' Car record X'11C260' X'1D' X'F0' Notes The 3270 command that starts the data stream, in this case erase/write. WCC; this value unlocks the keyboard, but does not sound the alarm or reset the MDTs. SBA order to position first field at ... Address of line 1, column 23 on 24 by 80 screen, using 12-bit addressing. SF order to begin first field definition. Field attributes byte; this combination indicates a field which is autoskip and bright, with the MDT initially off. Display contents of the field. SBA sequence to reset the current buffer position to line 3, column 1 for second field. SF order for second field. Field attributes byte: autoskip, normal intensity, MDT off.

336

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 23. 3270 output data stream (continued) Bytes 23-34 35 Contents Employee No: X'29' Notes Display contents of field. SFE order to start fourth field. SFE is required, instead of SF, because you need to specify extended attributes. This field starts immediately after the previous one left off, so you do not have to precede it with an SBA sequence. Count of attribute types that are specified (two here: field outlining and field attributes). Code indicating attribute type of extended highlighting. Extended highlighting value indicating underscoring. Code indicating attribute type of field attributes. Field attributes value for numeric-only, normal intensity, MDT off. Any initial data for this field would appear next, but there is none. Insert cursor (IC) order, which tells the 3270 to place the cursor at the current buffer position. We want it at the start of the first field which the operator has to fill in, which is the current buffer position. SBA sequence to position to line 3, column 21, to leave the six positions required for an employee number. The beginning of the Tag No label field marks the end of the employee number input field, so that the user is aware immediately if he tries to key too long a number. SF order to start field. Field attributes byte: autoskip, normal intensity, MDT off. Display data. We attach two leading blanks to the label for more space between the fields. (We could have used a separate field, but this is easier for only a few characters.) SFE (the next field is another input field, where we want field outlining, so we use SFE again). Count of attribute types. Code for extended highlighting with value of underscoring. Code for field attributes and attributes of unprotected, normal intensity, MDT off. SBA sequence to reposition to line 3, column 40, leaving eight positions for the tag. SF to start field. Field attributes byte: autoskip, normal intensity, MDT off. Field data (two leading blanks again for spacing). SFE order and attribute specifications for state input field (attributes are identical to those for tag input field).

36 37 38 39 40

X'02' X'41' X'F4' X'C0' X'50'

X'13'

42-44

X'11C2F4'

45 46 47-55

X'1D' X'F0' Tag No:

56 57 58-59 60-61 62-64 65 66 67-74 75-80

X'29' X'02' X'41F4' X'C040' X'11C3C7' X'1D' X'F0' State: X'290241F4C040'

Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals

337

Table 23. 3270 output data stream (continued) Bytes 81-82 Contents X'0000' Notes The (initial) contents of the state field. We could have omitted this value as we did for other input fields, but we would need an SBA sequence to move the current buffer position to the end of the field, and this is shorter. SF. The last field indicates the end of the previous one, so that the user does not attempt to key more than two characters for the state code. It has no initial data, just an attributes byte. This kind of field is sometimes called a stopper field. Field attributes byte: autoskip, normal intensity, MDT off.

X'1D'

X'F0'

Note: If you use terminal control commands and build your own data stream, the data you provide in the FROM parameter of your SEND command starts at byte 3 in the table above; CICS supplies the write command and the WCC from options on your SEND command.

Input from a 3270 terminal

As explained earlier, keyboard input reaches the host through the buffer. There are many different keyboard arrangements available for 3270 terminals, but in any arrangement, a key falls into one of three categories: v Data key v Keyboard control key v Attention key

Data keys
The data keys include all the familiar letters, numbers, punctuation marks and special characters. Depressing a data key simply changes the content of the buffer (and therefore the screen) at the point indicated by the cursor. The cursor is a visible pointer to the position on the screen (that is, in the buffer) where the next data keystroke is be stored. As the operator keys data, the cursor advances to the next position on the screen, skipping over fields defined with the autoskip attribute on the screens that have been formatted.

Keyboard control keys

Keyboard control keys move the cursor to a new position, erase fields or individual buffer positions, cause characters to be inserted, or otherwise change where or how the keyboard modifies the buffer.

Attention keys
The keys in the previous groups, Data and Keyboard control keys, cause no interaction with the host; they are handled entirely by the device and its control unit. An attention key, on the other hand, signals that the buffer is ready for transmission to the host. If the host has issued a read to the terminal, the usual situation in CICS, transmission occurs at this time. There are five types of attention key: v ENTER v PF (program function) key

338

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v CLEAR v PA (program attention) key v CNCL (cancel key, present only on some keyboard models) In addition to pressing an attention key, there are other operator actions that cause transmission: v Using an identification card reader v Using a magnetic slot reader or hand scanner v Selecting an attention field with a light pen or the cursor select key v Moving the cursor out of a trigger field Trigger field capability is provided with extended attributes on some terminal models, but all the other actions listed above require special hardware, and in most cases the screen (buffer) must be set up appropriately beforehand. We talk about these features in Chapter 41. Support for special hardware on page 487. For this chapter, we concentrate on standard features.

The AID
The 3270 identifies the key that causes transmission by an encoded value in the first byte of the inbound data stream. This value is called the attention identifier or AID. Ordinarily, the key that the terminal operator chooses to transmit data is dictated by the application designer. The designer assigns specific meanings to the various attention keys, and the user must know these meanings in order to use the application. (Often, there are only a few such keys in use: ENTER for normal inputs, one PF key to exit from control of the application, another to cancel a partially completed transaction sequence, for example. Where there are a number of choices, you may want to list the key definitions on the screen, so that the user does not have to memorize them.) There is an important distinction between two groups of attention keys, which the application designer must keep in mind. The ENTER and PF keys transmit data from the buffer when the host issues a read modified command, the command normally used by CICS. CLEAR, CNCL and the PA keys do not, although you do get the AID (that is, the identity of the key that was used). These are called the short read keys. They are useful for conveying simple requests, such as cancel, but not for those that require accompanying data. In practice, many designers use PF keys even for the nondata requests, and discard any accompanying data. Note: The CLEAR key has the additional effect of setting the entire buffer to nulls, so that there is literally no data to send. CLEAR also sets the screen size to the default value, if the terminal has the alternate screen size feature, and it puts the screen into unformatted mode, as explained in Unformatted mode on page 341.

Reading from a 3270 terminal

There are two basic read commands for the 3270: v Read buffer v Read modified For either command, the inbound data stream starts with a 3-byte read header consisting of: v Attention identifier (AID), one byte v Cursor address, two bytes
Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals

339

As noted in the previous section, the AID indicates which action or attention key causes transmission. The cursor address indicates where the cursor was at the time of transmission. CICS stores this information in the EIB, at EIBAID and EIBCPOSN, on the completion of any RECEIVE command. The read buffer command brings in the entire buffer following the read header, and the receiving program is responsible for extracting the information it wants based on position. It is intended primarily for diagnostic and other special purposes, and CICS uses it in executing a RECEIVE command only if the BUFFER option is specified. CICS never uses read buffer to read unsolicited terminal input, so the BUFFER option cannot be used on the first RECEIVE of a transaction initiated in this way. With read modified, the command that CICS normally uses, much less data is transmitted. For the short read keys (CLEAR, CNCL and PAs), only the read header comes in. For other attention keys (ENTER and PFs), the fields on the screen that were changed (those with the MDT on, to be precise) follow the read header. We describe the format in the next section. When transmission occurs because of a trigger field, light pen detect or cursor select, the amount and format of the information is slightly different; these special formats are described in Chapter 41. Support for special hardware on page 487. Input from a program attention key on an SCS printer is also an exception; see SCS input on page 349 for a description of that data stream.

Inbound field format

The next several sections describe the format in which the 3270 transmits data, which you need to understand if you are using terminal control commands. If you are using BMS, you can skip to Unformatted mode on page 341, because BMS translates the input for you. Each modified field comes in as follows: v SBA order v Two-byte address of the first data position of field v SF order v Field contents Only the non-null characters in the field are transmitted; nulls are skipped, wherever they appear. Thus if an entry does not fill the field, and the field was initially nulls, only the characters keyed are transmitted, reducing the length of the inbound data. Nulls (X'00') are not the same as blanks (X'40'), even though they are indistinguishable on the screen. Blanks get transmitted, and hence you normally initialize fields to nulls rather than to blanks, to minimize transmission. A 3270 read command can specify that the terminal should return the attribute values along with the field contents, but CICS does not use this option. Consequently, the buffer address is the location of the first byte of field data, not the preceding attributes byte (as it is in the corresponding outbound data stream). Note: Special features of the 3270 for input, such as the cursor select key, trigger fields, magnetic slot readers, and so on, produce different input formats. See Field selection features on page 489 for details.

340

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Input data stream example

To illustrate an inbound data stream, we assume that an operator using the screen shown in Figure 71 on page 336 did the following: v Put 123456 in the employee identifier field v Put ABC987 in the tag number v Pressed ENTER, without filling in the state field Here is the resulting inbound data stream:
Table 24. 3270 input data stream Bytes 1 2-3 4 5-6 7-12 13-15 16 17-22 Contents X'7D' X'C3C5' X'11' X'C26E' 123456 X'11C3D1' X'1D' ABC987 Notes AID, in this case the ENTER key. Cursor address: line 3, column 38, where the operator left it after the last data keystroke. SBA, indicating that a buffer address follows. Address of line 3, column 15, which is the starting position of the field to follow. Input, the employee number entered by the operator. SBA sequence indicating a buffer address of line 3, column 32. SF, indicating another input field follows. Input field: plate number. Notice that only six characters came in from a field that was eight long, because an operator left the remaining positions null.

Note that the third input field (the state code) does not appear in the input data stream. This is because its MDT did not get turned on; it was set off initially, and the operator did not turn it on by keying into the field. Note also that no SF is required at byte 7 because CICS normally issues a Read Modified All.

Unformatted mode
Even though the high function of the 3270 revolves around its field structure, it is possible to use the 3270 without fields, in what is called unformatted mode. In this mode, there are no fields defined, and the entire screen (buffer) behaves as a single string of data, inbound and outbound, much like earlier, simpler terminals. When you write in unformatted mode, you define no fields in your data, although you can include SBA orders to direct the data to a particular positions on the screen. Data that precedes any SBA order is written starting at the current position of the cursor. (If you use an erase or write command, the cursor is automatically set to zero, at the upper left corner of the screen.) When you read an unformatted screen, the first three bytes are the read header (the AID and the cursor address), just as when you read a formatted screen. The remaining bytes are the contents of the entire buffer, starting at position zero. There are no SBA or SF orders present, because there are no fields. If the read command was read modified, the nulls are suppressed, and therefore it is not always possible to determine exactly where on the screen the input data was located. You cannot use a BMS RECEIVE MAP command to read an unformatted screen. BMS raises the MAPFAIL condition on detecting unformatted input, as explained in

Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals

341

MAPFAIL and other exceptional conditions on page 444. You can read unformatted data only with a terminal control RECEIVE command in CICS. Note: The CLEAR key puts the screen into unformatted mode, because its sets the buffer to nulls, thereby erasing all the attributes bytes that demarcate fields.

342

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 27. CICS support for printing

CICS does not provide special commands for printing, but there are options on BMS and terminal control commands that apply only to printers, and for some printers you use transient data or SPOOL commands. We cover the factors that determine the API and the choices you have in the sections that follow. There are two issues associated with printing that do not usually occur in other types of end-user communication: 1. There are additional formatting considerations, especially for 3270 printers 2. The task that needs to print may not have direct access to the printer. In addition, there are two distinct categories of printer, which have different application programming interfaces: CICS printers Printers defined as terminals to CICS and managed directly by CICS. They are usually low-speed devices located near the end users, suitable for printing on demand of relatively short documents. The 3289 and 3262 are usually attached as CICS printers. Non-CICS printers Printers managed by the operating system or another application. These printers are usually high-speed devices located at the central processing site, appropriate for volume printing that does not have to be available immediately. They may also be advanced function or other printers that require special connections, management, or sharing. This chapter describes: v Formatting for CICS printers v CICS 3270 printers on page 344 v CICS 3270 printer options on page 345 v Non-3270 CICS printers on page 348 v Determining the characteristics of a CICS printer on page 349 v Using CICS printers on page 350 v Using Non-CICS printers on page 353 v Printing display screens on page 355

Formatting for CICS printers

The application programming interface for writing to a printer terminal is essentially the same as for writing to a display. (This section does not discuss the problem of arranging that your task have the printer as its principal facility; this is discussed in Using CICS printers on page 350.) You can use terminal control commands (SENDs) for any CICS printer, and most of them are supported by BMS too (SEND MAP, SEND TEXT, and SEND CONTROL). BMS support levels on page 393 lists the devices that BMS supports. For printers that are components of an outboard controller or LU Type 4, you can use batch data interchange (BDI) commands as well as terminal control and BMS. BDI commands are described in Using batch data interchange on page 322. The choice between using BMS and terminal control is based on the same considerations as it is for a display terminal. Like displays, printers differ widely from one another, both in function and in the implementation of that function, and the differences are reflected in the data streams and device controls they accept.
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

343

When you use terminal control commands, your application code must format the output in the manner required by the printer. For line printers and similar devices, formatting has little programming impact. For high-function printers, however, the data stream often is very complex; formatting requires significant application code and introduces device dependencies into program logic. For some of these terminals, coding effort is greatly reduced by using BMS, which relieves the programmer of creating or even understanding device data streams. BMS also removes most data stream dependencies from the application code so that the same program can support many types of printers, or a mixture of printers and displays, without change. BMS does not remove all device dependencies and imposes a few restrictions on format. It also involves extra path length; the amount depends on how many separate BMS requests you make, the complexity of your requests, and the corresponding path length avoided in your own program.

CICS 3270 printers

Most of the additional format controls for printers that BMS provides are for a specific type of CICS printer, the 3270 printer. A 3270 printer is any printer that accepts the 3270 data stream it is the hardcopy equivalent of a 3270 display. It has a page buffer, corresponding to the display buffer of a 3270 display device. (See The 3270 buffer on page 328 for an introductory discussion of the 3270 data stream.) We discuss 3270 printers first and defer the simpler, non-3270 printers, until Non-3270 CICS printers on page 348. A 3270 printer accepts two different types of formatting instructions: buffer control orders and print format orders. Buffer control orders are executed as they are received by the control unit, and they govern the way in which the buffer is filled. These are same orders that are used to format a 3270 display screen. We have already described some of the important ones in Orders in the data stream on page 333. For example, SBA (set buffer address) tells the control unit where in the buffer to place the data that follows, SF (start field), which signals an attributes byte and possibly field data, and so on. You can find a complete list in the IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual. In contrast, print format orders are not executed when they are received, but instead are stored in the buffer along with the data. These ordersNL (new line), FF (form feed), and so onare interpreted only during a print operation, at which time they control the format of the printed output. (They have no effect on displays, other than to occupy a buffer position; they look like blanks on the screen.) If you are writing to a 3270 printer, you can format with either buffer control orders or print format orders or a mixture of both. We show an example of formatting with buffer control orders in Outbound data stream sample on page 336. If you send this same data stream to a 3270 printer, it prints an image of the screen shown in Figure 71 on page 336. You might choose to format printed output with buffer control orders so that you can send the same data stream to a display and a printer. On the other hand, you might choose to format with print format orders so that you can send the same stream to a 3270 printer and a non-3270 printer (print format orders are the same as the format controls on many non-3270 printers). See the discussion of the NLEOM option on page 346 for more details about this choice. Here is a data stream using print format orders that produces the same printed output as the data stream on page 336, which uses buffer control orders.

344

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 25. Example of data stream using print control orders Bytes 1 2-23 24-33 34 35-80 81 Contents X'FF' blanks Car Record X'1515' Employee No: ______ Tag ________ State: __ X'19' Notes Formfeed (FF) order, to cause printer to space to a new page. 22 blanks to occupy columns 1-22 on first line. Text to be printed, which appears in the next available columns (23-32) on line 1. Two successive new line (NL) orders, to position printer to beginning of third line. Text to be printed, starting at first position of line 3. End-of-message (EM) print order, which stops the printing.

Notice that the field structure is lost when you use print format orders. This does not matter ordinarily, because you do not use the printer for input. However, even if you format with print control orders, you might need to use buffer control orders as well, to assign attributes like color or underscoring to an area of text.

CICS 3270 printer options

For BMS, the special controls that apply to 3270 printers take the form of command options: v PRINT v ERASE v L40, L64, L80 and HONEOM v NLEOM v FORMFEED v PRINTERCOMP In terminal control commands, ERASE is also expressed as an option, but the other controls are expressed directly in the data stream. The IBM CICS/OS/VS 3270 Data Stream Device Guide and the IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference tell you how to encode them; the discussion that follows explains what they do.

PRINT option and print control bit

Writing to a 3270 display or printer updates the device buffer. On a display, the results are reflected immediately on the screen, which is a driven from the buffer. For a printer, however, there might be no visible effect, because printing does not occur until you turn on the appropriate bit in the write control character. (The WCC is part of the 3270 data stream; see Write control character on page 329.) For BMS, you turn on the print bit by specifying the PRINT option on a SEND MAP, SEND TEXT, or SEND CONTROL command, or in the map used with SEND MAP. If you are using terminal control SENDs, you must turn on the print bit with the CTLCHAR option. A terminal write occurs on every terminal control SEND, and on every SEND MAP, SEND TEXT, or SEND CONTROL unless you are using the ACCUM or PAGING options. ACCUM delays writing until a page is full or the logical message is ended. When you use ACCUM, you should use the same print options on every SEND

Chapter 27. CICS support for printing

345

command for the same page. PAGING defers the terminal writes to another task, but they are generated in the same way as without PAGING. The fact that printing does not occur until the print bit is on allows you to build the print buffer in stages with multiple writes and to change data or attribute bytes already in the buffer. That is, you can use the hardware to achieve some of the effects that you get with the ACCUM option of BMS. The NLEOM option affects this ability, however; see the discussion below.

ERASE option
Like the 3270 display buffer, the 3270 printer buffer is cleared only when you use a write command that erases. You do this by specifying the ERASE option, both for BMS and terminal control SENDs. If the printer has the alternate screen size feature, the buffer size is set at the time of the erase, as it is for a display. Consequently, the first terminal write in a transaction should include erasing, to set the buffer to the size required for the transaction and to clear any buffer contents left over from a previous transaction.

Line width options: L40, L64, L80, and HONEOM

In addition to the print bit, the write control character contains a pair of bits that govern line length on printing. If you are using terminal control commands, you use the CTLCHAR option to set these bits. For BMS, the default is the one produced by the HONEOM option, which stands for honor end-of-message. With this setting, the printer formats according to the buffer control and print format orders only, stopping printing at the first EM (end-of-message) character in the buffer. Only if you attempt to print beyond the maximum width for the device (the platen width) does the printer move to a new line on its own. However, you also can specify that the line length is a fixed at 40, 64, or 80 characters (the L40, L64 and L80 options, respectively). If you do, the printer ignores certain print format orders, moves to a new line when it reaches the specified line size, and prints the entire buffer. The print format orders that are ignored are NL (new line), CR (carriage return), and EM (end-of-message). Instead they are simply printed, as graphics. If you use L40, L64, or L80 under BMS, you should use only the value that corresponds to the page width in your terminal definition (see Determining the characteristics of a CICS printer on page 349). The reason is that BMS calculates buffer addresses based on the page size, and these addresses are wrong if you use a different page width.

NLEOM option
BMS ordinarily uses buffer control orders, rather than print format orders, to format for a 3270 printer, whether you are using SEND TEXT or SEND MAP. However, you can tell BMS to use print format orders only, by specifying the NLEOM option. If you do, BMS formats the data entirely with blanks and NL (new line) characters, and inserts an EM (end-of-message) character after your data. NLEOM implies HONEOM. (NLEOM support requires standard BMS; it is not available in minimum BMS.) You might want to do this in order to maintain compatibility with an SCS printer (print format orders are compatible with the corresponding SCS control characters). There are also operational differences that might cause you to choose or avoid NLEOM. They are:

346

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Blank lines
The 3270 printer suppresses null lines during printing. That is, a line that has no data fields and appears blank on the display screen is omitted when the same map is sent to a printer. Under BMS, you can force the printed form to look exactly like the displayed form by placing at least one field on every line of the screen; use a field containing a single blank for lines that would otherwise be empty. Specifying NLEOM also has this effect, because BMS uses a new line character for every line, whether or not there is any data on it.

Multiple sends
With NLEOM, data from successive writes is simply stacked in the buffer, since it does not contain positioning information. However, BMS adds an EM (end-of-message) character at the end of data on each SEND with NLEOM, unless you are using the ACCUM option. When printing occurs, the first EM character stops the printing, so that only the data from the first SEND with NLEOM (and any unerased data up to that point in the buffer) gets printed. The net effect is that you cannot print a buffer filled with multiple SEND commands with NLEOM unless you use the ACCUM option.

Page width
BMS always builds a page of output at a time, using an internal buffer whose size is the number of character positions on the page. (See Determining the characteristics of a CICS printer on page 349 for a discussion of how BMS determines the page size.) If you are using buffer control orders to format, the terminal definition must specify a page width of 40, 64, 80 or the maximum for the device (the platen size); otherwise your output might not be formatted correctly. If you are using NLEOM, on the other hand, the terminal definition may specify any page width, up to the platen size.

Total page size

If you are using buffer control orders, the product of the number of lines and the page width must not exceed the buffer size, because the buffer is used as an image of the page. Unused positions to the right on each line are represented by null characters. If you use NLEOM, however, BMS does not restrict page size to the buffer capacity. BMS builds the page according to the page size defined for the terminal and then compresses the stream using new-line characters where possible. If the resulting stream exceeds the buffer capacity, BMS uses multiple writes to the terminal to send it.

FORMFEED
The FORMFEED option causes BMS to put a form feed print format order (X'0C') at the beginning of the buffer, provided that the printer is defined as capable of advancing to the top of the form (with the FORMFEED option in the associated TYPETERM definition). CICS ignores a form feed request for a printer defined without this feature. If you issue a SEND MAP using a map that uses position (1,1) of the screen, you overwrite the order and lose the form feed. This occurs whether you are using NLEOM or not. If you use FORMFEED and ERASE together on a SEND CONTROL command, the results depend on whether NLEOM is present. Without NLEOM, SEND CONTROL FORMFEED ERASE sends the form feed character followed by an entire page of null lines. The printer suppresses these null lines, replacing them with a single blank line. With NLEOM, the same command sends the form feed character

Chapter 27. CICS support for printing

347

followed by one new line character for each line on the page, so that the effect is a full blank page, just as it is on a non-3270 printer.

PRINTERCOMP option
When you SEND TEXT to a printer, there is one additional option that affects page size. This is the PRINTERCOMP option, which is specified in the PROFILE associated with the transaction you are executing, rather than on individual SEND TEXT commands. (In the default profile that CICS provides, the PRINTERCOMP value is NO.) Under PRINTERCOMP(NO), BMS produces printed output consistent with what it would send to a 3270 display. For the display, BMS precedes the text from each SEND TEXT command with an attribute byte, and it also starts each line with an attribute byte. These attribute bytes take space on the screen, and therefore BMS replaces them with blanks for printers if PRINTERCOMP is NO. If PRINTERCOMP is YES, BMS suppresses these blanks, allowing you to use the full width of the printer and every position of the buffer. New line characters that you embed in the text are still honored with PRINTERCOMP(YES), as they are with PRINTERCOMP(NO). You should use PRINTERCOMP(NO) if you can, for compatibility with display devices and to ensure consistent results if the application uses different printer types, even though it reduces the usable line width by one position.

Non-3270 CICS printers

A non-3270 printer is any printer that does not accept the 3270 data stream, such as an SNA character set (SCS) printer. The terminology is somewhat confusing, because a non-3270 printer can be a 3270-family device, and many devices, like the 3287 and 3262, can be either 3270 printers or SCS (non-3270) printers, depending on how they are defined at the control unit. There are special considerations for non-3270 printers, although not so many as for 3270 printers. Non-3270 printers do not have page buffers, and therefore do not understand buffer control orders. Formatting is accomplished entirely with print control orders. For compatibility with 3270 printers, BMS formats for them by constructing an image of a page in memory, and always prints a full page at a time. However, you can define any size page, provided you do not exceed the platen width, as there is no hardware buffer involved. BMS transmits as many times as required to print the page, just as it does for a 3270 printer using the NLEOM option. BMS formats for these printers with blanks and NL (new line) characters. It uses form feed (FF) characters as well if the definition of your terminal indicates form feed support. BMS also uses horizontal tabs to format if the terminal definition has the HORIZFORM option and the map contains HTAB specifications. Similarly, it uses vertical tabs if the terminal definition specifies VERTICALFORM and your map includes VTAB. Tab characters can shorten the data stream considerably. If tabs are used, BMS assumes that the current task, or some earlier one, has already set the tabs on the printer. On an SCS printer, you set the tabs with a terminal control SEND command, as explained in the IBM CICS/OS/VS 3270 Data Stream Device Guide. For other non-3270 printers, you should consult the appropriate device guide.

348

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

SCS input
SCS printers also have limited input capability, in the form of program attention keys. These keys are not like the PA keys described in Attention keys on page 338, however. Instead they transmit an unformatted data stream consisting of the characters APAK nn, where nn is the 2-digit PA key numberAPAK 01 for PA key 1, for example. You can capture such input by defining a transaction named APAK (APAK is the transaction identifier, not the TASKREQ attribute value, because SCS inputs do not look like other PA key inputs.) A program invoked by this transaction can determine which PA key was pressed by issuing a RECEIVE and numeric positions of the input.

Determining the characteristics of a CICS printer

If you are writing a program that supports more than one type of CICS printer, you may need to determine the characteristics of a particular printer. As we explained in connection with terminals generally, you can use the ASSIGN and INQUIRE TERMINAL commands for this purpose. Table 20 on page 314 lists the ASSIGN options that apply to terminals, including several that are specific to printers. The INQUIRE TERMINAL options that apply specifically to printers and the corresponding parameters in the terminal definition are shown in Table 26:
Table 26. INQUIRE TERMINAL options for printers INQUIRE option PAGEHT PAGEWD DEFPAGEHT DEFPAGEWD ALTPAGEHT ALTPAGEWD DEVICE TERMMODEL Source in TERMINAL or TYPETERM definition x of PAGESIZE(x,y) y of PAGESIZE(x,y) x of PAGESIZE(x,y) y of PAGESIZE(x,y) x of ALTPAGE(x,y) y of ALTPAGE(x,y) DEVICE TERMMODEL Description

Number of lines per page (for alternate screen size terminals, reflects default size) Number of characters per line (for alternate screen size terminals, reflects default size) Number of lines per page in default mode (alternate screen size terminals only) Number of characters per line in default mode (alternate screen size terminals only) Number of lines per page in alternate mode (alternate screen size terminals only) Number of characters per line in alternate mode (alternate screen size terminals only) The device type (see the CICS System Programming Reference for possible values) The model number of the terminal (either 1 or 2)

BMS page size, 3270 printers

BMS uses both the terminal definition and the profile of the transaction that is running to determine the page size of a CICS printer. The profile is used when the terminal has the alternate screen size feature, to determine whether to use default or alternate size. (The default profile in CICS specifies default size for the screen.) Table 27 on page 350 lists the values used.

Chapter 27. CICS support for printing

349

Table 27. Priority of parameters defining BMS page size. BMS uses the first value in the appropriate column that has been specified in the terminal definition. Terminals with alternate screen size, using alternate size ALTPAGE ALTSCREEN DEFSCREEN TERMMODEL (12,80) Terminals with alternate Terminals without alternate screen size, using default size screen size feature PAGESIZE DEFSCREEN TERMMODEL (12,80) PAGESIZE TERMMODEL (12,80)

The definition of a page is unique to BMS. If you are printing with terminal control SEND commands, you define what constitutes a page, within the physical limits of the device, by your print format. If you need to know the buffer size to determine how much data you can send at once, you can determine this from the SCRNHT and SCRNWD values returned by the ASSIGN command.

Supporting multiple printer types

When you are writing programs to support printers that have different page sizes, it is not always possible to keep device dependencies like page size out of the program. However, BMS helps with this problem in two ways. 1. You can refer to a map generically and have BMS select the map that was designed for the terminal associated with your task (see the discussion of map suffixes in Device-dependent maps on page 412). 2. If you are using SEND TEXT, BMS breaks the text into lines at word boundaries, based on the page size of the receiving terminal. You can also request header and trailer text on each page.

Using CICS printers

As we noted at the start of the chapter, the second issue that frequently arises in printing concerns ownership of the printer. Requests for printing often originate from a user at a display terminal. The task that processes the request and generates the printed output is associated with the users terminal and therefore cannot send output directly to the printer. If your task does not own the printer it wants to use, it must create another task, which does, to do the work. These are the ways to do this: 1. Create the task with a START command. 2. Write to an intrapartition transient data queue that triggers the task. 3. Direct the output to the printer in a BMS ROUTE command. 4. Use the ISSUE PRINT command, if you need only a screen copy.

Printing with a START command

The first technique for creating the print task is to issue a START command in the task that wants to print. The command names the printer as the terminal required by the STARTed task in the TERMID option and passes the data to be printed, or instructions on where to find it, in the FROM option. START causes CICS to create a task whose principal facility is the designated terminal when that terminal is available.

350

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The program executed by the STARTed task, which you must supply, retrieves the data to be printed (using a RETRIEVE command), and then writes it to its terminal (the printer) with SEND, SEND MAP, or SEND TEXT . For example:
. . . (build output in OUTAREA, formatted as expected by the STARTed task) EXEC CICS START TRANSID(PRNT) FROM(OUTAREA) TERMID(PRT1) LENGTH(OUTLNG) END-EXEC. . . . Figure 72. Task that wants to print (on printer PRT1) . . . EXEC CICS RETRIEVE INTO(INAREA) LENGTH(INLNG) END-EXEC. . . . (do any further data retrieval and any formatting required) EXEC CICS SEND TEXT FROM(INAREA) LENGTH(INLNG) ERASE PRINT END-EXEC. . . . (repeat from the RETRIEVE statement until a NODATA condition arises)

Figure 73. STARTed task (executing transaction PRNT)

The task associated with the printer loops until it exhausts all the data sent to it, in case another task sends data to the same printer before the current printing is done. Doing this saves CICS the overhead of creating new tasks for outputs that arrive while earlier ones are still being printed; it does not change what finally gets printed, as CICS creates new tasks for the printer as long as there are unprocessed START requests.

Printing with transient data

The second method for creating the print task involves transient data. A CICS intrapartition transient data queue can be defined to have a property called a trigger. When the number of items on a queue with a trigger reaches the trigger value, CICS creates a transaction to process the queue. The queue definition tells CICS what transaction this task executes and what terminal, if any, it requires as its principal facility. You can use this mechanism to get print data from the task that generates it to a task that owns the printer. A transient data queue is defined for each printer where you direct output in this way. A task that wants to print puts its output on the queue associated with the required printer (using WRITEQ TD commands). When enough items are on the queue and the printer is available, CICS creates a task to process the queue. (For this purpose, the trigger level of enough is usually defined as just one item.) The triggered task retrieves the output from the queue (with READQ TD commands) and writes it to its principal facility (the printer), with SEND, SEND MAP, or SEND TEXT commands. As in the case of a STARTed printer task, you have to provide the program executed by the task that gets triggered. The sample programs distributed with CICS contain a complete example of such a program, called the order queue print sample program. The CICS 4.1 Sample Applications Guide describes this program in detail, but the essentials are as follows:

Chapter 27. CICS support for printing

351

Task that wants to print (on printer PRT1):

. . . (do any formatting or other processing required) EXEC CICS WRITEQ TD QUEUE(PRT1) FROM(OUTAREA) LENGTH(OUTLNG) END-EXEC. . . . . . .

Task that gets triggered:

EXEC CICS ASSIGN QNAME(QID) END-EXEC. EXEC CICS READQ TD QUEUE(QID) INTO(INAREA) LENGTH(INLNG) RESP(RESPONSE) END-EXEC. IF RESPONSE = DFHRESP(QZERO) GO TO END-TASK. . . . (do any error checking, further data retrieval and formatting required) EXEC CICS SEND FROM(INAREA) LENGTH(INLNG) END-EXEC. . . . (repeat from READQ command)

The print task determines the name of its queue using an ASSIGN command rather than a hard-coded value so that the same code works for any queue (printer). Like its START counterpart, this task loops through its read and send sequence until it detects the QZERO condition, indicating that the queue is empty. While this is just an efficiency issue with the STARTed task, it is critical for transient data; otherwise unprocessed queue items can accumulate under certain conditions. (See Automatic transaction initiation (ATI) on page 535 for details on the creation of tasks to process transient data queues with triggers.) If you use this technique, you need to be sure that output to be printed as a single unit appears either as a single item or as consecutive items on the queue. There is no fixed relationship between queue items and printed outputs; packaging arrangements are strictly between the programs writing the queue and the one reading it. However, if a task writes multiple items that need to be printed together, it must ensure that no other task writes to the queue before it finishes. Otherwise the printed outputs from several tasks may be interleaved. If the TD queue is defined as recoverable, CICS prevents interleaving. Once a task writes to a recoverable queue, CICS delays any other task that wants to write until the first one commits or removes what it has written (by SYNCPOINT or end of task). If the queue is not recoverable, you need to perform this function yourself. One way is to ENQUEUE before writing the first queue item and DEQUEUE after the last. (See Chapter 46. Transient data control on page 533 for a discussion of transient data queues.)

Printing with BMS routing

A task also can get output to a printer other than its principal facility with BMS routing. This technique applies only to BMS logical messages (the ACCUM or PAGING options) and thus is most appropriate when you are already building a logical message. When you complete a routed message, CICS creates a task for each terminal named in a route list. This task has the terminal as its principal facility, and uses CSPG, the CICS-supplied transaction for displaying pages, to deliver the output to the printer. So routing is similar in effect to using START commands, but CICS

352

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

provides the program that does the printing. (See Chapter 38. Message routing on page 467 for more information about routing.)

Using Non-CICS printers

Here are the steps to use a printer managed outside CICS: 1. Format your output in the manner required by the application or subsystem that controls the printer you wish to use. 2. Deliver the output to the application or subsystem that controls the printer in the form required by that application. 3. If necessary, notify that application that the output is ready for printing.

Formatting for non-CICS printers

For some printers managed outside CICS, you can format output with BMS, as we explain in Programming for non-CICS printers. However, for most printers, you need to meet the format requirements of the application that drives the printer. This may be the device format or an intermediate form dictated by the application. For conventional line printers, formatting is simply a matter of producing line images and, sometimes, adding carriage-control characters.

Non-CICS printers: Delivering the data

Print data is usually conveyed to an application outside of CICS by placing the data in an intermediate file, accessible to both CICS and the application. The type of file, as well as the format within the file, is dictated by the receiving application. It is usually one of those listed in the first column of Table 28. The second column of the table shows which groups of CICS commands you can use to create such data.
Table 28. Intermediate files for transferring print data to non-CICS printers File type Spool files Methods for writing the data CICS spool commands (SPOOLOPEN, SPOOLWRITE, etc.) Transient data commands (WRITEQ TD) Terminal control and BMS commands (SEND, SEND MAP, etc.) CICS spool commands (SPOOLOPEN, SPOOLWRITE, etc.) Transient data commands (WRITEQ TD) CICS file control commands (WRITE) EXEC SQL commands EXEC DLI commands or CALL DLI statements

BSAM VSAM DB2 IMS

Programming for non-CICS printers

If you are using VSAM, DB2, or IMS, the CICS application programming commands you can use are determined by the type of file you are using. For BSAM and spool files, however, you have a choice. The CICS definition of the file (or its absence) determines which commands you use. The file may be: v An extra-partition transient data queue (see Chapter 46. Transient data control on page 533 for information on transient data queues) v The output half of a sequential terminal (see Using sequential terminal support on page 319 and Support for non-3270 terminals on page 410) v A spool file (see Chapter 28. CICS interface to JES on page 359)

Chapter 27. CICS support for printing

353

Both transient data queue definitions and sequential terminal definitions point to an associated data definition (DD) statement in the CICS start-up JCL, and it is this DD statement that determines whether the file is a BSAM file or a spool file. Files created by CICS spool commands do not require definition before use and are spool files by definition. If the printing application accepts BSAM or spool file input, there are several factors to consider in deciding how to define your file to CICS: System definitions Files created by the SPOOLOPEN command do not have to be defined to CICS or the operating system, whereas transient data queues and sequential terminals must be defined to both before use. Sharing among tasks A file defined as a transient data queue is shared among all tasks. This allows you to create a print file in multiple tasks, but it also means that if your task writes multiple records to the queue that must be printed together (lines of print for a single report, for example), you must include enqueue logic to prevent other tasks from writing their records between yours. This is the same requirement that was cited for intrapartition queues in Printing with transient data on page 351. In the case of extra-partition transient data, however, CICS does not offer the recoverability solution, and your program must prevent the interspersing itself. In contrast, a file created by a SPOOLOPEN can be written only by the task that created it. This eliminates the danger of interleaving output, but also prevents sharing the file among tasks. A spool file associated with a sequential terminal can be written by only one task at a time (the task that has the terminal as its principal facility). This also prevents interleaving, but allows tasks to share the file serially. Release for printing Both BSAM and spool files must be closed in order for the operating system to pass them from CICS to the receiving application, and therefore printing does not begin until the associated file is closed. Files created by SPOOLOPEN are closed automatically at task end, unless they have already been closed with a SPOOLCLOSE command. In contrast, an extrapartition transient data queue remains open until some task closes it explicitly, with a SET command. (It must be reopened with another SET if it is to be used subsequently.) So transient data gives you more control over release of the file for processing, at the cost of additional programming. A file that represents the output of a sequential terminal does not get closed automatically (and so does not get released for printing) until CICS shutdown, and CICS does not provide facilities to close it earlier. If you use a sequential terminal to pass data to a printer controlled outside of CICS, as you might do in order to use BMS, you should be aware of this limitation. Formatting If you define your file as a sequential terminal, you can use BMS to format your output. This feature allows you to use the same maps for printers managed outside of CICSfor example, line printers managed by the MVS job entry subsystem (JES)that you use for CICS display and printer terminals.

354

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

If you choose this option, remember that BMS always sends a page of output at a time, using the page size in the terminal definition, and that the data set representing the output from a sequential terminal is not released until CICS shutdown. Spool file limits Operating systems identify spool files by assigning a sequential number. There is an upper limit to this number, after which numbers are reused. The limit is usually very large, but it is possible for a job that runs a very long time (as CICS can) and creates a huge number of spool files (as an application under CICS can) to exceed the limit. If you are writing an application that generates a very large number of spool files, consult your systems programmer to ensure that you are within system limits. A new spool file is created at each SPOOLOPEN statement and each open of a transient data queue defined as a spool file.

Notifying the print application

When you deliver the data to a print application outside CICS, you might need to notify the application that you have data ready to process. You do not need to do this if the application runs automatically and knows to look for your data. For example, to print on a printer owned by the MVS job entry system (JES), all you need to do is create a spool file with the proper routing information. JES does the rest. However, sometimes you need to submit a job to do the processing, or otherwise signal an executing application that you have work for it. To submit a batch job from a CICS task, you need to create a spool file which contains the JCL for the job, and you need to direct this file to the JES internal reader. You can create the file in any of the three ways listed for spool files in Table 28 on page 353, although if you use a sequential terminal, the job does not execute until CICS shuts down, as noted earlier. For files written with spool commands, the information that routes the file to the JES internal reader is specified in the SPOOLOPEN command. For transient data queues and sequential terminals, the routing information appears on the first record in the file, the JOB card. The output to be printed can be embedded in the batch job (as its input) or it can be passed separately through any form of data storage that the job accepts.

Printing display screens

If your printing requirement is simply to copy a display screen to a printer, you have choices additional to those already described. Some of these are provided by the terminal hardware itself, and some by CICS. Some of the CICS support also depends on hardware features, and so your options depend on the type of terminals involved and, in some cases, the way in which they are defined to CICS. See the CICS Resource Definition Guide for more detail on copying.

CICS print key

The first such option is the CICS print key (also called the local copy key). This allows a user to request a printed copy of a screen by pressing a program attention key, provided the terminal is a 3270 display or a display in 3270 compatibility mode.

Chapter 27. CICS support for printing

355

Print key support is optional in CICS; the system programmer decides whether to include it and what key is assigned. The default is PA1. (See the PRINT option in the CICS System Definition Guide.) The print key copies the display screen to the first available printer among those defined as eligible. Which printers are eligible depends on the definition of the display terminal from which the request originates, as follows: v For VTAM 3270 displays defined without the printer-adapter feature, the printers named in the PRINTER and ALTPRINTER options of the terminal definition are eligible. PRINTER is be used if available; ALTPRINTER is second choice. If both are unavailable, the request is queued for execution when PRINTER becomes available. v For the 3270 compatibility mode of the 3790 and a 3650 host conversational (3270) logical unit, the same choices apply. v For a BTAM 3270 display, any printer on the same control unit is eligible, provided it is defined to CICS with the PRINT feature and has a buffer at least the size of the display buffer. CICS chooses the first one in the table that is available. If none are, the request is not queued but discarded. v For VTAM 3270 displays defined with the printer-adapter feature, copying is limited to printers on the same control unit as the display. The printer authorization matrix within the control unit determines printer eligibility. v For a 3270 compatibility mode logical unit of the 3790 with the printer-adapter feature, the 3790 determines eligibility and allocates a printer for the copy. v For a 3275 with the printer-adapter feature, the print key prints the data currently in the 3275 display buffer on the 3284 attached to the display. Where CICS chooses the printer explicitly, as it does in the first three cases above, the printer has to be in service and not attached to a task to be available for a CICS print key request. Where a control unit or subsystem makes the assignment, availability and status are determined by the subsystem. The bracket state of the device usually determines whether it is available or not.

ISSUE PRINT and ISSUE COPY

An application can initiate copying a screen to a printer as well as the user, with the ISSUE PRINT and ISSUE COPY commands. ISSUE PRINT simulates the user pressing the CICS print key, and printer eligibility and availability are the same as for CICS print key requests. There is also a command you can use to copy a screen in a task that owns the printer, as opposed to the task that owns the terminal which is to be copied. This is the ISSUE COPY command. It copies the buffer of the terminal named in the TERMID option to the buffer of the principal facility of the issuing task. The method of copying and the initiation of printing once the copy has occurred is controlled by the copy control character defined in the CTLCHAR option of the ISSUE COPY command; see the IBM CICS/OS/VS 3270 Data Stream Device Guide for the bit settings in this control character. The terminal whose buffer is copied and the printer must both be either 3270 logical units or BTAM 3270s, and they must be on the same control unit.

Hardware print key

Some 3270 terminals also have a hardware print key. Pressing this key copies the screen to the first available and eligible printer on the same control unit as the display. This function is performed entirely by the control unit, whose configuration

356

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

and terminal status information determine eligibility and availability. If no printer is available, the request fails; the user is notified by a symbol in the lower left corner of the screen and must retry the request later.

BMS screen copy

Both the CICS and hardware print keys limit screen copies to a predefined set of eligible printers, and if more than one printer is eligible, the choice depends on printer use by other tasks. For screens created as part of a BMS logical message, a more general screen copy facility is available. Users can print any such screen with the page copy option of the CICS-supplied transaction for displaying logical messages, CSPG. With page copy, you name the specific printer to receive the output, and it does not have to be on the same control unit as the display. CSPG is described in the CICS Supplied Transactions manual.

Chapter 27. CICS support for printing

357

358

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 28. CICS interface to JES

CICS provides a programming interface to JES (the Job Entry Subsystem component of MVS) that allows CICS applications to create and retrieve spool files. Spool files are managed by JES and are used to buffer output directed to low-speed peripheral devices (printers, punches, and plotters) between the job that creates them and actual processing by the device. Input files from card readers are also spool files and serve as buffers between the device and the jobs that use the data. The interface consists of five commands: v SPOOLOPEN INPUT, which opens a file for input v SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT, which opens a file for output v SPOOLREAD, which retrieves the next record from an input file v SPOOLWRITE, which adds one record to an output file v SPOOLCLOSE, which closes the file and releases it for subsequent processing by JES Input and output here refer to the CICS point of view here; what is spool output to one job is always spool input to another job or JES program. These commands can be used with either the JES2 or JES3 form of JES, although some restrictions apply to each (see Spool interface restrictions on page 361). The term JES refers to both. You can support the requirements of other products to exchange files with other systems connected through a JES remote spooling communications subsystem (RSCS) network. You can use the spool commands to do the following types of things: v Create an (output) file for printing or other processing by JES. JES manages most of the unit record facilities of the operating system, including high-speed printers, and card readers. In order to use these facilities, you pass the data to be processed to JES in a spool file. See Figure 74

MVS
SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT USERID('*') TOKEN SPOOLWRITE TOKEN SPOOLWRITE TOKEN

CICS

JES

JES SPOOL

SPOOLWRITE TOKEN SPOOLCLOSE TOKEN

Figure 74. Create a file and write it to the JES spool

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

359

v Submit a batch job to MVS. Spool files directed to the JES internal reader are treated as complete jobs and executed. v Create an (output) file to pass data to another job (outside of your CICS), that runs under MVS. v Retrieve data passed from such a job. See Figure 75

MVS CICS JES

SPOOLOPEN INPUT USERID('SYS1CICS')

VM1
TOKEN SPOOLREAD TOKEN RECORD Data Set Name SPOOLREAD TOKEN ENDFILE RESP CP TAG DEV PUN NODE('MVS') USERID('SYS1CICS')

JES SPOOL

RSCS

SPOOLCLOSE TOKEN

Figure 75. Retrieve data from the JES spool

v Create a file to pass data to another operating system, such as VM, VSE/ESA, or an MVS system other than the one under which your CICS is executing. See Figure 76.

MVS

VM1 RSCS JES SPOOL

SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT USERID ('USER1') NODE ('VM1')

CICS

JES

USER1

Figure 76. Send a written file to a remote destination

v Retrieve a file sent from such a remote system. This chapter describes: v Using the CICS interface to JES on page 361 v Creating output spool files on page 361 v Reading input spool files on page 362 v Identifying spool files on page 363 v Examples of SPOOL commands on page 367

360

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Using the CICS interface to JES

To use the CICS interface to JES, you must define the DFHSIT SPOOL=YES system intialization parameter in your CICS startup JCL. You must specify RESP or NOHANDLE on the EXEC CICS SPOOLCLOSE, SPOOLOPEN, SPOOLREAD, and SPOOLWRITE commands. RESP bears a one-to-one correspondence with HANDLE CONDITION. If you do not code RESP, your program abends. You can also code the RESP2 option. Transactions that process SYSOUT data sets larger than 1000 records, either for INPUT or for OUTPUT, are likely to have a performance impact on the rest of CICS. When you cannot avoid such a transaction, you should carefully evaluate general system performance. You should introduce a pacing mechanism if the effects on the rest of CICS are unacceptable. All access to a JES spool file must be completed within one logical unit of work. Issuing an EXEC CICS SYNCPOINT command implicitly issues a SPOOLCLOSE command for any open report.

Spool interface restrictions

There are internal limits in JES that you should consider when you are designing applications. Some apply to JES2, some to JES3 and some to both. In particular: v JES2 imposes an upper limit on the total number of spool files that a single job (such as CICS) can create. If CICS exceeds this limit during its execution, subsequent SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT commands fail with the ALLOCERR condition. v JES3 does not impose such a limit explicitly, but for both JES2 and JES3, some control information for each file created persists for the entire execution of CICS. For this reason, creating very large numbers of spool files can stress JES resources; you should consult your system programmer before designing such an application. v Spool files require other resources (buffers, queue elements, disk space) until they are processed. You need to consult your systems staff if you are producing very large files or files that may wait a long time for processing at their destinations. v Code NODE(*) and USERID(*) to specify the local spool file and to enable the OUTDESCR operand to override the NODE and USERID operands. Do not use NODE(*) with any other userid. If the NODE and USERID operands specify explicit identifiers, the OUTDESCR operands cannot override them.

Creating output spool files

To create an output spool file, your program starts by issuing a SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT command, to allocate an output data set.. The NODE and USERID options on the command tell JES what to do with the file when it is complete, and there are other options to convey formatting and other processing to JES if appropriate. SPOOLOPEN returns a unique token in the TOKEN field, which must be used in all subsequent SPOOLWRITE and SPOOLCLOSE commands to identify the file being written. Thereafter, the task puts data into the file with SPOOLWRITE commands that specify the token value that was returned on the SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT command. Spool files are sequential; each SPOOLWRITE adds one record to the file. When
Chapter 28. CICS interface to JES

361

the file is complete, the task releases the file to JES for delivery or processing by issuing a SPOOLCLOSE with the token that identifies the file. A task can create multiple output spool files, and it can have more than one open at a time; operations on different files are kept separate by the token. However, a spool file cannot be shared among tasks, or across logical units of work in the same task. It can be written only by the task that opened it, and if that task fails to close the file before a SYNCPOINT command or task end, CICS closes it automatically at these points. If the node is a remote system, the data set is queued on the JES spool against the destination userid. The ID of this destination user was specified on the SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT USERID parameter. If the node is a remote VM system, the data is queued in the VM RDR queue for the ID that was specified on the same USERID parameter. Note: If you want the job you submit to execute as soon as possible, you should end your spool file with a record that contains /*EOF in the first five characters. This statement causes JES to release your file for processing, rather than waiting for other records to fill the current buffer before release.

Using the MVS internal reader

You can use the USERID parameter to specify that your output is to be written to the MVS internal reader. To use CICS SPOOL commands for this purpose, specify USERID(INTRDR) and also use an explicit node name. Do not use NODE('*'). INTRDR is an IBM-reserved name identifying the internal reader. If you specify USERID(INTRDR), the output records written by your SPOOLWRITE commands must be JCL statements, starting with a JOB statement. Also ensure that you specify the NOCC option on the SPOOLOPEN command. The system places your output records for the internal reader into a buffer in your address space. When this buffer is full, JES places the contents on the spool; later, JES retrieves the job from the spool. (See Identifying spool files on page 363 for more information about the naming of spool files.

Reading input spool files

The command sequence for reading a spool file is similar to that for creating one. You start with a SPOOLOPEN INPUT command that selects the file. Then you retrieve each record with a SPOOLREAD command. When the file is exhausted or you have read as much as required, you end processing with a SPOOLCLOSE command. CICS provides you with a token to identify the particular file when you open it, just as it does when you open an output file, and you use the token on all subsequent commands against the file. Similar to an output spool file, an input spool file is exclusive to the task that opened it. No other task can use it until the first one closes it. The file must be read in the same logical unit of work that opened it, and CICS closes it automatically at a SYNCPOINT command or at task end if the task does has not done so. However, you can close the file in such a way that your task (or another one) can read it again from the beginning. In contrast to output files, a task can have only one spool file open for input at once. Moreover, only one CICS task can have a file open for input at any given time. This single-threading of input spool files has several programming implications:

362

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v A task reading a spool file should keep it open for as little time as possible, and should close it explicitly, rather than letting CICS do so as part of end-of-task processing. You might want to transfer the file to another form of storage if your processing of individual records is long. v If another task is reading a spool file, your SPOOLOPEN INPUT command fails with a SPOLBUSY condition. This is not an error; you should wait briefly and try again. v If you read multiple input files, you should delay your task briefly between closing one and opening the next, to avoid monopolizing the input thread and locking out other tasks that need it. A remote application must route any files intended for a CICS transaction to a specific user name at the system where CICS resides. Seefor an example of a CP command used by a VM system to do this. The figure also shows the EXEC CICS SPOOL commands you use to retrieve the data. The CICS transaction issues the SPOOLOPEN command, specifying the writer name on the USERID parameter and optionally the class of output within the writer name. The normal response is: 1. No input for this external writer. 2. The single-thread is busy. 3. The file is allocated to you for retrieval, and is identified by the token returned by CICS. The token must be included on every SPOOL command for retrieving the data set. In cases (1) and (2), the transaction should retry the SPOOLOPEN after a suitable interval, by restarting itself. In case (3), the transaction should then retrieve the file with SPOOLREAD commands, and proceed to SPOOLCLOSE as rapidly as possible to release the path for other users. This is especially important for input from JES because the input path is single-threaded. When there is more than one transaction using the interface, their files can be differentiated by using different writer names or different classes within a single writer name. Furthermore, you should ensure that the transactions either terminate or wait for a short period between SPOOLCLOSE and a subsequent SPOOLOPEN. If you do not do this, one transaction can prevent others from using the interface.

JES exits
Both JES2 and JES3 provide a way of screening incoming files. For JES2, the TSO/E Interactive Data Transmission Facility Screening and Notification exit is used. The JES3 equivalent is the Validate Incoming Netdata File exit. You should review any use your installation makes of these exits to ensure that files that are to be read using the CICS interface to JES are correctly processed.

Identifying spool files

Input spool files are identified by the USERID and CLASS options on the SPOOLOPEN INPUT command. On input, the USERID is the name of a JES external writer. An external writer is a name defined to JES at JES startup representing a group of spool files that have the same destination or processing. For files that JES processes itself, an external
Chapter 28. CICS interface to JES

363

writer is usually associated with a particular hardware device, for example, a printer. The names of these writers are reserved for JES use. For the transfer of files between applications, as occurs when a CICS task reads a spool file, the only naming requirement is that the receiver (the CICS task) know what name the sender used, and that no other applications in the receivers operating system use the same name for another purpose. To ensure that CICS tasks do not read spool files that were not intended for them, CICS requires that the external writer name that you specify match its own VTAM applid in the first four characters. Consequently, a job or system directing a file to CICS must send it to an external writer name that begins with the first four characters of the CICS applid. JES categorizes the files for a particular external writer by a 1-character CLASS value. If you specify a class on your SPOOLOPEN INPUT command, you get the first (oldest) file in that class for the external writer you name. If you omit the class, you get the oldest file in any class for that writer. The sender assigns the class; A is used when the sender does not specify a class. On output, you identify the destination of a SPOOL file with both a NODE and a USERID value. The NODE is the name of the operating system (for example, MVS, VM) as that system is known to VTAM in the MVS system in which your CICS is executing). The meaning of USERID varies with the operating system. In VM, it is a particular user; in MVS, it may be a JES external writer or another JES destination, a TSO user, or another job executing on that system. One such destination is the JES internal reader, which normally has the reserved name INTRDR. If you want to submit a job to an MVS system, you write a spool file to its internal reader. This file must contain all the JCL statements required to execute the job, in the same form and sequence as a job submitted through a card reader or TSO.

364

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The following example shows a COBOL program using SPOOLOPEN for an internal reader. In this example, you must specify the NOCC option (to prevent use of the first character for carriage control) and use JCL record format.
DATA DIVISION. WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 01 OUTPUT-FIELDS. 03 OUTPUT-TOKEN PIC 03 OUTPUT-NODE PIC 03 OUTPUT-USERID PIC 03 OUTPUT-CLASS PIC PROCEDURE DIVISION. EXEC CICS SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT TOKEN(OUTPUT-TOKEN) USERID(OUTPUT-USERID) NODE(OUTPUT-NODE) CLASS(OUTPUT-CLASS) NOCC PRINT NOHANDLE END-EXEC.

X(8) X(8) X(8) X

VALUE VALUE VALUE VALUE

LOW-VALUES. 'MVSESA31'. 'INTRDR '. 'A'.

Figure 77. An example of a COBOL program using SPOOL commands for an internal reader

OUTDESCR specifies a pointer variable to be set to the address of a field that contains the address of a string of parameters to the OUTPUT statement of MVS JCL. The following example shows a COBOL program using the OUTDESCR operand:

Chapter 28. CICS interface to JES

365

WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 01 F. 02 W-POINTER USAGE POINTER. 02 W-POINTER1 REDEFINES W-POINTER PIC 9(9) COMP. 01 RESP1 PIC 9(8) COMP. 01 TOKENWRITE PIC X(8). 01 .... 01 W-OUTDIS. 02 F PIC 9(9) COMP VALUE 43. 02 F PIC X(14) VALUE 'DEST(A20JES2 )'. 02 F PIC X VALUE ' '. 02 F PIC X(16) VALUE 'WRITER(A03CUBI)'. 02 F PIC X VALUE ' '. 02 F PIC X'11' VALUE 'FORMS(BILL)'. LINKAGE SECTION. 01 DFHCOMMAREA PIC X. 01 L-FILLER. 02 L-ADDRESS PIC 9(9) COMP. 02 L-OUTDIS PIC X(1020). PROCEDURE DIVISION. EXEC CICS GETMAIN SET(W-POINTER) LENGTH(1024) END-EXEC. SET ADDRESS OF L-FILLER TO W-POINTER. MOVE W-POINTER1 TO L-ADDRESS. ADD 4 TO L-ADDRESS. MOVE W-OUTDIS TO L-OUTDIS. EXEC CICS SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT PRINT RECORDLENGTH(1000) NODE('*') USERID('*') OUTDESCR(W-POINTER) TOKEN(TOKENWRITE) RESP(RESP1) NOHANDLE END-EXEC. EXEC CICS SPOOLWRITE . . .

Notes: 1. It is essential to code a GETMAIN command. 2. L-FILLER is not a parameter passed by the calling program. The BLL for L-FILLER is then substituted by the SET ADDRESS. The address of the getmained area is then moved to the first word pointed to by L-FILLER being L-ADDRESS (hence pointing to itself). L-ADDRESS is then changed by plus 4 to point to the area (L-OUTDIS) just behind the address. L-OUTDIS is then filled with the OUTDESCRIPTOR DATA. Hence W-POINTER points to an area that has a pointer pointing to the OUTDESCR data.

366

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Examples of SPOOL commands COBOL

DATA DIVISION. WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 01 OUTDES. 05 FILLER PIC X(14) VALUE 'WRITER(MYPROG)'. 01 RESP PIC 9(8) COMP. 01 RESP2 PIC 9(8) COMP. 01 TOKEN PIC X(8). 01 OUTLEN PIC S9(8) COMP VALUE +80. 77 OUTPRT PIC X(80) VALUE 'SPOOLOPEN FUNCTIONING'. 01 PARMSPTR USAGE IS POINTER. 01 PARMS-POINT REDEFINES PARMSPTR PIC S9(8) COMP. LINKAGE SECTION. 01 PARMS-AREA. 03 PARMSLEN PIC S9(8) COMP. 03 PARMSINF PIC X(14). 03 PARMADDR PIC S9(8) COMP. PROCEDURE DIVISION. EXEC CICS GETMAIN SET(ADDRESS OF PARMS-AREA) LENGTH(80) END-EXEC. SET PARMSPTR TO ADDRESS OF PARMS-AREA. MOVE PARMS-POINT TO PARMADDR. SET PARMSPTR TO ADDRESS OF PARMADDR. MOVE 14 TO PARMSLEN. MOVE OUTDES TO PARMSINF. EXEC CICS SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT NODE ('*') USERID ('*') RESP(RESP) RESP2(RESP2) OUTDESCR(PARMSPTR) TOKEN(TOKEN) END-EXEC. EXEC CICS SPOOLWRITE FROM(OUTPRT) RESP(RESP) RESP2(RESP2) FLENGTH(OUTLEN) TOKEN(TOKEN) END-EXEC. EXEC CICS SPOOLCLOSE TOKEN(TOKEN) RESP(RESP) RESP2(RESP2) END-EXEC.

Chapter 28. CICS interface to JES

367

PL/I
DCL RESP FIXED BIN(31), RESP2 FIXED BIN(31), TOKEN CHAR(8), OUTLEN FIXED BIN(31) INIT(80), OUTPRT CHAR(80) INIT('SPOOLOPEN FUNCTIONING'), PARMADDR POINTER, PARMSPTR POINTER; DCL 1 PARMS, 2 PARMSLEN FIXED BIN(31) INIT(14), 2 PARMSINF CHAR(14) INIT('WRITER(MYPROG)') ALIGNED; PARMADDR=ADDR(PARMS); PARMSPTR=ADDR(PARMADDR); EXEC CICS SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT NODE('*') USERID('*') TOKEN(TOKEN) OUTDESCR(PARMSPTR) RESP(RESP) RESP2(RESP2); EXEC CICS SPOOLWRITE FROM(OUTPRT) FLENGTH(OUTLEN) RESP(RESP) RESP2(RESP2) TOKEN(TOKEN); EXEC CICS SPOOLCLOSE TOKEN(TOKEN) RESP(RESP) RESP2(RESP2);

C
#define PARMS struct _parms PARMS { int parms_length; char parms_info[200]; PARMS * pArea; }; PARMS ** parms_ptr; PARMS parms_area; char userid[8]= "*"; char node[8]= "*"; char token[8]; long rcode1, rcode2; /* These lines will initialize the outdescr area and set up the addressing */ parms_area.parms_info[0]= '\0'; parms_area.pArea = &parms_area; parms_ptr = &parms_area.pArea; /* And here is the command with ansi carriage controls specified and no class*/ EXEC CICS SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT NODE ( node ) USERID ( userid ) OUTDESCR ( parms_ptr ) TOKEN ( token ) ASA RESP ( rcode1 ) RESP2 ( rcode2 );

368

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

ASSEMBLER
OUTPRT PARMSPTR RESP RESP2 TOKEN OUTPTR PARMSLEN PARMSINF DC CL80'SPOOLOPEN FUNCTIONING' EQU 6 DC F'0' DC F'0' DS 2F DC A(PARMSLEN) DC F'14' DC C'WRITER(MYPROG)' LA PARMSPTR,OUTPTR EXEC CICS SPOOLOPEN OUTPUT OUTDESCR(PARMSPTR) NODE('*') USERID('*') RESP(RESP) RESP2(RESP2) TOKEN(TOKEN) EXEC CICS SPOOLWRITE FROM(OUTPRT) TOKEN(TOKEN) RESP(RESP) RESP2(RESP2) EXEC CICS SPOOLCLOSE TOKEN(TOKEN) RESP(RESP) RESP2(RESP2)

Chapter 28. CICS interface to JES

369

370

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication

This chapter provides only a summary of what you need to consider when writing applications that communicate with other CICS systems. For further information, see the CICS Intercommunication Guide. You can run application programs in a CICS intercommunication environment using one or more of the following: Transaction routing enables a terminal in one CICS system to run a transaction in another CICS system, see Transaction routing on page 372. Function shipping enables your application program to access resources in another CICS system, see Function shipping on page 372. Distributed program link (DPL) enables an application program running in one CICS region to link to another application program running in a remote CICS region, see Distributed program link (DPL) on page 373. Asynchronous processing enables a CICS transaction to start another transaction in a remote system and optionally pass data to it, see Asynchronous processing on page 385. Distributed transaction processing (DTP) enables a CICS transaction to communicate with a transaction running in another system. There are two interfaces available for DTP; command-level EXEC CICS and the SAA interface for DTP known as Common Programming Interface Communications (CPI Communications), see Distributed transaction processing (DTP) on page 385. Common Programming Interface Communications (CPI-C) provides DTP on APPC connections and defines an API that can be used on multiple system platforms, see Common Programming Interface Communications (CPI Communications) on page 385. External CICS interface (EXCI) enables a non-CICS program running in MVS to allocate and open sessions to a CICS system, and to issue DPL requests on these sessions. In CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, Version 2 Release 1, CICS supports MVS resource recovery services (RRS) in applications that use the external CICS interface. see External CICS interface (EXCI) on page 386. The intercommunication aspects of the CICS Front End Programming Interface (FEPI) are not discussed in this book. See the CICS Front End Programming Interface Users Guide for details about FEPI.

Design considerations
If your application program uses more than one of these facilities, you obviously need to bear in mind the design considerations for each one. Also, if your program uses more than one intersystem session for distributed transaction processing, it must control each session according to the rules for that type of session.

Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

371

Programming language
Generally speaking, you can use COBOL, C, C++, PL/I, or assembler language to write application programs that use CICS intercommunication facilities. There is, however, an exception. You can only use C, C++, or assembler language for DTP application programs that hold APPC unmapped conversations using the EXEC CICS API.

Transaction routing
Transactions that can be invoked from a terminal owned by another CICS system, or that can acquire a terminal owned by another CICS system during transaction initiation, must be able to run in a transaction routing environment. Generally, you can design and code such a transaction just like one used in a local environment. However, there are a few restrictions related to basic mapping support (BMS), pseudoconversational transactions, and the terminal on which your transaction is to run. All programs, tables, and maps that are used by a transaction must reside on the system that owns the transaction. (You can duplicate them in as many systems as you need.) Some CICS transactions are related to one another, for example, through common access to the CWA or through shared storage acquired using a GETMAIN command. When this is true, the system programmer must ensure that these transactions are routed to the same CICS system. You should avoid (where possible) any techniques that might create inter-transaction affinities that could adversely affect your ability to perform dynamic transaction routing. To help you identify potential problems with programs that issue these commands, you can use the Transaction Affinities Utility. See the CICS Transaction Affinities Utility Guide for more information about this utility and Chapter 14. Affinity on page 171 for more information about transaction affinity. When a request to process a transaction is transmitted from one CICS system to another, transaction identifiers can be translated from local names to remote names. However, a transaction identifier specified in a RETURN command is not translated when it is transmitted from the transaction-owning system to the terminal-owning system.

Function shipping
You code a program to access resources in a remote system in much the same way as if they were on the local system. You can use: DL/I calls (EXEC DLI commands) to access data associated with a remote CICS system. File control commands to access files on remote systems. Note that requests which contain the TOKEN keyword may not be function-shipped. Temporary storage commands to access data from temporary storage queues on remote systems. Transient data commands to access transient data queues on remote systems.

372

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Three additional exception conditions can occur with remote resources. They occur if the remote system is not available (SYSIDERR), if a request is invalid (ISCINVREQ), or if the mirror transaction abends (ATNI for ISC connections and AZI6 for MRO).

Distributed program link (DPL)

The distributed program link function enables a CICS program (the client program) to call another CICS program (the server program) in a remote CICS region. There are several reasons why you might want to design your application to use distributed program link. Some of these are: v To separate the end-user interface (for example, BMS screen handling) from the application business logic, such as accessing and processing data, to enable parts of the applications to be ported from host to workstation more readily v To obtain performance benefits from running programs closer to the resources they access, and thus reduce the need for repeated function shipping requests v To offer a simple alternative, in many cases, to writing distributed transaction processing (DTP) applications There are several ways in which you can specify that the program to which an application is linking is remote: 1. By specifying the remote system name on a LINK command 2. By specifying the remote system name on the installed program resource definition5 3. By specifying the remote system name using the dynamic routing program (if the installed program definition specifies DYNAMIC(YES) or there is no installed program definition)5 4. By specifying the remote system name in a XPCREQ global user exit The basic flow in distributed program link is described in the CICS Intercommunication Guide. The following terms, illustrated in Figure 78 on page 374, are used in the discussion of distributed program link: Client region The CICS region running an application program that issues a link to a program in another CICS region. Server region The CICS region to which a client region ships a link request. Client program The application program that issues a remote link request. Server program The application program specified on the link request, and which is executed in the server region.

5. By installed program definition we mean a program definition that has been installed statically, by means of autoinstall, or by an EXEC CICS CREATE command. Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication

373

Client Region (SYSIDNT=CICX) Transaction AC20

Server Region (SYSIDNT=CICY) Transaction AC20

Client program (PROG1) EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM('PROG2') SYSID('CICY') TRANSID ('AC20') END-EXEC

CICS mirror program (DFHMIRS) invoke program2

Server program (PROG2) Application code EXEC CICS RETURN Return to PROG1

Figure 78. Illustration of distributed program link

Using the distributed program link function

The distributed program link function provides a number of options. You can specify: v The name of the remote system (the server region). v The name of the server program, if it is known by a different name in the server region. v That you want to run the linked program locally, but restrict it to the distributed program link subset of the application programming interface (API) for testing purposes. (Server programs cannot use the entire CICS API when executed remotely; the restrictions are listed in Table 30 on page 384.) v That the server program takes a syncpoint independently from the client. v The name of the transaction you want the program to run under in the server region. v The data length of the COMMAREA being passed. A server program can itself issue a distributed program link and act as a client program with respect to the program it links to. The options shown in Table 29 on page 375 are used on the LINK command and the program resource definition in support of the distributed program link facility.

374

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 29. Options on LINK command and program resource definitions to support DPL Where specified LINK command options Keyword DATALENGTH Description Specifies the length of the contiguous area of storage (from the start of the COMMAREA) that the application is sending to a server program. Specifies the name of the connection to the server region to which you want the client region to ship the program link request. Note: A remote SYSID specified on the LINK command overrides a REMOTESYSTEM name specified on the program resource definition or a sysid returned by the dynamic routing program. Specifies that you want the server region to take a syncpoint on successful completion of the server program. Note: This option is unique to the LINK command and cannot be specified on the program resource definition. Specifies the name of the transaction that the server region is to attach for execution of the server program. Note: TRANSID specified on the LINK command overrides any TRANSID specified on the program resource definition.

SYSID

SYNCONRETURN

TRANSID

Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication

375

Table 29. Options on LINK command and program resource definitions to support DPL (continued) Where specified Program resource definition options Keyword REMOTESYSTEM Description Specifies the name of the connection to the server region (SYSID) to which you want the client region to ship the program link request. Specifies the name by which the program is known in the server region (if different from the local name). Specifies whether the program link request can be dynamically routed. For detailed information about the dynamic routing of DPL requests, see the CICS Recovery and Restart Guide. Specifies whether the program is restricted to the distributed program link subset of the CICS API. Note: This option is unique to the program definition and cannot be specified on the LINK command. Specifies the name of the transaction that the server region is to attach for execution of the server program.

REMOTENAME

DYNAMIC

EXECUTIONSET

TRANSID

Note: Programming information, including the full syntax of the LINK command, is in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual, but note that for a distributed program link you cannot specify the INPUTMSG or INPUTMSGLEN options.

Examples of distributed program link

A COBOL example of a distributed program link command is shown in Figure 79 on page 377. The numbers down the right-hand side of the example refer to the numbered sections, following the figure, which give information about each option.

Important If the SYSID option of the LINK command specifies the name of a remote region, any REMOTESYSTEM, REMOTENAME, or TRANSID attributes specified on the program definition or returned by the dynamic routing program have no effect.

376

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM('DPLPROG') COMMAREA(DPLPROG-DATA-AREA) LENGTH(24000) DATALENGTH(100) SYSID('CICR') TRANSID('AC20') SYNCONRETURN END-EXEC.
Figure 79. COBOL example of a distributed program link

1 2 3 4 5

1. The program name of the server program A program may have different names in the client and server regions. The name you specify on the LINK command depends on whether or not you specify the SYSID option. If you specify the name of a remote region on the SYSID option of the LINK command, CICS ships the link request to the server region without reference to the REMOTENAME attribute of the program resource definition in the client region, nor to any program name returned by the dynamic routing program. In this case, the PROGRAM name you specify on the LINK command must be the name by which the program is known in the server region. If you do not specify the SYSID option on the LINK command, or you specify the name of the local client region, the PROGRAM name you specify on the LINK command must be the name by which the program is known in the client region. CICS looks up the program resource definition in the client region. Assuming that the REMOTESYSTEM option of the installed program definition specifies the name of a remote region, the name of the server program on the remote region is obtained from: a. The REMOTENAME attribute of the program definition b. If REMOTENAME is not specified, the PROGRAM option of the LINK command. If the program definition specifies DYNAMIC(YES), or there is no installed program definition, the dynamic routing program is invoked and can accept or change the name of the server program. 2. The communication data area (COMMAREA) To improve performance, you can specify the DATALENGTH option on the LINK command. This allows you to specify the amount of COMMAREA data you want the client region to pass to the server program. Typically, you use this option when a large COMMAREA is required to hold data that the server program is to return to the client program, but only a small amount of data needs to be sent to the server program by the client program, as in the example. 3. The remote system ID (SYSID) You can specify the 4-character name of the server region to which you want the application region to ship a program link request using any of the following: v The SYSID option of the LINK command v The REMOTESYSTEM option of the program resource definition v The dynamic routing program. The rules of precedence are: a. If the SYSID option on the EXEC CICS LINK command specifies a remote CICS region, CICS ships the request to the remote region. If the program definition specifies DYNAMIC(YES)or there is no program definitionthe dynamic routing program is invoked for notification onlyit cannot re-route the request.
Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication

377

b. If the SYSID option is not specified or specifies the same name as the local CICS region: 1) If the program definition specifies DYNAMIC(YES)or there is no installed program definitionthe dynamic routing program is invoked, and can route the request. The REMOTESYSTEM option of the program definition, if specified, names the default server region passed to the dynamic routing program. Note: If the REMOTESYSTEM option names a remote region, the dynamic routing program cannot route the request locally. 2) If the program definition specifies DYNAMIC(NO), CICS ships the request to the remote system named on the REMOTESYSTEM option. If REMOTESYSTEM is not specified, CICS runs the program locally. The name you specify is the name of the connection definition installed in the client region defining the connection with the server region. (CICS uses the connection name in a table look-up to obtain the netname (VTAM APPLID) of the server region.) The name of the server region you specify can be the name of the client region, in which case the program is run locally. If the server region is unable to load or run the requested program (DPLPROG in our example), CICS returns the PGMIDERR condition to the client program in response to the link request. Note that EIBRESP2 values are not returned over the link for a distributed program link request where the error is detected in the server region. For errors detected in the client region, EIBRESP2 values are returned. You can also specify, or modify, the name of a server region in an XPCREQ global user exit program. See the CICS Customization Guide for programming information about the XPCREQ global user exit point. 4. The remote transaction (TRANSID) to be attached The TRANSID option is available on both the LINK command and the program resource definition. This enables you to tell the server region the transaction identifier to use when it attaches the mirror task under which the server program runs. If you specify the TRANSID option, you must define the transaction in the server region, and associate it with the supplied mirror program, DFHMIRS. This option allows you to specify your own attributes on the transaction definition for the purpose of performance and fine tuning. For example, you could vary the task priority and transaction class attributes. If the installed program definition specifies DYNAMIC(YES), or there is no installed program definition, the dynamic routing program is invoked and (provided that the SYSID option of the LINK command did not name a remote region) can change the value of the TRANSID attribute. The order of precedence is: a. If the SYSID option of the LINK command specified a remote region, a TRANSID supplied on the LINK b. A TRANSID supplied by the dynamic routing program c. A TRANSID supplied on the LINK command d. The TRANSID attribute of the program definition. e. The mirror TRANSID, CSMI.

378

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

You are recommended to specify the transaction identifier of the client program as the transaction identifier for the server program. This enables any statistics and monitoring data you collect to be correlated correctly under the same transaction. The transaction identifier used on a distributed link program request is passed to the server program as follows: v If you specify your own transaction identifier for the distributed link program request, this is passed to the server program in the EIBTRNID field of the EIB. v EIBTRNID is set to the TRANSID value as specified in the DPL API or server resource definition. Otherwise, it defaults to the clients transaction code, which is the same value that is in the clients EIBTRNID. 5. The SYNCONRETURN option for the server program When you specify the SYNCONRETURN option, it means that the resources on the server are committed in a separate logical unit of work immediately before returning control to the client; that is, an implicit syncpoint is issued for the server just before the server returns control to the client. Figure 80 on page 380 provides an example of using distributed program link with the SYNCONRETURN option. The SYNCONRETURN option is intended for use when the client program is not updating any recoverable resources, for example, when performing screen handling. However, if the client does have recoverable resources, they are not committed at this point. They are committed when the client itself reaches a syncpoint or in the implicit syncpoint at client task end. You must ensure that the client and server programs are designed correctly for this purpose, and that you are not risking data integrity. For example, if your client program has shipped data to the server that results in the server updating a database owned by the server region, you only specify an independent syncpoint if it is safe to do so, and when there is no dependency on what happens in the client program. This option has no effect if the server program runs locally in the client region unless EXECUTIONSET(DPLSUBSET) is specified. In this case, the syncpoint rules governing a local link apply. Without the SYNCONRETURN option, the client commits the logical unit of work for both the client and the server resources, with either explicit commands or the implicit syncpoint at task end. Thus, in this case, the server resources are committed at the same time as the client resources are committed. Figure 81 on page 380 shows an example of using distributed program link without the SYNCONRETURN option.

Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication

379

Client Update resources U O W 1

LINK SYNCONRETURN

Server Update resources SYNCPOINT (explicit) Update resources U O W 2 U O W 3

Client Update resources SYNCPOINT U O W 1

SYNCPOINT (implicit)

Figure 80. Using distributed program link with the SYNCONRETURN option

Note: This includes three logical units of work: one for the client and two for the server. The client resources are committed separately from the server.
Client Update local resources U O W 1

LINK

Server Update resources U O W 1

Client Update local resources U O W 1 RETURN LINK Server Update resources Client Update local resources SYNCPOINT (implicit or explicit) RETURN U O W 1

U O W 1

Figure 81. Using distributed program link without the SYNCONRETURN option

380

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Note: The implicit or explicit syncpoint causes all client and server resources to be committed. There is only one logical unit of work because the client is responsible for determining when both the client and server resources are committed. You need to consider the case when the client has a HANDLE ABEND command. When the client is handling abends in the server, the client gets control when the server abends. This is also true when the SYNCONRETURN option has been specified on the LINK command. In this case, it is recommended that the client issues an abend after doing the minimum of cleanup. This causes both the client logical unit of work and the server logical unit of work to be backed out.

Programming considerations for distributed program link

There are some factors you should consider when writing application programs that use distributed program link.

Issuing multiple distributed program links from the same client task
A client task cannot request distributed program links to a single CICS server region using more than one transaction code in a single client unit of work unless the SYNCONRETURN option is specified. It can issue multiple distributed program links to one CICS server system with the same or the default transaction code.

Sharing resources between client and server programs

The server program does not have access to the lifetime storage of tasks on the client, for example, the TWA. Nor does it necessarily have access to the resources that the client program is using, for example, files, unless the file requests are being function shipped.

Mixing DPL and function shipping to the same CICS system

Great care should be taken when mixing function shipping and DPL to the same CICS system, from the same client task. These are some considerations: v A client task cannot function ship requests and then use distributed program link with the SYNCONRETURN option in the same session (same logical unit of work or system initialization parameter MROFSE=YES specified).. The distributed program link fails with an INVREQ response. In this case EIBRESP2 is set to 14. v A client task cannot function ship requests and then use distributed program link with the TRANSID option in the same client logical unit of work. The distributed program link fails with an INVREQ response. In this case, EIBRESP2 is set to 15. v Any function-shipped requests that follow a DPL request with the SYNCONRETURN option runs in a separate logical unit of work from the server logical unit of work. v Any function-shipped requests running that follow a DPL request with the TRANSID option to the same server region runs under the transaction code specified on the TRANSID option, instead of under the default mirror transaction code. The function-shipped requests are committed as part of the overall client logical unit of work when the client commits. v Any function-shipped requests running before or after a DPL request without the SYNCONRETURN or TRANSID options are committed as part of the overall client logical unit of work when the client commits. See the CICS Intercommunication Guide for more information about function shipping.

Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication

381

Mixing DPL and DTP to the same CICS system

Care should be taken when using both DPL and DTP in the same application, particularly using DTP in the server program. For example, if you have not used the SYNCONRETURN option, you must avoid taking a syncpoint in the DTP partner which requires the DPL server program to syncpoint.
Client DPL Server DTP DTP partner

Figure 82. Example of mixing DPL and DTP

Restricting a program to the distributed program link subset

When a program executes as the result of a distributed program link, it is restricted to a subset of the full CICS API called the distributed program link subset. The commands that are prohibited in a server program are summarized in Table 30 on page 384. You can specify, in the program resource definition only, that you want to restrict a program invoked by a local LINK command to this subset with the EXECUTIONSET(DPLSUBSET) option. The use of any prohibited commands can then be detected before an application program is used in a distributed environment. The EXECUTIONSET(DPLSUBSET) option should be used for very early testing purposes only, and should never be used in production. When the server program is running locally the following considerations apply: v If EXECUTIONSET(DPLSUBSET) is specified on the server program then the SYNCONRETURN option causes an implicit syncpoint to be taken in the local server program, prior to returning control to the client program. In this case, because the server program is running locally, both the client and server resources are committed. However, it should be noted that SYNCONRETURN is intended for use when the client has no recoverable resources. v If EXECUTIONSET(FULLAPI) is specified on the server program, the SYNCONRETURN option is ignored. v The TRANSID and DATALENGTH options are ignored when processing the local link, but the format of the arguments is checked, for example, the TRANSID argument cannot be all blank.

Determining how a program was invoked

The 2-byte values returned on the STARTCODE option of the ASSIGN command are extended in support of the distributed program link function enabling the server program to find out that it is restricted to the distributed program link subset. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about EXEC CICS commands.

Accessing user-related information with the ASSIGN command

The values returned with the USERID and OPID keywords of the ASSIGN command in the server program depend on the way the ATTACHSEC option is defined for the connection being used between the client CICS region and the server CICS region. For example, the system could be defined so that the server program could access the same USERID and OPID values as the client program or could access different values determined by the ATTACHSEC option.

382

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

If ATTACHSEC(LOCAL) is specified, the userid to which the OPID and USERID parameters correspond is one of the following, in the order shown: 1. The userid specified on the USERID parameter (for preset security) of the SESSIONS resource definition, if present 2. The userid specified on the SECURITYNAME parameter of the connection resource definition, if present and no preset security userid is defined on the sessions 3. The userid specified on the DFLTUSER system initialization parameter of the server region, if neither the sessions nor connection definitions specify a userid If any value other than LOCAL is specified for ATTACHSEC, the signed-on userid is the one received in the function management header (FMH5) from the client region. See the CICS RACF Security GuideCICS RACF Security Guide for more information about link security and the ATTACHSEC parameter. Another security-related consideration concerns the use of the CMDSEC and RESSEC options of the ASSIGN command. These are attributes of the transaction definition for the mirror transaction in the server region. They can be different from the definitions in the client region, even if the same TRANSID is used.

Exception conditions for LINK command

There are error conditions introduced in support of DPL. Exception conditions returned to the client program: Condition codes returned to a client program describe such events as remote system not known or failure to commit in the server program. There are different reasons, identified by EIBRESP2 values, for raising the INVREQ and LENGERR conditions on a LINK command. The ROLLEDBACK, SYSIDERR, and TERMERR conditions may also be raised. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about these commands. If the mirror transaction in the remote region fails, the application program that issued the DPL request can handle the abend of the mirror, and commit its own local resources, only if both the following are true: 1. The application program explicitly handles the abend caused by the mirrors failure, and either: v Takes an implicit syncpoint by normal transaction termination or v Issues an explicit syncpoint request. 2. The remote mirror transaction performed no recoverable work within the scope of the application programs unit of work. That is, the mirror was invoked only for a distributed program link (DPL) request with SYNCONRETURN. In all other casesthat is, if the application program does not handle the abend, or the mirror does any recoverable work (for example, a file update, even to a non-recoverable file)CICS forces the transaction to be backed out. The PGMIDERR condition is raised on the HANDLE ABEND PROGRAM, LOAD, RELEASE, and XCTL commands if the local program definition specifies that the program is remote. This exception is qualified by an EIBRESP2 value of 9. Exception conditions returned to the server program: The INVREQ condition covers the use of prohibited API commands. INVREQ is returned, qualified by an
Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication

383

EIBRESP2 value of 200, to a server program if it issues one of the prohibited commands summarized in Table 30. If the server program does not handle the INVREQ condition, the default action is to abend the mirror transaction under which the server program is running with abend code ADPL. For programming information about the DPL-related exception conditions, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual.
Table 30. API commands prohibited in programs invoked by DPL Command ADDRESS ASSIGN Options ACEE ALTSCRNHT ALTSCRNWD APLKYBD APLTEXT BTRANS COLOR DEFSCRNHT DEFSCRNWD DELIMITER DESTCOUNT DESTID DESTIDLENG DS3270 DSSCS EWASUPP EXTDS FACILITY FCI GCHARS GCODES GMMI HILIGHT INPARTN KATAKANA LDCMNEM LDCNUM MAPCOLUMN MAPHEIGHT MAPLINE MAPWIDTH MSRCONTROL NATLANGINUSE NEXTTRANSID NUMTAB OPCLASS OPSECURITY OUTLINE PAGENUM PARTNPAGE PARTNS PARTNSET PS QNAME SCRNHT SCRNWD SIGDATA SOSI STATIONID TCTUALENG TELLERID TERMCODE TERMPRIORITY TEXTKYBD TEXTPRINT UNATTEND USERNAME USERPRIORITY VALIDATION all all all all all all ABEND CONFIRMATION ERROR PREPARE SIGNAL PRINT ABORT ADD END ERASE NOTE QUERY RECEIVE REPLACE SEND WAIT INPUTMSG INPUTMSGLEN all all INPUTMSG INPUTMSGLEN all CONTROL MAP PARTNSET TEXT TEXT(MAPPED) TEXT(NOEDIT) PAGE all all Can be issued in server region if SYNCONRETURN specified on LINK all INPUTMSG INPUTMSGLEN

CONNECT PROCESS CONVERSE EXTRACT ATTRIBUTES EXTRACT PROCESS FREE HANDLE AID ISSUE

LINK PURGE MESSAGE RECEIVE RETURN ROUTE SEND SIGNOFF SIGNON SYNCPOINT WAIT TERMINAL XCTL

The following commands are also restricted but can be used in the server region if SYNCONRETURN is specified on the LINK: v CPIRR COMMIT v CPIRR BACK

384

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v EXEC DLI TERM v CALL DLI TERM Where only certain options are prohibited on the command, they are shown. All the APPC commands listed are prohibited only when they refer to the principal facility. One of these, the CONNECT PROCESS command, causes an error even if it refers to the principal facility in a non-DPL environment. It is included here because, if a CONNECT PROCESS command refers to its principal facility in a server program, the exception condition raised indicates a DPL error.

Asynchronous processing
The response from a remotely initiated transaction is not necessarily returned to the task that initiated the transaction, which is why the processing is referred to as asynchronous. Asynchronous processing is useful when you do not need or want to tie up local resources while having a remote request processed. For example, with online inquiry on remote databases, terminal operators can continue entering inquiries without having to wait for an answer to the first one. You can start a transaction on a remote system using a START command just like a local transaction. You can use the RETRIEVE command to retrieve data that has been stored for a task as a result of a remotely issued START, CANCEL, SEND, or RECEIVE command, as if it were a local transaction.

Distributed transaction processing (DTP)

The main advantage of DTP is that it allows the two transactions to have exclusive control of a session and to converse. DTP is particularly useful when you need remote resources to be processed remotely or if you need to transfer data between systems. It also allows you to design very flexible and efficient applications. DTP can be used with either EXEC CICS or CPI Communications. You can use C, C++, and assembler language in DTP application programs that hold LU type 6.2 unmapped conversations using the EXEC CICS API as well as applications that use the CICS intercommunication facilities. DTP can be used with a variety of partners, including both CICS and non-CICS platforms, as long as they support APPC. For further information about DTP, see the CICS Distributed Transaction Programming Guide and CICS Family: Interproduct Communication manuals.

Common Programming Interface Communications (CPI Communications)

CPI Communications provides an alternative API to existing CICS APPC support. CPI Communications provides DTP on APPC connections and can be used in COBOL, C, C++, PL/I, and assembler language. CPI Communications defines an API that can be used in APPC networks that include multiple system platforms, where the consistency of a common API is seen to be of benefit. The CPI Communications interface can converse with applications on any system that provides an APPC API. This includes applications on CICS platforms. You may use EXEC CICS APPC API commands on one end of a conversation and CPI Communications commands on the other.
Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication

385

CPI Communications requires specific information (side information) to begin a conversation with partner program. CICS implementation of side information is achieved using the partner resource which your system programmer is responsible for maintaining. The applications calls to the CPI Communications interface is resolved by link-editing it with the CICS CPI Communications stub (DFHCPLC). You can find information about how to do this in Including the CICS-supplied interface modules on page 97. The CPI Communications API is defined as a general call interface. The interface is described in the Common Programming Interface Communications Reference manual.

External CICS interface (EXCI)

The external CICS interface is an application programming interface that enables a non-CICS program (a client program) running in MVS to call a program (a server program) running in a CICS region and to pass and receive data by means of a communications area. The CICS program is invoked as if linked-to by another CICS program. This programming interface allows a user to allocate and open sessions (pipes) to a CICS system and to pass distributed program link (DPL) requests over them. CICS interregion communication (IRC) supports these requests and each pipe maps onto one MRO session. For programming information about EXCI, see the External Interfaces Guide manual. A client program that uses the external CICS interface can operate multiple sessions for different users (either under the same or separate TCBs) all coexisting in the same MVS address space without knowledge of, or interference from, each other. The external CICS interface provides two forms of programming interface: v The EXCI CALL interface consists of six commands that allow you to: Allocate and open sessions to a CICS system from non-CICS programs running under MVS Issue DPL requests on these sessions from the non-CICS programs Close and de-allocate the sessions on completion of the DPL requests v The EXEC CICS interface provides: A single composite command (LINK PROGRAM) that performs all six commands of the EXCI CALL interface in one invocation The command takes the same form as the distributed program link command of the CICS command-level application programming interface. CICS supports MVS resource recovery services (RRS) in applications that use the external CICS interface. This means that: v The unit of work within which the CICS server program changes recoverable resources may now become part of the MVS unit of recovery associated with the EXCI client program.

386

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v The CICS server unit of work may be committed when the server program returns control to the client or continues over multiple EXCI DPL calls, until the EXCI client decides to commit or backout the unit of recovery.

Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication

387

388

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Part 6. Basic Mapping Support (BMS)

Chapter 30. Basic mapping BMS support levels . . . . Minimum BMS . . . . Standard BMS . . . . Full BMS . . . . . . A BMS output example . . support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 393 393 393 394 394 399 399 401 402 403 405 405 406 406 406 407 407 408 409 410 410 411 411 412 413 416 417 417 418 418 419 419 420 421 423 423 424 424 424 425 425 425 426 426 426 427 428 428 429

Chapter 31. Creating the map . . . . . . Defining map fields: DFHMDF . . . . . . . Defining the map: DFHMDI . . . . . . . . Defining the map set: DFHMSD . . . . . . Writing BMS macros . . . . . . . . . . Assembling the map . . . . . . . . . . Physical and symbolic map sets . . . . . The SDF II alternative . . . . . . . . . Grouping maps into map sets . . . . . . The Application Data Structure (ADS) . . . Using complex fields . . . . . . . . . . Composite fields: the GRPNAME option . . Repeated fields: the OCCURS option . . . Block data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Support for non-3270 terminals . . . . . . Output considerations for non-3270 devices . Differences on input . . . . . . . . . Special options for non-3270 terminals. . . Device-dependent maps . . . . . . . . . Device dependent support: DDS . . . . . Finding out about your terminal . . . . . Chapter 32. Sending BMS mapped output Acquiring and defining storage for the maps. BASE and STORAGE options . . . . . Initializing the output map . . . . . . . Moving the variable data to the map . . . Setting the display characteristics . . . . Changing the attributes . . . . . . . Attribute value definitions: DFHBMSCA . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 33. Using the SEND MAP command SEND MAP control options . . . . . . . . Other BMS SEND options: WAIT and LAST . Merging the symbolic and physical maps . . . MAPONLY option . . . . . . . . . . DATAONLY option . . . . . . . . . . The SEND CONTROL command . . . . . Building the output screen . . . . . . . . What you start with . . . . . . . . . . What is sent . . . . . . . . . . . . Where the values come from . . . . . . Outside the map . . . . . . . . . . . Using GDDM and BMS . . . . . . . . Positioning the cursor . . . . . . . . . . Sending invalid data and other errors . . . .
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

389

Output disposition options: TERMINAL, SET, and PAGING . . . . . . . . 429 Using SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data . . . An input-output example . . . . . . . . The symbolic input map . . . . . . . Programming mapped input. . . . . . . Using the RECEIVE MAP command . . . Getting storage for mapped input. . . . . Formatted screen input . . . . . . . . Modified data . . . . . . . . . . . Upper case translation . . . . . . . Using the attention identifier . . . . . . Using the HANDLE AID command . . . Finding the cursor . . . . . . . . . . Processing the mapped input . . . . . . Handling input errors . . . . . . . . . Flagging errors . . . . . . . . . . Saving the good input . . . . . . . . Rechecking. . . . . . . . . . . . Sending mapped output after mapped input . MAPFAIL and other exceptional conditions . EOC condition. . . . . . . . . . . Formatting other input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433 433 435 436 436 437 438 438 439 439 439 440 440 441 441 442 443 443 444 445 445 447 447 448 448 449 450 451 453 453 454 455 457 457 457 457 458 461 461 461 462 463 463 465 467 467 468 468 469

Chapter 36. Cumulative output the ACCUM option Floating maps: how BMS places maps using ACCUM . Page breaks: BMS overflow processing . . . . . . Map placement rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . ASSIGN options for cumulative processing . . . . Input from a composite screen. . . . . . . . . . Performance considerations. . . . . . . . . . . Minimizing path length. . . . . . . . . . . . Reducing message lengths . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 37. Text output. . . . The SEND TEXT command. . . Text logical messages . . . . Text pages . . . . . . . . . Text lines . . . . . . . . . Header and trailer format. . . . SEND TEXT MAPPED and SEND . . . . . . . . . . . . TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOEDIT . . . . . . only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 38. Message routing . . . Message destinations . . . . . . . Eligible terminals. . . . . . . . Destinations specified with OPCLASS OPCLASS and LIST omitted . . .

390

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Route list provided . . . . . . . . . . . . Route list format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Message delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . Undeliverable messages . . . . . . . . . . Recoverable messages . . . . . . . . . . . Message identification . . . . . . . . . . . Programming considerations with routing . . . . . Routing and page overflow . . . . . . . . . Routing with SET . . . . . . . . . . . . Interleaving a conversation with message routing . Chapter 39. The MAPPINGDEV facility . . . SEND MAP with the MAPPINGDEV option . . RECEIVE MAP with the MAPPINGDEV option . Sample assembler MAPPINGDEV application . Chapter 40. Partition support . . . . . . Uses for partitioned screens . . . . . . . Scrolling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lookaside . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data comparison. . . . . . . . . . . Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . Partition definition . . . . . . . . . . . 3290 character size. . . . . . . . . . Establishing partitioning . . . . . . . . . Partition options for BMS SEND commands . . Determining the active partition . . . . . Partition options for BMS RECEIVE commands ASSIGN options for partitions . . . . . . Partitions and logical messages . . . . . . Partitions and routing . . . . . . . . . Attention identifiers and exception conditions . Terminal sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 41. Support for special hardware . Logical device components . . . . . . . . Defining logical device components . . . . Sending data to a logical device component. LDCs and logical messages . . . . . . LDCs and routing . . . . . . . . . . 10/63 magnetic slot reader . . . . . . . . Field selection features . . . . . . . . . Trigger field support . . . . . . . . . Cursor and pen-detectable fields . . . . . . Selection fields . . . . . . . . . . . Attention fields . . . . . . . . . . . BMS input from detectable fields . . . . . Outboard formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

469 470 471 472 472 473 473 473 474 474 475 475 476 477 479 480 480 480 480 481 481 481 482 482 483 483 484 484 484 485 485 486 487 487 487 488 488 488 489 489 489 490 491 491 491 492

Part 6. Basic Mapping Support (BMS)

391

392

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 30. Basic mapping support

Basic mapping support (BMS) is an application programming interface between CICS programs and terminal devices. BMS is one of two sets of commands for this purpose. The other one, terminal control, is described in Chapter 25. Terminal control on page 303. For many applications, BMS has several advantages. First, BMS removes device dependencies from the application program. It interprets device-independent output commands and generates device-dependent data streams for specific terminals. It also transforms incoming device-dependent data into device-independent format. These features eliminate the need to learn complex device data streams. They also allow you to use the same program for a variety of devices, because BMS determines the device information from the terminal definition, not from the application program. Second, BMS separates the design and preparation of formats from application logic, reducing the impact of one on the other. Both of these features make it easier to write new programs and to maintain existing code. This chapter describes: v BMS support levels v A BMS output example on page 394

BMS support levels

There are three levels of BMS support: minimum, standard, and full. Most installations use full BMS. If yours does, you can use all the features we describe in this chapter and not concern yourself with levels. If your installation uses minimum or standard BMS, you should note the features that require levels beyond yours. They are summarized here, and they are noted again whenever a facility that is not in minimum BMS is covered.

Minimum BMS
Minimum BMS supports all the basic functions for 3270 terminals, including everything described in our example and in the discussion of simple mapped output and mapped input. Note: Minimum BMS has a substantially shorter path length than standard or full BMS. It is included in the larger versions and invoked as a kind of fast path on commands do not require function beyond what it provides. Specifically, it is used for SEND MAP and SEND CONTROL commands without the ACCUM, PAGING, SET, OUTPARTN, ACTPARTN, LDC, MSR, or REQID options, and for RECEIVE MAP commands, when your principal facility is a 3270 display or printer whose definition does not include outboard formatting. You can tell whether a particular BMS request used the fast path by looking at the CICS trace table. When fast path is used, the trace table contains duplicate entries for the BMS entry and exit code.

Standard BMS
Standard BMS adds: v Support for terminals other than 3270s v Text output commands
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

393

v Support for special hardware features: partitions, logical devices codes, magnetic slot readers, outboard formatting, and so on v Additional options on the SEND command: NLEOM and FMHPARM Standard BMS supports these terminals: v Sequential terminals (composed of card readers, line printers, tape or disk) v TCAM terminals (see Terminal access method support on page 303) v TWX Model 33/35 v 1050 v 2740-1 (no buffer receive), 2740-2, 2741 v 2770 v 2780 v 2980, models 1, 2 and 4 v 3270 v 3600 (3601) LU v 3650 (3653 and 3270 host conversational LUs) v 3650 interpreter LU v 3767/3770 interactive LU v 3770 batch LU v 3780 v LU type 4

Full BMS
Full BMS is required for: v Sending BMS output other than directly to your own terminal (the SET and PAGING options, and BMS routing) v Messages built cumulatively, with multiple BMS SEND commands (the ACCUM and PAGING options) Some CICS platforms do not support all the features of BMS. Table 31 shows the approximate level of support in each, for general guidance. However, there are differences among platforms even at the same level, usually imposed by differences in execution environment. These are described in detail, by function, in CICS Family: API Structure. If your application may eventually move to another platform, or there is a chance that the end-user interface part of it may get distributed to one, you should consult that manual.
Table 31. BMS support across IBM platforms Platform CICS OS/2 CICS/400

BMS support Minimum plus SEND TEXT of standard Minimum plus SEND TEXT of standard Minimum plus SEND TEXT of standard Full Full

CICS/6000

CICS/VSE, CICS/DOS/VS CICS/ESA, CICS/MVS, CICS Transaction Server for OS/390

A BMS output example

To create a formatted screen, BMS takes a list of data items from a program and displays them on the screen (or printed page) according to a predefined format. It merges variable data supplied by the program with constant data in the format (titles, labels for variable fields, default values for these fields). It builds the data stream for the terminal to which you are writing, to show this merged data in the

394

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

designated screen positions, with the proper attributes (color, highlighting, and so on). You do not have to know anything about the data stream, and you do not need to know much about the format to write the required CICS commands. Note: For simplicity, this chapter is mainly concerned with display screens, but most of it applies equally to printers. Chapter 27. CICS support for printing on page 343 discusses differences between displays and printers and covers additional considerations that apply to printing. Furthermore, the examples and discussion assume a standard 3270 terminal because BMS is designed to support the features of the 3270. Other terminals are discussed in Support for non-3270 terminals on page 410. You define the formats, called maps, separately from the programs that use them. This allows you to reposition fields, change their attributes, and change the constant text without modifying your programs. If you add or remove variable data, of course, you need to change the programs which use the affected fields. The basics of how this works are explained by an atypically simple example. In real life, requirements are always more complex, but this gives you the essentials without too much confusing detail. There are more realistic and complete BMS examples among the CICS sample applications. These programs are included in source form on the CICS distribution tape. More information can be found in the Sample Applications Guide. This example assumes that you need to write the code for a transaction used in a department store that checks a customers balance before a charge sale is completed. The transaction is called a quick check, because all it does is check that the customers account is open and that the current purchase is permissible, given the state of the account. The program for the output part of this transaction gets an account number as input, and produces the screen shown in Figure 83 in response:
QCK Account: 0000005 Name: Thompson Max charge: $500.00 Quick Customer Account Check Chris

Figure 83. Normal quick check output screen

The program uses the input account number to retrieve the customers record from the account file. From the information in this record, it fills in the account number and customer name in the map, and computes the maximum charge allowed from the credit limit, outstanding balance, and purchases posted after the last billing period. If the amount comes out negative, you are supposed to show a value of zero and add an explanatory message. You also need to alert the clerk if the charge card is listed as lost, stolen or canceled with a message as shown in Figure 84:

Chapter 30. Basic mapping support

395

QCK Quick Customer Account Check Account: 0000005 Name: Thompson Chris Max charge: $0.00 STOLEN CARD - SECURITY NOTIFIED

Figure 84. Quick check output screen with warning message

This message is to be highlighted, to draw the clerks attention to it. The first thing you must do is define the screen. We explain how to do so for this particular map in Chapter 31. Creating the map on page 399. For the moment, however, let us assume that one of the outputs of this process is a data structure like the one in Figure 85. (We show the COBOL-coded version of the structure, because we are using COBOL to code our examples. However, BMS produces the structure in any language that CICS supports.) The map creation process stores this source code in a library from which you copy it into your program. The data names in this structure come from the map definition. You assign names
01 QCKMAPO. 02 FILLER PIC X(12). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(2). 02 ACCTNOA PICTURE X. 02 ACCTNOO PIC X(7). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(2). 02 SURNAMEA PICTURE X. 02 SURNAMEO PIC X(15). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(2). 02 FNAMEA PICTURE X. 02 FNAMEO PIC X(10). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(2). 02 CHGA PICTURE X. 02 CHGO PIC $,$$0.00 02 FILLER PICTURE X(2). 02 MSGA PICTURE X. 02 MSGO PIC X(30).

Figure 85. Symbolic map for quick check

to the fields that the program may have to change in any way. For our example, this category includes the fields where you display the account number, last name, first name, maximum charge, and explanatory message. It does not include any of the field labels or screen titles that never change, such as Quick Customer Account Check and Account. Each field that you name on the screen generates several fields in the data structure, which are distinguished by a 1-character suffix added to the name you assigned in the map. Two appear here, the A suffix for the field attributes byte and the O suffix for the output data. If we were creating a map to use special device features like color and highlighting, or were using the map for input as well as output, there would be many more. We tell you about these other fields in Setting the display characteristics on page 419 and Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data on page 433. The key fields for this particular exercise are the ones suffixed with O. These are where you put the data that you want displayed on the screen. You use the A

396

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

subfields if you want to change how the data is displayed. In our example, we use MSGA to highlight the message if our customer is using a dubious card. Here is an outline of the code that is needed for the example. You have to copy in the data structure (Figure 85 on page 396) produced by creating the map, and the COPY QCKSET statement in the third line does this. (Ordinarily, you would use a copy statement for the account record format too. We show it partly expanded here so that you can see its contents.)
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. C COPY IN SYMBOLIC MAP STRUCTURE. 01 COPY QCKSET. 01 ACCTFILE-RECORD. 02 ACCTFILE-ACCTNO 02 ACCTFILE-SURNAME 02 ACCTFILE-FNAME 02 ACCTFILE-CREDIT-LIM 02 ACCTFILE-UNPAID-BAL 02 ACCTFILE-CUR-CHGS . 02 ACCTFILE-WARNCODE . . PROCEDURE DIVISION. . . . EXEC CICS READ FILE (ACCT) INTO (ACCTFILE-RECORD) RIDFLD (CKNO) ... END-EXEC. MOVE ACCTFILE-ACCTNO TO ACCTNOO. MOVE ACCTFILE-SURNAME TO SURNAMEO. MOVE ACCTFILE-FNAME TO FNAMEO. COMPUTE CHGO = ACCTFILE-CREDIT-LIM - ACCTFILE-UNPAID-BAL - ACCTFILE-CUR-CHGS. IF CHGO < ZERO, MOVE ZERO TO CHGO MOVE 'OVER CHARGE LIMIT' TO MSGO. IF ACCTFILE-WARNCODE = 'S', MOVE DFHBMBRY TO MSGA MOVE 'STOLEN CARD - SECURITY NOTIFIED' TO MSGO EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM('NTFYCOPS') END-EXEC. EXEC CICS SEND MAP ('QCKMAP') MAPSET ('QCKSET') END-EXEC. EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC.

PIC PIC PIC PIC PIC PIC PIC

S9(7). X(15). X(10). S9(7) COMP-3. S9(7) COMP-3. S9(7) COMP-3. X.

Figure 86. BMS output example

Chapter 30. Basic mapping support

397

398

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 31. Creating the map

BMS provides three assembler language macro instructions (macros) for defining maps. This method of map definition is still widely used, and we are about to explain how to do it. However, there are also other products for creating maps which exploit the facilities of the display terminal to make the map creation process easier. They produce the same outputs as the BMS macros, generally with less programmer effort. One of these is the Screen Definition Facility II (SDF II). SDF II allows you to build your screens directly from a display station, testing the appearance and usability as you go. You can find out more about SDF II in Screen Definition Facility II General Introduction Part 1 and Screen Definition Facility II General Introduction Part 2. The three assembler macros used to define BMS maps are: DFHMDF defines an individual field on a screen or page. DFHMDI defines a single map as a collection of fields. DFHMSD groups single maps into a map set. The explanation of this process begins by telling you how to define individual fields. Then we explain how to go from the fields to a complete map, and from a map to a map set (the assembly unit). BMS is designed principally for 3270-type terminals, although it supports nearly all types. See Chapter 26. The 3270 family of terminals on page 325 for information on 3270 terms. This chapter describes: v Defining map fields: DFHMDF v Defining the map: DFHMDI on page 401 v Defining the map set: DFHMSD on page 402 v Writing BMS macros on page 403 v Assembling the map on page 405 v Using complex fields on page 407 v Block data on page 409 v Support for non-3270 terminals on page 410 v Device-dependent maps on page 412

Defining map fields: DFHMDF

You should design the layout of your screen before you attempt to code any macros. After you have done that, you define each field on the screen (page) with a DFHMDF macro. In it, you indicate: v v v v The position of the field on the screen The length of the field The default contents (unless you always intend to provide them in the program) The field display attributes, governing whether and what the operator can key into the field, whether the cursor stops there, the intensity of the characters, and the initial state of the modified data tag v For some terminals, extended display attributes, such as color, underlining, highlighting
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

399

v The name by which you refer to the field in your program, if you ever modify its contents or attributes Fields that are referenced by the application must be allocated field names. The length of the field name and the characters that may be used to form field names must conform to the following rules. (Note that these rules apply to currently-supported compilers and assemblers.) The characters used must be valid for names of assembler ordinary symbols. This character set consists of the alphabetic characters A - Z (upper or lower case), $, #, @, numeric digits 0 - 9, and the underscore (_) character. There is one exception to this rule. The hyphen (-) character may be used in field names provided that: v The mapset is only used by application programs written in COBOL. v The mapset is generated using the High Level Assembler. The first character of the field name must be alphabetic, but the other characters can be any from the character set described above. In addition, the characters used in field names must conform to the character set supported by the programming language of the application using the map. For example, if the application language is COBOL, you cannot use the @ character. You should refer to the appropriate Language Reference manual for information about these character sets. The DFHMDF macro allows the length of field names to be from one through 30 characters. DFHMDF derives additional variable names by appending one of several additional characters to the defined name to generate a symbolic description map. These derived names may therefore be up to 31 characters in length. The assembler, PL/1, and C languages all support variable names of at least 31 characters. However the COBOL language only allows up to 30 characters, which means that field names used in maps must not exceed 29 characters for COBOL applications. For example, the following field definition is valid for all languages except COBOL:
ThisIsAnExtremelyLongFieldName DFHMDF LENGTH=10,POS=(2,1)

and the following field definition is only valid for COBOL:

Must-Not-Exceed-29-Characters DFHMDF LENGTH=10,POS=(2,1) "

Not all the options for field definition are described here; the rest are described in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. Figure 87 shows the field definitions for the map we considered in Figure 84 on page 396.

400

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

DFHMDF POS=(1,1),LENGTH=3,ATTRB=(ASKIP,BRT),INITIAL='QCK' DFHMDF POS=(1,26),LENGTH=28,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM), X INITIAL='Quick Customer Account Check' DFHMDF POS=(3,1),LENGTH=8,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM),INITIAL='Account:' ACCTNO DFHMDF POS=(3,13),LENGTH=7,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM) DFHMDF POS=(4,1),LENGTH=5,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM),INITIAL='Name:' SURNAME DFHMDF POS=(4,13),LENGTH=15,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM) FNAME DFHMDF POS=(4,30),LENGTH=10,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM) DFHMDF POS=(5,1),LENGTH=11,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM),INITIAL='Max charge:' CHG DFHMDF POS=(5,13),ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM),PICOUT='$,$$0.00' MSG DFHMDF LENGTH=20,POS=(7,1),ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM)

Figure 87. BMS map definitions

1. The POS (position) parameter indicates the row and column position of the field, relative to the upper left corner of the map, position (1,1). It must be present. Remember that every field begins with a field attributes byte; POS defines the location of this byte; the contents of the field follow immediately to the right. 2. The LENGTH option tells how many characters long the field is. The length does not include the attributes byte, so each field occupies one more column than its LENGTH value. In the case of the first field in our map, for example, the attributes byte is in row 1, column 1, and the display data is in columns 2-4. Fields can be up to 256 characters long and can wrap from one line to another. (Take care with fields that wrap if your map is smaller than your screen. See Outside the map on page 427 for further information.) 3. The ATTRB (attributes) option sets the field attributes of the field, which we discussed in 3270 field attributes on page 330. It is not required; BMS uses a default value of (ASKIP, NORM)autoskip protection, normal intensity, modified data tag offif you omit it. There are other options for each of the extended attributes, none of which was used in this map; these are described in Setting the display characteristics on page 419. 4. The INITIAL value for the field is not required either. You use it for label and title fields that have a constant value, such as QCK, and to assign a default value to a field, so that the program does not always have to supply a value. 5. The PICOUT option on the definition of the field CHG tells BMS what sort of PICTURE clause to generate for the field. It lets you use the edit facilities of COBOL or PL/I directly, as you move data into the map. If you omit PICOUT, and also the numeric (NUM) attribute, BMS assumes character data. Figure 85 on page 396 shows the effects of the PICOUT option for CHG and, in the other fields, its absence. You can omit the LENGTH option if you use PICOUT, because BMS infers the length from the picture. 6. The GRPNAME and OCCURS options do not appear in our simple example, because they are for more complex problems. GRPNAME allows you to subdivide a map field within the program for processing, and OCCURS lets you define adjacent, like map fields so that you can treat them as an array in the program. These options are explained in Using complex fields on page 407 after some further information about maps.

Defining the map: DFHMDI

After all the fields on your map are defined, you tell BMS that they form a single map by preceding them with a DFHMDi macro. This macro tells BMS: v The name of the map v The size, in rows and columns v Where it appears on the screen (you can put several maps on one screen)
Chapter 31. Creating the map

401

v Whether it uses 3270 extended display attributes and, if so, which ones v The defaults for these extended attributes for fields where you have not assigned specific values on the DFHMDF macro v Device controls associated with sending the map (such as whether to sound the alarm, unlock the keyboard) v The type of device the map supports, if you intend to create multiple versions of the map for different types of devices (see Device-dependent maps on page 412) The map name and size are the critical information on a DFHMDI macro but, for documentation purposes, you should specify your other options explicitly rather than letting them default. The DFHMDI macro for our example might be:
QCKMAP DFHMDI SIZE=(24,80),LINE=1,COLUMN=1,CTRL=ALARM

We have named the map QCKMAP. This is the identifier we use in SEND MAP commands. It is 24 lines long, 80 columns wide, and starts in the first column of the first line of the display. We have also indicated that we want to sound the alarm when the map is displayed.

Defining the map set: DFHMSD

You need one more macro to create a map:DFHMSD, which defines a map set. Maps are assembled in groups called map sets. Typically you group all the maps used by a single transaction or several related transactions. (We discuss reasons for grouping maps further in Grouping maps into map sets on page 406.) A map set need not contain more than one map, incidentally, and in our simple example, the map set consists of just the quick check map. One DFHMSD macro is placed in front of all the map definitions in the map set. It gives: v The name of the map set v Whether you are using the maps for output, input, or both v Defaults for map characteristics that you did not specify on the DFHMDI macros for the individual maps v Defaults for extended attributes that you did not specify in either the field or map definitions v Whether you are creating physical or symbolic maps in the current assembly (see Physical and symbolic map sets on page 405) v The programming language of programs that use the maps v Information about the storage that is used to build the maps Heres the DFHMSD macro we need at the beginning of our example:
QCKSET DFHMSD TYPE=MAP,STORAGE=AUTO,MODE=OUT,LANG=COBOL,TIOAPFX=YES

This map set definition tells BMS that the maps in it are used only for output, and that the programs using them are written in COBOL. It assigns the name QCKSET to the map set. TIOAPFX=YES causes inclusion of a 12-byte prefix field at the beginning of each symbolic map (you can see the effect in the second line in Figure 85 on page 396). You always need this filler in command language programs and you should specify it explicitly, as the default is sometimes omission. MAP and STORAGE are explained in Chapter 32. Sending BMS mapped output on page 417.

402

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

You need another DFHMSD macro at the end of your map definitions, to tell the assembler that it has reached the end of last map in the map set:
DFHMSD TYPE=FINAL

Writing BMS macros

Because a BMS macro is an assembler language statement, you have to follow assembler syntax rules. We do not try to explain those in full here; you can find them in Assembler H Version 2 Application Programming Language Reference manual. Instead we give you a set of rules that work, although they are more restrictive than the actual rules. 1. Start names in column 1. Map and map set names may be up to seven characters long. The maximum length for field names (the DFHMDF macro) depends on the programming language. BMS creates labels by adding 1-character suffixes to your field names. These labels must not be longer than the target language allows, because they get copied into the program. Hence the limit for a map field name is 29 characters for COBOL, 30 for Pl/I and Assembler H, and 7 for Assembler F. For C and C++, it is 30 if the map is copied into the program as an internal data object, and six if it is an external data object (see Acquiring and defining storage for the maps on page 417 for more information about copying the map). 2. Start the macro identifier in column 10, or leave one blank between it and the name if the name exceeds eight positions. For field definitions, the identifier is always DFHMDF; for map definitions, DFHMDI; and for the map set macros that begin and end the map set, DFHMSD. 3. The rest of the field description consists of keywords (like POS for the position parameter) followed by values. Sometimes a keyword does not have a value, but if it does, an equals sign (=) always separates the keyword from its value. 4. Leave one blank after your macro identifier and then start your keywords. They can appear in any order. 5. Separate keywords by one comma (no blanks), but do not put a comma after the last one. 6. Keywords can extend through column 71. If you need more space, stop after the comma that follows the last keyword that fits entirely on the line and resume in column 16 of the next line. 7. Initial values (the INITIAL, XINIT, and GINIT keywords) are exceptions to the rule, because they may not fit even if you start on a new line. Except when double-byte characters are involved, you can split them at any point after the first character of the initial value itself. When you split in this way, use all of the columns through 71 and continue in column 16 of the next line. Double-byte character set (DBCS) data is more complicated to express than ordinary single-byte (SBCS) data. See Step 12 if you have DBCS initial values. 8. Surround initial values by single quote marks. If you need a single quote within your text, use two successive single quotes (the assembler removes the extra one). Ampersands also have special significance to the assembler, and you use the same technique: use two ampersands where you want one, and the assembler removes the extra. 9. If you use more than one line for a macro, put a character (any one except a blank) in column 72 of all lines except the last. 10. If you want comments in your map, use comment lines between macros, not among the lines that make up a single macro. Comment lines have an asterisk in column 1 and a blank in column 72. Your comments can appear anywhere among columns 2-71.
Chapter 31. Creating the map

403

11. Use upper case only, except for values for the INITIAL parameter and in comments. 12. For initial values containing DBCS. If you have initial data that is entirely DBCS, use the GINIT keyword for your data and specify the keyword PS=8 as well. If your data contains both DBCS and SBCS characters, that is, if it is mixed, use INITIAL and specify SOSI=YES. (We need to explain a third alternative, XINIT, because you may find it in code you are maintaining. You should use GINIT and INITIAL if possible, however, as XINIT is more difficult to use and your data is not validated as completely. XINIT can be used for either pure or mixed DBCS. XINIT with PS=8 follows the rules for GINIT, and XINIT with SOSI=YES follows those for INITIAL (mostly, at least). The main difference is that you express your data in hexadecimal with XINIT, but you use ordinary characters for GINIT and INITIAL.) This is how you write DBCS initial values: v You enclose your data with single quotes, as you do with the ordinary INITIAL parameter. v You use two ordinary characters for each DBCS character in your constant (two pairs of hexadecimal digits with XINIT) and one for each SBCS character (one pair with XINIT). v You bracket each DBCS character string with a shift-out (SO) character immediately preceding and a shift-in (SI) character immediately after. SO is hexadecimal X'0E', which appears as < on most keyboards, and SI is X'0F' (>). (XINIT with PS=8 is an exception; the SO/SI brackets are implied and you do not key them.) For example, all of these define the same initial value, which is entirely DBCS. (Ignore the LENGTH values for the moment; we explain those in a moment.)
GINIT='<D1D2D3D4D5>',PS=8,LENGTH=10 INITIAL='<D1D2D3D4D5>',SOSI=YES,LENGTH=12 XINIT='C4F1C4F2C4F3C4F4C4F5',PS=8,LENGTH=10 XINIT='0EC4F1C4F2C4F3C4F4C4F50F',SOSI=YES,LENGTH=12

v SBCS and DBCS sequences can follow each other in any combination with INITIAL (and XINIT with SOSI=YES). If we add ABC in front of the DBCS string in the previous example, and def following the string, we have:
INITIAL='ABC<D1D2D3D4D5>def',SOSI=YES,LENGTH=18 XINIT='C1C2C30EC4F1C4F2C4F3C4F4C4F50F848586',SOSI=YES,LENGTH=18

v To calculate the length of your initial value, count two for each DBCS character and one for each SBCS character, whether you express them in ordinary characters or hexadecimal pairs. With GINIT (and XINIT with PS=8), you do not count the SO and SI characters, but with INITIAL (and XINIT with SOSI=YES), you add one for each SO and for each SI. (Note the different LENGTH values for the same constants in the examples above.) In all cases, your LENGTH value must not exceed 256. v For GINIT and INITIAL, if your constant does not fit on one line, you use extended continuation rules, which are a little different from the ones described earlier. With extended continuation, you can stop after any full character (SBCS character, DBCS pair, or the SI ending a DBCS string) within your initial value. If you are in the middle of a DBCS string, add an SI (the SOs and SIs on one line must balance). Then fill out the line through column 72 with a continuation character. Any character will do, so long as it is different from the last meaningful character on the line. If you have stopped within a DBCS string, put an SO character in column 16 of the next line and resume in 17; otherwise just resume in 16, thus:

404

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

GXMPL1 IXMPL1

DFHMDF POS=(02,21),LENGTH=20,PS=8,GINIT='<D1D2D3D4D5D6>**** <D7D8D9D0>' DFHMDF POS=(02,21),LENGTH=23,PS=8,INITIAL='abc<D1D2D3D4>ABC DEFGHIJ'

You cannot use extended continuation with XINIT; use the rules described in Step 7. v If your LENGTH specification exceeds the length of the initial value you provide, the value is filled out on the right with DBCS blanks to your LENGTH value if you have used GINIT (or XINIT with PS=8). If you have used INITIAL, the fill character is an SBCS blank if the last part of the constant was SBCS, a DBCS blank if the last part was DBCS. If you use XINIT with SOSI=YES, the fill character is always an SBCS blank.

Assembling the map

Before you start coding, you must assemble and link edit your map set. You usually have to assemble twice, to create the map set in two different forms. The TYPE option in the DFHMSD macro tells the assembler the form to produce in any particular assembly.

Physical and symbolic map sets

A TYPE=MAP assembly, followed by a link-edit, produces a load module called the physical map set. The physical map set contains format information in encoded form. CICS uses it at execution time for constant fields and to determine how to merge in the variable data from the program. The physical map set normally is stored in the same library as your application programs, and it requires a MAPSET resource definition within CICS, just as a program requires a PROGRAM resource definition. The output of a TYPE=DSECT assembly is a series of data structures, collectively called the symbolic map set, coded in the source language specified in the LANG option. There is a structure for each map used for input, called the symbolic input map, and one for each map used for output, called the symbolic output map. Symbolic map sets are used at compile (assembly) time. You copy them into your program, and they allow you to refer to the fields in the maps by name and to pass the variable data in the form dictated by the physical map set. We have already shown you an example of a symbolic output map in COBOL (see Figure 85 on page 396) and used it in the example code. Symbolic map sets are usually stored in the library your installation defines for source code that gets copied into programs. Member names are usually the same as the map set names, but they need not be. You need the TYPE=DSECT assembly before you compile or assemble your program. You can defer the TYPE=MAP assembly and link-edit until you are ready to test, because the physical map set is not used until execution time. However, because you must do both eventually, many installations provide a catalogued procedure to do this automatically; the procedure copies the source file for the map set and processes it once using TYPE=MAP and again using TYPE=DSECT. You also can use the SYSPARM option in your assembler procedure to override the TYPE value in a particular assembly. See the Assembler H Version 2 Application Programming Language Reference manual for a description of SYSPARM in connection with map assemblies, and Chapter 10. Installing map sets and partition sets on page 113 for more information about assembling maps.

Chapter 31. Creating the map

405

Notes: 1. The fact that symbolic map sets are coded in a specific language does not prevent you from using the same map in programs coded in different languages. You simply assemble with TYPE=DSECT for each LANG value you need, taking care to store the outputs in different libraries or under different names. The LANG value does not affect the TYPE=MAP assembly, which need be done only once. 2. If you modify an existing map in a way that affects the symbolic map, you must recompile (reassemble) any programs using it, so that the compilation uses the symbolic structure that corresponds to the new physical structure. Changes to unnamed map fields do not affect the symbolic map, but addition, deletion, rearrangement, and length changes of named fields do. (Rearrangement refers to the DFHMDF macros; the order of the fields on the screen does not affect the symbolic map, although it is more efficient to have the DFHMDF macros in same order as the fields on the screen.) So make changes to the DSATTS option in the map definitionthis option states the extended attributes you may want to change by program. It is always safest to recompile, of course.

The SDF II alternative

None of these assembly or link-edit steps is required if you use the IBM licensed program Screen Definition Facility II. SDF II produces creates both the symbolic map set and the physical map set in the final step of the interactive map creation process. SDF II can run under either MVS (Program 5665-366) or VM (5664-307). Refer to the Screen Definition Facility II Primer for CICS/BMS Programs, the Screen Definition Facility II General Introduction Part 1, and the Screen Definition Facility II General Introduction Part 2. More information can be found in the Screen Definition Facility II General Information and Screen Definition Facility II Primer for CICS/BMS Programs.

Grouping maps into map sets

Because they are assembled together, all of the physical maps in a map set constitute a single load module. BMS gains access to all of them with a single load request, issued on the first use of the map set in the task. No further loads are required unless you request a map in a different set, in which case BMS releases the old map set and loads the new one. If you go back to the first map set subsequently, it gets loaded again. Loading and deleting does not necessarily involve I/O, but you should consider the path length when grouping your maps into map sets. Generally, if maps are used together, they should be in the same map set; those not used together should be in different map sets. The limit to the number of maps in a set is 9 998, but you should also keep the size of any given load module reasonable. So you might keep infrequently used maps separate from those normally used in a given process. Similarly, all of the symbolic maps for a map set are in a single symbolic structure. This affects the amount of storage you need while using the maps, as explained in BASE and STORAGE options on page 418. Depending on the programming language, it also may affect high-level names, and this may be a reason for separating or combining maps as well.

The Application Data Structure (ADS)

The symbolic map generated by the BMS macros is also known as the application data structure (ADS).

406

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Physical maps produced by CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, Version 2 Release 1 also include an ADS descriptor in the output load module. This is provided to allow interpretation of the BMS Application Data Structure (the structure used by the application program for the data in SEND and RECEIVE MAP requests), without requiring your program to include the relevant DSECT or copybook at compile time. The ADS descriptor contains a header with general information about the map, and a field descriptor for every field that appears in the ADS (corresponding to every named field in the map definition macro). It can be located in the mapset from an offset field in DFHMAPDS. The ADS descriptor is generated for all maps. You can choose to map the long or short form of the ADS by specifying the DSECT=ADS|ADSL option. The default is ADS,the short (normal) form. The long form of the ADS aligns all fields on 4-byte boundaries and is required for some interfaces with other products, such as MQSeries. Map sets generated with CICS releases before CICS Transaction Server for OS/390 Release 2 do not contain the ADS descriptor. The format of the ADS descriptor is contained in the following copybooks:
Table 32. ADS descriptor copybooks Language Assembler C PL/I COBOL Copybook DFHBRARD DFHBRARH DFHBRARL DFHBRARO

For further information about the ADS descriptor, see the CICS External Interfaces Guide. If you need to reassemble maps but have no access to the source, a utility program, DFHBMSUP, is provided in CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, Version 2 Release 1 to recreate BMS macro source from a mapset load module. See the CICS Operations and Utilities Guide for more information about DFHBMSUP.

Using complex fields

The symbolic maps we have shown so far consisted of a fixed set of fields for each named map field (the A and O subfields, and so on, in Figure 85 on page 396). Such fields are the most common, but BMS provides two options for field definition which produce slightly different structures, to account for two common programming situations.

Composite fields: the GRPNAME option

Sometimes, you have to refer to subfields within a single field on the display. For example, you may have a date field that appears on the screen like this:
03-17-92

Chapter 31. Creating the map

407

It is one field on the screen (with one attributes byte, just before the digit 0), but you must be able to manipulate the month, day, and year components separately in your program. You can do this with a group field, using the GRPNAME option of the DFHMDF macro. To create one, you code a DFHMDF macro for each of the component subfields; each definition names the same group field in the GRPNAME option. To define the date above as a group field starting at the beginning of line 10, for example, we would write:
MO SEP1 DAY SEP2 YR DFHMDF DFHMDF DFHMDF DFHMDF DFHMDF POS=(10,1),LENGTH=2,ATTRB=BRT,GRPNAME=DATE POS=(10,3),LENGTH=1,GRPNAME=DATE,INITIAL='-' POS=(10,4),LENGTH=2,GRPNAME=DATE POS=(10,6),LENGTH=1,GRPNAME=DATE,INITIAL='-' POS=(10,7),LENGTH=2,GRPNAME=DATE

These definitions produce the following in the symbolic output map:

02 DATE. 03 FILLER PICTURE X(2). 03 MOA PICTURE X. 03 MOO PIC X(2). 03 SEP1 PIC X(1). 03 DAO PIC X(2). 03 SEP2 PIC X(1). 03 YRO PIC X(2).

Several rules must be observed when using a group field: v There is only one attributes byte; it precedes the whole group field and applies to the whole field. You specify it just once, on the DFHMDF macro for the first subfield, MO here. v Because there is only one attributes byte, the cursor behaves as if the group field were a single field. In our example, the cursor does not move from the last position of month to the first of day, or day to year, skipping over the hyphens. This is because the group really is a single field as far as the hardware goes; it is subdivided only for program access to the component subfields. v Although subfields after the first do not have an attributes byte, you define the POS option as if they did, as shown in the example. That is, POS points to one character before the subfield begins, and can overlap the last character of the previous subfield, as occurs in our example. v Although all the component subfields are adjacent in this example, they do not have to be. There can be gaps between the subfields, provided you do not define any other field in the gap. The group field spans all the columns from its first subfield to its last, and you must put the component DFHMDF macros in the order the subfields appear on the screen. The group ends with the first DFHMDF macro that does not specify its name. v You must assign a field name to every subfield, even if you do not intend to refer to it (as we did in the SEP1 and SEP2 subfields in the example). v You cannot use the OCCURS option (explained in the next section) for a group field or any of its components.

Repeated fields: the OCCURS option

Sometimes a screen contains a series of identical fields that you want to treat as an array in your program. Suppose, for example, that you need to create a display of 40 numbers, to be used when a clerk assigns an unused telephone number to a

408

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

new customer. (The idea is to give the customer some choice.) You also want to highlight numbers which have been in service recently, to warn the customer of the possibility of calls to the previous owner. You can define the part of your screen which shows the telephone numbers with a single field definition:
TELNO DFHMDF POS=(7,1),LENGTH=9,ATTRB=NORM,OCCURS=40

This statement generates 40 contiguous but separate display fields, starting at position (7,1) and proceeding across the rows for as many rows as required (five, in our case). We have chosen a length that (with the addition of the attributes byte) divides the screen width evenly, so that our numbers appear in vertical columns and are not split across row boundaries. The attributes you specify, and the initial value as well, apply to each field. The description of these fields in the symbolic map looks like this in COBOL:
02 TELNOG OCCURS 40. 03 FILLER PICTURE X(2). 03 TELNOA PICTURE X. 03 TELNOO PIC X(9).

This structure lets you fill the map from an array in your program (or any other source) as follows:
PERFORM MOVENO FOR I FROM 1 THROUGH 40. ... MOVENO. MOVE AVAIL-NO (I) TO TELNOO (I). IF DAYS-SINCE-USE (I) < 90, MOVE DFHBMBRY to TELNOA (I).

(DFHBMBRY is a CICS-supplied constant for setting the field intensity to bright; we explain more in Attribute value definitions: DFHBMSCA on page 421.) Labels for OCCURS fields vary slightly for the different languages that CICS supports, but the function is the same. Each element of an array created by the OCCURS option is a single map field. If you need to repeat a series of fields (an array of structures, in other words), you cannot use OCCURS. To use such an array in a program, you must define all of the fields individually, without OCCURS, to produce the necessary physical map. Then you can modify the resulting symbolic map, replacing the individual field definitions with an array whose elements are the structure you need to repeat. You must ensure that the revised symbolic map has exactly the same field structure as the original, of course. An alternative is to use SDF II, which allows you to define such an array directly.

Block data
BMS provides an alternate format for the symbolic map, called block data format, that may be useful in specific circumstances. In block data format, the symbolic output map is an image of the screen or page going to the terminal. It has the customary field attributes (A) and output value (O) subfields for each named map field, but the subfields for each map field are separated by filler fields such that their displacement in the symbolic map structure corresponds to their position on the screen. There are no length subfields, and symbolic cursor positioning is unavailable as a consequence.

Chapter 31. Creating the map

409

For example, the symbolic map for the quick check screen in Figure 84 on page 396 would look like this in block data format (assuming a map 80 columns wide). Compare this with the normal field data. format (in Figure 85 on page 396) from the same map definition. You can set only the field attributes in the program; BMS ignores the DSATTS
01 QCKMAPO. 02 FILLER PIC X(12). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(192). 02 ACCTNOA PICTURE X. 02 ACCTNOO PIC X(7). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(72). 02 SURNAMEA PICTURE X. 02 SURNAMEO PIC X(15). 02 FNAMEA PICTURE X. 02 FNAMEO PIC X(10). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(52). 02 CHGA PICTURE X. 02 CHGO PIC $,$$0.00 02 FILLER PICTURE X(139). 02 MSGA PICTURE X. 02 MSGO PIC X(30). <---TIOAPFX still present <---Spacer to <---Position (3,13) <---Spacer to <---Position (4,13) <---Position (4,30), no preceding spacer required <---Spacer to <---Position (5,13) <---Spacer to <---Position (7,1).

Figure 88. Symbolic map for quick check in block data format

option in the map and does not generate subfields for the extended attributes in block data format. You can use block data for input as well. The input map is identical in structure to the output map, except that the flag (F) replaces the field attributes (A) subfield, and the input (I) replaces the output (O) subfield, as in field format. Block data format may be useful if the application program has built or has access to a printer page image which it needs to display on a screen. For most situations, however, the normal field data format provides greater function and flexibility.

Support for non-3270 terminals

Minimum BMS supports only 3270 displays and printers. This category includes the 3178, 3290, 8775 and 5520, LU type 2 and LU type 3 devices, and any other terminal that accepts the 3270 data stream. The IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual contains a full list. Standard BMS expands 3270 support to SCS printers (3270 family printers not using the 3270 data stream) and all of the terminal types listed in Table 33 on page 414. Because of functional differences among these terminal types, it is not possible to make BMS work in exactly the same way for each of them. The sections which follow outline the limitations in using BMS on devices which lack the hardware basis for certain features.

Output considerations for non-3270 devices

Because BMS separates the device-dependent content of the output data stream from the logical content, there are only a few differences between 3270 and non-3270 devices that you need to consider in creating BMS output. The primary difference between 3270 and non-3270 devices is that the 3270 is field-oriented, and most others are not. Consequently, there are neither field attributes nor extended attributes associated with output fields sent to non-3270 terminals. BMS can position the output in the correct places, field by field, but the

410

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

field structure is not reflected in the data stream. BMS can even emulate some field attributes on some terminals (it may underline a highlighted field, for example), but there is no modified data tag, no protection against keying into the field, and so on. If you specify attributes on output that the terminal does not support, BMS simply ignores them. You do not need to worry about them, provided the output is understandable without the missing features.

Differences on input
The absence of field structure has more impact on input operations, because many of the features of BMS depend on the ability to readby fieldonly those fields that were modified. If the hardware does not provide the input field-by-field with its position on the screen, you must provide equivalent information. You can do this in either of two ways. The first is to define a field-separator sequence, one to four characters long, in the FLDSEP option of the map definition. You place this sequence between each field of your input and supply the input fields in the same order as they appear on the screen or page. You must supply every field on the screen, up to the last one that contains any data. If there is no input in a field, it can consist of only the terminating field-separator sequence. On hardcopy devices, input cannot overlay the output because of paper movement. On displays that emulate such terminals, the same technique is generally used. Input fields are entered in an area reserved for the purpose, in order, separated by the field-separator sequence. The second method is to include control characters in your input. If you omit the FLDSEP option from your map, BMS uses control characters to calculate the position of the data on the page and maps it accordingly. The control characters that BMS recognizes are:
NL IRS LF FF HT VT CR RET ETB ESC new line interchange record separator line feed form feed horizontal tab vertical tab carriage return return on the TWX end text block escape, for 2780 X15 X1E X25 X0C X05 X0B X0D X26 X26 X27

When you read data of this kind with a RECEIVE MAP command, there are some differences from true 3270 input: v The flag byte (F subfield) is not set; it contains a null. You cannot determine whether the operator erased the field or whether the cursor was left in the field. v You cannot preset a modified data tag on output to ensure that a field is returned on input.

Special options for non-3270 terminals

BMS provides some additional formatting options for non-3270 devices, to take advantage of device features that shorten the data stream. These include: v Vertical and horizontal tabs. You can position your output with horizontal and vertical tab orders if the device supports them. The tab characters are defined by the HTAB and VTAB options in the map set definition. When you want to position to the next horizontal tab, you include the HTAB character in your data; you
Chapter 31. Creating the map

411

position to the next vertical tab by supplying the VTAB character in your data. BMS translates these characters to the tab sequence required by your particular principal facility. Before you use tabs in BMS output, your task or some earlier task at the same terminal must have set the tabs in the required positions. This is usually done with a terminal control SEND command, described in Using data transmission commands on page 307. v Outboard formatting. Some logical units can store format information and participate in the formatting process. This allows BMS to send much less data (essentially the symbolic map contents) and delegate the work of merging the physical and symbolic maps to the logical unit. See Outboard formatting on page 492 for details. v NLEOM (new line, end of message). Standard BMS also gives you the option of requesting that BMS format your output with blanks and new-line (NL) characters rather than 3270 buffer control orders. This technique gives you more flexibility in page width settings on printers, as explained in NLEOM option on page 346.

Device-dependent maps
Because the position, default attributes, and default contents of map fields appear only in the physical map and not in the symbolic map, you can use a single program to build maps that contain the same variable information but different constant information in different arrangements on the screen. This is very convenient if the program you are writing must support multiple devices with different characteristics. You do this by defining multiple maps with the same names but different attributes and layout, each with a different suffix. Suppose, for example, that some of the clerks using the quick update transaction use 3270 Model 2s (as we have assumed until now), and the rest use a special-purpose terminal that has only 3 rows and 40 columns. The format we designed for the big screen will not do for the small one, but the information will fit if we rearrange it: We need the following map definition:
QUP Quick Account Update: Current charge okay; enter next Acct: _______ Charge: $ _______

Figure 89. Quick update for the small screen

412

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

QUPSET QUPMAP MSG ACCTNO CHG

DFHMSD TYPE=MAP,STORAGE=AUTO,MODE=INOUT,LANG=COBOL,SUFFIX=9 DFHMDI SIZE=(3,40),LINE=1,COLUMN=1,CTRL=FREEKB DFHMDF POS=(1,1),LENGTH=24,ATTRB=(ASKIP,BRT), X INITIAL='QUP Quick Account Update' DFHMDF LENGTH=39,POS=(2,1),ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM) DFHMDF POS=(3,1),LENGTH=5,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM), X INITIAL='Acct:' DFHMDF POS=(3,11),LENGTH=6,ATTRB=(UNPROT,NUM,IC) DFHMDF POS=(3,18),LENGTH=1,ATTRB=(ASKIP),INITIAL=' ' DFHMDF POS=(3,20),LENGTH=7,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM),INITIAL='Charge:' DFHMDF POS=(3,29),LENGTH=7,ATTRB=(UNPROT,NORM),PICIN='$$$$0.00' DFHMDF POS=(3,37),LENGTH=1,ATTRB=(ASKIP),INITIAL=' ' DFHMSD TYPE=FINAL

Figure 90. Map definition

The symbolic map set produced by assembling this version of the map is identical to the one shown in An input-output example on page 433, because the fields with names have the same names and same lengths, and they appear in the same order in the map definition. (They do not need to appear in the same order on the screen, incidentally; you can rearrange them, provided you keep the definitions of named fields in the same order in all maps.) You only need one copy of the symbolic map and you can use the same code to build the map. CICS will select the physical map to use from the value coded in the ALTSUFFIX option of the TYPETERM resource definition for the terminal from which the transaction is being run. You also need to specify SCRNSZE(ALTERNATE) in the transaction PROFILE resource definition. See CICS Resource Definition Guide for information about the TYPETERM and PROFILE resource definitions. You might use this technique to distinguish among standard terminals used for special purposes. For example, if an application were used by both English and French speakers, you could create two sets of physical maps, one with the constants in French and the other in English. You would assign each a suffix, and specify the English suffix as the ALTSUFFIX value in the definitions of the English terminals and the French suffix for French terminals. Transactions using the map would point to a PROFILE that specified alternate screen size. Then when you sent the map, BMS would pick the version with the suffix that matched the terminal (that is, in the appropriate language). Another way to provide device dependent maps is to allow BMS to generate a suffix based on the terminal type, and select the physical map to use to match the terminal in the current execution when you issue SEND MAP or RECEIVE MAP.

Device dependent support: DDS

The BMS feature that does this is called device dependent support (DDS). DDS is an installation option that works as follows. When you assemble your map sets, you specify the type of terminal the maps are for in the TERM option. This causes the assembler to store the physical map set under the MAPSET name suffixed by the character for that type of terminal6. When you issue SEND MAP or RECEIVE MAP with DDS active, BMS adds a 1-character suffix to the name you supply in the MAPSET option. It chooses the suffix based on the definition of your terminal, and thus loads the physical map that corresponds to the terminal for any given execution.
6. You also can use JCL or the link-edit NAME statement to control the member name under which a map set is stored. Chapter 31. Creating the map

413

BMS defines the suffixes used for the common terminal types. A 3270 Model 2 with a screen size of 24 rows and 80 columns is assigned the letter M, for example. The type is determined from the TYPETERM definition if it is one of the standard types shown in Table 33.
Table 33. Terminal codes for BMS Code A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R U V W X Y blank Terminal or logical unit CRLP (card reader input, line printer output) or TCAM terminal Magnetic tape Sequential disk TWX Model 33/35 1050 2740-1, 2740-2 (without buffer receive) 2741 2740-2 (with buffer receive) 2770 2780 3780 3270-1 displays (40-character width) 3270-2 displays (80-character width), LU type 2s 3270-1 printers 3270-2 printers, LU type 3s All interactive LUs, 3767/3770 Interpreter LU, 3790 full function LU, SCS printer LU 2980 Models 1 and 2 2980 Model 4 3600 (3601) LU 3650 Host Conversational (3653) LU 3650 Interpreter LU 3650 Host Conversational (3270) LU 3770 Batch LU, 3770 and 3790 batch data interchange LUs, LU type 4s 3270-2 (default if TERM omitted)

An installation can also define additional terminal types, such as the miniature screen described above. The system programmer does this by assigning an identifier to the terminal type and specifying it in the ALTSUFFIX option of the TYPETERM definition for the terminals. When you create a map for such a terminal, you specify this identifier in the SUFFIX option, instead of using the TERM option. Transactions using the map must also point to a PROFILE that specifies alternate screen size, so that ALTSUFFIX is used. With DDS, the rules BMS uses for selecting a physical map are: v BMS adds the ALTSUFFIX value in the terminal definition to your map set name, provided that definition specifies both ALTSUFFIX and ALTSCREEN, and provided that the screen size for the transaction is the alternate size (either because the transaction PROFILE calls for alternate size, or because the default and alternate sizes are the same).

414

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v If these conditions are not met, or if BMS cannot find a map with that suffix, it attempts to find one with the suffix that corresponds to the terminal type in the terminal definition. v If BMS cannot find that map either, it looks for one with no suffix. (A blank suffix indicates an all-purpose map, suitable for any terminal that might use it.) Without DDS, BMS always looks first (and only) for an unsuffixed map. Device-dependent support is an installation option for BMS, set by the system programmer in the system initialization table. Be sure that it is included in your system before taking advantage of it; you should know whether it is present, even if you are supporting only one device type. With DDS in the system, there is an efficiency advantage in creating suffixed map sets, even if you are supporting only one device type, because you prevent BMS from attempting to load a map set that does not exist before defaulting to the universal one (the blank suffix). Without DDS, on the other hand, it is unnecessary to suffix your maps, because BMS looks for the universal suffix (a blank) and fails to locate suffixed maps.

Chapter 31. Creating the map

415

Finding out about your terminal

Because of the overall design of BMS, and device-dependent support in particular, you generally do not need to know much about your terminal to format for it. However, if you need to know the characteristics of your principal facility, you can use the ASSIGN and INQUIRE commands. You can tell, for example, whether your terminal supports a particular extended attribute, what national language is in use, screen size and so on. This type of information applies whether you are using BMS or terminal control to communicate with your terminal. You need it more often for terminal control, and so we describe the options that apply in that chapter, in Finding out about your terminal on page 314. There are also ASSIGN options specific to BMS, but you need them most often when you use the ACCUM option, and so we describe them later, in ASSIGN options for cumulative processing on page 457.

416

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 32. Sending BMS mapped output

When you have assembled your symbolic map set, you are ready to code. We have explained by example how you get data from an application program to a map. We discuss that process in greater detail now, describing all the steps that must be performed, and telling you more about the options you have. You must perform the following steps to produce mapped output: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Acquire storage in which to build the map. Copy the symbolic map set so that it defines the structure of this storage. Initialize it. Move the output data into the map structure. Set the field attributes. Write the map to the screen with a SEND MAP command, adding any device control information required.

This chapter describes: v Acquiring and defining storage for the maps v Initializing the output map on page 418 v Moving the variable data to the map on page 419 v Setting the display characteristics on page 419

Acquiring and defining storage for the maps

The first step in creating mapped output is to provide storage in which to arrange the variable map data that your program passes to BMS. If you place the map structure in working storage, CICS does the allocation for you. (CICS allocates a private copy of working storage for each execution of a program, so that data from one task does not get confused with that from another, as explained in Program storage on page 141.) To use working storage, copy the symbolic map set there with the language statement provided for the purpose:
COPY %INCLUDE #include in COBOL and assembler in PL/I in C and C++

Working storage is the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION in COBOL, automatic storage in PL/I, C, C++, and DFHEISTG in a CICS assembler program. For example:
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. ... 01 COPY QCKSET. ...

Alternatively, you can obtain and release map set storage as you need it, using CICS GETMAIN commands. (GETMAIN is discussed in Chapter 45. Storage control on page 517.) In this case you copy the map into storage addressed by a pointer variable (the LINKAGE SECTION in COBOL, based storage in PL/I, C, and C++, a DSECT in assembler). On return from the GETMAIN, you use the address returned in the SET option to associate the storage with the data structure, according to the facilities of the programming language. We used working storage in the example back on page Figure 86 on page 397, but we could have used a GETMAIN. If we had, the code we just showed you would change to:
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

417

LINKAGE SECTION. ... 01 COPY QCKSET. ... PROCEDURE DIVISION. ... MOVE LENGTH OF QCKMAPO TO LL. EXEC CICS GETMAIN SET(ADDRESS OF QCKMAPO) LENGTH(LL) END-EXEC. ...

The length you need on your GETMAIN command is the length of the variable whose name is the map name suffixed by the letter O. In COBOL, PL/I, C, and C++, you can use language facilities to determine this length, as in the example above. In assembler, it is defined in an EQUate statement whose label is the map name suffixed by L.

BASE and STORAGE options

Two options on the DFHMSD map set definition macro affect how storage for maps is defined: BASE and STORAGE=AUTO (the STORAGE option always has the value AUTO). You can use either one or neither, so there are three possibilities. If you specify neither for a map set containing several maps, the symbolic structures for the maps are defined so that they overlay one another. If you specify STORAGE=AUTO, they do not; each occupies separate space. Thus STORAGE=AUTO requires more storage. However, when you use maps that overlay one another in a single program, you must use them serially or compensate for the reuse of storage by programming. Unless storage is a major issue, STORAGE=AUTO simplifies programming and reduces the risk of error. In PL/I, C, and C++, STORAGE=AUTO has the additional effect of defining the map as automatic storage (storage that CICS allocates); the absence of STORAGE=AUTO causes these compilers to assume based storage, for which you generally incur the overhead of an additional GETMAIN. BMS assigns the name BMSMAPBR to the associated pointer variable, unless you specify another name with the BASE option. The third possibility, BASE, lets you use the same storage for all the maps in multiple map sets. Its effect varies slightly with the programming language, but essentially, all the maps in map sets with the same BASE value overlay one another. In COBOL, BASE=xxxx causes the 01 levels (that is, each individual map) to contain a REDEFINES xxxx clause. In PL/I, C, and C++, it designates each map as storage based on the pointer variable xxxx. BASE cannot be used when the programming language is assembler.

Initializing the output map

Before you start building your output, make sure that the map storage is initialized to nulls, so that data left there by a previous process is not used inadvertently. If you have read data input data using this same map, or one that overlays it, you need to ensure that you have processed or saved this data first, of course. The relationship between input and output maps is discussed in The symbolic input map on page 435, and using the same map you used for input is discussed in Sending mapped output after mapped input on page 443.

418

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

You initialize by moving nulls (X00) into the structure. The symbolic map structures are defined so that you can refer to the whole map area by the name of the map suffixed by the letter O. You can see this in Figure 85 on page 396, and, in fact, the statement:
MOVE LOW-VALUES TO QCKMAPO.

would clear the area in which we built the map in the quick check example. If you are using the map for both input and output, it may be easier to clear the map one field at a time, as you edit the input (see Handling input errors on page 441). When you obtain map storage with a CICS GETMAIN instruction, another way to initialize is to use the INITIMG option.

Moving the variable data to the map

Having obtained storage for your map, established the relationship of the map structure to the storage, and initialized, you are finally ready to create your output. There are two parts to it: the data itself and its display attributes. We tell you about the data first and get to the attributes right after. In the usual case, an output display consists of some constant or default data (provided by the physical map) and some variable data (provided by the program). For each field that you want to supply by program, you move the data into the field in the symbolic map whose name is the name assigned in the map suffixed by the letter O. See the code on page A BMS output example on page 397 for an example. If you do not supply a value for a field (that is, you leave it null, as initialized), BMS ordinarily uses the initial value assigned in the map, if any. Constants (that is, fields without names) also get the initial values specified in the map. However, the DATAONLY and MAPONLY options on the SEND MAP command modify the way in which program and map data are merged; we explain these options in Merging the symbolic and physical maps on page 424 and summarize the exact rules in Building the output screen on page 425.

Setting the display characteristics

Display attributes are the second component of the output data. (See 3270 field attributes on page 330 for information about attributes.) In the quick check example on page A BMS output example on page 397, we show how 3270 field attributes for a map field are defined with the ATTRB option, and how BMS generates the A subfield to let you override the map value by program if you name the field. BMS always provides the A subfield, because all 3270 devices support field attributes. Many 3270s also have some of the extended attributes shown in Table 34 on page 420. BMS supports each of these attributes individually in much the same way that it does field attributes collectively. You can assign attribute values in your DFHMDF field definitions, and, if you name the field, BMS generates a subfield in the symbolic map, so that you can override the map-assigned value in your program. There is a separate subfield for each type of extended attribute. You can request subfields for the extended attributes by specifying the required attribute in the DSATTS option of DFHMDI or DFHMSD. You must also include the list of extended attributes in the the MAPATTS option (even if these attribute types do not appear in any DFHMDF macro).
Chapter 32. Sending BMS mapped output

419

Table 34. BMS attribute types. The columns show the types of attributes, the name of the associated MAPATTS and DSATTS value, and the suffix of the associated subfields in the symbolic map. Attribute type Field attributes Color Highlighting Outlining Background transparency Validation Double-byte character capability Programmed symbols MAPATTS, DSATTS value None (default) COLOR HILIGHT OUTLINE TRANSP VALIDN SOSI PS Subfield suffix A C H U T V M P

Note: If you use programmed symbols, you need to ensure that a suitable symbol set has been sent to the device first, unless you choose one that is permanently loaded in the device. You can use a terminal control SEND command to do this (see Using data transmission commands on page 307). The IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual describes what to send. The types of attributes that apply depend on the features of your principal facility at the time of execution. If you specify a value for an attribute that the terminal does not possess, BMS ignores it. If you are supporting different terminal types, however, you may need to use different techniques to get the same visual clarity. You can find out what kind of terminal you are using with the ASSIGN and INQUIRE commands, explained in Finding out about your terminal on page 314. There are also provisions in BMS for keeping your program independent of the terminal type; see Device-dependent maps on page 412.

Changing the attributes

Here is an example of how this works. Suppose that the terminals in our quick check application have color and highlighting capabilities. We might decide to show the maximum charge allowed in a different color from the rest of the screen, because this field is of most interest to the clerk. We might also make the warning message red, because when it appears at all, it is important for the clerk to notice it. And when we really want to get the clerks attention, because the card is stolen, we could change the attributes in the program to make the message blink. To add these features, we need to change our map definition as follows:
QCKMAP DFHMDI SIZE=(24,80),..., X MAPATTS=(COLOR,HILIGHT),COLOR=GREEN,HILIGHT=OFF,DSATTS=HILIGHT

The MAPATTS option tells BMS that we specify color and highlighting in the map (or in the program, because any attribute listed in DSATTS must be included in MAPATTS as well). The COLOR and HILIGHT values indicate that fields with no color assigned should be green and that highlighting should be off if not specified. The only field definitions that we need to change are the ones that are not green or are highlighted:
CHG MSG DFHMDF POS=(5,13),LENGTH=8,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM),PICOUT='$,$$0.00', COLOR=WHITE DFHMDF LENGTH=20,POS=(7,1),ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM),COLOR=RED X

420

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The DSATTS option tells BMS that we want to alter the highlighting of some fields at execution time, and therefore it should produce H-suffix subfields in the symbolic map to let us do that. Each named field gets the extra subfield; the message field, for example, expands from the current three lines in Figure 85 on page 396 to:
02 02 02 02 FILLER PICTURE X(2). MSGH PICTURE X. MSGA PICTURE X. MSGO PIC X(30).

The program statement we need to produce the blinking is:

MOVE DFHBLINK to MSGH.

In general, BMS takes attribute values from the program if you supply them and from the map if you do not (that is, if you leave the program value null, as initialized). However, the MAPONLY and DATAONLY options on the SEND MAP command affect attribute values as well as field data, as explained in Where the values come from on page 426.

Attribute value definitions: DFHBMSCA

The 1-byte values required to set attribute values are bit combinations defined by 3270 hardware. They are hard to remember and, in some languages, clumsy to express. To solve this problem, CICS provides source code that you can copy into your program. The code, named DFHBMSCA, defines all the commonly used values for all attributes and assigns meaningful names to each combination. DFHBLINK in the line of code above is an example. To define DFHBLINK, we simply copy DFHBMSCA into our working storage, thus:
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. ... 01 COPY DFHBMSCA.

There is a separate version of DFHBMSCA for each programming language, but the value names are the same in all versions. The CICS Application Programming Reference manual lists and defines all the value names. If you need an attribute combination not included in DFHBMSCA, you can determine the value by referring to the IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference; if you make frequent use of the value, you may want to modify DFHBMSCA to include it. Note: In assembler language only, the values are defined with EQUates, so you use MVI rather than MVC instructions.

Chapter 32. Sending BMS mapped output

421

422

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 33. Using the SEND MAP command

The SEND MAP command tells BMS: v Which map to use (MAP option), and where to find that map (the MAPSET option) v Where to find the variable data for the map (FROM option) and how to merge it with the values from the map (MAPONLY and DATAONLY) v Which device controls to include in the data stream, and other control options v Where to put the cursor, if you want to override the position in the map definition (the CURSOR option) v Whether the message is complete or is built cumulatively (the ACCUM option) v What to do with the formatted output (TERMINAL, SET and PAGING options) The MAP and MAPSET options are self-explanatory, and we cover most of the rest as we describe the programming steps that precede a simple SEND MAP . The last two topics require a knowledge of BMS logical message facilities, which we describe in Output disposition options: TERMINAL, SET, and PAGING on page 429. Until we get to that point, we assume the defaults: that each SEND MAP creates one message, and we are sending that message to our own terminal. The CICS Application Programming Reference manual describes this command in more detail. This chapter describes: v SEND MAP control options v Merging the symbolic and physical maps on page 424 v Building the output screen on page 425 v Positioning the cursor on page 428 v Sending invalid data and other errors on page 429 v Output disposition options: TERMINAL, SET, and PAGING on page 429

SEND MAP control options

There are many control options for the BMS SEND commands. Some apply only to particular devices or special features of BMS, and we defer describing these until we get to the associated device support or feature. The following device control options, however, apply generally: v ERASE, ERASEAUP, and FRSET all modify the contents of the device buffer, if the terminal has one, before writing your output into it. ERASE sets the entire buffer to nulls (X00). If the terminal has the alternate screen size feature, ERASE also sets the buffer size. Therefore, the first SEND MAP in a task normally specifies the ERASE option, both to clear the buffer and to select the buffer size. (See 3270 write commands on page 328 for more information about alternate screen size.) ERASEAUP (erase all unprotected fields) sets the contents of all fields in the buffer that are unprotected (that is, fields which the operator can change) to nulls. This is useful for data entry, as we explain in DATAONLY option on page 425. FRSET (field reset) turns off the modified data tag of all fields in the buffer (Saving the good input on page 442 and Modification on page 331 explain more about this option). v FREEKB (free keyboard) unlocks the keyboard when the output is sent to the terminal. You usually want to do this on a display terminal.
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

423

v ALARM sounds the audible alarm, if the terminal has one. v FORMFEED, PRINT, L40, L64, L80, and HONEOM are specific to printing and are explained in CICS 3270 printer options on page 345. NLEOM also is used mainly in printing, and is explained in the same section. NLEOM requires standard BMS. Some of these options can also be specified in the map itself, in particular, the options that are expressed in the 3270 write control character and coded in the CTRL option of the DFHMDI or DFHMSD macros: PRINT, FREEKB, ALARM, FRSET, L40, L64, L80, HONEOM. Note: CTRL options are always treated as a group, so if you include any of them on your SEND MAP command, BMS ignores the values for all of them in your map definition and uses only those in the command. As we noted earlier, you can also send device control options separate from your map data, using a SEND CONTROL command. You can use any option on SEND CONTROL that you can use on SEND MAP, except those that relate expressly to data, such as NLEOM.

Other BMS SEND options: WAIT and LAST

When a task writes to a terminal with a BMS or terminal control SEND command CICS normally schedules the transmission and then makes the task ready for execution again. Actual transmission occurs somewhat later, depending on terminal type, access method and other activity in the system. If you want to ensure that transmission is complete before your program regains control, use the WAIT option. WAIT can increase response time slightly, because it prevents overlap between processing and output transmission for a task. (Overlap occurs only until a subsequent SEND, RECEIVE, or end of task, however, because CICS finishes one terminal operation completely before starting another.) You can improve response time slightly for some terminals by using the LAST option. LAST indicates that the output you are sending is the last output for the task. This knowledge allows CICS to combine transmission of the data with the VTAM end-of-bracket flow that occurs at end of task.

Merging the symbolic and physical maps

So far, we have assumed that every display consists of some constant data (provided by the physical map) and some variable data (provided by the program and structured according to the symbolic map). Sometimes, however, one or more of these components is missing.

MAPONLY option
For example, a menu map may not need any data supplied by program. In such a case, you code the MAPONLY option in place of the FROM option on your SEND MAP command. BMS then takes all the information from the physical map, sending the initial values for both the constant (unnamed) and named fields. You do not need to copy the symbolic map set into a program that always sends the map with MAPONLY, and, in fact, you can skip the TYPE=DSECT map set assembly if all programs use all the maps in the set in this way. MAPONLY is also the way you get an input-only map to the screen.

424

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

DATAONLY option
The opposite situation is also possible: the program can supply all the data and not need any constant or default values from the map. This happens on the second and subsequent displays of a map in many situations: data entry applications, inquiry applications where the operator browses through a series of records displayed in identical format, and screens which are redisplayed after detection of an error in the input. BMS takes advantage of this situation if you indicate it with the DATAONLY option. You still need to tell BMS which map and map set you are using for positioning information, but BMS sends only those fields which have non-null attribute or data values in the symbolic map. Other fields and attribute values are left unchanged.

The SEND CONTROL command

There are also occasions when you do not need to send data at all, but you do need to send device controls. For example, you might need to erase the screen or sound the alarm. You do this with a SEND CONTROL command listing the options you need, Consider a program in a data entry application. When first initiated, it displays the data entry map to format the screen with the input fields, the associated labels, screen headings and instructions. This first SEND MAP command specifies MAPONLY, because the program sends no variable data. Thereafter, the program accepts one set of data input. If the input is correct, the program files it and requests another. It still does not need to send any variable data. What it needs to do is to erase the input from the screen and unlock the keyboard, to signal the operator to enter the next record.
EXEC CICS SEND CONTROL ERASEAUP FREEKB END-EXEC

does this. (See SEND MAP control options on page 423 for a description of these and other device control options.) If there are errors, the program does need to send variable data, to tell the operator how to fix the problem. This one changes the attributes of the fields in error to highlight them and sends a message in a field provided for the purpose. Here, our program uses the DATAONLY option, because the map is already on the screen. (We tell you more about handling input errors in Handling input errors on page 441.) You should use MAPONLY, DATAONLY, and SEND CONTROL when they apply, especially when response time is critical, as it is in a data entry situation. MAPONLY saves path length, DATAONLY reduces the length of the outbound data stream, and SEND CONTROL does both.

Building the output screen

The interaction of physical map definition options, SEND MAP options, program data and merge options is sufficiently complex that a summary of the rules for determining what appears on the screen after a SEND MAP is in order. The contents of the screen (buffer) are determined by: v What was there before your SEND MAP command v The fields (field attributes, extended attributes, and display data) that get sent from your SEND MAP command
Chapter 33. Using the SEND MAP command

425

v Where the several values for these field elements come from We discuss the possibilities in that order.

What you start with

The first thing that happens on a SEND MAP command is that the entire screen (buffer) is cleared to nulls if the ERASE option is present, regardless of the size or origin of your map. On terminals that have the alternate screen size feature, the screen size is set as well, as explained in 3270 write commands on page 328. The screen is in unformatted state, with no fields defined and no display data. If ERASEAUP is present, all of the unprotected fields on the screen are erased, but the field structure and attributes of all fields and the contents of protected fields are unchanged. ERASE and ERASEAUP are honored before your SEND MAP data is loaded into the buffer. If neither of these options appears on the SEND MAP, the screen buffer starts out as it was left after the previous write operation, modified by whatever the operator did. In general, the positions of the fields (that is, of the attributes bytes) and their attributes are unchanged, but the data content of unprotected fields may be different. Furthermore, if the operator used the CLEAR key, the whole buffer is cleared to nulls and the screen is in unformatted state, just as if you had included the ERASE option.

What is sent
Secondly, BMS changes only those positions in the buffer within the confines of your map. Outside that area, the contents of the buffer are unchanged, although it is possible for areas outside your map to change in appearance, as explained in Outside the map on page 427. Within the map area, what is sent depends on whether the DATAONLY option is present. In the usual case, where it is not present, BMS sends every component (field attributes, extended attributes, display data) of every field in your map. This creates a field at the position specified in the POS operand and overlays the number of bytes specified in the LENGTH field from POS. Buffer positions between the end of the display data and the next attributes byte (POS value) are left unchanged. (There may or may not be fields (attributes bytes) in these intervening spaces if you did not ERASE after the last write operation that used a different map.) The values for these field elements come from the program, the map or defaults, as explained in the next section. If DATAONLY is present, on the other hand, BMS sends only those fields, and only those components for them, that the program provides. Other screen data is unchanged.

Where the values come from

The values that determine screen contents may come from four sources: v Program v Map v Hardware defaults v Previous screen contents BMS considers each component of each map field separately, and takes the value from the program, provided:

426

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v The MAPONLY option has not been used. v The field has a name in the map, so that the symbolic output map contains the corresponding set of subfields from which to get the data. The field attributes value comes from the program subfield whose name is the map field name suffixed by A. The display data comes from the subfield of the same name suffixed by O, and the extended attribute values come from the same-named subfields suffixed by the letter that identifies the attribute (see Table 34 on page 420). In the case of the extended attributes, the attribute must also appear among DSATTS in order for the symbolic map to contain the corresponding subfield. v A value is present. The definition of present varies slightly with the field component: For field attributes bytes, the value must not be null (X'00') or one of the values that can be left over from an input operation (X'80', X'02', or X'82'). For extended attribute bytes, the value must not be null. Note: BMS sends only those extended attribute values that the terminal is defined as supporting. Values for other extended attributes are omitted from the final data stream. For display data, the first character of the data must not be null. If any of these conditions is not met, the next step depends on whether DATAONLY is present. With DATAONLY, BMS stops the process here and sends only the data it got from the program. BMS does this in such a way that components not changed by program are not changed on the screen. In particular, extended attributes values are not changed unless you specify a new value or ask for the hardware default. (A value of X'FF' requests the hardware default for all extended attributes except background transparency, for which you specify X'F0' to get the hardware default.) Without DATAONLY, if one of the conditions above is not met, BMS takes the data from the map, as follows: v For field attributes, it takes the value in the ATTRB option for the field. If none is present, BMS assumes an ATTRB value of (ASKIP,NORM). v For extended attributes, BMS takes the value from: The corresponding option in the DFHMDF field definition If it is not specified there, the value is taken from the corresponding option in the DFHMDI map definition If it is not there either, the value is taken from the corresponding option in the DFHMSD map set definition (If no value is specified anywhere, BMS does not send one, and this causes the 3270 to use its hardware default value.) v For display data, from the initial value in the map (the INITIAL, XINIT, or GINIT option). If there is no initial value, the field is set to nulls.

Outside the map

We have assumed, so far, that your map is the same size as your screen or printer page. It need not be. Your application may use only a part of the screen area, or you may want to build your output incrementally, or both. BMS logical messages allow you to build a screen from several maps, sending it with a single terminal write. You use the ACCUM option to do this, which we cover in Chapter 35. BMS logical messages on page 447. Even without using ACCUM, you can build a screen from several maps if the terminal is a 3270-like device with
Chapter 33. Using the SEND MAP command

427

a buffer. You do this with multiple SEND MAP commands written to different areas of the screen (buffer), not erasing after the first command. Each SEND MAP causes output and may produce a momentary blink at a display device. For this reason, and to eliminate the path length of extra I/O, you may prefer to use logical messages for such composite screens. Outside the map just sent, the contents of the buffer are unchanged, except for the effects of ERASE and ERASEAUP cited earlier. In general, this means that the corresponding areas of the screen are unchanged. However, a screen position outside the map may get its attributes from a field within the map. This occurs if you do not define a field (using a different map) beyond the boundary of the map and before the position in question. If you change the attributes of the field inside your map governing this position outside, the appearance of the position may change, even though the contents do not.

Using GDDM and BMS

One use of the buffer overlay technique we just described is the creation of screens containing a mixture of BMS and Graphical Data Display Manager (GDDM) output. You generally write the BMS output first, followed by the GDDM. You can leave space in the BMS map for the GDDM output, or you can create a graphic hole in any display by writing a map with no fields in it to the position where you want the hole. Such a map is called a null map, and its size (height and width) correspond to the size of the hole. If you use GDDM to combine graphics with BMS output, you need to include a GDDM PSRSRV call to prevent GDDM from corrupting programmed symbol sets that BMS may be using.

Positioning the cursor

Usually, you set the initial position for the cursor in the map definition by including insert cursor (IC) in the ATTRB values of the field where you want it. (Cursor position is not important for the output-only maps we have been discussing, but it becomes important as soon as you use a map for input too.) The CURSOR option on the SEND MAP command allows you to override this specification, if necessary, when the map is displayed. If you specify CURSOR(value), BMS places the cursor in that absolute position on the screen. Counting starts in the first row and column (the zero position), and proceeds across the rows. Thus, to place the cursor in the fourth column of the third row of an 80-column display, you code CURSOR(163). Specifying CURSOR without a value signals BMS that you want symbolic cursor positioning. You do this by setting the length subfield of the field where you want the cursor to minus one (-1). Length subfields are not defined on output-only maps, so you must define your map as INOUT to use symbolic cursor positioning. (We tell you about length subfields in Formatted screen input on page 438, and about INOUT maps in Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data on page 433.) If you mark more than one field in this way, BMS uses the first one it finds. Symbolic cursor positioning is particularly useful for input-output maps when the terminal operator enters incorrect data. If you validate the fields, setting the length of any in error to -1, BMS places the cursor under the first error when you redisplay. Processing the mapped input on page 440 shows this technique.

428

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

You can position the cursor with a SEND CONTROL command also, but only by specifying an absolute value for CURSOR; if you omit CURSOR on SEND CONTROL, the cursor is not moved.

Sending invalid data and other errors

The exceptional conditions that can occur on SEND MAP and SEND CONTROL commands are listed with the descriptions of these commands in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. Most of them apply only to the advanced BMS options: logical messages, partitions, and special devices. However, it is also possible to send invalid data to a terminal. BMS does not check the validity of attribute and data values in the symbolic map, although it does not attempt to send an extended attribute, like color, to a terminal not defined to support that attribute. The effects of invalid data depend on both the particular terminal and the nature of the incorrect data. Sometimes invalid data can be interpreted as a control sequence, so that the device accepts the data but produces the wrong output; sometimes the screen displays an error indicator; and sometimes an ATNI abend occurs. The point at which your task is notified of an ATNI depends on whether or not you specified the WAIT option (see Other BMS SEND options: WAIT and LAST on page 424).

Output disposition options: TERMINAL, SET, and PAGING

The only disposition option we have described up to this point is TERMINAL, which sends the output to the principal facility of your task. TERMINAL is the default value that you get if you do not specify another disposition. There are, however, two other possibilities: 1. BMS can return the formatted output stream to the task rather than sending it to the terminal. You use the SET disposition option to request this. You might do so to defer transmission or to modify the data stream to meet special requirements. Acquiring and defining storage for the maps on page 417 explains how and when to use SET. 2. You can ask BMS to store and manage your output in CICS temporary storage for subsequent delivery to your terminal. This option, PAGING, implies that your message may contain more than one screen or page, and is particularly useful when you want to send a message to a display terminal that exceeds its screen capacity. BMS saves the entire message in temporary storage until you indicate that it is complete. Then it provides facilities for the operator to page through the output at the terminal. You can use PAGING for printers as well as displays, although you do not need the operator controls, and sometimes TERMINAL is just as satisfactory. When you use PAGING, the output still goes to your principal facility, though indirectly, as just described. Full BMS also provides a feature, routing, that lets you send your message to another terminal, or several, in place of or in addition to your own. We tell you about routing in Chapter 38. Message routing on page 467, after we cover the prerequisites. Note: Both PAGING and SET and related options require full BMS. TERMINAL is the only disposition available in minimum and standard BMS.

Chapter 33. Using the SEND MAP command

429

Using SET
When you specify a disposition of SET for a BMS message, BMS formats your output and returns it in the form of a device-dependent data stream. No terminal I/O occurs, although the returned data stream usually is sent to a terminal subsequently. There are several reasons for asking BMS to format a data stream without sending it. You might want to do any of the following: v Edit the data stream to meet the requirements of a device with special features or restrictions not explicitly supported by CICS. v Compress the data stream, based on standard 3270 features or special device characteristics. v Forward the data stream to a terminal not connected directly to CICS. For example, you might want to pass data to a 3270 terminal attached to a system connected to CICS by an APPC link. You can format the data with SET and send the resulting pages to a partner program across the link. If the terminal is of a different type from your principal facility, you can define a dummy terminal of the appropriate type and then ROUTE to that terminal with SET to get the proper formatting, as explained in Routing with SET on page 474. BMS returns formatted output by setting the pointer variable named in the SET option to the address of a page list. This list consists of one or more 4-byte entries in the following format, each corresponding to one page of output.
Table 35. Page list entry format Bytes 0 1-3 Contents Terminal type (see Table 33 on page 414) Address of TIOA containing the formatted page of output

An entry containing -1 (X'FF') in the terminal type signals the end of the page list. Notice that the addresses in this list are only 24 bits long. If your program uses 31-bit addressing, you must expand a 24-bit address to a full word by preceding it with binary zeros before using it as an address. Each TIOA (terminal input-output area) is in the standard format for these areas:
Table 36. TIOA format Field name TIOASAA TIOATDL (unnamed) TIOADBA (unnamed) Position 0 8 10 12 TIOATDL + 12 Length 8 2 2 TIOATDL 4 Contents CICS storage accounting information (8 bytes) Length of field TIOADBA in halfword binary format Reserved field Formatted output page Page control area, required for the SEND TEXT MAPPED command (if used)

The reason that BMS uses a list to return pages is that some BMS commands produce multiple pages. SEND MAP does not, but SEND TEXT can. Furthermore, if you have established a routing environment, BMS builds a separate logical message for each of the terminal types among your destinations, and you may get pages for several different terminal types from a single BMS command. The

430

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

terminal type tells you to which message a page belongs. (Pages for a given type are always presented in order.) If you are not routing, the terminal type is always that of your principal facility. If you are not using the ACCUM option, pages are available on return from the BMS command that creates them. With ACCUM, however, BMS waits until the available space on the page is used. BMS turns on the RETPAGE condition to signal your program that pages are ready. You can detect RETPAGE with a HANDLE CONDITION command or by testing the response from the BMS command (in EIBRESP or the value returned in the RESP option). You must capture the information in the page list whenever BMS returns one, because BMS reuses the list. You need save only the addresses of the pages, not the contents. BMS does not reuse the pages themselves, and, in fact, moves the storage for them from its control to that of your task. This allows you to free the storage for a page when you are through with it. If you do this, the DATA or DATAPOINTER option in your FREEMAIN command should point to the TIOATDL field, not to TIOASAA.

Chapter 33. Using the SEND MAP command

431

432

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data

Formatted screens are as important for input as for output. Data entry applications are an obvious example, but most other applications also use formatted input, at least in part. On input, BMS does for you approximately the reverse of what it does on output: it removes device control characters from the data stream and moves the input fields into a data structure, so that you can address them by name. Maps can be used exclusively for input, exclusively for output (the case we have already covered), or for both. Input-only maps are relatively rare, and we cover them as a special case of an input-output map, pointing out differences where they occur. This chapter describes: v An input-output example v Programming mapped input on page 436 v Using the RECEIVE MAP command on page 436 v Getting storage for mapped input on page 437 v Formatted screen input on page 438 v Handling input errors on page 441 v Finding the cursor on page 440 v Processing the mapped input on page 440 v Handling input errors on page 441 v Sending mapped output after mapped input on page 443 v MAPFAIL and other exceptional conditions on page 444 v Formatting other input on page 445

An input-output example
Before we explain the details of the input structure, let us re-examine the quick check example. Suppose that it is against our policy to let a customer charge up to the limit over and over again between the nightly runs when new charges are posted to the accounts. We want a new transaction that augments quick check processing by keeping a running total for the day. In addition, we want to use the same screen for both input and output, so that there is only one screen entry per customer. In the new transaction, quick update, the clerk enters both the account number and the charge at the same time. The normal response is: When we reject a transaction, we leave the input information on the screen, so that
QUP Quick Account Update Current charge okay; enter next Account: _______ Charge: $ _______

Figure 91. Normal quick update response

the clerk can see what was entered along with the description of the problem:

433

QUP Quick Account Update Charge exceeds maximum; do not approve Account: 482554 Charge: $ 1000.00

Figure 92. Quick update error response

(Here again, we are oversimplifying to keep our maps short for ease of explanation.) The map definition we need for this exercise is: You can see that the map field definitions for this input-output map are very similar
QUPSET QUPMAP DFHMSD TYPE=MAP,STORAGE=AUTO,MODE=INOUT,LANG=COBOL,TERM=3270-2 DFHMDI SIZE=(24,80),LINE=1,COLUMN=1,CTRL=FREEKB DFHMDF POS=(1,1),LENGTH=3,ATTRB=(ASKIP,BRT),INITIAL='QUP' DFHMDF POS=(1,26),LENGTH=20,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM), X INITIAL='Quick Account Update' DFHMDF LENGTH=40,POS=(3,1),ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM) DFHMDF POS=(5,1),LENGTH=8,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM), X INITIAL='Account:' DFHMDF POS=(5,14),LENGTH=6,ATTRB=(UNPROT,NUM,IC) DFHMDF POS=(5,21),LENGTH=1,ATTRB=(ASKIP),INITIAL=' ' DFHMDF POS=(6,1),LENGTH=7,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM),INITIAL='Charge:' DFHMDF POS=(6,13),ATTRB=(UNPROT,NORM),PICIN='$$$$0.00' DFHMDF POS=(6,21),LENGTH=1,ATTRB=(ASKIP),INITIAL=' ' DFHMSD TYPE=FINAL

MSG ACCTNO CHG

Figure 93. Map definition for input-output map

to those for the output-only quick check map, if we allow for changes to the content of the screen. The differences to note are: v The MODE option in the DFHMSD map set definition is INOUT, indicating that the maps in this map set are used for both input and output. INOUT causes BMS to generate a symbolic structure for input as well as for output for every map in the map set. If this had been an input-only map, we would have said MODE=IN, and BMS would have generated only the input structures. v We put names on the fields from which we want input (ACCTNO and CHG) as well as those to which we send output (MSG). As in an output-only map, we avoid naming constant fields to save space in the symbolic map. v The input fields, ACCTNO and CHG, are unprotected (UNPROT), to allow the operator to key data into them. v IC (insert cursor) is specified for ACCTNO. It positions the cursor at the start of the account number field when the map is first displayed, ready for the first item that the operator has to enter. (You can override this placement when you send the map; IC just provides the default position.) v Just after the ACCTNO field, there is a constant field consisting of a single blank, and a similar one after the CHG field. These are called stopper fields. Normally, they are placed after each input field that is not followed immediately by some other field. They prevent the operator from keying data beyond the space you provided, into an unused area of the screen. If you define the stopper field as autoskip, the cursor jumps to the next unprotected field after the operator has filled the preceding input field. This is convenient if most of the input fields are of fixed length, because the operator does not have to advance the cursor to get from field to field.

434

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

If you define the stopper field as protected, but not autoskip, the keyboard locks if the operator attempts to key beyond the end of the field. This choice may be preferable if most of the input fields are of variable length, where one usually has to use the cursor advance key anyway, because it alerts the operator to the overflow immediately. Whichever you choose, you should use the same choice throughout the application if possible, so that the operator sees a consistent interface. v The CHG field has the option PICIN. PICIN produces an edit mask in the symbolic map, useful for COBOL and PL/I, and implies the field length. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for details on using PICIN. Figure 94 shows the symbolic map set that results from this INOUT map definition. The second part of this structure, starting at QUPMAPO, is the symbolic output
01 QUPMAPI. 02 FILLER PIC X(12). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(2). 02 MSGL COMP PIC S9(4). 02 MSGF PICTURE X. 02 FILLER REDEFINES MSGF. 03 MSGA PICTURE X. 02 MSGI PIC X(40). 02 ACCTNOL COMP PIC S9(4). 02 ACCTNOF PICTURE X. 02 FILLER REDEFINES ACCTNOF. 03 ACCTNOA PICTURE X. 02 ACCTNOI PIC X(6). 02 CHGL COMP PIC S9(4). 02 CHGF PICTURE X. 02 FILLER REDEFINES CHGF. 03 CHGA PICTURE X. 02 CHGI PIC X(7) PICIN '$,$$0.00'. 01 QUPMAPO REDEFINES QUPMAPI. 02 FILLER PIC X(12). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(3). 02 MSGO PIC X(40). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(3). 02 ACCTNO PICTURE X(6). 02 FILLER PICTURE X(3). 02 CHGO PIC X.

Symbolic input map

Symbolic output map

Figure 94. Symbolic map for quick update

mapthe structure required to send data back to the screen. Apart from the fields we redefined, it looks almost the same as the one you would have expected if we had specified MODE=OUT instead of MODE=INOUT. See Figure 83 on page 395 for a comparison. The main difference is that the field attributes (A) subfield appears to be missing, but we explain this in a moment.

The symbolic input map

The first part of the structure, under the label QUPMAPI, is new. This is the symbolic input mapthe structure required for reading data from a screen formatted with map QUPMAP. For each named field in the map, it contains three subfields. As in the symbolic output map, each subfield has the same name as the map field, suffixed by a letter indicating its purpose. The suffixes and subfields related to input are: L the length of the input in the map field.

Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data

435

F I

the flag byte, which indicates whether the operator erased the field and whether the cursor was left there. the input data itself.

The input and output structures are defined so that they overlay one another field by field. That is, the input (I) subfield for a given map field always occupies the same storage as the corresponding output (O) subfield. Similarly, the input flag (F) subfield overlays the output attributes (A) subfield. (For implementation reasons, the order of the subfield definitions varies somewhat among languages. In COBOL, the definition of the A subfield moves to the input structure in an INOUT map, but it still applies to output, just as it does in an output-only map. In assembler, the input and output subfield definitions are interleaved for each map field.) BMS uses dummy fields to leave space in one part of the structure for subfields that do not occur in the other part. For example, there is always a 2-byte filler in the output map to correspond to the length (L) subfield in the input map, even in output-only maps. If there are output subfields for extended attributes, such as color or highlighting, BMS generates dummy fields in the input map to match them. You can see examples of these fields (FILLERs in COBOL) in both Figure 83 on page 395 and Figure 94 on page 435. The correspondence of fields in the input and output map structures is very convenient for processes in which you use a map for input and then write back in the same format, as you do in data entry transactions or when you get erroneous input and have to request a correction from the operator.

Programming mapped input

The programming required for mapped input is similar to that for mapped output, except, of course, that the data is going in the opposite direction. You define your maps and assemble them first, as for mapped output. In the program or programs reading from the terminal, you: 1. Acquire the storage to which the symbolic map set corresponds. 2. Copy the symbolic map set to define the structure of this storage. 3. Format the input data with a RECEIVE MAP command. 4. Process the input. We tell you more about these tasks and related topics in the paragraphs that follow, starting with the RECEIVE MAP command. We also develop the code for the quick update transaction. If the transaction also calls for mapped output, as quick update and most other transactions do, you simply continue with the steps outlined before, in Chapter 32. Sending BMS mapped output on page 417. Some considerations and shortcuts for mapped input are described in Sending mapped output after mapped input on page 443.

Using the RECEIVE MAP command

The RECEIVE MAP command causes BMS to format terminal input data and make it accessible to your application program. It tells BMS: v Which map to use in formatting the input data streamthat is, what format is on the screen and what data structure the program expects (the MAP option) v Where to find this map (MAPSET option) v Where to get the input (TERMINAL or FROM option)

436

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v Whether to suppress translation to upper case (ASIS option) v Where to put the formatted input data (the INTO and SET options) The MAP and MAPSET options together tell BMS which map to use, and they work exactly as they do on a SEND MAP command. BMS gets the input data to format from the terminal associated with your task (its principal facility), unless you use the FROM option. FROM is an alternative to TERMINAL, the default, used in relatively unusual circumstances (see Formatting other input on page 445). BMS also translates lower case input to upper case automatically in some cases; we explain how to control translation in Upper case translation on page 439. You tell BMS where to put the formatted input with the INTO or SET option of For the full syntax of the RECEIVE MAP command, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. In addition to the data on the screen, the RECEIVE MAP command tells you where the operator left the cursor and what key caused transmission. This information becomes available in the EIB on completion of the RECEIVE MAP command. EIBAID identifies the transmit key (the attention identifier or AID), and EIBCURSR tells you where the cursor was left.

Getting storage for mapped input

When you issue a RECEIVE MAP command, BMS needs storage in which to build the input map structure. You can provide this space yourself, either in the working storage of your program or with a CICS GETMAIN. These are the same choices you have for allocating storage in which to build an output map, and you use them the same way (see Acquiring and defining storage for the maps on page 417 for details and examples). For either, you code the INTO option on your RECEIVE command, naming the variable into which the formatted input is to be placed. For our quick update, for example, the required command is:
EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP('QUPMAP') MAPSET('QUPSET') INTO(QUPMAPI) END-EXEC.

Usually, the receiving variable is the area defined by the symbolic input map, to which BMS assigns the map name suffixed by the letter I, as shown above. You can specify some other variable if you wish, however. For input operations, you have a third choice for acquiring storage. If you code the SET option, BMS acquires the storage for you at the time of the RECEIVE command and returns the address in the pointer variable named in the SET option. So we could have coded the RECEIVE MAP command in quick update like this:
LINKAGE SECTION. ... 01 QUPMAP COPY QUPMAP. ... PROCEDURE DIVISION. ... EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP('QUPMAP') MAPSET('QUPSET') SET(ADDRESS OF QUPMAPI) END-EXEC. ...

Storage obtained in this way remains until task end unless you issue a FREEMAIN to release it (see Chapter 45. Storage control on page 517).
Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data

437

Formatted screen input

As we noted earlier, we explain receiving input from a terminal in terms of 3270 devices. You should also read Support for non-3270 terminals on page 410 if you are writing for non-3270 terminals. CICS normally reads a 3270 screen with a read modified command7. The data transmitted depends on what the operator did to cause transmission: v The ENTER key or a PF key v CLEAR, CNCL or a PA key (the short read keys) v Field selection: cursor select, light pen detect or a trigger field You can tell which event occurred, if you need to know; we explain how in Using the attention identifier on page 439. You can also find more detail on 3270 input operations in Input from a 3270 terminal on page 338. The short read keys transmit only the attention identifier (the identity of the key itself). No field data comes in, and there is nothing to map. For this reason, short read keys can cause the MAPFAIL condition, as explained on page 444. Field selection features transmit field data, but in most cases not the same data as the ENTER and PF keys, which we describe in the paragraphs that follow. See Chapter 41. Support for special hardware on page 487 for the exceptions if you plan to use these features. Most applications are designed for transmission by the ENTER key or a PF key. When one of these is used to transmit, all of the fields on the screen that have been modified, and only those fields, are transmitted.

Modified data
As we explained in Modification on page 331, a 3270 screen field is considered modified only if the modified data tag (MDT), one of the bits in the field attributes byte, is on. The terminal hardware turns on this bit if the operator changes the field in any wayentering data, changing data already there, or erasing. You can also turn it on by program when you send the map, by including MDT among the ATTRB values for the field. You do this when you want the data in a particular field to be returned even if the operator does not change it. You can tell whether there was input from a particular map field by looking at the corresponding length (L) subfield. If the length is zero, no data was read from that field. The associated input (I) subfield contains all nulls (X'00'), because BMS sets the entire input structure to nulls before it performs the input mapping operation. The length is zero either if the modified data tag is off (that is, the field was sent with the tag off and the operator did not change it) or if the operator erased the field. You can distinguish between these two situations, if you care, by inspecting the flag (F) subfield. It has the high-order bit on if the field contains nulls but the MDT is on (that is, the operator changed the field by erasing it). See Finding the cursor on page 440 for more information about the flag subfield. If the length is nonzero, data was read from the field. Either the operator entered some, or changed what was there, or the field was sent with the MDT on. You may find the data itself in the corresponding input (I) subfield. The length subfield tells how many characters were sent. A 3270 terminal sends only non-null characters, so BMS knows how much data was keyed into the field. Character fields are filled out
7. CICS provides an option, BUFFER, for the terminal control RECEIVE command, with which you can capture the entire contents of a 3270 screen. See Reading from a 3270 terminal on page 339 if you need to do this.

438

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

with blanks on the right and numeric fields are filled on the left with zeros unless you specify otherwise in the JUSTIFY option of the field definition. BMS assumes that a field contains character data unless you indicate that it is numeric with ATTRB=NUM. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for details of how these options work.

Upper case translation

CICS converts lower case input characters to upper case automatically under some circumstances. The definition of the terminal and the transaction together determine whether translation occurs. See the UCTRAN option of the PROFILE and the TYPETERM definitions in CICS Resource Definition Guide for how these specifications interact. You can suppress this translation by using the ASIS option on your RECEIVE MAP command, except on the first RECEIVE in a task initiated by terminal input. (The first RECEIVE may be either a RECEIVE MAP (without FROM) or a terminal control RECEIVE.) CICS has already read and translated this input, and it is too late to suppress translation. (Its arrival caused the task to be invoked, as explained in How tasks are started on page 131.) Consequently, ASIS is ignored entirely in pseudoconversational transaction sequences, where at most one RECEIVE MAP (without FROM) occurs per task, by definition. For the same reason, you cannot use ASIS with the FROM option (see Formatting other input on page 445).

Using the attention identifier

This information is part of the input in many applications, and you may also need it to interpret the input correctly. For example, in the quick update transaction, we need some method for allowing the clerk to exit our transaction, and we have not yet provided for this. Suppose that we establish the convention that pressing PF12 causes you to leave control of the transaction. We would then code the following after our RECEIVE MAP command:
IF EIBAID = DFHPF12, EXEC CICS SEND CONTROL FREEKB ERASE END-EXEC EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC.

This would end the transaction without specifying which one should be executed next, so that the operator would regain control. The SEND CONTROL command that precedes the RETURN unlocks the keyboard and clears the screen, so that the operator is ready to enter the next request. The hexadecimal values that correspond to the various attention keys are defined in a copy book called DFHAID. To use these definitions, you simply copy DFHAID into your working storage, in the same way that you copy DFHBMSCA to use the predefined attributes byte combinations (see Attribute value definitions: DFHBMSCA on page 421). The contents of the DFHAID copy book are listed in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual.

Using the HANDLE AID command

You can also use a HANDLE AID command to identify the attention key used (unless you are writing in C or C++, which does not support HANDLE AID commands). HANDLE AID works like other HANDLE commands; you issue it before the first RECEIVE command to which it applies, and it causes a program branch on completion of subsequent RECEIVEs if a key named in the HANDLE AID is used.

Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data

439

For example, an alternative to the escape code just shown would be:
EXEC ... EXEC ... ESCAPE. EXEC EXEC CICS HANDLE AID PF12(ESCAPE) END-EXEC. CICS RECEIVE MAP('QUPMAP') MAPSET('QUPSET') ... CICS SEND CONTROL FREEKB ERASE END-EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC.

HANDLE AID applies only to RECEIVE commands in the same program. The specification for a key remains in effect until another HANDLE AID in the same program supersedes it by naming a new label for the key or terminates it by naming the key with no label. A RESP, RESP2, or NOHANDLE option on a RECEIVE command exempts that particular command from the effects of HANDLE AID specifications, but they remain in effect otherwise. If you have a HANDLE active for an AID received during an input operation, control goes to the label specified in the HANDLE AID, regardless of any exceptional condition that occurs and whether or not a HANDLE CONDITION is active for that exception. HANDLE AID can thus mask an exceptional condition if you check for it with HANDLE CONDITION. For this reason you may prefer to use an alternative test for the AID or exceptional conditions or both. You can check EIBAID for the AID and use the RESP option or check EIBRESP for exceptions. You need to be especially aware of MAPFAIL in this respect, as noted on page 444.

Finding the cursor

In some applications, you need to know where the operator left the cursor at the time of sending. There are two ways of finding out. If your map specifies CURSLOC=YES, BMS turns on the seventh (X'02') bit in the flag subfield of the map field where the cursor was left. This only works, of course, if the cursor is left in a map field to which you assigned a name. Also, because the flag subfield is used to indicate both cursor presence and field erasure, you need to test the bits individually if you are looking for one in particular: the X'80' bit for field erasure and the X'02' bit for the cursor. If you are using a language in which it is awkward to test bits, you can test for combinations. A value of X'80' or X'82' signals erasure; either X'02' or X'82' indicates the cursor. The DFHBMSCA definitions described in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual include all of these combinations. You can also determine the position of the cursor from the EIBCPOSN field in the EIB. This is the absolute position on the screen, counting from the upper left (position zero) and going across the rows. Thus a value of 41 on a screen 40 characters wide would put the cursor in the second row, second column. Avoid this method if possible, because it makes your program sensitive to the placement of fields on the screen and to the terminal type.

Processing the mapped input

To illustrate how the input subfields are used, we return to quick update. After we have the input, we need to do some checks on it before continuing. First, we require that the charge be entered (that is, that the input length be greater than zero), and be positive and numeric.

440

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

IF CHGL = 0, MOVE -1 TO CHGL MOVE 1 TO ERR-NO ELSE IF CHGI NOT > ZERO OR CHGI NOT NUMERIC, MOVE DFHUNIMD TO CHGA, MOVE -1 TO CHGL MOVE 2 TO ERR-NO.

The 'MOVE -1' statements here and following put the cursor in the first field in error when we redisplay the map, as explained in Positioning the cursor on page 428. The message number tells us what message to put in the message area; 1 is enter a charge, and so on through 6, for charge is over limit. We do these checks in roughly ascending order of importance, to ensure that the most basic error is the one that gets the message. At the end of the checking, we know that everything is okay if ERR-NO is zero. An account number must be entered, as well as the charge. If we have one (whatever the condition of the charge), we can retrieve the customers account record to ensure that the account exists:
IF ACCTNOL = 0, MOVE -1 TO ACCTNOL MOVE 3 TO ERR-NO ELSE EXEC CICS READ FILE (ACCT) INTO (ACCTFILE-RECORD) RIDFLD (ACCTNOI) UPDATE RESP(READRC) END-EXEC IF READRC = DFHRESP(NOTFOUND), MOVE 4 TO ERR-NO, MOVE DFHUNIMD TO ACCTNOA MOVE -1 TO ACCTNOL ELSE IF READRC NOT = DFHRESP(NORMAL) GO TO HARD-ERR-RTN.

If we get this far, we continue checking, until an error prevents us from going on. We need to ensure that the operator gave us a good account number (one that is not in trouble), and that the charge is not too much for the account:
IF ERR-NO NOT > 2 IF ACCTFILE-WARNCODE = 'S', MOVE DFHBMBRY TO MSGA MOVE 5 TO ERR-NO MOVE -1 TO ACCTNOL EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM('NTFYCOPS') END-EXEC ELSE IF CHGI > ACCTFILE-CREDIT-LIM - ACCTFILE-UNPAID-BAL - ACCTFILE-CUR-CHGS MOVE 6 TO ERR-NO MOVE -1 TO ACCTNOL. IF ERR-NO NOT = 0 GO TO REJECT-INPUT.

Handling input errors

As illustrated in quick update, above, whenever you have operator input to process, there is almost always a possibility of incorrect data, and you must provide for this contingency in your code. Usually, what you need to do when the input is wrong is: v Notify the operator of the errors. Try to diagnose all of them at once; it is annoying to the operator if you present them one at a time. v Save the data already entered, so that the operator does not have to rekey anything except corrections. v Arrange to recheck the input after the operator makes corrections.

Flagging errors
In the preceding code for the quick update transaction, we used the message field to describe the error (the first one, anyway). We highlighted all the fields in error, provided there was any data in them to highlight, and we set the length subfields to

Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data

441

-1 so that BMS would place the cursor in the first bad field. We send this information using the same map, as follows:
REJECT-INPUT. MOVE LOW-VALUES TO ACCTNOO CHGO. EXEC CICS SEND MAP('QUPMAP') MAPSET('QUPSET') FROM(QUPMAPO) DATAONLY END-EXEC.

Notice that we specify the DATAONLY option. We can do this because the constant part of the map is still on the screen, and there is no point in rewriting it there. We cleared the output fields ACCTNOO and CHGO, to avoid sending back the input we had received, and we used a different attributes combination to make the ACCTNO field bright (DFHUNIMD instead of DFHBMBRY). DFHUNIMD highlights the field and leaves the modified data tag on, so that if the operator resends without changing the field, the account number is retransmitted.

Saving the good input

The next step is to ensure that whatever good data the operator entered gets saved. One easy technique is to store the data on the screen. You do not have to do anything additional to accomplish this; once the MDT in a field is turned on, as it is the first time the operator touches the field, it remains on, no matter how many times the screen is read. Tags are not turned off until you erase the screen, turn them off explicitly with the FRSET option on your SEND, or set the attributes subfield to a value in which the tag is off. The drawback to saving data on the screen is that all the data is lost if the operator uses the CLEAR key. If your task is conversational, you can avoid this hazard by moving the input to a safe area in the program before sending the error information and asking for corrections. In a pseudoconversational sequence, where the component tasks do not span interactions with the terminal, the equivalent is for the task that detects the error to pass the old input forward to the task that processes the corrected input. You can forward data through a COMMAREA on the RETURN command that ends a task, by writing to temporary storage, or in a number of other ways (see Chapter 13. Sharing data across transactions on page 165 for possibilities). In addition to avoiding the CLEAR key problem, storing data in your program or in a temporary storage queue reduces inbound transmission time, because you transmit only changed fields on the error correction cycles. (You must specify FRSET when you send the error information to prevent the fields already sent and not corrected from coming in again.) You can also avoid repeating field audits because, after the first time, you need to audit only if the user has changed the field or a related one. However, these gains are at the expense of extra programming and complexity, and therefore the savings in line time or audit path length must be considerable, and the probability of errors high, to justify this choice. You must add code to merge the new input with the old, and if you have turned off the MDTs, you need to check both the length and the flag subfield to determine whether the operator has modified a map field. Fields with new data have a nonzero length; those which had data and were subsequently erased have the high-order bit in the flag subfield on. A good compromise is to save the data both ways. If the operator clears the screen, you use the saved data to refresh it; otherwise you simply use the data coming in from the screen. You do not need any merge logic, but you protect the operator from losing time over an unintended CLEAR.

442

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

For our quick update code, with its minimal audits and transmissions, we choose the do nothing approach and save the information on the screen.

Rechecking
The last requirement is to ensure that the input data is rechecked. If your task is conversational, this simply means repeating the audit section of your code after you have received (and merged, if necessary) the corrected input. In a pseudoconversational sequence, you usually repeat the transaction that failed. In the example, because we saved the data on the screen in such a way that corrected data is indistinguishable from new data, all we need to do is arrange to execute the same transaction against the corrected data, thus:
EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID('QUPD') END-EXEC.

where QUPD is the identifier of the quick update transaction.

Sending mapped output after mapped input

If your transaction makes it through its input audits and the attendant hazards, the processing specific to mapped input is complete. The next step, frequently, is to prepare and send the transaction output. In general, if the output is to be mapped, you follow the steps outlined in Chapter 32. Sending BMS mapped output on page 417. However, the acquisition of storage for building the map may be affected by the input mapping you have already done. If the output and input maps are different, but in the same map set or in map sets defined to overlay one another, you have already done the storage acquisition during your input mapping process. If your output and input maps overlay one another, you need to ensure that you save any map input you still need and clear the output structure to nulls before you start building the output map. If this is awkward, you may want to define the maps so that they do not overlay one another. (See BASE and STORAGE options on page 418 for your choices in this regard.) Your transaction may also call for using the same map for output as input. This is routine in code that handles input errors, as we have already seen, and also in simple transactions like quick update. One-screen data-entry transactions are another common example. When you are sending new data with a map already on the screen, you can reduce transmission with the DATAONLY option, and you may need only the SEND CONTROL command. See Merging the symbolic and physical maps on page 424 for a discussion of these options. For the quick update transaction, however, we need to fill in the message field with our go response (and update the file with the charge to finish our processing):
MOVE 'CURRENT CHARGE OKAY; ENTER NEXT' TO MSGO ADD CHGI TO ACCTFILE-CUR-CHGS EXEC CICS REWRITE FILE('ACCT') FROM (ACCTFILE-RECORD)....

We also need to erase the input fields, so that the screen is ready for the next input. We have to do this both on the screen (the ERASEAUP option erases all unprotected fields) and in the output structure (because the output subfield overlays the input subfield and the input data is still there).
MOVE LOW-VALUES TO ACCTNOO CHGO. EXEC CICS SEND MAP('QUPMAP') MAPSET('QUPSET') FROM(QUPMAPO) DATAONLY ERASEAUP END-EXEC.

Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data

443

Finally, we can return control to CICS, specifying that the same transaction is to be executed for the next input.
EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID('QUPD') END-EXEC.

MAPFAIL and other exceptional conditions

The exceptional conditions that can occur on a RECEIVE command are all listed in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual, and most are self-explanatory. One of them warrants discussion, however, because it can result from a simple operator error. This is MAPFAIL, which occurs when no usable data is transmitted from the terminal or when the data transmitted is unformatted (in the 3270 sensesee Unformatted mode on page 341). MAPFAIL occurs on a RECEIVE MAP if the operator has used the CLEAR key or one of the PA keys. It also occurs if the operator uses ENTER or a PF key from a screen where: v No fields defined in the map have the modified data tag set on (this means the operator did not key anything and you did not send any fields with the tags already set, so that no data is returned on the read), and v The cursor was not left in a field defined in the map and named, or the map did not specify CURSLOC=YES. Pressing ENTER prematurely or a short read key accidentally is an easy mistake for the operator to make. In the interest of user friendliness, you may want to refresh the screen after MAPFAIL instead of ending the transaction in error. MAPFAIL also occurs if you issue a RECEIVE MAP without first formatting with a SEND MAP or equivalent in the current or a previous task, and can occur if you use a map different from the one you sent. This might signal an error in logic, or it might simply mean that your transaction is in its startup phase. For instance, in our quick update example, we have not made any provision for getting startedthat is, for getting an empty map onto the screen so that the operator can start using the transaction. We could use a separate transaction to do this, but we might as well take advantage of the code we need to refresh the screen after a MAPFAIL. What we need is:
IF RCV-RC = DFHRESP(MAPFAIL) MOVE 'PRESS PF12 TO QUIT THIS TRANSACTION' TO MSGO EXEC CICS SEND MAP('QUPMAP') MAPSET('QUPSET') FROM(QUPMAPO) END-EXEC.

We are reminding the operator how to escape, because attempts to do this may have caused the MAPFAIL in the first place. If we had not wanted to send this message, or if it was the default in the map, we could have used the MAPONLY option:
EXEC CICS SEND MAP('QUPMAP') MAPSET('QUPSET') MAPONLY END-EXEC.

When MAPFAIL occurs, the input map structure is not cleared to nulls, as it is otherwise, so it is important to test for this condition if your program logic depends on this clearing. You can issue a HANDLE CONDITION command to intercept MAPFAIL, as you can other exception conditions. If you do, and you also have a HANDLE AID active for the AID you receive, however, control goes to the label specified for the AID and not that for MAPFAIL, as explained in Using the HANDLE AID command on page 439. In this situation you will be unaware of the MAPFAIL, even though you issued a HANDLE for it, unless you also test EIBRESP.

444

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

EOC condition
EOC is another condition that you encounter frequently using BMS. It occurs when the end-of-chain (EOC) indicator is set in the request/response unit returned from VTAM. EOC does not indicate an error, and the BMS default action is to ignore this condition.

Formatting other input

Although the data that you format with a RECEIVE MAP command normally comes from a terminal, you can also format data that did not come from a terminal, or that came indirectly. For example, you might not know which map to use until you receive the input and inspect some part of it. This can happen when you use special hardware features like partitioning or logical device codes, and also in certain logic situations. You might also need to format data that was read from a formatted screen by an intermediate process (without mapping) and later passed to your transaction. The FROM option of the RECEIVE MAP command addresses these situations. FROM tells BMS that the data has already been read, and only the translation from the native input stream to the input map structure is required. Because the input has already been read, you need to specify its length if you use FROM, because BMS cannot get this information from the access method, as it does normally. If the data came originally from a RECEIVE command in another task, the length on the RECEIVE MAP FROM command should be the length produced by that original RECEIVE. For the same reason, you cannot suppress translation to upper case with the ASIS option when you use FROM. Moreover, BMS does not set EIBAID and EIBCURSR after a RECEIVE FROM command. And finally, BMS does not know from what device the input came, and it assumes that it was your current principal facility. (You cannot even use RECEIVE FROM without a principal facility, even though no input/output occurs.) If the data came from a different type of device, you have to do the mapping in a transaction with a similar principal facility to get the proper conversion of the input data stream. Note: You cannot map data read with a terminal control RECEIVE with the BUFFER option, because the input data is unformatted (in the 3270 sense). If you attempt to RECEIVE MAP FROM such input, MAPFAIL occurs.

Chapter 34. Receiving mapped data

445

446

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 35. BMS logical messages

The disposition options do not affect the correspondence between SEND MAP commands and pages of output. You get one page for each SEND MAP command, unless you also use a second feature of full BMS, the ACCUM option. ACCUM allows you to build pages piecemeal, using more than one map, and like PAGING, it allows your message to exceed a page. You do not have to worry about page breaks or about tailoring your output to a specific page or screen capacity. BMS handles these automatically, giving you control at page breaks if you wish. Details on cumulative page building are in Chapter 36. Cumulative output the ACCUM option on page 453. As soon as you create an output message of more than one page, or a single page composed of several different maps, you are doing something BMS calls cumulative mapping. PAGING implies multiple pages, and ACCUM implies both multiple and composite pages, and so at the first appearance of either of these options, BMS goes into cumulative mapping mode and begins a logical message. The one-to-one correspondence between SEND commands and messages ends, and subsequent SEND MAPS simply add to the current logical message. Individual pages within the message are still disposed of as soon as they are complete, but they all belong to the same logical message, which continues until you tell BMS to end it. This chapter describes: v Building logical messages v The SEND PAGE command on page 448 v RETAIN and RELEASE on page 448 v The AUTOPAGE option on page 449 v Terminal operator paging: the CSPG transaction on page 450 v Logical message recovery on page 451

Building logical messages

When you start a logical message, you need to observe a number of rules: v You can build only one logical message at a time. If you are routing this message, BMS may create more than one logical message internally, but in terms of content, there is only one. After you complete the message and dispose of it, you can build another in the same task, using different options if you wish. v Options related to message management must be the same on all commands that build the message. These are: the disposition option: PAGING, TERMINAL, or SET the option governing page formation: ACCUM should be present on all commands or absent on all the identifier for the message in CICS temporary storage: the REQID option value. Switching options mid-message results in the INVREQ condition or, in the case of REQID, the IGREQID condition. v The ERASE, ERASEAUP, NLEOM, and FORMFEED options are honored if they are used on any of the BMS commands that contribute to the page. v The values of the CURSOR, ACTPARTN, and MSR options for the page are taken from the most recent SEND MAP command, if they are specified there, and from the map if not.

447

v The 3270 write control character (WCC) from the most recent SEND MAP command is used. The WCC is assembled from the ALARM, FREEKB, PRINT, FRSET, L40, L64, L80, and HONEOM options in the command whenever any of them is specified. Otherwise, it is built from the same options in the map; options from the command are never mixed with those in the map. v The FMHPARMs from all commands used to build the message are included. v You can use both SEND MAP and SEND CONTROL commands to build a logical message, as long as the options noted above are consistent. You can also build a logical message with a combination of SEND TEXT and SEND CONTROL commands. (SEND TEXT is an alternative to SEND MAP for formatting text output, covered in The SEND TEXT command on page 461.) However, you cannot mix SEND MAP and SEND TEXT in the same message unless you are using partitions or logical device codes, subjects covered in Chapter 40. Partition support on page 479 and Logical device components on page 487 respectively. There are also two special forms of SEND TEXT which allow combined mapping and text output, but to which other restrictions apply. See SEND TEXT MAPPED and SEND TEXT NOEDIT on page 465 for details. v While you are building a logical message, you can still converse with your terminal. You cannot use BMS commands to write to the terminal unless you are also routing, but you can use BMS RECEIVE MAP commands and terminal control SEND and RECEIVE commands.

The SEND PAGE command

When you have completed a logical message, you notify BMS with a SEND PAGE command. If you used the ACCUM option, SEND PAGE causes BMS to complete the current page and dispose of it according to the disposition option you established, as it has already done for any previous pages. If your disposition is TERMINAL, this last page is written to your principal facility; if SET, it is returned to the program; and if PAGING, it is written to temporary storage. If your disposition was PAGING, BMS also arranges delivery of the entire message to your principal facility. Options on the SEND PAGE command govern how this is done, as explained in RETAIN and RELEASE. A SYNCPOINT command or the end of your task also ends a logical message, implicitly rather than explicitly. Where possible, BMS behaves as if you had issued SEND PAGE before your SYNCPOINT or RETURN, but you lose the last page of your output if you used the ACCUM option. Consequently, you should code SEND PAGE explicitly. You also can delete an incomplete logical message if for some reason you decide not to send it. You use the PURGE MESSAGE command in place of SEND PAGE. PURGE MESSAGE causes BMS to delete the current logical message and associated control blocks, including any pages already written to CICS temporary storage. You can create other logical messages subsequently in the same task, if you wish.

RETAIN and RELEASE

When you complete a logical message with a disposition of PAGING, BMS arranges to deliver the entire logical message, which it has accumulated in temporary storage. The display or printing of pages can be done inline, immediately after the SEND PAGE command, but it is more common to schedule a separate task for the purpose. In either case, CICS supplies the programs required. These programs allow a terminal operator to control the display of the message, paging

448

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

back and forth, displaying particular pages, and so on. When a separate task is used, it executes pseudoconversationally under transaction code CSPG. When the display is inline, the work is done (by the same CICS-supplied programs) within the task that created the message, which becomes conversational as a result. You indicate how and when the message is sent by specifying RETAIN, RELEASE, or neither on your SEND PAGE command. The most common choice, and the default, is neither. It causes CICS to schedule the CICS-supplied transaction CSPG to display the message and then return control to the task. The CSPG transaction is queued with any others waiting to be executed at your terminal, which execute in priority sequence as the terminal becomes free. In the ordinary case, where no other tasks waiting, CSPG executes as soon as the creating task ends. Note: The terminal must be defined as allowing automatic transaction initiation for CICS to start CSPG automatically (ATI(YES) in the associated TYPETERM definition). If it is not, the operator has to enter the transaction code CSPG or one of the paging commands to get the process started when neither RELEASE nor RETAIN is specified. The RELEASE option works similarly, but your task does not regain control after SEND PAGE RELEASE. Instead, BMS sends the first page of the message to the terminal immediately. It then ends your task, as if a CICS RETURN had been executed in the highest level program, and starts a CSPG transaction at your terminal so that the operator can display the rest of the pages. The CSPG code executes pseudoconversationally, just as it does if you specify neither RELEASE nor RETAIN, and the original task remains pseudoconversational if it was previously. There are two other distinctions between RELEASE and using neither option: v RELEASE allows you to specify the transaction identifier for the next input from the terminal, after the operator is through displaying the message with CSPG. v RELEASE also permits the terminal operator to chain the output from multiple transactions (see Terminal operator paging: the CSPG transaction on page 450). SEND PAGE RETAIN causes BMS to send the message immediately. When this process is complete, your task resumes control immediately after the SEND PAGE command. When the terminal is a display, BMS provides the same operator facilities for paging through the message as the CSPG transaction does, but within the framework of your task. The code that BMS uses for this purpose issues RECEIVE commands to get the operators display requests, and this causes your task to become conversational. Note: If an error occurs during the processing of a SEND PAGE command, the logical message is not considered complete and no attempt is made to display it. BMS discards the message in its cleanup processing, unless you arrange to regain control after an error. If you do, you can either delete the logical message with a PURGE command or retry the SEND PAGE. You should not retry unless the error that caused the failure has been remedied.

The AUTOPAGE option

Your SEND PAGE command also tells BMS how to deliver the pages to the terminal. For display terminals, you want CSPG to send one page at a time, at the request of the terminal operator. For printers, you want to send one page after another. You control this with the AUTOPAGE or NOAUTOPAGE option on your
Chapter 35. BMS logical messages

449

SEND PAGE command. NOAUTOPAGE lets the terminal operator control the display of pages; AUTOPAGE sends the pages in ascending sequence, as quickly as the device can accept them. If you specify neither, BMS determine which is appropriate from the terminal definition. Note: If your principal facility is a printer, you can sometimes use a disposition of TERMINAL rather than PAGING, because successive sends to a printer do not overlay one another as they do on a display. TERMINAL has less overhead, especially if you do not need ACCUM either, and thus avoid creating a logical message.

Terminal operator paging: the CSPG transaction

The CICS-supplied paging transaction, CSPG, allows a user at a terminal to display individual pages of a logical message by entering page retrieval requests. Your systems staff define the transaction identifiers for retrieval and other requests supported by CSPG in the system initialization table; sometimes program function keys are used to minimize operator effort. Retrieval can be sequential (next page or previous page) or random (a particular page, first page, last page). In addition to page retrieval, CSPG supports the following requests: Page copy Copy the page currently on display to another terminal. BMS reformats the page if the target terminal has a different page size or different formatting characteristics, provided the terminal is of a type supported by BMS. Message query List the messages waiting to be displayed at the terminal with CSPG. The list contains the BMS-assigned message identifier and, for a routed message, the message title, if the sender provided one. Purge message Delete the logical message. Page chaining Suspend the current CSPG transaction after starting to display a message, execute one or more other transactions, and then resume the original CSPG display. An intervening transaction may itself produce BMS or terminal output. If this output is a BMS logical message created with the PAGING and RELEASE or RETAIN options, this message is chained to the original one, and the operator can switch between one and the other. Switch to autopage Switch from NOAUTOPAGE display mode to AUTOPAGE mode. For terminals that combine a keyboard and hard copy output, this allows an operator to purge or print a message based on inspection of specific pages. The process of examining pages continues until the operator signals that the message can be purged. CSPG provides a specific request for this purpose, as noted above. If the SEND PAGE command contained the option OPERPURGE, this request is the only way to delete the message and get control back from CSPG. If OPERPURGE is not present, however, any input from the terminal that is not a CSPG request is interpreted as a request to delete the message and end CSPG. If the message was displayed with the RETAIN option, the non-CSPG input that terminates the display can be accessed with a BMS or terminal control RECEIVE

450

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

when the task resumes execution. See the CICS Supplied Transactions manual for detailed information about the CSPG transaction.

Logical message recovery

Logical messages created with a disposition of PAGING are kept in CICS temporary storage between creation and delivery. BMS constructs the temporary storage queue name for a message from the 2-character REQID on the SEND commands, followed by a six-position number to maintain uniqueness. If you do not specify REQID, BMS uses a value of two asterisks (**). Temporary storage can be a recoverable resource, and therefore logical messages with a disposition of PAGING can be recovered after a CICS abend. In fact, because CICS bases the recoverability of temporary storage on generic queue names, you can make some of your messages recoverable and others not, by your choice of REQID for the message. The conditions under which logical messages are recoverable are described in the CICS Recovery and Restart Guide. Routed messages are eligible for recovery, as well as messages created for your principal facility. We explain routing in Chapter 38. Message routing on page 467.

Chapter 35. BMS logical messages

451

452

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 36. Cumulative output the ACCUM option

The ACCUM option allows you to build your output cumulatively, from any number of SEND MAP commands and less-than-page-size maps. Without it, each SEND MAP command corresponds to one page (if the disposition is PAGING), or a whole message (if TERMINAL or SET). With ACCUM, however, BMS formats your output but does not dispose of it until either it has accumulated more than fits on a page or you end the logical message. You can intercept page breaks if you wish, or you can let BMS handle them automatically. Page size is determined by the PAGESIZE or ALTPAGE value in the terminal definition. PAGESIZE is used if the PROFILE under which your transaction is running specifies the default screen size, and ALTPAGE is used if it indicates alternate screen size. (Unlike screen size, page size is not affected by the DEFAULT and ALTERNATE options that you can include with the ERASE command.) This chapter describes: v Floating maps: how BMS places maps using ACCUM v Page breaks: BMS overflow processing on page 454 v Map placement rules on page 455 v Input from a composite screen on page 457 v Performance considerations on page 457

Floating maps: how BMS places maps using ACCUM

In our example map on page 401, we described placing maps on a screen or page absolutely, by specifying the number of the line and column for the upper left corner. However, maps can float. That is, they can be positioned relative to maps already written to the same page and to any edge of the page. Floating maps save program logic when you need to support multiple screen sizes or build pages piecemeal out of headers, detail lines and trailers, where the number of detail lines depends on the data. The BMS options that allow you to do this are: v JUSTIFY v HEADER and TRAILER v Relative values (NEXT and SAME) for the LINE and COLUMN options When you are building a composite screen with the ACCUM option, the position on the screen of any particular map is determined by: v The space remaining on the screen at the time it is sent v The JUSTIFY, LINE and COLUMN option values in the map definition The space remaining on the page, in turn, depends on: v Maps already placed on the current page. v Whether you are participating in overflow processing, that is, the processing that occurs at page breaks. If you are, the sizes of the trailer maps in your map sets are also a factor. The placement rules we are about to list apply even if you do not specify ACCUM, although JUSTIFY values of FIRST and LAST are ignored. However, without ACCUM, each SEND MAP corresponds to a separate page, and thus the space remaining on the page is always the whole page.
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

453

Page breaks: BMS overflow processing

When you build a mapped logical message, you can ask BMS to notify you when a page break is about to occur; that is, when the map you just sent does not fit on the current page. This is very useful when you are forming composite pages with ACCUM. It allows you to put trailer maps at the bottom of the current page and header maps at the top of the next one, number your pages, and so on. BMS gives your program control at page breaks if either: v You have issued a HANDLE CONDITION command naming a label for the OVERFLOW condition, or v You specify the NOFLUSH option with either the RESP or the NOHANDLE option on your SEND MAP commands. Either of these actions has two effects: v The calculation of the space remaining on the page changes. Unless the map you are sending is itself a trailer map, BMS assumes that you eventually want one on the current page. It therefore reserves space for the largest trailer in the same map set. (The largest trailer map is the one containing the TRAILER option that has the most lines.) If you do not intercept page breaks (or if you send a trailer map), BMS uses the true end of the page to determine whether the current map fits. v The flow of control changes if the map does not fit on the current page. On detecting this situation, BMS raises the OVERFLOW condition. Then it returns control to your task without processing the SEND MAP command that caused the overflow. Control goes to the location named in the HANDLE CONDITION command if you used one. With NOFLUSH, control goes to the statement after the SEND MAP as usual, and you need to test the RESP value or EIBRESP in the EIB to determine whether overflow occurred. When your program gets control after overflow, it should: v Add any trailer maps that you want on the current page. BMS leaves room for the one with the most lines in the map set you just used. If this is not the right number of lines to reserve, or if you are using several map sets, you can ensure the proper amount by including a dummy map in any map set that may apply. The dummy map must specify TRAILER and contain the number of lines you wish to reserve; you do not need to use it in any SEND MAP commands. v Write any header maps that you want at the top of the next page. v Resend the map that caused the overflow in the first place. You must keep track of the data and map name at the time the overflow occurs; BMS does not save this information for you. Note that if you have several SEND MAP commands which might cause overflow, the program logic required to determine which one you need to reissue is more complex if you use HANDLE CONDITION OVERFLOW than if you use NOFLUSH. Once OVERFLOW is turned on, BMS suspends returning control to your program when the output does not fit on the current page, although it still uses overflow rules for calculating the remaining space. OVERFLOW remains on until BMS processes the first SEND MAP naming a map which is not a header or a trailer. This allows you to send your trailers and headers without disabling your HANDLE CONDITION for OVERFLOW or changing your response code tests, and reinstates your overflow logic as soon as you return to regular output. (Resending the map that originally caused overflow is usually the event that turns off the overflow condition.)

454

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

If you do not intercept overflows, BMS does not notify your program when a page break occurs. Instead, it disposes of the current page according to the disposition option you have established and starts a new page for the map that caused the overflow.

Map placement rules

The primary placement of maps on the screen is from top to bottom. You can place maps side-by-side where space permits, provided you maintain the overall flow from top to bottom. The precise rules for a given SEND MAP ACCUM command are as follows: 1. The highest line on which the map might start is determined as follows: a. If the map definition contains JUSTIFY=FIRST, BMS goes immediately to a new page (at Step 5), unless the only maps already on the page are headers placed there during overflow processing. In this case, BMS continues at Step 1c. b. If the map specifies JUSTIFY=LAST, BMS starts the map on the lowest line that allows it to fit on the page. If the map is a trailer map or you are not intercepting overflows or you are already in overflow processing, BMS uses all the space on the page. Otherwise, BMS places the map as low on the page as it can while still retaining room for the largest trailer map. If the map fits vertically using this starting line, processing continues at Step 3 (the LINE option is ignored if JUSTIFY=LAST); if not, overflow occurs (Step 5). Note: JUSTIFY=BOTTOM is the same as JUSTIFY=LAST for output operations with ACCUM. (There are differences without ACCUM and for input mapping; see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual). c. If there is no vertical JUSTIFY value (or after any overflow processing caused by JUSTIFY=FIRST has been completed), the LINE operand is checked. If an absolute value for LINE is given, that line is used, provided it is at or below the starting line of the map most recently placed on the page. If the value is above that point, BMS goes to a new page at Step 5. If LINE=NEXT, the first completely unused line (below all maps currently on the page) is used. If LINE=SAME, the starting line of the map sent most recently is used. 2. BMS now checks that the map fits vertically on the screen, given its tentative starting line. Here again, BMS uses all of the space remaining if the map is a trailer map, if you are not intercepting overflows or if you are already in overflow processing. Otherwise, BMS requires that the map fit and still leave space for the largest trailer map. If the map does not fit vertically, BMS starts a new page (Step 5). 3. Next, BMS checks whether the map fits horizontally, assuming the proposed starting line. In horizontal positioning, the JUSTIFY option values of LEFT and RIGHT come into play. LEFT is the default, and means that the COLUMN value refers to the left-hand side of the map. A numeric value for COLUMN tells where the left edge of the map should start, counting from the left side of the page. COLUMN=NEXT starts the map in the first unused column from the left on the starting line. COLUMN=SAME means the left-hand column of the map most recently placed on the screen which also specified JUSTIFY=LEFT and which was not a header or trailer map. JUSTIFY=RIGHT means that the COLUMN value refers to the right-hand edge of the map. A numeric value tells where the right edge of the map should start, counting from the right. COLUMN=NEXT means the first available column from
Chapter 36. Cumulative output the ACCUM option

455

the right, and COLUMN=SAME is the right-hand column of the map most recently placed which had JUSTIFY=RIGHT and was not a header or trailer. If the map does not fit horizontally, BMS adjusts the starting line downward, one line at a time, until it reaches a line where the map does fit or overflow occurs. Processing resumes with the vertical check (Step 2) after each adjustment of the starting line. 4. If the map fits, BMS adds it to the current page and updates the available space, using the following rules: v Lines above the first line of the map are completely unavailable. v If the map specifies JUSTIFY=LEFT, the columns from the left edge of the page through the right-most column of the map are unavailable on the lines from the top of the map through the last line on the page that has anything on it (whether from this map or an earlier one). v If the map specifies JUSTIFY=RIGHT, the columns between the right-hand edge of the page and the left-hand edge of the map are unavailable on the lines from the top of the map through the last line of the page that has anything on it. Figure 95 shows how the remaining space is reduced with each new map placed. 5. When the current map does not fit on a page, BMS determines whether it should return control to your program. If you have asked for control at overflow and you are not already in overflow processing, BMS returns control as described in Page breaks: BMS overflow processing on page 454. Otherwise, BMS disposes of the current page according to the disposition option you have established, starts a new page, and resumes processing for the map that would not fit at Step 1.

Waste (space unavailable) after Map 1 placed 3 MAP 1 6 LINE=3 COL=3 JUSTIFY =LEFT Waste (Map 2) MAP 2 LINE=6 COL=NEXT JUSTIFY =LEFT Waste after Map 2 Waste after Map 4 Waste after Map 4 placed MAP 4 LINE=14 COL=31 JUSTIFY= RIGHT Waste (space unavailable) after Map 3 placed MAP 3 LINE=SAME COL=3 JUSTIFY= RIGHT

Space still available

Figure 95. Successive placement of maps on a page, showing space made unavailable by each

456

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

ASSIGN options for cumulative processing

To help you manage the complexities of building a composite screen, CICS provides ASSIGN command options that relate specifically to cumulative processing: MAPCOLUMN MAPHEIGHT MAPLINE MAPWIDTH All apply to the map most recently sent. MAPHEIGHT and MAPWIDTH are the size (number of rows and columns) and MAPLINE and MAPCOLUMN are the origin of the map (the position of the upper left corner).

Input from a composite screen

You can read mapped input from a screen built from multiple maps, but there are restrictions. First, you can specify only one map in your RECEIVE MAP command, whereas the screen may have been written with several. Second, BMS cannot know how to position a floating map for input and assumes that the map in your RECEIVE MAP command was written to an empty screen. Thus LINE or COLUMN values of NEXT or SAME are interpreted differently on input than on output. JUSTIFY=LAST is ignored altogether; you should use JUSTIFY=BOTTOM if you want to place a map at the bottom of the screen and read data back from it. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for the exact rules.

Performance considerations
There are three components to the overall efficiency of the part of your application that the end user sees: processor path length, communications line utilization, and user time. Path length and line time used to be paramount, and much design and programming effort has been invested in minimizing them. As online systems have evolved, however, the emphasis has shifted steadily to making things as easy, pleasant and quick for the user as possible, at the expense of the other factors if necessary. Also, as processors have become cheaper, designers have been willing to expend cycles to reduce programming and maintenance effort as well as to make the user interface better. We have already given you references on elements of good design for the user interface, in Personal computers on page 326, and usually these should be your overriding considerations. In this section, we point out some ways that you can reduce path length and line time as well. You need to judge for yourself whether and to what extent the savings justify extra programming effort or a less general design.

Minimizing path length

Ordinarily, the number of instructions executed in a single CICS command is large in comparison to the number of instructions in the application program that invoked it. Consequently, the path length for a given task ordinarily depends more on the number and type of CICS commands than on anything else, and commands are the most fertile area for tuning. Commands vary by type, of course, and path length for any given command may vary considerably with circumstances.

Chapter 36. Cumulative output the ACCUM option

457

For BMS, some recommendations are: v Build screens (pages) with a single command when practical. Avoid building a composite screen with the ACCUM feature when a modest amount of additional programming accomplishes the same function, and avoid building a composite screen by multiple physical writes, as described in Outside the map on page 427, except in unusual circumstances. v Avoid producing more output at one time than the user is likely to inspect. Some transactionsinquiries, especiallyproduce many pages of output for certain input values. When this happens, the user usually narrows the search and repeats the inquiry, rather than page through the initial output. To avoid the path length of producing output that is never viewed, you can limit it to some reasonable number of pages, inform the user on the last page that there is more, and save the information required to restart the search from that point if the user requests it. The extra programming is minimal; see Chapter 13. Sharing data across transactions on page 165 for ways to save the restart data. v Use commands that are on the BMS fast path if possible. (See Minimum BMS on page 393 for the commands and terminal types that qualify.) v Use terminal control commands for very simple inputs an outputs, where you do not need BMS formatting or other function. If path length is critical, you may want to use terminal control entirely. However, the advantages of BMS over terminal control in terms of flexibility, initial programming effort and maintainability are significant, and usually outweigh the path length penalty.

Reducing message lengths

You can take advantage of 3270 hardware to reduce the length of both inbound and outbound messages. If the bandwidth in any link between the terminal and the processor is constrained, you get better response overall with shorter messages. However, the time for any given transmission depends on the behavior of other users of those links at the time, and so you may not see improvement directly. Here are some of the possibilities for reducing the length of a 3270 datastream: v Avoid turning on MDTs unnecessarily when you send a screen, because they cause the associated input fields to be transmitted on input. Ordinarily, you do not need to set the tag on, because the hardware does this when the user enters input into the field. The tag remains on, no matter how many times the screen is transmitted, until explicitly turned off by program (by FRSET, ERASEAUP, or ERASE, or by an override attribute byte with the tag off). The only time you need to set it on by program is when you want to store data on the screen in a field that the user does not modify, or when you highlight a field in error and you want the field returned whether or not the user changes it. In this case you need to turn on the MDT as well as the highlighting. v Use FRSET to reset the MDTs when you do not want input on a screen retransmitted (that is, when you have saved it and the user does not need to change it on a subsequent transmission of the same screen). (See Saving the good input on page 442 for more.) v Do not initialize input fields to blanks when you send the screen because, on input, blanks are transmitted and nulls are not. Hence the data stream is shortened by the unused positions in each modified field if you initialize with nulls. The appearance on the screen is the same, and the data returned to the program is also the same, if you map the input. v For single-screen data entry operations, use ERASEAUP to clear data from the screen, rather than resending the screen. v If you are updating a screen, send only the changed fields, especially if the changes are modest, as when you highlight fields in error or add a message to

458

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

the screen. In BMS, you can use the DATAONLY option, both to shorten the data stream and reduce the path length (see DATAONLY option on page 425). To highlight a field, in fact, you send only the new attribute byte; the field data remains undisturbed on the screen. v If you are using terminal control commands, format with set buffer address (SBA) and repeat-to-address (RA) orders, rather than spacing with blanks and nulls. (BMS does this for you.)

Chapter 36. Cumulative output the ACCUM option

459

460

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 37. Text output

If the output you are sending to the terminal is simply text, and you do not need to format the screen for subsequent input, you do not need to create a map. BMS provides a different command expressly for this purpose: SEND TEXT, which formats without maps. When you use SEND TEXT, BMS breaks your output into pages of the proper width and depth for the terminal to which it is directed. Lines are broken at word boundaries, and you can add header and trailer text to each page if you wish. Page size is determined as it is for other BMS output (see The SEND PAGE command on page 448). This chapter describes: v The SEND TEXT command v Text pages on page 462 v Text lines on page 463 v Header and trailer format on page 463 v SEND TEXT MAPPED and SEND TEXT NOEDIT on page 465

The SEND TEXT command

Except for the different type of formatting performed, the SEND TEXT command is very similar to SEND MAP. You specify the location of the text to be formatted in the FROM option and its length in the LENGTH option. Nearly all the options that apply to mapped output apply to text output as well, including: Device controls FORMFEED, ERASE, PRINT, FREEKB, ALARM, CURSOR. Formatting options NLEOM, L40, L64, L80, HONEOM. Disposition options TERMINAL, PAGING, SET. Page formation option ACCUM. In general, these options have the same meaning on aSEND TEXT command as they do on aSEND MAP command. The SEND TEXT command itself requires standard BMS; options like ACCUM, PAGING and SET that require full BMS in a mapped environment also require full BMS in a text environment. There are also options for SEND TEXT that correspond to functions associated with the map in a SEND MAP context. These are HEADER, TRAILER, JUSTIFY, JUSFIRST and JUSLAST. We explain how they work in Text pages on page 462. Two SEND MAP options that do not carry over to SEND TEXT are ERASEAUP and NOFLUSH. ERASEAUP does not apply because text uses fields only minimally, and NOFLUSH does not apply because BMS does not raise the OVERFLOW condition on text output.

Text logical messages

The presence of either the ACCUM or PAGING option on a SEND TEXT command signals BMS that you are building a logical message, just as it does in a SEND
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

461

MAP command. Text logical messages are subject to the same rules as mapped logical messages (see page 447). In particular, you can use both SEND TEXT and SEND CONTROL commands to build your message, but you cannot mix in SEND MAPs, except as noted there. You also end your message in the same way as a mapped message (see Chapter 35. BMS logical messages on page 447).

Text pages
Page formation with SEND TEXT is somewhat different from page formation with SEND MAP. First, a single SEND TEXT command can produce more output than fits on a screen or a printer page (SEND MAP never does this). BMS sends the whole message, which means that you can deliver a multi-page message to a printer without using logical facilities. You cannot use the same technique for displays, however, because even though BMS delivers the whole message, the component screens overlay one another, generally too quickly for anyone to read. If you specify ACCUM, BMS breaks the output into pages for you, and the second difference is that unless you specify a disposition of SET, your task does not get control at page breaks. Instead, when the current page has no more room, BMS simply starts a new one. It adds your header and trailer, if any, automatically, and does not raise the OVERFLOW condition. This is true whether you produced the pages with a single SEND TEXT command or you built the message piecemeal, with several. The only situation in which your task is informed of a page break is when the disposition is SET. In this case, BMS raises the RETPAGE condition to tell you that one or more pages are complete, as explained in Using SET on page 430. Here are the details of how BMS builds pages of text with ACCUM: 1. Every message starts on page 1, which is initially empty. 2. If you specify the HEADER option, BMS starts every page with your header text. BMS numbers your pages in the header or trailer if you wish. (Header format and page numbering are explained on page 463.) 3. If you specify one of the justification options (JUSTIFY, JUSFIRST, JUSLAST), BMS starts your text on the indicated line. JUSFIRST begins your text on the first line after the header, or the top line if there is no header. JUSTIFY=n starts your text on line n, and JUSLAST starts it on the lowest line that allows both it and your trailer (if any) to fit on the current page. If the contents of the current page prevent BMS from honoring the justification option there, BMS goes to a new page first, at step 6. Justification applies only to the start of the data for each SEND TEXT command; when the length of your data requires an additional page, BMS continues your text on it in the first available position there. 4. If you do not specify justification, BMS starts your text in the first position available. On the first SEND TEXT of the message, this works out the same as JUSFIRST. Thereafter, your text follows one character after the text from the previous SEND TEXT of the current logical message. (The intervening character is an attributes byte on 3270 terminals, a blank on others.) 5. Having determined the starting position, BMS continues down the page, breaking your data into lines as explained in Text lines on page 463, until it runs out of space or data. If you have specified a trailer, the available space is reduced by the requirement for the trailer. If the data is exhausted before the space, processing ends at this point. The message is completed when you indicate that you are finished with a SEND PAGE or PURGE MESSAGE command.

462

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

6. If you text does not fit on the current page, BMS completes it by adding your trailer text, if any, at the bottom and disposes of it according to the disposition option you have established (TERMINAL, PAGING, or SET), just as it does for a mapped logical message. The trailer is optional, like the header; you use the TRAILER option to specify it (see Header and trailer format). 7. BMS then goes to a new page and repeats from step 2 with the remaining data.

Text lines
In breaking the text into lines, BMS uses the following rules: 1. Ordinarily, each line starts with what appears to be a blank. On a 3270 device, this is the attributes byte of a field that occupies the rest of the line on the screen or printed page. For other devices, it is simply a blank or a carriage control character. An exception occurs if the task creating the output is running under a PROFILE that specifies PRINTERCOMP(YES) and the output device is a 3270 printer. In this case, no character is reserved at the beginning of each line. See PRINTERCOMP option on page 348. 2. BMS copies your text character for character, including all blanks, with two exceptions that occur at line end: v If a line ends in the middle of a word, BMS fills out the current line with blanks and places the word that would not fit in the first available position of the next line. For this purpose, a word is any string of consecutive nonblank characters. v If two words are separated by a single blank, and first one fits on the current line without leaving room for the blank, the blank is removed and the next line starts at the beginning of the second word. 3. You can embed new-line (NL) characters and other print format orders as well as blanks to control the format, if the destination terminal is a printer. NLs and tabs are particularly useful with columnar data, and BMS does not filter or even interpret these characters. However, print format orders do not format displays; see CICS 3270 printers on page 344 for more information about using them. 4. You can also include set attribute (SA) order sequences in your output. (Each one sets the attributes of a single character in the data stream, as explained in The set attribute order on page 335.) BMS abends the task unless SA sequences are exactly three bytes long and represent a valid attribute type. However, if you use a valid SA sequence to a terminal that does not support the attribute, BMS removes the SA sequence and then sends the message. Attributes set with SA orders remain until overridden by subsequent orders or until another SEND TEXT command, which resets them to their default values. You should not include 3270 orders other than SA in your text. BMS treats them as display data and they do not format as intended; they may even cause a terminal error.

Header and trailer format

To place a header on the pages of a text message, you point to a block of data in the following format in the HEADER option:

C <

PNFLD TEXT >

Chapter 37. Text output

463

You use the same format for trailer text, but you point to it with the TRAILER option. Here: LL P C TEXT is the length of the header (trailer) data, not including the four bytes of LL, P, and C characters. LL should be expressed in halfword binary form. is the page-number substitution character (see PNFLD below). Use a blank if you do not want page numbers. is a reserved 1-byte field. is the header (trailer) text to be placed at the top (bottom) of each page of output. Use new-line characters (X'15') to indicate where line breaks should occur if you want multiple lines. is the page number field within your header (trailer) text. If you want to number the pages of your output, choose a character that does not otherwise appear in your header (trailer) text. Place this character in the positions where the page number is to appear. You can use from one to five adjacent positions, depending on how large you expect your page numbers to get (32,767 is the maximum BMS allows). Place the same character in the P field above, to tell BMS where to make the substitution. Do not use X'0C', X'15', X'17', X'26', or X'FF' for P; these values are reserved for other purposes. If you do not want page numbering, simply place a blank (X'40') in P. When you are building a logical message, you should repeat your HEADER and TRAILER options on each SEND TEXT command, so that they are present when the page breaks occur, and you need to specify the trailer again on the SEND PAGE command that terminates the message. Here is an example of a COBOL definition for a header that simply numbers the pages, leaving room for a number up to 99.
EXEC CICS SEND TEXT FROM (OUTPUT-AREA) HEADER(HEADER-TEXT) PAGING ACCUM END-EXEC.

PNFLD

where:
01 HEADER-TEXT 02 HEADER-LL 02 HEADP 02 FILLER 02 HEADING PIC PIC PIC PIC S9(4) COMP VALUE +11. X VALUE '@'. X VALUE LOW-VALUE. X(11) VALUE 'PAGE NO. @@'.

Screens built with SEND TEXT are not designed for extensive input from the terminal operator. However, you can interpret the attention identifier and read simple inputssuch as those used in the CSPG transaction to control the page displayif the field structure on the screen is suitable and the operator knows or can see what is expected. (A new field starts at each line, as well as at the first character of the text sent with each SEND TEXT command that made up the message. The fields defined are unprotected, alphameric and normal intensity, so that the operator can key into them.) Normally a terminal control RECEIVE is used in this situation; you can use RECEIVE MAP only if you can build a map with a field structure matching that of the screen.

464

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

SEND TEXT MAPPED and SEND TEXT NOEDIT

BMS provides two special forms of the SEND TEXT command that allow you to use some of the message delivery facilities of BMS for output that is already formatted. SEND TEXT MAPPED sends a page of device-dependent data previously built by BMS and captured with the SET option. You may have used either SEND MAP or SEND TEXT commands to build the page originally. See Using SET on page 430 for details. SEND TEXT NOEDIT is similar, but is used to send a page of device-dependent output built by the program or some method other than BMS. You can deliver such pages to your own principal facility individually, using a disposition of TERMINAL, or you can include them in a logical message built with the PAGING option. In a logical message, these forms can be mixed with ordinary SEND TEXT commands or with SEND MAP8 commands, as long as each BMS SEND represents a separate page (that is, the ACCUM option is not used). You can also use these commands in a routing environment (described in Chapter 38. Message routing on page 467). Whether you are routing or sending to your own terminal, you must ensure that the data stream is appropriate to the destinations; BMS does not check before transmission, other than to remove 3270 attributes that the destination does not support. None of the page-formatting options, ACCUM, JUSTIFY, JUSFIRST, JUSLAST, HEADER, and TRAILER, apply to either of these commands, because the page is already formatted and built, by definition. The primary difference between the MAPPED and NOEDIT forms is that SEND TEXT MAPPED uses the 4-byte page control area (PGA) that BMS appends to the end of pages returned by the SET option. This area tells BMS the write command and write control character to be used, which extended attributes were used on the page, and whether the page contains formfeeds, data in SCS format, 14- or 16-bit buffer addresses, structured fields and FMHs. It allows BMS to deliver a page built for one device to one with different hardware characteristics, as might be required for a page copy or a routing operation. With SEND TEXT NOEDIT, you specify this type of information on the command itself. You should use SEND TEXT MAPPED for output created with BMS, and NOEDIT for output formatted by other means. You cannot include structured fields in the output with either SEND TEXT MAPPED or SEND TEXT NOEDIT, incidentally; you must use a terminal control SEND for such output. The LENGTH option for a SEND TEXT MAPPED command should be set from the TIOATDL value returned when the page was built, which does not include the PGA (see Using SET on page 430). If you copy the page for later use with SEND TEXT MAPPED, however, you must be sure to copy the PGA as well as the page itself (TIOATDL + 4 bytes in all).

8. The usual restriction against mixing text with mapped output in the same logical method does not apply here, because the page is already formed. Chapter 37. Text output

465

466

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 38. Message routing

The message routing facilities of BMS allow you to send messages to terminals other than the principal facility of your task (your task does not even need to have a principal facility). Routing does not give your task direct control of these terminals, but instead causes the scheduling of a task for each destination to deliver your message. These tasks execute the CICS-supplied transaction CSPG, the same one used for delivery of messages with a disposition of PAGING to your own terminal. Thus the operator at a display terminal who receives a routed message uses CSPG requests to view the message. (See Terminal operator paging: the CSPG transaction on page 450 for more information about CSPG.) Message routing is useful for message-switching and broadcasting applications, and also for printing (see Using CICS printers on page 350). It is the basis for the CICS-supplied transaction CMSG, with which terminal users can send messages to other terminals and users. See the CICS Supplied Transactions for an explanation of CMSG and what you can do with it. To route a message, you start by issuing a ROUTE command. This command tells BMS where to send the message, when to deliver it, what to do about errors, and other details. Then you build your message. It can be a mapped or text message, but it must be a logical message (that is, either ACCUM or PAGING present), and the disposition must be either PAGING or SET, not TERMINAL. PAGING is the more common choice and is assumed in the discussion that follows. We explain SET in a routing context in Routing with SET on page 474. Your ROUTE command is in effect until you end your message with a SEND PAGE command, and you must not issue another one until this occurs. (If you issue ROUTE while building your message you get an invalid request response; if you issue a second ROUTE before you start your logical message, it simply replaces the first one.) You can also terminate a message with PURGE MESSAGE, if you decide you do not want to send it. PURGE MESSAGE causes the routing environment established with your ROUTE command to be discarded, along with your logical message. This chapter describes: v Message destinations v Route list format on page 470 v Message delivery on page 471 v Recoverable messages on page 472 v Programming considerations with routing on page 473

Message destinations
You can specify destinations for your routed message in three different ways: v You can request that certain classes of operators receive the message, by using the OPCLASS option of the ROUTE command. Classes are associated with an operator in the RACF user definition or a CICS sign-on table entry. v You can name particular operators who are to receive the message by using a route list, to which you point with the LIST option of the ROUTE command. Operators are identified by a 3-character OPIDENT value, which is also assigned in the RACF definition or a sign-on table entry.

467

v You can name particular terminals which are to receive the message; this is also done with a route list. Terminals are identified by their 4-character TERMID value, and, for terminal types to which they apply, a 2-character logical device code. Note: If you need to know the identifier or operator class values for the operator signed on at your principal facility to specify the destination of your routed message, you can use the ASSIGN command with the OPID or OPCLASS options to find out.

Eligible terminals
To format a message properly for a particular destination, BMS needs to know the characteristics of the terminal for which it is formatting. This is true even for destinations that you designate by operator or operator class. The first step in processing a route list, therefore, is to translate your destinations to a list of terminals to which the message may be delivered. This eligible terminal list combines the information in your route list and your OPCLASS specification with the state of the terminal network at the time of the ROUTE command. Later, when your message is ready for delivery, BMS uses this list to decide which terminals actually get your message. A terminal must be on the list to receive the message, but its presence there does not guarantee delivery. There may be operator restrictions associated with the terminal and, because delivery occurs later in time, the status or even the nature of the terminal may have changed. Both at the time the list is built and at the time of delivery, BMS is restricted to the terminal definitions installed in its own CICS region (where the routing task is running, or ran) and may not have all of the terminal definitions you expect. First, terminals that are autoinstalled may not be logged on either at the time of the ROUTE, excluding them from inclusion on the list, or at the times sending is attempted, preventing delivery. In a multiple-region environment, there is the additional possibility that terminals known to one region may not be known to another. (It depends on how they are defined, as explained in the CICS Resource Definition Guide.) In particular, if a terminal definition is shared among regions by designating it as SHIPPABLE in the region that owns it, the terminal is not defined in any other region until something occurs to cause shipment there. This usually happens the first time the terminal routes a transaction to the region in question. Consequently, a ROUTE in this region cannot include the terminal before the first such event occurs. The following sections describe how BMS builds the list of eligible terminals. This occurs at the time of the ROUTE command:

Destinations specified with OPCLASS only

If you specified operator classes (the OPCLASS option) but no route list, BMS scans all the terminal definitions in the local system. Any terminal that meets all these conditions gets on the eligible terminal list: v The terminal is of a type supported by BMS. v The terminal can receive routed messages not specifically addressed to it (ROUTEDMSGS (ALL) in the terminal definition). v An operator is signed on at the terminal. v The operator belongs to one of the operator classes in your OPCLASS list.

468

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The resulting entry is marked so that delivery occurs only when and if an operator belonging to at least one of the operator classes in your OPCLASS list is signed on. (This operator does not have to be the one that was signed on at ROUTE time.)

OPCLASS and LIST omitted

If you specify neither operator classes nor a route list, BMS puts every terminal that meets the first two tests above on the list, and sets no operator restrictions on delivery. In a network where many terminals are eligible to receive all routed messages, this is a choice you almost certainly want to avoid.

Route list provided

If you provide a route list, BMS builds its list from yours instead of scanning the terminal definitions. Each of your entries is processed as follows. Processing includes setting a status flag in the list entry to tell you whether the entry was used or skipped and why. v If the entry contains a terminal identifier but no operator identifier, the terminal goes on the eligible list, provided it is defined, of a type supported by BMS, and eligible to receive routed messages. If BMS cannot find the terminal definition, it sets the entry skipped and invalid terminal identifier bits (X'C0') in the status flag of the route list entry; if the terminal exists but is not supported by BMS or is not allowed to received any routed messages, the entry skipped and terminal not supported under BMS bits get set (X'A0'). Note: The eligibility of a terminal to receive routed messages is governed by the ROUTEDMSGS option in the terminal definition. Three values are possible: a terminal may be allowed to receive all routed messages, only messages routed to it by terminal or operator name, or no routed messages at all. If you specified OPCLASS as well as a route list, BMS checks whether an operator belonging to one of the classes you listed is signed on at the terminal. If not, BMS sets the operator not signed on bit (X'10') in the status flag for the entry to inform you, but includes the terminal anyway. There are no operator restrictions associated with the list entry, even when you specify operator classes. v If the entry contains both a terminal and an operator identifier, the terminal identifier is checked in the same way as it is without an operator identifier, and the same errors can occur. If the terminal passes these tests, it goes on the eligible list. However, the entry is marked such that the message can be delivered only when the operator named is signed on at the same terminal. If this operator is not signed on to the terminal at the time of the ROUTE command, BMS notifies you by turning on the operator not signed on bit (X'10') in the status flag, but the terminal goes on the delivery list regardless of sign-on status. (OPCLASS is ignored entirely when an operator identifier is present.) v If the entry contains only an operator identifier, BMS searches the terminal definitions until it finds one where the operator is signed on. (The operator may be signed on at additional terminals, but BMS ignores these.) If this terminal is of a type not supported by BMS, or if the terminal cannot receive routed messages, BMS sets the entry skipped and operator signed on at unsupported terminal bits (X'88') in the status flag. It also fills in the terminal identifier in your route list. If the terminal is suitable, BMS treats the entry as if you had specified both that terminal and operator identifier, as described above. If the operator is not signed on anywhere, BMS sets the entry skipped and operator not signed on bits (X'90') in the status flag.

Chapter 38. Message routing

469

Route list format

BMS requires a fixed format for route lists. Each entry in the list is 16 bytes long, as follows:
Table 37. Standard route list entry format Bytes 0-3 4,5 6-8 9 10-15 Contents Terminal or logical unit identifier (four characters, including trailing blanks), or blanks LDC mnemonic (two characters) for logical units with LDC support, or blanks Operator identifier, or blanks Status flag for the route entry Reserved; must contain blanks

Either a terminal or an operator identifier must be present in each entry. A Logical Device Component(LDC) may accompany either; see LDCs and routing on page 488 for more information about LDCs. The entries in the route list normally follow one another in sequence. However, they do not all have to be adjacent. If you have a discontinuity in your list, you end each group of successive entries except the last group with an 8-byte chain entry that points to the first entry in the next group. This entry looks like this:
Table 38. Route list chain entry format Bytes 0,1 2,3 4-7 Contents 2 in binary halfword format (X'FFFE') Reserved Address of the first entry in the next group of contiguous entries

The end of the entire list is signalled by a 2-byte entry containing a halfword value of 1 (X'FFFF'). Your list may consist of as many groups as you wish. There is an upper limit on the total number of destinations, but it depends on many variables; if you exceed it, BMS abends your task with abend code ABMC. On return from a ROUTE command, BMS raises condition codes to signal errors in your list: RTESOME means that at least one of the entries in your route list could not be used and was skipped. The default action is to continue the routing operation, using the destinations that were processed successfully. RTEFAIL means that none of the destinations in your list could be used, and therefore no routing environment has been set up. The default action is to return control to your task. You should test for this condition, consequently, because with no routing environment, a subsequent BMS SEND command goes to the principal facility, which is probably not your intention. In addition to the general information reflected by RTESOME and RTEFAIL, BMS tells you what it did with each entry in your list by setting the status flag (byte 9). A

470

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

null value (X'00') means that the entry was entirely correct. The high-order bit tells you whether the entry was used or skipped, and the other bits tell you exactly what happened. Here are the meanings of each bit being on: ENTRY SKIPPED (X'80') The entry was not used. When this bit is on, another bit is also on to indicate the reason. INVALID TERMINAL IDENTIFIER (X'40') There is no terminal definition for the terminal named in the entry. The entry is skipped. TERMINAL NOT SUPPORTED UNDER BMS (X'20') The terminal named in the route list entry is of a type not supported by BMS, or it is restricted from receiving routed messages. The entry is skipped. OPERATOR NOT SIGNED ON (X'10') The operator named in the entry is not signed on. Any of these conditions causes this flag to be set: v Both an operator identifier and a terminal identifier were specified, and the operator was not signed on at the terminal. The entry is not skipped. v An operator identifier was specified without a terminal identifier, and the operator was not signed on at any terminal. The entry is skipped. v OPCLASS was specified on the ROUTE command, a terminal identifier was specified in the route list entry, and the operator signed on at the terminal did not have any of the specified operator classes. The entry is not skipped. OPERATOR SIGNED ON AT UNSUPPORTED TERMINAL (X'08') Only an operator identifier was specified in the route list entry, and that operator was signed on at a terminal not supported by BMS or not eligible to receive routed messages. The entry is skipped. The name of the terminal is returned in the terminal identifier field of the entry. INVALID LDC MNEMONIC (X'04') Either of these conditions causes this flag to be set: v The LDC mnemonic specified in the route list is not defined for this terminal. That is, the terminal supports LDCs but it has no LDC list, or its LDC list is extended but does not contain this entry. v The device type for this LDC entry is different from that of the first entry in the route list with an LDC (only one LDC device type is allowed, as explained in LDCs and routing on page 488). The entry is skipped. Note: CICS provides source code which defines a standard route list entry and the values you need to test status flag bit combinations. You can insert this code into your program with a COPY or INCLUDE of the member DFHURLDS, in the same way you can include the BMS attention identifier or attribute byte definitions.

Message delivery
We have just explained how BMS determines the terminals eligible to receive your routed message. Actual delivery occurs later in time, much later in some cases, depending on the scheduling options in your ROUTE command (INTERVAL, TIME, AFTER and AT). You can request delivery immediately, after an interval of time has elapsed, or at a particular time of day.

Chapter 38. Message routing

471

When the appointed time arrives, BMS attempts to deliver the message to every terminal on the eligible terminal list. All the following conditions must be met for the message to be delivered to any particular terminal: v The terminal must be defined as a type supported by BMS, and the same type as when the ROUTE command was processed9. (Where there is a long delay between creation and delivery of a message, it is possible for the terminal defined with a particular TERMID to change characteristics or disappear, especially in an autoinstall environment.) v The terminal must be in service and available (that is, there cannot be a task running with the terminal as its principal facility). v The terminal must be eligible for automatic transaction initiation, or the terminal operator must request delivery of the message with the CSPG transaction. Note: If several messages accumulate for delivery to a particular terminal, there is no guarantee that the operator will view them in any particular order. In fact, the CSPG transaction allows the operator to control delivery order in some situations. If a specific sequence of pages is required, you must send them as one message. v If the delivery list entry restricts delivery to a particular operator or to operators in certain classes, the operator signed on at the terminal must qualify. (See Message destinations on page 467 for the OPCLASS and LIST specifications that produce these restrictions.) v The purge delay must not have expired, as explained in the next section.

Undeliverable messages
If BMS cannot deliver a message to an eligible terminal, it continues to try periodically until one of the following conditions occurs: v A change in terminal status allows the message to be sent. v The message is deleted by the destination terminal operator. v The purge delay elapses. The purge delay is the period of time allowed for delivery of a message once it is scheduled for delivery. After this interval elapses, the message is discarded. The purge delay is a system-wide value, set by the PRGDLY option in the system initialization table. Its use is optional; if the systems programmer sets PRGDLY to zero, messages are kept indefinitely. When BMS purges a message in this fashion, it sends an error message to the terminal you specify in ERRTERM. (If you use ERRTERM without a specific terminal name, it sends the message to the principal facility of the task that originally created the message. If you omit ERRTERM altogether, no message is sent.)

Recoverable messages
Between creation and delivery of a routed message with a disposition of PAGING, BMS stores the message in CICS temporary storage, just as it does in the case of an ordinary PAGING message. Consequently, you can make your routed messages recoverable by your choice of the REQID option value, just as in the case of a nonrouted message. (See Logical message recovery on page 451.)

9. A 3270 terminal need not have exactly the same extended attributes that it had at the time the ROUTE command was issued, because BMS removes unsupported attributes from the data stream at the time of delivery.

472

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

If you are routing to more than one type of terminal, BMS builds a separate logical message for each type, with the appropriate device-dependent data stream, and uses a separate temporary storage queue for each type. Note: For terminal destinations that have the alternate screen size feature, where two message formats are possible, BMS chooses the default size if the profile under which the task creating the message specifies default size, and alternate size if the profile specifies alternate size. All of the logical messages use the same REQID value, however, so that you can still choose whether they are recoverable or not. BMS also uses temporary storage to store the list of terminals eligible to receive your message and to keep track of whether delivery has occurred. When all of the eligible terminals of a particular type have received a message, BMS deletes the associated logical message. When all of the destinations have received delivery, or the purge delay expires, BMS erases all of the information for the message, reporting the number of undeliverable messages by destination to the master terminal operator message queue.

Message identification
You can assign a title to your routed message if you wish. The title is not part of the message itself, but is included with the other information that BMS maintains about your message in CICS temporary storage. Titles are helpful in situations where a number of messages may accumulate for an operator or a terminal, because they allow the operator to control the order in which they are displayed. (See the query option of the CSPG command in the CICS Supplied Transactions manual.) To assign a title, use the TITLE option of the ROUTE command to point to a data area that consists of the title preceded by a halfword binary length field. The length includes the 2-byte length field and has a maximum of 64, so the title itself may be up to 62 characters long. For example:
01 MSG-TITLE. 02 TITLE-LENGTH 02 TITLE-TEXT PIC S9(4) COMP VALUE +19. PIC X(17) VALUE 'MONTHLY INVENTORY'.

... EXEC CICS ROUTE TITLE(MSG-TITLE)....

Figure 96. Assigning a title

Programming considerations with routing

For the most part, you build a routed message in the same way you do a nonrouted message. However, because BMS builds a separate logical message for each terminal type among your destinations, there are differences. The first involves page overflow.

Routing and page overflow

Because different types of terminals have different page capacities, page overflow may occur at different times for different types. If you are using SEND MAP commands and intercepting overflows, your program gets control when overflow occurs for each page of each logical message that BMS is creating in response to your ROUTE.

Chapter 38. Message routing

473

If you want to number your pages or do page-dependent processing at overflow time, you may need to keep track of information for each terminal type separately. Data areas kept for this purpose are called overflow control areas. You can tell how many such areas you need (that is, how many different terminal types appeared in your ROUTE command) by issuing an ASSIGN command with the DESTCOUNT option after your ROUTE and before any BMS command that could cause overflow. Issued at this time, ASSIGN DESTCOUNT returns a count of the logical messages that BMS builds. When overflow occurs, you can use the same command to determine for which logical message overflow occurred. At this time ASSIGN DESTCOUNT returns the relative number of that message among those BMS is building for this ROUTE command. If you are using overflow control areas, this number tells you which one to use. If you use ASSIGN PAGENUM at this time, BMS returns the number of the page that overflowed as well. To handle the complication of different overflow points for different terminal types, the processing you need to do on overflow in a routing environment is: v Determine which logical message overflowed with ASSIGN DESTCOUNT (unless you are doing very simple overflow processing). v Send your trailer maps for the current page, followed by headers for the next page, as you do in a non-routing environment (see Page breaks: BMS overflow processing on page 454). While the OVERFLOW condition is in force, these SEND MAP commands apply only to the logical message that overflowed (you would not want them in a logical message where you were mid-page, and BMS makes no assumptions about different terminal types that happen to have the same page capacity). v Reissue the command that caused the overflow, as you do in a non-routing environment. After you do, however, you must retest for overflow and repeat the whole process, until overflow does not occur. This procedure ensures that you get the trailers and headers and the map that caused the overflow into each of the logical messages that you are building.

Routing with SET

When you specify a disposition of SET in a routing environment, no messages are sent to the destinations in your route list, because the pages are returned to your program as they are completed. However, the ROUTE command is processed in the usual way to determine these destinations and the terminal types among them. BMS builds a separate logical message for each type, as usual, and returns a page to the program each time one is completed for any of the terminal types. BMS raises the OVERFLOW and RETPAGE conditions as it does with a disposition of PAGING. Consequently, ROUTING with SET allows you to format messages for terminal types other than that of your principal facility.

Interleaving a conversation with message routing

While you are building a message to be routed, you can use BMS SEND commands as well as RECEIVE MAP and terminal control commands to converse with your principal facility. (Without routing, you cannot use BMS SENDs, as noted in Building logical messages on page 447.) Such SEND commands must have a disposition option of TERMINAL rather than PAGING or SET, and must not specify ACCUM. The associated inputs and outputs are processed directly and do not interfere with your logical message, even if your terminal is one of the destinations of the message.

474

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 39. The MAPPINGDEV facility

Minimum BMS function assumes that the principal facility of your task is the mapping device that performs input and output mapping operations for the features and status that is defined in the TCTTE (Terminal Control Table entry). The principal facility for transactions using BMS function should have a device type supported by BMS. However, the MAPPINGDEV facility is an extension of minimum BMS that allows you to perform mapping operations for a device that is not the principal facility. When the MAPPINGDEV request completes, the mapped data is returned to the application. BMS does not have any communication with the MAPPINGDEV device. You can specify the MAPPINGDEV option on the RECEIVE MAP command (see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual) and the SEND MAP command, (see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual) but not on any other BMS command. The TERMID specified in the MAPPINGDEV option must represent a device in the 3270 family supported by BMS. If the device is partitioned, it is assumed to be in base state. Outboard formatting is ignored. Data is mapped in exactly the same way as for minimum BMS, and there is no need to change mapset definitions or to re-generate mapsets. This chapter describes: v SEND MAP with the MAPPINGDEV option v RECEIVE MAP with the MAPPINGDEV option on page 476 v Sample assembler MAPPINGDEV application on page 477

SEND MAP with the MAPPINGDEV option

Your SEND MAP commands that have the MAPPINGDEV option must also specify the SET option. (The SET option provides BMS with a pointer that sets the address of the storage area that contains the mapped output datastream.) If you have storage protection active, the data is returned in storage in the key specified in the TASKDATAKEY option of the transaction definition. The storage is located above or below the line depending on which TASKDATALOC option of the transaction definition you have specified. The storage area is in task-related user storage but in the format of a TIOA (Terminal Input/Output Area). The application can reference the storage area using the DFHTIOA copybook. The TIOATDL field, at offset 8, contains the length of the datastream that starts at TIOADBA, at offset 12, in the storage area. The length value placed in TIOATDL does not include the length of the 4-byte page control area, which contains information such as the extended attributes that have been used in the datastream and can be referenced using the DFHPGADS copybook. The storage area usually has a length greater than the datastream because the storage area is allocated before the exact length of the output datastream is determined. This storage area is in a form that can be used in a SEND TEXT MAPPED command.

475

If you are familiar with using the SET option without the MAPPINGDEV option, (see Protection on page 330 for details) you know that the datastream is returned to the application indirectly by a list of pages. However, when MAPPINGDEV is specified, a direct pointer to the storage area containing the datastream is returned to your application. When the SEND MAP MAPPINGDEV command completes its processing, the storage area is under the control of the application and remains allocated until the end of the transaction unless your application FREEMAINs it. You are advised to FREEMAIN these storage areas, for long-running transactions but CICS frees these areas when the task terminates.

RECEIVE MAP with the MAPPINGDEV option

You must specify the FROM option when using the MAPPINGDEV option on the RECEIVE MAP command. BMS needs the FROM option to supply a formatted 3270 input datastream that is consistent with the datastream returned via a Terminal Control RECEIVE command (that is, a normal input 3270 datastream). The only difference is that it does not start with an AID and input cursor address because this information is removed from the input datastream by terminal control, but there are options on the RECEIVE MAP command that allow you to specify an AID value and input cursor position when the MAPPINGDEV option is specified. If the datastream contains an AID and input cursor address, they are ignored by BMS. When neither option is specified, BMS assumes that the input data operation was terminated with the ENTER key, and returns the appropriate AID value to the application from the EIBAID field. BMS also assumes that the input cursor was positioned at the home address and returns a value of zero to the application from the EIBCPOSN field. The new AID option of the RECEIVE MAP command allows your application to specify an AID value which, if specified, overrides the default value of ENTER. Whether provided by the application, or defaulted by BMS, the AID value that you established causes control to be passed, when applicable, to the routine registered by a previous HANDLE AID request issued by the application. The new CURSOR option of the RECEIVE MAP command allows your application to specify an input cursor position which, if specified, overrides the default value of zero. Whether provided by the application, or defaulted by BMS, the input cursor value is used in cursor location processing when you define the map with CURSLOC=YES. As with the minimum BMS RECEIVE MAP command, the mapped data is returned to your application by the INTO or SET option. If neither option is specified, the CICS translator attempts to apply a default INTO option by appending the character I to the map name. When you use the SET option with the MAPPINGDEV option, it must provide a pointer variable that BMS sets with the address of the storage area containing the mapped input datastream. The data is returned in task-related user storage. If storage protection is active, the data is returned in storage in the key specified by the TASKDATAKEY option of the transaction definition. The storage is located above or below the line depending on the TASKDATALOC option of your transaction definition.

476

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

When the RECEIVE MAP MAPPINGDEV command completes its processing successfully, the storage area is returned by the SET option and is under the control of the application and remains allocated until the end of the transaction unless your application FREEMAINs it. You are advised to FREEMAIN these storage areas, for long-running transactions but CICS frees these areas when the task terminates.

Sample assembler MAPPINGDEV application

Figure 97 on page 478 is a modification of the FILEA operator instruction sample program, and uses the same mapset named DFH$AGA. This application is only intended to demonstrate how to code the keywords associated with the MAPPINGDEV facility, and as a means of testing this function. It is not offered as a recommended design for applications that make use of the MAPPINGDEV facility.

Chapter 39. The MAPPINGDEV facility

477

DFH$AMNX CSECT * DFHREGS DFHEISTG DSECT OUTAREA DS 0CL512 DS CL8 OUTLEN DS H DS H OUTDATA DS CL500 INLEN DS H INAREA DS CL256 PROOF DS CL60 COPY DFH$AGA COPY DFHBMSCA DFH$AMNU CSECT EXEC CICS HANDLE AID PF3(PF3_ROUTINE) * XC DFH$AGAS(DFH$AGAL),DFH$AGAS MVC MSGO(L'APPLMSG),APPLMSG EXEC CICS SEND MAP('DFH$$AGA') FROM(DFH$AGAO) ERASE MAPPINGDEV(EIBTRMID) SET(R6) MVC OUTAREA(256),0(R6) MVC OUTAREA+256(256),256(R6) EXEC CICS SEND TEXT MAPPED FROM(OUTDATA) LENGTH(OUTLEN) * EXEC CICS RECEIVE INTO(INAREA) LENGTH(INLEN) MAXLENGTH(MAXLEN) * EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP('DFH$AGA') SET(R7) LENGTH(INLEN) MAPPINGDEV(EIBTRMID) FROM(INAREA) CURSOR(820) AID(=C'3') * XC PROOF,PROOF MVC PROOF(25),=C'You just keyed in number ' MVC PROOF+25(6),KEYI-DFH$$AGAI(R7) FINISH DS 0H EXEC CICS SEND TEXT FROM(PROOF) LENGTH(60) ERASE FREEKB TM MSGF-DFH$AGAI(R7),X'02' BNO RETURN XC PROOF,PROOF MVC PROOF(33),=C'Input cursor located in MSG field' EXEC CICS SEND TEXT FROM(PROOF) LENGTH(60) ERASE FREEKB * * THE RETURN COMMAND ENDS THE PROGRAM. * RETURN DS 0H EXEC CICS RETURN * PF3_ROUTINE DS 0H XC PROOF,PROOF MVC PROOF(30),=C'RECEIVE MAP specified AID(PF3)' B FINISH MAXLEN DC H'256' APPLMSG DC C'This is a MAPPINGDEV application' END

Figure 97. ASM example of a MAPPINGDEV application

478

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 40. Partition support

Partitions are the first of several special hardware features that BMS supports. Standard BMS is required for partitions. Some IBM displays allow you to divide the screen into areas which you can write to and read from separately, as if they were independent screens. The areas are called partitions, and features of BMS that allow you to take advantage of the special hardware are collectively called partition support. The IBM 3290 display, which is a member of the 3270 family, and the IBM 8775 are the primary examples of devices that support partitioning. You should consult the device manuals10 to understand the full capabilities of a partitioned device, but the essential features are these: v You can divide the physical screen into any arrangement of one to eight non-overlapping rectangular areas. The areas are independent from one other, in the sense that the operator can clear them separately, the state of the keyboard (locked or unlocked) is maintained separately for each, and you write to and read from them one at a time. v Only one partition is active at any given time. This is the one containing the cursor. The operator is restricted to keying into this partition, and the cursor wraps at partition boundaries. When a key that transmits data is depressed (the ENTER key or one of the program function keys), data is transmitted only from the active partition. v The operator can change the active partition at any time by using the jump key; your program can also, as explained in Determining the active partition on page 483. v BMS also writes to only one partition on a given SEND, but you can issue multiple SENDs and you do not have to write to the active partition. v The partition configuration is sent to the device as a data stream, so that you can change the partitions for each new task or even within a task. The BMS construct that defines the partitions is called a partition set and is described in Partition definition on page 481. v You also can use the terminal in base state (without partitions) and you can switch from partitioned to base state with the same command that you use to change partition arrangements. v When you specify how to partition the screen area, you also divide up the hardware buffer space from which the screen is driven. In partitioned devices, the capacity of the buffer is generally greater than that of the screen, so that some partitions can be assigned extra buffer space. The screen area allocated to a partition is called its viewport and the buffer storage is called its presentation space. BMS uses the presentation space as its page size for the partition, so that you can send as much data as fits there, even though not all of it can be on display at once. Keys on the device allow the operator to scroll the viewport of the partition vertically to view the entire presentation space. Scrolling occurs without any intervention from the host. v Some partitioned devices allow you to choose among character sets of different sizes. We talk about this in 3290 character size on page 482.

10. IBM 3290 Information Display Panel Description and Reference for the 3290 and IBM 8775 Display Terminal Component Description for the 8775. Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

479

In spite of the independence of the partitions, the display is still a single terminal to CICS. You cannot have more than one task at a time with the terminal as its principal facility, although you can use the screen space cooperatively among several pseudoconversational transaction sequences if they use the same partition set (see Terminal sharing on page 486). Note: The 3290 can be configured internally so that it behaves as more than one logical unit (to CICS or any other system); this definition is separate from the partitioning that may occur at any one of those logical terminals. This chapter describes: v Uses for partitioned screens v Partition definition on page 481 v Establishing partitioning on page 482 v Partition options for BMS SEND commands on page 483 v Partition options for BMS RECEIVE commands on page 484 v Partitions and logical messages on page 484 v Attention identifiers and exception conditions on page 485 v Terminal sharing on page 486

Uses for partitioned screens

Partitioned screens are particularly useful in certain types of application. For example:

Scrolling
For transactions that produce more output than fits on a single screen, scrolling is an alternative to BMS terminal paging (see Output disposition options: TERMINAL, SET, and PAGING on page 429). For example, you can define a partition set that consists of just one partition, where the viewport is the whole screen and the presentation space is the entire buffer. You can write to the entire buffer as a single page, and the operator can scroll through the data using the terminal facilities. Response time is to scrolling requests is very short, because there is no interaction with the host. You are limited to the capacity of the buffer, of course. You may also want to scroll just part of the screen and use some partitions for fixed data.

Data entry
Another good use for a partitioned screen is heads down data entry, where the operators productivity depends on how fast the application can process an input and reopen the keyboard for the next. With a partitioned screen, you can divide the screen into two identical entry screens. The operator fills one, presses Enter, and then fills the second one while the data entry transaction is processing the first input. If the input is good, the program simply erases it in preparation for the next entry; if not, there is still an opportunity for the operator to make corrections without losing subsequent work. The CICS 4.1 Sample Applications Guide contains an example of such a data entry transaction.

Lookaside
In many online operations, the operator sometimes needs to execute a second transaction in order to finish one in progress. Order entry is an example, where the operator may have to look up codes or prices to complete an entry. Many inquiries are similar. The initial inquiry brings back a summary list of hits. The operator

480

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

selects one and asks for further detail, then may need to select another for detail, and so on. In such cases, a partitioned screen allows the operator to do the second task while keeping the output of the first, which is needed later, on the screen. The CICS 4.1 Sample Applications Guide also contains an example of a lookaside transaction. Help text is still another example of lookaside. If you allocate one partition of the screen to this text, the operator can get the required tutorial information without losing the main screen.

Data comparison
Applications in which the operator needs to compare two or more sets of data simultaneously are also excellent candidates for a partitioned screen. Partitioning allows a side-by-side comparison, and the scrolling feature makes it possible to compare relatively large documents or records.

Error messages
If you partition a screen and allocate one area to error messages and other explanatory text, usability is enhanced because the operator always knows where to look for messages, and the main screen areas are never overwritten with such information. CICS sends its own messages to such a partition if you designate one in your partition set, as we explain in Partition definition.

Partition definition
Each partitioning of a screen is defined by a partition set, which is a collection of screen areas (partitions) intended for display together on a screen. You define a partition set with assembler macros, just as you do map sets. There are two of them: DFHPSD and DFHPDI. The partition set definition begins with a DFHPSD (partition set definition) macro, which defines: v The name of the partition set v Screen size (BMS makes sure that the partition viewports do not exceed the total space available) v Default character cell size (we talk about cell size in 3290 character size on page 482) v The partition set suffix, used to associate the partition set with a particular screen size (see Establishing partitioning on page 482) After the initial DFHPSD macro, you define each partition (screen area) with a DFHPDI macro. DFHPDI specifies: v The identifier of the partition within the partition set. v Where the partition is located on the screen. v Its viewport size (in lines and columns). v The presentation space associated with the viewport (that is, the amount of buffer space allocated), also in lines and columns. Because scrolling is strictly vertical, BMS requires that the width of the presentation space match the width of the viewport. v The character size to be used. v The map set suffix associated with the partition, used to select the map set appropriate for the partition size.

Chapter 40. Partition support

481

v Whether the partition may receive CICS error messages (BMS sends certain error messages that it generates to a partition so designated, if there is one). You end the partition set with a second DFHPSD macro, containing only the option TYPE=FINAL. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for full details on DFHPSD and DFHPDI. Because these are assembler macros, you need to follow assembler format rules in creating them. See Writing BMS macros on page 403 if you are not familiar with assembler language. After you do, you need to assemble and link-edit your partition set. The resulting load module can be placed in the same library as your map sets, or in a separate library if your installation prefers. Your systems staff also need to define each partition set to the system with a PARTITION definition.

3290 character size

The 3290 hardware allows you to use up to eight different character sets, of different sizes. Two sets come with the hardware; the others can be loaded with a terminal control SEND command. (Refer to the IBM 3290 Information Display Panel Description and Reference manual for details.) Each character occupies a rectangular cell on the screen. Cell size determines how many lines and columns fit on the screen, or in a particular partition of the screen, because you can specify cell size by partition. Cells are measured in pels (picture elements), both vertically and horizontally. The smallest cell allowed is 12 vertical pels by 6 horizontal pels. The 3290 screen is 750 pels high and 960 pels wide. Using the minimum cell size, therefore, you can fit 62 characters vertically (that is, have 62 lines), and 160 characters horizontally (for 160 columns). (The 3290 always selects the character set that best fits your cell size, and places the character at the top left corner of the cell.) Partition sizes are expressed in lines and columns, based on the cell size you specify for the partition, which is expressed in pels. (The name of the option is CHARSZE, but it is really cell size.) To make sure your partitions fit on the screen, you need to work out your allocation in pels, although BMS tells you when you assemble if your partitions overlap or does not fit on the screen. The partition height is the product of the number of rows in the partition and the vertical CHARSZE dimension; the partition width is the product of the number of columns and the horizontal CHARSZE value. If you do not specify a CHARSZE size in your DFHPDI partition definition, BMS uses the default given in the DFHPSD partition set definition. If DFHPSD does not specify CHARSZE either, BMS uses the default established for the terminal when it was installed. If you specify cell size for some but not all partitions, you must specify a default for the partition set too, so that you do not mix your choices with the installation default.

Establishing partitioning
You can tell BMS which partition set to load for a particular transaction by naming it in the PARTITIONSET option of the TRANSACTION definition. If you do this, and the named partition set is not already loaded at the terminal, BMS adds the partition definitions to your data on the first BMS SEND in the task. You can also direct BMS not to change the partitions from their current state (PARTITIONSET=KEEP in the TRANSACTION definition) or indicate that you load

482

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

the partitions yourself (PARTITIONSET=OWN). If you do not specify any PARTITIONSET value, BMS sets the terminal to base state (no partitions) at the time it initiates the transaction. Whatever the PARTITIONSET value associated with the transaction, a task can establish new partitions at almost any time with a SEND PARTNSET command, except that you cannot issue the command while you are building a logical message. SEND PARTNSET does not send anything to the terminal immediately. Instead, BMS remembers to send the partition information along with the next BMS command that sends data or control information, just as it sends a partition set named in the PARTITIONSET option of the TRANSACTION definition on the first BMS SEND. Consequently, you must issue a SEND MAP, SEND TEXT or SEND CONTROL command before you issue a RECEIVE or RECEIVE MAP that depends on the new partitions. Note: You can get an unexpected change of partitions in the following situation. If CICS needs to send an error message to your terminal, and the current partition set does not include an error partition, CICS returns the terminal to base state, clear the screen, and write the message. For this reason, it is a good idea to designate one partition as eligible for error messages in every partition set. When BMS loads a partition set, it suffixes the name requested with the letter that represents your terminal type if device-dependent support is in effect, in order to load the one appropriate to your terminal. It takes suffix from the ALTSUFFIX option value of the TYPETERM definition associated with your terminal. Partition set suffixing is analogous to map set suffixing, and the same sequence of steps is taken if there is no partition set with the right suffix (see Device-dependent maps on page 412).

Partition options for BMS SEND commands

As noted earlier, when you write to a partitioned screen, you write to only one partition, and the effects of your command are limited to that partition. ERASE and ERASEAUP clear only within the partition, and FREEKB unlocks the keyboard only when the partition becomes active. You can specify the partition to which you are sending with either the PARTN option in your map definition or with the OUTPARTN option on your SEND MAP. OUTPARTN overrides PARTN. If you dont specify either, BMS chooses the first partition in the set. The use of partitions affects the suffixing of map set names that we described in Device-dependent maps on page 412. The map set suffix is taken from the MAPSFX value for the partition instead of being determined as described in that section.

Determining the active partition

When you send to a partition, you can move the cursor to that partition or another one. A value of ACTIVATE in the PARTN option of the map definition puts the cursor in the partition to which you are writing. If you specify ACTPARTN on your BMS SEND command, you can name any partition (not necessarily the one to which you are writing), and you override the ACTIVATE specification. Both
Chapter 40. Partition support

483

ACTIVATE and ACTPARTN unlock the keyboard for the active partition, as well as placing the cursor there. If neither is present, the cursor does not move and the keyboard is not unlocked. Although you can make a partition active by placing the cursor there when you send, you do not have the last word on this subject, because the operator can use the jump key on the terminal to move the cursor to another partition. This can complicate receiving data back from the terminal, but BMS provides help, as we are about to explain.

Partition options for BMS RECEIVE commands

When you issue a RECEIVE MAP command, you can tell BMS from which partition you expect data (that is, which partition you expect to be active) with either the PARTN option in the map definition or with the INPARTN option on your RECEIVE MAP. INPARTN overrides PARTN. If you do, and the operator transmits from a different partition than the one you named, BMS repositions the cursor in the partition you named, unlocks the keyboard and repeats the RECEIVE command. It also sends a message to the error partition (the one with ATTRB=ERROR) asking the operator to use the right partition. (No message is sent if there is no error partition.) The input from the wrong partition is discarded, although it is not lost, because it can be reread later. BMS does this up to three times; if the operator persists for a fourth round, BMS raises the PARTNFAIL condition. You do not have to specify an input partition; sometimes there is only one that allows input, and sometimes the same map applies to all. If you issue RECEIVE MAP without INPARTN and there is no PARTN option in the map, BMS accepts data from any partition and map it with the map named in the command. You also can determine the partition afterward, if you need to, with an ASSIGN command containing the INPARTN option. INPARTN is not set until after the first BMS operation, however, and so if you need to know which partition is sending to select the right map, you need another approach. In this situation, you can issue a RECEIVE PARTN command, which reads data unmapped and tells you which partition sent it. Then you issue a RECEIVE MAP command using the map that matches the partition with the FROM option, using the map that matches the partition. RECEIVE MAP with FROM maps data already read, as explained in Formatting other input on page 445.

ASSIGN options for partitions

In addition to the INPARTN option just described, there are three other ASSIGN options to help you in programming for a partitioned terminal. The PARTNS option tells you whether the terminal associated with your task supports partitions, and the PARTNSET option returns the name of the current partition set (blanks if none has been established). The fourth ASSIGN option, PARTNPAGE applies only to logical messages, which we talk about in Partitions and logical messages.

Partitions and logical messages

When you build a BMS logical message for a terminal for which partitions have been established, you can direct the pages of the message to multiple partitions. You can even send text output to some partitions and mapped output to others, provided you do not mix them in the same partition. (This is an exception to the normal rule against mixing text and mapped output in a logical message.)

484

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

When the output is displayed, the first page for each partition is displayed initially. The pages are numbered by partition, and CSPG commands that the operator enters into a particular partition apply only to that partition, with the exception of the page purge command. The purge command deletes the entire logical message from all partitions. On each BMS SEND that contributes to the message, you specify the partition to which the output goes. If you are not using ACCUM, BMS builds a page for that partition. If you are using ACCUM, BMS puts the output on the current page for that partition. Page overflows therefore occur by partition. If you are intercepting overflows and are not sure in which partition the overflow occurred, you can use the PARTNPAGE option of the ASSIGN command to find out. Note: Because BMS uses both the page size and partition identifiers in building a logical message, you cannot change the partitions mid-message. The bookkeeping required to handle page overflow when you are distributing pages among partitions is analogous to that required in a routing environment (see Routing and page overflow on page 473). In particular, you need to ensure that you finish overflow processing for one partition before doing anything that might cause overflow in another. Failure to do so can cause program loops as well as incorrect output.

Partitions and routing

You cannot route a logical message written to multiple partitions. BMS ignores the OUTPARTN and ACTPARTN options on BMS SEND commands in a routing environment. You can route an ordinary message to a terminal that supports partitions, but BMS builds the message and the CSPG transaction displays it using the terminal in base (unpartitioned) state. You also cannot use partitions and logical device codes together (LDCs are described in Logical device components on page 487). In addition, you cannot use partitions in combination with GDDM, although you can use partitions with outboard formats (see Outboard formatting on page 492).

Attention identifiers and exception conditions

Partitioned terminals have a CLEAR PARTITION key that clears the active partition in the same way that the CLEAR key clears the whole screen (CLEAR still does this on a partitioned terminal). You may need to check for this additional attention identifier in your program logic. The CLEAR PARTITION AID value is included in DFHAID (see Using the attention identifier on page 439). There are also some new exception conditions associated with partitions, and new ways to get some of the old ones. The new ones include INVPARTN (naming a partition that does not exist in the partition set), INVPARTNSET (naming a module that is not a partition set), and PARTNFAIL (receiving from a partition other than the one the operator transmitted from). They are all described in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual with the commands to which they apply.

Chapter 40. Partition support

485

Terminal sharing
With proper planning, you can share a terminal among several processes by assigning each a separate partition. You cannot have more than one task in progress at once at a terminal, of course, but you can interleave the component tasks of several pseudoconversational transaction sequences at a partitioned terminal. To take a very simple example, suppose you decide to improve response time for an existing pseudoconversational data entry transaction by letting the operator enter data in two partitions (see Data entry on page 480). You could modify the application to work on two records at once, or you could simply modify it to send to the same partition from which it got its input. Then you could run it independently from each partition. You can establish the partitions with the PARTITIONSET option in the TRANSACTION definition (all of the transactions involved, if there are several in the sequence). As noted earlier, BMS does not reload the partitions as long as each transaction has the same PARTITIONSET value. Alternatively, you could establish the partitions with a preliminary transaction (for example, one that displayed the first entry screen in both partitions) and use a PARTITIONSET value of KEEP for the data entry transactions. Whenever you share a partitioned screen, whether among like transactions or different ones, you need to ensure that one does not the destroy the partition set required by another. Also, if two different CICS systems may share the same screen, they should name partition sets in common, so that BMS does not reload the partitions when it should not. If the hypothetical data entry transaction sequence uses the TRANSID option on the RETURN command to specify the next transaction identifier, you would need to make another small change, because the option applies to the whole terminal, not the partition. One solution would be to place the next transaction identifier in the first field on the screen (turning on the modified data tag in the field definition) and remove the TRANSID from the RETURN. CICS would then determine the next transaction from the input, as described in How tasks are started on page 131.

486

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 41. Support for special hardware

In addition to partitions, BMS provides support these other special hardware features: v Logical device components v 10/63 magnetic slot reader v Field selection features: cursor select, light pen, trigger fields v Outboard formatting The magnetic slot reader and outboard formatting both require standard BMS. Support for the cursor select key, light pen and trigger fields is included in minimum. This chapter describes: v Logical device components v 10/63 magnetic slot reader on page 489 v Field selection features on page 489 v Cursor and pen-detectable fields on page 490 v Outboard formatting on page 492

Logical device components

Logical device components (LDCs) are another special hardware feature supported by BMS. Like partitions, LDCs require standard BMS. A terminal that supports LDCs is one that consists of multiple functional components (logical devices) controlled through a single point (the logical unit). The components might be a printer, reader, keyboard and display, representing a remote work station, or they might be multiple like devices, such as word processing stations or passbook printers. The IBM 3601 logical unit, the 3770 batch logical unit, 3770, and 3790 batch data interchange logical units, and LU type 4 logical units all support logical device components. Because the logical unit is a single entity to CICS, but consists of components that can be written and read independently, the CICS application programming interface for LDC terminals looks similar to that for partitioned terminals, each LDC corresponding to one partition in a partition set. There are many differences, of course, and you should consult the CICS manual that describes CICS support for your particular terminal type. The sections which follow describe the major differences that affect programming, which are: . v LDC definition v SEND command options v Logical messages v Routing

Defining logical device components

The logical device components for a terminal are defined by a list called an LDC table. The TYPETERM component of the TERMINAL definition points to the table, which may be individual to the logical unit or shared by several logical units that have the same components. The table itself is defined with DFHTCT TYPE=LDC (terminal control) macros. (See CICS Resource Definition Guide for descriptions of both TYPETERM and the DFHTCT macros.) An LDC table contains the following information for each logical device component of the logical unit:
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

487

v A 2-character logical device identifier. These identifiers are usually standard abbreviations, such as CO for console and MS for a magnetic stripe encoder, but they need not be. v A 1-character device code, indicating the device type (console, card reader, word processing station). Codes are assigned by CICS from the device type and other information provided in the macro. v A BMS page size. BMS uses this size, rather than one associated with the logical unit, because different logical devices have different page sizes. v A BMS page status (AUTOPAGE or NOAUTOPAGE); see The AUTOPAGE option on page 449.

Sending data to a logical device component

You direct BMS output to a specific logical device component of a terminal by naming it in the LDC option of your SEND MAP, SEND TEXT, or SEND CONTROL command or the LDC option of your mapset. A value in the command overrides one in the map set. If the LDC does not appear in either place, BMS uses a default that varies with the terminal type (see the LDC option discussion of the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for specifics.

LDCs and logical messages

When you build a BMS logical message for your own terminal, you can distribute pages of the message among different logical device components in the same way that you can direct pages to a logical message to different partitions. BMS accumulates pages separately for each logical device component in the same way that it does for partitions (see Partitions and logical messages on page 484). You can include both text and mapped output in the message, provided you do not send both to one LDC. Page overflow occurs by LDC, and terminal operator paging commands operate on a logical device component basis. When retrieving pages, the operator (or user code in the device controller) must indicate the LDC to which the request applies, because not all devices have keyboards. As in the case of partitions, a message purge request deletes the entire message, from all LDCs. See the CICS Supplied Transactions manual for more detail on page retrieval for logical devices. If you are intercepting page overflows, you can tell which LDC overflowed by issuing an ASSIGN command with either the LDCMNEM or LDCNUM option. Both identify the device which overflowed, the first by its 2-character name and the second by the 1-byte numeric identifier. You can determine the page number for the overflowing device with ASSIGN PAGENUM, just as with a partitioned device. There is one restriction associated with LDCs and page overflow that is unique to LDCs. After overflow occurs, you must send both a trailer map for the current page and a header for the next one to the LDC that overflowed. BMS raises the INVREQ (invalid request) condition if you fail to do this.

LDCs and routing

Routing is supported in an LDC environment, provided the message goes to the same component type for every destination that supports LDCs. (You cannot route a multiple-LDC message.) You can supply the LDC value in several ways:

488

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v If you use the LDC option on your ROUTE command, the value supplied overrides all other sources and is used for all eligible destinations to which LDCs apply. v If you specify an LDC in a route list entry (and not in the ROUTE command), that value is used for the associated destination. (If you specify both and they do not agree, the ROUTE list value is used and the discrepancy is flagged in the status flag of the entry.) v If you specify neither, the value is determined from terminal and system LDC tables in the same way as it is in a non-routing environment when you omit the LDC from the BMS SEND command. (The value on the SEND command is ignored when routing is in effect.)

10/63 magnetic slot reader

Some IBM display terminals support a magnetic slot reader (MSR), a device that reads data from small magnetic cards, as an optional feature. The MSR has indicator lights and an audible alarm to prompt operator actions. Some terminals control the MSR themselves, but others, such as the IBM 8775 and the IBM 3643, let you control the functions of the reader by program. CICS provides an ASSIGN command option, MSR, that tells you whether the principal facility of your task has an MSR or not. With BMS, you can control the state of such an MSR by using the MSR option of the BMS SEND commands. This option transmits four bytes of control data to the attached MSR, in addition to display data sent to the terminal. BMS provides a copybook, DFHMSRCA, containing most of the control sequences you might need. The CICS Application Programming Reference manual describes the supplied constants and explains the structure of the control data, so that you can expand the list if you need to. The control sequence that you send to an MSR affects the next input from the device; hence it has no effect until a RECEIVE command is issued. Input from MSRs is placed in the device buffer and transmitted in the same way as keyboard input. If the MSR input causes transmission, you can detect this by looking at the attention identifier in EIBAID. A value of X'E6' indicates input from the MSR, and X'E7' signals input from the MSR extended (a second MSR that may be present). See the IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual for information on how to format a screen for MSR input and other details on these devices.

Field selection features

BMS supports several special hardware features that allow the operator to enter and transmit input by selecting a field on the screen: v Trigger fields v Cursor selectable fields v Light pen detection

Trigger field support

Trigger fields are a special hardware feature of certain types of terminal, such as the 8775. A field defined as a trigger field causes the terminal to transmit its contents if the operator moves the cursor out of the field when it is primed. The field gets primed when the operator moves the cursor into it and enters data or uses either the DELETE or ERASE EOF keys. It becomes unprimed after it causes
Chapter 41. Support for special hardware

489

transmission, or if the operator uses the ERASE INPUT key, or after a send to the terminal (if you are using partitions, the send must be to the partition that contains the trigger field to have this effect). You define a field as a trigger field by setting the VALIDN extended attribute to a value of TRIGGER, either in the map or by program override. Only the field itself is sent when a trigger field causes transmission; other fields are not sent, even if they have been modified. You can detect a transmission caused by a trigger field by checking the attention identifier, which has a value of X'7F'. Terminals that support the validation feature buffer the keyboard, so that the operator can continue to enter data while the host is processing an earlier transmission. The program processing such inputs needs to respond quickly, so that the operator does not exceed the buffer capacity or enter a lot of data before an earlier error is diagnosed. The customary procedure is for the program receiving the input to check the contents of the trigger field immediately. If correct, the program simply unlocks the keyboard to let the operator continue (a BMS SEND command containing the FREEKB option does this). If the field is in error, you may wish to discard the stored keystrokes, in addition to sending a diagnostic message. Any of the following actions does this: v A BMS SEND command that contains ERASE, ERASEAUP, or ACTPARTN or that lacks FREEKB v A BMS SEND directed to a partition other than the one containing the trigger field (where partitions are in use) v A RECEIVE MAP, RECEIVE PARTITION or terminal control RECEIVE command v Ending the task See the IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual for more information about trigger fields.

Cursor and pen-detectable fields

BMS also supports detectable fields, another special hardware feature available on some terminals. There are two hardware mechanisms for detectable fields: the cursor select key and the light pen. A terminal has either the key or a pen, not both. Both work the same way and, as the key succeeded the pen, we talk about the key. For a field to be detectable, it must have certain field attributes, and the first character of the data, known as the designator character, must contain one of five particular values. You can have other display data after the designator character if you wish. The bits in the field attributes byte that govern detectability also control brightness. High intensity (ATTRB=BRT) fields are detectable if the designator character is one of the detectable values. Normal intensity fields may or may not be detectable; you have to specify ATTRB=DET to make them so; nondisplay (ATTRB=DRK) fields cannot be detectable. As usual, you can specify attributes and designator characters either in the map definition or by program override. However, DET has a special effect when it appears in an input-only map, as we explain in a moment.

490

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Note that because high-intensity fields have, by definition, the correct field attributes for detectability, the terminal operator can make an unprotected high-intensity field detectable by keying a designator character into the first position of the field.

Selection fields
There are two types of detectable field, selection and attention fields; the type is governed by the designator character. A selection field is defined by a designator character of either a question mark (?) or a greater-than sign (>). The convention is that (?) means the operator has not selected whatever the field represents, and (>) means he has. The hardware is designed around this convention, but it is not enforced, and you can use another if it suits. You can initialize the designator to either value and initialize the modified data tag off or on with either value. Every time the operator presses the cursor select key when the cursor is in a selection field, the designator switches from one value to the other (? changes to > and > changes to ?). The MDT is turned on when the designator goes from ? to > and off when the designator goes from > to ?, regardless of its previous state. This allows the operator to change his mind about a field he has selected (by pressing cursor select under it again) and gives him ultimate control over the status of the MDT. The MDT governs whether the field is included when transmission occurs, as it does for other fields. No transmission occurs at this time, however; selection fields do not of themselves cause transmission; that is the purpose of attention fields.

Attention fields
Attention fields are defined by a designator character of blank, null,11 or ampersand. In contrast to a selection field, when the cursor select key is pressed with the cursor in an attention field, transmission occurs. If the designator character is an ampersand, the effect of pressing the cursor select key is the same as depressing the ENTER key. However, if the designator is blank or null, what gets transmitted is the address of every field with the MDT on, the position of the cursor, and an attention identifier of X'7E'. The contents of these fields are not transmitted, as they are with the ENTER key (or a cursor select with an ampersand designator). In either case, the fields with the MDT bit on may be selection fields or normal fields which the operator changed or which were sent with the MDT on.

BMS input from detectable fields

After transmission caused by a cursor-select attention field with a blank or null designator, BMS tells you which fields were transmitted (that is, had the MDT on) by setting the first position of the corresponding input (I) subfield to X'FF'. The first position is otherwise set to X'00'. You can tell which attention field caused transmission from this value if it was the only one transmitted, or from the position of the cursor otherwise. If transmission is caused by a cursor-select attention field with an ampersand designator (or by the ENTER key or a PF key), the I subfield contains the contents of the field if the MDT is on and the L subfield reflects its length, as usual, except in one case: if you specify the DET attribute for a field in an input-only map (that is, MODE=IN, DATA=FIELD), BMS reserves only one byte in the symbolic map for the

11. A null in the data stream has the same effect as a blank in this function, but in BMS you should use a blank, because BMS does not transmit nulls in some circumstances, and because you cannot override the first position of a field with a null (see Where the values come from on page 426). Chapter 41. Support for special hardware

491

input subfield, rather than the number indicated by the LENGTH option. After a RECEIVE MAP naming such a map, this I subfield contains X'FF' with a length of 1 if the field is selected (that is, if its MDT was on), and a null (X'00') if not. BMS supplies no other input for the field, even if some was transmitted. Consequently, if you need to receive data from a detectable field as well as knowing whether it was selected or not, you need to avoid the use of DET in an input-only map. You can define the map as INOUT, even if you do not use it for output, or you can set the DET attribute in the program rather than the map. For high-intensity fields, you do not need to specify DET, because BRT implies DET. You also need to ensure that the data gets transmitted. When the cause of transmission is the ENTER key, a PF key, or an attention field with an ampersand designator character, field data gets transmitted. It does not when the cause is an attention field with a blank or null designator. See the IBM 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference manual for more information about detectable fields.

Outboard formatting
Outboard formatting is a technique for reducing the amount of line traffic between the host processor and an attached subsystem. The reduction is achieved by sending only variable data across the network. This data is combined with constant data, such as a physical map, by a program within the subsystem. The formatted data can then be displayed. You can use outboard formatting with a 3650 Host Communication Logical Unit, an 8100 Series processor with DPPX and DPS Version 2, or a terminal attached through a 3174 control unit. Maps used by the 3650 must be redefined using the 3650 transformation definition language before they can be used. For more information, see the section describing BMS in the IBM CICS/OS/VS 3650/3680 Guide. Maps to be used with the 8100 must be generated on the 8100 using either an SDF II utility or the interactive map definition component of the DPS Version 2. If a program in the host processor sends a lot of mapped data to subsystems, you can reduce line traffic by telling BMS to transmit only the variable data in maps. The subsystem must then perform the mapping operation when it receives the data. BMS prefixes the variable data with information that identifies the subsystem map to be used to format the data. Terminals that support outboard formatting have OBFORMAT(YES) in their TYPETERM definition. When a program issues a SEND MAP command for such a terminal, and the specified map definition contains OBFMT=YES, BMS assumes that the subsystem is going to format the data and generates an appropriate data stream. If you send a map that has OBFMT=YES to a terminal that does not support outboard formatting, BMS ignores the OBFMT operand. See Using batch data interchange on page 322 for more information about programming some of the devices that support outboard formatting.

492

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Part 7. CICS management functions

Chapter 42. Interval control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495 Expiration times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496 Request identifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497 Chapter 43. Task control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499 Controlling sequence of access to resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 Chapter 44. Program control. . . . . . . . . . . . Program linking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Application program logical levels . . . . . . . . . Link to another program expecting return . . . . . . . Passing data to other programs . . . . . . . . . . . COMMAREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INPUTMSG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the INPUTMSG option on the RETURN command Using mixed addressing modes . . . . . . . . . . . Using LINK to pass data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using RETURN to pass data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503 504 504 504 505 505 507 509 509 509 512 517 518 518 519 519 520 520 520 520 520 521 521 521 521 522 523 524 524 526 526 527 527 529 529 530 533 533 534 534 535

Chapter 45. Storage control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of CICS storage protection and transaction isolation . . Storage protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Storage categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transaction isolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reducing system outages . . . . . . . . . . . . . Protecting application data . . . . . . . . . . . . . Protecting CICS from being passed invalid addresses . . . Aiding application development . . . . . . . . . . . Defining the storage key for applications . . . . . . . . . . System-wide storage areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Task lifetime storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Program working storage specifically for exit and PLT programs Passing data by a COMMAREA . . . . . . . . . . . . The GETMAIN command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting the execution and storage key . . . . . . . . . . User-key applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CICS-key applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Map sets and partition sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . Storage protection exception conditions . . . . . . . . Using transaction isolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MVS subspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subspaces and basespaces for transactions . . . . . . . The common subspace and shared storage . . . . . . . . Chapter 46. Transient data control Intrapartition transient data queues . Extrapartition queues . . . . . . Indirect queues . . . . . . . . Automatic transaction initiation (ATI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 47. Temporary storage control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 Temporary storage queues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

493

Typical uses of temporary storage control

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538

494

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 42. Interval control

The CICS interval control services provide functions that are related to time.

Java and C++ The application programming interface described in this chapter is the EXEC CICS API, which is not used in Java programs. For information about Java programs using the JCICS classes to access Interval Control services, see Java Applications in CICS and the JCICS Javadoc html documentation. For information about C++ programs using the CICS C++ classes, see the CICS C++ OO Class Libraries manual.

Using interval control commands, you can: v Start a task at a specified time or after a specified interval, and pass data to it (START command). v Retrieve data passed on a START command (RETRIEVE command). v Delay the processing of a task (DELAY command). v Request notification when a specified time has expired (POST command). v Wait for an event to occur (WAIT EVENT command). v Cancel the effect of previous interval control commands (CANCEL command). v Request the current date and time of day (ASKTIME command). v Select the format of date and time (FORMATTIME command). Options are available that help you to handle dates in the twenty-first century. Programming information about these is in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. Note: Do not use EXEC CICS START TRANSID() TERMID(EIBTRMID) to start a remote transaction. Use EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID() IMMEDIATE instead. START, used in this way, ties up communications resources unnecessarily and can lead to performance degradation across the connected regions. If you use WAIT EVENT, START, RETRIEVE with the WAIT option, CANCEL, DELAY, or POST commands, you could create inter-transaction affinities that adversely affect your ability to perform dynamic transaction routing. Storage for the timer-event control area on WAIT EVENT must reside in shared storage if you have specified ISOLATE(YES). If CICS is executing with or without transaction isolation, CICS checks that the timer-event control area is not in read-only storage. To help you identify potential problems with programs that issue these commands, you can use the Transaction Affinities Utility. See the CICS Transaction Affinities Utility Guide for more information about this utility and Chapter 14. Affinity on page 171 for more information about transaction affinity. This chapter describes: v Expiration times on page 496 v Request identifiers on page 497

495

Expiration times
The time at which a time-controlled function is to be started is known as the expiration time. You can specify expiration times absolutely, as a time of day (using the TIME option), or as an interval that is to elapse before the function is to be performed (using the INTERVAL option). For DELAY commands, you can use the FOR and UNTIL options; and for POST and START commands, you can use the AFTER and AT options. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about these commands. Note: The C and C++ languages do not provide the support for the packed decimal types used by the TIME and INTERVAL options. You use an interval to tell CICS when to start a transaction in a specified number of hours, minutes, and seconds from the current time. A nonzero INTERVAL value always indicates a time in the futurethe current time plus the interval you specify. The hours may be 099, but the minutes and seconds must not be greater than 59. For example, to start a task in 40 hours and 10 minutes, you would code:
EXEC CICS START INTERVAL(401000)

You can use an absolute time to tell CICS to start a transaction at a specific time, again using hhmmss. For example, to start a transaction at 3:30 in the afternoon, you would code:
EXEC CICS START TIME(153000)

An absolute time is always relative to the midnight before the current time and may therefore be earlier than the current time. TIME may be in the future or the past relative to the time at which the command is executed. CICS uses the following rules: v If you specify a task to start at any time within the previous six hours, it starts immediately. This happens regardless of whether the previous six hours includes a midnight. For example:
EXEC CICS START TIME(123000)

This command, issued at 05:00 or 07:00 on Monday, expires at 12:30 on the same day.
EXEC CICS START TIME(020000)

This command, issued at 05:00 or 07:00 on Monday expires immediately because the specified time is within the preceding six hours.
EXEC CICS START TIME(003000)

This command, issued at 05:00 on Monday, expires immediately because the specified time is within the preceding six hours. However, if it is issued at 07:00 on Monday, it expires at 00:30 on Tuesday, because the specified time is not within the preceding six hours.
EXEC CICS START TIME(230000)

This command, issued at 02:00 on Monday, expires immediately because the specified time is within the preceding six hours. v If you specify a time with an hours component that is greater than 23, you are specifying a time on a day following the current one. For example, a time of 250000 means 1 a.m. on the day following the current one, and 490000 means 1 a.m. on the day after that.

496

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

If you do not specify an expiration time or interval option on DELAY, POST, or START commands, CICS responds using the default of INTERVAL(0), which means immediately. Because each end of an intersystem link may be in a different time zone, you should use the INTERVAL form of expiration time when the transaction to be started is in a remote system. If the system fails, the times associated with unexpired START commands are remembered across the restart. Notes: 1. On a lightly used system, the interval time specified can be exceeded by as much as a quarter of a second. 2. If your expiration time falls within a possible CICS shutdown, you should consider whether your task should test the status of CICS before attempting to run. You can do this using the CICSSTATUS option of INQUIRE SYSTEM. INQUIRE SYSTEM CICSSTATUS is described in the CICS System Programming Reference. During a normal shutdown, your task could run at the same time as the PLT programs with consequences known only to you.

Request identifiers
As a means of identifying the request and any data associated with it, a unique request identifier is assigned by CICS to each DELAY, POST, and START command. You can specify your own request identifier by means of the REQID option. If you do not, CICS assigns (for POST and START commands only) a unique request identifier and places it in field EIBREQID in the EXEC interface block (EIB). You should specify a request identifier if you want the request to be canceled at some later time by a CANCEL command.

Chapter 42. Interval control

497

498

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 43. Task control

The CICS task control facility provides functions that synchronize task activity, or that control the use of resources.

Java and C++ The application programming interface described in this chapter is the EXEC CICS API, which is not used in Java programs. For information about Java programs using the JCICS classes to access Task Control services CICS, see Java Applications in CICS and the JCICS Javadoc html documentation. For information about C++ programs using the CICS C++ classes, see the CICS C++ OO Class Libraries manual.

CICS assigns priorities based on the value set by the CICS system programmer. Control of the processor is given to the highest-priority task that is ready to be processed, and is returned to the operating system when no further work can be done by CICS or by your application programs. You can: v Suspend a task (SUSPEND command) to enable tasks of higher priority to proceed. This can prevent processor-intensive tasks from monopolizing the processor. When other eligible tasks have proceeded and terminated or suspended processing, control is returned to the issuing task; that is, the task remains dispatchable. v Schedule the use of a resource by a task (ENQ and DEQ commands). This is sometimes useful in protecting a resource from concurrent use by more than one task; that is, by making that resource serially reusable. Each task that is to use the resource issues an enqueue command (ENQ). The first task to do so has the use of the resource immediately but, if a HANDLE CONDITION ENQBUSY command has not been issued, subsequent ENQ commands for the resource, issued by other tasks, result in those tasks being suspended until the resource is available. If the NOSUSPEND option is coded on an ENQ command, control is always returned to the next instruction in the program. By inspecting the contents of the EIBRESP field, you can see whether the ENQ command was successful or not. Each task using a resource should issue a dequeue command (DEQ) when it has finished with it. However, when using the enqueue/dequeue mechanism, there is no way to guarantee that two or more tasks issuing ENQ and DEQ commands issue these commands in a given sequence relative to each other. For a way to control the sequence of access, see Controlling sequence of access to resources on page 500. v Change the priority assigned to a task (CHANGE TASK PRIORITY command). v Wait for events that post MVS format ECBs when they complete. Two commands are available, WAITCICS and WAIT EXTERNAL. These commands cause the issuing task to be suspended until one of the ECBs has been posted; that is, until one of the events has occurred. The task can wait on one or more ECBs. If it waits on more than one, it is dispatchable as soon as one of the ECBs is posted. You must ensure that each ECB is cleared (set to binary zeros) no later than the earliest time it could be posted. CICS cannot do this for you. If you wait on an ECB that has been previously posted and is not

499

subsequently cleared, your task is not suspended and continues to run as though WAITCICS or WAIT EXTERNAL had not been issued. WAIT EXTERNAL usually has less overhead, but the associated ECBs must always be posted using the MVS POST facility or by an optimized post (using the compare and swap (CS) instruction). They must never be posted by any other method. If you are in any doubt about the method of posting, use a WAITCICS command. When dealing with ECBs passed on a WAIT EXTERNAL command, CICS extends the ECBs and uses the MVS POST exit facility. A given ECB must not be waited on by more than one task at once (or appear twice in one tasks ECBLIST). Failure to follow this rule leads to an INVREQ response. WAITCICS must be used if ECBs are to be posted by any method other than the MVS POST facility or by an optimized post. For example, if your application posts the ECB by moving a value into it, WAITCICS must be used. (The WAITCICS command can also be used for ECBs that are posted using the MVS POST facility or optimized post.) Whenever CICS goes into an MVS WAIT, it passes a list to MVS of all the ECBs being waited on by tasks that have issued a WAITCICS command. The ECBLIST passed by CICS on the MVS WAIT contains duplicate addresses, and MVS abends CICS. If you use MVS POST, WAIT EXTERNAL, WAITCICS, ENQ, or DEQ commands, you could create inter-transaction affinities that adversely affect your ability to perform dynamic transaction routing. To help you identify potential problems with programs that issue this command, you can use the Transaction Affinities Utility. See the CICS Transaction Affinities Utility Guide for more information about this utility and Chapter 14. Affinity on page 171 for more information about transaction affinity.

Controlling sequence of access to resources

If you want a resource to be accessed by two or more tasks in a specific order, instead of ENQ and DEQ commands, use one or more WAITCICS commands in conjunction with one or more hand-posted ECBs. To hand-post an ECB, a CICS task sets a 4-byte field to either the cleared state of binary zeros, or the posted state of X'40008000'. The task can use a START command to start another task and pass the address of the ECB. The started task receives the address through a RETRIEVE command. Either task can set the ECB or wait on it. Use the ECB to control the sequence in which the tasks access resources. Two tasks can share more than one ECB if necessary. You can extend this technique to control as many tasks as you wish. Note: Only one task can wait on a given ECB at any one time. The example in Figure 98 on page 501 shows how two tasks can sequentially access a temporary storage queue by using hand-posted ECBs and a WAITCICS command.

500

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

PTR_ECB1_ADDR_LIST A(ECB1_ADDR_LIST) ECB1_ADDR_LIST A(ECB1) PTR_ECB2_ADDR_LIST A(ECB2_ADDR_LIST) ECB2_ADDR_LIST A(ECB2)

Figure 98. Two tasks sequentially accessing a temporary storage queue

ECB1

ECB2

The example uses two ECBs, (ECB1 and ECB2), addressed by the pointers illustrated in Table 39. In theory, these tasks could exchange data through the temporary storage queue for ever. In practice, some code would be included to close the process down in an orderly way.
Table 39. Example of task control Task A Delete temporary storage queue Clear ECB1 (set to X'00000000') Clear ECB2 EXEC CICS START TASK B and pass the addresses of PTR_ECB1_ADDR_LIST and PTR_ECB2_ADDR_LIST. START OF LOOP: EXEC CICS WAITCICS ECBLIST(PTR_ECB1_ADDR_LIST NUMEVENTS(1) Clear ECB1 Read TS queue < act on data from queue > Delete TS queue Write to TS queue Post ECB2 Go to START OF LOOP Task B

EXEC CICS RETRIEVE the addresses passed.

START OF LOOP: Write to TS queue Post ECB1 (set to X'40008000') EXEC CICS WAITCICS ECBLIST(PTR_ECB2_ADDR_LIST NUMEVENTS(1) Clear ECB2 Read TS queue < act on data from queue > Delete TS queue Go to START OF LOOP

Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions on page 209 describes how the exception conditions that can occur during processing of a task control command are handled.

Chapter 43. Task control

501

502

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 44. Program control

The CICS program control facility governs the flow of control between application programs in a CICS system.

Java and C++ The application programming interface described in this chapter is the EXEC CICS API, which is not used in Java programs. For information about Java programs using the JCICS classes to access program control services, see Java Applications in CICS and the JCICS Javadoc html documentation. For information about C++ programs using the CICS C++ classes, see the CICS C++ OO Class Libraries manual.

The name of the application referred to in a program control command must have been defined as a program to CICS. You can use program control commands to: v Link one of your application programs to another, anticipating subsequent return to the requesting program (LINK command). The COMMAREA and INPUTMSG options of this command allow data to be passed to the requested application program. v Link one of your application programs to another program in a separate CICS region, anticipating subsequent return to the requesting program (LINK command). The COMMAREA option of this command allows data to be passed to the requested application program. This is referred to as distributed program link (DPL). (You cannot use the INPUTMSG and INPUTMSGLEN options of a LINK command when using DPL. See Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication on page 371 for more information about DPL. v Transfer control from one of your application programs to another, with no return to the requesting program (XCTL command). The COMMAREA and INPUTMSG options of this command allow data to be passed to the requested application program. (You cannot use the INPUTMSG and INPUTMSGLEN options of an XCTL command when using DPL. See Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication on page 371 for more information about DPL. v Return control from one of your application programs to another, or to CICS (RETURN command). The COMMAREA and INPUTMSG options of this command allow data to be passed to a newly initiated transaction. (You cannot use the INPUTMSG and INPUTMSGLEN options of a RETURN command when using DPL. See Chapter 29. CICS intercommunication on page 371 for more information about DPL. ) v Load a designated application program, table, or map into main storage (LOAD command). If you use the HOLD option with the LOAD and RELEASE command to load a program, table or map that is not read-only, you could create inter-transaction affinities that could adversely affect your ability to perform dynamic transaction routing. To help you identify potential problems with programs that issue these commands, you can use the Transaction Affinities Utility. See the CICS Transaction Affinities Utility Guide for more information about this utility and see Chapter 14. Affinity on page 171 for more information about transaction affinity. v Delete a previously loaded application program, table, or map from main storage (RELEASE command).

503

You can use the RESP option to deal with abnormal terminations. This chapter describes: v Program linking v Passing data to other programs on page 505 v Using mixed addressing modes on page 509 v Using LINK to pass data on page 509 v Using RETURN to pass data on page 512

Program linking
A LINK command is used to pass control from an application program at one logical level to an application program at the next lower logical level.

Application program logical levels

Application programs running under CICS are executed at various logical levels. The first program to receive control within a task is at the highest logical level. When an application program is linked to another, expecting an eventual return of control, the linked-to program is considered to reside at the next lower logical level. When control is simply transferred from one application program to another, without expecting return of control, the two programs are considered to reside at the same logical level.

Link to another program expecting return

If the program receiving control is not already in main storage, it is loaded. When a RETURN command is processed in the linked program, control is returned to the program initiating the link at the next sequential process instruction. The linked program operates independently of the program that issues the LINK command with regard to handling exception conditions, attention identifiers, and abends. For example, the effects of HANDLE commands in the linking program are not inherited by the linked-to program, but the original HANDLE commands are restored on return to the linking program. You can use the HANDLE ABEND command to deal with abnormal terminations in other link levels. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about this command. Figure 99 on page 505 shows the concept of logical levels.

504

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Figure 99. Application program logical levels

Passing data to other programs

You can pass data to another program using the EXEC CICS program control commands, LINK, XCTL and RETURN and by specifying the COMMAREA and INPUTMSGoptions of those commands:

COMMAREA
The COMMAREA option of LINK and XCTL commands specifies the name of a data area (known as a communication area) in which data is passed to the program being invoked. In a similar manner, the COMMAREA option of a RETURN command specifies the name of a communication area in which data is passed to the transaction identified in the TRANSID option. (The TRANSID option specifies a transaction that is initiated when the next input is received from the terminal associated with the task.) The invoked program receives the data as a parameter. The program must contain a definition of a data area to allow access to the passed data.
Chapter 44. Program control

505

In a receiving COBOL program, you must give the data area the name DFHCOMMAREA. In this COBOL program, if a program passes a COMMAREA as part of a LINK, XCTL, or RETURN command, either the working-storage or the LINKAGE SECTION can contain the data area. A program receiving a COMMAREA should specify the data in the LINKAGE SECTION. This applies when the program is either of the following: v The receiving program during a LINK or XCTL command where a COMMAREA is passed v The initial program, where a RETURN command of a previously called task specified a COMMAREA and TRANSID In a C or C++ program that is receiving a COMMAREA, the COMMAREA must be defined as a pointer to a structure. The program then must issue the ADDRESS COMMAREA command to gain addressability to the passed data. In a PL/I program, the data area can have any name, but it must be declared as a based variable, based on the parameter passed to the program. The pointer to this based variable should be declared explicitly as a pointer rather than contextually by its appearance in the declaration for the area. This prevents the generation of a PL/I error message. No ALLOCATE statement can be processed within the receiving program for any variable based on this pointer. This pointer must not be updated by the application program. In an assembler language program, the data area should be a DSECT. The register used to address this DSECT must be loaded from DFHEICAP, which is in the DFHEISTG DSECT. The receiving data area need not be of the same length as the original communication area; if access is required only to the first part of the data, the new data area can be shorter. However, it must not be longer than the length of the communication area being passed. If it is, your transaction may inadvertently attempt to read data outside the area that has been passed. It may also overwrite data outside the area, which could cause CICS to abend. To avoid this happening, your program should check whether the length of any communication area that has been passed to it is as expected, by accessing the EIBCALEN field in the EIB of the task. If no communication area has been passed, the value of EIBCALEN is zero; otherwise, EIBCALEN always contains the value specified in the LENGTH option of a LINK, XCTL, or RETURN command, regardless of the size of the data area in the invoked program. You should ensure that the value in EIBCALEN matches the value in the DSECT for your program, and make sure that your transaction is accessing data within that area. You may also add an identifier to COMMAREA as an additional check on the data that is being passed. This identifier is sent with the sending transaction and is checked for by the receiving transaction. When a communication area is passed using a LINK command, the invoked program is passed a pointer to the communication area itself. Any changes made to the contents of the data area in the invoked program are available to the invoking program, when control returns to it. To access any such changes, the program names the data area specified in the original COMMAREA option. When a communication area is passed using an XCTL command, a copy of that area is made unless the area to be passed has the same address and length as

506

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

the area that was passed to the program issuing the command. For example, if program A issues a LINK command to program B, which in turn issues an XCTL command to program C, and if B passes to C the same communication area that A passed to B, program C will be passed addressability to the communication area that belongs to A (not a copy of it), and any changes made by C will be available to A when control returns to it. When a lower-level program, which has been accessed by a LINK command, issues a RETURN command, control passes back one logical level higher than the program returning control. If the task is associated with a terminal, the TRANSID option can be used at the lower level to specify the transaction identifier for the next transaction to be associated with that terminal. The transaction identifier comes into play only after the highest logical level has relinquished control to CICS using a RETURN command and input is received from the terminal. Any input entered from the terminal, apart from an attention key, is interpreted wholly as data. You may use the TRANSID option without COMMAREA when returning from any link level, but it can be overridden on a later RETURN command. If a RETURN command fails at the top level because of an invalid COMMAREA, the TRANSID becomes null. Also, you can specify COMMAREA or IMMEDIATE only at the highest level, otherwise you get an INVREQ with RESP2=2. In addition, the COMMAREA option can be used to pass data to the new task that is to be started. The invoked program can determine which type of command invoked it by accessing field EIBFN in the EIB. This field must be tested before any CICS commands are issued. If the program was invoked by a LINK or XCTL command, the appropriate code is found in the EIBFN field. If it was invoked by a RETURN command, no CICS commands have been issued in the task, and the field contains zeros.

INPUTMSG
The INPUTMSG option of LINK, XCTL, and RETURN commands is another way of specifying the name of a data area to be passed to the program being invoked. In this case, the invoked program gets the data by processing a RECEIVE command. This option enables you to invoke (front-end) application programs that were written to be invoked directly from a terminal, and which contain RECEIVE commands, to obtain initial terminal input. If program that has been accessed by means of a LINK command issues a RECEIVE command to obtain initial input from a terminal, but the initial RECEIVE request has already been issued by a higher-level program, there is no data for the program to receive. In this case, the application waits on input from the terminal. You can ensure that the original terminal input continues to be available to a linked program by invoking it with the INPUTMSG option. When an application program invokes another program, specifying INPUTMSG on LINK (or XCTL or RETURN) command, the data specified on the INPUTMSG continues to be available even if the linked program itself does not issue an RECEIVE command, but instead invokes yet another application program. See Figure 100 on page 508 for an illustration of INPUTMSG.

Chapter 44. Program control

507

Transaction input from terminal

CICS invokes application RECEIVE input from terminal Program A Program LINK to D B Program D
Figure 100. Use of INPUTMSG in a linked chain

LINK to B with INPUTMSG

LINK to C

Program C

Notes: 1. In this example, the real first RECEIVE command is issued by program A. By linking to program B with the INPUTMSG option, it ensures that the next program to issue a RECEIVE request can also receive the terminal input. This can be either program B or program C. 2. If program A simply wants to pass on the unmodified terminal input that it received, it can name the same data area for the INPUTMSG option that it used for the RECEIVE command. For example:
EXEC CICS RECEIVE INTO(TERMINAL-INPUT) . . . EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM(PROGRAMB) INPUTMSG(TERMINAL-INPUT) . . .

3. As soon as one program in a LINK chain issues a RECEIVE command, the INPUTMSG data ceases to be available to any subsequent RECEIVE command. In other words, in the example shown, if B issues a RECEIVE request before linking to C, the INPUTMSG data area is not available for C. 4. This method of communicating data from one program to another can be used for any kind of datait does not have to originate from a user terminal. In our example, program A could move any data into the named data area, and invoke program B with INPUTMSG referencing the data. 5. The terminal-data passed on INPUTMSG also ceases to be available when control is eventually returned to the program that issued the link with INPUTMSG. In our example, if C returns to B, and B returns to A, and neither B nor C issues a RECEIVE command, the data is assumed by A to have been

508

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

received. If A then invokes another program (for example, D), the original INPUTMSG data is no longer available to D, unless the INPUTMSG option is specified. 6. The INPUTMSG data ceases to be available when a SEND or CONVERSE command is issued.

Using the INPUTMSG option on the RETURN command

You can specify INPUTMSG to pass data to the next transaction specified on a RETURN command with the TRANSID option. To do this, RETURN must be issued at the highest logical level to return control to CICS, and the command must also specify the IMMEDIATE option. If you specify INPUTMSG with TRANSID, and do not also specify IMMEDIATE, the next real input from the terminal overrides the INPUTMSG data, which is therefore lost. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about the RETURN command. If you specify INPUTMSG with TRANSID some time after a SEND command, the SEND message is immediately flushed out to the terminal. The other use for INPUTMSG, on a RETURN command without the TRANSID option, is intended for use with a dynamic transaction routing program. See the CICS Customization Guide for programming information about the user-replaceable dynamic transaction routing program.

Using mixed addressing modes

CICS supports the use of LINK, XCTL, and RETURN commands between programs with different addressing modes and between programs with the same addressing mode. The following restrictions apply to programs passing data using a communication area named by the COMMAREA option: v Addresses passed within a communication area to an AMODE(31) program must be 31 bits long. Do not use 3-byte addresses with flag data packed into the top byte, unless the called program is specifically designed to ignore the top byte. v Addresses passed as data to an AMODE(24) program must be below the 16MB line if they are to be interpreted correctly by the called program. These restrictions apply to the address of the communication area itself, and also to addresses within it. However, a communication area above the 16MB line can be passed to an AMODE(24) subprogram. CICS copies the communication area into an area below the 16MB line for processing. It copies it back again when control returns to the linking program. See Chapter 45. Storage control on page 517 for information about copying CICS-key storage. CICS does not validate any data addresses passed within a communication area between programs with different addressing modes.

Using LINK to pass data

Figures 101 to 104 show how, in COBOL, C, C++, PL/I, and assembler language, aLINK command causes data to be passed to the program being linked to; an XCTL command is coded in a similar way.

Chapter 44. Program control

509

Invoking program IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM ID. 'PROG1'. . . . WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 01 COM-REGION. . 02 FIELD PICTURE X(3). . . PROCEDURE DIVISION. MOVE 'ABC' TO FIELD. EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM('PROG2') COMMAREA(COM-REGION) LENGTH(3) END-EXEC. . . . Invoked program IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. 'PROG2'. . . . LINKAGE SECTION. 01 DFHCOMMAREA. 02 FIELD PICTURE X(3). . . . PROCEDURE DIVISION. IF EIBCALEN GREATER ZERO THEN IF FIELD EQUALS 'ABC' ...

Figure 101. COBOL exampleLINK command

Invoking program main() { unsigned char field[3]; memcpy(field, "ABC", 3); EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM("PROG2") COMMAREA(field) LENGTH(sizeof(field)); } Invoked program main() { unsigned char *commarea; EXEC CICS ADDRESS COMMAREA(commarea) EIB(dfheiptr); if (dfheiptr->eibcalen > 0) { if (memcmp(commarea, "ABC", 3) == 0) { . . . Figure 102. C exampleLINK command. In this example, the COMMAREA contains a character string. For an example of a COMMAREA that contains a structure, see Figure 106 on page 514.

510

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Invoking program PROG1: PROC OPTIONS(MAIN); DCL 1 COM_REGION AUTOMATIC, 2 FIELD CHAR(3), . . . FIELD='ABC'; EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM('PROG2') COMMAREA(COM_REGION) LENGTH(3); END; Invoked program PROG2: PROC(COMM_REG_PTR) OPTIONS(MAIN); DCL COMM_REG_PTR PTR; DCL 1 COM_REGION BASED(COMM_REG_PTR), 2 FIELD CHAR(3), . . . IF EIBCALEN>0 THEN DO; . IF FIELD='ABC' THEN ... . . . . . END;

END;

Figure 103. PL/I exampleLINK command

Chapter 44. Program control

511

Invoking program DFHEISTG DSECT COMREG DS 0CL20 FIELD DS CL3 . . . PROG1 . . . CSECT MVC FIELD,=C'XYZ' EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM('PROG2') COMMAREA(COMREG) LENGTH(3) END Invoked program COMREG FIELD . . . PROG2 . . . DSECT DS CL3 CSECT L COMPTR,DFHEICAP USING COMREG,COMPTR CLC FIELD,=C'ABC' END

. . .

Figure 104. ASM exampleLINK command

Using RETURN to pass data

Figures 105 to 108 show how in COBOL, C, C++, PL/I, and assembler language, a RETURN command is used to pass data to a new transaction.

512

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Invoking program IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. 'PROG1'. . . . WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 01 TERMINAL-STORAGE. 02 FIELD PICTURE X(3). . 02 DATAFLD PICTURE X(17). . . PROCEDURE DIVISION. MOVE 'XYZ' TO FIELD. EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID('TRN2') COMMAREA(TERMINAL-STORAGE) LENGTH(20) END-EXEC. . . . Invoked program IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. 'PROG2' . . . LINKAGE SECTION. 01 DFHCOMMAREA. 02 FIELD PICTURE X(3). . 02 DATAFLD PICTURE X(17). . . PROCEDURE DIVISION. IF EIBCALEN GREATER ZERO THEN IF FIELD EQUALS 'XYZ' MOVE 'ABC' TO FIELD. EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC.

Figure 105. COBOL exampleRETURN command

Chapter 44. Program control

513

Invoking program struct ter_struct { unsigned char field[3]; unsigned char datafld[17]; }; main() { struct ter_struct ter_stor; memcpy(ter_stor.field,"XYZ",3); EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID("TRN2") COMMAREA(&ter_stor) LENGTH(sizeof(ter_stor)); } Invoked program struct term_struct { unsigned char field[3]; unsigned char datafld[17]; }; main() { struct term_struct *commarea; EXEC CICS ADDRESS COMMAREA(commarea) EIB(dfheiptr); if (dfheiptr->eibcalen > 0) { if (memcmp(commarea->field, "XYZ", 3) == 0) memcpy(commarea->field, "ABC", 3); } EXEC CICS RETURN; }

Figure 106. C exampleRETURN command

514

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Invoking program PROG1: PROC OPTIONS(MAIN); DCL 1 TERM_STORAGE, 2 FIELD CHAR(3), . . . FIELD='XYZ'; EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID('TRN2') COMMAREA(TERM_STORAGE); END; Invoked program PROG2: PROC(TERM_STG_PTR) OPTIONS(MAIN); DCL TERM_STG_PTR PTR; DCL 1 TERM_STORAGE BASED(TERM_STG_PTR), 2 FIELD CHAR(3), . . . IF EIBCALEN>0 THEN DO; IF FIELD='XYZ' THEN FIELD='ABC'; END; EXEC CICS RETURN; END;

Figure 107. PL/I exampleRETURN command

Chapter 44. Program control

515

Invoking program DFHEISTG TERMSTG FIELD DATAFLD . . . PROG1 . . . DSECT DS 0CL20 DS CL3 DS CL17 CSECT MVC FIELD,=C'ABC' EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID('TRN2') COMMAREA(TERMSTG) END Invoked program TERMSTG DSECT FIELD DS CL3 DATAFLD DS CL17 . . . PROG2 . . . CSECT CLC EIBCALEN,=H'0' BNH LABEL2 L COMPTR,DFHEICAP USING TERMSTG,COMPTR CLC FIELD,=C'XYZ' BNE LABEL1 MVC FIELD,=C'ABC' DS 0H DS 0H END

. . .

LABEL1 . . . LABEL2 . . .

Figure 108. ASM exampleRETURN command

516

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 45. Storage control

The CICS storage control facility controls requests for main storage to provide intermediate work areas and other main storage needed to process a transaction.

Java and C++ The application programming interface described in this chapter is the EXEC CICS API, which is not used in Java programs. For information about Java programs using the JCICS classes to access storage control services, see Java Applications in CICS and the JCICS Javadoc html documentation. For information about C++ programs using the CICS C++ classes, see the CICS C++ OO Class Libraries manual.

CICS makes working storage available within each command-level program automatically, without any specific request from the application program, and provides other facilities for intermediate storage, both within and among tasks. Chapter 12. Design for performance on page 147 describes storage within individual programs. If you need working storage in addition to the working storage provided automatically by CICS, however, you can use the following commands: v GETMAIN to get and initialize main storage v FREEMAIN to release main storage You can initialize the acquired main storage to any bit configuration by supplying the INITIMG option on the GETMAIN command; for example, zeros or EBCDIC blanks. CICS releases all main storage associated with a task when the task is ended normally or abnormally. This includes any storage acquired, and not subsequently released, by your application program, except for areas obtained with the SHARED option. This option of the GETMAIN command prevents storage being released automatically when a task completes. If you use the GETMAIN command with the SHARED option, and the FREEMAIN command, you could create inter-transaction affinities that adversely affect the ability to perform dynamic transaction routing. To help you identify potential problems with programs that issue these commands, you can use the Transaction Affinities Utility. See the CICS Transaction Affinities Utility Guide for information about this utility and see Chapter 14. Affinity on page 171 for information about transaction affinity. If there is no storage available when you issue your request, CICS suspends your task until space is available, unless you specify the NOSUSPEND option. While the task is suspended, it may be canceled (timed out) if the transaction definition specifies SPURGE(YES) and DTIMOUT(mmss). NOSUSPEND returns control to your program if storage is not available, allowing you to do alternative processing, as appropriate. This chapter describes: v Overview of CICS storage protection and transaction isolation on page 518 v Defining the storage key for applications on page 520 v Selecting the execution and storage key on page 523 v Using transaction isolation on page 527 v MVS subspaces on page 529
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

517

Overview of CICS storage protection and transaction isolation

Storage control is affected by Storage protection introduced in CICS/ESA 3.3 and Transaction isolation introduced in CICS/ESA 4.1. Storage protection protects CICS code and control blocks from applications, and transaction isolation protects tasks from each other. The ESA/390 subsystem storage protection facility works in a way that enables you to prevent CICS code and control blocks from being overwritten accidentally by your application programs. It does not provide protection against deliberate overwriting of CICS code or control blocks. CICS cannot prevent an application obtaining the necessary access (execution key) to modify CICS storage. Transaction isolation extends this storage protection to provide protection for transaction data. Accidental overwrites of the transaction data by an application program of another transaction can affect the reliability and availability of your CICS system and the integrity of the data in the system. The use of storage protection is optional. You choose whether you want to use storage protection facilities by means of CICS system initialization parameters described in the CICS System Definition Guide. For information about transaction isolation, see Transaction isolation on page 519.

Storage protection
CICS allows you to run your application programs in either user-key or CICS-key storage. (See Storage categories on page 519 for definitions of the terms user key and CICS key.) CICS storage is automatically protected from being overwritten by application programs that execute in user-key storage (the default). The concept of isolating CICS code and control blocks (CICS internal data areas) from user application programs is illustrated in Figure 109.
CICS (CICS-key)

READ/ WRITE

CICS-key storage CICS code and control blocks READ only

User-key storage User application programs and data areas READ/WRITE User Application programs (User-key)

Figure 109. Protecting CICS code and control blocks from user application programs

The terms in Figure 109 relating to storage keys and execution keys are explained under Storage categories on page 519.

518

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Storage categories
When you are running with the storage protection facility active, CICS separates storage into two categories: CICS-key storage is used for CICS system code and control blocks and, at the discretion of the installation, other code and data areas that require protection from overwriting. In a CICS region with transaction isolation active, a CICS-key program has read/write access to CICS-key and user-key storage. User-key storage is where application programs and their data areas normally reside. There are two associated execution modes: 1. CICS system programs run in CICS key. CICS-key execution allows a program read-write access to both CICS-key and user-key storage. 2. Application programs normally execute in user key. User-key execution allows a program read-write access to user-key storage, but only read access to CICS-key storage. The terms user key and CICS key thus apply both to storage and to the execution of programs with respect to that storage. They are reflected in the resource definition keywordsused in TRANSACTION definitions. See the CICS Resource Definition Guide for more information. The execution key controls the type of access your application programs have to CICS-key storage. The default is that application programs are given control in user key. You should define CICS key only for those programs where it is essential that they execute in CICS key. The programs you might select to run in CICS key are typically those that are written by system programmers, and are usually designed to provide special function in support of user applications. Such programs are generally considered to be an extension of CICS rather than part of an application. Some examples of such programs are described in CICS-key applications on page 524. The storage protection facility does not protect CICS code and control blocks from being overwritten by this type of program, or by ordinary application programs that you choose to execute in CICS key. Defining the execution key: To run your programs in CICS key, you should use the execution key parameter (EXECKEY) on the program resource definition. See Selecting the execution and storage key on page 523 for an explanation of EXECKEY. The EXECKEY parameter determines the key in which CICS passes control to an application program.

Transaction isolation
Transaction isolation uses the MVS subspace group facility to offer protection between transactions. This ensures that an application program associated with one transaction cannot accidentally overwrite the data of another transaction. Some of the benefits of transaction isolation, and its associated support are: v Reducing system outages v Protecting application data v Protecting CICS from application programs that pass invalid addresses v Aiding application development

Chapter 45. Storage control

519

Reducing system outages

Transaction isolation prevents data corruption and unplanned CICS system outages caused by coding errors in user-key application programs that cause the storage of user-key transactions to be accidentally overwritten. Prevention of accidental transaction data overwrites significantly improves the reliability and availability of CICS regions.

Protecting application data

If an application program overwrites CICS code or data, CICS can fail as a result. If an application program overwrites another application programs code, that other application program is likely to fail. Whereas this is a serious interruption in a production region, the effect is immediate and the program can generally be recovered so that the terminal user can retry the failed transaction. However, if an application program of one transaction overwrites the data of another transaction, the results often are not immediately apparent; the erroneous data can be written to a database and the error may remain undetected until later, when it may be impossible to determine the cause of the error. The consequences of a data overwrite are often much more serious than a code overwrite.

Protecting CICS from being passed invalid addresses

CICS also protects itself against applications that pass invalid addresses that would result in CICS causing storage violations. This occurs when an application program issues an EXEC CICS command that causes CICS to modify storage on the programs behalf, but the program does not own the storage. In earlier releases, CICS did not check ownership of the storage referenced by the passed address, and executed such commands with consequent storage violations. CICS validates the start address of the storage, and establishes that the application program has write access to the storage that begins with that address, before executing the command. This address checking is controlled using the CMDPROT system initialization parameter. If a program passes an invalid address to CICS as an output field on the API, an AEYD abend occurs. It is completely independent of storage protection and transaction isolation.

Aiding application development

Transaction isolation aids application development in the testing and debugging phase. If an application tries to overwrite CICS or another application, or if it tries to pass a storage address it does not own for CICS to write to, CICS immediately abends the task and reports the rogue programs name and the area it tried to overwrite. This saves much time trying to debug what is a common problem in application development environments.

Defining the storage key for applications

CICS enables you to choose between user-key storage and CICS-key storage for a number of CICS data areas and application program data areas that your applications can use. Depending on the data area, you select the storage key by: v System initialization parameters v Resource definition option v Selecting an option on the GETMAIN command Defining the storage key for storage areas that your applications need to access is described in the following sections.

520

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

System-wide storage areas

For each CICS region, your installation can choose between user-key and CICS-key storage for the common work area (CWA) and for the terminal control table user areas (TCTUAs). If these areas are in user-key storage, all programs have read-write access to them; if they are in CICS-key storage, user-key application programs are restricted to read-only access. The storage keys for the CWA and the TCTUAs are set by the system initialization parameters CWAKEY and TCTUAKEY, respectively. In both cases the default option is that CICS obtains user-key storage. See the CICS Resource Definition Guide for information about how to specify these and other storage-protection-related system initialization parameters.

Task lifetime storage

You can also specify whether user-key or CICS-key storage is used for the storage that CICS acquires at transaction attach time, and for those elements of storage directly related to the individual application programs in a transaction. You do this by means of the TASKDATAKEY option on the transaction resource definition. This governs the type of storage allocated for the following storage areas: v The transaction work area (TWA) and the EXEC interface block (EIB) v The copies of working storage that CICS obtains for each execution of an application program v Any storage obtained for an application program in response to: Explicit storage requests by means of an GETMAIN command Implicit storage requests as a result of a CICS command that uses the SET option For information about how to specify the TASKDATAKEY parameter, see the CICS Resource Definition Guide. Figure 110 on page 522 shows what TASKDATAKEY controls for both task lifetime storage and program working storage. See the CICS Application Programming Reference manual for programming information about EXEC CICS commands; see the CICS Resource Definition Guide for information about specifying the TASKDATAKEY option on the transaction resource definition.

Program working storage specifically for exit and PLT programs

CICS uses the TASKDATAKEY option of the calling transaction to determine the storage key for the storage acquired for global user exits, task-related user exits, user-replaceable modules, and PLT programs. For programming information about storage key, including details of how this affects the different types of program, see the CICS Customization Guide.

Passing data by a COMMAREA

In a pseudoconversational application, CICS ensures that a COMMAREA you specify on a RETURN command is always accessible in read-write mode to the next program in the conversation. The same is true when passing a COMMAREA within a transaction that comprises more than one program (using a LINK or XCTL command). CICS ensures that the target program has read-write access to the COMMAREA.

Chapter 45. Storage control

521

The GETMAIN command

The GETMAIN command provides USERDATAKEY and CICSDATAKEY options to enable the application program to explicitly request user-key or CICS-key storage, regardless of the TASKDATAKEY option specified on the associated transaction resource definition. For example, this option allows application programs, which are executing with TASKDATAKEY(CICS) specified, to obtain user-key storage for passing to, or returning to, a program executing in user key. CICS-key storage obtained by GETMAIN commands issued in a program defined with EXECKEY(CICS) can be freed explicitly only if the FREEMAIN command is issued by a program defined with EXECKEY(CICS). If an application program defined with EXECKEY(USER) attempts to free CICS-key storage using FREEMAIN commands, CICS returns the INVREQ condition. However, an application can free user-key storage with FREEMAIN commands regardless of the EXECKEY option. All task lifetime storage acquired by an application, whether in CICS key or user key, is freed by CICS at task termination. You can also specify STORAGECLEAR(YES) on this option of the associated transaction resource definition. This clears the storage and so prevents another task accidentally viewing sensitive data. For programming information about commands, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual; for information about defining, see the CICS Resource Definition Guide.

Transaction:Program: -

TRANID(A123) TASKDATAKEY(USER) PROGRAM(PROGRAM1) PROGRAM1 EXECKEY(USER) PROGRAM2 EXECKEY(CICS) (1)

Task lifetime storage allocated from user-key storage EXEC interface block (EIB) (2) PROGRAM1 EXEC CICS LINK EXECKEY (USER) (5) Working storage in user-key Working storage in user-key PROGRAM(PROGRAM2) EXECKEY (CICS) Transaction work area (TWA) (3) PROGRAM2 CICS-key storage obtained by a GETMAIN (4)

Figure 110. Illustration of the use of the TASKDATAKEY and EXECKEY options

Notes: 1. The TASKDATAKEY option ensures the TWA and EIB are allocated from user-key storage, required for PROGRAM1, which executes in user keyspecified by EXECKEY(USER). 2. PROGRAM1 executes in user key (controlled by EXECKEY), and has its working storage obtained in user-key storage (controlled by the TASKDATAKEY

522

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

option). Any other storage the program obtains by means of GETMAIN commands or by using the SET option on a CICS command is also obtained in user-key storage. 3. PROGRAM2 executes in CICS key (controlled by EXECKEY), but has its working storage obtained in user-key storage, which again is controlled by the TASKDATAKEY option. 4. PROGRAM2 issues an explicit GETMAIN command using the CICSDATAKEY option and, because it executes in CICS key, can store data into the CICS-key protected storage before returning control to PROGRAM1. 5. PROGRAM1 cannot write to the CICS-key protected storage that PROGRAM2 acquired, but can read what PROGRAM2 wrote there. When deciding whether you need to specify EXECKEY(CICS) and TASKDATAKEY(CICS), you must consider all the reasons that make these options necessary. Programs that modify their storage protection key should ensure they are running in the correct key when attempting to access storage. CICS can only use the EXECKEY defined in the program definition when invoking a program.

Selecting the execution and storage key

When you are running CICS with storage protection, the majority of your application programs should execute in user key, with all their storage obtained in user key. You only need to define EXECKEY(CICS) on program definitions, and TASKDATAKEY(CICS) on the associated transaction definitions, for those programs that use facilities that are not permitted in user key, or for any special system-type transactions or vendor packages. You should only specify TASKDATAKEY(CICS) for those transactions where all the component programs have EXECKEY(CICS), and for which you want to protect their task lifetime and working storage from being overwritten by user-key applications. For example, the CICS-supplied transactions such as CEDF are defined with TASKDATAKEY(CICS). Note that you cannot specify EXECKEY(USER) on any programs that form part of a transaction defined with TASKDATAKEY(CICS) because, in this situation, a user-key program would not be able to write to its own working storage. Transactions abend with an AEZD abend if any program is defined with EXECKEY(USER) within a transaction defined with TASKDATAKEY(CICS), regardless of whether storage protection is active. You cannot define a program so that it inherits its callers execution key. The execution key and data storage keys are derived for each program from its program and associated transaction resource definitions respectively, which you either specify explicitly or allow to default; the default is always user key. Table 40 on page 524 summarizes the various combinations of options.

Chapter 45. Storage control

523

Table 40. Combinations of KEY options EXECKEY USER USER TASKDATAKEY USER CICS Recommended usage and comments For normal applications using the CICS API Not permitted. CICS abends any program defined with EXECKEY(USER) invoked under a transaction defined with TASKDATAKEY(CICS). For programs that need to issue restricted MVS requests or modify CICS-key storage. For transactions (and component programs) that function as extensions to CICS, such as the CICS-supplied transactions, or which require the same protection.

CICS CICS

USER CICS

User-key applications
For most applications you should define your programs with EXECKEY(USER), and the related transactions with TASKDATAKEY(USER). To obtain the maximum benefits from the CICS storage protection facility, you are recommended to run your application programs in user key storage. Specifying USER on these options has the following effect: EXECKEY(USER) This specifies that CICS is to give control to the program in user key when it is invoked. Programs defined with EXECKEY(USER) are restricted to read-only access to CICS-key storage. These include: v Storage belonging to CICS itself v CICS-key storage belonging to user transactions defined with TASKDATAKEY(CICS) v Application programs defined with EXECKEY(CICS) and thus loaded into CICS-key storage v In a CICS region where transaction isolation is active, a user-key program has read/write access to the user-key task-lifetime storage of its own transaction and any shared DSA storage TASKDATAKEY(USER) This specifies that all task lifetime storage, such as the transaction work area (TWA) and the EXEC interface block (EIB), is obtained from the user-key storage. It also means that all storage directly related to the programs within the transaction is obtained from user-key storage. However, user-key programs of transactions defined with ISOLATE(YES) have access only to the user-key task-lifetime storage of their own task. USER is the default for both the EXECKEY and TASKDATAKEY options, therefore you do not need to make any changes to resource definitions for existing application programs.

CICS-key applications
Most application programs can be defined with EXECKEY(USER), which is the default value, and this is the option you are recommended to use in the majority of

524

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

cases. These include programs that use DL/I or DB2 and programs that access vendor products through the resource manager interface (RMI) or a LINK command. However, some application programs need to be defined with EXECKEY(CICS) because they need to use certain facilities that are listed later. Widespread use of EXECKEY(CICS) diminishes the protection offered by the storage protection facility because there is no protection of CICS code and control blocks from being overwritten by application programs that execute in CICS key. The ISOLATE attribute in the transaction definition does not provide any protection against application programs that execute in CICS keythat is, from programs defined with EXECKEY(CICS). Any application program causing a protection exception when defined with EXECKEY(USER) must be examined to determine why it is attempting to modify storage it is not allowed to modify. You should change a programs definition to EXECKEY(CICS) only if you are satisfied that the application program legitimately uses the facilities described below. v The program uses MVS macros or services directly, rather than through the CICS API. The only MVS macros that are supported in user-key programs are SPIE, ESPIE, POST, WAIT, WTO, and WTOR. It is also possible to issue GTF trace requests from an EXECKEY(USER) program. If a program uses any other MVS macro or service, it must be defined with EXECKEY(CICS). Some particular examples are: Use of dynamic allocation (DYNALLOC macro, SVC 99) Use of MVS GETMAIN and FREEMAIN or STORAGE requests Use of MVS OPEN, CLOSE, or other file access requests Direct use of some MVS macros and services is undesirable, even in a CICS application defined with EXECKEY(CICS). This is because they may cause MVS to suspend the whole CICS region until the request is satisfied. Some COBOL, PL/I, C, and C++ language statements, and compiler options, cause operating system functions to be invoked. See Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL on page 9, Chapter 4. Programming in C and C++ on page 31, and Chapter 5. Programming in PL/I on page 39 for information about which of these should not be used in CICS application programs. It is possible that some of these functions may have worked in previous releases of CICS, or at least may not have caused the application to fail. They do not work when the program is defined with EXECKEY(USER). When the use of prohibited options or statements is the cause of a protection exception, you should remove these from the program rather than simply redefine the program with EXECKEY(CICS). The use of prohibited statements and options can have other side effects on the overall execution of CICS, and these should be removed. v The program needs to modify the CWA, and the CWA is in CICS-key storage (CWAKEY=CICS). If you decide to protect the CWA by specifying CWAKEY(CICS), you should restrict the programs that are permitted to modify the CWA to as few as possible, perhaps only one. See Using the common work area (CWA) on page 165 for information about how you can control access to a protected CWA. v The program needs to modify the TCTUA, and the TCTUAs are in CICS-key storage (TCTUAKEY=CICS). See Using the TCTTE user area (TCTUA) on page 168 for information about using TCTUAs in a storage protection environment.

Chapter 45. Storage control

525

v The program can be invoked from PLT programs, from transactions defined with TASKDATAKEY(CICS), from task-related or global user exits programs, or from user-replaceable programs. v The program modifies CICS control blocksfor example, some vendor products that do need to manipulate CICS control blocks. These must be defined with EXECKEY(CICS). v The program provides user extensions to CICS and requires protection and data access similar to CICS system code. For example, you may consider that such programs are a vital part of your CICS installation, and that their associated storage, like CICS storage, should be protected from ordinary application programs. v CICS always gives control in CICS key to the following types of user-written program, regardless of the option specified on their program resource definitions: Global user exits (GLUEs) Task-related user exits (TRUEs) User-replaceable modules (URMs) Program list table (PLT) programs CICS ensures that when control is passed to a PLT program, a global or task-related user exit, or a user-replaceable program, the first program so invoked executes in CICS key, regardless of the EXECKEY specified on its program resource definition. However, if this first program LINKs or XCTLs to other programs, these programs execute under the key specified in their program definitions. If these subsequent programs are required to write to CICS-key data areas, as often occurs in this type of situation, they must be defined as EXECKEY(CICS). In a CICS region with transaction isolation active, these TRUEs and GLUEs run in either base space or subspace (see MVS subspaces on page 529), depending on the current mode when CICS gives control to the exit program. They can also modify any application storage. The URMs and PLT programs execute in base space. For programming information about the execution of GLUEs, TRUEs, URMs, and PLT programs in a CICS region running with storage protection, see the CICS Customization Guide. If two transactions have an affinity by virtue of sharing task lifetime storage, the transactions must be defined as ISOLATE(NO), or the programs must be defined as EXECKEY(CICS). You can use the CICS Transaction Affinities Utility to check the causes of transaction affinity. See the CICS Transaction Affinities Utility Guide for more information about this utility. The first of these options is the recommended option, because CICS system code and data is still protected.

Tables
In addition to executable programs, you can define tables, map sets, and partition sets as program resources. EXECKEY has less relevance to these objects, because they are not actually executed. However, EXECKEY does control where non-executable objects are loaded, and thus affects whether other programs can store into them.

Map sets and partition sets

Map sets are not reentrant (BMS itself updates fields in maps when calculating absolute screen positions). However, map sets should not be modified by application programs; they must be modified only by CICS, which always executes in CICS key. CICS always loads map sets and partition sets into CICS-key storage.

526

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Storage protection exception conditions

If an application program executing in user key attempts to modify CICS-key storage, a protection exception occurs. The protection exception is processed by normal CICS program error handling, and the offending transaction abends with an ASRA abend. The exception condition appears to the transaction just as if it had attempted to reference any other protected storage. CICS error handling checks whether the reference is to a CICS-key dynamic storage area (DSA), and sends a message (DFHSR0622) to the console. Otherwise, CICS does not treat the failure any differently from any other ASRA abend. See the CICS Problem Determination Guide for more information about the storage protection exception conditions.

Using transaction isolation

Transaction isolation is built on top of storage protection, which means that STGPROT=YES must be specified. Transaction isolation makes use of parameters introduced by storage protection, these being EXECKEY and TASKDATAKEY. In addition to being able to specify the storage and execution key for user transactions, you can also specify whether you want transaction isolation. You can control transaction isolation globally for the whole CICS region by means of the TRANISO system initialization parameter. For individual transactions, the ISOLATE option of the transaction resource definition allows you to specify the level of protection that should apply to each transaction and program.
ISOLATE [YES or NO]

The defaults for these options mean that, in most cases, no changes to resource definition are needed for existing applications. However, where necessary, protection can be tailored to allow transactions to continue to function where they fail to meet the criteria for full protection, which is the default. This means that the transactions user-key task lifetime storage is protected from the user-key programs of other transactions, but not from CICS-key programs. See Figure 111 on page 528 for an illustration of this. A user-key program invoked by transaction A (TXNA) may read and write to TXNAs user-key task lifetime storage and to shared user storage. Moreover, TXNA has no access to transaction Bs (TXNB) user-key task lifetime storage.

Chapter 45. Storage control

527

TXNA User-key program READ READ/ WRITE READ/ WRITE

CICS-key storage

shared User-key storage

TXNA User-key task lifetime storage

TXNB User-key task lifetime storage READ/ WRITE

READ

READ/ WRITE TXNB User-key program

Figure 111. TXNA and TXNB are two transactions defined as ISOLATE(YES)

If a transaction is defined as ISOLATE(NO), its user-key task lifetime is visible to all other transactions also defined as ISOLATE(NO). It is, however, protected from transactions defined as ISOLATE(YES).
TXNA User-key program READ READ/ WRITE READ/ WRITE READ/ WRITE

CICS-key storage

shared User-key storage

TXNA User-key task lifetime storage READ/ WRITE

TXNB User-key task lifetime storage READ/ WRITE

READ/ WRITE

READ/ WRITE TXNB User-key program

Figure 112. TXNA and TXNB are two transactions defined as ISOLATE(NO) and have read/write to each others task lifetime storage

528

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

CICS key TXNA User-key program READ READ/ WRITE READ/ WRITE READ/ WRITE

CICS-key storage

shared User-key storage

TXNA User-key task lifetime storage READ/ WRITE

TXNB User-key task lifetime storage READ/ WRITE

READ/ WRITE

READ/ WRITE TXNB User-key program

Figure 113. TXNA and TXNB defined as ISOLATE(YES) to a CICS-key program which has read/write access to both CICS- and user-key storage

MVS subspaces
MVS/ESA 5.2 introduces the subspace group facility, which can be used for storage isolation to preserve data integrity within an address space. The subspace-group facility uses hardware to provide protection for transaction data. A subspace-group is a group of subspaces and a single base space, where the base space is the normal MVS address space as in releases prior to MVS/ESA 5.1. The subspace-group facility provides a partial mapping of the underlying base space, so that only specified areas of storage in the base space are exposed in a particular subspace. Thus each subspace represents a different subset of the storage in the base space. Transaction isolation, when specified, ensures that programs defined with EXECKEY(USER) execute in their own subspace, with appropriate access to any shared storage, or to CICS storage. Thus a user transaction is limited to its own view of the address space. Programs defined with EXECKEY(CICS) execute in the base space, and have the same privileges as in CICS/ESA 3.3.

Subspaces and basespaces for transactions

In general, transaction isolation ensures that user-key programs are allocated to separate (unique) subspaces, and have: v Read and write access to the user-key task-lifetime storage of their own tasks, which is allocated from one of the user dynamic storage areas (UDSA or EUDSA) v Read and write access to shared storage; that is, storage obtained by GETMAIN commands with the SHARED option (SDSA or ESDSA)
Chapter 45. Storage control

529

v Read access to the CICS-key task-lifetime storage of other tasks (CDSA or ECDSA) v Read access to CICS code v Read access to CICS control blocks that are accessible by the CICS API They do not have any access to user-key task-lifetime storage of other tasks. The defaults for new transaction resource definition attributes specify that existing application programs operate with transaction isolation (the default for the ISOLATE option is YES). Existing applications should run unmodified provided they conform to transaction isolation requirements. However, a minority of applications may need special definition if they: v Issue MVS macros directly, or v Modify CICS control blocks, or v Have a legitimate need for one task to access, or share, another tasks storage Some existing transactions may share task-lifetime storage in various ways, and this sharing may prevent them running isolated from each other. To allow such transactions to continue to execute, a single common subspace is provided in which all such transactions can execute. They are then isolated from the other transactions in the system that are running in their own subspaces, but able to share each others data within the common subspace. See The common subspace and shared storage for more information. CICS-key programs execute in the base space and so have read/write access to all CICS-key storage and user-key storage.

The common subspace and shared storage

You might have some transactions where the application programs access one anothers storage in a valid way. One such case is when a task waits on one or more event control blocks (ECBs) that are later posted, either by an MVS POST or hand posting, by another task. For example, a task can pass the address of a piece of its own storage to another task (by a temporary storage queue or some other method) and then WAIT for the other task to post an ECB to say that it has updated the storage. Clearly, if the original task is executing in a unique subspace, the posting task fails when attempting the update and to post the ECB, unless the posting task is executing in CICS key. CICS supports the following methods to ensure that transactions that need to share storage can continue to work in the subspace-group environment: v You can specify that all the related transactions are to run in the common subspace. The common subspace allows tasks that need to share storage to coexist, while isolating them from other transactions in the system. Transactions assigned to the common subspace have the following characteristics: They have read and write access to each others task-lifetime storage. They have no access of any kind to storage of transactions that run in unique subspaces. They have read access only to CICS storage. Any group of related transactions that work in user key in CICS/ESA 4.1 should work under CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, Version 2 Release 1 if defined

530

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

with ISOLATE(NO) to ensure they run in the common subspace. This provides support for migration, allowing the separation of transactions into their own unique subspaces to be staged gradually after installing CICS and related support. v You can ensure that the common storage is in SHARED storage by obtaining the storage with the SHARED option. v You can ensure that the application programs of the transactions that are sharing storage are all defined with EXECKEY(CICS). This ensures that their programs execute in base space, where they have read/write access to all storage. However, this method is not recommended because it does not give any storage protection. You can use the Transaction Affinities Utility to help you identify transactions that include the commands such as WAIT EVENT, WAITCICS, WAIT EXTERNAL, and MVS POST. See the CICS Transaction Affinities Utility Guide manual for more information about this utility.

Chapter 45. Storage control

531

532

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 46. Transient data control

This chapter describes the three different transient data queues in CICS and also explains automatic transaction initiation. The CICS transient data control facility provides a generalized queuing facility. Data can be queued (stored) for subsequent internal or external processing. Selected data, specified in the application program, can be routed to or from predefined symbolic transient data queues: either intrapartition or extrapartition. Transient data queues are intrapartition if they are associated with a facility allocated to the CICS region, and extrapartition if the data is directed to a destination that is external to the CICS region. Transient data queues must be defined and installed before first reference by an application program. You can: v Write data to a transient data queue (WRITEQ TD command) v Read data from a transient data queue (READQ TD command) v Delete an intrapartition transient data queue (DELETEQ TD command) If the TD keyword is omitted, the command is assumed to be for temporary storage. (See Chapter 47. Temporary storage control on page 537 for more information about temporary storage.)

Java and C++ The application programming interface described in this chapter is the EXEC CICS API, which is not used in Java programs. For information about Java programs using the JCICS classes to access transient data services, see Java Applications in CICS and the JCICS Javadoc html documentation. For information about C++ programs using the CICS C++ classes, see the CICS C++ OO Class Libraries manual.

This chapter describes: v Intrapartition transient data queues v Extrapartition queues on page 534 v Indirect queues on page 534 v Automatic transaction initiation (ATI) on page 535

Intrapartition transient data queues

Intrapartition refers to data on direct-access storage devices for use with one or more programs running as separate tasks. Data directed to or from these internal queues is referred to as intrapartition data; it must consist of variable-length records. Intrapartition queues can be associated with either a terminal or an output data set. Intrapartition data may ultimately be transmitted upon request to the terminal or retrieved sequentially from the output data set. Typical uses of intrapartition data include: v Message switching v Broadcasting v Database access v Routing of output to several terminals (for example, for order distribution)
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

533

v Queuing of data (for example, for assignment of order numbers or priority by arrival) v Data collection (for example, for batched input from 2780 Data Transmission Terminals) There are three types of intrapartition transient data queue: v Non-recoverable Non-recoverable intrapartition transient data queues are recovered only on a warm start of CICS. If a unit of work (UOW) updates a non-recoverable intrapartition queue and subsequently backs out the updates, the updates made to the queue are not backed out. v Physically recoverable Physically recoverable intrapartition transient data queues are recovered on warm and emergency restarts. If a UOW updates a physically recoverable intrapartition queue and subsequently backs out the updates, the updates made to the queue are not backed out. v Logically recoverable Logically recoverable intrapartition transient data queues are recovered on warm and emergency restarts. If a UOW updates a logically recoverable intrapartition queue and subsequently backs out the changes it has made, the changes made to the queue are also backed out. On a warm or an emergency restart, the committed state of a logically recoverable intrapartition queue is recovered. In-flight UOWs are ignored. If an application is trying to issue a read, write, or delete request and suffers an indoubt failure, it may receive a LOCKED response if WAIT(YES) and WAITACTION(REJECT) are specified in the queue definition.

Extrapartition queues
Extrapartition queues (data sets) reside on any sequential device (DASD, tape, printer, and so on) that are accessible by programs outside (or within) the CICS region. In general, sequential extrapartition queues are used for storing and retrieving data outside the CICS region. For example, one task may read data from a remote terminal, edit the data, and write the results to a data set for subsequent processing in another region. Logging data, statistics, and transaction error messages are examples of data that can be written to extrapartition queues. In general, extrapartition data created by CICS is intended for subsequent batched input to non-CICS programs. Data can also be routed to an output device such as a printer. Data directed to or from an external destination is referred to as extrapartition data and consists of sequential records that are fixed-length or variable-length, blocked or unblocked. The record format for an extrapartition destination must be defined in a TDQUEUE resource definition by the system programmer. (See the CICS Resource Definition Guide for details about queue definitions.)

Indirect queues
Intrapartition and extrapartition queues can be used as indirect queues. Indirect queues provide some flexibility in program maintenance in that data can be routed to one of several queues with only the transient data definition, and not the program itself, having to be changed. When a transient data definition has been changed, application programs continue to route data to the queue using the original symbolic name; however, this name is now an indirect queue that refers to the new symbolic name. Because indirect queues are established by using transient data resource definitions, the application

534

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

programmer does not usually have to be concerned with how this is done. Further information about transient data resource definition is in the CICS Resource Definition Guide.

Automatic transaction initiation (ATI)

For intrapartition queues, CICS provides the option of automatic transaction initiation (ATI). A basis for ATI is established by the system programmer by specifying a nonzero trigger level for a particular intrapartition destination. (See the CICS Resource Definition Guide for more information about trigger levels.) When the number of entries (created by WRITEQ TD commands issued by one or more programs) in the queue reaches the specified trigger level, a transaction specified in the definition of the queue is automatically initiated. Control is passed to a program that processes the data in the queue; the program must issue repetitive READQ TD commands to deplete the queue. When the queue has been emptied, a new ATI cycle begins. That is, a new task is scheduled for initiation when the specified trigger level is again reached, whether or not execution of the earlier task has ended. If an automatically initiated task does not empty the queue, access to the queue is not inhibited. The task may be normally or abnormally ended before the queue is emptied (that is, before a QZERO condition occurs in response to a READQ TD command). If the contents of the queue are to be sent to a terminal, and the previous task completed normally, the fact that QZERO has not been reached means that trigger processing has not been reset and the same task is reinitiated. A subsequent WRITEQ TD command does not trigger a new task if trigger processing has not been reset. If the contents of the queue are to be sent to a file, the termination of the task has the same effect as QZERO (that is, trigger processing is reset). The next WRITEQ TD command initiates the trigger transaction (if the trigger level has been reached). If the trigger level of a queue is zero, no task is automatically initiated. If a queue is logically recoverable, initiation of the trigger transaction is deferred until the next syncpoint. If the trigger level has already been exceeded because the last triggered transaction abended before clearing the queue, or because the transaction was never started because the MXT limit was reached, another task is not scheduled. This is because QZERO has not been raised to reset trigger processing. The task that has already been scheduled is reinitiated as soon as possible. If the contents of a queue are destined for a file, the termination of the task resets trigger processing and means that the next WRITEQ TD command triggers a new task. To ensure that an automatically initiated task completes when the queue is empty, the application program should test for a QZERO condition in preference to some other application-dependent factor (such as an anticipated number of records). Only the QZERO condition indicates an emptied queue. If the contents of a queue are to be sent to another system, the session name is held in EIBTERMID. If a transaction (started with a destination of system) abends, a new transaction is started in the same way as a terminal.
Chapter 46. Transient data control

535

If you use ATI with a transient data trigger mechanism, it could create inter-transaction affinities that adversely affect your ability to perform dynamic transaction routing. See Chapter 14. Affinity on page 171 for more information about transaction affinity. A trigger transaction is shunted if it suffers from an indoubt failure. Another trigger transaction is not attached until the shunted UOW commits or backs out the changes it has made following resynchronization.

536

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 47. Temporary storage control

The CICS temporary storage control facility provides the application programmer with the ability to store data in temporary storage queues, either in main storage, in auxiliary storage on a direct-access storage device, or in a temporary storage data sharing pool. Data stored in a temporary storage queue is known as temporary data.

Java and C++ The application programming interface described in this chapter is the EXEC CICS API, which is not used in Java programs. For information about Java programs using the JCICS classes to access temporary storage services, see Java Applications in CICS and the JCICS Javadoc html documentation. For information about C++ programs using the CICS C++ classes, see the CICS C++ OO Class Libraries manual.

You can: v Write data to a temporary storage queue (WRITEQ TS command). v Update data in a temporary storage queue (WRITEQ TS REWRITE command). v Read data from a temporary storage queue (READQ TS command). v Read the next data from a temporary storage queue (READQ TS NEXT command). v Delete a temporary storage queue (DELETEQ TS command). The TS keyword may be omitted; temporary storage is assumed if it is not specified. Exception conditions that occur during execution of a temporary storage control command are handled as described in Chapter 16. Dealing with exception conditions on page 209. If you use these commands, you could create inter-transaction affinities that adversely affect your ability to perform dynamic transaction routing. To help you identify potential problems with programs that issue these commands, you can use the scanner and detector components of the Transaction Affinities Utility. See the CICS Transaction Affinities Utility Guide for more information about this utility and Chapter 14. Affinity on page 171 for more information about transaction affinity. This chapter describes: v Temporary storage queues v Typical uses of temporary storage control on page 538

Temporary storage queues

Temporary storage queues are identified by symbolic names that may be up to 16 characters, assigned by the originating task. Temporary data can be retrieved by the originating task or by any other task using the symbolic name assigned to it. To avoid conflicts caused by duplicate names, a naming convention should be established; for example, the operator identifier or terminal identifier could be used
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

537

as a suffix to each programmer-supplied symbolic name. Specific items (logical records) within a queue are referred to by relative position numbers. Temporary storage queues remain intact until they are deleted by the originating task, by any other task, or by an initial or cold start; before deletion, they can be accessed any number of times. Even after the originating task is terminated, temporary data can be accessed by other tasks through references to the symbolic name under which it is stored. Temporary data can be stored either in main storage or in auxiliary storage. Generally, main storage should be used if the data is needed for short periods of time; auxiliary storage should be used if the data is to be kept for long periods of time. Data stored in auxiliary storage is retained after CICS termination and can be recovered in a subsequent restart, but data in main storage cannot be recovered. Main storage might be used to pass data from task to task, or for unique storage that allows programs to meet the requirement of CICS that they be quasi-reentrant (that is, serially reusable between entry and exit points of the program). Temporary storage data sharing provides another type of temporary storage queue that can be supported concurrently. The temporary storage queues can be defined as local, remote, or shared, and they can be stored in temporary storage pools in the coupling facility.

Typical uses of temporary storage control

A temporary storage queue that has only one record can be treated as a single unit of data that can be accessed using its symbolic name. Using temporary storage control in this way provides a typical scratch-pad capability. This type of storage should be accessed using the READQ TS command with the ITEM option; not doing so may cause the ITEMERR condition to be raised. In general, temporary storage queues of more than one record should be used only when direct access or repeated access to records is necessary; transient data control provides facilities for efficient handling of sequential data sets. Some uses of temporary storage queues are: Terminal paging A task could retrieve a large master record from a direct-access data set, format it into several screen images (using BMS), store the screen images temporarily in auxiliary storage, and then ask the terminal operator which page (screen image) is desired. The application programmer can provide a program (as a generalized routine or unique to a single application) to advance page by page, advance or back up a relative number of pages, and so on. A suspend data set Suppose a data collection task is in progress at a terminal. The task reads one or more units of input and then allows the terminal operator to interrupt the process by some kind of coded input. If not interrupted, the task repeats the data collection process. If interrupted, the task writes its incomplete data to temporary storage and terminates. The terminal is now free to process a different transaction (perhaps a high-priority inquiry). When the terminal is available to continue data collection, the operator initiates the task in a resume mode, causing the task to recall its suspended data from temporary storage and continue as though it had not been interrupted.

538

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Preprinted forms An application program can accept data to be written as output on a preprinted form. This data can be stored in temporary storage as it arrives. When all the data has been stored, it can first be validated and then transmitted in the order required by the format of the preprinted form.

Chapter 47. Temporary storage control

539

540

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Part 8. Testing applications

Chapter 48. Testing applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543 Preparing the application for testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544 Preparing the system for testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544 Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF) Restrictions when using EDF . . . . . . . . Parameter list stacking . . . . . . . . . Security considerations . . . . . . . . . What does EDF display? . . . . . . . . . . The header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . At program initiation . . . . . . . . . At the start of execution of a CICS command At the end of execution of a command. . . At program and task termination . . . . . At abnormal termination . . . . . . . . Using EDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interrupting program execution . . . . . . Using EDF in single-screen mode . . . . . Checking pseudoconversational programs . Using EDF in dual-screen mode . . . . . . EDF and remote transactions . . . . . . . EDF and non-terminal transactions . . . . . EDF and DTP programs . . . . . . . . . EDF and distributed program link commands Stopping EDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overtyping to make changes . . . . . . . . EDF responses . . . . . . . . . . . . Using EDF menu functions . . . . . . . . . Chapter 50. Temporary storage browse (CEBR) Using the CEBR transaction . . . . . . . . What does the CEBR transaction display? . . . The header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The command area . . . . . . . . . . . The body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The message line . . . . . . . . . . . Using the CEBR function keys. . . . . . . . Using the CEBR commands . . . . . . . . Using the CEBR transaction with transient data . Chapter 51. Command-level interpreter (CECI) . What does CECI display? . . . . . . . . . The command line . . . . . . . . . . . The status line . . . . . . . . . . . . Command syntax check . . . . . . . . About to execute command . . . . . . . Command execution complete. . . . . . The body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The message line . . . . . . . . . . . CECI options on function keys. . . . . . . Using CECI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Making changes . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

547 548 549 549 549 550 551 551 551 553 555 556 557 557 559 560 560 560 561 561 562 562 562 564 564 571 571 573 573 573 573 573 573 574 576 579 579 579 580 580 581 582 582 583 583 584 585

541

Using the CECI function keys . . Expanded area . . . . . . Variables. . . . . . . . . Defining variables . . . . The EXEC interface block (EIB) Error messages display . . . Saving commands . . . . . . How CECI runs . . . . . . . CECI sessions . . . . . . Abends . . . . . . . . . Exception conditions . . . . Program control commands . . Terminal sharing . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

586 586 586 587 588 588 589 590 590 590 590 591 591

542

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 48. Testing applications

Java This guidance does not relate to testing Java applications.

You can use the following methods to test CICS application programs: Single-thread testing A single-thread test takes one application transaction at a time, in an otherwise empty CICS system, and sees how it behaves. This enables you to test the program logic, and also shows whether or not the basic CICS information (such as resource definition) is correct. It is quite feasible to test this single application in one CICS region while your normal, online production CICS system is active in another. Multithread testing A multithread test involves several concurrently active transactions. Naturally, all the transactions are in the same CICS region, so you can readily test the ability of a new transaction to coexist with them. You may find that a transaction that works perfectly in its single-thread testing still fails in the multithread test. It may also cause other transactions to fail, or even terminate CICS. Regression testing A regression test is used to make sure that all the transactions in a system continue to do their processing in the same way both before and after changes are applied to the system. This is to ensure that fixes applied to solve one problem do not cause further problems. It is a good idea to build a set of miniature files to perform your tests on, because it is much easier to examine a small data file for changes. A good regression test exercises all the code in every program; that is, it explores all tests and possible conditions. As your system develops to include more transactions, more possible conditions, and so on, add these to your test system to keep it in step. The results of each test should match those from the previous round of testing. Any discrepancies are grounds for suspicion. You can compare terminal output, file changes, and log entries for validity. Sequential terminal support (described in Using sequential terminal support on page 319), can be useful for regression testing. When you have a module that has worked for some time and is now being modified, you need to rerun your old tests to ensure that the function still works. Sequential terminal support makes it easy to maintain a library of old test cases and to rerun them when needed. Sequential terminal support allows you to test programs without having to use a telecommunication device. System programmers can specify that sequential devices be used as terminals (using the terminal control table (TCT)). These sequential devices may be card readers, line printers, disk units, or magnetic tape units. They can also be combinations of sequential devices such as: v A card reader and line printer (CRLP) v One or more disk or tape data sets as input v One or more disk or tape data sets as output

543

You can prepare a stream of transaction test cases to do the basic testing of a program module. As the testing progresses, you can generate additional transaction streams to validate the multiprogramming capabilities of the programs or to allow transaction test cases to run concurrently. You have to do two main tasks before you can test and debug an application: 1. Preparing the application for testing 2. Preparing the system for testing

Preparing the application for testing

To prepare the application and system table entries you should do the following: 1. Translate, assemble or compile, and link-edit each program. Make sure that there are no error messages on any of these three steps for any program before you begin testing. 2. Use the DEBUG and EDF options on your translator step, so that you can use translator statement numbers with execution diagnostic facility (EDF) displays. 3. Use the COBOL compiler options CLIST and DMAP so that you can relate storage locations in dumps and EDF displays to the original COBOL source statements, and find your variables in working storage. 4. Use the RDO DEFINE PROFILE command to generate a profile for your transactions to use, and make sure the definitions are INSTALLed. 5. Use the RDO DEFINE TRANSACTION command for each transaction in your application, and make sure the definitions are INSTALLed. 6. If your system does not use program autoinstall, use the RDO DEFINE PROGRAM command for each program used in the application, and make sure the definitions are INSTALLed. 7. If your system does not use program autoinstall, use the RDO DEFINE MAPSET command for each map set in the application, and make sure each definition is INSTALLed. 8. Use the RDO DEFINE FILE command, or put an entry in the FCT, for each file used. If you use RDO, make sure the definitions are INSTALLed. 9. Build at least a test version of each of the files required. 10. Define each of the transient data destinations to be used by the application. 11. Put job control DD cards in the startup job stream for each file used in the application. 12. Prepare some test data.

Preparing the system for testing

To prepare the system for debugging you should do the following: 1. Make sure that EDF is available in your system, by including group DFHEDF in the list you specify in the GRPLIST system initialization 2. Set up appropriate tracing options for your application. For details about setting up tracing options, see the CICS Problem Determination Guide. 3. Make sure that transaction dumping is enabled for all transaction dump codes, and that system dumping is enabled for all system dump codes. These are, anyway, the default settings. For information about setting up dump options, see the CICS Problem Determination Guide. 4. Be prepared to print the dumps. Have a DFHDU610 job stream or procedure ready, and have the CICS dump data sets defined in your startup procedure.

544

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

5. Contact your system programmer for information about SDUMP data sets available on your system and access to JCL for processing them. 6. Enable CICS to detect loops, by setting the ICVR parameter in the SIT to a number greater than zero. Something between five and ten seconds (ICVR=5000 to ICVR=10000) is usually a workable value. 7. Generate statistics. For more information about using statistics, see the CICS Performance Guide.

Chapter 48. Testing applications

545

546

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

You can use the execution diagnostic facility (EDF) to test an application program online, without modifying the program or the program-preparation procedure. The CICS execution diagnostic facility is supported by the CICS-supplied transaction, CEDF, which invokes the DFHEDFP program. Note: You can also invoke CEDF indirectly through another CICS-supplied transaction, CEDX, which enables you to specify the name of the transaction you want to debug. When this chapter refers to the CEDF transaction (for example, when it explains about CICS starting a new CEDF task below) remember that it may have been invoked by the CEDX command. The names of your programs should not begin with the letters DFH because this prefix is used for CICS system modules and samples. Attempting to use EDF on a CICS-supplied transaction has no effect. However, you can use EDF with CICS sample programs and some user-replaceable modules. (For example, you can use EDF to debug DFHPEP.) EDF intercepts the execution of CICS commands in the application program at various points, allowing you to see what is happening. Each command is displayed before execution, and most are displayed after execution is complete. Screens sent by the application program are preserved, so you can converse with the application program during testing, just as a user would on a production system. When a transaction runs under EDF control, EDF intercepts it at the following points, allowing you to interact with it: v At program initiation, after the EXEC interface block (EIB) has been updated, but before the program is given control. v At the start of the execution of each CICS command. This interrupt happens after the initial trace entry has been made, but before the command has been performed. Both standard CICS commands and the Front End Programming Interface (FEPI) commands are intercepted. EXEC DLI and EXEC SQL commands and any requests processed through the resource manager interface are also intercepted at this point. v At the end of the execution of every command except for ABEND, XCTL, and RETURN commands (although these commands could raise an error condition that EDF displays). EDF intercepts the transaction when it finishes processing the command, but before the HANDLE CONDITION mechanism is invoked, and before the response trace entry is made. v At program termination. v At normal task termination. v When an ABEND occurs and after abnormal task termination. If you want to work through an example of EDF, see the CICS Application Programming Primer (VS COBOL II), which guides you through a sample EDF session. Note: For a program translated with the option NOEDF, these intercept points still apply, apart from before and after the execution of each command. For a program with CEDF defined as NO on its resource definition or by the program autoinstall exit, the program initiation and termination screens are suppressed as well.
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

547

Each time EDF interrupts the execution of the application program a new CEDF task is started. Each CEDF task is short lived, lasting only long enough for the appropriate display to be processed. The terminal that you are using for the EDF interaction must be in transceive (ATI/TTI) status and be able to send and receive data. This is the most common status for display terminals, but you can find out by asking your system programmer to check its status, or you can use CEMT. For a transaction initiated at a terminal, you can use EDF on the same terminal as the transaction you are testing, or on a different one. On the same terminal, you must start by clearing the screen and entering the transaction code CEDF, otherwise you may get unpredictable results. The message THIS TERMINAL: EDF MODE ON is displayed at the top of an empty screen. You clear the screen again and run your transaction in the normal way. This chapter describes: v Restrictions when using EDF v What does EDF display? on page 549 v Using EDF on page 557 v Overtyping to make changes on page 562 v Using EDF menu functions on page 564

Restrictions when using EDF

There are some restrictions on the use of EDF that make it preferable or even necessary to use one particular screen mode: v EDF can be used only in single-screen mode when running a remote transaction. v VM PASSTHRU is not supported by EDF when testing in single-screen mode. v In single-screen mode, neither the user transaction nor CEDF should specify message journaling, because the messages interfere with the EDF displays. Message journaling is controlled by the profile definition for each transaction. v In single screen mode, the CEDF transaction should not specify PROTECT=YES in its profile definition. If this option is specified, message protection for the CEDF transaction is ignored. The user transaction can still specify the PROTECT=YES option even when running under CEDF. This restriction does not apply to dual-screen mode. v If a SEND LAST command is issued, EDF is ended before the command is processed if you are using single-screen mode. v If you want to test an application program that uses screen partitions, or that does its own request unit (RU) chaining, you must run in dual-screen mode. v In single-screen mode, if the profile for the user transaction specifies INBFMH=ALL or INBFMH=DIP, the profile for CEDF must have the same INBFMH value. Otherwise the user transaction abends ADIR. Dual-screen mode does not require the profiles to match in this respect. v If the inbound reply mode is set to character to enable the attribute setting keys, EDF disables the keys in single-screen mode. v When using CECI under EDF in dual-screen mode, you should be aware that certain commands (for example, ASSIGN and ADDRESS) are issued against the EDF terminal and not the transaction terminal. See INVOKE CECI on page 565 for information about how to invoke CECI from CEDF. v TCAM terminals are supported by EDF, but only in dual-screen mode, and provided that the terminals are not pooled.

548

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v When using EDF in dual-screen mode, you should avoid starting a second task at the EDF terminal, for example by issuing a START command. Because EDF is a pseudoconversational transaction, it does not prevent a second task from starting at the terminal it is using. This may lead to a deadlock in certain circumstances. v When using EDF screen suppression in dual screen mode, commands that cause a long wait, such as DELAY, WAIT, or a second RECEIVE, may cause EDF to appear as if it had finished. If the task is ABENDed, EDF is reactivated at the monitoring terminal. Other restrictions apply to both screen modes: v If a transaction issues the FREE command, EDF is switched off without warning. v To test a user transaction executing on a remote CICS at a release level earlier than CICS/ESA 3.1.1, you must run the transaction under control of CRTE, as explained in EDF and remote transactions on page 560. v EDF does not intercept calls to the CPI Communications interface (CPI-C) or the SAA Resource Recovery interface (CPI-RR). You can test transactions that use CPI calls under EDF, but you cannot see EDF displays at the call points. v User application programs that are to be debugged using EDF must be assembled (or compiled) with the translator option EDF, which is the default. If you specify NOEDF, the program cannot be debugged using EDF. There is no performance advantage in specifying NOEDF, but the option can be useful to prevent commands in well debugged subprograms appearing on EDF displays. v When processing a SIGNON command, CEDF suppresses display of the password value to reduce the risk of accidental disclosure.

Parameter list stacking

CEDF only has one level of stacking for its copies of the EXEC CICS parameter list. This means that if an application calls an EXEC-capable global user exit or user-replaceable module (URM), the parameter list for the EXEC CICS commands issued by the global user exit or URM may overlay the parameter list for EXEC CICS commands issued by the main program.

Security considerations
EDF is such a powerful tool that your installation may restrict its use with attach-time security. (The external security manager used by your installation defines the security attributes for the EDF transaction.) If this has been done, and you are not authorized to use CEDF, you cannot initiate the transaction. For guidance on using security, see your system programmer or the CICS RACF Security Guide.

What does EDF display?

All EDF displays have the same general format, but the contents depend on the point at which the task was interrupted. The display indicates which of these interception points has been reached and shows information relevant to that point. Figure 114 on page 550 shows a typical display; occurring after execution of a SEND MAP command.

Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

549

TRANSACTION: AC20 PROGRAM: DFH0VT1 TASK: 00032 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY:00 STATUS: COMMAND EXECUTION COMPLETE 1 EXEC CICS SEND MAP MAP ('T1 ') FROM ('...........................................................'...) LENGTH (154) MAPSET ('DFH0T1 ') CURSOR 2 TERMINAL ERASE NOFLUSH NOHANDLE

OFFSET:X'002522' LINE:00673 EIBFN=X'1804' RESPONSE: NORMAL EIBRESP=0 3 ENTER: CONTINUE 4 PF1 : UNDEFINED PF2 : SWITCH HEX/CHAR PF3 : END EDF SESSION PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF5 : WORKING STORAGE PF6 : USER DISPLAY PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF8 : SCROLL FORWARD PF9 : STOP CONDITIONS PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY PF11: EIB DISPLAY PF12: ABEND USER TASK

Figure 114. Typical EDF display

Note:

1 Header 2 Body 3 Message line 4 Menu of functions

The display consists of a header, a body (the primary display area), a message line, and a menu of functions you can select at this point. If the body does not fit on one screen, EDF creates multiple screens, which you can scroll through using PF7 and PF8. The header, menu, and message areas are repeated on each screen.

The header
The header shows: v The identifier of the transaction being executed v The name of the program being executed v The internal task number assigned by CICS to the transaction v The applid of the CICS region where the transaction is being executed v A display number v STATUS, that is, the reason for the interception by EDF

550

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

The body
The body or main part of the display contains the information that varies with the point of intercept. The following screens show the body contents: v At program initiation v At the start of execution of a CICS command v At the end of execution of a command on page 553 v At program and task termination on page 555 v At abnormal termination on page 556

At program initiation
At program initiation, as shown in Figure 115, EDF displays the COMMAREA (if any) and the contents of the principal fields in the EIB. For programming information about these EIB fields, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. If there isnt a COMMAREA, line 4 on the screen is left blank and EIBCALEN has a value of zero.
TRANSACTION: AC20 PROGRAM: DFH0VT1 TASK: 00032 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY:00 STATUS: PROGRAM INITIATION COMMAREA EIBTIME EIBDATE EIBTRNID EIBTASKN EIBTRMID EIBCPOSN EIBCALEN EIBAID EIBFN EIBRCODE EIBDS EIBREQID = = = = = = = = = = = = = '3476559873' 92920 91163 'AC20' 32 'S246' 4 10 X'7D' X'0000' X'000000000000' '........' '........'

AT X'032F059A' AT X'032F059B' AT X'032F059D'

ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY

PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11:

SWITCH HEX/CHAR WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY

PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12:

END EDF SESSION USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS UNDEFINED

Figure 115. Typical EDF display at program initiation

At the start of execution of a CICS command

At the start of execution of a CICS command, EDF displays the command, including keywords, options, and argument values, as shown in Figure 116 on page 552. You can display the information in hexadecimal or character form (and switch from one to the other) by pressing PF2. If character format is requested, numeric arguments are shown in signed numeric character format.

Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

551

TRANSACTION: AC20 PROGRAM: DFH0VT1 TASK: 00032 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY:00 STATUS: ABOUT TO EXECUTE COMMAND EXEC CICS SEND MAP MAP ('T1 ') FROM ('.............................................................'..) LENGTH (154) MAPSET ('DFH0T1 ') CURSOR TERMINAL ERASE NOFLUSH NOHANDLE

OFFSET:X'002522'

LINE:00673 PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11:

EIBFN=X'1804' SWITCH HEX/CHAR WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12: UNDEFINED USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS ABEND USER TASK

ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY

Figure 116. Typical EDF display at start of execution of a CICS command

Figure 117 shows a similar screen for the start of execution of an EXEC SQL command running with DB2 version 2.3.

TRANSACTION: LOKO PROGRAM: TLOKO TASK: 00082 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY:00 STATUS: ABOUT TO EXECUTE COMMAND CALL TO RESOURCE MANAGER DSNCSQL EXEC SQL UPDATE DBRM=TLOK0, STMT=00242, SECT=00001 IVAR 001: TYPE=CHAR, LEN=00010 AT X'001E5A99' DATA=X'F0F0F0F0F0F1F0F0F0F0'

OFFSET:X'000298' LINE: ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY

UNKNOWN EIBFN= X'0A02' PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11: UNDEFINED WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12: UNDEFINED USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS ABEND USER TASK

Figure 117. Typical SQL display at start of execution of a SQL command

In addition to options and values, the command is identified by its hexadecimal offset within the program. If the program was translated with the DEBUG translator option, the line number also appears, as shown in Figure 116. (See Defining translator options on page 74 for information about this option.)

552

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

At the start of an EXEC SQL or EXEC DLI command, the body of the EDF display shows you the parameter list of the CALL to which your command translates. If a DLI command generates multiple CALL statements, you see only the last CALL statement.

At the end of execution of a command

At the end of execution of a command, EDF provides a display in the same format as at the start of the command. At this point, you can see the effects of executing the command, in the values of the variables returned or changed and in the response code. EDF does not provide this display for the ABEND, XCTL, and RETURN commands (although these commands could raise an error condition that EDF displays). The completion screen corresponding to the about to execute screen in Figure 116 on page 552 is shown in Figure 118.

TRANSACTION: AC20 PROGRAM: DFH0VT1 TASK: 00054 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY:00 STATUS: COMMAND EXECUTION COMPLETE EXEC CICS SEND MAP MAP ('T1 ') FROM ('............................................................'...) LENGTH (154) MAPSET ('DFH0T1 ') CURSOR TERMINAL ERASE NOFLUSH NOHANDLE

OFFSET:X'002522' RESPONSE: NORMAL

LINE:00673

EIBFN=X'1804' EIBRESP=0 SWITCH HEX/CHAR WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12: END EDF SESSION USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS ABEND USER TASK

ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY

PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11:

Figure 118. Typical EDF display at completion of a CICS command

For CICS commands, response codes are described both by name (for example, NORMAL or NOTFND) and by the corresponding EIBRESP value in decimal form. For DL/I, the response code is a 2-character DL/I status code, and there is no EIBRESP value. Programming information, including a list of EIBRESP codes, is in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual, and DL/I codes are documented in the Application Programming: EXEC DLI Commands. Figure 119 and Figure 120 show typical screens for an EXEC DLI command.

Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

553

TRANSACTION: XDLI PROGRAM: UPDATE TASK: 00111 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY: 00 STATUS: COMMAND EXECUTION COMPLETE EXEC DLI GET NEXT USING PCB (+00003) FIRST SEGMENT ('A ') INTO (' ') SEGLENGTH (+00012) FIRST VARIABLE +SEGMENT ('B ')

OFFSET:X'000246' RESPONSE: 'AD'

LINE:

00000510

EIBFN:X'000C'

ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY

PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11:

SWITCH HEX/CHAR WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY

PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12:

END EDF SESSION USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS ABEND USER TASK

Figure 119. Typical EDF display at completion of a DLI command (screen one)

TRANSACTION: XDLI PROGRAM: UPDATE TASK: 00111 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY: 00 STATUS: COMMAND EXECUTION COMPLETE EXEC DLI GET NEXT + FIRST SEGMENT ('C ') SEGLENGTH (+00010) LOCKED INTO ('SMITH ') WHERE (ACCOUNT = '12345') FIELDLENGTH (+00005)

OFFSET:X'000246' RESPONSE: 'AD'

LINE: 00000510

EIBFN:X'000C'

ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY

PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11:

SWITCH HEX/CHAR WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY

PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12:

END EDF SESSION USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS ABEND USER TASK

Figure 120. Typical EDF display at completion of a DLI command (screen two)

Figure 121 on page 555 shows a typical screen for an EXEC SQL command at completion.

554

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

TRANSACTION: LOKO PROGRAM: TLOKO TASK: 00111 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY: 00 STATUS: COMMAND EXECUTION COMPLETE CALL TO RESOURCE MANAGER DSNCSQL EXEC SQL UPDATE PLAN=TLOK0, DBRM=TLOK0, STMT=00242, SECT=00001 SQL COMMUNICATION AREA: SQLCABC = 136 AT X'001E5A18' SQLCODE = 000 AT X'001E5A1C' SQLERRML = 000 AT X'001E5A20' SQLERRMC = '' AT X'001E5A22' SQLERRP = 'DSN' AT X'001E5A68' SQLERRD(1-6) = 000, 000, 00001, -1, 00000, 000 AT X'001E5A70' SQLWARN(0-A) = '_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _' AT X'001E5A88' SQLSTATE = 00000 AT X'001E5A93' OFFSET:X'000298' RESPONSE: LINE: UNKNOWN EIBFN= X'0A02'

ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY

PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11:

UNDEFINED WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY

PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12:

END EDF SESSION USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS ABEND USER TASK

Figure 121. Typical SQL display at completion of an SQL command

At program and task termination

At program termination and normal task termination, there is no body information; all the pertinent information is in the header. Figure 122 and Figure 123 on page 556 show typical screens for program and task termination.

TRANSACTION: AC20 PROGRAM: DFH0VT1 TASK: 00054 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY:00 STATUS: PROGRAM TERMINATION

ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY

PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11:

SWITCH HEX/CHAR WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY

PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12:

UNDEFINED USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS ABEND USER TASK

Figure 122. Typical EDF display at program termination

Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

555

TRANSACTION: AC20 STATUS: TASK TERMINATION

TASK: 00054 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY: 00

CONTINUE EDF? (ENTER YES ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY

OR NO) PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11: SWITCH HEX/CHAR WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12:

REPLY: YES END EDF SESSION USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS UNDEFINED

Figure 123. Typical EDF display at task termination

At abnormal termination
When an abend or abnormal task termination occurs, EDF displays the screens shown in Figure 124 and Figure 125 on page 557.

TRANSACTION: AC20 STATUS: AN ABEND COMMAREA = EIBTIME = EIBDATE = EIBTRNID = EIBTASKN = EIBTRMID = EIBCPOSN = EIBCALEN = EIBAID = EIBFN = EIBRCODE = EIBDS = + EIBREQID =

PROGRAM: DFH0VT1 TASK:00054 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY: 00 HAS OCCURRED '1287656678' 135510 91163 'AC20' 76 'S232' 4 10 X'7D' AT X'032F059A' X'1804' SEND AT X'032F059B' X'000000000000' AT X'032F059D' '........' '........'

ABEND :

ABCD PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11: SWITCH HEX/CHAR WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12: END EDF SESSION USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS UNDEFINED

ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY

Figure 124. Typical EDF display when an abend occurs

556

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

TRANSACTION: AC20 STATUS: ABNORMAL COMMAREA = EIBTIME = EIBDATE = EIBTRNID = EIBTASKN = EIBTRMID = EIBCPOSN = EIBCALEN = EIBAID = EIBFN = EIBRCODE = EIBDS = + EIBREQID =

TASK TERMINATION '2934564671' 135510 91163 'AC20' 76 'S232' 4 10 X'7D' X'1804' SEND X'000000000000' '........' '........'

TASK: 00054 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY: 00

AT X'032F059A' AT X'032F059B' AT X'032F059D'

ABEND : ABCD CONTINUE EDF? (ENTER YES OR NO) ENTER: CONTINUE PF1 : UNDEFINED PF2 : PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF5 : PF7 : SCROLL BACK PF8 : PF10: PREVIOUS DISPLAY PF11:

REPLY: YES SWITCH HEX/CHAR WORKING STORAGE SCROLL FORWARD EIB DISPLAY PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12: END EDF SESSION USER DISPLAY STOP CONDITIONS UNDEFINED

Figure 125. Typical EDF display at abnormal task termination

The body displays the COMMAREA and the values of the fields in the EIB as well as the following items: v The abend code v If the abend code is ASRA (that is, a program interrupt has occurred), the program status word (PSW) at the time of interrupt, and the source of the interrupt as indicated by the PSW v If the PSW indicates that the instruction giving rise to the interrupt is within the application program, the offset of that instruction

Using EDF
You can run EDF by invoking either the CEDF or CEDX transaction. If you are testing a non-terminal transaction, use the CEDX transaction, which enables you to specify the name of the transaction. If you are testing a transaction that is associated with a terminal, you can run EDF in the following ways: v Using EDF in single-screen mode on page 559 v Using EDF in dual-screen mode on page 560 v EDF and remote transactions on page 560 v EDF and non-terminal transactions on page 561 v EDF and DTP programs on page 561 Generally, you can use whichever method you prefer, but there are a few situations in which one or the other is required. You must use single-screen mode for remote transactions. See Restrictions when using EDF on page 548 for other conditions which affect your choice.

Interrupting program execution

The power of EDF lies in what you can do at each of the intercept points. For example, you can:
Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

557

v Change the argument values before a command is executed. For CICS commands, you cannot change the actual command, or add or delete options, but you can change the value associated with any option. You can also suppress execution of the command entirely using NOOP. See page 563 for further details. v Change the results of a command, either by changing the argument values returned by execution or by modifying the response code. This allows you to test branches of the program that are hard to reach using ordinary test data (for example, what happens on an input/output error). It also allows you to bypass the effects of an error to check whether this eliminates a problem. v Display the working storage of the program, the EIB, and for DL/I programs, the DIB. v Invoke the command interpreter (CECI). Under CECI you can execute commands that are not present in the program to gain additional information or change the execution environment. v Display any other location in the CICS region. v Change the working storage of the program and most fields in the EIB and the DIB. EDF stops your task from interfering with other tasks by preventing you from changing other areas of storage. v Display the contents of temporary storage and transient data queues. v Suppress EDF displays until one or more of a set of specific conditions is fulfilled. This speeds up testing. v Retrieve up to 10 previous EDF displays or saved screens. v Switch off EDF mode and run the application normally. v Abend the task. The first two types of changes are made by overtyping values in the body of the command displays. Overtyping to make changes on page 562 tells you how to do this. You use the function keys in the menu for the others; Using EDF menu functions on page 564 tells you exactly what you can do and how to go about it.
TRANSACTION: DLID PROGRAM: DLID ADDRESS: 00000000 TASK: 00049 APPLID: IYAHZCIB DISPLAY:00

WORKING STORAGE IS NOT AVAILABLE ENTER: CURRENT DISPLAY PF1 : UNDEFINED PF2 : BROWSE PF4 : EIB DISPLAY PF5 : INVOKE PF7 : SCROLL BACK HALF PF8 : SCROLL PF10: SCROLL BACK FULL PF11: SCROLL

TEMP STORAGE PF3 : UNDEFINED CECI PF6 : USER DISPLAY FORWARD HALF PF9 : UNDEFINED FORWARD FULL PF12: REMEMBER DISPLAY

Figure 126. Typical EDF display from which CECI can be invoked

558

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Using EDF in single-screen mode

When you use EDF with just one terminal, the EDF inputs and outputs are interleaved with those from the transaction. This sounds complicated, but works quite easily in practice. The only noticeable peculiarity is that when a SEND command is followed by a RECEIVE command, the display sent by the SEND command appears twice: once when the SEND is executed, and again when the RECEIVE is executed. It is not necessary to respond to the first display, but if you do, EDF preserves anything that was entered from the first display to the second. You start EDF by: v Entering transaction code CEDF from a cleared screen, or v Pressing the appropriate PF key (if one has been defined for EDF) Next, you start the transaction to be tested by: 1. Pressing the CLEAR key to clear the screen 2. Entering the transaction code of the transaction you want to test When both EDF and the user transaction are sharing the same terminal, EDF restores the user transaction display at the following times: v When the transaction requires input from the operator v When you change the transaction display v At the end of the transaction v When you suppress the EDF displays v When you request USER DISPLAY To 1. 2. 3. enable restoration, user displays are remembered at the following times: At start of task, before the first EDF screen for the task is displayed Before the next EDF screen is displayed, if the user display has been changed On leaving SCREEN SUPPRESS mode

If a program has been translated with option NOEDF, or has NO specified for CEDF in its resource definition, it is not possible for EDF to ascertain when the user display is being changed. This means that, unless either situation 1 or 3 also apply, the next EDF screen to be displayed overwrites any user display sent by this program without saving it first, so that it cannot be later restored. When EDF restores the transaction display, it does not sound the alarm or affect the keyboard in the same way as the user transaction. The effect of the user transaction options is seen when the SEND command is processed, but not when the screen is restored. When you have NOEDF specified in single-screen mode, you should take care that your program does not send and receive data because you will not see it. When EDF restores the transaction display on a device that uses color, programmed symbols, or extended highlighting, these attributes are no longer present and the display is monochrome without the programmed symbols or extended highlighting. Also, if the inbound reply mode in the application program is set to character to enable the attribute-setting keys, EDF resets this mode, causing these keys to be disabled. If these changes prevent your transaction from executing properly, you should test in a dual-screen mode. If you end your EDF session part way through the transaction, EDF restores the screen with the keyboard locked if the most recent RECEIVE command has not been followed by a SEND command; otherwise, the keyboard is unlocked.

Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

559

Checking pseudoconversational programs

EDF makes a special provision for testing pseudoconversational transactions from a single terminal. If the terminal came out of EDF mode between the several tasks that make up a pseudoconversational transaction, it would be very hard to do any debugging after the first task. So, when a task terminates, EDF asks the operator whether EDF mode is to continue to the next task. If you are debugging a pseudoconversational task, press enter, as the default is yes. If you have finished, reply no.

Using EDF in dual-screen mode

In dual-screen mode, you use one terminal for EDF interaction and another for sending input to, and receiving output from, the transaction under test. You start by entering, at the EDF terminal, the transaction CEDF tttt, where tttt is the name of the terminal on which the transaction is to be tested. The message that CEDF gives in response to this depends on whether there is already a transaction running on the second terminal. If the second terminal is not busy, the message displayed at the first terminal is:
TERMINAL tttt: EDF MODE ON

and nothing further happens until a transaction is started on the second terminal, when the PROGRAM INITIATION display appears. You can also use EDF in dual-screen mode to monitor a transaction that is already running on the second terminal. If, for example, you believe a transaction at a specific terminal to be looping, you can go to another terminal and enter a CEDF transaction naming the terminal at which this transaction is running. The message displayed at the first terminal is:
TERMINAL tttt: TRANSACTION RUNNING: EDF MODE ON

EDF picks up control at the next EXEC CICS command executed, and you can then observe the sequence of commands that are causing the loop, assuming that at least one EXEC CICS command is executed.

EDF and remote transactions

You cannot use EDF in dual-screen mode if the transaction under test, or the terminal that invokes it, is owned by another CICS region. Furthermore, if the remote CICS region is earlier than CICS/ESA 3.1.1, you cannot run the transaction directly under EDF by invoking CEDF in the TOR. In this situation, you must use the routing transaction, CRTE. You enter CEDF at the terminal, clear the screen, and then enter CRTE followed by the system identifier (SYSIDNT) of the remote CICS region. This action causes CICS to route subsequent inputs to the remote region, and you can then enter the transaction identifier of the transaction you want to test. The CICS Supplied Transactions manual explains how to use CRTE. If a remote transaction abends while under EDF using a CRTE routing session, EDF displays the abnormal task termination screen, followed by message DFHAC2206 for the user transaction. The CRTE session is not affected by the user task abend. Also, if you opted to continue with EDF after the abend, your terminal remains in EDF mode within the CRTE routing session.

560

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

There is a difference in execution as well. For remote transactions, EDF purges its memory of your session at the termination of each transaction, whether EDF is to be continued or not. This means that any options you have set and any saved screens are lost between the individual tasks in a pseudoconversational sequence.

EDF and non-terminal transactions

You can use EDF to test transactions that execute without a terminal: for example, transactions started by an EXEC CICS START command, or transactions initiated by a transient data trigger-level. To test non-terminal transactions, use the CEDX trnx command, where trnx is the transaction identifier. To test a transaction using CEDX: v The terminal you use for the EDF displays, at which you enter the CEDX command, must be logged on to the CICS region in which the specified transaction is to execute. v The CEDX command must be issued before the specified transaction is started by CICS. Other instances of the same transaction that are already executing when you issue the CEDX command are ignored. When you use CEDX to debug a transaction, CICS controls the EDF operation by modifying the definition of the transaction specified on the CEDX command, to reference a special transaction class, DFHEDFTC. When you switch off EDF (using CEDX tranid,OFF) CICS modifies the transaction definition back to its normal transaction class.

EDF and DTP programs

You can also test a transaction that is using distributed transaction processing across a remote link by telling EDF to monitor the session on the link. You can do this on either (or both) of the participating systems that are running under CICS and has EDF installed. (You cannot do this if the transaction has been routed from another CICS region because you must use single-screen mode for remote transactions.) For APPC and MRO links, you can name the system identifier (sysid) of the remote system:
CEDF sysid

This causes EDF to associate itself with any transaction attached across any session belonging to the specified system. For APPC, MRO, and LU6.1 links, you can use the session identifier (sessionid) that the transaction is using:
CEDF sessionid

You can determine the session identifier with the CEMT INQUIRE TERMINAL transaction, but this means that the transaction must be running and have reached the point of establishing a session before you start EDF. If a transaction using distributed transaction processing also has a terminal associated with it, or if you can invoke it from a terminal (even though it does not use one), you can use EDF to test it in the ordinary way from that terminal.

Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

561

When you have finished testing the transaction on the remote system, you should turn off EDF on that SYSID or sessionid before logging off from CICS with CESF. For example:
CEDF sysid,OFF

Failure to do this could cause another transaction using a link to that system to be suspended.

EDF and distributed program link commands

You can use EDF, in single- or dual-terminal mode, to test a transaction that includes a distributed program link (DPL) command. However, EDF displays only the DPL command invocation and response screens. CICS commands issued by the remote program are not displayed, but a remote abend, and the message a remote abend has occurred is returned to the EDF terminal, along with the SYSID of the system from which the abend was received. After control is returned to your local program, EDF continues to test as normal, but the PSW is not displayed if the abend is in a remote program.

Stopping EDF
If you want to end EDF control of a terminal, the method you use depends on where you are in the testing. If the transaction under test is still executing and you want it to continue, but without EDF, press the END EDF SESSION function key. If you have reached the task termination intercept, EDF asks if you want to continue. If you do not, overtype the reply as NO (YES is the default). If no transaction is executing at the terminal, clear the screen and enter:
CEDF ,OFF

(The space and comma are required.) If you are logging off from dual-screen mode, clear the screen and enter CEDF tttt,OFF. In all these cases, the message THIS TERMINAL: EDF MODE OFF is displayed at the top of an empty screen.

Overtyping to make changes

Most of the changes you make with EDF involve changing information in memory. You do this simply by typing over the information shown on the screen with the information you want used instead. You can change any area where the cursor stops when you use the tab keys, except for the menu area at the bottom. When you change the screen, you must observe the following rules: v On CICS command screens, any argument value can be overtyped, but not the keyword of the argument. An optional argument cannot be removed, nor can an option be added or deleted. v When you change an argument in the command display (as opposed to the working storage screen), you can change only the part shown on the display. If you attempt to overtype beyond the value displayed, the changes are not made and no diagnostic message is generated. If the argument is so long that only part of it appears on the screen, you should change the area in working storage to which the argument points. (To determine the address, display the argument in hexadecimal format; the address of the argument location also appears.) v In character format, numeric values always have a sign field, which can be overtyped with a minus or a blank only.

562

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

v When an argument is to be displayed in character format, some of the characters may not be displayable (including lowercase characters). EDF replaces each nondisplayable character with a period. When overtyping a period, you must be aware that the storage may in fact contain a character other than a period. You should not overtype any character with a period; if you do, the change is ignored and no diagnostic message is issued. If you need to overtype a character with a period, you can do so by switching the display to hexadecimal format, using PF2, and overtyping with X'4B'. v When storage is displayed in both character and hexadecimal format and changes are made to both, the value of the hexadecimal field takes precedence should the changes conflict; no diagnostic message is issued. v The arguments for some commands, such as HANDLE CONDITION, are program labels rather than numeric or character data. The form in which EDF displays (and accepts modifications to) these arguments depends on the programming language in use: For COBOL, a null argument is displayed: for example, ERROR ( ), and because of this, you cannot modify it. For C and C++, labels are not valid. For PL/I, the address of the label constant is used; for example, ERROR (X'001D0016'). For assembler language, the address of the program label is used; for example, ERROR (X'00030C'). If no label value is specified on a HANDLE CONDITION command, EDF displays the condition name alone without the parentheses. v The response field can be overtyped with the name of any exception condition, including ERROR, that can occur for the current function, or with the word NORMAL. The effect when EDF continues is that the program takes whatever action has been prescribed for the specified response. You can get the same effect by changing the EIBRESP field in the EIB display to the corresponding values. If you change the EIBRESP value or the response field on the command execution complete screen, EIBRCODE is updated. EIBRESP appears on second EIB screen and is the only one you can change (EIBRCODE protected). You can get the same effect by changing the EIBRESP value on the EIB display; EDF changes related values in the EIB and command screens accordingly if you do this. v If uppercase translation is not specified for the terminal you are using you must take care to always enter uppercase characters. v Any command can be overtyped with NOOP or NOP before processing; this suppresses processing of the command. Use of the ERASE EOF key, or overtyping with blanks, gives the same effect. When the screen is redisplayed with NOOP, the original verb line can be restored by erasing the whole verb line with the ERASE EOF key and pressing the ENTER key. When you overtype a field representing a data area in your program, the change is made directly in application program storage and is permanent. However, if you change a field that represents a constant (a program literal), program storage is not changed, because this may affect other parts of the program that use the same constant or other tasks using the program. The command is executed with the changed data, but when the command is displayed after processing, the original argument values reappear. For example, suppose you are testing a program containing a command coded:
EXEC CICS SEND MAP(MENU) END-EXEC.

Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

563

If you change the name MENU to MENU2 under EDF before executing the command, the map actually used is MENU2, but the map displayed on the response is MENU. (You can use the previous display key to verify the map name you used.) If you process the same command more than once, you must enter this type of change each time.

EDF responses
The response of EDF to any keyboard entry follows the rules listed below, in the order shown: 1. If the CLEAR key is used, EDF redisplays the screen with any changes ignored. 2. If invalid changes are made, EDF accepts any valid changes and redisplays the screen with a diagnostic message. 3. If the display number is changed, EDF accepts any other changes and shows the requested display. 4. If a PF key is used, EDF accepts any changes and performs the action requested by the PF key. Pressing ENTER with the cursor under a PF key definition in the menu at the bottom of the screen is the same as pressing a PF key. 5. If the ENTER key is pressed and the screen has been modified (other than the REPLY field), EDF redisplays the screen with changes included. 6. If the ENTER key is pressed and the screen has not been modified (other than the REPLY field), the effect differs according to the meaning of the ENTER key. If the ENTER key means CONTINUE, the user transaction continues to execute. If it means CURRENT DISPLAY, EDF redisplays the current status display.

Using EDF menu functions

The function keys that you can use at any given time are displayed in a menu at the bottom of every EDF display (see Figure 114 on page 550). The function of the ENTER key for that display is also shown. Functions that apply to all displays are always assigned to the same key, but definitions of some keys depend on the display and the intercept point. To select an option, press the indicated function key. Where a terminal has 24 function keys, EDF treats PF13 through PF24 as duplicates of PF1 through PF12 respectively. If your terminal has no PF keys, place the cursor under the option you want and press the ENTER key. ABEND USER TASK terminates the task being monitored. EDF asks you to confirm this action by displaying the message ENTER ABEND CODE AND REQUEST ABEND AGAIN. After entering the code at the position indicated by the cursor, the user must request this function again to abend the task with a transaction dump identified by the specified code. If you enter NO, the task is abended without a dump and with the 4-character default abend code of four question marks (????). Abend codes beginning with the character A are reserved for use by CICS. Using a CICS abend code may cause unpredictable results. You cannot use this function if an abend is already in progress or the task is terminating. BROWSE TEMP STORAGE produces a display of the temporary storage queue CEBRxxxx, where xxxx is the terminal identifier of the terminal running EDF. This function is only available from the working storage (PF5) screen. You can then use CEBR commands,

564

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

discussed in Using the CEBR commands on page 574, to display or modify temporary storage queues and to read or write transient data queues. CONTINUE redisplays the current screen if you have made any changes, incorporating the changes. If you had not made changes, CONTINUE causes the transaction under test to resume execution up to the next intercept point. To continue, press ENTER. CURRENT DISPLAY redisplays the current screen if you have made any changes, with the changes incorporated. If you have not made changes, it causes EDF to display the command screen for the last intercept point. To execute this function, press ENTER from the appropriate screen. DIB DISPLAY shows the contents of the DL/I interface block (DIB). This function is only available from the working-storage screen (PF5). See the Application Programming: EXEC DLI Commands manual for information on DIB fields. EIB DISPLAY displays the contents of the EIB. See Figure 115 on page 551 for an example of an EIB display. For programming information about the EIB, see the CICS Application Programming Reference manual. If COMMAREA exists, EDF also displays its address and one line of data in the dump format. INVOKE CECI accesses CECI. This function is only available from the working storage (PF5) screen. See Figure 126 on page 558 for an example of the screen from which CECI is invoked. You can then use CECI commands, discussed in Chapter 51. Command-level interpreter (CECI) on page 579. These CECI commands include INQUIRE and SET commands against the resources referenced by the original command before and after command execution. See inbound reply mode on page 548 for restrictions when running CECI in dual-screen mode. The use of CECI from this panel is similar to the use of CEBR within CEDF. END EDF SESSION ends the EDF control of the transaction. The transaction continues running from that point but no longer runs in EDF mode. NEXT DISPLAY is the reverse of PREVIOUS DISPLAY. When you have returned to a previous display, this option causes the next one forward to be displayed and the display number to increase by one. PREVIOUS DISPLAY causes the previous display to be sent to the screen. This is the previous command display, unless you saved other displays. The number of the display from the current intercept point is always 00. As you request previous displays, the display number decreases by 1 to 01 for the first previous display, 02 for the one before that, and so on, down to the oldest display, 10. When no more previous screens are available, the PREVIOUS option disappears from the menu, and the corresponding function key becomes inoperative. REGISTERS AT ABEND displays storage containing the values of the registers should a local ASRA abend occur. The layout of the storage is: v Register values (0 through 15) v PSW at abend (8 bytes)

Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

565

In some cases, when a second program check occurs in the region before EDF has captured the values of the registers, this function does not appear on the menu of the abend display. If this happens, a second test run generally proves to be more informative. REMEMBER DISPLAY places a display that would not usually be kept in memory, such as an EIB display, in the EDF memory. (EDF automatically saves the displays at the start and completion of each command.) The memory can hold up to 10 displays. The displays are numbered in reverse chronological order (that is, 10 is the oldest display, and 01 is the newest). All pages associated with the display are kept in memory and can be scrolled when recalled. Note, however, that if you save a working-storage display, only the screen on view is saved. SCROLL BACK applies to an EIB, DIB, or command display that does not all fit on one screen. When the screen on view is not the first one of the display, and there is a plus sign (+) before the first option or field, you can view previous screens in the display by selecting SCROLL BACK. See Figure 115 on page 551 for an example. SCROLL FORWARD applies to an EIB, DIB, or command display that does not all fit on one screen. When this happens, a plus sign (+) appears after the last option or field in the display, to show that there are more screens. Using SCROLL FORWARD brings up the next screen in the display. SCROLL BACK FULL has the same function for displays of working storage as the SCROLL BACK option for EIB and DIB displays. SCROLL BACK FULL gives a working-storage display one full screen backward, showing addresses lower in storage than those on the current screen. SCROLL FORWARD FULL has the same function for displays of working storage as the SCROLL FORWARD option for EIB and DIB displays. SCROLL FORWARD FULL gives a working-storage display one full screen forward, showing addresses higher in storage than those on the current screen. SCROLL BACK HALF is similar to SCROLL BACK FULL, except that the display of working storage is reversed by only half a screen. SCROLL FORWARD HALF is similar to SCROLL FORWARD FULL, except that the display of working storage is advanced by only half a screen. STOP CONDITIONS produces the menu screen shown in Figure 127 on page 567. You use this screen to tell EDF when to resume its displays after you have pressed the SUPPRESS DISPLAYS key. You can use STOP CONDITIONS and SUPPRESS DISPLAYS together to cut down on the interaction between you and EDF when you are checking a program that you know is partly working.

566

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

TRANSACTION: AC20 PROGRAM: DFH0VT1 TASK: 0086 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY: 00 DISPLAY ON CONDITION:COMMAND: OFFSET: LINE NUMBER: CICS EXCEPTION CONDITION: ANY CICS CONDITION TRANSACTION ABEND NORMAL TASK TERMINATION ABNORMAL TASK TERMINATION DLI ERROR STATUS: ANY DLI ERROR STATUS EXEC CICS X'......' ERROR NO YES YES YES

ENTER: CURRENT DISPLAY PF1 : UNDEFINED PF4 : SUPPRESS DISPLAYS PF7 : UNDEFINED PF10: UNDEFINED

PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11:

UNDEFINED WORKING STORAGE UNDEFINED UNDEFINED

PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12:

UNDEFINED USER DISPLAY UNDEFINED REMEMBER DISPLAY

Figure 127. Typical EDF display for STOP CONDITIONS

You can specify any or all of these events as STOP CONDITIONS: v A specific type of function and option, such as READNEXT file or ENQ resource, is encountered, for example, FEPI ADD or GDS ASSIGN. v The command at a specific offset or on a specific line number (assuming the program has been translated with the DEBUG option) is encountered. v Any DL/I error status occurs, or a particular DLI error status occurs. v A specific exception condition occurs. If CICS exception condition is specified as ERROR (the default), EDF redisplays a screen in response to any ERROR condition (for example, NOTOPEN, EOF, or INVREQ). If you specify a specific condition such as EOF, EDF redisplays the screen only when an EOF condition arises, provided that ANY CICS CONDITION is left as the default NO. If this field is changed to YES, EDF overrides the CICS exception conditions and redisplays a screen whenever any command results in a non-zero EIBRESP value such as NOTOPEN, EOF, or QBUSY. v Any exception condition occurs for which the CICS action is to raise ERROR; for example, INVREQ or NOTFND. v An abend occurs. v The task ends normally. v The task ends abnormally. You do not always have to set STOP CONDITIONS in order to use the SUPPRESS DISPLAYS function, because EDF sets a default in the following fields on the assumption that you usually want to resume displays if any of them occurs: v CICS exception condition v Transaction abend v Normal task termination v Abnormal task termination

Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

567

These are the options described in Figure 127 on page 567. You can turn off any of the defaults that do not apply when you bring up the STOP CONDITIONS menu, as well as adding conditions specific to your program. When you use an offset for STOP CONDITIONS, you must specify the offset of the BALR instruction corresponding to a command. The offset can be determined from the code listing produced by the compiler or assembler. In COBOL, C, C++, or PL/I, you must use the compiler option that produces the assembler listing to determine the relevant BALR instruction. When you use a line number, you must specify it exactly as it appears on the listing, including leading zeros, and it must be the line on which a command starts. If you have used the NUM or the SEQUENCE translator options, the translator uses your line numbers as they appear in the source. Otherwise, the translator assigns line numbers. Line numbers can be found in the translator listing (SYSPRINT in the translator step) if you have used either the SOURCE or VBREF translator options. If you have used the DEBUG translator option, as you must to use line numbers for STOP CONDITIONS, the line number also appears in your compilation (assembly) listing, embedded in the translated form of the command, as a parameter in the CALL statement. You can tell EDF to stop suppressing displays at DL/I commands as well as at CICS commands. You do this by overtyping the qualifier CICS on the command line with DLI and entering the type of DL/I command at which you want suppression to stop. You must be executing a DL/I program or have executed one earlier in the same task. You can suppress DL/I commands as early as the program initiation panel. You can also stop suppression when a particular DL/I status code occurs. For information about the status codes that you can use, see the list of codes in the DL/I interface block (DIB) in the Application Programming: EXEC DLI Commands manual. SUPPRESS DISPLAYS suppresses all EDF displays until one of the specified STOP CONDITIONS occurs. When the condition occurs, however, you still have access to the 10 previous command displays, even though they were not actually sent to the screen when they were originally created. SWITCH HEX/CHAR switches displays between character and hexadecimal form. The switch applies only to the command display, and has no effect on previously remembered displays, STOP CONDITIONS displays, or working-storage displays. In DL/I command displays which contain the WHERE option, only the key values (the expressions following each comparison operator) can be converted to hexadecimal. UNDEFINED means that the indicated function key is not defined for the current display at the current intercept point. USER DISPLAY causes EDF to display what would be on the screen if the transaction was not running in EDF mode. (You can use it only for single terminal checkout.) To return to EDF after using this key, press the ENTER key.

568

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

WORKING STORAGE allows you to see the contents of the working-storage area in your program, or of any other address in the CICS region. Figure 128 shows a typical working-storage screen.
TRANSACTION: AC20 ADDRESS: 035493F0 035493F0 000000 03549400 000010 03549410 000020 03549420 000030 03549430 000040 03549440 000050 03549450 000060 03549460 000070 03549470 000080 03549480 000090 03549490 0000A0 035494A0 0000B0 035494B0 0000C0 035494C0 0000D0 035494D0 0000E0 035494E0 0000F0 PROGRAM: DFH0VT1 TASK: 00030 APPLID: 1234567 DISPLAY:00 WORKING STORAGE E3F14040 00000000 00010000 00000000 T1 ........... 00000000 00000000 F1000000 00000000 ........1....... F0000000 00000000 F0000000 00000000 0.......0....... F0000000 00000000 F0000000 00000000 0.......0....... 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 ................ D7C1D5D3 00000000 D9C5C3C4 00000000 PANL....RECD.... D3C9E2E3 00000000 C8C5D3D7 00000000 LIST....HELP.... 84000000 00000000 A4000000 00000000 d.......u....... 82000000 00000000 C4000000 00000000 b.......D....... E4000000 00000000 C2000000 00000000 U.......B....... D5000000 00000000 E2000000 00000000 N.......S....... 7B000000 00000000 6C000000 00000000 #.......%....... 4A000000 00000000 F1000000 00000000 .......1....... F2000000 00000000 F3000000 00000000 2.......3....... 00000000 00000000 C4C6C8F0 E5C1C240 ........DFH0VAB C4C6C8F0 E5E3C2D3 C4C6C8F0 E5D3C9D6 DFH0VTBLDFH0VLIO BROWSE INVOKE SCROLL SCROLL TEMP STORAGE PF3 : UNDEFINED CECI PF6 : USER DISPLAY FORWARD HALF PF9 : UNDEFINED FORWARD FULL PF12: REMEMBER DISPLAY

ENTER: CURRENT DISPLAY PF1 : UNDEFINED PF2 : PF4 : EIB DISPLAY PF5 : PF7 : SCROLL BACK HALF PF8 : PF10: SCROLL BACK FULL PF11:

Figure 128. Typical EDF display for working-storage

The working-storage contents are displayed in a form similar to that of a dump listing, that is, in both hexadecimal and character representation. The address of working storage is displayed at the top of the screen. You can browse through the entire area using the scroll commands, or you can simply enter a new address at the top of the screen. This address can be anywhere within the CICS region. The working-storage display provides two additional scrolling keys, and a key to display the EIB (the DIB if the command is a DL/I command). The meaning of working storage depends on the programming language of the application program, as follows: COBOL All data storage defined in the WORKING-STORAGE section of the program C, C++ and PL/I The dynamic storage area (DSA) of the current procedure Assembler language The storage defined in the current DFHEISTG DSECT Assembler language programs do not always acquire working storage; it may not be necessary, for example, if the program does not issue CICS commands. You may get the message Register 13 does not address DFHEISTG when you LINK to such a program. The message does not necessarily mean an error, but there is no working storage to look at. Except for COBOL programs, working storage starts with a standard format save area; that is, registers 14 to 12 begin at offset 12 and register 13 is stored at offset 4.
Chapter 49. Execution diagnostic facility (EDF)

569

Working storage can be changed at the screen; either the hexadecimal section or the character section can be used. Also, the ADDRESS field at the head of the display can be overtyped with a hexadecimal address; storage starting at that address is then displayed when ENTER is pressed. This allows any location in the address space to be examined. Further information on the use of overtyping is given in Overtyping to make changes on page 562. If the program storage examined is not part of the working storage of the program currently executing (which is unique to the particular transaction under test), the corresponding field on the screen is protected to prevent the user from overwriting storage that might belong to or affect another task. If the initial part of a working-storage display line is blank, the blank portion is not part of working storage. This can occur because the display is doubleword aligned. At the beginning and end of a task, working storage is not available. In these circumstances, EDF generates a blank storage display so that the user can still examine any storage area in the region by overtyping the address field. Note that if you terminate a PL/I or Language Environment/370 program with an ordinary non-CICS return, EDF does not intercept the return, and you are not able to see working storage. If you use a RETURN command instead, you get an EDF display before execution and at program termination. If you are using a Language Environment/370-enabled program, working storage is freed at program termination if the program is terminated using a non-CICS return. In this case, working storage is not available for display.

570

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 50. Temporary storage browse (CEBR)

You can use the browse transaction (CEBR) to browse temporary storage queues and delete them. You can also use the CEBR transaction to transfer the contents of a transient data queue to temporary storage in order to look at them, and to reestablish the transient data queue when you have finished. The CEBR commands that perform these transfers allow you to add records to a transient data queue and remove all records from a transient data queue. Some installations restrict the use of the CEBR transaction, particularly in production systems, to prevent modifications that were not intended or not authorized. Installations also may protect individual resources, including temporary storage and transient data queues. If you are using the CEBR transaction and experience an abend described as a security failure, you probably have attempted to access a queue to which your user ID is not authorized. This chapter describes: v Using the CEBR transaction v What does the CEBR transaction display? on page 573 v Using the CEBR function keys on page 573 v Using the CEBR commands on page 574 v Using the CEBR transaction with transient data on page 576

Using the CEBR transaction

You start the CEBR transaction by entering the transaction identifier CEBR, followed by the name of the queue you want to browse. You can choose a name of up to 16 characters. For example, to display the temporary storage queue named AXBYQUEUENAME111 you type CEBR AXBYQUEUENAME111 and press ENTER. CICS responds with a display of the queue, for example, as shown in Figure 129 on page 572. Alternatively, you can start the CEBR transaction from the CEDF transaction. You do this by pressing PF5 from the initial CEDF screen (see Figure 114 on page 550) which takes you to the working-storage screen, and then pressing PF2 from that screen to browse temporary storage (that is, invoke the CEBR transaction). CEBR can also be started from CEMT I TSQ by entering b at the queue to be browsed. The CEBR transaction responds by displaying the temporary storage queue whose name consists of the four letters CEBR followed by the four letters of your terminal identifier. (CICS uses this same default queue name if you invoke the CEBR transaction directly and do not supply a queue name.) The result of invoking the CEBR transaction without a queue name or from an EDF session at terminal S21A is shown in Figure 130. If you enter the CEBR transaction from the CEDF transaction, you return to the EDF panel when you press PF3 from the CEBR screen.

571

CEBR TSQ AXBYQUEUENAME111 SYSID CIJP REC 1 OF 3 COL 1 OF 5 ENTER COMMAND ===> ************************** TOP OF QUEUE ******************************* 00001 HELLO 00002 HELLO 00003 HELLO ************************* BOTTOM OF QUEUE *****************************

PF1 : PF4 : PF7 : PF10:

HELP VIEW TOP SCROLL BACK HALF SCROLL BACK FULL

PF2 : PF5 : PF8 : PF11:

SWITCH HEX/CHAR VIEW BOTTOM SCROLL FORWARD HALF SCROLL FORWARD FULL

PF3 : PF6 : PF9 : PF12:

TERMINATE BROWSE REPEAT LAST FIND UNDEFINED UNDEFINED

Figure 129. Typical CEBR display of temporary storage queue contents

CEBR TSQ AXBYQUEUEAME1AA SYSID CIJP REC 1 OF 0 COL 1 OF 0 1 ENTER COMMAND ===> 2 ************************** TOP OF QUEUE ******************************* ************************* BOTTOM OF QUEUE *****************************

TS QUEUE AXBYQUEUEAME1AA DOES NOT EXIST PF1 : HELP PF2 : SWITCH HEX/CHAR PF4 : VIEW TOP PF5 : VIEW BOTTOM PF7 : SCROLL BACK HALF PF8 : SCROLL FORWARD HALF PF10: SCROLL BACK FULL PF11: SCROLL FORWARD FULL

PF3 : TERMINATE BROWSE PF6 : REPEAT LAST FIND PF9 : UNDEFINED PF12: UNDEFINED

4 5

Note:

1 Header 2 Command area 3 Body 4 Message line 5 Menu of options

Figure 130. Typical CEBR display of default temporary storage queue

572

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

What does the CEBR transaction display?

As shown in Figure 130 on page 572, a CEBR transaction display consists of a header, a command area, a body (the primary display area), a message line, and a menu of functions you can select at this point.

The header
The header shows: v The transaction being run, that is, CEBR. v The identifier of the temporary storage queue (AXBYQUEUEAME111 in Figure 129 on page 572 and (AXBYQUEUEAME1AA in Figure 130 on page 572). You can overtype this field in the header if you want to switch the screen to another queue. v The system name that corresponds to a temporary storage pool name or to a remote system. If you have not specified one, the name of the local system is displayed. You can overtype this field in the header if you want to browse a shared or remote queue. v The number of the highlighted record. v The number of records in the queue (three in AXBYQUEUEAME111 and none in AXBYQUEUEAME1AA) v The position in each record at which the screen starts (position 1 in both cases) and the length of the longest record (22 for queue AXBYQUEUEAME111 and zero for queue AXBYQUEUEAME1AA).

The command area

The command area is where you enter commands that control what is to be displayed and what function is to be performed. These commands are described in Using the CEBR commands on page 574. You can also modify the screen with function keys shown in the menu of options at the bottom of the screen. The function keys are explained in Using the CEBR function keys.

The body
The body is where the queue records are shown. Each line of the screen corresponds to one queue record. If a record is too long for the line, it is truncated. You can change the portion of the record that is displayed, however, so that you can see an entire record on successive screens. If the queue contains more records than will fit on the screen, you can page forward and backward through them, or specify at what record to start the display, so that you can see all the records you want.

The message line

CEBR uses the message line between the body and menu to display messages to the user, such as the Does not exist message in Figure 130 on page 572.

Using the CEBR function keys

The function keys that you can use at any time are displayed at the bottom of every CEBR transaction screen. The keys have the same meaning on all screens. If your terminal does not have PF keys, you can simulate their use by placing the cursor under the description and pressing ENTER. Where a terminal has 24 function keys, the CEBR transaction treats PF13 through PF24 as duplicates of PF1 through PF12 respectively.
Chapter 50. Temporary storage browse (CEBR)

573

PF1 HELP Displays a help screen that lists all the commands you can use when the CEBR transaction is running. You can return to the main screen by pressing ENTER. PF2 SWITCH HEX/CHAR Switches the screen from character to hexadecimal format, and back again. PF3 TERMINATE BROWSE Terminates the CEBR transaction. If you entered the CEBR transaction directly, it frees up your terminal for the next transaction. If you entered from an EDF session, it returns you to the working-storage screen from which you entered. If you entered from CEMT I TSQ, it returns you to the CEMT screen. PF4 VIEW TOP Displays the first records in the queue and has the same effect as the TOP command. PF5 VIEW BOTTOM Displays the last records in the queue and has the same effect as the BOTTOM command. PF6 REPEAT LAST FIND Repeats the previous FIND command. PF7 SCROLL BACK HALF Moves the display backward by one-half the number of records that fit on the screen, so that the records on the top half of the screen move to the bottom half. PF8 SCROLL FORWARD HALF Advances the display by one-half the number of records that fit on the screen, so that the records on the bottom half of the screen move to the top half. PF9 VIEW RIGHT (or VIEW LEFT) Changes the screen to show the columns immediately after (to the right of) or before (to the left of) the columns currently on display. The key is not defined if the entire record fits on one line of the screen. It moves you to the right until the end of the record is reached, and then reverses to move left back to the beginning of the record. You can also use the COLUMN command to change the column at which the display begins. PF10 SCROLL BACK FULL Moves the screen backward by the number of records that fit on the screen, to show the records immediately before those currently on display. PF11 SCROLL FORWARD FULL Advances the screen by the number of records that will fit on the screen, to show the records immediately after those currently on display.

Using the CEBR commands

Here is a list of the CEBR commands that you can use to view and manipulate the records in the temporary storage queue. BOTTOM (Abbreviation: B) Shows the last records in the temporary storage queue (as many as fill up the body of the screen, with the last record on the last line). COLUMN nnnn (Abbreviation: C nnnn)

574

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Displays the records starting at character position (column) nnnn of each record. The default starting position, assumed when you initiate the CEBR transaction, is the first character in the record. FIND /string (Abbreviation: F /string) Finds the next occurrence of the specified string. The search starts in the record after the current record. The current record is the one that is highlighted. In the initial display of a queue, the current record is set to one, and therefore the search begins at record two. If the string is found, the record containing the string becomes the highlighted line, and the display is changed to show this record on the second line. If you cannot see the search string after a successful FIND, it is in columns of the record beyond those on display; use the scroll key or the COLUMN command to shift the display right or left to show the string. For example:
FIND /05-02-93

locates the next occurrence of the string 05-02-93 The / character is a delimiter. It does not have to be /, but it must not be a character that appears in the search argument. For example, if the string you were looking for was 05/02/93 instead of 05-02-93, you could not use the following:
FIND /05/02/93

There is a slash in the search string. The following examples would work:
FIND X05/02/93 or FIND S05/07/93

Any delimiter except a / or one of the digits in the string works. If there are any spaces in the search string, you must repeat the delimiter at the end of the string. For example:
FIND /CLARE JACKSON/

The search string is not case-sensitive. When you have entered a FIND command, you can repeat it (that is, find the next occurrence of the string) by pressing PF6. GET xxxx (Abbreviation: G xxxx) Transfers the named transient data queue to the end of the temporary storage queue currently on display. This enables you to browse the contents of the queue. xxxx must be either the name of an intrapartition transient data queue, or the name of an extrapartition transient data queue that has been opened for input. See Using the CEBR transaction with transient data on page 576 for more information about browsing transient data queues. LINE nnnn (Abbreviation: L nnnn) Starts the body of the screen at the queue record one prior to nnnn, and sets the current line to nnnn. (This arrangement causes a subsequent FIND command to start the search after record nnnn.) PURGE Deletes the queue being browsed.

Chapter 50. Temporary storage browse (CEBR)

575

Do not use PURGE to delete the contents of an internally generated queue, such as a BMS logical message. Note: If you purge a recoverable temporary storage queue, no other task can update that queue (add a record, change a record, or purge) until your task ends. PUT xxxx (Abbreviation: P xxxx) Copies the temporary storage queue that is being browsed to the named transient data queue. xxxx must be either the name of an intrapartition transient data queue, or the name of an extrapartition transient data queue that has been opened for output. See Using the CEBR transaction with transient data for more information about creating or restoring a transient data queue. QUEUE xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Abbreviation: Q xxxxxxxx) Changes the name of the queue you are browsing. The value that you specify can be in character format using up to 16 characters (for example, QUEUE ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP) or in hexadecimal format (for example, QUEUE X'C1C2C3C4'). The CEBR transaction responds by displaying the data that is in the named queue. You can also change the queue name by overtyping the current value in the header. SYSID xxxx (Abbreviation: S xxxx) Changes the name of the temporary storage pool or remote system where the queue is to be found. You can also change this name by overtyping the current SYSID value in the header. Note: If ISC is not active in the CICS system on which the CEBR transaction is running then the SYSID will default to the local SYSID. TERMINAL xxxx (Abbreviation: TERM xxxx) Changes the name of the queue you are browsing, but is tailored to applications that use the convention of naming temporary storage queues that are associated with a terminal by a constant in the first four characters and the terminal name in the last four. The new queue name is formed from the first four characters of the current queue name, followed by xxxx. TOP (Abbreviation: T) Causes the CEBR transaction to start the display at the first record in the queue.

Using the CEBR transaction with transient data

The GET command reads each record in the transient data queue that you specify and writes it at the end of the temporary storage queue you are browsing, until the transient data queue is empty. You can then view the records that were in the transient data queue. When you have finished your inspection, you can copy the temporary storage queue back to the transient data queue (using the PUT

576

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

command). This usually leaves the transient data queue as you found it, but not always. Here are some points you need to be aware of when using the GET and PUT commands: v If you want to restore the transient data queue unchanged after you have browsed it, make sure that the temporary storage queue on display at the time of the GET command is empty. Otherwise, the existing temporary storage records is copied to the transient data queue when the subsequent PUT command is issued. v After you get a transient data queue and before you put it back, other tasks may write to that transient data queue. When you issue your PUT command, the records in the temporary storage queue are copied after the new records, so that the records in the queue are no longer in the order in which they were originally created. Some applications depend on sequential processing of the records in a queue. v After you get a recoverable transient data queue, no other task can access that queue until your transaction ends. If you entered the CEBR transaction from the CEDF transaction, the CEDF transaction must end, although you can respond yes to the continue question if you are debugging a pseudoconversational sequence of transactions. If you invoked the CEBR transaction directly, you must end it. v Likewise, after you issue a PUT command to a recoverable transient data queue, no other task can access that queue until your transaction ends. The GET and PUT commands do not need to be used as a pair. You can add to a transient data queue from a temporary storage queue with a PUT command at any time. If you are debugging code that reads a transient data queue, you can create a queue in temporary storage (with the CECI transaction, or the CEBR GET command, or by program) and then refresh the transient data queue as many times as you like from temporary storage. Similarly, you can empty a transient data queue by using a GET command without a corresponding PUT command.

Chapter 50. Temporary storage browse (CEBR)

577

578

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Chapter 51. Command-level interpreter (CECI)

You can use the command-level interpreter (CECI) transaction to check the syntax of CICS commands and process these commands interactively on a 3270 screen. CECI allows you to follow through most of the commands to execution and display the results. It also provides you with a reference to the syntax of the whole of the CICS command-level application programming and system programming interface. CECI interacts with your test system to allow you to create or delete test data, temporary storage queues, or to deliberately introduce wrong data to test out error logic. You can also use CECI to repair corrupted database records on your production system. The interpreter is such a powerful tool that your installation may restrict its use with attach-time security. (The external security manager used by your installation defines the security attributes for the CECI and CECS transactions.) If this has been done, and you are not authorized to use the interpreter transaction you select, you will not be able to initiate the transaction. This chapter describes: v What does CECI display? v Using CECI on page 584 v Using the CECI function keys on page 586 v Saving commands on page 589 v How CECI runs on page 590

What does CECI display?

All CECI screens have the same basic layout. As shown in Figure 133 on page 585, CECI displays consist of: v The command line v The status line on page 580 v The body on page 582 v The message line on page 583 v CECI options on function keys on page 583

The command line

The command line is the first line of the screen. You enter the command you want to process or whose syntax you want to check here. This can be the full or abbreviated syntax. The rules for entering and abbreviating the command are: v The keywords EXEC CICS are optional. v The options of a command can be abbreviated to the number of characters sufficient to make them unique. Valid abbreviations are shown in uppercase characters in syntax displays in the body of the screen. v The quotes around character strings are optional, and all strings of characters are treated as character-string constants unless they are preceded by an ampersand (&), in which case they are treated as variables. v Options of a command that receive a value from CICS when the command is processed are called receivers, and need not be specified. The value received from CICS is included in the syntax display, and stored in the variable if one has been specified, after the command has been processed.

579

v If you issue a CECI command with two of the keywords in conflict, CECI ignores the first keyword and issues an error message, such as this one, from a READ command:
E INTO option conflicts with SET option and is ignored

v If you put a question mark in front of your command, the interpreter stops after the syntax check, even if you have used the transaction code CECI. If you want to proceed with execution, remove the question mark. The following example shows the abbreviated form of a command. The file control command:
EXEC CICS READ FILE('FILEA') RIDFLD('009000') INTO(&REC)

can be entered on the command input line, as:

READ FIL(FILEA) RID(009000)

or at a minimum, as:
READ F(FILEA) RI(009000)

In the first form, the INTO specification creates a variable, &REC, into which the data is to be read. However, INTO is a receiver (as defined above) and you can omit it. When you do, CICS creates a variable for you automatically.

The status line

As you go through the process of interpreting a command, CECI presents a sequence of displays. The format of the body of the screen is essentially the same for all; it shows the syntax of the command and the option values selected. The status line on these screens tells you where you are in the processing of the command, and is one of: v Command syntax check v About to execute command on page 581 v Command execution complete on page 582 v COMMAND NOT EXECUTED From any of these screens, you can select additional displays. When you do, the body of the screen shows the information requested, and the status line identifies the display, which may be any of: v EXPANDED AREA v VARIABLES v EXEC INTERFACE BLOCK v SYNTAX MESSAGES These screens are described in Using the CECI function keys on page 586. You can request them at any time during processing and then return to the command interpretation sequence. There is also one input field in the status line called NAME=. This field is used to create and name variables, as explained in Variables on page 586 and Saving commands on page 589.

Command syntax check

When the status line shows command syntax check (as shown in Figure 133 on page 585), it indicates that the command entered on the command input line has been syntax checked but is not about to be processed. This is always the status if you enter CECS or if you precede your command with a question mark. It is also the status when the syntax check of the command gives severe error messages.

580

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

In addition, you get this status if you attempt to execute one of the commands that the interpreter cannot execute. Although any command can be syntax-checked, using either CECS or CECI, the interpreter cannot process the following commands any further: v EXEC CICS commands that depend upon an environment that the interpreter does not provide: FREE FREEMAIN GETMAIN HANDLE ABEND HANDLE AID HANDLE CONDITION IGNORE CONDITION POP HANDLE PUSH HANDLE SEND LAST SEND PARTNSET WAITCICS WAIT EVENT WAIT EXTERNAL v BMS commands that refer to partitions (because the display cannot be restored after the screen is partitioned) v EXEC DLI v CPI Communication (CPI-C) commands v SAA Resource Recovery interface (CPI-RR) commands

About to execute command

This display (as shown in Figure 131) appears when none of the reasons for stopping at command syntax check applies.
READ FILE('FILEA') RIDFLD('009000') STATUS: ABOUT TO EXECUTE COMMAND EXEC CICS READ File( 'FILEA ' ) < SYsid() > SEt() | Into() < Length() > RIdfld( '009000' ) < Keylength() < GEneric > > < RBa | RRn | DEBRec | DEBKey > < GTeq | Equal > < Update < Token() > >

NAME=

PF 1 HELP 2 HEX 3 END 4 EIB 5 VAR 6 USER 7 SBH 8 SFH 9 MSG 10 SB 11 SF

Figure 131. Typical CECI display for about to execute command

If you press the ENTER key at this point without changing the screen, CECI executes the command. You can still modify it at this point, however. If you do,
Chapter 51. Command-level interpreter (CECI)

581

CECI ignores the previous command and processes the new one from scratch. This means that the next screen displayed is command syntax check if the command cannot be executed or else about to execute command if the command is correct.

Command execution complete

This display (as shown in Figure 132) appears after the interpreter has executed a command, in response to the ENTER key from an unmodified about to execute command screen.
INQUIRE FILE NEXT STATUS: COMMAND EXECUTION COMPLETE EXEC CICS INquire File( 'DFHCSD ' ) < STArt | END | Next > < ACcessmethod( +0000000003 ) > < ADd( +0000000041 ) > < BAsedsname( ' < BLOCKFormat( +0000000016 ) > < BLOCKKeylen( -0000000001 ) > < BLOCKSize( -0000000001 ) > < BRowse( +0000000039 ) > < DElete( +0000000043 ) > < DIsposition( +0000000027 ) > < DSname( 'CFV01.CICS03.PSK.CSD < EMptystatus( +0000000032 ) > < ENAblestatus( +0000000033 ) > < EXclusive( +0000000001 ) > < Fwdrecstatus( +0000000361 ) > < Journalnum( +00000 ) > + < KEYLength( +0000000000 ) >

NAME=

' ) >

RESPONSE: NORMAL EIBRESP=+0000000000 EIBRESP2=+0000000000 PF 1 HELP 2 HEX 3 END 4 EIB 5 VAR 6 USER 7 SBH 8 SFH 9 MSG 10 SB 11 SF

Figure 132. Typical CECI display for command execution complete

The command has been processed and the results are displayed on the screen. Any receivers, whether specified or not, together with their CICS-supplied values, are displayed intensified.

The body
The body of command syntax check, about to execute command, and command execution complete screens contains information common to all three displays. The full syntax of the command is displayed. Options specified in the command line or assumed by default are intensified, to show that they are used in executing the command, as are any receivers. The < > brackets indicate that you can select an option from within these brackets. If you make an error in your syntax, CECI diagnoses it in the message area that follows the body, described in The message line on page 583. If there are too many diagnostic messages, the rest of the messages can be displayed using PF9. Arguments can be displayed in either character or hexadecimal format. You can use PF2 to switch between formats. In character format, some characters are not displayable (including lowercase characters on some terminals); CECI shows them

582

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

as periods. You need to switch to hexadecimal to show the real values, and you need to use caution when modifying them, as explained in Making changes on page 585. If the value of an option is too long for the line, only the first part is displayed followed by ... to indicate there is more. You can display the full value by positioning the cursor at the start of the option value and pressing ENTER. This produces an expanded display described in Expanded area on page 586. If the command has more options than can fit on one screen, a plus sign (+) appears at the left-hand side of the last option of the current display to indicate that there are more. An example of this is shown in Figure 132 on page 582. You can display additional pages by scrolling with the PF keys.

The message line

CECI uses the message line to display error messages. After execution of a command, the message line shows the response code. Figure 133 on page 585 shows an error message, where the user has omitted a required field. The S that precedes the message indicates that it is severe (bad enough to prevent execution). There are also warning messages (flagged by W) and error messages (flagged by E), which provide information without preventing execution. E messages indicate option combinations unusual enough that they may not be intended and warrant a review of the command before you proceed with execution. Where there are multiple error messages, CECI creates a separate display containing all of them, and uses the message line to tell you how many there are, and of what severity. You can get the message display with PF9, as explained in Using the CECI function keys on page 586. Figure 132 on page 582 shows the second use of the message line, to show the result of executing a command. CECI provides the information in both text (NORMAL in the example in Figure 132 on page 582) and in decimal form (the EIBRESP and EIBRESP2 value).

CECI options on function keys

The single line at the foot of the screen provides a menu indicating the effect of the PF keys for the display. The PF keys are described below. If the terminal has no PF keys, the same effect can be obtained by positioning the cursor under the required item in the menu and pressing ENTER. PF1 HELP displays a HELP panel giving more information on how to use the command interpreter and on the meanings of the PF keys. PF2 HEX (SWITCH HEX/CHAR) switches the display between hexadecimal and character format. This is a mode switch; all subsequent screens stay in the chosen mode until the next time this key is pressed. PF3 END (END SESSION) ends the current session of the interpreter. PF4 EIB (EIB DISPLAY) shows the contents of the EXEC interface block (EIB). An example of this screen is shown in Figure 135 on page 588.
Chapter 51. Command-level interpreter (CECI)

583

PF5 VAR (VARIABLES) shows all the variables associated with the current command interpreter session, giving the name, length, and value of each. See Variables for more information about the use of this PF key. PF6 USER (USER DISPLAY) shows the current contents of the user display panel (that is, what would appear on the terminal if the commands processed thus far had been executed by an ordinary program rather than the interpreter). This key is not meaningful until a terminal command is executed, such as SEND MAP. PF7 SBH (SCROLL BACK HALF) scrolls the body half a screen backward. PF8 SFH (SCROLL FORWARD HALF) scrolls the body half a screen forward. PF9 MSG (DISPLAY MESSAGES) shows all the messages generated during the syntax check of a command. PF10 SB (SCROLL BACK) scrolls the body one full screen backward. PF11 SF (SCROLL FORWARD) scrolls the body one full screen forward.

Using CECI
You start the command-level interpreter by entering either of two transaction identifiers, CECS or CECI, followed by the name of the command you want to test. You can list command options too, although you can also do this later. For example:
CECS READ FILE('FILEA')

or
CECI READ FILE('FILEA')

CICS responds with a display of the command and its associated functions, options, and arguments, as shown in Figure 133 on page 585. If you leave out the command, CECI provides a list of possible commands to get you started. You can use any of the commands described for programming purposes in the CICS Application Programming Reference and CICS System Programming Reference manuals. CECI also supports the FEPI commands provided for the CICS Front End Programming Interface.

584

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

1 NAME= 2 3

S Option RIDFLD has been omitted or specified with an invalid value, the command cannot be executed. 4 PF 1 HELP 2 HEX 3 END 4 EIB 5 VAR 6 USER 7 SBH 8 SFH 9 MSG 10 SB 11 SF 5

Note:

1 Command line 2 Status line 3 Body 4 Message line 5 Menu of functions

Figure 133. Typical CECI display for command syntax check

If you use the transaction code CECS, the interpreter simply checks your command for correct syntax. If you use CECI, you have the option of executing your command once the syntax is correct. (CICS uses two transaction identifiers to allow different security to be assigned to syntax checking and execution.)

Making changes
Until CICS executes a command, you can change it by changing the contents of the command line, by changing the option values shown in the syntax display in the body, or by changing the values of variables on the variables screen. (You can still make changes after a command is executed, but, unless they are in preparation for another command, they have no effect.) When you make your changes in the command line or on the variables screen, they last for the duration of the CECI transaction. If you make them in the body of the syntax screen, however, they are temporary. They last only until the command is executed and are not reflected in the command line. As noted earlier, not all characters are displayable on all terminals. When the display is in character rather than hexadecimal format, CECI shows these characters as periods (X'4B'). When you overtype a period, you should be aware that the current value may not be a period but an undisplayable character. Furthermore, you cannot change a character to a period when the display is in character mode. If you attempt this, CECI ignores your change, and does not issue a diagnostic message. To make such a change, you have to switch the display to hexadecimal and enter the value (X'4B') that represents a period. There is a restriction on changes in hexadecimal format as well. If you need to change a character to a blank, you cannot enter the code (X'40') from a

Chapter 51. Command-level interpreter (CECI)

585

hexadecimal display. Again, your change is ignored and CECI does not issue a message. Instead, you must switch to character mode and blank out the character. After every modification, CECI rechecks your syntax to ensure that no errors have appeared. It restarts processing at the command syntax check if there are any execution-stoppers, and at about to execute command if not. Only after you press ENTER on an unmodified about to execute command screen does CECI execute your command.

Using the CECI function keys

Additional screens of information are available when you press the relevant PF key, described in CECI options on function keys on page 583. You can get back to your original screen by pressing ENTER from an unmodified screen.

Expanded area
This display uses the whole of the body of the screen to display a variable selected with the cursor. The cursor can be positioned at the start of the value of an option on a syntax display, or under the ampersand of a variable in a variables display. Pressing ENTER then gives the expanded area display. The scrolling keys can be used to display all the information if it exceeds a full screen.

Variables
Figure 134 shows the result of requesting a variables display, obtained by pressing PF5. For each variable associated with the current interpreter session, it shows the name, length, and value.
READ FILE('FILEA') RIDFLD('009000')INTO(&REC) VARIABLES LENGTH DATA &DFHC +00016 THIS IS A SAMPLE &DFHW +00046 EXEC CICS WRITEQ QUEUE(' CIS200') FROM(&DFHC) &DFHR +00045 EXEC CICS READQ QUEUE(' CIS200') INTO(&DFHC) &REC +00080 482554 D694 72 WIDGET, .007 TEST 100

PF 1 HELP 2 HEX 3 END 4 EIB 5 VAR 6 USER

9 MSG

Figure 134. Typical CECI display of variables associated with a CECI session

The first three variables displayed are created for you by CECI and always appear unless you explicitly delete them. They are designed to help you create command lists, as described in Saving commands on page 589, as well as to serve as examples.

586

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

After these three, you see any variables that you have created. The fourth one in Figure 134 on page 586, &REC, is the result of executing:
READ FILE('FILEA') RID('009000') INTO(&REC)

Normally, the value supplied for an option in the command line is taken as a character string constant. However, sometimes you need to specify a variable to represent this value, as when you want to connect two commands through option values. For example, to change a record with CECI, you might first enter:
EXEC CICS READ UPDATE INTO(&REC) FILE('FILEA') RID('009000')

You would then modify the record as required by changing the variable &REC, and then enter:
EXEC CICS REWRITE FROM(&REC) FILE('FILEA')

The ampersand (&) in the first position tells CECI that you are specifying a variable. A variable is also useful when the values of the options cause the command to exceed the line length of the command input area. Creating variables with the required values and specifying the variable names in the command overcomes the line length limitation.

Defining variables
Variables can have a data type of character, fullword, halfword, or packed decimal, and you can create them in any of the following ways: v By naming the variable in a receiver (&REC in Figure 134 on page 586, for example). The variable is created when the command is processed. The data type and length are implied by the option. v By adding new entries to the list of variables already defined. To create a new variable, simply type its name and length in the appropriate columns on the first unused line of the variables display, and then press ENTER. For character variables, use the length with which the variable has been defined. For fullwords or halfwords, type F or H. For packed variables, use the length in bytes, preceded by a P. Character variables are initialized to blanks. The others are initialized to zero in the appropriate form. Once a variable is created, you can change the value by modifying the data field on the variables display. v By using the NAME field on the status line when you have produced an expanded area display of a particular option. You do this by positioning the cursor under the option on a syntax display and pressing ENTER. Then you assign the variable name you want associated with the displayed option value by typing it into the NAME field and pressing ENTER again. v By copying an existing variable. You do this by obtaining an expanded area display of the variable to be copied, overkeying the name displayed with the name of the new variable, and pressing ENTER. v By using the NAME field directly on a syntax display. This creates a character variable whose contents are the character string on the command line, for use in command lists as explained in Saving commands on page 589.

Chapter 51. Command-level interpreter (CECI)

587

You can also delete a variable, although you do not usually need to, as CECI discards all variables at session end. To delete one before session end, position the cursor under the ampersand that starts the name, press ERASE EOF, and then press ENTER.

The EXEC interface block (EIB)

You can display the EIB associated with the CECI transaction by pressing PF4. Figure 135 shows an example of the contents of the EXEC interface block (EIB).
READ FILE('FILEA') RIDFLD('009000') EXEC INTERFACE BLOCK EIBTIME = +0124613 EIBDATE = +0091175 EIBTRNID = 'CECI' EIBTASKN = +0000046 EIBTRMID = 'S200' EIBCPOSN = +00004 EIBCALEN = +00000 EIBAID = X'7D' EIBFN = X'0000' EIBRCODE = X'000000000000' EIBDS = '........' EIBREQID = '........' EIBRSRCE = ' ' EIBSYNC = X'00' EIBFREE = X'00' EIBRECV = X'00' EIBATT = X'00' EIBEOC = X'00' + EIBFMH = X'00' PF 1 HELP 2 HEX 3 END 4 EIB 5 VAR 6 USER 7 SBH 8 SFH 9 MSG 10 SB 11 SF

Figure 135. Typical CECI display of the EIB

The fields in the EIB are described for programming purposes in the CICS Application Programming Reference manual.

Error messages display

When there are more messages than CECI can display on the message line, you can display all of them by pressing PF9.

588

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

READ SYNTAX MESSAGES S FILE must be specified. S RIDFLD must be specified.

PF 1 HELP 2 HEX 3 END 4 EIB 5 VAR 6 USER 7 SBH 8 SFH

10 SB 11 SF

Figure 136. Typical CECI display of the message display

Saving commands
Sometimes you may want to execute a command, or a series of commands, under CECI, repeatedly. One technique for doing this is to create a temporary storage queue containing the commands. You then alternate reading the command from the queue and executing it. CECI provides shortcuts both for creating the queue and for executing commands from it. To create the queue: 1. Start a CECI session. 2. Enter the first (or next) command you want to save on the command line, put &DFHC in the NAME field in the status line, and press ENTER. This action causes the usual syntax check, and it also stores your command as the value of &DFHC, which is the first of those three variables that CECI always defines for you. (See Figure 134 on page 586.) If you select the variables display at this point, you will see that &DFHC is the value of your command. 3. After the syntax is correct but before execution (on the about to execute command screen), change the command line to &DFHW and press ENTER. This causes CECI to use the value of &DFHW for the command to be executed. &DFHW is the second of the variables CECI supplies, and it contains a command to write the contents of variable &DFHC (that is, your command) to the temporary storage queue named CItttt, where tttt is the name of your terminal and two blanks precede the letters CI. 4. Execute this WRITEQ command (through the command execution complete screen). This stores your command on the queue. 5. If you want to save more than one command, repeat steps 2 to 4 for each. When you want to execute the saved commands from the list, do the following:

Chapter 51. Command-level interpreter (CECI)

589

1. Enter &DFHR on the command line and press ENTER. &DFHR is the last of the CECI-supplied variables, and it contains a command to read the queue that was written earlier. Execute this command; it brings the first (next) of the commands you saved into the variable &DFHC. 2. Then enter &DFHC on the command line and press ENTER. CECI replaces the command line with the value of &DFHC, which is your command. Press ENTER to execute your command. 3. Repeat these two steps, alternating &DFHR and &DFHC on the command line, until you have executed all of the commands you saved. You can vary this procedure to suit your needs. For example, you can skip commands in the sequence by simply skipping step (2). You can change the options of the saved command before executing it in the same way as a command entered normally. If you want to repeat execution of the saved sequence, you need to specify the option ITEM(1) on the first execution of the READQ command, in order to reposition your read to the beginning of the queue.

How CECI runs

There are several things you should know about how the interpreter works, in order to use it properly. These include: v CECI sessions v Abends v Exception conditions v Program control commands v Terminal sharing v Saving commands

CECI sessions
The interpreter runs as a transaction, using programs supplied by CICS. It is conversational, which means that everything you do between the start of a session (entering CECI) and the end (PF3) is a single logical unit of work in a single task. This means that locks and enqueues produced by commands you execute remain for the duration of your session. If you read a record for update from a recoverable file, for example, that record is not available to any other task until you end CECI.

Abends
CECI executes all commands with the NOHANDLE option, so that execution errors do not ordinarily cause abends. CECI also issues a HANDLE ABEND command at the beginning of the session, so that it does not lose control even if an abend occurs. Consequently, when you get one, CECI handles it and there is no resource backout. If you are doing a series of related updates to protected resources, you need to be sure that you do not do some of them and then find you cannot complete the others. If you find yourself in this situation, you can execute a SYNCPOINT ROLLBACK command or an ABEND command with the CANCEL option to remove the effects of your earlier commands on recoverable resources.

Exception conditions
For some commands, CECI may return exception conditions even when all specified options are correct. This occurs because, on some commands, CECI uses

590

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

options that you do not specify explicitly. For example, the ASSIGN command always returns the exception condition INVREQ under CECI. Even though it may return the information you requested correctly, it will have attempted to get information from other options, some of which are invalid.

Program control commands

Because the interpreter is itself an application program, the interpretation of some program control commands may produce different results from an application program executing those commands. For example, ABEND command is intercepted, as noted above, unless you use the CANCEL option. If you execute a LINK command, the target program executes, but in the environment of the interpreter, which may not be the one expected. In particular, if you modify a user display during a linked-to program, the interpreter will not be aware of the changes. Similarly, if you interpret an XCTL command, CECI passes control to the named program and never gets control back, so that the CECI session is ended.

Terminal sharing
When the command being interpreted is one that uses the same screen as the interpreter, the command interpreter manages the sharing of the screen between the interpreter display and the user display. The user display is restored: v When the command being processed requires input from the operator v When the command being processed is about to modify the user display v When USER DISPLAY is requested Thus, when a SEND command is followed by a RECEIVE command, the display sent by the SEND command appears twice, once when the SEND command is processed, and again when the RECEIVE command is processed. It is not necessary to respond to the SEND command, but, if a response is made, the interpreter stores it and redisplays it when the screen is restored for the RECEIVE command. When the interpreter restores the user display, it does not sound the alarm or affect the keyboard in the same way as when a SEND command is processed. This is similar to EDF (see Using EDF in single-screen mode on page 559 for more information).

Chapter 51. Command-level interpreter (CECI)

591

592

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Part 9. Appendixes

593

594

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Appendix. Using OS/VS COBOL

This section describes various considerations and restrictions that apply when using OS/VS COBOL. It is provided for migration purposes to enable you to support existing OS/VS COBOL programs. You are not recommended to write new programs with OS/VS COBOL. For information about the expiration of support for old compilers, and guidance on migration, see the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Migration Guide. Note: OS/VS COBOL or pre-CICS/VS 1.6 (DFHE type program stub) programs are not re-entrant and therefore cannot be loaded into read-only storage. If the default RENTPGM=PROTECT is specified as a system initialization parameter, these programs should be link-edited with the NORENT option and not RENT or REFR. If RENTPGM=NOPROTECT is specified as a system initialization parameter, they can be link-edited using the RENT option. However, in this case they will be loaded into the CDSA or ECDSA. For information about writing CICS applications with other COBOL compilers, see Chapter 3. Programming in COBOL on page 9. This section describes: v Programming restrictions v Conversion to VS COBOL II on page 603

Programming with OS/VS COBOL

This section describes special considerations and restrictions for CICS OS/VS COBOL programs. It includes: v Programming restrictions v Restricted OS/VS COBOL language statements on page 597 v Base locator for linkage on page 597 v BLL and chained storage areas on page 598 v BLL and OCCURS DEPENDING ON clauses on page 599 v BLL and large storage areas on page 600 v SERVICE RELOAD statement on page 601 v Program segments on page 602 v OS/VS COBOL translator options on page 603 v OS/VS Cobol bibliography on page 603

Programming restrictions
The following restrictions apply to an OS/VS COBOL program that is to be used as a CICS application program. v You cannot use the entries in the environment division and data division that are normally associated with data management. However, you still need to code the headers for both of these divisions. v You cannot use the special options:

595

REPORT WRITER SEGMENTATION SORT TRACE

v You cannot use compiler options that require the use of operating system services:
COUNT DYNAM ENDJOB FLOW STATE SYMDUMP TEST

Note: Do not use SYST if this would cause a corresponding DD card to be required. v You cannot use COBOL statements that require the use of operating system services:
ACCEPT CURRENT-DATE DATE DAY DISPLAY EXHIBIT INSPECT SIGN IS SEPARATE STOP 'literal' STOP RUN STRING TIME UNSTRING USE FOR DEBUGGING

Note: A COBOL GOBACK is needed to satisfy the compilers need for a logical end of program. The translator expands all CICS commands to COBOL CALLs, so the compiler expects a return to the calling program. Control actually returns to CICS after the RETURN command. v You should not use the COBOL statements:
CLOSE OPEN READ WRITE

because you are provided with CICS commands for the storage and retrieval of data, and for communication with terminals. v The CICS translator does not support the use of the extended source program library facility. This includes the compiler-directing statements BASIS, INSERT, and DELETE. v When you link-edit separate COBOL routines together, only the first can invoke CICS, DL/I, or DB212. v If both the identification and procedure divisions are presented to the translator in the form of a source program or copybook, the following coding is produced or expanded: DFHEIVAR inserted at the end of the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION DFHEIBLK inserted at the start of the LINKAGE SECTION as the first 01 level in the section DFHCOMMAREA generated, if not specified, as the second 01 level in the section.

12. IBM Trademark.

596

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

If no identification division is present, only the CICS commands are expanded. If the identification division only is present, only DFHEIVAR, DFHEIBLK, and DFHCOMMAREA are produced. v When a debugging line is to be used as a comment, it must not contain any unmatched quotes. v Statements that produce variable-length areas, such as OCCURS DEPENDING ON cannot be used within the working storage section. v Do not mix RES and NORES programs in the same run unit. When an OS/VS COBOL RES program uses a COBOL CALL statement to invoke an OS/VS COBOL NORES program, or vice versa, COBOL run-time control blocks may become corrupted, causing this or later tasks to abend.

Restricted OS/VS COBOL language statements

Restricted OS/VS COBOL language statements that result in a call to MVS GETMAIN services, but which worked on earlier releases, may not work when CICS storage protection is active. See MVS subspaces on page 529 for information about storage control. For example, if a CICS application program written in OS/VS COBOL is defined with EXECKEY(USER), and it issues a restricted COBOL verb that results in an MVS GETMAIN, it abends with an 0C4 abend. In these cases it is not the application program itself that appears to cause the 0C4, but the OS/VS COBOL routines that execute statements such as INSPECT. Programs that are written to the documented CICS application programming interface, and which observe the documented restrictions, continue to work correctly.

Base locator for linkage

The base locator for linkage (BLL) mechanism is used to address storage outside the working-storage section of an application program. It operates by addressing the storage as if it were a parameter to the program. The storage must be defined by means of an 01-level data definition in the linkage section of the program. The COBOL compiler generates code to address the storage using the parameter list. When the program is invoked, CICS sets up the parameter list in such a way that the parameter list is itself addressable by the application program. The parameter list must be defined as the first parameter to the program, unless a communication area is being passed to the program, in which case the DFHCOMMAREA definition must precede it. In the following example, the first 02-level data name (that is, FILLER) is set up by CICS to provide addressability to the other fields in the parameter list. The other data names are known as BLL cells, and address the remaining parameters of the program. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the 02-level data names of the parameter list definition and the 01-level data definitions in the linkage section:

Appendix. Using OS/VS COBOL

597

LINKAGE SECTION. 01 PARMLIST. 02 FILLER PIC S9(8) COMP. 02 A-POINTER PIC S9(8) COMP. 02 B-POINTER PIC S9(8) COMP. 02 C-POINTER PIC S9(8) COMP. 01 A-DATA. 02 PARTNO PIC 9(4). 02 QUANTITY PIC 9(4) . 02 DESCRIPTION PIC X(100). 01 B-DATA PIC X. 01 C-DATA PIC X.

Figure 137. How FILLER provides addressability to fields in parameter lists.

In this example, A-POINTER addresses A-DATA, B-POINTER addresses B-DATA, and C-POINTER addresses C-DATA. The data names chosen for the BLL cells and for the data areas that they address are not significant, but the names must be defined in the correct order, so that the necessary correspondence is established. If a BLL cell is named in the SET option of a CICS command, subsequent reference to the corresponding data definition name address the storage supplied by CICS as a result of processing the command. For example, suppose that a program is required to read a variable-length record from a file, examine part of it, and update it; all of this is to be done without providing storage for the record within the program. Using the data definitions shown in Figure 137, the program could be written as follows:
EXEC CICS READ UPDATE FILE('FILEA') RIDFLD(PART-REQD) SET(A-POINTER) LENGTH(A-LRECL) END-EXEC. IF A-LRECL LESS THAN 8 GO TO ERRORS. IF QUANTITY GREATER ZERO SUBTRACT 1 FROM QUANTITY EXEC CICS REWRITE FILE('FILEA') FROM(A-DATA) LENGTH(A-LRECL) END-EXEC.

Figure 138. Reading and updating a record without providing storage

CICS reads the record into an internal buffer and supplies the address of the record in the buffer to the application program. The application program updates the record in the buffer and rewrites the record to the data set. If you have defined an area in the LINKAGE SECTION, you must establish the addressability to that area before it is used. The area itself must be a valid and active CICS area.

BLL and chained storage areas

If access is needed to a series of chained storage areas (that is, areas each of which contain a pointer to the next area in the chain), an artificial paragraph name must be inserted immediately following any statement that establishes addressability to one of the storage areas. For example:

598

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

LINKAGE SECTION. 01 PARMLIST. . . 02 USERPTR PIC S9(8) COMP. . . 01 USERAREA. 02 FIELD PIC X(4). 02 NEXTAREA PIC S9(8) COMP. . . PROCEDURE DIVISION. . . MOVE NEXTAREA TO USERPTR. ANYNAME. MOVE FIELD TO TESTVAL. . .

Figure 139. An example to establish addressability to storage areas

In this example, storage areas mapped or defined by USERAREA are chained. The first MOVE statement establishes addressability to the next area in the chain. The second MOVE statement moves data from the newly addressed area, but only because a paragraph name follows the first MOVE statement. If no paragraph name is inserted, the reference to FIELD is taken as being to the storage area that is addressed when the first MOVE statement refers to NEXTAREA. Insertion of a paragraph name causes the compiler to generate code to reestablish addressability through USERPTR, so that the reference to FIELD (and the next reference to NEXTAREA) is to the newly addressed storage area.

BLL and OCCURS DEPENDING ON clauses

If the object of an OCCURS DEPENDING ON clause is defined in the linkage section, a special technique is required to ensure that the correct value is used at all times. In the following example, FIELD-COUNTER is defined in the linkage section. The MOVE FIELD-COUNTER TO FIELD-COUNTER statement ensures that unpredictable results do not occur when referring to DATA.

Appendix. Using OS/VS COBOL

599

LINKAGE SECTION. . . 01 FILE-REC. . . 02 FIELD-COUNTER PIC 9(4) COMP. 02 FIELDS PIC X(5) OCCURS 1 TO 5 TIMES DEPENDING ON FIELD-COUNTER. 02 DATA PIC X(20). . . PROCEDURE DIVISION. . . EXEC CICS READ FILE('FILEA') RIDFLD(KEYVAL) SET(RECPTR) END-EXEC. MOVE FIELD-COUNTER TO FIELD-COUNTER. MOVE DATA TO DATA-VAL. . .

Figure 140. An example of how FIELD-COUNTER is defined in linkage section

The MOVE statement referring to FIELD-COUNTER causes the compiler to reestablish the value it uses to compute the current number of occurrences of FIELDS and ensures that it can determine the displacement of DATA correctly.

BLL and large storage areas

If an area greater than 4096 bytes is defined in the linkage section (but not as part of an OCCURS DEPENDING ON clause), additional statements may be required to establish addressability to the extra area. The ADD statement is placed after the statement that establishes addressability to the data area. No additional corresponding 01-level data name definition is added, so the usual one-to-one correspondence of BLL cells to the data areas they address is not maintained. The extra statements are shown in the following example:

600

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

LINKAGE SECTION. 01 PARMLIST. . . 02 FRPTR PIC S9(8) COMP. 02 FRPTR1 PIC S9(8) COMP. . . 01 FILE-REC. 02 FIELD1 PIC X(4000). 02 FIELD2 PIC X(1000). 02 FIELD3 PIC X(400). PROCEDURE DIVISION. . . EXEC CICS READ FILE('FILEA') RIDFLD(KEYVAL) SET(FRPTR) END-EXEC. ADD 4096 FRPTR GIVING FRPTR1.

Figure 141. Additional statements required to establish addressability

No additional BLL cell is required if DFHCOMMAREA itself is larger than 4096 bytes.

SERVICE RELOAD statement

If an application program is to be compiled using the full OS COBOL Version 4 compiler, or the OS/VS COBOL compiler, a special compiler control statement must be inserted at appropriate places within the program to ensure addressability to a particular area defined in the linkage section. This control statement has the form:
SERVICE RELOAD fieldname

where fieldname is the symbolic name of a specific storage area that is also defined in an 01-level statement in the linkage section. The SERVICE RELOAD statement must be used following each statement that modifies addressability to an area defined in the linkage section, that is, whenever the contents of a BLL cell are changed in any way. When using HANDLE CONDITION or HANDLE AID commands, SERVICE RELOAD statements should be specified at the start of the paragraph. Its name is specified in the HANDLE command for all those BLL cells that may have been altered from the time when the first HANDLE command activated the exit routine, up to and including any CICS command that can cause the HANDLE exit to be invoked. If the BLL mechanism is used (described earlier in the chapter, addressability to the parameter list must be established at the start of the procedure division. This is done by adding a SERVICE RELOAD PARMLIST statement at the start of the procedure division in the earlier examples. For example, after a locate-mode input operation, the SERVICE RELOAD statement must be issued to establish addressability to the data. If areas larger than 4096 bytes are being addressed, the secondary BLL cells must first be reset before the SERVICE RELOAD statement is processed. (Resetting a BLL cell is described under BLL and large storage areas on page 600.) If an address is moved into a

Appendix. Using OS/VS COBOL

601

BLL cell, addressability must be established in the same way. An example for the SERVICE RELOAD statement is as follows:
LINKAGE SECTION. 01 PARMLIST. . . 02 FRPTR 02 FRPTR1 02 TSPTR 01 FILE-REC. 02 FIELD1 02 FIELD2 02 FIELD3 01 TS-REC. 02 FIELD1

PIC S9(8) PIC S9(8) PIC S9(8) PIC X(4000). PIC X(1000). PIC X(400). PIC X(4000).

COMP. COMP. COMP.

PROCEDURE DIVISION. . . EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION ERROR(GIVEUP) LENGERR(BADLENG) END-EXEC. EXEC CICS READ FILE('FILEA') RIDFLD(PART-REQD) SET(FRPTR) LENGTH(A-LRECL) END-EXEC. ADD 4096 FRPTR GIVING FRPTR1. SERVICE RELOAD FILE-REC. MOVE FRPTR TO TSPTR. SERVICE RELOAD TS-REC. . . BADLENG. ADD 4096 FRPTR GIVING FRPTR1. SERVICE RELOAD FILE-REC.

Figure 142. An example of a service reload statement

If an address is moved into a BLL cell, addressability must be established in the same way, for example:
MOVE B-POINTER TO A-POINTER. SERVICE RELOAD A-DATA.

If areas larger than 4096 bytes are being addressed, the secondary BLL cells must be reset before the SERVICE RELOAD statement has been executed. (Resetting a BLL cell is described under BLL and large storage areas on page 600.)

NOTRUNC compiler option

If an argument to a command is greater than 9999 in value, the NOTRUNC compiler option must be specified to ensure successful completion.

Program segments
Segments of programs to be copied into the procedure division can be translated by the command language translator, stored in their translated form, and later copied into the program to be compiled.

602

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Subsequent copying or manipulating of statements originally inserted by the CICS translator in an application program may produce unpredictable results.

OS/VS COBOL translator options

OS/VS Cobol bibliography

For information on programming in OS/VS COBOL, see the following manuals: OS/VS COBOL Compiler and Library Programmers Guide, SC28-6483 VS COBOL for OS/VS Reference Language, GC26-3857.

Conversion to VS COBOL II
Many of the changes in the CICS-COBOL interface occur because VS COBOL II simplifies the procedures. This means that you do not need to use some CICS-specific OS/VS COBOL programming techniques. Of the changes described in this section, the only one that is mandatory is the replacement (removal) of all PROCEDURE DIVISION references to BLL cells.

Based addressing
You no longer need to define and manipulate BLL cells. Indeed, you cannot manipulate BLL cells for base address manipulation, as in the management of chained lists. You should review programs that use the CICS SET option and BLL cells, and make the following changes: v Remove, from the linkage section, the entire structure defining BLL cells and the FILLER field. See Table 41 on page 605 for further information. v Revise code that deals with chained storage areas to take advantage of the ADDRESS special register and POINTER variables. v Change every SET(BLL cell) option in CICS commands to SET(ADDRESS OF A-DATA) or SET(A-POINTER) where A-DATA is a structure in the linkage section and A-POINTER is defined with the USAGE IS POINTER clause.

Appendix. Using OS/VS COBOL

603

v Remove all SERVICE RELOAD statements. v Remove all program statements needed in OS/VS COBOL to address structures in the linkage section longer than 4KB. A typical statement is:
ADD 4096, D-PTR1 GIVING D-PTR2.

v Remove artificial paragraph names where BLL cells are used to address chained storage areas. (See BLL and chained storage areas on page 598.) v Review any program that uses BMS map data structures in its linkage section. VS COBOL II makes it easier to handle such maps, and also eliminates one disadvantage of having maps in working storage. The points to consider are: In OS/VS COBOL programs, working storage is part of the compiled and saved program. Placing the maps in the linkage section thus reduces the size of the saved program, saving library space. In VS COBOL II, working storage is not part of the compiled program but is acquired dynamically. This eliminates one disadvantage of placing maps in working storage. If your map is in the linkage section, you can acquire and release the map storage dynamically with CICS GETMAIN and FREEMAIN commands. This helps you to optimize storage use, and can be useful in a long conversational transaction. This advantage of linkage section maps still applies in VS COBOL II. If your map is in the linkage section, you must issue a CICS GETMAIN command to acquire storage for the map. With OS/VS COBOL, you must determine the necessary amount of storage, which must be sufficient for the largest map in your map sets. This can be difficult to determine, and probably involves examining all the map assemblies. With VS COBOL II, use the LENGTH special register:
EXEC CICS GETMAIN SET(ADDRESS OF DATAREA) LENGTH(LENGTH OF DATAREA)

In VS COBOL II, the actual processing of maps in the linkage section is simplified by the elimination of BLL cells.

604

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Table 41. Addressing CICS data areas in locate mode OS/VS COBOL WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 77 LRECL-REC1 PIC S9(4) COMP. LINKAGE SECTION. 01 BLLCELLS. 02 FILLER PIC S9(8) COMP. 02 BLL-REC1A PIC S9(8) COMP. 02 BLL-REC1B PIC S9(8) COMP. 02 BLL-REC2 PIC S9(8) COMP. 01 REC-1. 02 FLAG1 PIC X. 02 MAIN-DATA PIC X(5000). 02 OPTL-DATA PIC X(1000). 01 REC-2. 02 .... . . PROCEDURE DIVISION. EXEC CICS READ UPDATE. . . SET(BLL-REC1A) LENGTH(LRECL-REC1) END-EXEC. ADD 4096 BLL-REC1A GIVING BLL-REC1B. SERVICE RELOAD REC-1. IF FLAG1 EQUAL X'Y' MOVE OPTL-DATA TO ... EXEC CICS REWRITE... FROM(REC-1) LENGTH(LRECL-REC1) END-EXEC. VS COBOL II WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 77 LRECL-REC1 PIC S9(4) COMP. LINKAGE SECTION. 01 REC-1. 02 FLAG1 PIC X. 02 MAIN-DATA PIC X(5000). 02 OPTL-DATA PIC X(1000). 01 REC-2. 02 ... . . PROCEDURE DIVISION. EXEC CICS READ UPDATE . . SET(ADDRESS OF REC-1) LENGTH(LRECL-REC1) END-EXEC. IF FLAG1 EQUAL X'Y' MOVE OPTL-DATA TO ... EXEC CICS REWRITE . . FROM(REC-1) END-EXEC.

This table shows the replacement of BLL cells and SERVICE RELOAD in OS/VS COBOL by the use of ADDRESS special registers in VS COBOL II. If the records in the READ or REWRITE commands are fixed length, VS COBOL II does not require a LENGTH option. This example assumes variable-length records. After the read, you can get the length of the record from the field named in the LENGTH option (here, LRECL-REC1). In the REWRITE command, you must code a LENGTH option if you want to replace the updated record with a record of a different length. Table 42 on page 606 shows the old and new methods of processing BMS maps in the linkage section. In this example, it is assumed that the OS/VS COBOL program has been compiled with the LANGLVL(1) option, and that the following map set has been installed:
MAPSET1 DFHMSD TYPE=DSECT, TERM=2780,LANG=COBOL, STORAGE=AUTO, MODE=IN

The new ADDRESS special register used in the example is described under Using based addressing with COBOL on page 9.

Appendix. Using OS/VS COBOL

605

Table 42. Addressing BMS map sets in the linkage section OS/VS COBOL WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 77 FLD0 PIC X VALUE IS LOW-VALUE. LINKAGE SECTION. 01 BLLCELLS. 02 FILLER PIC S9(8) COMP. 02 BLL-DATAA PIC S9(8) COMP. 01 DATA1 COPY MAPSET1. PROCEDURE DIVISION. EXEC CICS GETMAIN LENGTH(1000) SET(BLL-DATAA) INITIMG(FLD0) END-EXEC. VS COBOL II WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 77 FLD0 PIC X VALUE IS LOW-VALUE. LINKAGE SECTION. COPY MAPSET1. 01 MAP1 02 FILLER PIC X(12). 02 FILLER1L COMP PIC S9(4). . . 02 FIELD90 PIC X(20). PROCEDURE DIVISION EXEC CICS GETMAIN FLENGTH(LENGTH OF MAP1I) SET(ADDRESS OF MAP1I) INITIMG(FLD0) END-EXEC.

The highlighted material describes the contents of the MAP1I COBOL copybook.

Artificial assignments
Remove artificial assignments from an OCCURS DEPENDING ON object to itself. These are needed in OS/VS COBOL to ensure addressability.

606

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Bibliography
CICS Transaction Server for z/OS
CICS CICS CICS CICS CICS Transaction Transaction Transaction Transaction Transaction Server Server Server Server Server for for for for for z/OS z/OS z/OS z/OS z/OS Release Guide Migration Guide Installation Guide Program Directory Licensed Program Specification GC34-5701 GC34-5699 GC34-5697 GI10-2525 GC34-5698

The above titles are the only unlicensed books available in hardcopy for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 2 Release 1. All the remaining CICS and CICSPlex SM books are supplied in softcopy only in the CICS Information Center, which is distributed on CD-ROM.

CICS books for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS

General CICS Users Handbook CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Glossary Administration CICS System Definition Guide CICS Customization Guide CICS Resource Definition Guide CICS Operations and Utilities Guide CICS Supplied Transactions Programming CICS Application Programming Guide CICS Application Programming Reference CICS System Programming Reference CICS Front End Programming Interface Users Guide CICS C++ OO Class Libraries CICS Distributed Transaction Programming Guide CICS Business Transaction Services Java Applications in CICS Diagnosis CICS Problem Determination Guide CICS Messages and Codes CICS Diagnosis Reference CICS Data Areas CICS Trace Entries CICS Supplementary Data Areas Communication CICS Intercommunication Guide CICS Family: Interproduct Communication CICS Family: Communicating from CICS on System/390 CICS External Interfaces Guide CICS Internet Guide Special topics CICS Recovery and Restart Guide CICS Performance Guide CICS IMS Database Control Guide CICS RACF Security Guide SX33-6116 GC34-5696 SC34-5725 SC34-5706 SC34-5722 SC34-5717 SC34-5724 SC34-5702 SC34-5703 SC34-5726 SC34-5710 SC34-5705 SC34-5708 SC34-5704 SC34-5881 GC33-5719 GC34-5716 LY33-6097 LY33-6096 SC34-5727 LY33-6098 SC34-5712 SC34-0824 SC34-1697 SC34-5709 SC34-5713 SC34-5721 SC34-5718 SC34-5711 SC34-5720

607

CICS Shared Data Tables Guide CICS Transaction Affinities Utility Guide CICS DB2 Guide

SC34-5723 SC34-5728 SC34-5707

CICSPlex SM books for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS

General CICSPlex SM Concepts and Planning CICSPlex SM User Interface Guide CICSPlex SM View Commands Reference Summary Administration and Management CICSPlex SM Administration CICSPlex SM Operations Views Reference CICSPlex SM Monitor Views Reference CICSPlex SM Managing Workloads CICSPlex SM Managing Resource Usage CICSPlex SM Managing Business Applications Programming CICSPlex SM Application Programming Guide CICSPlex SM Application Programming Reference Diagnosis CICSPlex SM Resource Tables Reference CICSPlex SM Messages and Codes CICSPlex SM Problem Determination GC34-5732 SC34-5743 SX33-6117 SC34-5729 SC34-5739 SC34-5738 SC34-5735 SC34-5734 SC34-5733 SC34-5730 SC34-5731 SC34-5741 GC34-5737 GC34-5740

Other CICS books

Designing and Programming CICS Applications CICS Application Migration Aid Guide CICS Family: API Structure CICS Family: Client/Server Programming CICS Transaction Gateway for OS/390 Administration CICS Family: General Information CICS 4.1 Sample Applications Guide CICS/ESA 3.3 XRF Guide SR23-9692 SC34-0768 SC34-1007 SC34-1435 SC34-5528 GC33-0155 SC34-1173 SC34-0661

Note: The CICS Transaction Server for OS/390: Planning for Installation book that was part of the library for CICS Transaction Server for OS/390, Version 1 Release 3, is now merged with the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Installation Guide. If you have any questions about the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS library, see CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Installation Guide which discusses both hardcopy and softcopy books and the ways that the books can be ordered.

Books from related libraries DL/I

If you use the CICS-DL/I interface, see the following manuals: IMS/ESA V5 Application Programming: Design Guide, SC26-8016 IMS/ESA V3.1 Application Programming: CICS, SC26-8018 IMS/ESA V3.1 Application Programming: DL/I Calls, SC26-4274 IMS/ESA V3.1 Database Administration Guide, SC26-4281

608

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

MVS
For information about MVS, see the following manuals: VS COBOL II V1.4.0 Installation and Customization for MVS, SC26-4048 OS/390 MVS Programming: Extended Addressability Guide, GC28-1769

DB2
For information about executing SQL in a CICS application program, see the following manuals: IBM Database 2 V2.3 Application Programming and SQL Guide, SC26-4377 IBM Database 2 V2.3 DB2 Administration Guide, SC26-4 374 IBM Database 2 V2.3 SQL Reference, SC26-4380 The guide describes DB2 and explains how to write application programs that access DB2 data in a CICS environment. It tells you how to use SQL, as well as how to prepare, execute, and test an application program.

Screen definition facility II (SDF II)

For information about Screen Definition Facility II, see the following manuals: Screen Definition Facility II General Information, GH19-6114. Screen Definition Facility II General Introduction Part 1, SH19-8128 Screen Definition Facility II General Introduction Part 2, SH19-8129 Screen Definition Facility II Primer for CICS/BMS Programs SH19-6118. Screen Definition Facility II Preparing a Prototype, SH19-6458

Common programming interface

For information about the SAA interface, see the following manuals: SAA CPI-C Reference, SC09-1308 Common Programming Interface Communications Reference, SC26-4399 SAA Common Programming Interface for Resource Recovery Reference, SC31-6821

Common user access

For information about screens that conform to the CUA standard, see the following manuals: SAA: Common User Access. Basic Interface Design Guide, SC26-4583 SAA: Common User Access. Advanced Interface Design Guide, SC26-4582

Programming languages
For information on programming in VS COBOL II, see the following manuals: VS COBOL II V1.4 Application Programming: Language Reference, GC26-4047 VS COBOL II V1.4 Application Programming Guide, SC26-4045 VS COBOL II Usage in a CICS/ESA and CICS/MVS Environment, GG24-3509 VS COBOL II V1.4 Application Programming Debugging, SC26-4049 VS COBOL II Installation and Customization Guide for MVS, SC26-4048 For information on programming in COBOL/370, see the following manuals: COBOL/370 General Information, GC26-4762 COBOL/370 Programming Guide, SC26-4767 COBOL/370 Language Reference, SC26-4769 COBOL/370 Planning and Customization, ST00-9734

Bibliography

609

For information on programming in COBOL for MVS and VM, see the following manuals: COBOL for MVS and VM Installation, SC26-4766 COBOL for MVS and VM Programming Guide, SC26-4767 For information on programming in C, see the following manuals: C/C++ for MVS V3.1 C/MVS Language Reference, SC09-2063 C/C++ for MVS V3.1 C/MVS Users Guide, SC09-2061 C/MVS Programming Guide, SC09-2062 C/MVS Reference and Summary, SX09-1303 For information on programming in C++, see the following manuals: C++/MVS Language Reference, SC09-1992 C++/MVS Users Guide, SC09-1993 C++/MVS Programming Guide, SC09-1994 For information on programming in PL/I, see the following manuals: OS PL/I Programming V2.3: Language Reference, SC26-4308 OS PL/I Optimizing Compiler Programmers Guide, SC33-0006 PL/I MVS & VM Programming Guide, SC26-3113 For information on programming in assembler language, see the following manuals: Assembler H Version 2 Application Programming Guide, SC26-4036 Assembler H Version 2 Application Programming Language Reference, GC26-4037

Teleprocessing Network Simulator (TPNS)

TPNS General Information, GH20-2487 TPNS Language Reference, SH20-2489

Distributed Processing Programming Executive (DPPX):

DPPX/370 Users Guide, SC33-0665

Language Environment:
Language Environment V1.4 Concepts Guide, GC26-4786 Language Environment V1.5 Programming Guide, SC26-4818 Language Environment V1.5 Debugging and Run-Time Messages, SC26-4829

Miscellaneous books
2780 Data Transmission Terminal: Component Description, GA27-3005 8775 Display Terminal: Terminal Users Guide, GA33-3045 IBM InfoWindow 3471 and 3472 Introduction and Installation Planning Guide, GA18-2942 3270 Information Display System Data Stream Programmers Reference, GA23-0059 3290 Information Display Panel Description and Reference, GA23-0021 8775 Display Terminal Component Description, GA33-3044 IBM CICS/ESA 3.3 3270 Data Stream Device Guide, SC33-0232

610

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Determining if a publication is current

IBM regularly updates its publications with new and changed information. When first published, both hardcopy and BookManager softcopy versions of a publication are usually in step. However, due to the time required to print and distribute hardcopy books, the BookManager version is more likely to have had last-minute changes made to it before publication. Subsequent updates will probably be available in softcopy before they are available in hardcopy. This means that at any time from the availability of a release, softcopy versions should be regarded as the most up-to-date. For CICS Transaction Server books, these softcopy updates appear regularly on the Transaction Processing and Data Collection Kit CD-ROM, SK2T-0730-xx. Each reissue of the collection kit is indicated by an updated order number suffix (the -xx part). For example, collection kit SK2T-0730-06 is more up-to-date than SK2T-0730-05. The collection kit is also clearly dated on the cover. Updates to the softcopy are clearly marked by revision codes (usually a # character) to the left of the changes.

Bibliography

611

612

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Index Numerics
10/63 magnetic slot reader 489 31-bit mode transaction 509 3262 printer 343 3270 321 3270 bridge ADS descriptor 406 3270 display 308 3270 family 325, 342 attention keys 338 attributes, extended 332 base color 332 buffer 328 color, base 332 data stream 325 data stream, outbound 336 data stream orders 333 display characteristics 330 emulating 326 extended attributes 332 field attributes 330 field format, inbound 340 fields 329 inbound field format 340 input from 338 intensity 331 MDT 331 modified data tag 331 orders in data stream 333 outbound data stream 336 protection 330 reading from 339 screen fields 326 terminal, writing to 328 unformatted mode 341 write control character 329 writing to terminal 328 3270 Information Display System 116 3270 printer 344 options 345 3270 screen field 438 3289 printer 343 3290 display 479 character size 482 3601 logical unit 487 3770 batch data interchange logical unit 3770 batch logical unit 487 3790 batch data interchange logical unit abnormal termination recovery 221 ACB interface of TCAM 322 ACCEPT command 11 ACCEPT statement 596 access to system information EXEC interface block (EIB) 6 ACCUM option 345, 423, 447 ACK 306 acknowledgment 306 active partition 483 ACTPARTN option 447, 483 adding records 251 ADDRESS command 5 ADDRESS COMMAREA command 506 addressing mode (AMODE) options for CICS applications 91 addressing of CICS areas 159 ADS descriptor 406 affinity 171 AFTER option 496 ALARM option 423 ALLOCATE command 153 inhibit wait, NOSUSPEND option 153 ALLOCERR condition 361 alternate index 237 key 237 ALTPAGE value 453 AMODE (addressing mode) options for CICS applications 91 ANSI85 option 75 ANSI85 standard COBOL 18 APAK transaction 349 APCG 148 API subset for DPL 382 APLG 41 APOST option 75 application program logical levels 18 application programs asynchronous processing 385 design 129 design for performance 147 distributed program link 373 distributed transaction processing 385 function shipping 372 installing 89 intercommunication considerations 371 logical levels 504 testing 544 transaction routing 372 translation 67, 87 using BMS map sets 96 writing 5 area, dynamic storage 148 argc 33 argv 33

487 487

A
abend 213 abend, PL/I 41 ABEND command 222 abend exit facility 221 abend exit program 222 abend exit routine 222 abend user task, EDF 564
Copyright IBM Corp. 1989, 2001

613

ASIS option 439 ASKTIME command 495 assembler language 31-bit mode 43 applications 150 CALL statement 44 programming techniques 43 restrictions 43 Assembler language 87 DFHECALL macro 87 assembly 67 assembly, TYPE=DSECT 405 ASSIGN command 5, 314, 349 DESTCOUNT option 474 MAPCOLUMN option 457 MAPHEIGHT option 457 MAPLINE option 457 MAPWIDTH option 457 MSR option 489 options 314 PAGENUM option 474 asynchronous journal output 205 asynchronous processing 371, 385 AT option 496 ATI 131, 305, 535 ATNI 373 attention field 491 attention identifier 439 ATTENTION key 306 automatic task initiation 131, 305 automatic transaction initiation 535 AUTOPAGE option 449 auxiliary storage temporary data 538 auxiliary temporary storage 141 auxiliary trace 153 AZI6 373

B
backout of resources 207 BAKR 43 BASE option 418 batch compilation 20 batch data interchange 322 definite response 324 DEFRESP option 324 destination identification 323 ISSUE WAIT command 324 NOWAIT option 324 BDAM 156 browsing operations 268 data sets 238, 267 exclusive control 267 updating operations 270 BDI 343 BGAM 303 blank fields 158 blank lines COBOL II 19 BLL (base locator linkage) cells 12

BLL (base locator linkage) (continued) chained storage areas 598 large storage areas 600 OCCURS DEPENDING ON clauses 599 storage addressing 597 block, Execution interface 32 block references 267 blocked-data set 238 BMS 344, 492 assembling and link-editing physical map sets 116 assembling map 405 assembly, TYPE=DSECT 405 BMS support levels 393 complex fields 407 composite fields 407 copy facility 162 creating map 399 cursor, finding the 440 cursor position 428 data, moving to map 419 data streams 157 DFHASMVS procedure 117 DFHLNKVS procedure 117 DFHMAPS, procedure for installing maps 121 DFHMDF macro 399 DFHMDI macro 399, 401 DFHMSD macro 399, 402 DFHPSD, for defining partition sets 122 display, receiving data from 433 EOC condition 445 field, group 408 fields 396 fields, complex 407 fields, composite 407 fields, repeated 408 finding the cursor 440 full 394 group field 408 GRPNAME option 407 initializing output map 418 installing mapsets 114 installing partition sets 122 installing physical map sets 116 installing symbolic description map sets 118 invalid data 429 link-edit 405 macro 399 macros, rules for writing 403 map 395 map, assembling 405 map, creating 399 map, initializing output 418 map, moving data to 419 map, physical 405 map, symbolic 405 map sets 406 mapping input data 436 maps 157, 158, 162 maps, storage 417 MAPSET resource definition 405 MDT 438

614

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

BMS 344, 492 (continued) message lengths, reducing 458 minimizing path length 457 minimum 393 modified data tag (MDT) 157 moving data to map 419 multimap screens 162 OCCURS option 408 output example 394 output map, initializing 418 page building operations 160 page routing operations 160 path length, minimizing 457 performance considerations 457 physical map 405 physical maps 114 preparing maps 113 PROGRAM resource definition 405 receiving data from display 433 reducing message lengths 458 repeated fields 408 routing 352 rules for writing macros 403 screen copy 357 SEND MAP command 417 standard 393 storage for maps 417 support across platforms 394 symbolic description map sets for BMS 118 symbolic map 405 symbolic maps 114 terminals supported 394 TYPE=DSECT assembly 405 types of mapsets 114 upper case translation 439 using BMS map sets in application programs 96 using symbolic map sets in a program 118 BMS commands 303 BOTTOM command, CEBR transaction 574 BRACKET option 319 bracket protocol, LAST option 319 bridge (3270) ADS descriptor 406 brightness 490 browse operation BDAM 268 BROWSE TEMP STORAGE option, CEDF 564 browse transaction 571 browsing 156 DELAY 156 records 246 SUSPEND 156 BTAM 304 BUFFER option 321 BUILDCHAIN 316

C
C++ considerations 37 C and C++ restrictions 32 C and C++arguments 34 C language considerations addressing EIB 36

C language considerations (continued) data declarations 32 LENGTH option default 144 naming EIB fields 36 struct, symbolic description map set 115 CALL statement assembler language 44 in COBOL 14, 18 CANCEL command 495 CARD option 323 CBLCARD option 75 CDUMP 33 CEBR transaction 571 body 573 BOTTOM command 574 browse transaction 571 CEBR initiation 571 COLUMN command 574 command area 573 displays 573 FIND command 575 GET command 575 header 573 initiation 571 LINE command 575 message line 573 PURGE command 575 PUT command 576 QUEUE command 576 security considerations 571 SYSID command 576 temporary storage browse 571 TERMINAL command 576 TOP command 576 transient data 576 CECI transaction about to execute command 581 ampersand (&) 586 body 582 command execution complete 582 command input 579 command input line 579 command line 579 command syntax check 580 EIB 588 ENTER key 583 expanded area 586 information area 582 introduction 579 invoking 584 making changes 585 message line 583 messages display 588 PF key values area 583 program control 591 screen layout 579 security considerations 579 status area 580 terminal sharing 591 variables 586 CECS transaction 584
Index

615

CEDF transaction 547, 548, 549 abend user task 564 body 551 browse temporary storage 564 display register 565 displays 549 DPL 562 dual-screen mode 560 EDF transaction 548 functions 547 header 550 invoke CECI 565 invoking 548 modifying execution 562 non-terminal transactions 561 options on function (PF) keys 564 overtyping displays 562 PF key 549 program labels 563 pseudoconversational programs 560 remote-linked programs 561 remote transactions 560 security 549 single-screen mode 559 CESF, GOODNIGHT transaction 321 chained storage area 598 chaining 308 chaining of data 316, 317 checkout, program 547 CICS areas, addressing 159 CICS dump utility program 226 CICS-key storage 519 CICS-maintained table 239 CICS option 75 CICS printer 343 determining characteristics of 349 CICSDATAKEY option 140, 522 CLASS option 363 CLEAR key 485 PARTITION AID value 485 PARTITION key 485 CLEAR key 170 client region 373 CLOCK 33 CMT 239 CNOTCOMPL option 317 COBOL 9, 30 31-bit addressing 12 ADDRESS register 9 addressing CICS data areas 9 ANSI85 programming restrictions 28 ANSI85 standard 18, 19, 20, 22, 27, 28 base locator for linkage (BLL) 597 BMS data structures 604 CALL statement 14, 18 calling subprograms 14, 18 comma and semicolon delimiters 27 compiler options not used under CICS 12 compilers supported 9 DL/I CALL interface 13

COBOL 9, 30 (continued) elimination of SERVICE RELOAD statement example of DFHNCTR call 295 global variables 27 LENGTH register 9 lower-case characters, ANSI85 28 program segments 602 programming restrictions summary 28 reference modification, ANSI85 27 REPLACE statement, ANSI85 20 RES option 151 reserved word table 11 restrictions 10, 149, 595 RETURN CODE register 9 run unit 13, 18 sequence numbers, ANSI85 19 symbolic characters 27 WITH DEBUGGING MODE 10 COBOL2 option 75 COBOL3 option 75 COLUMN command, CEBR transaction 574 COM assembler instruction 43 comma and semicolon delimiters, COBOL 27 lower-case characters 28 command, SYNCPOINT 208 command language translator 69, 73 commands supported in C++ 37 COMMAREA 130, 139, 140, 148 LINK command 503 option 169, 503, 505, 507 common work area (CWA) 165 protecting 165 communication area DFHCOMMAREA 597 compilation 67 compilers supported assembler 43 COBOL 9 Language Environment 47 complex fields 407 composite fields 407 condition, exception 209 CONNECT PROCESS command 385 CONSISTENT option READ command 246 READNEXT command 248 READPREV command 248 CONSOLE option 323 contention for resources 130 contention for terminal 305 control exclusive of BDAM 267 of VSAM blocks 260 conversation partner 304 conversational programming 129, 163 CONVERSE command 163, 307, 319 DEST option 322 copy facility BMS 162 COPY statements 85 copybook translation 85

616

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

COUNT option 596 counter name named counters 283 coupling facility data tables 240 coupling facility list structure current value 284 CPI-C 371, 385 references 5 CPI Communications interface module, DFHCPLC 86 CPI Communications stub 386 CPLD transient data destination 105 CPLI transient data destination CPLI 105 CPSM option 76 CQRY transaction 134 CSECT, adding to map assembly 121 CSNAP 33 CSPG transaction 352, 357, 449, 450 CSPP transaction 134 CTDLI 33 CTEST 33 CTLCHAR option 345, 346 CTRACE 33 CURRENT-DATE statement 596 cursor, finding the 440 cursor-detectable field 490 CURSOR option 423, 428, 447 cursor position 428 cursor positioning, symbolic 428 CVDA 144, 229, 230 CICS-value data area 144 CWA 165 CWAKEY parameter 165

D
data chaining 316 definition 149 initialization 149 passing to other program 505 records 144 storing within transaction 139 data, moving to map 419 data, reading from a display 436 DATA(24) 12 DATA(31) 12 data interchange block 71 data sets 154 access from CICS application programs batch data interchange 322 BDAM 238, 267 blocked 238 empty 236 sequential 156 user 143 VSAM 259 data storing within transaction 139 data streams compressing 160 inbound 158 RA order 160

244

data streams (continued) repeat-to-address orders (SBA) 160 SBA order 160 set buffer address order 160 data tables coupling facility 240 shared 239 database DB2 271 DL/I 271 DATABASE 2 (DB2) 271 DATAONLY option 159, 423, 425 date field of EIB 6 DATE statement 596 DAY statement 596 DB2 271 request processing 271 task related user exit 271 DBCS option 76 DCB interface of TCAM 306 DDname list, in translator dynamic invocation DDS 413 deadlock 152 prevention 260 deadlocks 257 DEBKEY option 269 deblocking argument 267 DEBREC option 268, 269 DEBUG option 76 debugging 547 default action for condition 209 deferred journal output 206 definite response protocol terminal control 318 DEFRESP option 163, 324 terminal control 318 DELAY command 495, 496 DELETE command 11 DELETEQ TD command 533 DELETEQ TS command 537 deleting records 250 DEQ command 499 DEQUEUE command 352 design considerations of applications exclusive control of resources 151 designator character 490 DEST option 322 DESTCOUNT option 474 DESTID option 323 DESTIDLENG option 323 destination identification 323 detectable field 490 device-dependent maps 412 device dependent support 413 DFHAID 32 DFHASMVS procedure 114, 117, 118, 122 DFHBMSCA 32, 421 DFHBMSCA definitions 440 DFHBMSUP 407 DFHCOMMAREA 11, 505

Index

617

DFHCOMMAREA communication area 597 DFHCPLC 386 DFHCPLC, CPI Communications interface module DFHCPLRR, SAA Resource Recovery interface module 86 DFHEAI, interface module for assembler 86 DFHEAI0, interface module for assembler 86 DFHEAP1$, translator for assembler 72 DFHECI, interface module for COBOL 86 DFHECP1$, translator for COBOL 72 DFHEDF group 544 DFHEDP1$, translator for C 72 DFHEIBLK 11 DFHEIEND macro 81, 82 DFHEIENT macro 45, 81, 82 DFHEIP 87 DFHEIRET macro 45, 76, 80 DFHEISTG macro 81, 82 DFHEITAL procedure 96, 98 DFHEITDL procedure 96, 106, 107 DFHEITPL procedure 96, 104 DFHEITVL procedure 96, 101 DFHEIVAR 11 DFHELII 87 DFHELII, interface module for C 86 DFHELII, interface module for LE conforming language 86 DFHEPI, interface module for PL/I 86 DFHEPP1$, translator for PL/I 72 DFHEXTDL procedure 96, 107 DFHEXTPL procedure 96, 104 DFHEXTVL procedure 96, 101 DFHFCT macro 239 DFHLNKVS procedure 117, 122 DFHMAPS procedure 96, 119 DFHMAPT procedure for installing HTML templates 120 DFHMDF macro 399 display characteristics 419 DSATTS option 419 MAPATTS option 419 DFHMDI macro 399, 401 DFHMIRS program 378 DFHMSCAN utility program 90 DFHMSD, macro for assembling map sets 115 DFHMSD macro 399, 402 BASE option 418 STORAGE option 418 DFHMSRCA 32, 489 DFHNC001 default named counter pool 285 DFHNCO macro named counter options table 284 DFHNCOPT named counter options table 284 DFHNCTR example COBOL call with null pointers 295 DFHPDI macro 481 DFHPEP program 222 DFHPL1OI, PL/I interface module 86, 105 DFHPSD macro 122, 481

DFHRESP translator function 70, 210 DFHURLDS 471 DFHVALUE 70 DFHYITDL procedure 96, 107 DFHYITEL procedure 96 DFHYITPL procedure 96, 104 DFHYITVL procedure 96, 101 DFHYXTDL procedure 96, 107 DFHYXTEL procedure 96 DFHYXTPL procedure 96 DFHYXTVL procedure 96, 101 DIB 71 direct terminal 474 display register, EDF 565 screens 169 DISPLAY statement 596 display, reading from 436 display characteristics 419 DISPLAY command 11 distributed program link 503 DL/I 12, 271 database operations 154 EXEC DLI interface 271 references 5 segment-search area (SSA) 154 syncpoints 208 DLI 32, 77 DLI option 76 DLIUIB 32 DOCTEMPLATE resource 274 document handler 273 documents creating 273 HTML 273 TEMPLATE 274 DPL 208, 371, 373, 503, 562 client region 373 COMMAREA option 377 DPL API subset 382 exception conditions 383 independent syncpoints 379 options 374 programming considerations 381 REMOTENAME option 377 REMOTESYSTEM option 377 server program 377 server region 373, 377 SYSID option 377 TRANSID option 378 DSA 148 DSATTS option 419 DTP 371, 385 DUMP TRANSACTION command 226 DUPKEY condition 248 DYNAM option 596 dynamic program 151 storage area 148 transaction backout program 222

618

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

dynamic (continued) transaction routing 509 dynamic invocation of translator

E
ECBLIST 500 EDF 71, 76, 547 EDF option 76 EDF option 76 EIB 32, 70, 209, 305 application 84 description 6 EIBCALEN field 506 EIBCOMPL field 308 EIBFN field 507 EIBSIG field 306 EIBTRNID field 379 SYSEIB option 84 system 84 terminal control feedback 315 empty data sets 236 end-of-data indicator character 320 ENDBR command 248 ENDINPT condition 321 ENDJOB option 596 ENQ command 153, 499 ENQBUSY condition 153 ENQUEUE command 352 enqueuing in a VSAM file 152 VSAM internal 152 entry point, trace 225 entry-sequenced data set (ESDS) 236 EOC condition 317, 445 EODI character 320 EODS condition 317 EOF condition 321 EPILOG option 76 EQUAL option 245 ERASE option 346, 423, 447 ERASEAUP option 423, 447, 461 ERDSA 93 ESDS (entry-sequenced data set) 236 events monitoring point 225 exception condition description 209 exception conditions HANDLE CONDITION command 214 IGNORE CONDITION command 217 exception trace entry point 225 EXCI CALL 386 communications 386 option 76 EXCI - external call interface 371 exclusive control of records BDAM 267 VSAM 260 VSAM RLS 261 exclusive resources 151

EXEC DLI commands 33 EXEC DLI interface 271 EXEC interface block 70 EXEC interface modules 86, 109 EXEC interface stubs 86 EXEC SQL commands 271 EXEC SQL interface 271 EXECKEY 140, 165 EXECKEY parameter 519 execution diagnostic facility 71, 76, 547 Execution interface block 32 EXHIBIT statement 596 expiration time specifying 496 extended read-only DSA (ERDSA) 93 external call interface (EXCI) 371 External CICS interface (EXCI) 386 extrapartition queues 534 extrapartition transient data 143, 157

F
FDUMP 12 FE option 77 FEPI references 5 FEPI - Front End Programming Interface 371 FEPI option 77 FETCH 33 field blank 158 group 408 fields BMS 396 complex 407 composite 407 repeated 408 file control BDAM data sets 267 overview 235 VSAM data sets 259 FIND command, CEBR transaction 575 finding the cursor 440 flag byte, route list 470 FLAG option 77 flip-flop mode 304 floating maps 453 FLOW option 596 FMH 318 inbound 318 option 319 outbound 319 FMHPARM option 447 FOR option 496 formatted screen, reading from a 438 FORMATTIME command 495 FORMFEED option 347, 447 FREE command 319 FREEKB option 423 FREEMAIN command 517 FROM option 253, 423 Front End Programming Interface (FEPI) 371
Index

619

FRSET option 423 function (PF) keys, CEBR transaction function management header description 318 function-ship 254 function shipping 372 Function shipping 371 functions, EDF 547

573

G
GDDM 428 GDS option 77 generic delete 251 generic key 245 GENERIC option 245, 259 GET command, CEBR transaction 575 GETMAIN command 139 CICSDATAKEY option 140, 522 INITIMG option 150, 517 NOSUSPEND option 517 SHARED option 139, 143, 517 TASKDATAKEY option 140 USERDATAKEY option 140, 522 GETMAIN requests (MVS) OS/VS COBOL language restrictions 597 global user exits 521 global variables, COBOL 27 GOODNIGHT transaction, CESF 321 GRAPHIC option 77 group field 408 GRPNAME option 407 GTEQ option 245, 259

H
half-duplex mode 304 HANDLE ABEND command 210, 213, 221 HANDLE AID command 439 HANDLE CONDITION command 210, 213, 219 HANDLE CONDITION ERROR command 216 HOLD option 503 HONEOM option 346 horizontal tabs 348 HTML templates installing 120

I
IBM Screen Definition Facility II (SDF II) 114 ICTL (input format control) 43 ICVR parameter 545 identification BDAM record 267 VSAM record 259 IGNORE CONDITION command 210, 213, 217 IGREQID condition 447 IGYCCICS 10 IGZ9OPD 11 IGZEOPD 11 IMMEDIATE option 305, 319, 507

IMS.RESLIB (IMS library) 112 INBFMH condition 317 inbound data streams 158 index, alternate 237 indirect queues 534 initializing output map 418 INITIMG option 150, 517 input format control (ICTL) 43 input data chaining of 316 input map, symbolic 435 INPUTMSG option 503, 507, 509 INQUIRE command 6 INQUIRE TERMINAL command 315, 349 INRTN option 484 INSPECT statement 596 installing application programs assembler-language 98 C 106 COBOL 100 PL/I 104 using your own job stream 108 installing assembler application programs sample job stream for 99 Installing HTML templates 120 integrated CICS translator 67 integrated translators 6, 67 inter-transaction affinity affinity life times 197 affinity transaction groups 197 caused by application generators 196 detecting 196 programming techniques 173 recommendations 174 relations and lifetimes 197 global relation 197 terminal relation 199 userid relation 200 safe programming techniques 174 the COMMAREA 175 the TCTUA 176 using BTS containers 179 using DEQ with ENQMODEL 177 using ENQ with ENQMODEL 177 suspect programming techniques DELAY and CANCEL REQID commands 193 global user exits 172 INQUIRE and SET commands 172 POST command 194 RETRIEVE WAIT and START commands 189 START and CANCEL REQID commands 191 transient data 188 temporary storage data-sharing temporary storage 186 unsafe programming techniques 179 the CWA 179 using DEQ 185 using ENQ 185 using LOAD PROGRAM HOLD 181

620

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

inter-transaction affinity (continued) using shared storage 180 using task lifetime storage 182 using WAIT EVENT 184 interactive debugging CECI transaction 579 CECS transaction 584 CEDF transaction 547 interactive problem control system 226 intercommunication 371 interface block, Execution 32 interface modules CPI Communications 86 EXEC 86 programs using EXEC CICS or EXEC DLI commands 109 SAA Resource Recovery 86 using 97 interface stubs, EXEC 86 interleaving conversation with message routing interregion communication 386 interrupting 306 interval control 495 cancel interval control command 495 DELAY command 496 delay processing of a task 495 expiration time 496 POST command 496 specifying request identifier 497 START command 496 starting a task 495 INTERVAL option 496 INTO option 253 intrapartition queues 533 intrapartition transient data 142 INVITE option 305 invoking EDF 548 INVPARTN condition 485 INVPARTNSET condition 485 INVREQ condition 447 IPCS 226 IRC 386 ISA (initial storage area) size 40 ISCINVREQ 373 ISSUE ABORT command 323 CARD option 323 CONSOLE option 323 PRINT option 323 WPMEDIA14 option 323 ISSUE ADD command 323 ISSUE COPY command 307, 321, 356 ISSUE DISCONNECT command 306 ISSUE END command 323 CARD option 323 CONSOLE option 323 PRINT option 323 WPMEDIA14 option 323 ISSUE ERASE command 307, 323 ISSUE NOTE command 323 ISSUE PRINT command 321, 356 ISSUE QUERY command 323

ISSUE RECEIVE command 323 ISSUE REPLACE command 323 ISSUE RESET command 321 ISSUE SEND command 323 CARD option 323 CONSOLE option 323 PRINT option 323 WPMEDIA14 option 323 ISSUE WAIT command 323, 324 CARD option 323 CONSOLE option 323 PRINT option 323 WPMEDIA14 option 323

J
474 JES 6, 359 JES (job entry subsystem) exits 363 input 363 RESP and RESP2 options 361 retrieve data from JES spool 359, 360 spooler commands 361 Job Entry Subsystem component of MVS 359 journal records 144, 205 journal control output synchronization 205 journal identifier 207 journal type identifier 207 journaling 157, 205, 207 JOURNALNAME 207 JOURNALNUM 207 JTYPEID 207 JUSFIRST option 462 JUSLAST option 462 JUSTIFY option 462

K
key alternate (secondary) 237 generic 245 hardware print 356 key-sequenced data set (KSDS) 235 KEYLENGTH option, remote data set 254 keys physical 267 KSDS (key-sequenced data set) 235

L
language considerations assembler 43, 45 C and C++ 31, 39 COBOL 9, 30 PL/I 39, 41 Language Environment 47 abend handling 49 under PL/I 55 Assembler conforming routines 55
Index

621

Language Environment 47 (continued) non-conforming routines 57 C/C++ 51 callable services 48 CEEBINT 62 COBOL 52 compilers supported 47 condition handlers, user-written 50 conforming programs 47 destinations, message and dump 49 DLLs 59 dump destination 49 Dynamic Link Libraries 59 HANDLE AID command 49 HANDLE CONDITION command 49 HLL user exit 62 languages, mixing 57 levels of support 47 message destination 49 mixing languages 57 PL/I 54 run-time options 60 and CICS LINK 61 determining which options were used 62 in child enclaves 61 RUWAPOOL 49, 50 storage 49, 50 support, levels of 47 user-written condition handlers 50 Language Environmnet compatibility support 48 non-conforming programs 48 LAST option 319, 424 bracket protocol 319 LDC 487 LDCMNEM option 488 LDCNUM option 488 LENGERR condition 308 LENGTH option 78, 143, 308 LENGTH register, COBOL 9 LENGTHLIST option multiple dumps of task-related storage areas 227 levels, application program logical 504 library lookaside (LLA) 92 light pen-detectable field 490 LINE command CEBR transaction 575 line length on printing 346 line traffic reduction 159 LINECOUNT option 78 LINK command 139, 147, 148, 504 COMMAREA option 503, 505, 507 IMMEDIATE option 507 in COBOL 14, 18 INPUTMSG option 503, 507 TRANSID option 507 link-edit 67, 71 link-edit of map 405 link pack area (LPA) 92 LINK PROGRAM 386 link to program, expecting return 504

LINKAGE option 78 LIST option 467 LLA (library lookaside) 92 LOAD command HOLD option 503 load libraries support for secondary extents 97 local copy key 355 locale support 37 locality of reference 149 logging 156 logical device component 487 logical levels, application program 14, 18, 504 logical messages, rules for 447 logical record presentation 317 logical unit of work (LUW) database operations, control of PSB 154 description 130 recoverable resources 130 syncpoints used 207 logical units (LUs) facilities for 316 lookaside transaction 481 LPA 92 LU type 4 batch data interchange 323 device 306 logical record presentation 317 LUs (logical units) facilities for 316

M
magnetic slot reader, 10/63 489 main storage 148 temporary data 538 main temporary storage 141 map BMS 395 creating 399 initializing output 418 link-edit 405 moving data to 419 sets 406 symbolic input 435 symbolic output 435 map sets Adding a CSECT 121 Using symbolic description map sets in a program 96 MAPATTS option 419 MAPCOLUMN option 457 MAPFAIL condition 438, 444 MAPHEIGHT option 457 MAPLINE option 457 MAPONLY option 159, 423, 424 MAPPED option 465 mapping input data 436 maps BMS 158, 162 device-dependent 412

622

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

maps (continued) floating 453 sets 150 MAPSET option 423 MAPSET resource definition 405 mapsets loading above the 16MB line 114 MAPWIDTH option 457 MARGINS option 78 MASSINSERT option 155, 252 MDT 157, 438 MERGE command 11 message routing 467 message title 473 messages, undeliverable 472 mixed addressing mode transaction 509 modified data tag 157, 438 modifying execution, EDF 562 modular program 150 MONITOR command 225 MONITOR POINT command 225 monitoring application performance 225 moving data to map 419 MSGINTEG option 163 MSR 489 MSR option 447, 489 multimap screens 162 multipage outputs 160 multithread testing 543 multithreading 136 MVS subspace 529 MVS transaction 509 MXT parameter 152

N
named counters 283 CICS API 285 counter name 283 coupling facility list structure current value 283 DFHNC001 285 DFHNCO macro 284 maximum value 283 minimum value 283 named counter fields 283 options table 284 overview 283 pools 284 NATLANG option 79 nested programs 22 NLEOM option 344, 346, 447 NOAUTOPAGE option 449 NOCBLCARD option 79 NOCPSM option 79 NODE option 361 NODEBUG option 79 NOEDF option 79 NOEDIT option 465 NOEPILOG option 79 NOFE option 80 NOFEPI option 80 284

NOFLUSH option 454, 461 NOHANDLE option 210, 215 NOJBUFSP condition 153 NOLENGTH option 80 NOLINKAGE option 80 non-CICS printer 343 Non-CICS printer 353 non-terminal transactions EDF 561 nonconversational programming 129 NONUM option 80 NOOPSEQUENCE option 80 NOOPTIONS option 80 NOPROLOG option 81 NOQUEUE option 153 NOSEQ option 81 NOSEQUENCE option 74, 81 NOSOURCE option 81 NOSPACE condition 216 NOSPIE option 81 NOSUSPEND option 153 GETMAIN command 517 READ command 246 READNEXT command 248, 251 READPREV command 248, 251 WRITE command 252 NOTRUNC compiler option 602 NOTRUNCATE option 308 NOVBREF option 81 NOWAIT option 324 NOWSCLEAR 11 NOXREF option 81 null parameters, example of DFHNCTR CALLs with 295 null values, use of 160 NUM option 81 NUMREC option 251 NUMSEGMENTS option multiple dumps of task-related storage areas

227

O
OCCURS option 408 OOCOBOL option 82 OPCLASS option 468 OPEN command 11 operating system waits 153 OPID option 468 OPIDENT value 467 OPMARGINS option 82 OPSEQUENCE option 82 OPSYN (equate operation code) 43 option list, in translator dynamic invocation options HANDLE CONDITION command 214 on function keys, EDF 564 OPTIONS(MAIN) specification 39 OPTIONS option 82 OS/VS COBOL considerations 595 outboard controller 322 outboard formatting 492

Index

623

output data, chaining of 317 output map, initializing 418 output map, symbolic 435 OVERFLOW condition 454 overlays 151 overtyping EDF displays 562

P
PA key 349 page break 454 page building operations 160 page fault 149 page overflow 473 page routing operations 160 PAGENUM option 474 PAGESIZE value 453 paging reducing effects 149 PAGING option 345, 423, 429 parameters null 295 partition, active 483 partition sets installing 121 loading above the 16MB line 114 partitions 479 partitions, defining 481 PARTITIONSET option 482 PARTN option 484 partner, conversation 304 partners, range of 385 PARTNFAIL condition 485 PARTNPAGE option 485 passing control, anticipating return (LINK) 504 passing data to other program 505 pen-detectable field 490 PERFORM command 6 PERFORM DUMP command 226 PF (program function) key 549, 573, 583 physical keys 267 physical map sets installing 116 PL/I abend 41 PL/I language considerations OPTIONS(MAIN) specification 39 restrictions 39 STAE option 39 PLT program 521 POP HANDLE command 213, 222 POST command 495, 496 preprinted form 539 presentation space 479 PRGDLY option 472 principal facility 131, 132 print control bit 345 print formatting 321 print key 308, 355 print key, Hardware 356 PRINT option 323 printed output, requests for 162 printer 3270 344

printer (continued) options 345 CICS 343 determining characteristics of 349 non-CICS 343 Non-CICS 353 SCS 346 PRINTERCOMP option 348 printing 343, 357 CICS API considerations 353 line length on 346 START command 350 transient data 351 with BMS routing 352 program size 147 testing 547 program control linking to another program 504 passing data to another program 505 program logical levels 504 program design conversational 129, 163 nonconversational 129 pseudoconversational 129 program labels in EDF 563 PROGRAM option 221 PROGRAM resource definition 405 program segments COBOL 602 program storage 141 programming techniques assembler 43, 45 C and C++ 31, 39 COBOL 9, 30, 595 general 147 PL/I 39, 41 PROLOG option 82 PROTECT option 163 pseudoconversational programming 129 PURGE command, CEBR transaction 575 purge delay 472 PURGE MESSAGE command 448, 467 PUSH HANDLE command 213, 222 PUT command, CEBR transaction 576

Q
QBUSY condition 153 QUERY SECURITY command 229 NOLOG option 230 RESCLASS option 229 RESID option 229 RESTYPE option 229 query transaction 134 queue temporary storage 537 QUEUE command, CEBR transaction queues extrapartition 534 intrapartition 533 transient data 533

576

624

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

QUOTE option 82 QZERO condition 535

R
RACF 229 range of partners 385 RBA (relative byte address) 236, 259 RDF 270 read-ahead queueing 306 READ command 11, 249 CONSISTENT option 246 NOSUSPEND option 246 REPEATABLE option 246 UNCOMMITTED option 246 read-only DSA (RDSA) 93 reading data from a display 436 reading from a formatted screen 438 reading records 244 READNEXT command 246, 247 CONSISTENT option 248 NOSUSPEND option 248, 251 REPEATABLE option 248 UNCOMMITTED option 248 READPREV command 247 CONSISTENT option 248 NOSUSPEND option 248, 251 REPEATABLE option 248 UNCOMMITTED option 248 READQ TD command 153, 533 READQ TS command 537 ITEM option 538 RECEIVE command 163, 305, 306, 307, 319 BUFFER option 321 MAPFAIL condition 444 RECEIVE MAP command 436 ASIS option 439 RECEIVE PARTN command 484 record identification 259, 267 locking 260 locking (RLS) 261 record description field 270 record-level sharing (RLS) accessing files in RLS mode 237 record locking 261 records adding 251 adding to BDAM data set 269 browsing 244 deleting 250 journal 205 length of 144 reading 244 updating 249 writing 249, 251 recoverable resources 130 exclusive use 130 recovery of resources 151 problem avoidance 144 sequential terminal support 319

recovery (continued) syncpoint 207 reduction of line traffic 159 reentrancy 136 Reference modification 27 reference set 150 regression testing 543 relative byte address (RBA) 236, 259 relative record data set (RRDS) 236 relative record number (RRN) 236, 259 RELEASE 33 RELEASE command HOLD option 503 RELEASE option 449 RELTYPE keyword 239 remote data set, KEYLENGTH option 254 remote-linked programs DPL 562 EDF 561 remote transactions, EDF 560 REMOTENAME option 377 REMOTESYSTEM option 377 REPEATABLE option READ command 246 READNEXT command 248 READPREV command 248 repeated fields 408 REPLACE statement 20 integrated translator action 20 translator action 20 REPORT WRITER option 595 REQID option 248, 447, 472, 497 request/response unit (RU) 316 RES option, COBOL 151 shared library (PLISHRE) 151 RESCLASS option 229 RESETBR command 247 RESID option 229 residence mode (RMODE) options for CICS applications 91 resources contention 130 control of 130 controlling sequence of access to 500 exclusive control of 151 exclusive use 130 recoverable 130, 151 RESP and RESP2 options for interface to JES 361 RESP option 210, 215 deactivating NOHANDLE 215 RESP value 209 RESP2 option 210 RESP2 value 209, 210 restrictions 31-bit mode 43 assembler language 43 COBOL 595 PL/I 39 RESTYPE option 229 RETPAGE condition 431, 462
Index

625

RETRIEVE command 495, 500 RETURN CODE register, COBOL 9 RETURN command 141, 507 COMMAREA option 169, 503 IMMEDIATE option 305, 319 INPUTMSG option 503, 507, 509 TRANSID option 131 reverse interrupt 306 REWRITE command 11, 249 RIDFLD option 239, 246, 253 RMODE (residence mode) options for CICS applications 91 ROUTE command 467 LIST option 467 page overflow 473 TITLE option 473 route list 467 LIST option 470 segment chain entry format 470 standard entry format 470 ROUTEDMSGS option 469 routing, Transaction 371 routing terminals 474 RRDS (relative record data set) 236 RRN (relative record number) 236, 259 RTEFAIL condition 470 RTESOME condition 470 RU (request/response unit) 316 rules for logical messages 447 run unit in COBOL 13, 18 runaway tasks 152 RVI 306

S
SAA Resource Recovery 208 SAA Resource Recovery interface module, DFHCPLRR 86 SAM 303 screen, reading from a formatted 438 screen copy, BMS 357 screen field, 3270 438 SCS printer 346 SCS input 349 SDF II 399, 406 SDF II (IBM Screen Definition Facility II) 114 SEC system initialization option 230 secondary extents, CICS load libraries 97 security 146 CICS-defined resource identifiers 230 EDF 549 programming hints 230 record or field level 229 SEC system initialization option 230 SPCOMMAND resource type 230 SEGMENTATION option 595 SEGMENTLIST option multiple dumps of task-related storage areas segments, program COBOL 602 selection field 491

227

SEND command 163, 306, 307, 319 CNOTCOMPL option 317 CTLCHAR option 345 DEST option 322 FMH option 319 INVITE option 305 LAST option 319 MSR option 489 SEND CONTROL command 343, 425 SEND MAP command 343, 417 ACCUM option 423, 447 ALARM option 423 CURSOR option 423, 428 DATAONLY option 423 ERASE option 423 ERASEAUP option 423, 461 FREEKB option 423 FROM option 423 LAST option 424 MAPONLY option 423 MAPSET option 423 NOFLUSH option 454, 461 PAGING option 423 SET option 423 TERMINAL option 423, 429 WAIT option 424 SEND PAGE command 208, 448, 467 AUTOPAGE option 449 NOAUTOPAGE option 449 RELEASE option 449 SEND PARTNSET command 483 SEND TEXT command 343, 461 MAPPED option 465 NOEDIT option 465 SEQ option 83 sequence of access to resources, controlling 500 SEQUENCE option 83 sequential terminal support 319, 543 server program 377 region 373, 377 SERVICE RELOAD elimination, COBOL 9 SERVICE RELOAD statement 601 SERVICE RELOAD statement, COBOL 601 SESSBUSY condition 153 SET command 6, 429 option 253 SET option 423, 429 SETLOCALE 33 shared control of records VSAM RLS 261 shared data tables 239 SHARED option 139, 143 GETMAIN command 517 SHARED option 140 shared PL/I library 106 shared storage 143 sharing data across transactions 165 SIGN IS SEPARATE statement 596

626

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

SIGNAL condition 306 simultaneous browse 248 single-screen mode, EDF 559 single-thread testing 543 single-threading 136 size, program 147 SORT option 595 SOURCE option 83 SP option 83 space, presentation 479 SPACE option 83 SPCOMMAND resource type 230 SPIE option 84 SPOLBUSY condition 363 spool commands 6 file 359 SPOOLCLOSE command 359 SPOOLOPEN examples 367 SPOOLOPEN command 354, 359 NODE option 361 TOKEN option 361 USERID option 361 SPOOLREAD command 359 SPOOLWRITE command 359 SPURGE parameter 184 SQL 5 SQL interface, EXEC 271 STAE option, PL/I 39 START command 11, 350, 495, 500 STARTBR command 246 STATE option 596 static storage 150 status flag byte, route list 470 STOP command 11 STOP literal statement 596 STOP RUN statement 596 storage CICS-key 519 main 148 program 141 shareable 517 static 150 temporary 141 user 139 user-key 519 storage area, dynamic 148 storage control 517 STORAGE option 418 storage protection 518 STRING statement 596 struct, C/370 symbolic description map set stubs, EXEC interface 86 subprogram, calling from COBOL 14, 18 subroutines 149 subspace 529 SUSPEND command 499 suspend data set 538 SVC99 33

symbolic input map 435 output map 435 symbolic cursor positioning 428 symbolic description map sets using in a program 96 SYMDUMP option 596 synchronize action journal output 205 SYNCONRETURN option 379, 384 SYNCPOINT command 208, 448 ROLLBACK option 222 syncpointing 207, 208 syncpointing, DPL 379 SYSEIB option 84 SYSID command, CEBR transaction 576 SYSID option 377 SYSIDERR 373 SYSIN 70 SYSPARM, operand for assembling map sets SYSPRINT 71 SYSPUNCH 70 SYSTEM 33 system information, access to 5 system trace entry point 225

115

T
tabs, horizontal 348 tabs, vertical 348 task control 499 sequence of access to resources 500 task-related user exit 521 TASKDATAKEY option 139, 140, 521 TASKDATALOC option 84, 139 TCAM 303, 304, 321 ACB interface of 322 DCB interface of 306 TCTUA 168, 521 TCTUAKEY 168, 521 TCTUALOC 168 techniques, programming 147 temporary data 537 temporary storage auxiliary 141, 538 browse transaction, CEBR 571 data 537 main 141, 538 queue 537 TERM option 413 TERMID value 468 terminal contention for 305 option 423 performance 157 sharing 591 support, sequential 319 wait 307 TERMINAL option 429 TERMINAL command, CEBR transaction 576 terminal control bracket protocol, LAST option 319
Index

115

627

terminal control (continued) break protocol 306 chaining of input data 316 chaining of output data 317 definite response 318 facilities for logical units 316 FMH, inbound 318 FMH, outbound 319 function management header (FMH) 318 interrupting 306 logical record presentation 317 map input data 436 print formatting 321 protocol, break 306 read-ahead queueing 306 table user area (TCTUA) 168 Terminal control 303, 324 commands 304 conversation partner 304 flip-flop mode 304 half-duplex mode 304 partner, conversation 304 Terminal control commands 303 TERMINAL option 429 terminals, extended data stream 116 TEST option 596 testing applications multithread testing 543 preparing application table entries 544 preparing system table entries 544 preparing the system 544 regression testing 543 sequential terminal support 543 single-thread testing 543 using sequential devices 319, 543 time field of EIB 6 TIME statement 596 TIOATDL value 465 title, message 473 TITLE option 473 TOKEN option 254, 361 TOP command, CEBR transaction 576 trace description 224 trace entry point 225 TRACE option 595 TRANISO 527 transaction affinity 372, 495, 500, 503, 517, 526 deadlock 255 routing 371, 372 routing, dynamic 509 transaction affinity 171, 174 inter-transaction affinity 172 transaction-system affinity 172 transaction identifier CEBR 571 CECI 584 CEDF transaction 547 transaction isolation 518 transaction-system affinity 172

transaction work area 139 transactions conversational 129 nonconversational 129 pseudoconversational 129 TRANSID option 378, 507 transient data 351 extrapartition 143, 157 intrapartition 142 queue 142, 188 transient data control automatic transaction initiation (ATI) queues 533, 534 translation 6, 67, 87 ANSI85 option 75 APOST option 75 CBLCARD option 75 CICS option 75 COBOL2 option 75 COBOL3 option 75 CPSM option 76 DBCS option 76 DEBUG option 76 DLI option 76 EDF option 76 EPILOG option 76 EXCI option 76 FE option 77 FEPI option 77 FLAG option 77 GDS option 77 GRAPHIC option 77 LENGTH option 78 line numbers 71 LINECOUNT option 78 LINKAGE option 78 MARGINS option 78 NATLANG option 79 NOCBLCARD option 79 NOCPSM option 79 NODEBUG option 79 NOEDF option 79 NOEPILOG option 79 NOFE option 80 NOFEPI option 80 NOLENGTH option 80 NOLINKAGE option 80 NONUM option 80 NOOPSEQUENCE option 80 NOOPTIONS option 80 NOPROLOG option 81 NOSEQ option 81 NOSEQUENCE option 81 NOSOURCE option 71, 81 NOSPIE option 81 NOVBREF option 81 NOXREF option 81 NUM option 81 OOCOBOL option 82 OPMARGINS option 82 OPSEQUENCE option 82

535

628

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

translation 6, 67, 87 (continued) options 73, 74 OPTIONS option 82 PROLOG option 82 QUOTE option 82 SEQ option 83 SEQUENCE option 83 SOURCE option 71, 83 SP option 83 SPACE option 83 SPIE option 84 SYSEIB option 84 VBREF option 71, 84 XOPTS keyword 73 XREF option 84 translator dynamic invocation of 72 integrated with LE-conforming compilers translator data sets 69, 73 trigger field 489 TRUNC option 12 TS queue 186 TST TYPE=SHARED 187 TWA 139 TWASIZE option 139 TYPE=DSECT assembly 405

VBREF option 84 vertical tabs 348 viewport 479 virtual lookaside facility (VLF) 92 virtual storage 148 virtual storage environment 147 VLF (virtual lookaside facility) 92 VOLUME option 323 VOLUMELENG option 323 VSAM data sets 154, 259 enqueues 152 MASSINSERT option 155 processor overhead 155 VTAM 303, 304

W
wait, terminal 307 WAIT EVENT command 184, 495 WAIT EXTERNAL command 185, 499 WAIT JOURNALNUM command synchronize with journal output 205 WAIT option 206, 307, 424 WAIT TERMINAL command 307 WAITCICS command 185, 499 waits, operating system 153 WITH DEBUGGING MODE 10 working set 149 working storage 9, 31, 34, 43 WPMEDIA14 option 323 WRITE command 11, 251 NOSUSPEND option 252 WRITE JOURNALNAME command 153, 205 WRITE JOURNALNUM command 153, 205 create a journal record 205 WRITEQ TD command 533 WRITEQ TS command 537 writing records 249, 251 WRKAREA parameter 165 WSCLEAR 11

U
UMT 239 UNCOMMITTED option READ command 246 READNEXT command 248 READPREV command 248 undeliverable messages 472 unit of compilation, COBOL description 19 start of, nested programs 23 submitting to translator 23 translator options for 20 unit of work 208 UNLOCK command 252 UNSTRING statement 596 UNTIL option 496 UOW 208 update operation, BDAM 270 UPDATE option 249 updating records 249 upgrade set 237 upper case translation in BMS 439 user data sets 143 storage 139 trace entry point 225 user-key storage 519 user-maintained table 239 user-replaceable module 521 USERDATAKEY option 140, 522 USERID option 361, 363

X
XCTL command 139, 141, 147, 148 COMMAREA option 503, 505 INPUTMSG option 503, 507 XOPTS keyword 73 XPCREQ global user exit 373, 378 XREF option 84 XTC OUT exit 160 XTSEREQ, global user exit 187

V
validity of reference 149 variables, CECI/CECS 586
Index

629

630

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Notices
This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A. IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other countries. Consult your local IBM representative for information on the products and services currently available in your area. Any reference to an IBM product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that IBM product, program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or service that does not infringe any IBM intellectual property right may be used instead. However, it is the users responsibility to evaluate and verify the operation of any non-IBM product, program, or service. IBM may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter described in this document. The furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents. You can send license inquiries, in writing, to: IBM Director of Licensing IBM Corporation North Castle Drive Armonk, NY 10504-1785 U.S.A. For license inquiries regarding double-byte (DBCS) information, contact the IBM Intellectual Property Department in your country or send inquiries, in writing, to: IBM World Trade Asia Corporation Licensing 2-31 Roppongi 3-chome, Minato-ku Tokyo 106, Japan The following paragraph does not apply in the United Kingdom or any other country where such provisions are inconsistent with local law: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION AS IS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore this statement may not apply to you. This publication could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. IBM may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time without notice. Licensees of this program who wish to have information about it for the purpose of enabling: (i) the exchange of information between independently created programs and other programs (including this one) and (ii) the mutual use of the information which has been exchanged, should contact IBM United Kingdom Laboratories, MP151, Hursley Park, Winchester, Hampshire, England, SO21 2JN. Such information may be available, subject to appropriate terms and conditions, including in some cases, payment of a fee.

631

The licensed program described in this document and all licensed material available for it are provided by IBM under terms of the IBM Customer Agreement, IBM International Programming License Agreement, or any equivalent agreement between us.

Trademarks
The following terms are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, or other countries, or both:
BookManager C/370 C/MVS CICS CICS/400 CICS/6000 CICS/ESA CICS/MVS COBOL/370 CUA DATABASE 2 DB2 DFSMS eNetwork ESA/390 GDDM Hiperbatch IBM IBMLink IMS IMS/ESA InfoWindow Language Environment MVS/ESA OS/2 OS/390 OpenEdition Parallel Sysplex RACF System/36 System/38 System/390 VisualAge VTAM

UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Limited. Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

632

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Sending your comments to IBM

If you especially like or dislike anything about this book, please use one of the methods listed below to send your comments to IBM. Feel free to comment on what you regard as specific errors or omissions, and on the accuracy, organization, subject matter, or completeness of this book. Please limit your comments to the information in this book and the way in which the information is presented. To ask questions, make comments about the functions of IBM products or systems, or to request additional publications, contact your IBM representative or your IBM authorized remarketer. When you send comments to IBM, you grant IBM a nonexclusive right to use or distribute your comments in any way it believes appropriate, without incurring any obligation to you. You can send your comments to IBM in any of the following ways: v By mail, to this address: User Technologies Department (MP095) IBM United Kingdom Laboratories Hursley Park WINCHESTER, Hampshire SO21 2JN United Kingdom v By fax: From outside the U.K., after your international access code use 441962842327 From within the U.K., use 01962842327 v Electronically, use the appropriate network ID: IBM Mail Exchange: GBIBM2Q9 at IBMMAIL IBMLink : HURSLEY(IDRCF) Internet: idrcf@hursley.ibm.com Whichever you use, ensure that you include: v The publication title and order number v The topic to which your comment applies v Your name and address/telephone number/fax number/network ID.

633

634

CICS Transaction Server: CICS Application Programming Guide

Program Number: 5697-E93

Printed in the United States of America on recycled paper containing 10% recovered post-consumer fiber.

SC34-5702-00

Spine information:

CICS Transaction Server

CICS Application Programming Guide

Version 2 Release 1

Blueprint Reading: Construction Drawings for the Building Trade
From Everand
Blueprint Reading: Construction Drawings for the Building Trade
Sam Kubba
No ratings yet
IK743 Manual v1.0
No ratings yet
IK743 Manual v1.0
7 pages
dsndrk11 PDF
100% (1)
dsndrk11 PDF
1,001 pages
CICS Application Programming Guide
No ratings yet
CICS Application Programming Guide
729 pages
CICS TS For ZOS - System Programming Reference
No ratings yet
CICS TS For ZOS - System Programming Reference
633 pages
CICS Application Programming Guide: CICS® Transaction Server For OS/390®
No ratings yet
CICS Application Programming Guide: CICS® Transaction Server For OS/390®
617 pages
CICS Supplied Transaction
No ratings yet
CICS Supplied Transaction
317 pages
Programming the Photon: Getting Started with the Internet of Things
From Everand
Programming the Photon: Getting Started with the Internet of Things
Christopher Rush
5/5 (1)
TSO - E Programming Guide
No ratings yet
TSO - E Programming Guide
188 pages
IMS V8 App - Transaction
No ratings yet
IMS V8 App - Transaction
469 pages
System API Programming
100% (1)
System API Programming
505 pages
CICS Administration Reference
No ratings yet
CICS Administration Reference
575 pages
Cics 1
No ratings yet
Cics 1
260 pages
Programming the Intel Galileo: Getting Started with the Arduino -Compatible Development Board
From Everand
Programming the Intel Galileo: Getting Started with the Arduino -Compatible Development Board
Christopher Rush
5/5 (1)
CICS Application Programmers Reference Manual Dec72
No ratings yet
CICS Application Programmers Reference Manual Dec72
324 pages
Cics Db2 - Inicio Ao Fim - Comandos e Operacoes
No ratings yet
Cics Db2 - Inicio Ao Fim - Comandos e Operacoes
297 pages
You Can Program in C++: A Programmer's Introduction
From Everand
You Can Program in C++: A Programmer's Introduction
Francis Glassborow
No ratings yet
Ims DB
No ratings yet
Ims DB
425 pages
CICS-TS-6.1-Upgrading
No ratings yet
CICS-TS-6.1-Upgrading
41 pages
IMS DC Programming
No ratings yet
IMS DC Programming
615 pages
HP ACMS For Open VMS Systems Interface Programming
No ratings yet
HP ACMS For Open VMS Systems Interface Programming
156 pages
CICS Family Interproduct Communication
No ratings yet
CICS Family Interproduct Communication
93 pages
The IT Factory
From Everand
The IT Factory
H.J.C. van Aken
No ratings yet
C in Mainframe
No ratings yet
C in Mainframe
1,032 pages
IMS Appl Prog
No ratings yet
IMS Appl Prog
419 pages
Programming Arduino: Getting Started with Sketches, Third Edition
From Everand
Programming Arduino: Getting Started with Sketches, Third Edition
Simon Monk
No ratings yet
35 Cics Diagnosis Ref
No ratings yet
35 Cics Diagnosis Ref
2,253 pages
AS/400 Intrasystem Communications Programming
No ratings yet
AS/400 Intrasystem Communications Programming
139 pages
XPCICSCOBOLUserGuide PDF
No ratings yet
XPCICSCOBOLUserGuide PDF
194 pages
Zos IP Users Gde & Commands v1r7
No ratings yet
Zos IP Users Gde & Commands v1r7
507 pages
1066-2023-001 Concurrent DOS 86 Programmers Guide Version 5.0 Mar1986
No ratings yet
1066-2023-001 Concurrent DOS 86 Programmers Guide Version 5.0 Mar1986
436 pages
Db2 CICS Guide
No ratings yet
Db2 CICS Guide
179 pages
Open Systems Adapter-Express Integrated Z9
No ratings yet
Open Systems Adapter-Express Integrated Z9
82 pages
Vse ICCF User's Guide
100% (2)
Vse ICCF User's Guide
509 pages
Toolkit FeatUsers Guide Rel 5
No ratings yet
Toolkit FeatUsers Guide Rel 5
371 pages
Gray Hat Hacking the Ethical Hacker's
From Everand
Gray Hat Hacking the Ethical Hacker's
Çağatay Şanlı
5/5 (1)
CICS Custom Is at Ion Guide
No ratings yet
CICS Custom Is at Ion Guide
727 pages
Cobol V - Compiler and Runtime Migration Guide PDF
No ratings yet
Cobol V - Compiler and Runtime Migration Guide PDF
420 pages
CICS Performance Guide
No ratings yet
CICS Performance Guide
715 pages
Triple Play: Building the converged network for IP, VoIP and IPTV
From Everand
Triple Play: Building the converged network for IP, VoIP and IPTV
Francisco J. Hens
No ratings yet
Tso Sys
No ratings yet
Tso Sys
162 pages
CICS
100% (3)
CICS
109 pages
Dfha1f00 PDF
No ratings yet
Dfha1f00 PDF
480 pages
All IP in 3G CDMA Networks: The UMTS Infrastructure and Service Platforms for Future Mobile Systems
From Everand
All IP in 3G CDMA Networks: The UMTS Infrastructure and Service Platforms for Future Mobile Systems
Jonathan P. Castro
No ratings yet
CICS Training Material
100% (1)
CICS Training Material
183 pages
Interproduct Communication: Cics Family
No ratings yet
Interproduct Communication: Cics Family
95 pages
C 1473820
No ratings yet
C 1473820
904 pages
Z Arch Ref
No ratings yet
Z Arch Ref
70 pages
Has 2 C 310
No ratings yet
Has 2 C 310
68 pages
Iea1a121 PDF
No ratings yet
Iea1a121 PDF
474 pages
Customer Information Control System
No ratings yet
Customer Information Control System
25 pages
Dfha1g00 PDF
No ratings yet
Dfha1g00 PDF
486 pages
CICS
100% (1)
CICS
171 pages
SDH / SONET Explained in Functional Models: Modeling the Optical Transport Network
From Everand
SDH / SONET Explained in Functional Models: Modeling the Optical Transport Network
Huub van Helvoort
No ratings yet
Iea1a331 PDF
No ratings yet
Iea1a331 PDF
328 pages
F001681E
No ratings yet
F001681E
224 pages
SG 245277
No ratings yet
SG 245277
438 pages
Rexx
No ratings yet
Rexx
572 pages
Programming Multi-Agent Systems in AgentSpeak using Jason
From Everand
Programming Multi-Agent Systems in AgentSpeak using Jason
Rafael H. Bordini
3/5 (1)
CICS Asynchronous dfht1 PDF PDF
No ratings yet
CICS Asynchronous dfht1 PDF PDF
428 pages
13347 CICS Introduction and Overview
No ratings yet
13347 CICS Introduction and Overview
35 pages
Materi Attenuator PTN
No ratings yet
Materi Attenuator PTN
25 pages
Python IEEE Project Titles 2022 2023
No ratings yet
Python IEEE Project Titles 2022 2023
3 pages
Ab Ipbox 55Hd: Receptor HDTV Com Sistema Linux
No ratings yet
Ab Ipbox 55Hd: Receptor HDTV Com Sistema Linux
8 pages
Chapter 3. Footprinting and Scanning - Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Version 9 Cert Guide, Second Edition
No ratings yet
Chapter 3. Footprinting and Scanning - Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Version 9 Cert Guide, Second Edition
86 pages
RANAdvisor TrueSite Handheld
No ratings yet
RANAdvisor TrueSite Handheld
84 pages
Akashdeep Yadav Mobile No: 9717031489: Project Trainee
No ratings yet
Akashdeep Yadav Mobile No: 9717031489: Project Trainee
3 pages
6th International Conference on Cloud Computing and IoT (CCCIoT 2025)
No ratings yet
6th International Conference on Cloud Computing and IoT (CCCIoT 2025)
2 pages
Csip 2016
No ratings yet
Csip 2016
2 pages
OBDII Diagnostic Articles Motor Magazine
100% (1)
OBDII Diagnostic Articles Motor Magazine
69 pages
Lahore Leads University Final Term Examinations (Spring-2021)
No ratings yet
Lahore Leads University Final Term Examinations (Spring-2021)
2 pages
MLM Qualification Transcript
No ratings yet
MLM Qualification Transcript
7 pages
Omron Cpm1a Manual
No ratings yet
Omron Cpm1a Manual
146 pages
LTE Parameters Commonly Used For Optimization Recommendations
No ratings yet
LTE Parameters Commonly Used For Optimization Recommendations
8 pages
Pbmaster-Rtlws11 - Open ProfibusDP Implementation
No ratings yet
Pbmaster-Rtlws11 - Open ProfibusDP Implementation
8 pages
3948-Article Text-6256-2-10-20200203
No ratings yet
3948-Article Text-6256-2-10-20200203
12 pages
Product Identity Declaration SI 407
No ratings yet
Product Identity Declaration SI 407
1 page
Aesthetic Ms Word
No ratings yet
Aesthetic Ms Word
7 pages
C7233 - C7263 Data Sheet
No ratings yet
C7233 - C7263 Data Sheet
2 pages
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
No ratings yet
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
5 pages
PF - WK 10 - File Handling
No ratings yet
PF - WK 10 - File Handling
19 pages
Mioma Upload
0% (1)
Mioma Upload
2 pages
Java Multithreading
No ratings yet
Java Multithreading
12 pages
Testpress LMS Proposal 3RI Technologies
No ratings yet
Testpress LMS Proposal 3RI Technologies
17 pages
Oneapi Rendering Toolkit Get Started Guide Windows 2023.2 766442 781968
No ratings yet
Oneapi Rendering Toolkit Get Started Guide Windows 2023.2 766442 781968
26 pages
DCI Comparison 1605599548
No ratings yet
DCI Comparison 1605599548
1 page
FT Panou Mono 400-415W DS - YLM-J 108 CELL M10 - 37e - 30mm
No ratings yet
FT Panou Mono 400-415W DS - YLM-J 108 CELL M10 - 37e - 30mm
2 pages
Gonzalez de Juana Geologia de Venezuela y Sus Cuencas Petroliferas
No ratings yet
Gonzalez de Juana Geologia de Venezuela y Sus Cuencas Petroliferas
3 pages
Curriculum Vitae Zakir
No ratings yet
Curriculum Vitae Zakir
6 pages
IEEE Conference A4 Format PDF
No ratings yet
IEEE Conference A4 Format PDF
3 pages