CICS/TS Application Programming Workshop Training

Experience of COBOL, PL/I or Assembler. An understanding of CICS at the conceptual level would be an advantage; this can be obtained by attending the course CICS Transaction Server Concepts & Facilities.

• write CICS programs
• use the required CICS programming facilities
• separate presentation from business and data logic
• use the commonly used CICS API options.

Introduction

The CICS family; What is CICS?; What is a CICS transaction?; What is a CICS Task?; What is a CICS program?; Characteristics; CICS Transaction Server; Access to CICS; ISC / MRO; Accessing CICS from the Web; The IBM Client Family; The CICS universal clients Version 6.0; CICS/TS organisation; Principal Domains/Management modules; CICS resource definitions; RDO overview; RDO components.

Architecture

Starting a transaction; Logging on; Message Input; Transaction validation; Program loading; Task execution; Program execution; Task Termination; Multi-tasking and multi-threading; The CICS Dispatcher; Multiple TCBs.

Command Level API

Objectives; Command format and arguments; Translation; Program preparation; Integrated translator; Translator options; Explanation of command argument types; Explanation of CICS Value Data Areas; Explanation of syntax diagrams; EXEC Interface Block; The CICS Stub; Handling responses; RESP and NOHANDLE option; RESP examples; HANDLE CONDITION command and rules; IGNORE condition; Coding examples.

Application Design

Conversational transactions; Pseudo-conversational transactions; COMMAREA; Three-Tier Application Design.

Basic Mapping Support (BMS)

Native Terminal Control; Using Basic Mapping Support (BMS); Another view of BMS; Un-formatted data streams; Formatted data streams; Example 3270 data display; Control Indicator & Character; Read Modified Input; Basic Attributes; Extended attributes; Program Function keys; BMS (data mapping); BMS example; The macros used to create the screen; BMS output (COBOL); The suffixed fields; Attribute list; BMS output (PL/I); BMS output (C); BMS output (Assembler); Map generation; DFHMDI; DFHMDF; DFHMDF; Symbolic description; EXEC CICS SEND MAP; EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP; COPYBOOKS.

Program Control

Passing data to other tasks (COMMAREA); Passing data to the next task: COBOL; Passing data to the next task: PL/I; Passing data to the next task: PL/I; Program structure; EXEC CICS LINK; LINK options and arguments; EXEC CICS XCTL; Passing data to other programs: COBOL; Passing data to other programs: PL/1; Passing data to other programs: C; Passing data to other programs: Assembler; EXEC CICS RETURN; Channels and Containers; A Channel; A Container; API Changes; One Program/One Channel; One Program/Multiple Channels; CEDX Screens; Channel Scope.

CECI and CEDF

The Command Interpreter CECI; Using CECI; Using Variables with CECI; Displaying Large Variables; Storing a command; Execute Diagnostic Facility (CEDF); CICS Messages and Code (CMAC).

File Access

File Access; File Control Terminology; File Management; File Commands; EXEC CICS READ; Options; EXEC CICS REWRIT; EXEC CICS DELETE; EXEC CICS UNLOCK; EXEC CICS WRITE;; EXEC CICS STARTBR; EXEC CICS READNEXT; EXEC CICS READPREV; EXEC CICS ENDBR; EXEC CICS RESETBR.

Channel and Containers

The 32K COMMAREA problem; The 32K solution; Channel Usage; The Current Channel; Channel scope; Channel deletion; Channel commands; Channel creation and deletion; EXEC CICS PUT CONTAINER CHANNEL; EXEC CICS ASSIGN CHANNEL; EXEC CICS GET CONTAINER; EXEC CICS MOVE CONTAINER; EXEC CICS DELETE CONTAINER CHANNEL; EXEC CICS STARTBROWSE CHANNEL; EXEC CICS GETNEXT CONTAINER; EXEC CICS ENDBROWSE CONTAINER; Migration of programs that use LINK; Migration of Programs That Use START.

Temporary Storage

Temporary storage; EXEC CICS WRITEQ TS; EXEC CICS READQ TS; EXEC CICS DELETEQ TS.

Transient Data

Transient data queues; Automatic Transaction Initiation (ATI); EXEC CICS WRITEQ TD; EXEC CICS READQ TD; EXEC CICS DELETEQ TD.

Interval Control

Interval control; EXEC CICS ASKTIME; EXEC CICS FORMATTIME; EXEC CICS START; EXEC CICS RETRIEVE; EXEC CICS CANCEL.

Task Management

EXEC CICS SUSPEND; EXEC CICS ENQ; EXEC CICS DEQ.

Storage Management

EXEC CICS GETMAIN; EXEC CICS FREEMAIN; Storage violations; Transaction isolation.

Abnormal Termination

EXEC CICS ABEND; EXEC CICS HANDLE ABEND; ABEND handling requirements.

Dumps & Traces

Dumps; Traces; EXEC CICS ENTER TRACENUM; Working out the Offset; Working out the source statement; Finding the contents of data variables; WORKING-STORAGE SECTION; LINKAGE SECTION - COBOL; OTHER Abends; Unhandled exception conditions (most AEIX/AEXX/AEYX); Translating Addresses to Source Code; Most AEIX, AEXX & AEYX ABENDs.

Screen Definition Facility 2 (SDF2)

Introduction to SDF II.

Case Study

The main exercise is to write a 'back-end' business /data logic program which is developed incrementally in order to ensure that a steady progress is achieved.