CICS Programming course outline

CICS Programming

Duration: 5 days

Audience: Programmers who will be working with CICS

Prequisites: 6 months programming experience

Objectives: Top Contents

On successful completion of this course each student will be able to:

* describe the structure and flow of operation of CICS TS
* interpret BMS map information
* distinguish between conversational and pseudo-conversational techniques
* describe the CICS facilities for transferring data
* explain how CICS uses the COMMAREA
* use RESP to test for errors resulting from CICS commands
* write commands which will write to and read from a screen
* write commands which will access VSAM files
* write commands which access DB2 tables
* process Temporary Storage Queues
* process Transient Data Queues
* use LINK and XCTL to control program flow
* use CECI to execute CICS commands
* use variables with CECI
* use CEDF and/or CEDX to test and debug a transaction
* use CFA to invoke Fault Analyzer
* use CEDA to define resources
* use the operator transactions which are relevant to program development
* explain the use of LU 6.2 commands
* explain the use of MRO commands
* describe how CICS and MQSeries inter-communicate
* describe how transactions are processed in a CICSplex
* describe how JAVA can be used with CICS

Contents: Top Objectives

Overview of CICS
Function of an online system; how CICS controls terminals, programs, and files; user interface with CICS; tables; management modules; CICS Web Support, 3270 Bridge, CICS Transaction Gateway; JAVA support.

Basic mapping support
How a 3270 handles data; using the BMS macros: DFHMSD, DFHMDI, DFHMDF; creating the symbolic MAP; useful copybooks; SDF II.

Compiling CICS programs
Coding CICS commands in COBOL or PL/1; the EIB; syntax; function and options of the translator.

Design of application programs
Language restrictions and constraints; coding techniques: conversational and pseudo-conversational design; function and use of the Communications Area; coding the Linkage section; accessing the time and other system information; separating the presentation logic from the business logic.

Controlling the user's dialogue
Using the PF keys; HANDLE AID command; terminal input and output.

Processing error conditions
HANDLE CONDITION command; using RESP and RESP2; invoking transaction dumps.

Passing data and control
Logical program levels; transferring control: LINK, RETURN, XCTL; the COMMAREA; inter-program communication; passing data by using temporary storage; using transient data queues.

File handling
Reading from and writing to datasets; browsing VSAM datasets; updating files; CICS strings.

Operator commands
Using the CEMT transaction: new programs, opening and closing files, etc.

Testing and debugging
Transaction abend codes; using CEDF, CEDX; CECI command level interpreter; CFA and the Fault Analyzer; CEBR, CEDA, CMAC.

System standards and implementation
How a program fits into a complete system; information required by others: table entries for files, programs, transactions, users, etc.

Advice and recommendations
Efficiency considerations; controlling the dialogue; validation and error reporting; using the application library; structured design with CICS; uses of TD, TS, interval control.

Inter-system communication
ISC, MRO, CICSPlex considerations; Shared Data Tables, CFDTs, system-wide ENQ, system-wide TS queue; MQSeries inter-communication; DFSMS Transactional VSAM Services.