CICS – XCTL & Link, Interval Control

Commands,Handle and Ignore Condition

1
 Session Objectives
To Understand the logical levels in CICS operation
• LINK command
• XCTL command
• Interval Control Commands
• HANDLE & IGNORE Condition

2
 Commands for Passing Program Control


A transaction (task) may use several programs in the course of
completing its work.


The programs within a task can execute at different logical levels using
the following commands
– CICS LINK
– CICS XCTL
– CICS RETURN

3
 Logical Levels(1/2)

LEVEL 0 CICS Sub System

Program A
XCTL ‘Pgm B’ Program B
LEVEL 1 LINK C RETURN

RETURN

Program C
LEVEL 2 RETURN

4
 Logical Levels (2/2)

The CICS Terminal control is at the highest level and
is considered to be running at logical level 0.


If a Program A calls Program B using a LINK command, Program B is expected to
return control back to Program A directly. Hence, Program B is considered to be at a
lower level than A.


If Program A calls Program B using a XCTL command, Program B returns control to
the CICS, which is the highest level, which in turn passes the control to A. Hence,
both the programs are considered to be on the same level.

5
 XCTL(Transfer Control) (1/2)

●
When one program transfers control (XCTL) to another, the first program is
considered terminated, and the second program operates at the same level as
the first.

XCTL does not expect control back.

●

EXEC CICS XCTL

PROGRAM(PROGRAM NAME)
COMMAREA(COMMAREA VARIABLE)
RESP(RESPONSE CODE)
END-EXEC.

6
 XCTL(Transfer Control)(2/2)

PROGRAM – specifies the name of the program that needs to be

Invoked.
COMMAREA – value of the commarea that needs to be passed
RESP - response code of the XCTL command

7
 Passing Data using XCTL
CICS SYSTEM

PROG000A PROG000B

WORKING STORAGE LINKAGE SECTION

WS-DATA DFHCOMMAREA
. .
PROCEDURE ... PROCEDURE ...

XCTL PROG000B
COMMAREA(WS-DATA)
RETURN

8
 LINK command(1/2)
●
When one program transfers control (LINK) to another, the first
program does not terminate, and the second program operates at a
lower level.

●
During LINK, the control is returned back to the calling program.

EXEC CICS
LINK PROGRAM(program-name)
COMMAREA(comm-area)
LENGTH(length)
END-EXEC.

9
 Passing Data using LINK
PROG000A

WORKING STORAGE
WS-DATA
.
PROCEDURE ... PROG000C

LINK PROG000C LINKAGE SECTION

COMMAREA(WS-DATA) DFHCOMMAREA
.
PROCEDURE ...

RETURN

10
 LINK command (2/2)

PROGRAM – specifies the name of the program that needs to be

invoked.
COMMAREA – value of the commarea that needs to be passed
RESP - response code of the LINK command

11
Errors Conditions in Program Control Commands

INVREQ - TRANSID is specified on a RETURN command in a program that was
not at the highest logical level ( i.e.., a RETURN that would not terminate the
transaction by returning control to CICS )


LENGERR - The length of the data specified using the RETURN command with
length option is outside the valid range of 1 to 32763.


NOAUTH - Resource or command security check has failed


PGMIDERR - The program to which control is passed on a LINK or XCTL
command, cannot be found in the list of installed program definitions, or it is not
in the library or it has been disabled.

12
 Interval Control - Commands
• ASKTIME

• FORMATTIME

• DELAY

13
 ASKTIME - Syntax
• To request current date and time.

EXEC CICS
ASKTIME[ABSTIME(data_area)]
END-EXEC

14
 FORMATTIME - Syntax
To select format of date and time.
EXEC CICS FORMATTIME
ABSTIME(data-area)
[YYDDD(data-area)]
[YYMMDD(data-area)]
[YYDDMM(data-area)]
[DDMMYY(data-area)]
[MMDDYY(data-area)]
[DATASEP(data-value)]
[DAYOFWEEK(data-area)]
[DAYOFMONTH(data-area)]
[MONTHOFYEAR(data-area)]
[YEAR(data-area)]
[TIME(data-area)
[TIMESEP(data-value)]]
END-EXEC.
15
 FORMATTIME - Example
WORKING STORAGE SECTION. PROCEDURE DIVISION.
77 WS-ABS-DATE PIC S9(15) COMP-3
01 WS-DATE. EXEC CICS ASKTIME
05 WS-D-MM PIC 99. ABSTIME(WS-ABS-DATE)
05 FILLER PIC X. END-EXEC.
05 WS-D-DD PIC 99.
05 FILLER PIC X. EXEC CICS FORMATTIME
05 WS-D-YY PIC 99. ABSTIME(WS-ABS-DATE)
01 WS-TIME. MMDDYY(WS-DATE)
05 WS-T-HH PIC 99. DATESEP(‘-’)
05 FILLER PIC X. TIME(WS-TIME)
05 WS-T-MM PIC 99. TIMESEP(:)
05 FILLER PIC X. END-EXEC.
05 WS-T-SS PIC 99. Result :
WS-DATE : 08-28-97
WS-TIME : 12:23:37

16
 DELAY Command
• To delay a task for the specified time interval or until the specific time
EXEC CICS DELAY
INTERVAL(data-value) | TIME (data-value)
END-EXEC
Example 1: Example 2 :

EXEC CICS DELAY EXEC CICS DELAY

INTERVAL(001500) TIME(163000) END-EXEC.
END-EXEC.

In Example 1, Task will be suspended for 15 Minutes

In Example 2, Task will be suspended Until 16:30:00

17
 Exception Handling

Exceptional Condition is generated when a CICS command encounters an
unusual situation

Task is abnormally terminated



An Abend code is displayed that identifies the exceptional condition



18
 Handling Exceptional Conditions

Exceptions can be handled in three ways :

– Pass control to a specified label.
– Let the application continue.
– Do nothing, and rely on the system (CICS) default action.

19
 HANDLE CONDITION

HANDLE CONDITION
– To pass control to a specified label

EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION

Condition (label)
[Condition (label)]
[ ERROR(label)]
END-EXEC.

20
 HANDLE CONDITION : Example
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION
LENGERR (LENG-ERR-PARA)
ERROR(GEN-ERR-PARA)
END-EXEC.
MOVE 40 TO WS-LENGTH.
EXEC CICS RECEIVE
INTO (WS-INPUT)
LENGTH (WS-LENGTH)
END-EXEC.
LENG-ERR-PARA..
...
GEN-ERR-PARA.
...

21
 IGNORE CONDITION

To specify that no action is to be taken if a condition occurs

EXEC CICS IGNORE CONDITION

Condition
END-EXEC

22
 IGNORE CONDITION - Example
PROCEDURE DIVISION. EXEC CICS IGNORE CONDITION
LENGERR
EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION
LENGERR (LENG-ERR-PARA) END-EXEC.
ERROR(GEN-ERR-PARA)
INVREQ( INV-REQ - PARA) MOVE 40 TO WS-LENGTH.
END-EXEC.
B
MOVE 40 TO WS-LENGTH. EXEC CICS RECEIVE
INTO (WS-INPUT)
EXEC CICS RECEIVE LENGTH (WS-LENGTH)
INTO (WS-INPUT) A END-EXEC.
LENGTH (WS-LENGTH)
END-EXEC.
LENG-ERR-PARA.
A - Control will be passed to LENG-ERR-PARA. ………..

B - Control will NOT be passed to LENG-ERR-

PARA. LENGERR condition will be ignored.

23
 HANDLE CONDITION - Scope
Remains active

– Until an IGNORE Condition

– Another HANDLE CONDITION for the same error

Deactivated by NOHANDLE Option in commands

This command cannot detect the host language program’s errors

24
 IGNORE CONDITION - Scope
Applies only to the program in which it is specified

Active while the program is being executed

Active until a HANDLE CONDITION command for the same condition is

encountered

25
 Exception Support

HANDLE CONDITION and IGNORE CONDITION

commands will remain in effect until program ends.

26
 NOHANDLE Option

NOHANDLE option with any command specifies that no action be taken for any
exception conditions resulting from the execution of that command.

Example:
EXEC CICS SEND
FROM (WS-DATA)
LENGTH(WS-LENGTH)
NOHANDLE
END-EXEC.

27
 RESP Option

CICS makes it easy to test the response value in EIBRESP by supplying a built-in
function called DFHRESP.


The RESP option can be specified in any CICS command, CICS places a response
code at the completion of the command. The application program can check this
code and proceed to the next statement.


When RESP is used in a command, the NOHANDLE option is applied to this
command. Therefore, the HANDLE CONDITION command will have no effect in this
case.

28
 Steps to Use RESP Option
Following procedures should be followed to utilize the RESP option:

1.Define full word binary (PIC S9(8) COMP) in WORKING STORAGE to store the
response code.

2.Place the RESP option in the CICS command.

3.After the command execution, check the response code in the response field with
DFHRESP(XXXX) where XXXX is the symbolic name for the exceptional conditions.

29
 RESP Option Example
Better structured code than HANDLE condition
Command response available in EIBRESP
Implies NOHANDLE option wherever used

WORKING STORAGE SECTION.

77 WS -ERR-CODE PIC S9(8) COMP.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
EXEC C ICS RECEIVE INTO (WS-INPUT)
LENGTH (WS-LENGTH) RESP (WS-ERR-CODE)
END-EXEC.

IF WS-ERR-CODE = DFHRESP(LENGERR)
...
IF WS-ERR-CODE = DFHRESP(NORMAL)

30
 Common CICS Abend Codes
ABMB - Cursor positioning beyond the limit of O/P device

ABM0 - Specified map isn’t in the mapset

AICA - Task exceeded the executiontime(task was looping)

APCT - Program could not be found

ASRB - Operating System abend CICS able to abend the

transaction and continue processing

31
 Session Summary
• Logical levels in CICS operation
• Passing data using LINK & XCTL
• RETURN command
• Interval Control Commands
• Exceptional Condition Abend
- HANDLE & IGNORE CONDITION and their scope
- NOHANDLE Option
- RESP option

32
THANK YOU

33