In a batch program, often the required input/output and work areas are

defined within the program and the program reads its own input data
In an online system, often input/output and work areas are allocated by the
system itself, as needed and the system reads the data on behalf of its
application programs
Functionally the above products are compatible with each other, with certain
exceptions caused by the differences among their corresponding operating systems.
Like an OS controls the jobs within a computer, so does CICS, the transactions
(application programs) within a single CICS job
CICS runs under the control of the OS
To the OS,CICS is a single task, operating in one partition or region of the system
A CICS job is submitted to the OS as any other batch job but as a long-running and
high priority job submitted to the OS as any other batch job
Cuts down the total amount of programming needed
provides on environment (control services) for the execution of application
programs
Supports a network of hundreds of terminals simultaneously
Includes interfaces to files and database products

To make the best use of the time and system resources that the OS gives to CICS, it
takes on itself some of the aspects of an OS
Doesn’t duplicate all of the services provided by the OS and in fact, asks the
underlying OS to serve its tasks, as and when required.

control system that

acts as an interface between the OS and the application
manages the data, terminals and application program

and
provides control services for online processing
 Preprocesses the application source code and translates CICS commands into
CALL statements in the language of the application program

Verifies the syntax of a CICS command and executes it

*
Step by step interactive execution of cics application program

Provides facilities to debug and monitor application programs

Writers specific areas of main storage to a sequential dataset

Provides the application programs with time- controlled functions

Provides functions to govern the file processing activities of application

programs

Provides functions to govern the flow of application programs

Provides function to control resources and synchronize task activity
Adding Martina’s record to a payroll file – single ‘Add’ transaction
All the additions made to the file – ‘Add’ transaction

Adding a new personnel record

Modifying payroll information
Inquiring on the status of account
Deleting an item from inventory
 To modify a record from an account file perform:
1 Display menu screen
2 Wait for response]
3 Receive menu screen
4 Read the subject record from the account file
5 Display the record in formatted form
6 Wait for the user to enter changes
7 Receive the changes
8 Write changes to the printed log
9 Update the account and index files accordingly
10 Redisplay the menu screen
 To Modify a record from an account file perform:
1 Display menu screen
2 Wait for response]
3 Receive menu screen
4 Read the subject record from the account file
5 Display the record in formatted form
6 Wait for the user to enter changes
7 Receive the changes
8 Write changes to the printed log
9 Update the account and index files accordingly
10 Redisplay the menu screen
Note The steps 2 and 6 of the4 conversational transaction have disappeared
During these wait states the program is released from the main storage and CICS takes
care of reading the input when the user gets around to sending it
Constants in Working Storage

Variables in Dynamic Working-Storage

Restriction on program alteration

A task (A) which uses a program has exclusive use of the CPU resource.
Another task (B) which tries to use the same program, interrupts the OS.
At the interruption time (in between two OS interrupt points) in the program, the
OS suspends from task (A) after saving its status.
If then executes the other task (B) which also uses the same program.
For both the tasks (I.e.A and B) to use the same program, the program should be
reentrant.

A task (A) which uses a program has exclusive use of the CPU resource.
Another task (B) which tries to use the same program interrupts CICS.
At the interruption time in the program (in between two CICS calls), CICS
suspends from task (A) after saving its status.
It then executes other task(B) which also uses the same program.
For both the tasks (I.e A and B) to use same program it should be reentrant.
The terminal operator enters a TRANSID in order to start a transaction the
TRANSID is matched against the PCT to determine if it is a valid entry.
PCP knows if there are any tasks currently using the same program form the value of
counter
Example If use counter is 2 then two users are using the same program
If use counter is zero then the corresponding program is released from
main memory
Example
The CICS sign-on screen

The above screen has a number of fields, although only three of the characters are
displaying the data

* The first field

is protected – I.e. the terminal operator cannot type over that area of the screen

* The second field

is also protected
* The third field
-------
is unprotected- I.e. the user can type in that area
In the above screen this fields 20 positions long (even though it is not visible)
 The fourth field

is known as the Stopper field (not visible)

Its function is to stop the user from keying more than 20 characters into the same
field
There is no data in this field, but is protected and the keyboard is locked thus
preventing the user from keying in more than 20 characters into the third field

Hence every field has the following control information:

Encoded Screen Address
Control Information
Control Information
Data
shows the position of the particular field on the
screen
shows the field is about to begin
describes the display attributes of the field
contains the field’s value to be displayed

The above control information for the first field:

Encoded Screen Address

Row 1, Col 1
Control Information
The field begins here
Control Information
High Intensity, Protected
Data
CESN – CICS/VS SIGNON – USERID AND PASSWORD
 Code CNTL=FRSET in DFHMSD or DFHMDI
Code ATTRB=(FSET,…) in all the DFHMDF macros, from which the application
program expects to receive data regardless of whether they are input fields or
output fields
MAPONLY
DATAONLY
PROCEDURE DIVISION
EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION
ERROR (ERROR-MESSAGVE)
END-EXEC.
HANDLE-PARAGRAPH-1.
EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION
LENGERR(LENERR-PARA-2)
END-EXEC.
HANDLE-PARAGRAPH-2
EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION
LENGERR(LENERR-PARA-2)
END-EXEC
HANDLE-PARAGRAPH-3
EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION
LENGERR
END-EXEC
Any length errors in HANDLE-PARAGRAPH –1 would cause a transfer of control
to LENERR-PARA-1
Any length errors in HANDLE-PARAGRAPH –2 would cause a transfer of
control to LENERR-PARA-2
* HANDLE-PARAGRAPH-3would turn off the LENGERR condition causing the
program to default to the ERROR condition and to be directed to the ERROR-
MESSAGE paragraph, if an LENGERR condition occurred
* If a length error occurred after HANDLE-PARAGRAPH-3 turned off the
LENGERR condition and if the HANDLE-ERROR condition was absent, the
program would ABEND
 EXEC CICS HANDLE AID
PF3 (END-ROUTINE)
PA1(CANCEL-ROUTINE)
ENTER(NORMAL-ROUTINE)
ANYKEY(WRONG-KEY-ROUTINE)
END-EXEC
EXEC CICS RECEIVE
MAP(‘FORM000’)
MAPSET(‘FORM001’)
END-EXEC
At the end of the RECEIVE map command the control will be transferred to the
appropriate routine based on the key pressed, for which the routine is actually
specified before the RECEIVE MAP command
EXEC CICS HANDLE AID
PF1
PF2
PF3(END-ROUTINE)
ENTER(NORMAL-ROUTINE)
ANYKEY(WRONG-KEY-ROUTINE)
END-EXEC
EXEC CICS RECEIVCE
MAP(‘FORM000’)
MAPSET(‘FORM001’)
END-EXEC
At the end of the RECEIVE map command, the control will be transferred to END-ROUTINE, if any
of the PF1, PF2, PF3 keys is pressed.