FAQs(106 to 120)

106) How do you invoke other programs? What are the pros and cons of each method?

A) There are three ways:

1) Use a COBOL II CALL statement to invoke a subprogram. This method is transparent to CICS, which sees

only the one load module.

2) An EXEC LINK is similar to a call; it invokes a separate CICS program and ends with a RETURN to the

invoking program. or

3) An EXEC XCTL which transfers control to another CICS program and does not get control back.

107) What is BMS?

A) BMS is Basic Map Support; it allows you to code assembler level programs to define screens.

108) What is the difference between FSET and FRSET?

A) FSET specifies that the modified data tag should be turned on before the map is sent to the screen. FRSET turns off the attribute byte; it's used to transmit only changed data from the terminal.

109) What is the difference between the enter key, the PF keys and the PA keys?

A) The enter and PF keys transmit data from the screen; the PA keys tell CICS that a terminal action took place, but

data is not transmitted.

110) Explain the difference among the EXEC LINK, EXEC XCTL and Cobol II static call statements in CICS.

A) COBOL II allows for static calls which are more efficient than the LINK instruction which establishes a new run-unit.

111) Are sequential files supported by CICS?

A) Yes, but not as part of the File Control Program. They are supported as extra partition transient data files.

112) What option can be coded on the RETURN command to associate a transaction identifier with the next terminal input?

A) The TRANSID option.

113) What is an ASRA?

A) An ASRA is the CICS interrupt code, the equivalent of an MVS abend code.

114) What is temporary storage?

A) Temporary storage is either main or auxiliary storage that allows the program to save data between task invocations.

115) What is transient data?

A) Transient data provides CICS programs with a simple method for sequential processing, often used to produce

output for 3270 printers.

116) What are the two types of transient data queues?

A) They are intrapartition, which can only be accessed from within CICS and extrapartition, which are typically used to collect data online, but process it in a batch environment.

117) Where are transient data sets defined to CICS?

A) They are defined in the destination control table (DCT).

118) Once a transient data queue is read, can it be reread?

A) No, silly! That's why IBM calls it transient.

119) Name some commands used for CICS file browsing.


120) What other file control processing commands are used for file updating?