Send/recevie cobol array in CICS Start/Retrieve command?

ravidhiman · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 10:05 pm

Hello All,

I want to pass the cobol array using CICS start command and also want to retrieve the same cobol array in another program.

I have following structure in program A :

03 WS-AAA-TBL OCCURS 30 TIMES
INDEXED BY ACC1-INDEX.
15 WS-AAA-TBL-CTRY PIC X(2).
15 WS-AAA-TBL-INSTT PIC X(4).
15 WS-AAA-TBL-NO PIC X(35).
15 WS-AAA-TBL-PROD-TYP PIC X(2).
15 WS-AAA-TBL-BOS-AC-TYP PIC X(3).
15 WS-AAA-IDAY-RTE-COD PIC X(7).

I want to use the same following structure in program B.

03 WS-BBB-TBL OCCURS 30 TIMES
INDEXED BY ACC2-INDEX.
15 WS-BBB-TBL-CTRY PIC X(2).
15 WS-BBB-TBL-INSTT PIC X(4).
15 WS-BBB-TBL-NO PIC X(35).
15 WS-BBB-TBL-PROD-TYP PIC X(2).
15 WS-BBB-TBL-BOS-AC-TYP PIC X(3).
15 WS-BBB-IDAY-RTE-COD PIC X(7).

Can i send and receive the array from progam A to program B using normal START and RETRIEVE command(Like given below)?
Program A
EXEC CICS START TRANSID(XXXX)
FROM (WS-AAA-TBL)
LENGTH (LENGTH OF WS-AAA-TBL)
RESP (WS-EIBRESP)
END-EXEC.

Program B
EXEC CICS
RETRIEVE INTO (WS-BBB-TBL)
LENGTH (LENGTH OF WS-BBB-TBL)
RESP (WS-EIBRESP)
END-EXEC

Will the values of WS-AAA-TBL copy to WS-BBB-TBL in program B?

Please help me.

Thanks
Ravi

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 10:15 pm

are there any restrictions on the level numbers of the FROM and INTO data-area?

while you are looking up the answer to that question in the manual,
you can also read about data transfer with the START command and how it works.

ravidhiman · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 10:28 pm

There is no restrictions on the level numbers of the from and into data area.
Could you please name any good cics manual? I will check.
I already checked 3 manuals before posting here? I checked Murach's CICS for the COBOL Programmer and 2 IBM CICS manual. But could not find the answer for this.

I will check few more manuals.

Thanks.
Ravi Dhiman

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 10:31 pm

Hint: the manual says about RETRIEVE:

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 10:34 pm

sounds as if you are left with a really unpleasant option
of coding and testing it yourself.

ravidhiman · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 10:39 pm

If i had got the testing option, I would be very happy. Unfortunately I can not test this program.

I need to wait for some other programs to be ready for complete testing.

Thanks
Ravi

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:07 pm

Hello,

ravidhiman · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:09 pm

Because of some restrictions the testing cannot be done at the moment for any program.We will have to wait until all the programs ready and testing process start. Otherwise I wud have quickly tested this program by writing a tiny program.

Thanks
Ravi

Bill O'Boyle · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 4:00 pm

When you can test this, you'll need a GROUP level above the OCCURS level and you'll START "FROM" and RETRIEVE "INTO" using this GROUP level.

The maximum length value for START, RETRIEVE, etc is 32763, expressed as a signed binary-halfword.

If the length value exceeds 9999 and your compiler does NOT support COMP-5, then re-compile the program using TRUNC(BIN).

Otherwise, express the length as COMP-5.

Bill

Bill O'Boyle · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 4:25 pm

Forgot to say the INDEX values are NOT passed in the "FROM" area and LENGTH OF WS-AAA-TBL will only resolve as 53 (length of a single entry). This is the reason for the GROUP level and use the LENGTH OF THE GROUP LEVEL instead.

Makes things easier....

Bill

ravidhiman · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:06 pm

Many Thanks Bill,

I will use group level above the occurs level. We are going to test this on Friday. Soon I will post the result here.

Regards
Ravi

ravidhiman · Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 4:59 pm

Hello All,

Today, I tested as I mentioned in my earlier posts. The Data(Array of records) passed succssfully and correctly retrieved by that called transaction(program).

Thank everybody for the help.

Regards
Ravi Dhiman