Data not getting passed from sub pgm to main pgm

vinu78 · Active User Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 179 Location: India

Hi All,

The online program (PROG A) gets initiated when transaction is entered in CICS screen.
Then from this online program, it calls another online COBOL program PROG B to process the data and populate the data in variables. The PROG B will write the processed data to VSAM file using third online program PROG C and then comes back to PROG B. Then the values populated in variables is transferred back from PROG B to PROG A. The concern here is that, data is not passed from PROG B to PROG A. While the control comes back from PROG B to PROG A, all the populated data in the variables is lost.

Binop B · Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:28 pm

Why is there GOBACK in a CICS program ? Shouldnt you be using EXEC CICS RETURN ?

Robert Sample · Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:38 pm

Binop, GOBACK is supported in CICS COBOL programs, in particular when a COBOL CALL is used instead of EXEC CICS LINK. There's no problem with the GOBACK.

vinu78 · Active User Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 179 Location: India

Hi Binoop,

PROG A is initiated from online transaction and it has EXECS CICS RETURN.

PROG B just gets the value from PROG A, processes it and has no CICS calls in it and so has GOBACK. Then it calls PROG C that will write to online VSAM file.

PROG C has CICS call i.,e it writes data to online VSAM file and it has GOBACK.

I am still wondering whether PROG B should be saved as Batch sub program but since it calls PROG C and has DFH commands, I have declared it as online program. Please advice whether that may be the problem

Currently all programs are declared as online programs.

Thanks
Vinu

Binop B · Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:41 pm

Robert Sample · Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:44 pm

vinu78, where is WS-WRITE-REC defined in your Program B? I suspect part of your problem is the lack of consistency between the various CALL statements.

vinu78 · Active User Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 179 Location: India

Hi Robert,

Data is not lost when PROG C is called (I am able to write the data to VSAM file) and also when the control comes back from PROG C to PROG B. Only when it goes back from PROG B to PROG A (when it hits GOBACK), whatever data that gets created in PROG B is lost. But interesting thing is whatever data that was initially in WS-TEST-DATA remains intact eventhough it comes back to PROG A.

Bill O'Boyle · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:03 am

When PROG C returns to PROG B, are you moving WS-WRITE-REC to WS-TEST-DATA? Is WS-WRITE-REC defined to LINKAGE or WS in PROG C? Just a suggestion, but to programmatically separate LINKAGE and WS fields, LINKAGE fields should have a distinguishing prefix, such as LS. It will make things easier for the next person.

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:10 am

What data is being "lost" in program B -- LINKAGE SECTION, WORKING-STORAGE SECTION, or common data?

How do you know the data in program B is "lost" when you return to program A?

Why is it important for the data in program B to not be "lost" to program A?

Is there an INITIAL clause in program B or a CANCEL statement in program A?

Since you are talking dynamic calls and CICS programs, it is usual, normal, and expected behavior for the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION of program B to not be available when the GOBACK in program B is executed. Any data you want program A to be able to access must be in the argument list of the CALL and be allocated storage in program A, not in program B.

vinu78 · Active User Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 179 Location: India

Bob,

Initially I have declared as LS- in linkage section as you have mentioned. But it also was not working. Hence I have placed the same variables as in PROG A.

In prog B, I am populating WS-WRITE-REC from WS-TEST-DATA and then calls PROG -C using WS-WRITE-REC (that is declared in working storage section.

In PROG C, WS-WRITE -REC is declared in Working storage section and another variable similar to that named as LS-WRITE-REC is declared in Linkage section.

vinu78 · Active User Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 179 Location: India

Robert,

From Program A, I am getting the data to be written to VSAM file. So the raw data reaches Program B, then it is formatted as per VSAM file layout , splits a single record to 2 or 3 records and we will assign the Seq number to each record. So when I come back to Program A to read the next record, I should not lose the Sequence number that was calculated before.

When the control comes back from PROG B to A, I am losing the linkage section data that was calculated in PROG B.

LINKAGE SECTION
01 WS-TEST-DATA
05 WS-ACCT PIC X(9).
05 WS-SEQ-NO PIC S9(5) COMP-3
05 FILLER PIC X(18).

I am populating the value 0002 to WS-SEQ-NO in PROG B but when it comes back to PROG A, it is coming as ????.

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:57 am

Prog A:

vinu78 · Active User Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 179 Location: India

Thanks Robert for the detailed code.

I made use of your appoach but still missing somthing. Please see the Program A and B code as mentioned below

Prog A

Binop B · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 3:23 am

Hi Vinu,

I dont think what you posted last is exactly what you have tested...

How is it that value of LS-SEQ-NO in ProgB displayed as 0001 when LS-SEQ-NO is never changed.

Your actual output and DISPLAY statements formats also doesn't match...

vinu78 · Active User Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 179 Location: India

Hi Binop,

Initially while entering PROG B, the variable LS-SEQ-NO has value 0000. Then we have moved its values to WS-SEQ-NO and then incremented +1 and so WS-SEQ-NO value becomes 0001. Then the below statement moves the values WS-SEQ-NO to LS-SEQ-NO and so LS-SEQ-NO got the value 0001.

MOVE WS-TEST-DATA TO LS-TEST-DATA

Thanks
Vinu

Binop B · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 3:38 am

vinu78 · Active User Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 179 Location: India

Sorry Binop. You are right. It was a typo error from my side.
The value of WS-SEQ-NO (second display of Program B) is 0000

Thanks
Vinu

Binop B · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 3:49 am

vinu78 · Active User Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 179 Location: India

Sorry again. I got your point. Since it is a big module, I am just putting the impacted area alone.

My only concern is that when value is passed back from PROG B to PROG A, it is getting lost. I am wondering whether it is because PROG B is declared as online eventhough it doesn't contain any CICS statements.(I am not sure).

Thanks
Chidam

Binop B · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 4:47 am

Hi Vinu,

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 5:37 am

Bill Woodger · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:17 am

Are you showing the PROCEDURE DIVISION USING ... from the source programs or the compile listings? Can you check the listings please?

vinu78 · Active User Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 179 Location: India

Bill,

Please see the PROCEDURE DIVISION USING that is used in the modules

PROGRAM A

Jose Mateo · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:49 pm

Good day to all!

Vinu78, make your WS-TEST-DATA a LINKAGE SECTION variable in PROG A. Remember that WORKING-STORAGE variable could be pass to PROG B but if PROG B manipulate those variable it is done in B and not in A. I am confuse why are you using WS-DUMMY-DFHCOMMAREA I some cases then DFHCOMMAREA in others.

Bill Woodger · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 8:49 pm

Jose,

If the PROGA field is in Linkage, where does the storage for it come from?

What do you mean if the manipulations are done in PROGB it only affects PROGB, not PROGA?

The "name" of something does not matter. It is that USINGS "line up" with the data that is being expected.

Vinu78,

How do you get ????? for the DISPLAY of the packed-decimal? Is this output from a DISPLAY, or from a debugger or something?