AUDIENCE:   Programmers who will be coding or maintaining CICS applications. Programmers who wish an introduction to on-line processing concepts and commands. Anyone who needs CICS Command Level coding expertise. Project Managers, System Designers, System Programmers who work in CICS. PREREQUISITES:   Some coding experience in Cobol, PL/1 or Assembler. DURATION:   4 Days APPROACH:   Interactive involving each student Hands-on and workshop oriented OBJECTIVES:   Code programs with embedded CICS Commands. Understand the concepts of on-line processing through CICS. Understand the fundamentals of Pseudo-conversational Programming, COMMAREA, and Modified Data Tags (MDT's). Code and have a working knowledge of Basic Mapping Support (BMS). Understand and code CICS Commands to access VSAM files in CICS. Use CICS facilities such as TS, TD, Multitasking, Reentrancy, etc. Code efficient CICS programs. COURSE CONTENT:   INTRODUCTION TO CICS CONCEPTS We discuss on-line processing, what CICS is and how it fits into the DP environment. Basic terminology is explained including Pseudo-conversational programming (what it is, how we code it). Transaction and program concepts are introduced. CICS command format syntax is covered in detail. EXCEPTION PROCESSING HANDLE CONDITION command, options and techniques. The RESP option is presented showing structured programming in CICS. Future exception processing trends options and techniques are presented. HANDLE AID command. Execute Interface Block is explained together with DFHAID. TERMINAL COMMUNICATIONS Telecommunications concepts and VTAM are introduced. 3270 processing fundamentals are explained. Data transmission via maps is presented, and Basic Mapping Support (BMS) to build maps is introduced (map generators are discussed). BASIC MAPPING SUPPORT Physical Map and DSECT concepts are explained. Defining a Mapset, the DFHMSD macro, with its options and defaults. Defining a Map, the DFHMDI macro, with its options and defaults. Defining a Field, the DFHMDF macro, with its options and defaults. MAP COMMANDS The SEND MAP command to output the BMS map with its functions is explained. The MAPONLY/DATAONLY concepts to reduce transmission costs are offered. The RECEIVE MAP command to input data Pseudo-conversationally. DSECT copybook fields are explained in detail. The length, attribute and erased flags along with the input and output data fields are discussed. Extended attributes (color, highlighting etc.) are presented. The use of Modified Data Tags (MDT) is discussed. FILE OPERATIONS VSAM file concepts are introduced. CICS/VSAM interaction is explained. KSDS/ESDS/RRDS file commands (READ, WRITE etc.) along with their options are explained. Record Level locking and simultaneous updating problems are explained. Generic DELETE pitfalls are shown. BROWSE functions (forward and backward) are presented. TEMPORARY STORAGE An overview of Temporary Storage, which will emphasize the scratch pad concept, is presented along with examples. The commands and problems with suggested solutions are presented. CEBR is explained. Future changes in Temporary Storage are explained. TRANSIENT DATA INTRAPARTITION and EXTRAPARTITION queues are explained and differences set out. The TRIGGER LEVER and REUSE=YES are discussed together with how many companies currently use them. How TD queues are created through Destination Control Table entries (DCT) is covered. The WRITEQ TD, READQ TD and DELETQ TD commands are explained with examples. INTERNAL CONTROL INTERVAL and TIME options to commands are explained. The need for asynchronous processing (multi-threading) is discussed. START, RETRIEVE, DELAY, CANCEL, ASKTIME, FORMATTIME commands are covered. START vs. RETURN IMMEDIATE is debated. CICS TRANSACTIONS An overview of the CICS Supplied application Transactions is given. CEMT is explained, with its dangers. CEDF is used in a hands-on environment. CEDX is explained. CECI concepts are shown. CMAC is used to analyze DFH messages and Abend codes. CRTE is explained. SUMMARY A review of the concepts and commands is given. Sample programs are walked through. The future of CICS is discussed. Time is left for general discussion. BM/08