Re: Mainframe Interactive Programming (was: New IT personnel)

"MIDRANGE-L" <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote on 06/07/2018
04:00:45 PM:

I'm very familiar with how CICS works (I helped port it to IBM i)
but, apparently unlike you, I was thrilled to find I didn't have to
worry about string state info and repositioning files and building
subfiles in arrays in memory and and and.

Regarding subfiles... The only advantage the IBM i has over
mainframe CICS is that the 5250 subsystem control function puts the
subfile on the screen for you and manages it. I have a love/hate
relationship with IBM i subfiles. But, in mainframe CICS I never build
subfiles in memory arrays. If I want to build the entire subfile in
advance, I build it in a temp storage queue -- which is much like a
subfile on the IBM i except that the 3270 subsystem control function
doesn't put it on the screen for you nor manage it. But, it is much
easier to parcel out a temp storage queue onto the 3270 screen than it is
to reposition files to parcel the file out directly to the screen. You
can even sort the temp storage queue, without rebuilding it from files, in
the case the user wants to see the data in a different sequence. You
can't do that with IBM i subfiles.


Sincerely,

Dave Clark