RE: [SYSTEM21] Return code in Maintain Tasks

["Jeff Klipa" <jklipa@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is a great question...  It shows that you are getting into the guts of 
the way the system works and are gaining a better understanding of the way 
the programs are coded to be executed from the task definitions...

The Initial Return Code field is used to populate the L#RTCD field which is 
actually position 118 - 119 of the LDA (Local Data Area)...  Use the WRKLDA 
command from any command line in JBA to see/change the current value of this 
field in your LDA...

Look for those tasks where the same program is called with different Initial 
Return Codes, If you look closely at the RPG code you will find that the RPG 
programs will behave differently based on what is found in the L#RTCD field 
(This field may have different names but is always 118-119 of the LDA...)

When the Task is first launched the L#RTCD field is populated with whatever 
is found in the Initial Return Code as defined in the Task...  The value in 
L#RTCD can be manipulated by any program at any time so that's why they call 
it the "Initial" Return Code...

A more subtle feature is found when you have an Interactive Program defined 
in a Task along with a Batch Program...  The Initial Return Code value is 
fed to the Interactive Program defined in the Task.  It is up to the 
Interactive Program to feed the correct value into the L#RTCD field to 
trigger the calling of the Batch Program found in the Task definition.  The 
Application Manager will only run the Batch Program if the L#RTCD field 
contains a " Y" (that's a "blank" followed by a capital "Y") in position 
118-119...!!!  So you will typically find that when the user is prompted to 
Press F8 to submit, in the RPG code the L#RTCD field is populated with a 
"Blank" "Y"...!!!  If the user presses F3 to exit without submitting the 
L#RTCD field is typically cleared or pobulated with anything other than 
"blank "Y" and the Application Manager recognizes that it should not submit 
the Batch Portion of the Task Definition...

You will also find the return code field used to pass "results" between 
calling programs...  If program IN123 calls program MD123 it would not be 
surprising to see IN123 populate the L#RTCD field with some meaningful value 
before calling MD123...  Even more likely to see it test the "result" of the 
call to MD123 after the call "RETURNS" control from MD123 to IN123 by 
testing the contents of L#RTCD...

Another example that is common in JBA code is found when external calls are 
expected to be made from an interactive program.  It is common practice to 
leave those externally called programs running in the call stack after the 
first call and only close them when the Interactive program terminates...  
This is much more efficient than opening and closing those programs every 
time you call them...  Issuing a Call to a program with "LR" in the L#RTCD 
field as the interactive program ends would be a typical code segment to 
find in a case like this...  The Called program would then realize it should 
terminate itself...

The Return code field is a very important and versatile field in the JBA 
code...  It's important to be aware of the many ways it is used if you're 
planning to customize existing code and even more important if you're 
planning to write your own "Task Friendly" custom modules that will run 
under Application Manager...

Great question...

Good luck...

----Original Message Follows----
From: Meena Nayagam <meenanayagam@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: System 21 Users <system21@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: system21@xxxxxxxxxxxx, jbausers-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [SYSTEM21]   Return code in Maintain Tasks
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 15:57:24 +0000 (GMT)


I have one question related to the return code while defining the tasks in 
Manager/400(Maintain tasks option). What is the significance of this return 
code ? Will it be the input paramater to the Interactive program that called 
? I have observed that we have different tasks calling the same program but 
with different return codes. So I believe it should be an input to the 
program.

Pls let me know more about this.

Regards,

Meena

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