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Product facilities (Code Debug CICS master)

Related Topics

Installation and Configuration Guide

Advanced Configuration Guide

Quick Reference

BMC product developers know that, without Code Debug, debugging an application can be among the most time-consuming and exasperating tasks you perform. Yet an error-free application is an absolute necessity. The Code Debug CICS facilities listed as follows help you locate, identify, and eliminate application errors.

Source-level testing and debugging facilities

  • Include an interactive, source code display for PL/I, COBOL, C, and Assembler programs
  • Allow dynamic interaction with program source listings
  • Step through (execute) program statements and instructions in timed slow motion or one at a time (single-stepping)
  • Stop execution before or after specified statements or instructions
  • Skip or redirect execution around specified statements or instructions
  • Detect, isolate, and prevent transaction abends and storage violations
  • Allow interactive changes to program variables

Important

In its character display of memory, Code Debug CICS uses a decimal point to stand for any unprintable character. For that reason, a decimal point you type into that character display will not be recognized unless it overtypes a printable character — not another decimal point. When hex is displayed, x'4B' can be entered to denote a decimal point.

  • Bypass or modify faulty logic flow
  • Provide a statement-level trace
  • Count executions of repetitive statements or paragraphs
  • Record, save, and play back scripts of primary and line commands.
  • Interface dynamically with BMC’s fault diagnostic product Abend-AID for CICS.
  • View CICS resources online.

CICS storage protection facilities

  • Region-wide protection capability
  • Protection filters by terminal, transaction, and program
  • Protection exceptions plus interactive and unattended protection options
  • Over 90 detailed diagnostics from Code Debug CICS
  • Full range of Abend-AID for CICS diagnostics.

CICS region maintenance facilities

  • CICS storage and table editor
  • Formatted DSECTs
  • Region-wide trap and trace
  • Hung transaction analysis
  • Storage chains.

File utility

  • Browse, edit, and map records (for COBOL and PL/I only) from CICS files
  • Log changes to supported resources
  • Support for BDAM and VSAM files, temporary storage, transient data, Db2 and IMS databases, and MQ queues.

Customizing facilities

  • Multitransaction architecture with specific facilities for different types of users
  • Three restricted modes of operation
  • User session profiles
  • Hexadecimal calculator
  • Screen footings.

Code Debug CICS can be used in both the test and production environments for a variety of tasks, including:

  • Storage Protection — Protection can be set up to monitor new transactions or programs in the production region, and intercept storage violations before they occur.

Important

XPLINK programs are excluded from Code Debug CICS storage protection.

  • Bad Record Correction — The File Utility can be used in either environment to correct bad records.
  • System Maintenance — Authorized users can view and modify CICS storage without bringing down the region.
  • Hung Task Analysis — System programmers can look at an end user’s task to determine problems.
  • Remote Trapping — Application support personnel are able to set traps to gain control and diagnose end-user sessions.

Help facility

Code Debug CICS contains an extensive set of Help screens to assist you in learning the product. The Code Debug CICS Help facility uses hypertext links to allow easy navigation through topics. Links to related topics are displayed with distinctive color and intensity. Simply tab to the hypertext link and press Enter to display the linked topic.

Help screens are available from any product screen by pressing PF1. The screens provide detailed information about the commands and functions available in each of the Code Debug CICS areas. Use the Help screens when you need information about a particular screen or command. For example, to obtain a description of the SHOW command, type SHOW on the COMMAND line and press PF1, or enter the primary command HELP SHOW. A description of the format and use of the SHOW command will be displayed.

While in the Help facility, use the following keys to move through the screens:

Key

Description

PF3

Return to the previous Help topic

PF7

Scroll backward

PF8

Scroll forward

Many common 3270 terminal emulation software packages can be configured to allow selection of hypertext links by double-clicking with the left mouse button. You can also double-click on the highlighted commands (CANCEL, END, UP, and DOWN) at the top of the Help screens to return to previous topics, scroll, or exit the Help facility.

For example, users of IBM Personal Communications Version 13 may perform the following steps to enable mouse navigation of the Code Debug CICS Help facility:

  1. On the Settings menu, click Hotspots.
  2. Click the Point-and-Select (Enter at cursor position) check box and then click OK.

The Help PF key can also be used to supply you with additional error information. Error messages are usually enclosed in asterisks (*). When an error message is displayed with plus signs (+), you can receive more specific information about that message by pressing PF1. For example, pressing PF1 for the error message NO SOURCE AVAILABLE will provide exact information on why source for that particular program cannot be located.

HELP NEWS provides online information about the new features in the latest release, including new commands, screens, and parameters. HELP NOSOURCE provides information to help you discover why source listings are not displayed for a particular program. Several possible causes are listed with suggested solutions.

 

Tip: For faster searching, add an asterisk to the end of your partial query. Example: cert*