Murach's CICS for the COBOL Programmer

Join the more than 150,000 programmers who have learned CICS using our CICS books alone. Now, our two-part CICS for the COBOL Programmer has been revised into a single volume that meets today’s need for fast-paced training. You get all the commands and features that are current today—plus, new chapters on creating web or component-based programs—in just 630, information-packed pages. You’ll start off with the basics that you need for every CICS program you write:

how to use basic mapping support (BMS) to define the screens your programs use pseudo-conversational programming...what it is, why you have to use it, and how it complicates the logic in a COBOL program

the CICS commands for terminal handling, VSAM file handling, and program control

how to design a CICS program using event-driven design so it’s easier to code, test, debug, and maintain

how and when to use temporary storage queues instead of the communication area to pass data between program executions

how to use IBM-supplied transactions like CEMT, CECI, and CEDF to simplify testing and debugging

Then, you’ll see the design and code for a complete application consisting of four interrelated CICS programs…a great way to solidify your new CICS skills.

But that’s not all. You’ll also learn about the commands and techniques you need for special purposes. Like processing VSAM files sequentially. Accessing records by an alternate index. Handling DB2 data (this chapter assumes you already know DB2, so if you need some training, please see our DB2 books on pages 5-6). Scheduling a task for execution. Using the error recovery features that come into play when a task or CICS abends. Using the intercommunication features of CICS, including Distributed Program Link and EXCI, so that resources can be shared across remote systems. Handling outdated code as you maintain older programs.

Beyond the commands and coding features, however, there are two chapters of special interest for creating new applications:

how to design and code programs in which the presentation logic (the code that handles the interaction with the user at a terminal) is separated from the business logic (the code that processes the data)…This makes it feasible to create programs with front-ends in languages like Java or Visual Basic, leaving CICS on the back-end to do what it does best: process transactions

how to design and code CICS programs for the web (probably the most compelling reason for separating the presentation logic from the business logic)

So if you’re new to CICS, you’ll learn the best development techniques as well as all the coding details for creating today’s applications. If you have some CICS experience, you’ll add to your skills in record time. Either way, you’ll gain an understanding of CICS that makes it easier handle each new programming challenge. So get your copy of Murach’s CICS for the COBOL Programmer today!