Exploring CICS configurations
The following figure shows the menu options and subsequent line actions that you can use to explore a CICS® configuration hierarchy.

- 1
- The dashed lines in this figure indicate the panels under option 4.1 Multiple Configs where you can
enter the same line action next to multiple items and then
view the combined results. For example:
- To view a list panel of resource definitions from multiple CICS configurations, enter line action S next to two or more CICS configurations
- To expand multiple lists/ResDescs or groups/ResGroups at the same time, and view a list panels of their combined contents, enter X next to two or more items.
You can also enter line actions next to multiple items under option 2 CICS Resources. However, instead of combining the results on a single panel, this option stacks the results of each line action on separate panels. To move to the next stacked panel of results, press the Exit key (F3).
- 2
- The line action UNR ("unrelated")
shows group/ResGroups that are not in the selected lists/ResDescs.
You can use this to help identify groups that could be redundant, because they do not belong to any of the lists specified by the CICS system initialization (SIT) parameter GRPLIST:
- On the primary menu, select option 4.1 Multiple Configs.
- Type X next to the CICS configuration that you are interested in, and then press Enter.
- Type UNR next to each of the lists specified by GRPLIST, and then press Enter.
You can only enter UNR next to lists/ResDescs from the same CICS configuration.
- 3
- Context-based CICS configurations only: to see all of the ResGroups to which a resource definition belongs, enter REL next to a resource definition.
To expand an item and show the next level of hierarchy, enter X next to the item. Expanding a CICS configuration shows its lists (or ResDescs, for context-based CICS configurations); expanding a list shows its groups (or ResGroups); expanding a group shows its resource definitions. To step back one level, press the Exit key (F3).
To show all groups/ResGroups in a CICS configuration, including "orphans" that do not belong to any list/ResDesc, enter G next to a CICS configuration.
To show all lists/ResDescs to which a group/ResGroup belongs, enter REL next to the group/ResGroup. If you use option 4.1 Multiple Configs, then you can enter REL next to multiple groups/ResGroups (they must all belong to the same CICS configuration) to display a combined list panel of all the lists/ResDescs to which those groups/ResGroups belong.
To show all resource definitions in a list/ResDesc (that is, all of the resource definitions in the groups/ResGroups that belong to the list/ResDesc), enter XR next to a list/ResDesc. For lists (not ResDescs), the resulting list panel of resource definitions includes an Order column, indicating the order in which the resource definition groups are specified in the list.
To go directly to the resource definitions in a CICS configuration, bypassing the hierarchical views:
Why is the list panel empty?
At each level of the hierarchy, a list panel appears with filter fields and column headings, but no list items. Instead, directly under the column headings is a “bottom of data” indicator. This empty list is normal: the panels do not display any list items until you press Enter. This allows you to adjust the filter before displaying the list, avoiding delays caused by listing more items than you need.
The Type column displays CSD resource types
CSD files and CICSPlex® SM data repositories use different names for equivalent resource definition types. For example, a PROGRAM resource definition in a CSD file is known as a PROGDEF in a CICSPlex SM data repository.
In the ISPF dialog, the Type column on a list panel of resource definitions reflects the names used by CSD files, regardless of whether the resource definitions are stored in a CSD file or a CICSPlex SM data repository.