Starting CICS Explorer for the first time

CICS Explorer uses a local workspace to save its data and configuration files. When you start the CICS Explorer® you must first confirm the location for the CICS Explorer workspace. CICS Explorer then starts, and the workbench opens and displays the Welcome view.

When you first start CICS Explorer you can choose the name and location for the workspace, using the Workspace Launcher window. The default workspace name is .cicsexplorer, and the location depends on the operating system you are using. The first time you start CICS Explorer, the default location is shown in the Workspace Launcher window. The following example screen shows the default path and workspace name on a Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.

An example screen showing the default path and workspace name, on a Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.

You can change the path or the workspace name by overtyping the text in the Workspace field. When you click OK, CICS Explorer completes the start, and displays the Welcome screen.

The Welcome view contains a number of icons. Each of the icons is a link to another part of the CICS Explorer. When you click on an icon, you are taken to the chosen target. The Welcome view closes but you can re-open it at any time by clicking Help > Welcome from the workbench menu bar.

The icons and their targets are as follows:

First Steps icon:
First Steps icon
Click the First Steps icon to go to the First Steps page. The First Steps page contains links to places that help you get started using the CICS® Explorer.
Tutorials icon:
Tutorials icon
Click the Tutorials icon to go to the Tutorials page in the CICS Explorer help documentation. The Tutorials page contains links to tutorials to help you get started with the CICS Explorer.
Overview icon:
Overview icon
Click the Overview icon to go to the Overview page. The Overview page contains links to topics that provide an overview of the CICS Explorer.