Integrated CICS translator

When you compile a COBOL program using the CICS compiler option, the COBOL compiler works with the integrated CICS® translator to handle both native COBOL and embedded CICS statements in the source program.

When the compiler encounters CICS statements, and at other significant points in the source program, the compiler interfaces with the integrated CICS translator. All text between EXEC CICS and END-EXEC statements is passed to the translator. The translator takes appropriate actions and then returns to the compiler, typically indicating which native language statements to generate.

Although you can still translate embedded CICS statements separately, it is recommended that you use the integrated CICS translator instead. Certain restrictions that apply when you use the separate translator do not apply when you use the integrated translator, and using the integrated translator provides several advantages:

  • You can use Debug Tool to debug the original source instead of the expanded source that the separate CICS translator generates.
  • You do not need to separately translate the EXEC CICS or EXEC DLI statements that are in copybooks.
  • There is no intermediate data set for a translated but not compiled version of the source program.
  • Only one output listing instead of two is produced.
  • Using nested programs that contain EXEC CICS statements is simpler. DFHCOMMAREA and DFHEIBLK are generated with the GLOBAL attribute in the outermost program. You do not need to pass them as arguments on calls to nested programs or specify them in the USING phrase of the PROCEDURE DIVISION header of nested programs.
  • You can keep nested programs that contain EXEC CICS statements in separate files, and include those nested programs by using COPY statements.
  • REPLACE statements can affect EXEC CICS statements.
  • You can compile programs that contain CICS statements in a batch compilation (compilation of a sequence of programs).
  • Because the compiler generates binary fields in CICS control blocks with format COMP-5 instead of BINARY, there is no dependency on the setting of the TRUNC compiler option. You can use any setting of the TRUNC option in CICS programs, subject only to the requirements of the application logic and use of user-defined binary fields.
Note: The CICS documentation states that the EXCI translator option is not supported for programs compiled with the integrated CICS translator, but CICS has reversed this position. You can now compile with the EXCI translator option and ignore the warning message DFH7006I.

related concepts  
CICS Application Programming Guide (The integrated CICS translator)

related references  
CICS  
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