CICS Commands

The following is a list of the common CICS commands and their COBOL
syntax. If you are using PL/1 then just substitute ; for END-EXEC.

[ ] indicate optional parameters, [ | ] indicates a choice of one of the options

listed (or none), { | } indicates you must specify one of the options.

abend force the current task to terminate abnormally

EXEC CICS ABEND [ABCODE(name)] [CANCEL]
[NODUMP] END-EXEC.
address lets you access system information maintained in storage
outside your program
EXEC CICS ADDRESS [ACEE(pointer-ref)]
[COMMAREA(pointer-ref)] [CSA(pointer-ref)]
[CWA(pointer-ref)] [EIB(pointer-ref)] [TCTUA(pointer-
ref)] [TWA(pointer-ref)] END-EXEC.
allocate establishes a distributed processing session with another
system
EXEC CICS ALLOCATE SYSID(name) [PROFILE(name)]
[NOQUEUE | NOSUSPEND] [STATE(data-area)] END-
EXEC.
asktime obtain current time and date
EXEC CICS ASKTIME [ABSTIME(data-area)] END-EXEC.
assign obtain information from various system control areas
EXEC CICS ASSIGN option(data-area) END-EXEC.
bif deedit formats alphanumeric data into numeric data
EXEC CICS BIF DEEDIT FIELD(data-area) [LENGTH(data-
value)] END-EXEC.
build attach creates an ATTACH FMH used to initiate a background
transaction with LU6.1 or MRO
EXEC CICS BUILD ATTACH ATTACHID(name)
[PROCESS(name)] [RESOURCE(name)]
[RPROCESS(name)] [RRESOURCE(name)]
[QUEUE(name)] [IUTYPE(data-value)] [DATASTR(data-
value)] [RECFM(data-value)] END-EXEC.
cancel cancels the effect of a DELAY, POST, or START command
EXEC CICS CANCEL [REQID(name)] [TRANSID(name)]
[SYSID(name)] END-EXEC.
change task changes the priority of the current task
EXEC CICS CHANGE TASK PRIORITY(data-value) END-
EXEC.
connect initiates an application program on a remote system once a
process session has been ALLOCATEd
EXEC CICS CONNECT PROCESS {CONV(name) |
 SESSION(name) } PROCNAME(data-area)
PROCLENGTH(data-area) SYNCLEVEL(data-area)
[PIPLIST(data-area) PIPLENGTH(data-value)]
[STATE(data-area)] END-EXEC.
converse send data to a remote process and receive a response
EXEC CICS CONVERSE [CONVID(name) |
SESSION(name)] [ATTACHID(name)] FROM(data-area)
{ FROMLENGTH(data-area) | FROMFLENGTH(data-
area) } { INTO(data-area) | SET(pointer-ref) }
{TOLENGTH(data-area) | TOFLENGTH(data-area) }
[MAXLENGTH(data-value) | MAXFLENGTH(data-value)]
[NOTRUNCATE] [STATE(data-area)] END-EXEC.
delay suspend a task
EXEC CICS DELAY [INTERVAL(hhmmss) |
TIME(hhmmss) | FOR [HOURS(hh)] [MINUTES(mm)]
[SECONDS(ss)] | UNTIL [HOURS(hh)] [MINUTES(mm)]
[SECONDS(ss)]] [REQID(name)] END-EXEC.
delete remove a record from a file
EXEC CICS DELETE { DATASET(name) | FILE(name) }
[RIDFLD(data-area) [KEYLENGTH(data-value)
[GENERIC [NUMREC(data-area)]]]] [RBA | RRN]
[SYSID(name)] END-EXEC.
deleteq td remove a record from a transient data queue
EXEC CICS DELETEQ TD QUEUE(name) [SYSID(name)]
END-EXEC.
deleteq ts remove a record from a temporary storage queue
EXEC CICS DELETEQ TS QUEUE(name) [SYSID(name)]
END-EXEC.
deq release a user defined resource
EXEC CICS DEQ RESOURCE(data-area) [LENGTH(data-
value)] [LUW | TASK | MAXLIFETIME(data-area)] END-
EXEC.
dump force a storage dump
EXEC CICS DUMP [TRANSACTION] DUMPCODE(name)
[FROM(data-area) [LENGTH(data-value) |
FLENGTH(data-value)]] [SEGMENTLIST(data-area)
LENGTHLIST(data-area) NUMSEGMENTS(data-area)]
[COMPLETE] [TRT] [TASK] [STORAGE] [PROGRAM]
[TERMINAL] [TABLES] [DCT] [FCT] [PCT] [PPT] [SIT]
[TCT] END-EXEC.
endbr terminate a browse operation
EXEC CICS ENDBR { DATASET(name) | FILE(name) }
REQID(data-value) [SYSID(name)] END-EXEC.
enq reserve a user defined resource
EXEC CICS ENQ RESOURCE(data-area) [LENGTH(data-
value)] [NOSUSPEND] [LUW | TASK |
 MAXLIFETIME(data-area)] END-EXEC.
enter write a user trace entry into the CICS trace table
EXEC CICS ENTER {TRACENUM(data-value) |
TRACEID(data-value) } [FROM(data-area)
[FROMLENGTH(data-area)]] [RESOURE(data-area)]
[EXCEPTION] END-EXEC.
extract attach retrieve values from an ATTACH FMH
EXEC CICS EXTRACT ATTACH [ATTACHID(name) |
CONVID(name) | SESSION(name)] [PROCESS(name)]
[RESOURCE(name)] [RPROCESS(name)]
[RRESOURCE(name)] [QUEUE(name)] [IUTYPE(data-
value)] [DATASTR(data-value)] [RECFM(data-value)]
END-EXEC.
extract determine the current state of an MRO or APPC conversation
attributes EXEC CICS EXTRACT ATTRIBUTES [CONVID(name) |
SESSION(name)] [STATE(data-value)] END-EXEC.
extract process used in a back end program to obtain information passed via
the CONNECT PROCESS command in the front end program
EXEC CICS EXTRACT PROCESS [CONVID(name) |
SESSION(name)] [PROCNAME(data-
value)PROCLENGTH(data-area) [MAXPROCLEN(data-
value)]] [SYNCLEVEL(data-area)] [PIPLIST(data-area)
PIPLENGTH(data-value)] END-EXEC.
formattime convert time to required format
EXEC CICS FORMATTIME ABSTIME(data-value)
[YYDDD(data-area)] [YYMMDD(data-area)]
[YYDDMM(data-area)] [DDMMYY(data-area)]
[MMDDYY(data-area)] [DATE(data-area)
[DATEFORM(data-area)]] [DATESEP[(data-value)]]
[DAYCOUNT(data-area)] [DAYOFWEEK(data-area)]
[DAYOFMONTH(data-area)] [MONTHOFYEAR(data-
area)] [YEAR(data-area)] [TIME(data-area)
[TIMESEP[(data-value)]]] END-EXEC.
free release a distributed processing session
EXEC CICS FREE [CONVID(name) | SESSION(name)]
[STATE(data-area)] END-EXEC.
freemain release virtual storage
EXEC CICS FREEMAIN { DATA(data-area) |
DATAPOINTER(pointer-ref) } END-EXEC.
getmain aquire virtual storage
EXEC CICS GETMAIN SET(pointer-ref) { LENGTH(data-
value) | FLENGTH(data-value) [BELOW] }
[INITIMG(data-value)] [NOSUSPEND] [SHARED]
{USERKEY | CICSKEY] END-EXEC.
handle abend establish abend exits
EXEC CICS HANDLE ABEND { PROGRAM(name) |
 LABEL(label) | CANCEL | RESET } END-EXEC.
handle aid establish routines to be invoked when AID keys (enter, pf and
pa keys) are detected by a receive map
EXEC CICS HANDLE AID option [(label)] END-EXEC.
handle specifies how certain exception conditions should be processed
condition EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION condition-name
[(label)] END-EXEC.
ignore specifies that certain exception conditions should be ignored
condition EXEC CICS IGNORE CONDITION condition-name ... END-
EXEC.
link invoke a program, return to the next statement after
completion
EXEC CICS LINK PROGRAM(name) [COMMAREA(data-
area) [LENGTH(data-value)] [DATALENGTH(data-
value)]] [INPUTMSG(data-area) [INPUTMSGLEN(data-
value)]] [SYSID(name)] [SYNCONRETURN]
[TRANSID(name)] END-EXEC.
load retrieve and load an object module and return its length and
address
EXEC CICS LOAD PROGRAM(name) [SET(pointer-ref)]
[LENGTH(data-area) | FLENGTH(data-area)]
[ENTRY(pointer-ref)] [HOLD] END-EXEC.
pop handle restores handle abend, aid, and conditions temporarily
suspended by push handle
EXEC CICS POP HANDLE END-EXEC.
post create a Timer Event Control Area
EXEC CICS POST [INTERVAL(hhmmss) | TIME(hhmmss)
| AFTER [HOURS(hh)] [MINUTES(mm)] [SECONDS(ss)]
| AT [HOURS(hh)] [MINUTES(mm)] [SECONDS(ss)]]
SET(pointer-ref) [REQID(name)] END-EXEC.
purge message delete a logical message before the task terminates
EXEC CICS PURGE MESSAGE END-EXEC.
push handle temporarily suspend handle abend, aid, and conditions
EXEC CICS PUSH HANDLE END-EXEC.
read read a record from a file
EXEC CICS READ { DATASET(name) | FILE(name) }
{ INTO(data-area) | SET(pointer-ref) } [LENGTH(data-
area)] RIDFLD(data-area) [KEYLENGTH(data-area)
[GENERIC]] [SYSID(name)] [RBA | RRN] [GTEQ |
EQUAL] [UPDATE] END-EXEC.
readnext read the next sequential record from a file
EXEC CICS READNEXT { DATASET(name) |
FILE(name) } { INTO(data-area) | SET(pointer-ref) }
[LENGTH(data-area)] RIDFLD(data-area)
[KEYLENGTH(data-area)] [SYSID(name)] [RBA | RRN]
 [REQID(data-value)] END-EXEC.
readprev read the previous sequential record from a file
EXEC CICS READPREV { DATASET(name) |
FILE(name) } { INTO(data-area) | SET(pointer-ref) }
[LENGTH(data-area)] RIDFLD(data-area)
[KEYLENGTH(data-area)] [SYSID(name)] [RBA | RRN]
[REQID(data-value)] END-EXEC.
readq td read a record from a transient data queue
EXEC CICS READQ TD QUEUE(name) { INTO(data-area)
| SET(pointer-ref) } [LENGTH(data-area)]
[SYSID(name)] [NOSUSPEND] END-EXEC.
readq ts read a record from a temporary storage queue
EXEC CICS READQ TS QUEUE(name) { INTO(data-area)
| SET(pointer-ref) } [LENGTH(data-area)]
[NUMITEMS(data-area)] [ITEM(data-value) | NEXT]
[SYSID(name)] END-EXEC.
receive receive data sent by a remote process
(distributed) EXEC CICS RECEIVE [CONVID(name) | SESSION(name)]
{ INTO(data-area) | SET(pointer-ref) } { LENGTH(data-
area) | FLENGTH(data-area) } [MAXLENGTH(data-
value) | MAXFLENGTH(data-value)] [NOTRUNCATE]
[STATE(data-area)] END-EXEC.
receive retrieve input data from a terminal
(terminal) EXEC CICS RECEIVE { INTO(data-area) | SET(pointer-
ref) } { LENGTH(data-area) | FLENGTH(data-area) }
[MAXLENGTH(data-value) | MAXFLENGTH(data-value)]
[NOTRUNCATE] [ASIS] [BUFFER] END-EXEC.
receive map receive data from a terminal via BMS
EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP(name) [MAPSET(name)]
[INTO(data-area) | SET(pointer-ref)] [ASIS] END-EXEC.
release free virtual storage acquired via a load command
EXEC CICS RELEASE PROGRAM(name) END-EXEC.
resetbr re-establish position for a browse
EXEC CICS RESETBR { DATASET(name) | FILE(name) }
RIDFLD(data-area) [KEYLENGTH(data-value)
[GENERIC]] [RBA | RRN] [GTEQ | EQUAL] [REQID(data-
value)] [SYSID(name)] END-EXEC.
retrieve retrieves data passed to another program via the start
command
EXEC CICS RETRIEVE [INTO(data-area) | SET(pointer-
ref)] [LENGTH(data-area)] [RTRANSID(data-area)]
[RTERMID(data-area)] [QUEUE(data-area)] [WAIT]
END-EXEC.
return return to the invoking program
EXEC CICS RETURN [TRANSID(name)
[COMMAREA(data-area) LENGTH(data-value)]]
 [IMMEDIATE]] [INPUTMSG(data-area)
[INPUTMSGLEN(data-value)]] END-EXEC.
rewrite updates a record in a file
EXEC CICS REWRITE { DATASET(name) | FILE(name) }
FROM(data-area) [LENGTH(data-area)] [SYSID(name)]
END-EXEC.
route allows BMS messages to be routed to multiple terminals
EXEC CICS ROUTE [LIST(data-area)] [OPCLASS(data-
area)] [INTERVAL(hhmmss) | AFTER [HOURS(hh)]
[MINUTES(mm)] [SECONDS(ss)] | AT [HOURS(hh)]
[MINUTES(mm)] [SECONDS(ss)]] [ERRTERM{(name)]]
[TITLE(data-area)] [REQID(name)] [NLEOM] END-
EXEC.
send send data to a remote process
(distributed) EXEC CICS SEND [CONVID(name) | SESSION(name)]
[ATTACHID(name)] [FROM(data-area) [LENGTH(data-
area) | FLENGTH(data-area)]] [INVITE | LAST]
[CONFIRM | WAIT] [STATE(data-area)] END-EXEC.
send send data to a terminal
(terminal) EXEC CICS SEND FROM(data-area) [LENGTH(data-area)
| FLENGTH(data-area)] [DEST(name)] [WAIT] [INVITE
| LAST] [DEFRESP] [STRFIELD] [ERASE]
[CTLCHAR(data-area)] END-EXEC.
send control send device control instructions to a terminal
EXEC CICS SEND CONTROL [ERASEAUP | ERASE]
[ALARM] [FREEKB] [FRSET] [CURSOR(data-value)]
[PRINT] [FORMFEED] [ACCUM] [PAGING | TERMINAL
[WAIT] [LAST]] [L40 | L64 | L80 | HONEOM]
[REQID(name)] END-EXEC.
send map send data to a terminal via BMS
EXEC CICS SEND MAP(name) [MAPSET(name)]
[FROM(data-area)] [LENGTH(data-value)] [DATAONLY |
MAPONLY] [ERASEAUP | ERASE] [ALARM] [FREEKB]
[FRSET] [CURSOR(data-value)] [PRINT] [FORMFEED]
[NLEOM] [ACCUM] [PAGING | TERMINAL [WAIT]]
[LAST] [L40 | L64 | L80 | HONEOM] [REQID(name)]
END-EXEC.
send page write the last page of a BMS message to temporary storage
EXEC CICS SEND PAGE [RELEASE [TRANSID(name)] |
RETAIN] [AUTOPAGE | NOAUTOPAGE] [OPERPURGE]
[TRAILER(data-area)] END-EXEC.
send text send data to a terminal letting BMS automatically format the
data
EXEC CICS SEND TEXT FROM(data-area) [LENGTH(data-
value)] [ERASE] [ALARM] [FREEKB] [CURSOR(data-
value)] [PRINT] [FORMFEED] [NLEOM] [ACCUM]
 [PAGING | TERMINAL [WAIT]] [LAST] [HEADER(data-
area)] [TRAILER(data-area)] [JUSTIFY(datavalue) |
JUSFIRST | JUSLAST] [L40 | L64 | L80 | HONEOM]
[REQID(name)] END-EXEC.
send text send data to a terminal similar to terminal control but can
noedit direct to temporary storage using paging option
EXEC CICS SEND TEXT NOEDIT FROM(data-area)
[LENGTH(data-value)] [ERASE] [ALARM] [FREEKB]
[PRINT] [PAGING | TERMINAL [WAIT] [LAST]] [L40 |
L64 | L80 | HONEOM] [REQID(name)] END-EXEC.
signoff signs the user off cics
EXEC CICS SIGNOFF END-EXEC.
signon signs the user on to cics
EXEC CICS SIGNON USERID(datavalue)
[PASSWORD(data-value)] [NEWPASSWORD(data-
value)] [OIDCARD(data-value)] [NATLANG(data-value)]
[natlanginuse(data-area)] [ESMRESP(data-area)] END-
EXEC.
start initiate another task after or at a specified time
EXEC CICS START TRANSID(name)
[INTERVAL(hhmmss) | TIME(hhmmss) | AFTER
[HOURS(hh)] [MINUTES(mm)] [SECONDS(ss)] | AT
[HOURS(hh)] [MINUTES(mm)] [SECONDS(ss)]]
[TERMID(name)] [SYSID(name)] [REQID(name)]
[FROM(data-area) [LENGTH(data-value)]]
[RTRANSID(name)] [RTERMID(name)] [QUEUE(name)]
[NOCHECK] [PROTECT] END-EXEC.
startbr initiate a browse
EXEC CICS STARTBR { DATASET(name) | FILE(name) }
RIDFLD(data-area) [KEYLENGTH(data-area)
[GENERIC]] [SYSID(name)] [RBA | RRN] [GTEQ |
EQUAL] [REQID(data-value)] END-EXEC.
suspend temporarily return control to cics
EXEC CICS SUSPEND END-EXEC.
syncpoint rollback or make permanent updates applied to protected
resources
EXEC CICS SYNCPOINT [ROLLBACK] END-EXEC.
unlock release a record held by a READ UPDATE command
EXEC CICS UNLOCK { DATASET(name) | FILE(name) }
[SYSID(name)] END-EXEC.
wait convid suspend task until accumulated data has been transmitted
during an APPC conversation
EXEC CICS WAIT CONVID(name) [STATE(data-area)]
END-EXEC.
wait event delay the task until a previously issued POST has expired
EXEC CICS WAIT EVENT ECADDR(pointer-value) END-
 EXEC.
wait synchronizes the current task with a previously written journal
journalnum entry by suspending the task until the record has been
successfully written to the journal file
EXEC CICS WAIT JOURNALNUM(data-value)
[REQID(data-value)] [STARTIO] END-EXEC.
write write a record to a file
EXEC CICS WRITE { DATASET(name) | FILE(name) }
FROM(data-area) [LENGTH(data-area)] RIDFLD(data-
area) [KEYLENGTH(data-area)] [SYSID(name)] [RBA |
RRN] [MASSINSERT] END-EXEC.
write write a record to the journal file
journalnum EXEC CICS WRITE JOURNALNUM(data-value)
JTYPEID(data-value) FROM(data-area) [LENGTH(data-
area)] [PREFIX(data-value) [PFXLENG(data-value)]]
[REQID(data-area)] [WAIT] [STARTIO] [NOSUSPEND]
END-EXEC.
write operator write a message to a system console
EXEC CICS WRITE OPERATOR TEXT(data-value)
[TEXTLENGTH(data-value)] [ROUTECODES(data-value)
[NUMROUTES)data-value)]] [ACTION(data-value) |
EVENTUAL | IMMEDIATE | CRITICAL | REPLY(data-area)
MAXLENGTH(data-value) [REPLYLENGTH(data-area)]
[TIMEOUT(data-value)]] END-EXEC.
writeq td write a record to a transient data queue
EXEC CICS WRITEQ TD QUEUE(name) FROM(data-area)
[LENGTH(data-area)] [SYSID(name)] END-EXEC.
writeq ts write a record to a temporary storage queue
EXEC CICS WRITEQ TS QUEUE(name) FROM(data-area)
[LENGTH(data-area)] [ITEM(data-value) [REWRITE]]
[NUMITEMS(data-area)] [SYSID(name)] [MAIN |
AUXILIARY] [NOSUSPEND] END-EXEC.
xctl terminate the current program and execute the one specified
EXEC CICS XCTL PROGRAM(name) [COMMAREA(data-
area) [LENGTH(data-value)]] [INPUTMSG(data-area)
[INPUTMSGLEN(data-value)]] END-EXEC.