Running applications under CICS

Language Environment provides support that, when used in conjunction with facilities provided by the Customer Information Control System (CICS®) product, permits you to write applications in high-level languages and run them in a CICS environment. Some of the Language Environment-conforming HLLs might require a later version of CICS. Check the required software list for each language you plan to use.

You can code an application that runs in a CICS environment in Language Environment-conforming assembler, C, C++, COBOL, or PL/I. There is no support for any Fortran routines under CICS. Also, Language Environment-conforming assembler main routines are supported back to z/OS® V1R4 when running with CICS transaction Server for z/OS Version 3.1 or later. There is no such restriction on the use of assembler subroutines.

This topic describes special features and considerations that apply to Language Environment-conforming applications running in a CICS environment.

Applications running with POSIX(ON) are only supported in a CICS OTE environment. If you try running an application with POSIX(ON) under non-OTE CICS, it will be overridden with POSIX(OFF) and execution continues. For more information about XPLINK under CICS, go to the IBM Knowledge Center at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/cicsts/v3r1/index.jsp.

Applications compiled with the XPLINK compiler option are not supported under CICS on releases earlier than CICS TS 3.1. The XPLINK runtime option is ignored under CICS.

CICS does not support PL/I MTF applications.