CONVERSE (SCS)

Description

CONVERSE communicates on a 3270 SNA character string (SCS) printer logical unit. The SCS printer logical unit accepts a character string as defined by Systems Network Architecture (SNA). Some devices connected under SNA can send a signal that can be detected by the HANDLE CONDITION SIGNAL command, which in turn can invoke an appropriate handling routine. If necessary, a WAIT SIGNAL command can be used to make the application program wait for the signal. The PA keys on a 3287 can be used in this way, or with a RECEIVE command.

Options

DEFRESP

indicates that a definite response is required when the output operation has been completed.

FROM(data-area)

specifies the data to be written to the terminal or logical unit, or sent to the partner transaction. This option may, when relevant, be omitted if ATTACHID is specified.

FROMFLENGTH(data-value)

is a fullword alternative to FROMLENGTH.

FROMLENGTH(data-value)

specifies the length, as a halfword binary value, of the data. For a description of a safe upper limit, see LENGTH options in CICS commands.

INTO(data-area)

specifies the receiving field for the data read from the terminal or logical unit, or the application target data area into which data is to be received from the application program connected to the other end of the current conversation.

MAXFLENGTH(data-value)

is a fullword alternative to MAXLENGTH.

MAXLENGTH(data-value)

specifies the maximum amount (halfword binary value) of data that CICS® is to recover in response to a CONVERSE (default) command. If INTO is specified, MAXLENGTH overrides the use of TOLENGTH as an input to CICS. If SET is specified, MAXLENGTH provides a way for the program to limit the amount of data it receives at one time.

If the value specified is less than zero, zero is assumed.

If the length of data exceeds the value specified and the NOTRUNCATE option is not present, the data is truncated to that value and the LENGERR condition occurs. The data area specified in the TOLENGTH option is set to the original length of data.

If the length of data exceeds the value specified and the NOTRUNCATE option is present, CICS retains the remaining data and uses it to satisfy subsequent RECEIVE commands. The data area specified in the TOLENGTH option is set to the length of data returned.

If no argument is coded for MAXLENGTH, CICS defaults to TOLENGTH.

NOTRUNCATE

specifies that, when the data available exceeds the length requested, the remaining data is not to be discarded but is to be retained for retrieval by subsequent RECEIVE commands.

SET(ptr-ref)

specifies the pointer reference to be set to the address of the data read from the terminal. pointer reference, unless changed by other commands or statements, is valid until the next CONVERSE (default) command or the end of task.

If DATALOCATION(ANY) is associated with the application program, the address of the data can be above or below the 16MB line.

If DATALOCATION(BELOW) is associated with the application program, and the data resides above the 16MB line, the data is copied below the 16MB line, and the address of this copy is returned.

If TASKDATAKEY(USER) is specified for the running task, and storage protection is active, the data returned is in a user-key. If TASKDATAKEY(CICS) is specified and storage protection is active, the data returned is in a CICS-key.

STRFIELD

specifies that the data area specified in the FROM option contains structured fields. If this option is specified, the contents of all structured fields must be handled by the application program. The CONVERSE command must be used if the data area contains a read partition structured field. (Structured fields are described in the CICS 3270 Data Stream Device Guide.)

CTLCHAR and ERASE are mutually exclusive with STRFIELD, and their use with STRFIELD generates an error message.

TOFLENGTH(data-area)

is a fullword alternative to TOLENGTH.

TOLENGTH(data-area)

specifies the length (halfword binary value) of the data to be received. If you specify INTO, but omit MAXLENGTH, “data-area” specifies the maximum length that the program accepts. If the value is less than zero, zero is assumed.

If the length of the data exceeds the value specified, but NOTRUNCATE is omitted, the data is truncated to that value, and the LENGERR condition occurs. When the data is received, the data area is set to the length of the data.

For a description of a safe upper limit, see LENGTH options in CICS commands.

Conditions

22 LENGERR

occurs in any of the following situations:

• Data received is discarded by CICS because its length exceeds the maximum that the program accepts (see TOLENGTH and MAXLENGTH options), and the NOTRUNCATE option is not specified.
• An out-of-range value is supplied in one of the options, FROMLENGTH, FROMFLENGTH, MAXLENGTH, MAXFLENGTH, TOLENGTH, or TOFLENGTH.

Default action: terminate the task abnormally.

81 TERMERR

occurs for a terminal or session-related error. Any action on that conversation other than a FREE causes an ATCV abend.

A CANCEL TASK request by a user node error program (NEP) may cause this condition if the task has an outstanding terminal control request active when the node abnormal condition program handles the session error.

Default action: terminate the task abnormally with abend code ATNI.