CONVERSE (3767)

Description

CONVERSE communicates on a 3767 interactive logical unit. This command also applies to the 3770 interactive logical unit.

Options

DEFRESP

This option indicates that a definite response is required when the output operation is completed.

FROM(data-area)

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

FROMFLENGTH(data-value)

This option is a fullword alternative to FROMLENGTH.

FROMLENGTH(data-value)

This option 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)

This option 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 that is connected to the other end of the current conversation.

MAXFLENGTH(data-value)

This option is a fullword alternative to MAXLENGTH.

MAXLENGTH(data-value)

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

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

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

SET(ptr-ref)

This option 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 16 MB line.

If DATALOCATION(BELOW) is associated with the application program, and the data resides above the 16 MB line, the data is copied below the 16 MB 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 that is returned is in a user-key. If TASKDATAKEY(CICS) is specified and storage protection is active, the data that is returned is in a CICS-key.

TOFLENGTH(data-area)

This option is a fullword alternative to TOLENGTH.

TOLENGTH(data-area)

This option 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 that is 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

06 EOC

This condition occurs when a request/response unit (RU) is received with the end-of-chain indicator set. Field EIBEOC also contains this indicator.

Default action: ignore the condition.

22 LENGERR

This condition occurs in any of the following situations:

• Data that is 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.

24 SIGNAL

This condition occurs when an inbound SIGNAL data flow control command is received from a logical unit or session, or the partner transaction. EIBSIG is always set when an inbound signal is received.

Default action: ignore the condition.

81 TERMERR

This condition 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) can 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.