Using Link3270 messages

To run transactions using the Link3270 Bridge, a client program creates an inbound message, links to DFHL3270 with a COMMAREA containing the message, and interprets the result of the outbound message. The inbound message is passed on the LINK, ECI or EXCI call as a COMMAREA. The outbound message is passed in the COMMAREA on return from the LINK, ECI or EXCI call.

About this task

An inbound or outbound message contains a bridge message header (BRIH) and bridge message vectors (BRIVs). See the following topics for details about their data structure and examples:

Sample BRIH and BRIV copybooks are supplied, primed with the default values, to simplify programming. You can include these in your program and then change only the specific fields relevant to the request.

Link3270 bridge basic and extended support

There are two levels of support for the Link3270 bridge, basic support and extended support.

Link3270 bridge with extended support provides support for the ACCUM option on EXEC CICS SEND TEXT, EXEC CICS SEND MAP, and EXEC CICS SEND CONTROL, in addition to the basic support. To support the ACCUM option, there are two additional outbound vectors, SEND PAGE and PURGE MESSAGE. If you want to take advantage of extended support, you must recompile any Link3270 programs using the extended copybooks (listed in Table 2), instead of the basic copybooks.