EPI support classes

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The EPI support classes are similar to the C++ EPI classes in that the objects required and the methods to manipulate them are similar.

This section:
  • Explains how to use the EPI support classes
  • Describes how to handle exceptions
  • Describes the encoding of 3270 data streams
  • Explains how to convert BMS maps and use the Map class
The CICS® Transaction Gateway EPI support classes make it simpler for a Java™ programmer to access the facilities that the EPI provides:
  • Adding and deleting terminals
  • Starting CICS transactions
  • Sending and receiving 3270 data streams

You do not need a detailed knowledge of 3270 data streams. EPI support classes provide higher-level constructs for handling 3270 data streams:

  • General purpose Java classes are provided for handling screens, terminal attributes, and transaction data.
  • Java classes for specific CICS applications can be generated from BMS map source files. These classes allow Java client applications to access data on 3270 panels, using the same map field names used in the CICS program.
Note: These classes do not contain any specific support for 3270 data streams that contain DBCS fields. Data streams with a mixture of DBCS and SBCS fields are not supported.

The BMS conversion utility is a tool for statically producing Java class source code from a CICS BMS map set. See Converting BMS maps and using the Map class.

In the examples in this section, statements similar to the following are assumed:
import com.ibm.ctg.epi.*; import java.io.*;