Recommendations for testing a CICS program

When you are ready to test your program, be aware of your established test procedures before you start.

To start testing, you need the following three items:

• Test JCL.
• A test database. When you are testing a program, do not execute it against a production database because the program, if faulty, might damage valid data.
• Test input data. The input data that you use need not be current, but it should be valid data. You cannot be sure that your output data is valid unless you use valid input data.

The purpose of testing the program is to make sure that the program can correctly handle all the situations that it might encounter.

To thoroughly test the program, try to test as many of the paths that the program can take as possible. For example:

• Test each path in the program by using input data that forces the program to execute each of its branches.
• Be sure that your program tests its error routines. Again, use input data that will force the program to test as many error conditions as possible.
• Test the editing routines your program uses. Give the program as many different data combinations as possible to make sure it correctly edits its input data.