Recommendations for testing an IMS program

Before you start testing your program, be aware of your established test procedures.

To start testing, you need the following three items:

• Test JCL.
• A test database. Never test a program using 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. 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.