Interpreting runtime messages

The first step in debugging your routine is to look up any runtime messages. To find runtime messages, check the message file:

On z/OS, runtime messages are written by default to ddname SYSOUT. If SYSOUT is not specified, then the messages are written to SYSOUT=*.
On CICS®, the runtime messages are written to the CESE transient data QUEUE.

The default message file ddname can be changed by using the MSGFILE runtime option. For information about displaying runtime messages for C/C++, COBOL, Fortran, or PL/I routines, see z/OS Language Environment Programming Guide.

Runtime messages provide users with additional information about a condition, and possible solutions for any errors that occurred. They can be issued by Language Environment common routines or language-specific runtime routines and contain a message prefix, message number, severity code, and descriptive text.

In the following example Language Environment message:

CEE3206S The system detected a specification exception.

The message prefix is CEE.
The message number is 3206.
The severity code is S.
The message text is The system detected a specification exception.

Language Environment messages can appear even though you made no explicit calls to Language Environment services. C/C++, COBOL, and PL/I runtime library routines commonly use the Language Environment services. This is why you can see Language Environment messages even when the application routine does not directly call common runtime services.