Support Classes

Support classes are as follows.

Figure 1. Support classes

IccBase
IccBuf
IccEvent
IccException
IccMessage
IccRecordIndex
IccKey
IccRBA
IccRRN
IccResource
IccTime
IccAbsTime
IccTimeInterval
IccTimeOfDay

These classes are tools that complement the resource classes: they make life easier for the application programmer and thus add value to the object model.

Resource class	Description
IccAbsTime	Absolute time (milliseconds since January 1 1900)
IccBuf	Data buffer (makes manipulating data areas easier)
IccEvent	Event (the outcome of a CICS® command)
IccException	Foundation Class exception (supports the C++ exception handling model)
IccTimeInterval	Time interval (for example, five minutes)
IccTimeOfDay	Time of day (for example, five minutes past six)

IccAbsTime, IccTimeInterval and IccTimeOfDay classes make it simpler for the application programmer to specify time measurements as objects within an application program. IccTime is a base class: IccAbsTime , IccTimeInterval , and IccTimeOfDay are derived from IccTime.

Consider method delay in class IccTask , whose signature is as follows:

void delay(const IccTime& time, const IccRequestId*
reqId = 0);

To request a delay of 1 minute and 7 seconds (that is, a time interval) the application programmer can do this:

IccTimeInterval time(0, 1, 7);
task()->delay(time);

Note: The task method is provided in class IccControl and returns a pointer to the application's task object.

Alternatively, to request a delay until 10 minutes past twelve (lunchtime?) the application programmer can do this:

IccTimeOfDay lunchtime(12, 10);
task()->delay(lunchtime);

The IccBuf class allows easy manipulation of buffers, such as file record buffers, transient data record buffers, and COMMAREAs (for more information on IccBuf class see Buffer objects).

IccMessage class is used primarily by IccException class to encapsulate a description of why an exception was thrown. The application programmer can also use IccMessage to create their own message objects.

IccException objects are thrown from many of the methods in the Foundation Classes when an error is encountered.

The IccEvent class allows a programmer to gain access to information relating to a particular CICS event (command).