Overview of the FEPI SPI commands

The FEPI system programming commands are an addition to the system programming group of EXEC CICS commands and have the same features and properties.

The notation used to describe the syntax of FEPI commands is the same as that used to describe all system programming commands in CICS. To use these commands, you must be familiar with:
  • The format of EXEC CICS commands
  • Input and output values, and CVDAs
  • The use of the RESP, RESP2, and NOHANDLE options
  • Security checking
  • The use of INQUIRE and SET commands
  • Browsing

Unlike other CICS system programming commands, the FEPI system programming commands do not need the SP translator option. However, you do need to specify the FEPI translator option.

The FEPI INQUIRE and SET commands work in the same way as other CICS INQUIRE and SET commands. They allow you to look at named FEPI resource definitions, browse sets of related definitions, and modify some of the defined values.

FEPI commands can be issued in either 24-bit or 31-bit addressing mode, by programs that reside either above or below the 16MB line. No information is passed through the EXEC interface block (EIB) except that, as for all CICS commands, the EIBRESP, EIBRESP2, EIBFN, and EIBRCODE fields are set.

For EIB response codes, see Response codes of EXEC CICS commands.

For EIB function codes, see Function codes of EXEC CICS commands.

Arguments and data types

The text used to identify arguments indicates the type of data represented by the argument and whether it is a value used by the command, or an area in which the command returns data. For example:
  • POOL(8-character data-value) indicates that the argument is, or identifies, a string of eight characters, and that the string is passed to the command as an input value.
  • ACQNUM(fullword binary data-area) indicates that the argument is a user-defined fullword data area in which the command can return a binary number as an output value.

Exceptionally, arguments that are lists have to be data areas, even though they are input values.