Pointer arguments

A pointer-reference, abbreviated to ptr-ref in the diagrams, is a special case of a data-area. It also is a receiver field, but CICS uses it to return a pointer to the data requested, rather than the data itself; that is, CICS stores the location (address) of the data in the argument you provide.

A pointer-value (abbreviated ptr-value) is the pointer counterpart of a data-value; that is, you send information to CICS in a pointer-value, but you provide the address of the data (a pointer to it), rather than the data itself.

The rules listed for data-areas therefore apply to pointer-references, and those for data-values to pointer-values. Each language provides a type definition for pointers, and facilities for expressing address literals that can be used for pointer-values; internally, pointers are stored in fullword binary form. See FREEMAIN for more information about the distinction between data and pointers.