OA29899: REX1 ABEND OR PROG755 WHEN RUNNING CEMTEOUT FROM A CEMT I TAS REQUEST

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• You are getting a REX1 abend under CICS TS 3.2 using REXX CICS
  RUNTIME.  The CEMTEOUT variable is suppose to contain the
  output from CEMT I TAS. When you issue the SAY command against
  this variable, you get the abend. The dump indicates that an
  ATCV abend occurs that is converted to REX1.  The end user has
  no indication of the failure, but they are running an emulator
  that doesn't display 3270 errors.
  You have found that you can get around this problem by parsing
  the CEMTEOUT before issuing  a SAY REST.
  In a test environment, that is not using an EMULATOR, this
  problem shows up as a PROG755 on the user's screen.
  The problem with the ABEND can be alleviated by parsing the
  buffer before issuing the SAY CEMTEOUT command.
  -
  parse var CEMTEOUT xlen 3 msgct 5 maxrc 7 rest
  say rest
  -
  Items that should be addressed:
  1) The SAY command should sanitize data it is asked to display
  so as to not output invalid characters to a 3270 screen.
  
  2) The SAY command issued in the rexx interactive session
  should issue a message letting the user know that an abend
  occurred and continue; as it works now, the abend occurs and
  you lose your rexx interactive session but there's no message
  letting you know until you type in another line of input and
  CICS mishandles it
  
  3) The documentation needs to explain how to parse the
  CEMTEOUT variable
  
  Additional Symptom(s) Search Keyword(s): KIXREVRER
  

Local fix

• PARSE CEMTEOUT before issuing the SAY command
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: All.                                         *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Abend REX1 when CICS/Rexx attempts to   *
  *                      display non-displayable characters.     *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  Rexx has a mechanism where it will populate a buffer called
  CEMTEOUT with the results of a CEMT command issued within the
  Rexx environment.  Usually, CEMTEOUT would be parsed using
  a template to extract the required data.  In the reported
  problem, the CEMTEOUT buffer data was the operand of a SAY
  command.  However, CEMTEOUT begins with 3 bytes of binary
  control data that are non displayable.  As a consequence,
  the SAY CEMTEOUT command abended with a code of REX1.
  
  Keywords: PROG755
  

Problem conclusion

• The SAY command will now convert any non-displayable characters
  to periods ('4B'x).
  
  The following documentation change should be made to the IBM
  REXX Development System for CICS/ESA and Rexx Runtime Facility
  for CICS/ESA Guide and Reference manual (SH21-0482-00).
  
  In chapter 25 (REXX/CICS Commands), within the description for
  the CEMT command, add a new paragraph under the existing
  paragraph commencing 'For CEMTEOUT: data that would ...' thus:
  
  -   Parsing CEMTEOUT.
      The contents of CEMTEOUT may be parsed using the following
      example:
  
      PARSE VAR CEMTEOUT BUFFLEN 3 MSGCOUNT 5 MAXRC REST
  
      Will place:
      the first halfword (containing the inclusive length of
      CEMTEOUT) into REXX variable BUFFLEN.
  
      the second halfword (containing the number of messages
      produced) into REXX variable MSGCOUNT.
  
      the third halfword (containing the highest message-severity)
      into REXX variable MAXRC.
  
      the remainder of CEMTEOUT into REXX variable REST.
  
      Either of the values contained within the first 3 halfwords
      will usually display as periods because they are
      unprintable binary fields.  To display their values will
      require that they are first converted.  For example, to
      display the value of BUFFLEN, you could use:
  
      SAY C2X(BUFFLEN)
      or
      VAR1 = C2X(BUFFLEN)
      SAY VAR1
  

Temporary fix

• FIX AVAILABLE BY PTF ONLY
  

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

  UA50814

Modules/Macros

• CICSAY
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  REXX/CICS COMM

• Fixed component ID

  565511200

Applicable component levels

• R110 PSY UA50814

     UP09/10/29 P F910

Fix is available

• Select the PTF appropriate for your component level. You will be required to sign in. Distribution on physical media is not available in all countries.