IND$FILE under Com-plete

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1

We are migrating from CICS to Com-plete. The manual is not clear (at least to me! :? ) on how we would replicate our current process under Com-plete with the least amount of impact to our users. We currently perform file transfers under CICS as follows:

  1. Natural writes data to workfile 6 (which is defined to CICS Temp Storage)
  2. User logs off Natural app and returns to CICS session (blank screen)
  3. Via Terminal Emulator, file is downloaded to PC using IND$FILE GET

Upload is basically reverse process

  1. Via Terminal Emulator, file is uploaded to CICS Temp Storage from PC using IND$FILE PUT
  2. User logs onto Natural app
  3. Natural reads data from workfile 6 (defined to CICS Temp Storage)

I know Com-plete supports IND$FILE (and we are not in position to move away from this at this time).

Any advice would be appreciated,
Chris Walsh

2

Hi Chris,

how do you tell IND$FILE to access CICS temp storage? I’m not familiar with this concept. If this is some CICS-specific feature of IND$FILE, then it’s not gonna work in Complete, I’m afraid. You’d have to use a physical file to store the data (sequential or PDS member). See the topic “Natural access to native z/OS or VSE file system” in this forum for how to access these files from Natural.

Steffen

3

Hi Steffen,

Most emulators have a configuration option for file transfer where you can select the “Host System” – values are CICS, TSO, or CMS.

The documentation mentions using TSO option for IND$FILE transfers under Complete. This makes more sense assuming use of files (SD files?) in place of TempStor.

Thanks
Chris

4

Hi Chris,

yes, you definitely have to use the TSO option. And it doesn’t work with SD files, only sequential files or PDS members.

An alternative would be to use Complete’s HTTP server for up/download. For example, for upload, you can setup a HTML form with a file selection box, and submitting this form starts a Natural program in Complete and sends the contents of the file directly to that Natural program. I can provide a sample if you like. Download is even simpler.

Steffen

5

Hi Steffen,

I’d be interested in seeing samples of each. We are still at very beginning of test installation phase for Com-Plete - this could give me a head start addressing this issue.

Thanks
Chris

6

Ok, here attached is the Natural program GETFILE and a sample HTML form to select a file and send it to GETFILE. GETFILE reads the file sent from the browser, and echoes it back in a HTML page.

In the HTML form, your.server:port is your Complete HTTP server, and yourlib is the Natural library containing the program GETFILE.

Simple, isn’t it?
Steffen
sample.zip (897 Bytes)