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CICS BIF VALIDATE - Data Validation

CICS BIF VALIDATE checks data fields for validity, ensuring data integrity and compliance with business rules in CICS environments. It enables data validation, field checking, and error detection for CICS applications.

What is CICS BIF VALIDATE?

CICS BIF VALIDATE checks data fields for validity, ensuring data integrity and compliance with business rules. It enables data validation, field checking, and error detection, providing a standardized way to validate data in CICS applications.

Command Syntax

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EXEC CICS BIF VALIDATE
    FIELD(field-name)
    [LENGTH(field-length)]
    [RULES(validation-rules)]
    [RESP(response-code)]
    [RESP2(response-code-2)]
END-EXEC.

Parameters Explained

FIELD Parameter

Specifies the field to validate:

  • Must contain data to validate
  • Identifies the target field
  • Required for all VALIDATE operations
  • Must be properly defined

LENGTH Parameter

Specifies the field length:

  • Optional parameter
  • Specifies field length
  • Used for field validation
  • Can be omitted for automatic detection

RULES Parameter

Specifies the validation rules:

  • Optional parameter
  • Defines validation criteria
  • Used for custom validation
  • Can be omitted for default validation

RESP Parameters

Response codes returned by the command:

  • RESP: Primary response code
  • RESP2: Secondary response code
  • Always check these codes for command success
  • Handle command failures appropriately

Validation Types

1. Format Validation

  • Numeric format: Check numeric format
  • Date format: Check date format
  • Time format: Check time format
  • Text format: Check text format

2. Range Validation

  • Minimum value: Check minimum value
  • Maximum value: Check maximum value
  • Value range: Check value range
  • Enumeration: Check enumeration values

3. Business Rule Validation

  • Required fields: Check required fields
  • Cross-field validation: Check field relationships
  • Business logic: Check business rules
  • Data consistency: Check data consistency

Implementation Example

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WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 WS-RESPONSE            PIC S9(8) COMP.
01 WS-RESPONSE2           PIC S9(8) COMP.
01 WS-VALIDATION-FIELD    PIC X(20) VALUE '123456'.
01 WS-FIELD-LENGTH        PIC S9(8) COMP VALUE 20.
01 WS-VALIDATION-RULES    PIC X(10) VALUE 'NUMERIC'.
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
    * Validate the field
    EXEC CICS BIF VALIDATE
        FIELD(WS-VALIDATION-FIELD)
        LENGTH(WS-FIELD-LENGTH)
        RULES(WS-VALIDATION-RULES)
        RESP(WS-RESPONSE)
        RESP2(WS-RESPONSE2)
    END-EXEC.
    
    IF WS-RESPONSE NOT EQUAL DFHRESP(NORMAL)
        EXEC CICS WRITE OPERATOR
            TEXT('VALIDATE command failed')
        END-EXEC
        EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC
    END-IF.
    
    * Field validated successfully
    * Process validated data

Validation Processing

1. Field Checking

Field checking includes:

  • Format validation
  • Length validation
  • Content validation
  • Range validation

2. Rule Application

Rule application includes:

  • Business rule checking
  • Cross-field validation
  • Data consistency checking
  • Error detection

3. Error Handling

Error handling includes:

  • Validation error detection
  • Error message generation
  • Error recovery procedures
  • User notification

Common Response Codes

Success Response Codes

  • NORMAL (0): Field validated successfully
  • VALIDATE (4): Field processed

Error Response Codes

  • INVREQ (16): Invalid request
  • FIELD (20): Field error
  • LENGERR (22): Length error
  • VALIDATE (24): Validation error

Best Practices

1. Validation Design

  • Design comprehensive validation rules
  • Handle different data types
  • Implement business rule validation
  • Ensure data integrity

2. Error Handling

  • Check all response codes
  • Handle validation failures
  • Implement retry logic
  • Log error conditions

3. Data Processing

  • Process validated data
  • Handle validation results
  • Implement error recovery
  • Maintain data consistency

Explain It Like I'm 5 Years Old

Imagine you're checking if a toy is safe to play with:

Before you play with a toy, you need to make sure it's safe. You might check if it has sharp edges, if it's the right size for you, if it's not broken, and if it's the kind of toy you're allowed to play with.

CICS BIF VALIDATE is like checking if a toy is safe to play with. The computer program looks at information (like looking at a toy) and checks if it's the right kind, if it's not broken, if it's the right size, and if it follows all the rules.

Just like you wouldn't play with a broken or dangerous toy, the computer program won't use information that doesn't follow the rules!

Exercises

Exercise 1: Field Validation

Write a CICS BIF VALIDATE command to validate a field containing "123456" with numeric validation rules.

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EXEC CICS BIF VALIDATE
    FIELD(WS-VALIDATION-FIELD)
    LENGTH(20)
    RULES('NUMERIC')
    RESP(WS-RESPONSE)
    RESP2(WS-RESPONSE2)
END-EXEC.

Exercise 2: Data Integrity

How would you implement comprehensive data validation that ensures data integrity and compliance with business rules?

Answer: Implement multi-level validation (format, range, business rules), validate required fields and data types, implement cross-field validation for data consistency, handle validation errors with clear messages, implement proper error recovery procedures, and maintain audit trails for validation results.

Quiz

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of CICS BIF VALIDATE?

Answer: B) To check data validity

Question 2

Which parameter specifies the field to validate?

Answer: A) FIELD

Related Concepts

CICS Data Validation

Data validation and integrity checking in CICS

CICS Field Validation

Field validation and data checking in CICS

CICS Business Rules

Business rules and data compliance in CICS