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CICS WRITE OPERATOR - Operator Communication

CICS WRITE OPERATOR provides operator communication capabilities for programs and transactions. It enables programs to write messages to operators, send operator notifications, and handle operator communication in CICS environments.

What is CICS WRITE OPERATOR?

CICS WRITE OPERATOR is a command that allows programs to write messages to system operators. It provides operator communication capabilities, message writing, and operator notification for CICS applications.

Command Syntax

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EXEC CICS WRITE OPERATOR
    TEXT(message-text)
    [TEXTLENGTH(text-length)]
    [RESP(response-code)]
END-EXEC

Parameters

Required Parameters

  • TEXT(message-text) - Message text to write to operator

Optional Parameters

  • TEXTLENGTH(text-length) - Length of message text
  • RESP(response-code) - Response code variable

Message Types

Informational Messages

Messages providing information

  • • STATUS MESSAGES - System status information
  • • PROGRESS MESSAGES - Operation progress updates
  • • COMPLETION MESSAGES - Task completion notifications
  • • SUMMARY MESSAGES - Operation summaries

Warning Messages

Messages indicating warnings

  • • CAPACITY WARNINGS - Resource capacity warnings
  • • PERFORMANCE WARNINGS - Performance issue warnings
  • • CONFIGURATION WARNINGS - Configuration warnings
  • • OPERATION WARNINGS - Operation warnings

Error Messages

Messages indicating errors

  • • SYSTEM ERRORS - System error notifications
  • • APPLICATION ERRORS - Application error messages
  • • RESOURCE ERRORS - Resource error notifications
  • • OPERATION ERRORS - Operation error messages

Alert Messages

Messages requiring immediate attention

  • • CRITICAL ALERTS - Critical system alerts
  • • SECURITY ALERTS - Security-related alerts
  • • MAINTENANCE ALERTS - Maintenance notifications
  • • EMERGENCY ALERTS - Emergency notifications

Programming Examples

Basic Operator Message

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. WRITEOP01.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  MESSAGE-TEXT PIC X(80) VALUE 
           'Application started successfully'.
       01  TEXT-LENGTH PIC S9(4) COMP VALUE 35.
       01  RESPONSE-CODE PIC S9(8) COMP.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           DISPLAY 'Writing message to operator'
           
           EXEC CICS WRITE OPERATOR
               TEXT(MESSAGE-TEXT)
               TEXTLENGTH(TEXT-LENGTH)
               RESP(RESPONSE-CODE)
           END-EXEC
           
           IF RESPONSE-CODE = DFHRESP(NORMAL)
               DISPLAY 'Message written successfully'
           ELSE
               DISPLAY 'Failed to write message'
           END-IF
           
           EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC.

Advanced Message Handling

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. WRITEOP02.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  MESSAGE-TEXT PIC X(80).
       01  TEXT-LENGTH PIC S9(4) COMP.
       01  RESPONSE-CODE PIC S9(8) COMP.
       01  MESSAGE-COUNT PIC S9(2) COMP VALUE 0.
       01  MAX-MESSAGES PIC S9(2) COMP VALUE 5.
       01  MESSAGE-LIST.
           05  MESSAGE-ITEM OCCURS 5 TIMES.
               10  MESSAGE-ID PIC X(8).
               10  MESSAGE-CONTENT PIC X(80).
               10  MESSAGE-LEN PIC S9(4) COMP.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           PERFORM WRITE-MULTIPLE-MESSAGES
           
           EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC.
       
       WRITE-MULTIPLE-MESSAGES.
           MOVE 'MSG001' TO MESSAGE-ID(1)
           MOVE 'System maintenance scheduled for tonight' TO MESSAGE-CONTENT(1)
           MOVE 40 TO MESSAGE-LEN(1)
           
           MOVE 'MSG002' TO MESSAGE-ID(2)
           MOVE 'Database backup completed successfully' TO MESSAGE-CONTENT(2)
           MOVE 38 TO MESSAGE-LEN(2)
           
           MOVE 'MSG003' TO MESSAGE-ID(3)
           MOVE 'High CPU usage detected on server' TO MESSAGE-CONTENT(3)
           MOVE 33 TO MESSAGE-LEN(3)
           
           MOVE 'MSG004' TO MESSAGE-ID(4)
           MOVE 'Security scan completed - no issues found' TO MESSAGE-CONTENT(4)
           MOVE 42 TO MESSAGE-LEN(4)
           
           MOVE 'MSG005' TO MESSAGE-ID(5)
           MOVE 'Application shutdown initiated' TO MESSAGE-CONTENT(5)
           MOVE 30 TO MESSAGE-LEN(5)
           
           PERFORM VARYING MESSAGE-COUNT FROM 1 BY 1
               UNTIL MESSAGE-COUNT > MAX-MESSAGES
               
               MOVE MESSAGE-CONTENT(MESSAGE-COUNT) TO MESSAGE-TEXT
               MOVE MESSAGE-LEN(MESSAGE-COUNT) TO TEXT-LENGTH
               PERFORM WRITE-SINGLE-MESSAGE
               
               IF RESPONSE-CODE = DFHRESP(NORMAL)
                   DISPLAY 'Written: ' MESSAGE-ID(MESSAGE-COUNT)
               ELSE
                   DISPLAY 'Failed: ' MESSAGE-ID(MESSAGE-COUNT)
               END-IF
           END-PERFORM.
       
       WRITE-SINGLE-MESSAGE.
           EXEC CICS WRITE OPERATOR
               TEXT(MESSAGE-TEXT)
               TEXTLENGTH(TEXT-LENGTH)
               RESP(RESPONSE-CODE)
           END-EXEC.

Error Handling with Operator Messages

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. WRITEOP03.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  MESSAGE-TEXT PIC X(80).
       01  TEXT-LENGTH PIC S9(4) COMP.
       01  RESPONSE-CODE PIC S9(8) COMP.
       01  RETRY-COUNT PIC S9(2) COMP VALUE 0.
       01  MAX-RETRIES PIC S9(2) COMP VALUE 3.
       01  MESSAGE-SUCCESSFUL PIC X(1) VALUE 'N'.
       01  ERROR-MESSAGE PIC X(80) VALUE 
           'Critical error occurred in application'.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           PERFORM WRITE-ERROR-MESSAGE-WITH-RETRY
           
           EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC.
       
       WRITE-ERROR-MESSAGE-WITH-RETRY.
           MOVE ERROR-MESSAGE TO MESSAGE-TEXT
           MOVE 40 TO TEXT-LENGTH
           
           PERFORM WRITE-MESSAGE
           
           IF RESPONSE-CODE NOT = DFHRESP(NORMAL)
               AND RETRY-COUNT < MAX-RETRIES
               ADD 1 TO RETRY-COUNT
               DISPLAY 'Retry ' RETRY-COUNT ' writing message'
               PERFORM WRITE-ERROR-MESSAGE-WITH-RETRY
           END-IF.
       
       WRITE-MESSAGE.
           EXEC CICS WRITE OPERATOR
               TEXT(MESSAGE-TEXT)
               TEXTLENGTH(TEXT-LENGTH)
               RESP(RESPONSE-CODE)
           END-EXEC
           
           EVALUATE RESPONSE-CODE
               WHEN DFHRESP(NORMAL)
                   MOVE 'Y' TO MESSAGE-SUCCESSFUL
                   DISPLAY 'Message written successfully'
               WHEN DFHRESP(NOTAUTH)
                   DISPLAY 'Not authorized to write operator message'
               WHEN DFHRESP(INVREQ)
                   DISPLAY 'Invalid message request'
               WHEN DFHRESP(OPERIDERR)
                   DISPLAY 'Operator ID error'
               WHEN DFHRESP(OPERNOTFOUND)
                   DISPLAY 'Operator not found'
               WHEN OTHER
                   DISPLAY 'Unexpected error occurred'
           END-EVALUATE.

Operator Communication

Message Delivery

  • • Message Routing - Route messages to appropriate operators
  • • Message Priority - Set message priority levels
  • • Message Formatting - Format messages for operators
  • • Message Delivery - Ensure message delivery

Message Monitoring

  • • Message Tracking - Track message delivery
  • • Message Logging - Log operator messages
  • • Message Auditing - Audit message operations
  • • Message Reporting - Generate message reports

Message Management

  • • Message Creation - Create operator messages
  • • Message Processing - Process operator messages
  • • Message Validation - Validate message content
  • • Message Cleanup - Clean up message resources

Error Recovery

  • • Error Detection - Detect message errors
  • • Error Recovery - Recover from message errors
  • • Retry Mechanisms - Implement retry logic
  • • Fallback Procedures - Use fallback procedures

Error Handling

Common Response Codes

  • DFHRESP(NORMAL) - Message written successfully
  • DFHRESP(NOTAUTH) - Not authorized to write operator message
  • DFHRESP(INVREQ) - Invalid message request
  • DFHRESP(OPERIDERR) - Operator ID error
  • DFHRESP(OPERNOTFOUND) - Operator not found
  • DFHRESP(OPERCOMMERR) - Operator communication error

Performance Considerations

Message Efficiency

  • • Optimize message operations - Use efficient message handling
  • • Minimize message overhead - Reduce message processing overhead
  • • Use message pooling - Implement message pooling
  • • Monitor message frequency - Track message writing patterns

System Impact

  • • Monitor system impact - Track how messages affect the system
  • • Optimize message handling - Ensure efficient message processing
  • • Manage message usage - Monitor message consumption
  • • Track performance metrics - Monitor message handling performance

Best Practices

Operator Communication Best Practices

  • • Write clear and concise operator messages
  • • Implement proper error handling for message operations
  • • Validate message content before writing
  • • Use appropriate message types and priorities
  • • Monitor operator message activities and performance
  • • Maintain message audit trails
  • • Handle message errors gracefully

Explain It Like I'm 5 Years Old

Think of CICS WRITE OPERATOR like sending a note to the teacher:

  • • Write Note: "Write a note to the teacher" - Write operator message
  • • Put Message: "Put your message in the note" - Add message text
  • • Send Note: "Send the note to the teacher" - Send to operator
  • • Teacher Reads: "Teacher reads your note" - Operator receives message
  • • Get Answer: "Teacher might answer back" - Operator response

Exercises

Exercise 1: Basic Operator Message

Create a program that writes a simple message to the operator.

Exercise 2: Advanced Message Handling

Write a program that handles multiple operator message operations.

Exercise 3: Error Handling

Implement comprehensive error handling for operator message failures.

Related Concepts

Operator Communication

Communicating with operators

Message Handling

Handling system messages

Operator Management

Managing operator operations

System Monitoring

Monitoring system operations

Error Handling

Managing operator errors