Introduction › Overview

Overview

CA Application Development System/Batch (CA ADS Batch) is a facility that allows you to develop fourth-generation batch applications that execute in the CA IDMS environment. CA ADS Batch applications can read data from input files, perform CA IDMS/DB database update and retrieval, and write data to output files.

Note: Do not confuse batch application execution with batch application definition. CA ADS Batch refers to Application Development System applications that execute in the batch environment. CA ADS Batch application components can be defined in online or batch mode.

Common Facilities

CA ADS Batch uses many of the same facilities as CA ADS, including:

• The CA IDMS mapping facility, used to define maps through which all transaction input and output is performed. In the CA ADS environment, map definitions control the transfer of data between a terminal operator's screen and dialog variable storage. In the CA ADS Batch environment, map definitions control the transfer of data between input and output files and variable storage.

  Maps provide extensive automatic editing and error handling features that simplify application development. These features, formerly available only in the online environment, are now also available in the batch environment.

• The dialog compiler, used to define dialogs that read, process, and write transactions at runtime.
• The application compiler, used to create a global structure of an application.
• The runtime system, used to execute applications.
• The Integrated Data Dictionary (IDD), used to define certain application components, such as process modules and file definitions, and to provide centralized documentation of all application components. The data dictionary also provides automatic cross-referencing of components, reporting facilities, and security features.

Differences

CA ADS Batch differs from CA ADS mainly in its handling of transaction input and output. Online transactions are typically mapped in and mapped out through a terminal. Batch transactions are typically read from and written to files, such as sequential data sets.

Batch Features

CA ADS Batch includes the following features in support of the batch runtime environment:

• Input and output file support──CA ADS Batch provides access to input and output sequential files, such as disk, tape, card, and printer, and to VSAM entry-sequenced data sets (ESDS) that are accessed sequentially. File records can be any type except variable spanned.
• Suspense file support──CA ADS Batch can write erroneous input file records to a suspense file. After an application has been executed, the user can correct the records in the suspense file, then resubmit them directly in another run of the application.
• Log file support──CA ADS Batch accumulates in a system log runtime information, such as error messages and dialog statistics. CA ADS Batch provides a log file archiving utility (z/OS), which writes log information to tape when the log file is full. CA ADS Batch also provides a print log utility that prints formatted reports of selected log file information.
• Process commands──CA ADS Batch uses commands to read from and write to input, output, and log files, and to send messages to the operator's console. Environment test conditions are also included (for example, IF $ONLINE THEN DISPLAY. ..., or, IF $BATCH THEN DO. ...); thus, a process module can be used in both the online and batch environments.

Sample Applications

The remainder of this chapter introduces two examples of CA ADS Batch applications. These examples are illustrated in detail in CA ADS Batch Sample Applications.