Introduction › What This Manual Is About

What This Manual Is About

This manual discusses the following topics:

• Programming navigational access to a CA IDMS database
• Programming CA IDMS applications in COBOL, PL/I, and Assembler
• Testing and debugging
• Topics of interest to advanced programmers

This manual is a guide for the developer of batch applications that access a non-SQL defined CA IDMS database. It is also for the developer of applications that execute in a DC system and may or may not access a CA IDMS database.

How Information is Presented

• Programming functions are explained by task.
• Step-by-step instructions guide you through the programming operations for each function.
• Special considerations for using each function are provided where appropriate.
• Programming examples are presented in context with other DML and host language-specific source statements.

  All programming examples in this manual are given in COBOL. For specific information regarding PL/I or Assembler, see Appendix A, “PL/I Considerations” or Appendix B, “Assembler Considerations”.

Note: This manual uses the term CA IDMS to refer to any one of the following CA IDMS components:

• CA IDMS/DB- The database management system
• CA IDMS/DC- The data communications system and proprietary teleprocessing monitor
• DC/UCF- The universal communications facility for accessing CA IDMS database and data communications services through another teleprocessing monitor, such as CICS
• CA IDMS DDS- The distributed database system

This manual uses the terms DB, DC, UCF, and DDS to identify the specific CA IDMS component only when it is important to your understanding of the product. References to DC apply equally to UCF unless otherwise noted.