Using the Batch Command Interface › BCI Command Exit › Return Codes

Return Codes

0

Indicates to pass the command to the product region. The actual command may have been modified and its length changed by updating the 76-byte area as passed as the parameter to the exit. The reformatted command is reported on the system print file (except the BCILOGON command).

4

Indicates to pass the command to the product region (as for R15=0). However, after it has been fully processed, the exit is invoked again instead of reading the next card from the system input file. Therefore, this return code is used to insert commands. The user command area presented on the subsequent invocation contains the command as returned on the last such call, and not the original command.

8

Indicates to ignore and not report the command.

The command exit can be used to generate a BCILOGON command to generate automatically user ID and password data. If a BCILOGON command is returned, only the command and the product region VTAM APPL name are reported on the system print file.

The command exit is especially useful for removing superfluous commands that, for example, a library system generates. However, any user commands before the BCI command is detected are ignored, so the BCIEXITC command itself can exist in a library member and be detected correctly.

As the command exit is loaded by the BCIEXITC command and merely executed on each subsequent command until deactivated, the program is effectively resident. Therefore, data areas can be defined within the exit to control calls to the exit during insertion processing. Additionally, if a short command is returned in the command area, the exit can use the rest of the area because that area is not inspected, amended, or reported by BCI. If the length field is greater than 72, it is assumed to contain 72. Similarly, if the length is zero or negative, it is assumed that no command is present and no action is taken. However, if the return code is 4, the exit is invoked again. In both instances, BCI does not modify the length field.