Set the Program Debug Settings for a CICS Program

These instructions describe how to specify the debug settings for your CICS program.

Follow these steps:

  1. Select the program under the CICS project folder.

  2. Right-click and select Configure Program Debug Settings.
    The debug settings dialog for the selected program opens showing a list of program components, for example request breakpoints, commands, and built-in functions.

  3. Complete the following fields in the Main tab:

    • Monitor
      Indicates that you can monitor the selected program, if required. Check this box to invoke a monitoring process.

    • Execution Count
      Instructs the application to keep track of the number of times an instruction or verb has been executed during the current debug session.
      Default: Off

    • All Paragraphs Breakpoint
      Instructs the application to set an unconditional breakpoint at all labels defined in the program listing.
      Default: Off

    • Statement Trace
      Specifies whether the application allows you to trace the program execution.
      Default: Off

    • Data Monitor
      Specifies whether the application allows you to monitor the data values of a program during execution. This cannot be enabled unless Statement Trace is enabled.
      Default: Off

    • Request Breakpoint Settings
      Displays a set of check boxes corresponding to the request breakpoint types available for a CICS project. Check the boxes corresponding to the request breakpoints for which you want to specify your debug settings.

  4. Select the Protection tab.
    Review the list of protection settings available for the selected CICS program. Click one of the following buttons to perform a relevant action:

    • Add
      Adds a new protection to the selected CICS program.

    • Delete
      Deletes a selected protection from the Protection tab.

  5. Select the Replace tab.
    This tab enables you to search and replace a particular keyword such as program name, file name, temporary storage queue value (both hexadecimal and character), and transient data queue values.
    Click one of the following buttons to perform a relevant action:

    • Add
      Adds a new replace term to the selected CICS program.

    • Delete
      Deletes a stored replace term from the CICS program.

  6. Select the Special tab and complete the following fields:

    • No file updating
      Prevents a monitored program from updating CICS files. This option affects only VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method) and BDAM (Basic Direct Access Method) files; databases are unaffected.
      Default: Off

    • Reentrancy check
      Prevents a program from modifying its own code.
      Default: Off

    • Unprotected Shared STG
      Removes storage protection from all main storage areas residing in the SHARED storage subpool. Checking the box lets a program change all class="SHARED" storage, and other storage areas in the SHARED subpool.
      Default: Off

    • Instruction Counter for Preventing AICA Abends
      Prevents incorrect AICA abends in high CPU-utilization programs in which overhead is increased by the monitoring activity. Enter a decimal number from 1 to 65,534.

    • Follow monitoring
      Instructs the application to continue monitoring a program even if it branches directly to another program (wild branch).
      Enter any of the following values:

      • ON when control passes to a program that does not have a PPT entry

      • Name of the program when control passes to a program that has a PPT entry.

      • NOPPT instead of ON to reduce overhead when a program branches to a program that does not have a PPT entry.

    • Number of times to be monitored
      Limits the number of times a program must be monitored. Enter a decimal number from 1 to 65,534.

    • Limit total size of CICS storage
      Limits the amount of storage, including the program storage that a program acquires. Enter any decimal number up to one million.

    • Limit total number of CICS requests
      Limits the number of requests that a transaction issues. This option is useful when a program is in a loop that includes a CICS request. Enter any decimal number up to one million.

    • Limit Monitoring to One Terminal
      Indicates that the program to be monitored and the special options if specified take effect only when the program executes at the current terminal (*), at a specific terminal (termid), or without a terminal (.NO). Enter one of the following values: *, terminal id, or .NO.

  7. Click Finish to close the debug settings dialog.