CICS command syntax notation

In CICS® documentation, CICS commands are presented in a standard way.

The “EXEC CICS” that always precedes each command's keyword is not included; nor is the “END-EXEC” statement used in COBOL or the semicolon (;) used in PL/I and C that you must code at the end of each CICS command. In the C language, a null character can be used as an end-of-string marker, but CICS does not recognize this; you must therefore never have a comma or period followed by a space (X'40') in the middle of a coding line.

You interpret the syntax by following the arrows from left to right.

The conventions are:
Symbol Action
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram
>>-+-A-+-------------------------------------------------------><
   +-B-+   
   '-C-'   

A set of alternatives—one of which you must code.
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram
   .-------.   
   V       |   
>>---+-A-+-+---------------------------------------------------><
     +-B-+     
     '-C-'     

A set of alternatives—one of which you must code. You may code more than one of them, in any sequence.
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram
>>-+---+-------------------------------------------------------><
   +-A-+   
   +-B-+   
   '-C-'   

A set of alternatives—one of which you may code.
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram
   .-------.   
   V       |   
>>---+---+-+---------------------------------------------------><
     +-A-+     
     +-B-+     
     '-C-'     

A set of alternatives — any number (including none) of which you may code once, in any sequence.
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram
   .-A-.   
>>-+---+-------------------------------------------------------><
   '-B-'   

Alternatives where A is the default.
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram
>>-| Name |----------------------------------------------------><

Name

|--A--+---+-----------------------------------------------------|
      '-B-'   

Use with the named section in place of its name.
Punctuation and uppercase characters Code exactly as shown.
Lowercase characters Code your own text, as appropriate (for example, name).