Length options

Many API commands involve the transfer of data between the application program and CICSPlex® SM.

In VS COBOL II, PL/I, and Assembler language, the translator can default certain length options; this means they may be optional in programs that specify data areas. In C and REXX, all length options must be specified.

The CICSPlex SM API allows most data-value arguments, which are only passed from your program to CICSPlex SM, to default. The exception is the LENGTH option on the following commands:

On the other hand, data-ref arguments, which can be passed from your program to CICSPlex SM and back again, must always be specified.

When an API command offers a length option, it is always expressed as a signed fullword binary value. This puts a theoretical upper limit of 2 147 483 647 bytes on the length. The achievable upper limit varies from command to command and with various language compilers, but the maximum limit of all input data areas on an API command is typically 16 124 bytes. When this limit is exceeded the API command fails with a response of INVALIDCMD and a reason of LENGTH.

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