To run programs that use the QMF callable interface, install them into CICS using your normal method of installing CICS programs. For more information about applications in CICS, see CICS for VSE/ESA Application Programming Guide. For more information about installing QMF application programs, see CICS for VSE/ESA System Definition Guide.
In addition to the normal CICS requirements, the following considerations apply to all QMF callable interface programs running on CICS:
When your program calls the QMF product, your program takes on the same characteristics as the interactive QMF product; it becomes a very large conversational program.
QMF is an assembler language program that contains CICS commands. It can be linked with other assembler language programs or with programs in one of the high-level languages (VS COBOL II, PL/I, or C/370). When you call QMF using a high-level language, the high-level language program must be linked first, and the resource definition online (RDO) program definition must specify that high-level language. Each high-level program has specific CICS considerations and restrictions. Refer to the high-level language programming guide and to the language considerations section in CICS Application Programming Guide.
In CICS, if you want to override any of the default QMF start parameters, you must specify these keywords on the START command. For example, the default mode from the callable interface is BATCH. To run an interactive QMF session you must issue the START command using DSQSMODE=INTERACTIVE.
For QMF Version 3 Release 1 Modification 1, the interface between the QMF-supplied interface and the main QMF program was changed to run on a lower program level than the user's application program. Because of this change, user programs are not affected by environmental conditions such as the handle conditions set by QMF.
To use the QMF 6 callable interface after migrating from 3.1, you must link-edit the programs that currently use the QMF callable interface. If you are migrating from a later QMF release, you do not need to link-edit again.
The user program containing the QMF interface communications module and the main QMF module must run in the same region or partition. QMF resources, as described during QMF installation, must also be allocated to the CICS region or partition that runs QMF.
The RCT PLAN name should be the same for both the callable interface program and the QMF product.