EIBRESP - EIB Response

Enhanced Definition

EIBRESP (Execute Interface Block Response) is a halfword binary field within the CICS Execute Interface Block (EIB) that contains the primary response code for the most recently executed CICS command. It indicates the success or failure status of a CICS command, providing crucial feedback to the application program. `EIBRESP` (Executive Interface Block Response) is a fullword binary field within the CICS `EIB` (Executive Interface Block) that contains a numeric response code indicating the outcome of the most recently executed CICS command. It reflects whether the command completed successfully, encountered an error, or returned a specific condition.

Key Characteristics

- Data Type and Size: A halfword (16-bit) binary field, typically declared as PIC S9(4) COMP in COBOL, representing a numeric response code.
- Location: Resides within the CICS-managed EIB (Execute Interface Block), which is automatically passed to every CICS application program upon transaction initiation.
- Purpose: Stores the primary return code from CICS after the execution of any CICS command, signaling whether the command completed successfully or encountered an error.
- Automatic Population: CICS automatically populates EIBRESP with a specific value upon completion of each CICS command, reflecting the command's outcome (e.g., NORMAL for success, NOTFND for record not found).
- Symbolic Constants: IBM provides symbolic constants (e.g., DFHRESP(NORMAL), DFHRESP(NOTFND)) that map to specific EIBRESP numeric values, promoting readability and maintainability in application code.
- Error Handling: It is the primary mechanism for CICS application programs to check the success or failure of CICS operations and implement appropriate error handling logic.

Use Cases

- Checking Command Success: After executing a CICS command like EXEC CICS READ FILE(...), the application checks EIBRESP to confirm if the record was successfully read (EIBRESP = DFHRESP(NORMAL)).
- Handling "Record Not Found": If a READ command fails because the requested record does not exist, EIBRESP will contain DFHRESP(NOTFND), allowing the program to handle this specific condition gracefully, perhaps by creating a new record or informing the user.
- Implementing Error Recovery: For critical updates, if a WRITE or REWRITE command returns an error (e.g., DUPREC for a duplicate record key), the program can use EIBRESP to trigger rollback logic, log the error, or notify the user.
- Conditional Logic Based on Status: A program might branch to different processing paths depending on the EIBRESP value, such as retrying an operation, displaying an error message, or terminating the transaction with an appropriate message.
- Debugging CICS Applications: During development and testing, examining the value of EIBRESP in a CICS debugger helps pinpoint the exact cause of CICS command failures, aiding in quick problem resolution.
**Relationship to Other Concepts