OPS/MVS

I have an ancient screen scrapper that has broken and no doc.   I need to convert the process to something that I can work on.   Can someone provide me with a basic EPI script that will logon to a CICS, enter a transaction and read a field.   We have a total of around 40 processes that look at different fields in our CICS' all running every 10 to 15 minutes, so my assumption is that once the region is started OPS should create a persistent connection and run through the script, instead of logging on and off for each automation action?   That the VTAM definitions should be defined specifically for each CICS that I will be connecting with?   Has anyone ever used the Record and Playback function on the EPI panel?

Thanks for any help.

Chris Allamon

I'm

Not sure what happened there.... I'd steer away from Record and Playback. It was originally 'plugged' into OPS/MVS for old AutoMate/MVS customers that were migrating to OPS/MVS. While it is a good external tool, the underlying code generated in the OPS/REXX is not that efficient, specifically with the reliance on AutoMate/MVS command processor aliases. (BIND,UNBIND,GETSCRN,etc). I'd take a look at the OPEPI* sample OPS/REXX pgms within *.CCLXSAMP, specifically with the OPEPIPGM. This sample provides a common template that can be used for all EPI applications and that structure is - issue keystroke1, verify expected screen contents of that command AND that keyboard is unlocked, issue keystroke 2, verify screen and keyboard status, etc. The other OPEPI* demonstrate defining and allocating EPI terminals as well as a subroutine to send a keystroke to a specific field on the screen.

Thanks Dave, OPEPIPGM does look to be a good basic starting point and is not over plumbed.   I tried the recording function and could not get it to work satisfactorily at all.   But am now making good headway, now I need to access transactions and read field data and do compares.   Thanks for the starting point.