Rational Developer for System z

Creating a test program using the Generate Client Requester wizard

The Generate Client Requester wizard generates a COBOL source code module from which you can build a standalone CICS® client test program that invokes the CICS Service Flow Runtime with a request to run your service flow.
This topic has the following subtopics:

General information about the wizard

The CICS client requester that you build from the generated COBOL source code module allows you to test your service flow without having to configure CICS to run a Web service.

The wizard stores the generated source code module into the same subfolder of the EST Project Explorer into which the generation properties files and the runtime output files for the flow are stored (see Subfolders in which generation properties files and runtime output files are stored).

You must copy the COBOL source code to your remote z/OS® system and build a CICS client from it. When you run the CICS client it invokes the CICS Service Flow Runtime with a request to run the service flow that you specified.

There are COBOL requester templates that you can customize to incorporate changes that you want to be included every time you generate a source code module for a CICS client requester (see Setting preferences for COBOL requester templates).

Note: The generated COBOL source code module is intended to provide a test program, not a production-level program. However, the generated source code module could serve as the basis for a production-level program that you create. The generated source code is available "as-is" for testing purposes and is not supported by IBM®.

Running the wizard

To use the Generate Client Requester wizard to create a source code module for a test program:
  1. Start the wizard:
    1. In the EST Project Explorer
      1. Right-click one of the following items:
        • The service flow project
        • The Flows folder
        • A flow in the Flow folder
        • In the Generations folder, any folder in the path to a subdirectory where generation properties files and runtime output files are stored.
      2. Select Generate > Client Requester.
    2. Alternatively, you can start the wizard in this way:
      1. On the workbench's main menu, select File > New > Other. The New window opens.
      2. In the New window:
        1. Click Enterprise Service Tools > Service Flow Client Requester
        2. Click Next.
    Note: If you have not selected a generation properties file then the Generate Runtime Code wizard allows you to select one. If no generation properties file exists then the service flow project tools prompt you to create one.

  2. On the first (and only) page of the wizard, called COBOL Client Requester, complete the following fields:

    File name
    Type the name that of the file to contain the generated COBOL source code (for example, TEST0001).
    Destination project
    Select the service flow project containing the flow you want to work with.
    Flow
    Select the flow from which you created the service flow that you want to test.
    Generation Properties
    Select the same generation properties file as you used to generate the source code for the service flow that you want to test..
    Communication Type
    Select the method of passing data that you want the test program to use when it sends a service request to the service flow provider:
    • LINK with COMMAREA: Select this method if you want the test program to pass data using a COMMAREA.
    • LINK with Channel: Select this method if you want the test program to pass data using a Channel.
    Channel Name
    Type the name of the channel that you want to use. (This field is active only if you selected LINK with Channel in the Communication Type list.)
  3. Click Finish.

The wizard creates the source code module and stores it into the specified file in the target directory.


Feedback