IBM Mainframe Forum

Hi Guys,

I read a lot of the online docs available but couldn't understand the essential difference between a Listener and an Interface.

For example, you can do EZAO to either start/stop a listener or an interface - but what is the use of doing any of those operations?
This document describes a little bit but not what I am looking for:
http://documentation.microfocus.com/hel ... SS031.html

Thanks!

This just shows exactly what's wrong with the mainframe.

Horrible documentation, very few experts at all and absolutely zero help in most cases.

as far as my personal use of the two terms
INTERFACE is the set of standards and rules used to create a an i communication protocol/reciprocal-awareness between two/more processes/programs/products

a listener is just one of the components of the socket interface

a listener is machine readable/executable CODE
an interface IMO is just a set of rules and standards

Mustey wrote:This just shows exactly what's wrong with the mainframe.

Horrible documentation, very few experts at all and absolutely zero help in most cases.

Well, first of all, sorry I'm late to this party.

Secondly, the link you posted isn't for a mainframe product, it's for something from MicroFocus, which is a company that makes development tools that try to emulate mainframes.

Third, from where did you get those two terms? Was it from actual mainframe docs, or something from microfocus?

Ed Goodman wrote:

Mustey wrote:This just shows exactly what's wrong with the mainframe.

Horrible documentation, very few experts at all and absolutely zero help in most cases.

Well, first of all, sorry I'm late to this party.

Secondly, the link you posted isn't for a mainframe product, it's for something from MicroFocus, which is a company that makes development tools that try to emulate mainframes.

Third, from where did you get those two terms? Was it from actual mainframe docs, or something from microfocus?

I'm glad you Replied Ed, I didn't much pay attention to the link provided. and I would agree with the OP's post, we've had some dealing with 'that emulator' company and I agree 110% the doc they provide is very lacking, if the OP had searched for an equivalent true IBM mainframe document, like the links that are provided here for instance, We'd be able to actually help.

The "what's wrong with mainframe" line really set me off.

I want to help figure out the issue just so I can see if the docs were there the whole time. (Or that those terms didn't come from IBM)

Was searching for something else and saw I actually got replies here.

First and foremost: Sorry if you found anything I said annoying or offensive. I want to emphasize that I respect your knowledge and I realize you most probably are employed full time somewhere and I am not even paying you for your valuable expertise.
I still hold the opinion that support for mainframe issues is not even remotely comparable to the support one could get for say... Java... It's not your fault but it IS, in my eyes, something that's contributing to the decline in mainframe interest.
The IBM documentation is of the type: "read this if you already know everything about the topic anyway".

Now that I vented enough (sorry), I can put something related to the thread:
"EZAO", "Interface" and "Listener" ARE IBM terms:
http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/ ... 0603025010

OK, I didn't quite vent enough:
I have the feeling that once a mainframe-guy sees Micro Focus, they go berserk. As if "that emulator company" did anything wrong to you.
Every time I mention I am not ACTUALLY on a mainframe, ibm-mainframers immediately assume that whatever I am doing has NOTHING
to do with COBOL or Mainframe.
You know, if the code is written right (PC COBOL tends to allow more things than the mainframe. So, I turn on "Mainframe COBOL" in the
IDE), it would compile on both platforms and work the same (except where there's a bug)...

Why does every question to do with EZASOKET have the OP getting all twisted about it? Or are you all the same person?

EZASOKET is an IBM Thing. Micro Focus have an EZASOKET but there are caveats. In addition, when IBM changes something, Micro Focus don't necessarily change it the following day.

Micro Focus are doing (at least) two things. They provide "off-Mainframe" development support for "on-Mainframe" execution. And they provide migration off the Mainframe.

In doing this, they have a whole bunch of "nearly-Mainframe" stuff, including "Mainframe COBOL".

If you have problems with the Micro Focus side of things, they provide support to you.

If we take the time and it is something you are running somewhere in Micro Focus and the Mainframe solution doesn't work for that reason, you (as in a general asker) gets all mewly and whiny.

So, we like that full details when we see Micro Focus and Mainframe, because the Micro Focus expertise is with Micro Focus support and Micro Focus users. The Mainframe side of it is then (potentially) different.

If you'd like to consider even the slight complexity, of a migrated system in Production off the Mainframe, with emulated CICS, Micro Focus COBOL, Micro Focus utilities, talking to other, still-Mainframe applications with real CICS, real elements, real utilities and Enterprise COBOL, with lots of possible combinations of "Who is the client, Who is the server" you may get a clue as to the potential complexity of a "simple" question which means anything with a ? at the end, and little else of useful substance.

I can't understand what you mean when you say "Interface" and "Listener" are "IBM terms". Do you mean "terms that IBM users"? Or "terms coined with specific intrinsic meaning when used by IBM"?

I have only posted about this in one more venue: Stack Overflow and the question got nit-picked and shot down by someone who... lo and behold... is a member of this forum.

Anyway, I wish not to aggravate any one of you any more.

I am sorry that I am stupid
I am sorry that I am not a mainframe expert

And BTW, I did manage to hack a smoke-test-type transaction provided by Micro Focus in order to
extract the basic EZASOKET calls and, from there, build up my server.

It compiled and ran on a CICS TS 4.1 and a CICS TS 5.2 with no changes.

I am going to post the server code on a website searchable by google for all the other inferior
programmers to find and write horrible code instead of spending years on learning mainframe.