Learn IDMS Fundamentals and Programming

Includes 3 PDF Self-Study Course/Books:

1) IDMS Fundamentals

2) IDMS COBOL Programming

3) IDMS/ADS (Online) Programming

and one free document called "The IDMS ERror Guide".

You also get a file called idms_sample.zip, which contain various code samples mentioned in the books.

IDMS is a mainframe CODASYL network database management system, originally created by Cullinane, and Cullinet, and was vey popular before the first SQL database engines came out from IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft.

IDMS was acquired by Computer Associates (CA), which in turn was purchased by Broadcom.

The books are designed for

people with some mainframe experience, for example:

1) TSO - editor, submit jobs etc...

2) JCL - Job Control Language

3) COBOL - programming language

4) and perhaps CICS - COBOL online/interactive systems for mainframes.

The typical customer is someone who is assigned to work with IDMS with some of the above skills, but doesn't know the first thing about this database platform and ecosystem.

Book Details

1) IDMS Fundamentals

A 250 page reference to all the basic of IDMS. Everything a programmer needs at his or her fingertips!Overview of IDMS, sub-products and tools within IDMS, IDMS files, areas, storage-modes (CALC, VIA, DIRECT), CV (Central Version) vs Local, Overview of Online Programming (ADS vs CICS vs DC/COBOL), Journalling, Recovery, Maintaining IDMS Systems and programs, IDMS Utilities for programmers, IDMS Utilities for DBAs. (You can order this book below).

This book is really a prerequisite for the IDMS BATCH COBOL book below. You need to have a good overall understanding of the IDMS before beginning to code specific IDMS programming statements.

2) IDMS/COBOL Programming

A 50 page reference to programming IDMS with batch COBOL. Includes the DML Preprocessor and precompiler options, IDMS Retrieval Commands (OBTAIN CALC, OBTAIN Next, OBTAIN using, etc…), IDMS Update Commnands (STORE, ERASE, MODIFY, CONNECT, DISCONNECT), other DML Commands (BIND, READY, FINISH, ROLLBACK, COMMIT). (You can order this book below).This book will teach a programmer all the statement necessary to write efficient batch COBOL report programs and update programs.

Prerequisite: This book assumes prior knowledge of COBOL.

3) ADS-Online Tutorial

A 205 page Introduction to ADS tutorial. This books takes an IDMS Batch COBOL programmer and teaches and walks him or her through building IDD map/work records, using the MAPC task to build maps, and the ADSC task to build dialogs. Five sample programs are built step by step.1) a simple inquiry from the EMPLOYEE database. 2) adds features such as scrolling. 3) uses an INCLUDE statement to share database navigation code. 4) A menu program demonstrates LINK/INVOKE/TRANSFER concepts. 5) a simple update program.

Discusses: Batch Utilities such as ADSOBCOM, Batch Mapping Utilities, DCMT/DCUF, UCF/Batch, IDD Menu, and DME (Dictionary Module Editor).

Prerequisite: This book assumes prior knowledge of programming, IDMS Fundamentals, and DML Commands.

Limitations: Does not cover advanced topics such as Scratch/Queue records or pageable maps.

Table of Contents of each book can viewed from the red links on this page:

https://idms-training.com/idms-books/

About the Author

Neal Walters is author of the IDMS Chapter (22) in COBOL/Unleashed by McMillan (Sams) Publishing (published in late 1998). 

Neal Walters has over 20 years of experience as an IDMS Database Administrator and programmer.

He has worked for top Fortune 100 companies such as Amerada Hess Corp (oil and gas) and Raytheon E-Systems (as out sourcers for the Guaranteed Student Loan System for the Department of Education).

Neal also worked for Allen Systems Group maintaining and enhancing IDMS products such as DBOL.

Neal worked a few years as a Microsoft Certified Trainer (and has his MSCD, MCDBA, and MCSE), and from 2000 to 2004 taught IDMS, as well as VB, .NET, C#, XML, Biztalk, MS/SQL Server, SAS, and a variety of classes.

Since 2004, he has been doing almost exclusively BizTalk consulting,except for a short project in Canada to convert a site off IDMS mainframe to the Windows environment.