Message-switching continuation

The message-switching transaction appears to be conversational. Internally, a new task is created to process each message switching input.

If a task requires more information to complete the transaction, the current status of the transaction is saved in temporary storage, a response is sent to your terminal, and the task terminates with a requirement that the next task started be a message-switching task.

The saving of status replaces any previously saved status for any message-switching transaction from that terminal.

If a message-switching transaction completes successfully, or you have canceled it, an appropriate response is sent to your terminal, the status of the transaction is not saved, and the task terminates with no transaction restart specified. The saved status is always used by a message-switching task to continue a conversational input from your terminal. You can recall the saved status by entering the transaction identifier to which you have added C (for example CMSGC). You can include additional input, but it must follow CMSGC with no intervening spaces.

This method is useful because you can enter CANCEL to bypass errors in the current input and yet not allow the conversation to continue. You can then enter, for example CMSGC and then enter EOD, which puts the terminal in the conversation that prevailed at the time of the most recent input that has not been canceled or has not resulted in a message being routed. At this point you could also add an option, for example CMSGCT=1030. (Note that there are no spaces between the transaction identifier, the C, or the following data.)

For example, enter:

CMSG R=(T40,T41)

and you receive:

   R OK CONTINUE INPUT,
   T=1500
   RT OK CONTINUE INPUT
   'THERE WILL BE ....... AT THE
   RT OK CONTINUE MSG
   MAIN NIO;FOMH PM VS;OGPTMOS SBR, CANCEL (see Note)
   TERMINATED BY OPERATOR
   CMSGCMAIN BUILDING ON CALIFORNIA AVENUE
   RT OK CONTINUE MSG
   IN ROOM 407',SEND
   MRTS OK MESSAGE HAS BEEN ROUTED

Note: You can cancel and reenter instead of trying to correct the input. This terminates the entire transaction. To save the previously entered input, enter CMSGC to restart at the previously saved status point and continue the message.

Your terminal is free between a message-switching response and the next input, and if it is in TRANSCEIVE status, an automatically initiated task can be started on your terminal before you can continue the message-switching transaction.

Upon completion of this new task, even if it required a response from you, the message-switching transaction continues as if nothing had intervened. However, if you receive a response indicating that the intervening task has issued a RETURN, you must enter the transaction identifier followed by C to force continuation of the previous message-switching transaction.