What is a CICS transaction and how is it different from a program in CICS?

In CICS (Customer Information Control System), a transaction represents a unit of work that is initiated by a user or application program. It typically involves a series of related tasks that are performed in a specific sequence to accomplish a particular business function or process.

On the other hand, a program in CICS refers to the actual code that is written to perform specific tasks within a transaction. A program in CICS is a set of instructions that are executed to carry out actions such as data processing, input/output operations, or making decisions based on the input received.

While a transaction is a higher-level concept that defines the overall flow and logic of a business process, a program is the implementation detail that defines the specific actions to be taken during the execution of the transaction. In simpler terms, a transaction is like a recipe that outlines the steps to bake a cake, while a program is like the actual baking instructions that need to be followed.

Therefore, in summary, a CICS transaction orchestrates the overall business process flow, while a program in CICS provides the detailed instructions on how each task within the transaction should be carried out.