You may be familiar with SQL, the IBM DB2 for i data-access language. But you might not know that you can use SQL to modernize your IBM i database, to make it more efficient and easier to access. Rafael Victória-Pereira knows firsthand how to use SQL’s database modernization power—and in SQL for IBM i: A Database Modernization Guide, he shares this knowledge, explaining how you can use SQL’s capabilities to modernize and enhance your IBM i database.
The book takes you on a journey: the modernization of a fictional university’s database. You’ll start with a database that’s basically a set of physical files (typical of many RPG applications), then transform it into a proper SQL database with advanced features that can be used both internally (by an RPG application, for instance) or externally (by a .NET or Java Web application).
As you progress, you’ll get plenty of easy-to-understand examples and exercises to help you grasp and master the concepts, so you can use them on the job. The author’s down-to-earth style and solid knowledge of SQL on IBM i make for an absorbing, highly educational journey into IBM i database modernization.
After you’ve read this book, you will know how to:
- Modernize your database, freeing it of its RPG/COBOL shackles
- Migrate your database definition from DDS (the native way) to SQL’s DDL (the “modern” way)
- Use advanced SQL concepts, such as user-defined functions, common table expressions, and more
- Make your database easier to access
- Open your database to non-native applications by moving business rules to the database, automating data consistency checks, and more
- Use the system catalog to better understand the database and its components
