04
Mon, Nov
1 New Articles

The CL Corner: Introducing the New Run SQL Command

CL
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Would you like some SQL with your CL?

 

It would appear that thank-you cards to family members of the IBM CL SQL development teams might be in order as these IBM developers seem to be putting in lots of overtime—and not getting home very often.

 

Last month, in "New Support for CL Commands Lets You Know When a Command Ends," we reviewed how IBM has provided PTFs to V5R4, 6.1, and 7.1, allowing an exit program to be called when the command processing program (CPP) of a CL command completes. IBM is now providing new CL support for SQL as part of the next DB2 PTF groups. The planned availability for 6.1 is May 4 and for 7.1 is May 11. These PTFs provide a new CL command: Run SQL (RUNSQL).

 

The RUNSQL command allows you to run a Structured Query Language (SQL) statement directly from a CL program (or, if you want, interactively from a command line). And, as the PTFs are provided as part of the operating system, you do not need to have the DB2 Query Manager and SQL Development Kit installed on your system in order to run the SQL statements.

 

The RUNSQL command provides several parameters. These parameters include the ability for you to specify attributes such as the naming convention (NAMING) being used (*SYS or *SQL); your date format (DATFMT), such as *JOB, *USA, *ISO, etc; the type of commitment control (COMMIT) to be used; and, what I consider to be the primary parameter of interest, the SQL statement to be run (SQL). The SQL parameter is a character parameter, with a maximum length of 5,000 characters, used to specify a single SQL statement to be run. Full documentation for the various RUNSQL command parameters can be found in the previously referenced PTF cover letters.

 

With the RUNSQL command, you can define new files (also known as tables) using a CREATE TABLE statement or manipulate data within files/tables with statements such as UPDATE, INSERT, DELETE, and SELECT. For demonstration purposes, let's say we want file/table, named SAMPLE, with three fields (also known as columns): Class, Status, and EffDate (effective date). The file could be defined using DDS as shown below.

 

R RECORD                   

  CLASS          5A        

  STATUS         1S 0      

  EFFDATE         L        

 

To create the SAMPLE file, you can enter the DDS shown above into source member SAMPLE of file QDDSSRC and use the command CRTPF SAMPLE QDDSSRC. Alternatively, you could run the following RUNSQL command to create the equivalent SQL table.

 

RUNSQL SQL('Create Table SAMPLE (         

              Class   Char(5),         

              Status  Numeric(1,0),      

              EffDate Date)            

 

Having created the SAMPLE file using either DDS or RUNSQL, we'll now add a record to it. The record should have a Class value of 'FIRST', a Status of 1, and an Effective date of April 13, 2012. In the past, we might have added this record using one of many approaches. Some possible implementations would be creating a DFU application program, writing a program using a high-level language such as RPG, or using interactive SQL. Using the RUNSQL command, we now also have the option to add the record using the following CL command.

 

RUNSQL SQL('Insert into SAMPLE                 

  Values('FIRST', 1, '2012-04-13') 

 

Note that, depending on your system environment, this RUNQRY command may fail with escape message CPF4328 (Member SAMPLE not journaled…). If you encounter this error, then add the command parameter COMMIT(*NONE) to the above RUNSQL command. You will also need to add COMMIT(*NONE) to later RUNSQL examples, demonstrating the SQL UPDATE and DELETE statements, within this article.

 

The previous record addition, in addition to being hardcoded in terms of the SQL parameter value being run, could also be accomplished using CL program variables as shown below.

 

DCL        VAR(&CLASS)    TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5)    

DCL        VAR(&STATUS)   TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(1)   

DCL        VAR(&EFFDATE)  TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)

DCL        VAR(&SQL_STMT) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5000)  

CHGVAR     VAR(&CLASS) VALUE('FIRST')       

CHGVAR     VAR(&STATUS) VALUE('1')          

CHGVAR     VAR(&EFFDATE) VALUE('2012-04-13')

CHGVAR     VAR(&SQL_STMT) VALUE( +                 

             'Insert into SAMPLE +                 

              Values(''' *Cat &Class *Cat ''', ' + 

              *Cat &Status *Cat +                  

              ',''2012-04-13'')')                  

RUNSQL SQL(&SQL_STMT)

 

 Admittedly, the above CHGVAR command to set variable &SQL_STMT isn't the easiest to read, but it also isn't anything above and beyond what you've always had to do when using quotes within a CL character variable. If you imagine that the previous CL program declares a display file, where the values of &Class, &Status, and &EffDate are provided interactively from an end-user rather than the three hardcoded CHGVAR commands, then you have a rather flexible CL application program that can be up and running in no time at all.

 

Let's say we have written several records in the SAMPLE file with various &Class, &Status, and &EffDate values and that one or more of these records have a status value of 1 and an effective date of April 13, 2012. We're now told that the Effective date for all Status 1 records that currently have an effective date of April 13, 2012 need to have their effective date changed to 10 days later. What might be required to change these records (and not others) to have this new effective date? One approach would be to use the following RUNSQL command (interactively or imbedded within a CL program).

 

RUNSQL SQL('Update  SAMPLE                     

              set   EffDate = EffDate + 10 Days    

              where Status = 1 and                 

                    EffDate = ''2012-04-13''')       

 

As with the previous INSERT example using character variable &SQL_STMT, any one or more parts of the above UPDATE statement could be specified using CL variables if the RUNSQL command is run within a CL application program. And just as easily as we updated all Status 1 records with an Effective date of April 13, we could also use DELETE to remove records where the Effective date was, say, more than one year in the past with a command such as this:

 

RUNSQL SQL('Delete SAMPLE

             where EffDate < Current Date – 1 Year')

 

Next month, we'll look at the RUNSQL command's ability to run a SELECT statement to query data. Due to CL command limitations, the SELECT support isn't as direct as the preceding examples of CREATE TABLE, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE, but it is a significant addition to our CL development toolkit.

 

The IBM i CL and SQL development teams, with the introduction of the RUNSQL command, have really expanded what it is possible to do with SQL within a CL application program.

More CL Questions?

Wondering how to accomplish a function in CL? Send your CL-related questions to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I'll try to answer your burning questions in future columns.

 

Bruce Vining

Bruce Vining is president and co-founder of Bruce Vining Services, LLC, a firm providing contract programming and consulting services to the System i community. He began his career in 1979 as an IBM Systems Engineer in St. Louis, Missouri, and then transferred to Rochester, Minnesota, in 1985, where he continues to reside. From 1992 until leaving IBM in 2007, Bruce was a member of the System Design Control Group responsible for OS/400 and i5/OS areas such as System APIs, Globalization, and Software Serviceability. He is also the designer of Control Language for Files (CLF).A frequent speaker and writer, Bruce can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 


MC Press books written by Bruce Vining available now on the MC Press Bookstore.

IBM System i APIs at Work IBM System i APIs at Work
Leverage the power of APIs with this definitive resource.
List Price $89.95

Now On Sale

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: