March 1, 2017
March 1, 2017 | Volume 16 Issue 5
• LEAD ARTICLE: Practical RPG: Converting to Free-Form RPG, Part 1
• FEATURED ARTICLE: RPG Academy: Debug Done Right - Introducing the ILE Debugger
• NEWS HIGHLIGHT: Now Available - PHP 7 Certification
• ON-DEMAND WEBCAST: IBM i Resources Retiring?
• EVENT: WMCPA Spring Conference 2017
Practical RPG: Converting to Free-Form RPG, Part 1
Free-format RPG is the future, but getting there is still an adventure.
Written by Joe Pluta
Even the best conversion tools only get you part of the way to free-format RPG; here is the first step of the rest of the journey.
I no longer write programs with fixed-format specifications. In fact, when I do occasionally have to work on an older machine, I confess that I find myself stumbling around a bit with F-specs for files. The other day I had to remind myself how to define a data area. It took a while to get to the point where I was comfortable writing all my code in free-form RPG, especially when it came to display files. But the longest journey starts with a single step, and this article is intended to start you on that path.
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Learn about new Features here, or watch a quick video on 4.0 features here. Download a 30-day trial here!
TL Ashford - Since 1983
Confused About Identity Management? Get expert help in this latest release from MC Press. Author Graham Williamson explains identity management for business people. Business managers and CIOs will learn how to manage today's identity challenges relating to access control, the cloud, consumers, data security, and the Internet of Things. If you are tasked with fitting identity management into your business strategy, then Identity Management: A Business Perspective is the perfect guide for you!
This ain’t your mama’s RPG! Time to move on from OPM—with Evolve Your RPG Coding. This comprehensive new book gives you all the tools to move to a more modern, modular, and efficient ILE RPG. The book guides you through the transition at a comfortable pace, making every ILE concept totally accessible. You’ll start with simple, easy-to-understand examples and analogies to OPM, then advance to complete and complex ILE code. Finally, you’ll go beyond ILE with a detailed discussion of SQL, code organization, and structure. Order your copy today!
RPG Academy: Debug Done Right - Introducing the ILE Debugger
Have you met the “new” ILE Debugger? Forget ISDB. The future of debug is here.
Written by Rafael Victória-Pereira
It’s really hard to write a complete and complex piece of code without a bug or two, so you’re probably no stranger to the Interactive Source Debugger (ISDB) that has served RPG programmers since V3R1. Now that you’re moving into the brave new world of ILE, it’s also time to upgrade your debugging skills. In this subseries, you’ll learn what you need to know to turn your time-consuming pains with ISDB into something more pleasant and efficient with ILE debugger.
Let’s face it: IBM i experts and RPG programmers are retiring from the workforce. These folks have been managing all areas of your business—often manually and behind the scenes—for decades, everything from IT operations to data and documents to cybersecurity.
Are you prepared to handle their departure?
During this 30-mintue recorded webinar, our panel of IBM i experts—Chuck Losinski, Robin Tatam, Richard Schoen, and Tom Huntington—will outline strategies that allow your company to cope with IBM i skills depletion by adopting these strategies that allow you to get the job done without deep expertise on the OS:
- Automate IBM i processes
- Use managed services to help fill the gaps
- Secure the system against data loss and viruses
IBM i skills depletion is a top concern for IBM i shops around the world. The strategies you discover in this webinar will help you ensure that your system of record—your IBM i—continues to deliver a powerful business advantage, even as staff retires.