August 3, 2022
August 3, 2022 | Volume 16 Issue 73
- LEAD ARTICLE: Free-Format RPG: Printing Without O-Specs or an Externally Defined Printer File
- FEATURED ARTICLE: /Free Control Statements, Part 1
- NEWS HIGHLIGHT: The Virtual Enterprise: Building a More Connected, Expansive Business
- FEATURED NEWS: IBM Report: Consumers Pay the Price as Data Breach Costs Reach All-Time High
- WEBCAST: Low Code: A Digital Transformation of Supply Chain and Logistics
- FEATURED VIDEO: Barcode400
Free-Format RPG: Printing Without O-Specs or an Externally Defined Printer File
IBM has made just about everything in free-format RPG truly free-format…except O-specs. But you can print without needing an externally defined printer file.
By Sam Lennon
Instead of adding free-format support for O-specs, IBM expects you to use an externally defined printer file, which can do everything O-specs can. But recently, I wanted to print a simple report and didn't want to create a separate printer file. I remembered reading somewhere about writing to a program describer printer file from a data structure. It turns out to be easy in free-form RPG, with code like this:
IBM Quantum Computer Demonstrates Next Step Towards Moving Beyond Classical Supercomputing
/Free Control Statements, Part 1
Now, when last we left our intrepid /Free heroes, they had just completed creating a simple but honest /Free program. Before we go on, let’s take a moment to review some of the things we have learned.
By David Shirey
Editor's Note: This article is excerpted from chapter 5 of 21st Century RPG: /Free, ILE, and MVC, by David Shirey.
There are no C-specs in /Free. /Free code has logic statements, not C-specs.
Nothing ever goes into position 6.
Position 7 is reserved for the start of the /Free and /end-Free tags, which enclose /Free code and tell the compiler to look for it.
Unless you are on 7.1 TR7 or higher, in which case the tags are not required. At that level, the compiler is smart enough to recognize /Free on its own. More on that in a subsequent chapter.
Why Migrate When You Can Modernize?
Explore the main considerations you should be aware of before embarking on a (migration or modernization) project. Take a deeper dive into business motivations and factors that could potentially influence your decision to migrate or modernize your existing IT platform and its risks.
More 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 companyare not aligned with the current IT environment.
Node Webinar Series Pt. 1: The World of Node.js on IBM i
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.
Part 1 will teach you what Node.js is, why it's a great option for IBM i shops, and how to take advantage of the ecosystem surrounding Node.
In addition to background information, our Director of Product Development Scott Klement will demonstrate applications that take advantage of the Node Package Manager (npm).
watch now!
Low Code: A Digital Transformation of Supply Chain and Logistics
Learn how businesses leverage Low-Code to continue to deliver value through digital transformation. Discover how the power of Low-Code is helping many businesses evolve their supply chain, increase ROI, and achieve more tangible results.
Watch this webcast now.
Easiest Way to Save Money? Stop Printing IBM i Reports
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IBM Report: Consumers Pay the Price as Data Breach Costs Reach All-Time High
60% of breached businesses raised product prices post-breach; vast majority of critical infrastructure lagging in zero trust adoption; $550,000 in extra costs for insufficiently staffed businesses.
By IBM Corporation
IBM Security today released the annual Cost of a Data Breach Report, revealing costlier and higher-impact data breaches than ever before, with the global average cost of a data breach reaching an all-time high of $4.35 million for studied organizations. With breach costs increasing nearly 13% over the last two years of the report, the findings suggest these incidents may also be contributing to rising costs of goods and services. In fact, 60% of studied organizations raised their product or services prices due to the breach, when the cost of goods is already soaring worldwide amid inflation and supply chain issues.