March 3, 2021

MC RPG Developer

Lead Article - Programming

SQL 101: A Data Definition Language Hands-on Tour, Part 7

Today’s TechTip is a two-for-one. I’ll talk about SQL’s OVRDBF replacement, ALIAS, and a simple yet dangerous SQL statement, DROP. Keep reading to find out more.

By Rafael Victória-Pereira

Let’s start with ALIAS. In a nutshell, we can say that ALIAS is Override Database File (OVRDBF) made simple, practical, and permanent.

If you ever used the OVRDBF CL command, then the functionality provided by ALIAS should be easy to grasp; it’s exactly the same! If you never used OVRDBF, it’s a way to use an alternate name for a file or, most importantly, a member of a file. This is especially important because you can’t specify a file member in SQL. The file member concept is an IBM i peculiarity, and SQL has no idea how to handle it. Fortunately, the CREATE ALIAS SQL instruction allows you to create a name for a given member of a file.

Feature Article - Programming

ILE RPG Tutorial: Using CALLP to Call an ILE Program

Learn how to use a prototyped call, an alternative to an ILE RPG sub-procedure, to call one program from another

by David Shirey

Editor’s Note: This article is excerpted from chapter 8 of 21st Century RPG: /Free, ILE, and MVC, by David Shirey.

In some situations, when using an ILE sub-procedure in your program, you may want to write the sub-procedure up as a small program and then call it from another program. Granted, that is not technically a sub-procedure, but we will let that go for the moment and concentrate on the call of one program by another.

White Papers

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Webcast

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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!

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LANSA Webcast

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.

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Trial Software

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Featured News - Training

System i Developer Announces 2021 Hands-On Workshops for IBM i Developers

8 full-day workshops feature labs & live instruction, online

System i Developer today announces Summit Hands-On Live!, a series of live, interactive workshops that will take place online each Tuesday and Thursday from April 27, 2021 through May 20, 2021.

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  • 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: