21
Thu, Nov
1 New Articles

C Should Be Free!

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

How much sense does it make to place into your operating system a feature that requires a separate licensed program to use it? Not much, but IBM is doing exactly that with the SQL Stored Procedure language on the AS/400.

Power to the People

For those of you not in the loop, IBM has added to the AS/400 the greatest feature since the bread-slicing attachment. The AS/400 Stored Procedure language allows you to code SQL stored procedures in a simple extended SQL grammar. The language is easy to learn and even easier to use, and it opens up the AS/400 to the great unwashed masses.

Let me give you an overview of the process of using the language and of how the language is implemented. The intrepid programmer submits a Create Procedure command to SQL on the AS/400 (through any interface capable of running SQL statements). The Create Procedure command takes the stored procedure code and creates a straightforward C program that contains embedded SQL calls. This C program is a lot longer than the original SQL procedure code but correctly implements the logic that the programmer is attempting to put on the AS/400. Next, the Create Procedure command compiles the C code into a working AS/400 program by using the ILE C compiler, and voilà! Instant stored procedure nirvana.

I haven’t been this happy since I got that chemistry set for St. Swizzen’s Day! Now anyone can call SQL procedures by using the SQL Call Level Interface (CLI) via OLE DB, ODBC, Client Access APIs, RPG, COBOL, CL, REXX, etc. In addition, the procedure is now callable from everywhere. This allows access from an array of interfaces to the business logic the procedure is defined to perform. This is distributed computing easily implemented.

However, did you notice something in the above chain of events besides my exuberance? The C compiler plays a role in procedure creation. In fact, the Stored Procedure language cannot be used unless you have a C compiler. I have a C compiler, but it seems like every client I visit does not. Here is this beautiful stored procedure language, built right into the operating system, that most AS/400 shops cannot use, because they use RPG, not C.

The Argument for C


Now, I have not seen a COBOL compiler since 1984. (It was a terrible relationship. I kept having to explain the plot of the files to her over and over again, so we broke it off, and I’ve been dating a C compiler ever since.) C and I have a love/hate relationship: C loves to point out my pointer faults, and I hate C for requiring me to declare my memory usage in the finest detail. C is a fantastic language for system programming but, IMHO, is not a great language for application programming. C can be a really difficult and obfuscating language, especially when dealing with pointers, but there are some things that I can do in C that I just can’t see myself doing in any other language (except maybe Prolog).

That said, I completely understand IBM choosing to interpret the SQL procedure grammar and output a C program. C can be tamed into a simple and straightforward language, and the output of the Create Procedure command is very readable and easily understandable C code. The stored procedure feature works; IBM has done a bang-up job implementing the Stored Procedure language.

Still, I have a real problem with IBM requiring customers to have the C compiler to use the Stored Procedure language. Here is a feature built into the operating system, but you had better buy this extra package in order to use it. Also, you must have the DB2 UDB Query Manager and SQL Development Kit installed, or else the C compiler won’t be able to compile the embedded SQL created in the SQL procedure. Basically, here are two items you must have to be able to use the coolest feature ever built into the AS/400.

What’s It All Mean, Mr. Natural?

IBM is attempting to make the AS/400 more and more like UNIX, so why doesn’t it complete the transition and include the C compiler as part of the operating system? In addition, with SQL built into the AS/400 and accessible from PC client applications for free via ODBC and OLE DB, why doesn’t it make DB2 UDB Query Manager and SQL Development Kit free as well? I really have a problem with the operating system coming with a feature that my clients cannot use unless they buy these extra products. As an alternative to giving away the C compiler and SQL Development Kit, maybe IBM could make a special version of the compiler and kit that is installed in every AS/400 but can be called only by the Create Procedure command.

I can tell you one thing: PC/Web programmers and people who want to interface with legacy AS/400 systems would embrace the procedure language if it were truly available on all AS/400 machines. Accessibility of the language would assure PC/Web programmers that they could place application logic on the AS/400 without having to write C, COBOL, or RPG programs themselves. In addition, giving away the compiler would bring the SQL Stored Procedure language to the masses and really make the AS/400 an open system. Come on, IBM. Let’s light this candle.


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: