It's no secret that I offer a software product called RPG xTools that includes over 200 pre-written, highly optimized subprocedures for RPG IV developers. In addition, there are several noncommercial subprocedures out there that developers have sort of distributed via email list servers or Web sites. On my own RPGIV.com Web site, I have hundreds of prototypes and source code for programs, procedures, and the like available for free download.
But I think one of the biggest barriers keeping RPG IV programmers from using a subprocedure that someone else has written is the way it is installed and then leveraged in RPG IV source.
For example, to use a subprocedure written by me or anyone else, you typically need to either include a binding directory entry in the CRTBNDRPG or CRTPGM command or add the BNDDIR keyword with the entry to your RPG IV Header specifications. Then, you have know which /COPY to include in the program so that the prototypes are imported for use.
Surprisingly, these two steps are relatively complex to most new RPG IV programmers, and since virtually all RPG IV programmers are relatively new to the RPG IV language constructs, it is an issue.
To solve this problem, it would be nice to steal a page from many of the C compilers and from Java. The compilers for these languages recognize an external setting that tells the compiler, "Hey, this shop has Cozzi's xTools installed, so if this program attempts to call any of its add-on subprocedures, let it."
So the iSeries administrator would only need to install the software and that's it--no /COPY issues, no BNDDIR issues, no library list issues. It would "just work."
It's strange that IBM doesn't do this, considering that they've asked the ISV software industry to write add-on procedures to extend the capabilities of RPG IV and other languages. IBM in no way makes it easy to do this. This is a capability that's been in other compilers for at least a decade--if not longer--and it is certainly a main reason that so many add-on libraries are installed and used by Java developers.
A software vendor should be able to simply give its software to iSeries customers and tell them to run one command or menu option to install it. Done!
The crazy thing is that OS/400 and i5/OS have had "the environment" (a UNIX area for storing job or system-wide values, similar to job attributes and system values in OS/400) on them for years. There's no reason the environment couldn't be leveraged to accomplish this requirement as well.
Why can't RPG IV add-on library vendors, during install, just do something like this?
SetEnvVar VAR('lang.rpgiv.ext.lib') VALUE('XTOOLS')
SetEnvVar VAR('lang.rpgiv.ext.options) +
VALUE('BNDDIR=/%lib%//RPGLIB;COPYSRC=/%lib%//QCPYSRC')
SetEnvVar VAR('lang.rpgiv.ext.options) +
VALUE('DFTCOPYSRC=/%lib%//QCPYSRC/XTOOLS')
The first SetEnvVar identifies the add-on library as an RPG IV extension. The word "add-on" says this is an add-on library; the second piece, "cozzi," indicates the software vendor; and "xtools" indicates the product name.
The second SetEnvVar indicates the library where the product is installed.
The third SetEnvVar identifies various options. In this case, the binding directory named XTOOLS/RPGLIB is automatically inserted into compiled RPG IV source code. In addition, the /COPY source file named QCPYSRC in XTOOLS is searched for a member name when a /COPY is used.
The fourth SetEnvVar identifies a default /COPY member that is automatically imported into RPG IV source compiles. Of course, this feature could be turned off and on.
Then, in your source, you would have to do nothing more than call the add-on subprocedures included with the product. If the add-on library were installed without being automatically included in your compiles, you could turn it on via a Header specification or a job-level setting, like so:
This would match the name of the extension or "add-on" that was installed. Of course, other adjustments to settings should be available as well.
About 12 years ago, I made a statement that MS Windows was the easiest platform to program on and the most difficult to program for. I also stated that OS/400 was the easiest platform to program for but the poorest to program on. Today, unless IBM starts adding important industry features to the RPG IV compiler/environment, software vendors may find other platforms a much easier target for which to program.
Bob Cozzi is a programmer/consultant, writer/author, and software developer of the RPG xTools, a popular add-on subprocedure library for RPG IV. His book The Modern RPG Language has been the most widely used RPG programming book for nearly two decades. He, along with others, speaks at and runs the highly-popular RPG World conference for RPG programmers.
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 company are not aligned with the current IT environment.
TRY 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.
Forms 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.
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:
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.
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:
LATEST COMMENTS
MC Press Online