PDM user defined options

When using PDM have you ever wanted to have your option do something different from the default way of doing it. For example if you want to use your own values in certain parameters for creating a RPGLE program. You can do so using without changing the command by using PDM’s user defined options.

IBM announced when IBM i 7.1 6.1 was launched that PDM and SEU would no longer be updated, they are still very popular (for more details see here). Over the years I have found that many developers do not use the options within PDM. In this post I am going to describe how to change the defaults for your PDM and how to configure user-defined options.

Defining variables in RPG all free

Prior to the new all free RPG variables (fields) would have been coded in the Definition specification, D-spec. With the new version of RPG the fixed format D-spec has gone. It has been replaced by new free form definition statements. At the time I am writing this post I have not found any other articles giving examples of how to code these new definition statements, therefore, I am going to give examples of how I have used them as I am starting to become this new version of the language.

The definitions I am going to discuss here are:

Technology Refresh Redbook now available

The draft Redbook for what is new in Technology Release 6 and 7, TR6 and TR7, update is just now available for download from IBM’s website.

The abstract for this manual is:

This IBM Redbooks publication introduces a technical overview of the new features, functions, and enhancements available in IBM i 7.1. It provides a summary and brief explanation of new capabilities and what changed in the operating system. This publication also describes many of the licensed programs and application development tools that are associated with IBM i. This publication includes all the enhancements that were delivered with the Technology Refresh 6 and 7 that were made available in 2013.

File definition in RPG all free

While I have been working with the new RPG all free (released in November 2013) I have unable to find examples comparing the pre-change to the post-change RPG code. Therefore, I thought I would give some examples of how to define files here.

When I first heard that RPG had gone completely free I was concerned that we could now intermix everything. This scared me as I had vision of people intermixing file definitions with the equivalent of calculations, etc. Fortunately what I have found is while you can intermix the new definition statements, you cannot insert them into the equivalent of the "calculation specifications".

How to tell if you have the PTF for RPG all free

I have been asked by several people how they can check if their IBM i has the necessary PTFs loaded to use the new RPG all free.

I thought it would be useful to create a quick post showing how I would check for the PTF.

Your server must be running IBM i version 7.1. If your server is running 6.1 then the RPG enhancements may be introduced with a future CUM PTF. If you are running on V5R4 or earlier you will not be able to use these enhancements.

Soft coding parameters used by Query

In the environment I work there are many programs that produce "download reports". There are not paper reports, but extracts of file(s) that are sent, via email, to the requestor. Most of these use a Query to gather information together.

Many are coded like this:

RUNQRY QRY(QUERY1)

Which means that when the Query is run it will use the files that are hard coded in the Query’s definition. Therefore, if I want to perform a test and use files in a testing library I have to change the Query.

Or if I want to change which file or library the output file is in I have to change the Query.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to overcome these issues by using the parameters in the RUNQRY command.