1. Microsoft Computing: Finding the iSeries "Hotbeds" in the Lower 48

Which U.S. cities have the most iSeries activity? (Think jobs!) Microsoft's MapPoint reveals the picture using real data.

2. Microsoft Computing: Including a Web Service in Excel--It's Crazy Easy!

See how to invoke and get the results of a simple, custom Java-based Web service from within Excel.

3. Microsoft Computing: Merge iSeries Data with Word XP

The new enhancements in Office XP make mail merges easier than ever.

4. Microsoft Computing: Got .NET Yet? Get a Taste with ASP.NET Web Matrix

Microsoft?s recently released free IDE makes it easy to get caught up in .NET.

5. Is Your Company Ready for the Web Services Revolution?

It's all about the benjamins ($$$).

6. Microsoft Computing: 8 iSeries Access PC5250 Tips

You may use it every day, but are you getting the most out of iSeries Access PC5250?

7. Microsoft Computing: WYSIWYG HTML Editing in Internet Explorer (5.5+/Win)

Changing just a few lines of code turns any textbox on any form into a full-fledged HTML editor.

8. Screen Capture Software for Windows

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

9. Getting Data into Microsoft Excel Using the Web

Overcome traditional integration problems by combining the Web capabilities of Microsoft Excel and the iSeries.

10. Introducing V5R1

With V5R1 of OS/400, which Buell Duncan, general manager of IBM’s MidMarket Server Division, has called “the biggest release ever,” IBM is staking the claim that OS/400 is here for the foreseeable future. At over 4 million lines of cod

11. Share Knowledge

I’m going to start off by making a claim, and then I’m going to back it up. The claim is simple. At [ www.mcpressonline.com/forums ], you’ll find the best technical discussion forums in the industry and the best place to get answers to

12. At Your Web Service

You may not have heard of it yet, because it’s still in its formative stages, but I’d like to introduce you to an emerging technology that I think is going to be important for doing e- business in the future. The technology I’m referri

13. New Tools for Collaboration

Collaboration is defined as the act of working together. Businesses are built on collaboration. Internally, we collaborate with coworkers on projects and tasks. We collaborate with the outside world when working with customers, suppliers, and others.

14. Billion$ and Billion$ Served

The target is too tempting, and the stakes are too high. With virtually every business doing some form of e-transaction, the amount of money flowing electronically is staggering. And a quick scan of the major news media Web sites indicates a serious

15. User Interfaces

Whether you are designing software or purchasing it, one key consideration is the software’s user interface. Although the term user interface is often used to describe how software looks on the screen, that’s only one aspect of it. It also

16. Locking Down Windows 95 Machines with the System Policy Editor

There is in every organization a certain kind of user, universally loathed and dreaded by IS professionals. This user goes by many names: the button pusher, the icon clicker, the program (game) loader, the setting changer, etc. You know who I mean

17. Transfer Access Databases to the AS/400

Designing databases on the AS/400 can be tedious. Creating source members, editing the DDS statements, and compiling the files can be a time-consuming process. Microsoft Access has a graphical interface for creating databases. Wouldn't it be nice if

18. Configuring the Windows 95 Client Access ODBC Driver

The IBM Client Access for Windows 95 client includes an ODBC driver that you can use to connect your favorite ODBC-aware applications to your AS/400 data. There are many configuration options that you can choose to optimize your connection capabiliti

19. Integrating SNA Server with Client Access

Do you have SNA Server? Do you have Client Access for Windows 3.1 (CA/400)? Are you frustrated with trying to achieve a stable CA/400 connection in your Windows for Workgroups (WFW) environment? Would you like to be able to use CA/400 remotely over a

20. Serving Up Three-tier Client/Server

Three-tier client/server sounds complicated. But, as you will see, it doesn't have to be. And the benefits it provides can far outweigh the forethought and planning time required for a successful implementation. In this article, we will take a look a

21. TechTalk: No specific release is needed to integrate Microsoft Office with the AS/400.

Q: I want to integrate Microsoft Office with my AS/400. Which version of OS/400 is needed for this? - Toby Gualandri A: No specific version of OS/400 is required. What is required is an AS/400 ODBC driver. ODBC drivers can work with many different

22. TechTalk: How to get the results of an interactive SQL statement into a file.

Q: How do I save the results of an SQL query to an output file? I'm using interactive SQL to do queries, and I need to be able to save the results into a table. A: When you are in interactive SQL, press F13. Select option 1-Change Session Attributes

23. TechTalk: Giving the SQL optimizer permission to sort records.

Q: The AS/400 SQL optimizer sometimes uses an access path when I do SQL queries. I think it would be faster to sort the records directly, after selecting them. Is there a way to get AS/400 SQL to do this? A: Apply PTF SF27499 for V3R1, which gives t

24. TechTalk: Why does ODBC return a "column *N not found" error?

Q: I've configured my ODBC data source, and I am trying to use it to retrieve data. However, when I try to run an SQL statement, I receive an error saying "column *N not found." I'm not requesting this *N column. What's going on? A: You need to make

25. OS/400 CL Power from SQL

Have you ever dreamt about being able to issue an AS/400 command from your client/server program? Have you ever fantasized about accessing file members using ODBC? Have you ever longed to get optimizer information about your ODBC application's SQL st

26. Visual Basic Database Access Made Easy

If you've been eager to start developing Visual Basic (VB) applications to access your AS/400 data, this article is for you! The VB interactive tutorial (activated by selecting Learning Microsoft Visual Basic from the VB Help menu) is an excellent pl

27. TechTalk: Shared data paths may cause you problems.

Q: I have two programs that use the same file, and one program calls the other. The second (called) program does some work on the file and then returns to the first program. When it returns, the keys for the file point to the next record, but the fie

28. TechTalk: Prepare for V3R6 program conversion.

Q: We are planning to get a new RISC AS/400 in 1996. It is my understanding that, when moving programs from a CISC AS/400 to a RISC AS/400, program conversion will be automatic so recompiles of each program will not be necessary. Do you need the prog

29. TechTalk: Blocking data transfer can improve ODBC performance.

Q: I wrote a program that downloads a large number of records from our AS/400 to a client PC. The program is written in Visual Basic and uses the Client Access ODBC driver. It works correctly but is a bit slow. Is there anything I can do that might i

30. TechTalk: Replacing a null value with a default value in an SQL statement.

Q: How do I get rid of null values in my SQL query result set? I want to retrieve the records with null values, but I would like to put a default value in the field instead of just receiving NULL. A: The SQL VALUE function will handle this nicely. T

31. TechTalk: Creating an OS/400 library using ODBC.

Q: How can I create a library using ODBC? I will be using Visual Basic (VB). I can use SQL passthrough to issue OS/400 SQL commands directly, but I don't know the SQL command to create a library. A: The SQL command to create a library is "CREATE COL

32. TechTalk: Accessing a specific member of a multiple member file through ODBC.

Q: We have a DB2/400 physical file with multiple members. We are creating a client/server program that needs to be able to access specific members in that file. Is there a way to do this using ODBC? A: If you're at V3R1 of OS/400, you can execute th

33. TechTalk: Determining which library a table will be created in when using ODBC.

Q: If I create a table using ODBC and SQL, how do I know which library the table will be created in? A: If you qualify the name of the table with a specific library within the SQL statement, the table will be created in that library. For example, co

34. An Introduction to Data Replication

Bring me the frozen cell!" screeched the disheveled scientist. His assistant rambled over to the refrigeration unit and brought out a container with vaporous contents. The scientist opened the container, pulled out its contents, and placed them into

35. TechTalk: Improve ODBC Performance

You can significantly speed up your Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) database access if you are using the Wall Data ODBC driver by selecting the option to cache statistics locally. This can be done when you sign on to a data source by clicking on th

36. TechTalk: Creating an Index with ODBC

Q: I know I need a unique index to update files with ODBC, but how do I create that index? A: You can create the index as a logical file over the physical file using DDS, but a quicker way is to use SQL. You can use SQL either from OS/400 (STRSQL or

37. Client/Server at Work

I think we humans are visual by nature. Think about the expressions we use: "I just can't picture that"; "one picture is worth a thousand words"; or "seeing is believing." Yet we work on a system, the AS/400, that is not by nature visual. Client/ser

38. Automatic Messaging with MAPI

by 1995 October You've got a dilemma. The accounts payable manager tells you she needs to know immediately when a client's credit balance exceeds $5,000, but she's not hooked up to the company AS/400, only to the PC LAN. She doesn't want a report, b

39. Get Wired with MAPI

In case you haven't noticed, the computing world is getting wired. You can connect computers to each other in ways never before thought possible. Electronic messaging is creating an explosion of information that even computers have trouble sorting th

40. TechTalk: SQL Access Paths

Q: How do I see what indexes are being used by my SQL statements? -Carrie Campbell A: You can see the access plan of an SQL query by starting debug (STR-DBG) before you issue the Start SQL (STRSQL) command. After entering interactive SQL, type in a

41. Using OLE with AS/400 Data

Are the complexities of printing AS/400 data driving you insane? Are you finding it difficult to change fonts in the middle of a line or draw a border around the page? Do you look with envy at the people who can format reports on a PC quickly and eas

42. Implementing MS's SNA Server in the 400 Environmen

It's Sunday at 11:47 p.m. Manuals, diskettes, and hair are strewn around the computer room like the aftermath of a tornado. I've got to get this gateway configured before the big client/server demo on Monday morning. I'm starting to panic-complex con