Need C Compiler to create Stored Procedures in SQL

[Guest.Visitor]

It is my understanding that our shop needs to have the C compiler feature on our AS/400 in order to create stored procedures in SQL for a client server project that we are starting in the next few weeks. That price for each of our boxes in $28,800. Is this requirement valid? If so, is there an alternative to the full-blown ILE C package? Does anyone know any other options for creating SQL stored procedures? This seems cost prohibitive for most shops, although we will probably go forward anyway. Please help.

[Guest.Visitor]

Stored procedures can be created with virtually any AS/400 based HLL. But in order to use "SPL" - "Stored Procedure Language" you will need the ILE C compiler. My spelling and terminology might be somewhat inaccurate because I don't have the documentation in front of me. Howard Arner would be one who knows what the situation is. He wrote a piece for MC complaining about how his clients need to buy the ILE C compiler to use SPL. He thinks that the ILE C compiler should be free in such cases, which would be fine with me. If you are interested in how to write stored procedures on the AS/400, back in July 1998 I published an article with MC on how to write stored procedures. It's fairly straight forward and the code is available on the MC web site. HTH

[Guest.Visitor]

Is there something unique about your stored procedure requirements? If not, then TTBOMK, it is <u>not</u> necessary to purchase the "C" language. Dave

[Guest.Visitor]

David, A lot of times there is confusion between the requirements of Stored Procedure and Stored Procedure Langauge. To use regular stored procedures, any AS/400 HLL can be used. To use stored procedure langauge the ILE C compiler is needed. If H. Arner is around, he could enlighten us a bit more and vent a bit as well. He hates having his clients purchase ILE C just because they want to use SPL, but that's the reality.

[Guest.Visitor]

In case anyone is interested, H. Arner's article titled "C Should be Free" appeared in the June 2000 issue of MC. As far as I'm concerned, by all means, let freedom ring. The issue is that you need ILE C to implement SPL. David - What does "TTBOMK" mean?

[daly.michael@verizon.net]

TTBOMK = "To The Best Of My Knowledge" MichaelD

[Guest.Visitor]

TTBOMK = To the Best of My Knowledge Generally used when I think that something is a fact, but I'm not really absolutely sure. TTBOMK can help to prevent getting egg on one's face. Dave

[Guest.Visitor]

Louis, If you want to client to create an manage the procedures you do need the C compiler. You also need this for LANGUAGE SQL functions. If the client does not have to create the stored procedures, you may be able to save the generated service program and associated catalog records from qsys2/syspackages and transfer them to another system. You may be better off using another language and creating external procedures. You can use Java for this on V4R5, although that doesn't make it any easier becuase you can't embed the Java in the procedure definition like you can with SQL. Before I tried any of that I would look at the architecture that makes it necessary for a client to create server side functionality. What is this process doing? The SQL programming language is usually simplest to implement but this is usually done during the development stage. You can get the same functionality using external procedures but it takes an extra step, which should be justifiable as long as your client software is not creating the functionality. David Morris