MoveA? Again? Still? Really?

Written by Jim Martin

Author's note: The subject of the RPG opcode MoveA (as it pertains to free-format RPG) keeps coming up in articles, blogs, and forums throughout our industry. It's time to put it to rest. The following excerpt from the book Free-Format RPG IV should supply all you need to handle the free-format conversion of this opcode.

Need to delimit and transfer data when System i Access is not an option?

Written by Tom Snyder

Delimiting data is a common way of separating fields within text files. If you're using the Data Transfer utility provided with System i Access, it's a simple matter of specifying the criteria for the download. But what if System i Access is not an option or you want to automate the data transfer without the dependency of a Windows Client?

Prototypes are one of the most powerful enhancements in ILE RPG, particularly in free-form; this article shows you just how productive prototypes can be.

Written by Joe Pluta

The CALLP opcode is arguably the most significant enhancement in ILE RPG. With the exception of free-format RPG, prototypes are certainly the most extensive addition to the language. Used properly together, the syntax of defining parameters as an extension of the D-specification and the various keywords that assign attributes to those parameters can completely transform the RPG language in ways you might not have foreseen. This article explains one of the subtlest but most important of those changes.

If you've been avoiding this technique, maybe you shouldn't be.

Written by Junlei Li

With the introduction of the ILE programming model, high-level languages (HLLs), including RPG, are enabled to make bound calls (procedure calls). This makes it possible for programs written in ILE RPG to cooperate with all the other HLLs available on the i5/OS, including Java, and to reuse all existing algorithms and functionalities that have been implemented in other HLLs. This fact is often regarded as proof of the RPG language's openness and modernization.

Secure your data using encryption/decryption APIs within RPG.

Written by Tom Snyder

The encryption/decryption APIs can be difficult to work with, so let's create some procedures to simplify all of the details of the initialization and data structures. We'll create the functionality that we are really looking for through the simplicity of reuse!

Integrate RPG and Java to take advantage of the latest technologies, such as Excel spreadsheets, Adobe files, and email.

Written by Tom Snyder

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Advanced Integrated RPG, a new MC Press book. 

When you look at your Original Program Model (OPM) programs and think about why these programs were developed, the goal was likely to provide comprehensive software that would withstand the test of time and produce solid, reliable results as the backbone for business-critical operations. If you were to focus solely on this aspect, you might not see the need to even bother using ILE. After all, you have a programming language that works, it has been around for a very long time, and it is easy to understand. So, let's consider some of the limitations of this way of programming and define the reasons why modernization of the code is necessary.

User feedback is an important part of any application design, and program messages provide a powerful, flexible tool to communicate with your users.

Written by Joe Pluta

Program message support is a powerful feature woven into the very fabric of i5/OS. Nearly all facets of programming on the platform can make use of these messages, and the more you use them the more powerful they become. They can provide for everything from error handling to user notification to customization to internationalization. Usually such flexibility can be achieved only through a relatively complex set of APIs, and the program message APIs are no exception. Fear not; this article starts you on the path of enlightenment with an example that's easy to understand.

Are you facing unemployment as an RPG programmer?

Written by Tom Snyder

I don't mean to jump on the bandwagon with yet another article about how the economy is affecting the job market, but I happen to be one of the many recently facing unemployment. I want to share my views on being an RPG programmer in today's world, whether you currently have a job or not.