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I'm looking to teach a class here, in-house, on how to use Query/400, but I am hoping to shortcut the time needed to put a course together with class notes, handouts/materials for students, etc. We have a classroom here with room for 5 students at a time plus the instructor (me). With this initial class, I just want to cover the basics. Among what I consider the basics: hooking files together, proper way to enter stuff in the Select fields screen, how to rearrange the components of a numeric date value with the DIGITS function. Any help'd be appreciated. Thanks, Martin
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Training users to use Query/400?
Martin, First of all: I think you are crazy to consider this. With that said, I do applaud you for your efforts. Not exactly as contrictory as it sounds. I too, went through this pain and suffering at several sites, to include client sites.One, I would limit this to really decent thinkers who can understand the problems associated with too much processing going on. Two, I would harp on selecting records using Boolean operations of AND/OR/OR/OR/AND/OR/OR etc.. Three, I would follow up with linking files together and when and why to use inner/outer joins and why you can't link files without a common field or sets of fields. Four, I would then get into creating workfiles for them to use, to build multiple query applications. i.e. Query 1 builds a file from two or more files and query 2 reads it and processes those files with another file to create the report. This is a good move if you select the right people. I would also choose a person from each department and teach them a little more about Query than the average student. This way they can help debug the 'simple' things leaving you free to continue with daily stuff until a 'big' bug attacks. This is also a good position for a Jr. to Medium level programmer as it enhances their analytical skills. I know this is a quite lengthy response, and I don't want you to think that I know the best way of doing this, 'cause I don't. The above examples are from 18 years of teaching people to use SQL, QUERY and even IDDU from the S/36. Good luck, but I still think you are off your rocker 
-bret
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Training users to use Query/400?
I certainly would give them some insite into the files that are needed to run the quieries .. joining the wrong files can give you some real bad info. I would absolutely make sure these people know how to send the query to BATCH. You wouldn't want several people trying to do queiries interactively on the system.Comment
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Training users to use Query/400?
Really .... Bret does have a very good point. You can't just expect to teach 5 or more people to be doing query. If so, you darn well better be babysitting that as/400 most of the time. Alot of processing going on. I've seen bad queries go crazy looping as a system before. Good luck!Comment
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Training users to use Query/400?
Don't know if this is a valid option for you but I might consider attending a query class with IBM. Then you could model your class after the IBM course. Save you some time trying to get all of the pieces together in a reasonable format. ScottComment
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Training users to use Query/400?
Thank you for all of your thoughts.Comment
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Training users to use Query/400?
Martin, I do training here about once a year. I split the topic into 2 parts, beginning and intermediate. (We also have locked Query down so that no users can run queries interactively). I developed a handout which is basically the example screens from the manual that were cut and pasted along with some descriptive text, this gives them a reference in case they can't remember what a feature does. The beginning class is just to acquaint everyone with all of the features of the query screen and what each option is set up to do. This helps them get over their fear of the unknown. I use as an example a simple report listing such as a customer report for all the customers on the Pacific Coast, sorted by zip code. To go over all of this, takes just less than an hour and a half. The intermediate class goes into joining files and how to convert the numeric date fields into true date fields and the use of date duration logic. I ask the students to come in with certain reporting problems they are having and we develop the query from their specs. This class is about an hour and a half as well. Throughout both classes I stress that using Query/400 is really not that hard, the most difficult thing is knowing where the data resides. To help them get over that hump, I have developed a listing of the major files used in the library and the common joining fields that would be used. I added a new class this year that went over quite well. I went into how to use Microsoft Query to download information into Excel -and- how to use the Pivot Table feature. This class transformed some users, they are really developing some advanced reporting systems. This class was about 45 minutes. BillComment
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Training users to use Query/400?
Martin - Personally I find some of the initial responses to your post far too negative. I've had good results training others to use query. Go ahead and start your training classes. That said, be cautious. Where to start depends on what the users already know. Sometimes you must first explain what files and fields are. Someone already mentioned the idea of training some key users other than yourself to help with education and answering questions as they come up. Someone already mentioned there are ways to keep users from taking over the machine. Let's admit it. Some people like to learn and have above average intelligence. They can learn a lot on their own. Show them how to use the help key, and off they go. Others will ignore your efforts to train them no matter how hard you try. Most fall somewhere inbetween the two extremes. Good luck. Learn from any problems that come up and keep going forward!Comment
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Training users to use Query/400?
I don't suppose that you'd be willing to gimme your training/class materials, wouldja? MartinComment
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Training users to use Query/400?
I applaud your efforts. I've done it, and it works. It will require patience and time on your part. I started with teaching Data Base 101 / Files Records / Fields. Then moved on to Logical Files. Not until everyone understood that did we move on. User smarts and tenacity determines how I group folks. I used no formal training material outside of file layouts and printscreens, and I kept the IT jargon to a minimum and at times even made light of all the techie baloney to drive away the fear. I have a warehouse lead here that created a cycle count application in query with only minimum IT assistance. From an integrity standpoint the folks that use the data really know it best, so let them work for you! It is what I would call a long term investment.Comment
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Training users to use Query/400?
Martin, It is attached as a word document. BillComment
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Training users to use Query/400?
We have a number of users who design and run queries all the time. The main things to remember are : KISS. Teach them all about it with a single file query first, then move to joins. One rule I always specify to trainees is: Only ever join using EQ. Never any other join test unless you get assistance from me (this prevents equine joins). And another rule is: Always join to the key information like Part Number and not the Description because its faster (they like Faster!) And the final rule is: Make the file which will be Selected down the most as the first file, and join from it to the other files. For example, to get the parts for a Customer's Orders, you select down the most on Orders so start there; to get the Orders including a range of Parts, you select down the most by Part so start there. It usually works. They understand and appreciate simple rules and usually only disobey once. I find that some soon learn enough to be able to become local "Experts" and soon start teaching/guiding/assisting others. But I might add that not many years ago I wouldn't let users near a tool like Query because of the performance impact, and I still don't let them near SQL with its update/delete/add capabilities. RussellComment
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Training users to use Query/400?
Thanks a million, Bill! MartinComment
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Training users to use Query/400?
Thanks for all of your help. MartinComment
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Training users to use Query/400?
Does anybody else have any training materials that they'd be willing to give me? It'd be much appreciated. Thanks MartinComment
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