I need some assistant on AS/400 Programming

ps
the 400 also has may languages as standard. RPGLE Cobol, C, JAVA

I don't not know what systems this company - but a lot of companies use 400's because of the reliability and power of the database.

dave

Only the DMV (or someone who works there) can tell you what they use to produce documents.

Just because they have an AS400 does not mean they print direct from the AS400 - they could transfer the data to another machine for printing... they could even have a third party to do the printing/mailing... where they send or transmit a data file containing what is to be printed.

My personal viewpoint is you should use DDS and RPG on the AS400 ....
but I am a "dinosaur" on the midrange family
AND some people like COBOL... which I think is because they are "dinosaurs" from another planet, this planet is sometimes referred to as "mainframe"
The more modern people are moving to C and Java and websphere...  and that is all over my head !!!

Tony.

jslayton01:

Tony and Dave have given perfectly valid answers (though I suspect there might have been some grins here and there).

DDS (Data Definition Specifications) is the most common way to define data storage and input/output specifications. It's a definition language that can define physical tables, logical views and indexes, printer forms and display screen layouts. The result is always a compiled object of type *FILE. The *FILE object can be referenced by languages such as COBOL, RPG or C and carries all necessary field and layout info.

It isn't necessary to code any such info into a program; the definitions are inserted by the compilers simply by referencing the name of the *FILE in the source of the program. This is called an "externally-described file". If done well, this can allow you to make changes to the *FILE without needing to make changes to the program. You define the *FILE once, and you might have a hundred programs that use it.

SQL is an alternative way to describe a TABLE, VIEW or INDEX, pretty much as you would on any other SQL database. All programming languages have the ability to include "embedded" SQL statements to manipulate SQL databases.

Both DDS and SQL create files that can be used by the other. That is, if you use DDS to create a physical file named MYCARS, then you can use SELECT * FROM MYCARS to query the file. In many ways, the two can be interchangeable, although there are necessarily details that are unique to each.

If you have a reasonably recent version of OS/400 available and any of the language compilers is present, then all of the language compilers can be used. The license covers 'programming languages and tools' rather than just a single language such as COBOL. There's no way for us to know if a particular language has been loaded until you tell us.

If you are really starting work on an "AS/400", then it's _possible_ that you don't have a recent version of OS/400. AS/400 is a brand name that hasn't actually been available from IBM for a couple years. In fact, I'm not sure that any "AS/400" model can even run the latest OS/400 any more.

AS/400s have been superseded by iSeries systems. OS/400 has been in Version 5 for a few years. The latest isn't even OS/400 anymore, but is officially i5/OS Version 5 Release 4. Part of the reason the OS name changed was to indicate the end of phasing out AS/400.

But almost everyone continues saying "AS/400" and "OS/400". Just be aware that there are in fact differences.

In general, every high-level language has all the capabilities of every other HLL. For example, a COBOL program can call the printf() C runtime function just as C can and C can read and write files just as RPAG can, etc. Even the OS/400 Control Language which is named CL can do these things (particularly in the latest release where even pointers can be declared in CL).

All languages can be used to create modules that can be bound with modules from any of the other languages to create an executeable program. If you're comfortable with C or COBOL, then perhaps those are the languages you should use. If you mainly write in RPG but you know that some calculation function could be done much nicer in C, then write the mainline in RPG and call the C procedure after binding it in. Or write the whole thing in RPG. Your choice. (Or the choice of whomever sets standards for the shop.)

As far as printing goes, maybe it's done directly through an AS/400 to a direct-attach printer, maybe it's formatted on the AS/400 and sent to a printer out on the LAN, maybe it's formatted on the AS/400 and sent across the internet to some remote Unix print queue. Or maybe some PC does remote queries of the DB2 database on the AS/400 and the forms are printed on a PC printer.

Only the DMV knows. The point is that it's perfectly capable almost any way you can imagine that you'd _like_ to do it. I've done similar for government documents in all those ways.

In order to create the database you described, you might use interactive SQL through a terminal or terminal emulation session and enter SQL CREATE TABLE statements and others. You might use a GUI on a Windows PC such as iSeries Navigator and use the included tools for creating databases on remote AS/400s. It depends on what's made available for you and what configuration has been done to the network and the AS/400. Technically, if you have something like SQL Server and create a remote connection to the AS/400 DB2 database manager, you could even use SQL Server to pass SQL statements across the network.

We'll need to know various basics about the kind of AS/400 you have, the level of the operating system, the tools that have been installed on it, the network and the ways you'll be allowed to connect, in order to give really useful details.

A starting point would be a visual description of what you see unless you know various details.

Tom

Sequel Viewpoint designed by www.ASC-Iseries.com is a great tool for custom reports. Not sure why you want to try and duplicate this info nor do I want to know, but a good place to retrieve info is www.accurint.com at least in Florida anyway.

Regards,

John