Bryan Meyers: ILE RPG IV Books, Training, and Education (System i, iSeries, AS400)

Published Articles
by Bryan Meyers

Bryan Meyers is a technical editor and frequent contributor to System iNEWS magazine. Here is a list of some of Bryan's articles and tips published in that magazine and elsewhere on System iNetwork. You must subscribe to System iNEWS magazine to access most of these articles online.

Articles

WDSc Lite and Other Oxymorons
Though WDSc is a great tool, it includes too much clutter that most programmers rarely use. WDSc Lite does little, if anything, to clear the excess and separate itself from the full version. To make WDSc Lite a truly useful product, IBM needs to revise its idea of “lite.”
(System iNEWS, April 2007, p.8)

RPG's V5R4 Enhancements
RPG has always changed and adapted to stay curent, and V5R4 is no exception. Read about the new support for embedded SQL statements in free format and the EVAL-CORR operation.
(iSeries NEWS, July 2006, ProVIP insert p. 32)

19 Steps to Better CL Style
CL Programs are often short and added later to RPG programs, so it's easy to overlook the use of good CL style, standards, and best practices. But adhering to solid standards and putting in extra effort up front will save you lots of time and trouble later.
(iSeries NEWS, June 2006, ProVIP insert p. 3)

New Options for Storing Source
New compiler releases and development tools give you several options for storing the source for a program or an entire application. What's more, they provide improved flexibility, capability, and efficiency to the program development process.
(iSeries NEWS, February 2006, ProVIP insert p. 3)
(Publicado en español, ServerNEWS, Abril 2006)

Got /Free?
RPG IV is making a painful but inexorable shift to free-format syntax. Here are eight rebuttals to the common excuses for staying with fixed format.
(iSeries NEWS, November 2005, p.8)

The Essential Guide to Free-Format RPG
Say goodbye to unforgiving C-specs. This guide introduces you to the leaner, cleaner world of free-format RPG and helps you through the transition from fixed-format RPG IV.
(iSeries NEWS, May 2005, Supplemental insert)

RPG IV Style, Standards, and Best Practices
As fast as RPG is changing, its best practices and style guidelines are proving to be moving targets. Check out some updated suggestions for how to write RPG IV programs that are easy to read, understand, and maintain.
(iSeries NEWS, March 2005, ProVIP insert p. 3)
(Publicado en español, ServerNEWS, Junio-Julio 2005)

10 Cool Things About RPG IV
Learn about some recent RPG IV releases that feature many new techniques and structures that’ll help you get the most out of your programs.
(iSeries NEWS, December 2004, ProVIP insert p. 13)
(Publicado en español, ServerNEWS, April 2005)

Mastering Modules, Part 2
Knowing how to organize modules and service programs containing code for reuse, and how to convert copy members and subroutines to procedures, can help you create effective modular applications.
(iSeries NEWS, November 2004, ProVIP insert p. 17)
(Publicado en español, ServerNEWS, Diciembre 2004)

Mastering Modules, Part 1
Knowing what procedures are and how and when to use them is key to implementing a modular programming approach in RPG IV. This article shows you how to build modular programs using procedures.
(iSeries NEWS, August 2004, p. 16)
(Publicado en español, ServerNEWS, Diciembre 2004)

All Aboard the OS/400 Job Scheduler!
OS/400's job-scheduling function lets you schedule jobs to run at dates and times you choose without performing any add-on programming.
(iSeries Network, July 2004, Web Exclusive)

Free-Format RPG: Winning the MOVE Game
Replacing any of the MOVE operation codes in legacy applications with a free-format alternative can be difficult and requires much care. These pointers will help you choose the right option.
(iSeries NEWS, January 2004, p.13)

V5R2 Delivers More BIFs to RPG IV
With 75 built-in functions currently available, you can more easily use native dates, times, or timestamps in your programs; name a simple data structure for use as a search argument for key file I/O operations; and write your own user-defined functions.
(iSeries NEWS, March 2003 , p.39)

RPG IV Style Revisited
Version 5's changes to RPG IV make now a good time to re-examine your RPG programming style. Here are some updated suggestions for writing RPG IV programs that are easy to read, understand, and maintain.
(iSeries NEWS, February 2002 , p.42)

RPG IV Turns V
V5R1 introduces important enhancements for RPG IV, including free format, new built-in functions, improved error handling, and better Java integration.
(NEWS/400, August 2001 , p.43)

RPG IV's EVAL Operation
Bryan Meyers shows how to use RPG IV's EVAL opcode to handle complex calculations more easily by assigning a value to a result in a single expression and use full-length field names for greater code clarity.
(NEWS/400, July 2000 , p.63)

7 Things You Need to Know About Writing Modular RPG Programs
Modularizing your RPG applications can help you manage them more easily. Bryan Meyers gives you some key points to consider when evaluating new and existing applications and take the best advantage of ILE and traditional techniques for modularization.
(NEWS/400, February 2000 , p.49)

12 AS/400 Programming Tips and Techniques
Can’t wait for midnight on December 31st to start the new year’s fun? This article gives you a reason to celebrate right now: nifty AS/400 programming tips and techniques on everything from RPG to Java!
(NEWS/400, December 1999 , p.81)

10 Things You Need to Know About RPG IV Prototypes
Other languages have supported prototyping for some time, but not RPG - until RPG IV. Bryan Meyers provides 10 key points to help you take advantage of this useful programming construct.
(NEWS/400, August 1999 , p.93)

RPG Looks to the Future in V4R4
Bryan Meyers explains how V4R4 moves RPG - the trusty rear guard of AS/400 applications - closer to the emerging front lines of Java, the Internet, and client/server.
(NEWS/400, April 1999 , p.63)

Surveyor/400 Version 1.00
Bryan Meyers reviews Linoma Software's Java-based graphical interface that makes AS/400 database information more accessible and doesn't require Client Access.
(NEWS/400, April 1999 , p.81)

Buyers Guide: AS/400 Accounting Applications
NEWS/400 reports on the features of AS/400 accounting software packages. For the complete buyers guide, which summarizes the offerings of 37 companies, see the Products/400 section at http://www.news400.com.
(NEWS/400, January 1999 , p.132)

The Seven Deadly Traps of ILE
Bryan Meyers explains how to avoid programming pitfalls to make ILE your development environment of choice.
(NEWS/400, October 1998 , p.70)

V4R2 RPG: What's New?
Bryan Meyers examines the latest release of OS/400, which enhances RPG IV's indicators, compiler options in the source, variable-length fields, and more.
(NEWS/400, July 1998 , p.75)

Analyzing ILE Programs
(iSeries Network, June 1998) Web Exclusive!

The Essential RPG IV Style Guide
Bryan Meyers presents style standards for developing RPG IV programs that are readable, understandable, and easy to maintain. A sidebar excerpts some interesting style discussions from NEWS/400's RPG IV Style forum on the Web.
(NEWS/400, June 1998 , p.64)

Maximizing Date Performance
Date data types are the best long-term solution to date-related issues in your applications, but they slow performance a little compared to zoned or packed numeric fields. Bryan Meyers shows you exactly what the performance hit is and provides seven tips to bring you back up to speed.
(NEWS/400, March 1998 , p.71)

Choose the Right RPG Call
Bryan Meyers looks at the four methods RPG IV provides for calling programs or procedures and discusses criteria to consider when deciding which call to use.
(NEWS/400, January 1998 , p.68)

Coding RPG IV Subprocedures
With RPG IV's new subprocedure support, you can write an RPG IV program that consists of a main procedure and zero or more subprocedures -- separate routines that are similar in function to subroutines, but with several major differences:
(iSeries Network, October 1997) Web Exclusive!

Seven Steps to ILE
ILE offers dramatic improvements to your applications' efficiency, modularity, performance, and reliability. If you're not using it yet, start today with these seven easy tips from Bryan Meyers.
(NEWS/400, September 1997 , p.92)

ILE at Work: The ILE Debugger
Bryan Meyers introduces the ILE interactive source debugger and explains how to use its powerful new features.
(NEWS/400, July 1997 , p.119)

V3R7 Adds Muscle to RPG IV
Bryan Meyers discusses the enhancements and new features of V3R7 of ILE RPG/400, including longer names, null-terminated strings, new built-in functions, and tighter EVAL precision control.
(NEWS/400, April 1997 , p.65)

ILE at Work: The Binding Directory
Bryan Meyers explains how the Integrated Language Environment uses binding directories to create single callable programs and how this can organize your modules and service programs.
(NEWS/400, February 1997 , p.69)

Check Objects from Within Cobol
Utility CHKOBJCBL lets you use APIs to check an object's existence without calling a CL program
(iSeries Network, January 1997) Web Exclusive!

CVTILERPG
Bryan Meyers reviews Connections 2000, Inc.'s new utility that converts RPG III source to ILE RPG source.
(NEWS/400, January 1997 , p.76)

Supporting RISC from a CISC AS/400
The move to RISC creates special challenges for IS departments that must support both CISC and RISC AS/400s. Bryan Meyers outlines methods you can use to successfully manage program development and distribution in a mixed-system environment.
(NEWS/400, January 1997 , p.65)

V3R2 RPG IV - More Function for CISC Systems
V3R2, the last OS/400 release for the CISC AS/400s, adds or enhances a great deal of OS/400 function. In this article, Bryan Meyers focuses on V3R2 enhancements to RPG, such as "no-cycle" RPG, subprocedures, procedure prototyping, free-form procedure and program calls, integer data types, and date-processing improvements.
(NEWS/400, December 1996 , p.75)

ILE at Work (Part 3): Activation Groups
Bryan Meyers introduces the ILE activation group, a work unit that's smaller than a job and that lets you compartmentalize an application and protect it from interference from other applications in the same job.
(NEWS/400, October 1996 , p.89)

ILE at Work (Part 2): Creating ILE Service Programs
In this second installment to his "ILE at Work" series, Bryan Meyers explains how and when to use ILE service programs, which bind procedures by reference to the calling program.
(NEWS/400, June 1996 , p.39)

ILE at Work (Part 1): Bound Calls and Modules1
Bryan Meyers kicks off his ILE series by covering modules, binding, and call mechanisms.
(NEWS/400, April 1996 , p.119)

RPG IV Subprocedures: Roll Your Own Functions
Bryan Meyers and IBM's Jon Paris show you how to use RPG IV's new subprocedure support to bring modularity, local variables, parameter passing, and more to your RPG IV programs.
(NEWS/400, February 1996 , p.39)

RPG IV Hot Date Tips & Techniques
Bryan Meyers presents several coding techniques that fill in a few gaps IBM left in RPG IV's date support.
(NEWS/400, December 1995 , p.105)

Creating a Green-Screen GUI
Bryan Meyers explains that although DDS may not be completely up-to-date, its graphical enhancements can help you improve your application's interface. Here's the scoop on windows, menu bars and pull-down menus, scroll bars, radio buttons, push buttons, and more.
(NEWS/400, November 1995 , p.109)

A Buyer's Guide to Hardware Maintenance Service Providers
Bryan Meyers presents a buyer's guide to third-party hardware maintenance service providers.
(NEWS/400, Fall 1995 , p.43)

Complex Math with RPG IV's EVAL Operation
Bryan Meyers explains that traditional RPG math hasn't handled complex calculations well and shows how to use RPG IV's EVAL opcode and extended Factor 2 to solve that problem.
(NEWS/400, September 1995 , p.123)

Moving from RPG III to RPG IV
Bryan Meyers explains how to use the CVTRPGSRC (Convert RPG Source) command, which is the first step in moving to RPG IV. Bryan also tells how to choose a conversion strategy.
(NEWS 3X/400, August 1995 , p.105)

RPG IV's Built-in Functions
Built-in functions (BIFs) are new to RPG IV. Bryan Meyers shows and tells how to improve efficiency and add function to your code with the initial eight BIFs IBM provides in V3R1.
(NEWS 3X/400, July 1995 , p.105)

Using Date/Time Operations in RPG IV: Part 2
Bryan Meyers explains how to take advantage of RPG IV's date and time calculation support. He also presents a date-calculator program that lets you familiarize yourself with the new functions.
(NEWS 3X/400, June 1995 , p.125)

Using Date/Time Operations in RPG IV: Part 1
Support for date and time data types is relatively new to RPG. Bryan Meyers explains how to define date, time, and timestamp data types externally and in I- and D-specs, how to initialize them, and what formats are available.
(NEWS 3X/400, May 1995 , p.129)

Here Come RPG IV D-Specs!
Sandwiched between the F-specs and the I-specs, the versatile D-spec consolidates the data definition requirements for RPG IV programs. Bryan Meyers shows how to use D-specs to define work fields, named constants, data structures, tables, and arrays.
(NEWS 3X/400, April 1995 , p.125)

A Crash Course in Work Management (Part 3)
In this work management series' final installment, Bryan Meyers explains routing entries, routing data, classes, and job attribute sources.
(NEWS 3X/400, March 1995 , p.111)

A Crash Course in Work Management (Part 2)
AS/400 work management depends on lists, called work entries, to define how the systems initiates jobs and allocates workstations. Part 2 in Bryan Meyers' AS/400 work management series covers work entries.
(NEWS 3X/400, February 1995 , p.107)

A Crash Course in Work Management (Part 1)
Bryan Meyers starts a series designed to take the mystery out of AS/400 work management. This first installment covers subsystems, subsystem descriptions, controlling subsystems, and storage pools.
(NEWS 3X/400, January 1995 , p.87)

UIM or DDS? Making the Choice
Bryan Meyers discusses the pros and cons of the two major screen-design tools, UIM and DDS, and explains the circumstances under which each shows its particular strengths and weaknesses.
(NEWS 3X/400, December 1994, p.117)

You Can "Work With" UIM (Part 2)
Bryan Meyers explains more UIM display panel features and provides utility WRKPF to illustrate action panels.
(NEWS 3X/400, November 1994, p.161)

You Can "Work With" UIM (Part 1)
Bryan Meyers explains how to build a UIM list panel and provides a utility that displays the layout of a physical file in an easy-to-read format.
(NEWS 3X/400, October 1994, p.123)
(NEWS 3X/400, December 1994, p.13)

V3R1 Update: ILE CL Explained
Bryan Meyers explains the significance behind CL's addition to the Integrated Language Environment (ILE).
(NEWS 3X/400, September 1994, p.116)

V3R1 Update: BookManager Built In
Bryan Meyers describes the online edition of IBM's SoftCopy Library.
(NEWS 3X/400, September 1994, p.115)

Improve Your User Interface with V3R1 DDS
Bryan Meyers covers some important V3R1 changes to the way you code DDS.
(NEWS 3X/400, September 1994, p.113)

Essential UIM Concepts
Bryan Meyers explains how using UIM panels differs from using DDS.
(NEWS 3X/400, September 1994, p.79)

UIM Presents: Data Entry Panels (Part 2)
Patricia Willems and Bryan Meyers explain how to write an RPG program that interacts with UIM data entry panels.
(NEWS 3X/400, September 1994, p.75)

The VRPG Vision
Bryan Meyers explains the rationale behind visual RPG in this sidebar to Ron Jones' Dialog Box piece, "The RPG of Tomorrow."
(NEWS 3X/400, August 1994, p.17)

UIM Presents: An Alternative to DDS (Part 1)
Patricia J. Willems and Bryan Meyers tell how to use the User Interface Manager (UIM) to design a simple inventory file maintenance display. UIM can help ensure that displays will look and feel like the ones IBM supplies with the AS/400.
(NEWS 3X/400, July 1994, p.50)

Customizing Printer Separator Pages

Bryan Meyers presents RPG program SEPPAG, which puts a V2R3 feature to use to print a customized, large-character separator page for easy report identification and separation.
(NEWS 3X/400, May 1994, p.125)

WRKACTJOB Gets Graphic
WRKACTJOB (Work with Active Jobs) lets you monitor your jobs' CPU usage, but it's a CPU hog itself. Bryan Meyers presents utility CPUACT, which lets you watch your CPU usage without using it all up.
(NEWS 3X/400, April 1994, p.111)
(Letters, NEWS 3X/400, June 1994, p.13)

An Introduction to System Values
Bryan Meyers explains what system values are, which ones are important, and how to set them.
(NEWS 3X/400, March 1994, p.117)

AS/400 Network Management on $5 a Day
Bryan Meyers shows how to set up a simple multi-AS/400 network and explains how to manage it with tools IBM provides. He covers setting up the network, signing on to the remote systems, transferring objects, and distributing updated IBM licensed programs as well as your own applications.
(NEWS 3X/400, February 1994, p.101)

Check Objects from Within RPG
Utility CHKOBJRPG lets you use APIs to check an object's existence without calling a CL program. The article also introduces a good method of handling errors that might occur in API processing.
(NEWS 3X/400, January 1994, p.95)

Mid-Release DDS Enhancements
Bryan Meyers follows up his September column by explaining the rest of the DDS keywords that were introduced or enhanced in V2R2 PTF SF11703. These keywords are geared toward the user interface and giving your screens an updated look and feel.
(NEWS 3X/400, November 1993, p.107)

Menu Bars and Pull-Downs
Fifteen new DDS keywords let you create GUI-type menus on your IBM workstations. Here are Bryan Meyers' complete instructions -- and sample programs -- on how to use them in your applications.
(NEWS 3X/400, September 1993, p.224)

Hear Ye, Hear Ye
The CHGSGNON utility lets you display any message you like with a customized signon screen.
(NEWS 3X/400, July 1993, p.118)

Preventing Errors with In-Line Code
Bryan Meyers tells you how to prevent common errors in RPG programs -- such as division by zero, invalid array index, and page overflow errors -- using in-line code.
(NEWS 3X/400, July 1993, p.84)

Get a Handle on Program Errors
Bryan Meyers provides RPG and CL routines that let you bring down a program gently when it encounters an error and give you valuable debugging information so you can possibly prevent a recurrence.
(NEWS 3X/400, July 1993, p.75)

Save-While-Active: V2R3 Update
This sidebar presents the V2R3 enhancements to OS/400's save-while-active function.
(NEWS 3X/400, June 1993, p.166)

Backup Without Downtime
More and more AS/400 shops must run continuously, squeezing the time available for backup down to almost nothing. If you need more computing time, look into save-while-active, the V2R2 function that lets you save objects while your applications continue to modify them. This function offers choices according to how little downtime you can afford and how complex a restore operation you're willing to undertake.
(NEWS 3X/400, June 1993, p.161)

Astounding AS/400 Tricks
With a little AS/400 magic, you can easily center text, locate cursors, decipher keystrokes, and more. Bryan Meyers explains the new CHEKR opcode and tells how to use a file information data structure to determine where the cursor is located or what key was pressed. Bryan also introduces the new DDS keyword RTNCSRLOC and the Program Status Data Structure. Finally, he provides user-defined command SYSRQ90, which provides a comand lineat any time, even when the keyboard is locked.
(NEWS 3X/400, April 1993, p.155)

All Aboard the OS/400 Job Scheduler!
Bryan Meyers explains the job scheduler and SBMJOB's scheduling parameters, all new with V2R2. Bryan also provides a command he wrote, CRTDUPSCDE, which helps you cut down on entry work and errors by creating duplicate scheduling entries.
(NEWS 3X/400, March 1993, p.159)

UIM Menus Made to Order
The User Interface Manager's menu functions let you create the type of menus your users are used to seeing. In this article, Bryan Meyers takes you step-by-step through creating a UIM menu.
(NEWS 3X/400, February 1993, p.121)

Tips

Using /COPY with Free Format
(iSeries NEWS, December, 2007, p.52)

Rounding Intermediate Results
(iSeries NEWS, September, 2004, p.57)

Prototypes: Replacing an *Entry Plist
(iSeries NEWS, September, 2004, p.58)

Calling Variable Procedures with Procedure Pointers
(iSeries NEWS, April, 2004, p.56)

Determining iSeries OS Version
(iSeries NEWS, November 2002 , p.70)

Problem with Prototyping
(iSeries NEWS, March 2002)

Determining Total Memory of an iSeries
(NEWS/400, July 2001)

Finding Amount of Tape Used
(NEWS/400, July 2001 , p.92)

Tech Tip: Trace Route Command
Q. Is there a trace route command in the AS/400. . . .
(iSeries Network, July 2001) Web Exclusive!

iSeries 400 Job Scheduler
(NEWS/400, March 2001 , p.85)

RPG IV Date Data Types
(NEWS/400, January 2000 , p.113)

Replacing *ENTRY PLIST
(NEWS/400, December 1999 , p.82)

CHGAUT/CHGOWN Commands
(NEWS/400, November 1999 , p.123)

Debugging a Batch Program with STRISDB
(NEWS/400, November 1999 , p.123)

Automatic Spool File Deletion
(NEWS/400, September 1999 , p.117)

RPG Indicators
(NEWS/400, August 1999 , p.126)

Journaling and AS/400 CPU Utilization
(NEWS/400, May 1999 , p.123)

PDM Defaults
(NEWS/400, May 1999 , p.122)

Service Program Initialization
(NEWS/400, May 1999 , p.120)

Binary Data Type
(NEWS/400, February 1999 , p.132)

RPG IV Debug
(NEWS/400, January 1999 , p.117)

UPDPGM vs. CRTPGM
(NEWS/400, January 1999 , p.117)

Finding Total Weekdays Between Two Dates
(NEWS/400, December 1998 , p.106)

Prototyping CL Commands in RPG IV
(NEWS/400, December 1998 , p.88)

Using Compiler Directives to Reuse RPG IV Code
(NEWS/400, December 1998 , p.88)

Zero Dates Converting to Date Data Type Fields
(NEWS/400, November 1998 , p.137)

Externally Described Printer Files
(NEWS/400, October 1998 , p.179)

Displaying Status Messages
(NEWS/400, September 1998 , p.151)

Overrides and ILE Activation Groups
(NEWS/400, August 1998 , p.132)

UDATE and Year 2000
(NEWS/400, May 1998 , p.135)

Date Routine in RPG IV
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.183)

How can I change system values, and where can I find out more about system values?
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.194)

How can I eliminate printer messages?
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.194)

How can I prevent a job log from printing when a batch job ends?
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.194)

How can I set a higher system priority for the system operator?
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.194)

How does work management relate to the AS/400?
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.194)

SQLRPG and Activation Group
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.183)

UIM Help Panels in a Subfile
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.182)

What factors affect AS/400 workflow?
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.194)

What is a system value?
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.194)

What is work management?
(NEWS/400, April 1998 , p.194)

Work Management FAQs
(NEWS/400, April 1998)

Justifying Character Data in RPG IV
(NEWS/400, December 1997 , p.63)

New Date System Values
(NEWS/400, December 1997 , p.70)

Using the Local Date & Time
(NEWS/400, December 1997 , p.70)

Debugging ILE RPG Programs
(NEWS/400, November 1997 , p.163)

Error on EVAL
(NEWS/400, November 1997 , p.161)

RPG IV Built-In Functions
(NEWS/400, November 1997 , p.160)

Viewing ILE Source Information
(NEWS/400, November 1997 , p.161)

Date Data Types and Null Values
(NEWS/400, June 1997 , p.137)

Simulating Named Indicators
(NEWS/400, December 1996 , p.57)

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