IBM AS/400e

IBM Licensed Programs: Application Development Products 661
IBM Licensed Programs: Application Development Products
• Support for VRPG and System/36 ports so programmers can take advantage of the
ADM/400 checkin-checkout mechanism to manage multiple versions of these
applications.
• PDM support for ADM/400 distribution, VRPG, and System/36 port types.
IBM Integrated Languages Environment RPG for AS/400 V4R4, 5769-RG1
ILE RPG for AS/400 is designed for writing various types of application programs. This
language is easy to learn, yet offers many advanced functions for experienced programmers.
ILE RPG for AS/400 delivers RPG IV, the next evolution of the programming language. The
RPG IV compiler offers improved programmer productivity and application growth and quality.
A number of functions have been incorporated in the RPG IV language definition which
include:
• New definition capabilities: The new definition specification in RPG IV consolidates
and expands definition capabilities. Added functions include:
– Standalone fields
– Pointer-based structures
– Parameter lists (call prototypes)
– Relative positioning of fields within data structures (OVERLAY keyword)
• Support for longer names: This greatly enhances the readability of RPG programs
and reduces the requirement for renaming fields defined in DDS to RPG field names.
Earlier versions of RPG IV allowed ten-character names. Later versions allow names
up to 4096 characters.
• Name prefixing: Users can globally rename all the fields in an externally-described
file, or all the subfields in an externally-described data structure by using the PREFIX
keyword on a file or data structure definition.
• Expression support: New operation codes provide to support character, arithmetic,
logical, and relational expressions. The user is not required to break up complex
expressions into individual RPG statements. Many built-in functions provide an aid in
string operations, numeric editing, data conversion, and feedback for I/O and other
operations. Procedures that return values can be called within expressions.
• Date and time data type support: RPG users now have the capability to deal directly
with the DB2 for OS/400 date, time, and timestamp fields and perform date arithmetic
operations.