Self Hosting your Own Apps

If you business has a need for some new apps, check out the  following site: https://awesome-selfhosted.net/ 

This site contains lists of various self-hosted and open-source apps for Backup, Blogging, Wikis, Automation, CRM and more. 

My #%## SQL RPG Program Won't Compile

Compiling SQLRPGLE Programs that Contain Long SQL Lines

I had a need to create some SQL in the IBM ACS Run SQL Scripts and then wanted to transplant that code into an SQLRPGLE member for processing.   

When I compiled the SQLRPGLE program the SQL preprocessor was giving me odd pre-processor errors. 

As it turns out by default your SQL line width is most likely limited to 80-100 characters. 

Resolution

The easiest fix is to make sure your SQL statement lines are less than 80 characters.

-or-

The other option is to tell the compiler to allow longer lines when specifying *LVL1 or *LVL2 for the RPGPPOPT parameter. 

Here's an example using the PPMINOUTLN parameter in the CRTSQLRPGI command when creating an SQL RPG program: 

CRTSQLRPGI OBJ(&L/&N) SRCFILE(&L/&F) COMMIT(*NONE) RPGPPOPT(*LVL1)    DBGVIEW(*SOURCE) COMPILEOPT('PPMINOUTLN(500)')

Apparently you can skip the special compile option parm COMPILEOPT if you add a special environment variable into your current job like this:

ADDENVVAR ENVVAR(QIBM_RPG_PPSRCFILE_LENGTH) VALUE(500) 

You will still need to use the RPGPPOPT parameter set to *LVL1 or *LVL2.

What is my public IP address for IBM i

There are times you might want to check your public IP address from your IBM i system. Fortunately you can use the curl command and the QSHCURL command from a CL or RPG program to determine your current IP address if you're using the FREE QShell on i (QSHONI) software (https://www.github.com/richardschoen/qshoni) I created to integrate your PASE program calls to a traditional IBM i program. 

Making the CL API call to curl is as simple as this: 

QSHONI/QSHCURL CMDLINE('https://api.ipify.org') DSPSTDOUT(*YES)

And the results automatically show up in outfield QTEMP/STDOUTQSH for you to utilize from your CL or RPG programming. 

Example IP address response written from STDOUT to the first record of the outfile: 32.1.1.22

Check out QShell on i to be able to run curl commands and much more. 

If you find some interesting use cases create an issue on the GitHub site, post a comment or email me and I can publish as an example. 

What flavor of Linux do you like ?

 If you're interested in trying out the various flavors of Linux, check out this link. I learned about the site in the following link: https://www.zdnet.com/article/you-can-test-all-the-best-linux-distros-right-in-your-web-browser-with-this-site/

The actual site is called: https://distrosea.com/

Work with IBM i - A Modern Windows Alternative to PDM

As PDM and SEU continue to work towards being deprecated, the goal of the Work with IBM i project is to provide a FREE, Windows-based alternative for PDM developers who are beginning the journey of moving their development workflow off the green screen and onto the desktop.

While VS Code and RDi are both excellent development environments, having options matters—especially options that preserve editor freedom of choice and allow continued use of existing PDM user options.

Flexible Editor Support

With Work with IBM i, developers can use:

• The built-in internal editor
• VS Code
• Notepad
• Notepad++
• RDi (using a slightly modified workflow)

The software supports online and offline editing using virtually any Windows-based editor that accepts file names via the command line. Since Notepad++ is widely used in the IBM i community, this alone is a compelling reason for many developers to adopt Work with IBM i.

Another key advantage is that SSH is not required. Many shops prefer not to open SSH ports, and Work with IBM i works entirely through standard IBM i access ports.

Project Background

I originally started this project 4 years ago as a way to gain more practice with .NET Core WinForms, but it has proven to be far more useful than initially anticipated. The core application is completely FREE to use.

Purpose and Philosophy

The primary purpose of Work with IBM i is to provide a Windows-based replacement for PDM that looks and feels similar to PDM, allowing developers to work with IBM i source members without a 5250 green screen, while maintaining a familiar, PDM-like workflow.

The goal is simplicity:

Use the best editors available on the PC, keep existing processes where possible, and avoid forcing developers to learn an entirely new development model.

Git Integration with iForGit

Work with IBM i integrates with iForGit, the subscription-based Git source management solution for IBM i that I created.

Learn more:

• https://www.iforgit.com
• https://github.com/richardschoen/iforgit

The Work with IBM i client app provides direct access to iForGit CL commands, allowing you to commit changes to Git repositories directly from standard source physical files.

(An active iForGit annual subscription is required for versioning features.)

Editor Configuration Options

Although the application includes a built-in text editor, many developers prefer VS Code. Work with IBM i supports VS Code along with the Code for i syntax extensions.

You can configure separate editors and viewers if desired. Supported options include:

• Internal editor (default)
• Notepad
• Notepad++
• VS Code
• External workflows using RDi

Using RDi requires downloading source locally and editing outside the application. Detailed instructions are available here:

https://github.com/richardschoen/workwithibmipdm/blob/main/using_rdi_for_editing.md

PDM User Options Support

PDM user options are supported, provided they do not rely on a 5250 interface.

The default PDM options file is:

QGPL/QAUOOPT

This can be changed in the settings file, allowing you to reuse your existing PDM user option commands directly within Work with IBM i.

Offline Editing and Visual Feedback

The client tracks whether a source member has already been downloaded for offline editing and provides visual indicators in the UI. You can:

1. Download source to your PC
2. Edit it offline
3. Upload changes once reconnected

This editing workflow enables productive development even when disconnected from the system.

Future Enhancements

As a future enhancement, .NET developers will be able to create custom alternatives to PDM user options using a C# plugin model.

Connectivity

❗ IBM i access ports used for communication:

• 446–449
• 8470–8479

No SSH access is required.

Getting Started

Getting started is simple:

1. Download the application. Visit the GitHub site below to request access.
2. Unzip it 
3. Launch it
4. Enter your IBM i user profile, password, and host name or IP address

You’ll be connected and ready to start using PDM—on Windows.

Have fun, and please leave feedback or report issues on the GitHub project page.

https://github.com/richardschoen/workwithibmipdm