About this Course
This course teaches additional skills and techniques to programmers who can already write comprehensive RPG IV programs.
This class offers a comprehensive discussion of some of the advanced features and functions of RPG IV. This class is designed to enable an experienced RPG IV programmer to develop and maintain RPG IV programs of an advanced level using the latest features and techniques available in the IBM i RPG IV compiler.
Audience Profile
This course is the second in a series of two classes designed for programmers who want to learn to code using the IBM i ILE RPG IV language. Previous programming experience using RPG IV is mandatory before enrolling in this course. The student should have attended RPG IV Programming Fundamentals Workshop for IBM i (AS06G).
Previous techniques and the maintenance of programs written using legacytechniques are not covered in the classroom.
At Course Completion
Upon completing this course, students will be able to:
- Use address pointers and user spaces in RPG IV programs
- Write and maintain display programs using subfiles
- Develop ILE modular objects and package them in service programs
- Use the IBM i debugger with RPG IV programs
- Explain the behavior of error handling and percolation in ILE
- Code an ILE error handling program
- Call application program interfaces (APIs) from RPG IV program
- Use C functions in RPG IV programs
- Parse XML in RPG IV programs
Prerequisites
You must have attended these courses (or have equivalent experience):
- Introduction to IBM i for New Users (OE98G)
- IBM i Programming Facilities Workshop (OL49G)
- RPG IV Programming Fundamentals Workshop for IBM i (AS06G)
You should be able to:
- Use a Windows-based PC
- Run PC applications using menus, icons, tool bars, and so forth
The following skills are taught in IBM i Programming Facilities Workshop (OL49G):
- Use IBM i navigation tools, including:
- Use and prompt command line (CL) commands
- Use online Help
- Manage output using WRKSPLF and related commands
- Perform basic problem determination using DSPMSG, DSPJOB, and so forth
- Use and display print queues
- Use CL commands such as WRKJOB and DSPMSG
- Use IBM Rational Developer for i (RDi) to create and maintain RPG IV source members
- Create and maintain physical and logical files
- Write ILE modules and include those modules in program objects using
- bind by copy and bind by reference
The following skills are taught in RPG IV Programming Fundamentals Workshop for IBM i (AS06G):
- Write RPG IV programs to produce reports
- Write simple RPG IV inquiry programs that interact with displays
- Compile RPG IV programs
- Review compilation listing and find and correct compilation errors
- Maintain existing applications written in the RPG IV language
- Use many popular RPG IV built-in functions
- Use arrays and data structures in RPG IV programs
- Develop RPG IV programs that anticipate and manage simple errors and exceptions
- Use prototyping to call other programs
- Write RPG IV sub-procedures