January 1996

• In This Issue -
• Letters -
• Time for a CL Upgrade - John Earl argues that OS/400's control language is due for some improvements, and he suggests a few for IBM to start with.
• Raising the Bar on CA/400 - Roger Pence outlines the four guiding principles IBM needs to follow to deliver a robust, respectable version of Client Access/400 and set the standard for PC-AS/400 connectivity.
• Newswatch -
• International Update -
• Update -
• Sizing Up CA/400 for Windows 3.1 - Michael Otey test-drives CA/400 for Windows 3.1 V3R1M1 and encounters a clunky installation process and mediocre user interface -- but also a great ODBC driver and good API support.
• CA/400 Alternatives - When it comes to Windows client connectivity to the AS/400, Client Access isn't the only game in town. Chuck Lundgren presents a Buyer's Guide showing how CA/400's competition compares on key features such as display emulation, API compatibility, communications support, and more. (Chuck Lundgren, 5250 ELITE (APPC) EDITION, 5250 EMULATION, 5250 SAA FOR WINDOWS, ANDREW CORPORATION, APIs, ATTACHMATE CORPORATION, BUYER'S GUIDE, BUYER'S GUIDES, CA/400 ALTERNATIVES, CA/400 FOR WINDOWS 3.1, CLIENT ACCESS/400, CLIENT ACCESS FOR OS/400 FOR WINDOWS 3.1, CLIENT ACCESS FOR WINDOWS 3.1, CLIENT/SERVER, CONNECTRONIX CORPORATION, FILE TRANSFER, IBM, IDEA, IDEACOMM MIDRANGE CLIENT, MICRO-INTEGRATION CORPORATION, NETSOFT, NS/MIDRANGE BUNDLE, PRINTER EMULATION, PRODUCT COVERAGE, RALLY! FOR AS/400, REFLECTION FOR THE AS/400, ROUTER, RUMBA ACCESS/400, SYNAPSE NETWORK ASSOCIATES, WALL DATA, WALKER RICHER & QUINN, WINAPPC, WINTRONIX, WRQ, WINDOWS-BASED 5250 EMULATION, January 1996, p. 47)
• Installing CA/400 for Windows 3.1 over a LAN - Although LANs and CA/400 for Windows 3.1 are an ideal combination, configuring CA/400 for the LAN can be tricky. John Enck guides you through the twists and turns.
• Just Find the Bug, Doug! - Roger Pence demonstrates how to use OS/400's debug mode to debug V2R3 (and earlier) programs.
• Choosing the Right EDI Translation Software - The issues involved in choosing EDI translation software are numerous and complex. In this article, Nahid Jilovec explains critical translation software features to ask about, and a Buyer's Guide summarizes products available from AS/400 EDI vendors.
• Succeeding with Project Management Software - John Nichols shows how to successfully implement project management software
• C/S Watch -
• Securing the OS/400 Servers - Wayne Madden explains how to secure the OS/400 original and optimized servers by controlling the router user profile and using exit programs.
• Managing Your LAN Server/400 Network Data - In this follow-up to "Up and Running with the FSIOP" (November 1995), Janice Glowacki explains how to create aliases for network directories and files and how to set authorities to these network resources.
• ODBC Opens Up DB2/400 - Michael Otey explains how to use Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) to establish a connection between your AS/400 data and packaged or custom PC applications. He brings AS/400 employee data to a Visual Basic application that also displays a bitmapped employee photograph. He contrasts ODBC's set-at-a-time access with traditional record-at-a-time access.
• Tech Corner -
• Load 'n' Go: What Does that Message Mean? - Before you can display a message description, you've got to find its message file. Utility FNDMSGD finds the message file for and displays the description of any message on the system.
• NEWSMART/400 -
• IBM Announcements -
• New Products & Services -
• Project Management Software Buyer's Guide - John Ghrist presents a Buyer's Guide that compares features of project management software for AS/400s and for PCs attached to AS/400s in client/server environments.
• Street Talk -