May 1999

• The Ins and Outs of Data Areas, Part 1 - As I dissect RPG IV's implementation of data-area support in this article, I'll expose the idiosyncrasies and show you some techniques that will simplify and fortify your applications.
• In This Issue -
• Letters -
• More Body Art - Fewer Bifocals - Robert Tipton says that without new blood in the AS/400 ranks, the market will simply die off through attrition.
• 12 Rules for the Rest of Us - Regular guy Roger Pence offers his take on what to do about new versions of OS/400 and Windows NT, Domino, Java, and more.
• Do We Expect Too Much? - Wesly Moore points out that with a shortage of CEs in the field, we may be placing unrealistic demands on what they should do for us.
• Newswatch Listings -
• Hot New Products -
• Waiting to Web - Maggie Biggs talked to 400 NEWS/400 readers and found that 30 percent are already using the AS/400's Web functions and many more plan to implement Web projects - right after they finish their Y2K work.
• Nautica Sets Sail with ASNA's Visual RPG - Jeanne Huff explores how the sportswear giant quickly built an AS/400-based client/server system with the help of ASNA's graphical development tool and its own RPG talent base.
• Restoring the Human Touch - Nahid Jilovec explains how an interactive e-commerce strategy that uses customer-specific data can save resources by narrowly focusing your target groups. It can also create opportunities for you to personalize relationships with your customers.
• The AS/400 Raises the Business Intelligence Bar - Scott Steinacher explains how recent technology and database enhancements make the AS/400 an even more effective BI platform.
• Data Warehouses and Data Marts: What's the Difference? - Rick Landon warns that if you're thinking about implementing a data mart as a precursor to a full-fledged data warehouse, you should consider your strategy carefully.
• Touring Transformation Server - In this screen tour, Jim Hoopes explains how to use DataMirror Corporation's Transformation Server to replicate data from one server to another to support business intelligence tasks running on nonproduction systems.
• Jazzing Up Net.Data with JavaScript - Jef Sutherland shows you how to use JavaScript with Net.Data macros and HTML forms to perform client-side form validation and create e-mail forms.
• Multidimensional Arrays in Action - In this follow-up article to "Multidimensional Arrays: The Basics" (May 1998), Mike Cravitz presents RPG IV service program MultiDim, which when bound to your application programs lets them easily manipulate simulated multidimensional arrays.
• Soup Up Your Green Screens - Who says GUIs and green screens don't mix? Gary Guthrie explains how you can use DDS keywords to implement user-friendly pull-down menu systems in your RPG applications.
• Programmer's Notes - Jef Sutherland explains how to use data areas in RPG and CL to store single pieces of information or sets of values when you don't need or want multiple records in a physical file.
• Explore the New Notes! - Greg Neilson discusses the Notes 5.0 client, a radical departure from previous Notes releases that includes a browser-friendly user interface, support for Internet e-mail, a new mail template, and changes to the Personal Address Book.
• Merge Text and Images - Bill Shaffer shows you how to use the IBM AFP Printer Driver for Windows to create overlays and page segments to customize your AS/400 print applications.
• Transferring Excel 97 Worksheet to the AS/400 Database - Although downloading an AS/400 database file to a Microsoft Excel worksheet is relatively simple, uploading a worksheet from Excel back to the AS/400 takes some planning. Craig Pelkie tells you what you need to do to ensure a successful upload.
• Boost Domino Storage Capacity! - IBMer Jeff Tenner explains IBM's V4R3 integrated hardware disk compression and how you can use it to archive Domino for AS/400 databases more efficiently. For an expanded version of this article, "Boost Domino Storage Capacity with Hardware-Compressed Disk," see the article archives at http://www.news400.com.
• Cyberprise Solution Suite for the AS/400 - Mike Otey reviews this server-based product that helps you integrate your AS/400 databases with the Web and provides access to 5250-based applications from a Web browser.
• Tech Corner -
• Does V4R4 include new support to reduce the time required to back up and recover the system? -
• We use the Client Access SNA support to dial directly into an asynchronous modem on our AS/400. If w -
• PTF Watch - PTF Watch lists selected High Impact Pervasive (HIPER) PTFs that aren't — or aren't yet — part of a cumulative PTF package.
• Street Talk -
• A recovery of our entire system ended with message CPF2526 — “Job message queue full and cannot be e -
• I’ve tried using save-while-active when I back up my system, but when users are signed on, their mes -
• Once we have the new Client Access Express for Windows client, which provides Secure Sockets Layer ( -
• What enhancements in V4R4 improve my Internet security? -
• I read on the AS/400 Web page about the Telnet SSL Proxy Server function, which works with AS/400s r -
• History Log Information -
• "Access Denied" Problem with Shared Folders -
• Service Program Initialization -
• Using Message-Handling APIs -
• RFROMPCB Problem -
• PDM Defaults -
• Journaling and AS/400 CPU Utilization -
• QSECOFR Sign-On -
• Backup & Recovery FAQs -
• Client Access Express Client FAQs -
• In Focus: Clustering Success Depends on Application Vendors -
• In Focus: Q&A: John Quarantello on the Future of Java -
• In Focus: Is 7(<i>xx</i>) Your Lucky Number? -