November 2000

• PTF Watch -
• Street Talk -
• In This Issue: A Time to Celebrate -
• Letters -
• Charting Your Course for the Future - Roger Pence says AS/400 shops, ISVs, and business partners should start taking certain precautions to prepare for the AS/400's uncertain future.
• No Excuses! - Carson Soule says IBM Toronto's bundling of several development tools into one package called WebSphere Development Tools for AS/400 (WDS) is the most significatnt move for the AS/400 since RISC.
• From the Editor in Chief -
• In Focus: IBM Christens Servers with New Names -
• In Focus: COMMON Turns 40! -
• In Focus: New iSeries Hardware Brings Racks and More Processing Options -
• Hot New Products -
• Revenge of the I/0 - I/O capability may become the only feature that distinguishes one computer system from another. Frank Soltis explores the recent I/O transition in the iSeries and offers some insight into future system designs.
• Interactive Pricing Puts the Squeeze on Green Screens - As Pam Jones reports, the cost of interactive processing is steep, but many AS/400 shops are reluctant to surrender their green-screen applications, and vendors continue to sell older RPG applications to new customers.
• AS/400 Salaries Still Climbing - As Nate Viall explains, the mid-2000 salary survey from Nate Viall & Associates shows that AS/400 salaries continue upward, thanks to a growing economy and demand for more IT staff.
• ASPs Expand Their Services - Nahid Jilovec says the nature of the ASP market's growth indicates that you should expect a lot more from an ASP than mere "apps on tap."
• RPG IV: Free Format and More - IBM RPG Technical Manager George N. Farr gives a sneak preview of planned enhancements to RPG IV in future releases that help integrate it better with Java and allow for a sporty new optional free format.
• AS/400 Toolbox for Java: Your Access Pass - Robb Wiedrich gives you the scoop on V4R5 enhancements for AS/400 Toolbox for Java. The Toolbox is chock-full of components to give you more flexibility to develop Java applications.
• Programmer's Notes - Jef Sutherland addresses the basics of declaring and using multiple occurrence data structures (MODS) in RPG.
• CVTSPLSTMF: Making Spools Cooler Yet - Peter Clifford updates his CVTSPLSTMF command expands its ability to handle PDF files with unusual attributes.
• What's New in WebSphere Studio 3.5 - WebSphere Studio (WSS) 3.5 enhancements boost WebSphere application support, provide a Multiple Document Interfaced and Personalization for Multiplatforms add-on product, and more. Paul Conte explains how WSS 3.5 stacks up to WSS 3.02.
• JDBC 2.0 Adds New Functionality - IBMer Richard Dettinger shows you how to use the new features in JDBC 2.0, including several new methods that add more flexibility to using ResultSet objects, a batch update feature, and support for SQL3 data types.
• Using Zip Files with Java - Julian Monypenny introduces the client-side Java zip tool Archiver.
• PeekPlus: Friend and Foe - As Clark Gredona explains, PeekPlus lets you troubleshoot problems, monitor interactive and batch jobs, and even modify and control user sessions remotely. But in the wrong hands, the product can become a security headache.
• Keep an Eye on Inactive Users - A signed-on, inactive terminal is a security liability. James Cook's Big Brother and Little Sister utilities keep vigil and sign off those users who aren't active.
• Controlled Migration to IP Desktops and Thin Clients - Replacing a network of aging systems can be costly for many companies. As Kevin Segriss explains, using a controlled migration approach and the Perle 594e Network Controller, companies can upgrade their networks with NCs and PCs without going bankrupt.
• Tech Corner -
• Eliminating Phantom Sessions -
• Preventing Incoming Messages -
• Creating Second-Level Sign-on -
• Duplex Printing -
• Using Binding Directories -
• Identifying an FTPer -
• Passing Values via Parameters -
• Backing Up via ASP -
• Controlling Catalog File Size -
• Creating a Help Function Key -
• SQL Query Return Value -
• Monitoring Runtime Errors -
• Overriding to User-Selected Members -
• Retrieving QSYS Command Objects -