Free-Format RPG IV

This how-to guide offers a concise and thorough introduction to the increased productivity, better readability, and easier program maintenance that comes with the free-format style of programming in RPG IV. Although free-format information is available in IBM manuals, it is not separated from everything else, thereby requiring hours of tedious research to track down the information needed. This book provides everything one needs to know to write RPG IV in the free-format style, and author Jim Martin not only teaches rules and syntax but also explains how this new style of coding has the potential to improve overall programmer productivity—from initial development through maintenance. He methodically covers the many style issues, such as named indicators and built-in functions, and addresses topics including input and output, program flow, data manipulation, math operations, prototyping, and APIs. This second edition is updated to V7.1 of the IBM i operating system on IBM Power machines, including a chapter on the Technology Refresh 7 (TR7) enhancements. Updated throughout, the book explains the latest techniques for source program entry (LPEX editor in RDp), the new way to code Embedded SQL in free-format, and other items that have occurred in the years since the first edition.