In a world where build automation is a mystical art, one brave warrior dares to conquer the realm of “RULES.mk” config files with Visual Studio Code and IBM i. Join us on this thrilling adventure! Step 1: Prepare for Battle (Install the Necessary Extensions) Gather your trusty steed (Visual Studio Code) and equip it with

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I was recording a VSCODE for IBM i video this morning, talking about the different ways of storing our RPGLE code as a bound RPGLE program, or as separate modules which are then bound into a program with the CRTPGM command. So, I accidentally wrote this description of OPM vs ILE and realized that it

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If you have read any of my previous blogs about IBM i Programming, the chances are, you know I’m becoming a bit of a VS-Code fanboy… or maybe Fanman… well… probably fangeezer is most accurate. Over the last couple of months, we’ve seen some really neat updates to the Code for IBM i and other

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Mastering Git on the IBM i: It’s not as hard as you might think! As an IBM i developer, you’re likely familiar with the traditional source control tools available on the platform, such as PDM, SEU and Third party tools like TURNOVER, ALDON, etc. While these tools have served the IBM i community well, the

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Interviews are a worrying time for most people, right? Not for me! I really enjoy them. But, with 30+ years of experience under my belt, I have a very comfortable time talking about all aspects of the wonderful IBM POWER SYSTEM and the IBM i OPERATING SYSTEM. I know maybe half of the operating system

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Come with me while I go on a journey of discovery setting sail from the land of Legacy AS400 coding techniques, sailing over the horizon in search of the future of IBM i Coding Techniques. The mission is to migrate away from green screen, also known as command line interface, and leave the old trusty

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A while ago, I got this terrific email from a subscriber. I will call him “Nuno”. Not because that’s a pseudonym, but because that’s his name. Hi Nuno! So, lightly paraphrased this is what Nuno said to me: It warms my heart to get emails like this 🙂 I’ve been writing blogs on here for

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In our clan of gray haired AS400 and iSERIES programmers, we all have roots in the good old RPG LOGIC CYCLE. We have one foot in the old world of huge programs with tens of thousands of lines written in a very start-middle-end style, often with many subroutines. The other foot is in the modern

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SPOILER ALERT: It is NOT! The IBM AS400 was a groundbreaking computer system. First released in 1988 it quickly became the business system of choice for millions of companies all over the world. The AS400 was released to a pre-internet civilization, it grew and evolved as technology was introduced through the eighties, nineties and into

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To use a 5250 green screen terminal in Visual Studio Code (VS Code) for IBM i, follow these steps: By having both your code and 5250 terminals within the same IDE, you’ll find it more efficient for RPG and open-source development.

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aka – “What do I need to consider before moving my IBM i to a Higher Password Level?” Before moving your IBM i Power System to a higher password level, there are several important considerations to ensure a smooth transition and maintain system security: By carefully planning and considering these factors, you can successfully move

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What are Spool Files? Spooled files on an IBM i System (AS400/iSERIES) are a way to manage output data for printing or processing. They can contain basic text layouts of printed pages, or complex PDF style data streams. Here’s how they work: So, IBM i Spooled Files are virtual printouts, helping you manage input and output

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