• The Four Hundred
  • Subscribe
  • Media Kit
  • Contributors
  • About Us
  • Contact
Menu
  • The Four Hundred
  • Subscribe
  • Media Kit
  • Contributors
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Zend Plans Treats, Tricks for System i Programmers

    October 30, 2007 Alex Woodie

    Halloween is tomorrow night, and for all you System i types planning on dressing up as something really frightening this year–such as a ghost, a goblin, or a PHP programmer–Zend Technologies has a few tricks and treats in store for you. For starters, you’ll get new features around the MySQL and SQL Server databases, and WYSIWYG functionality. You also gain the capability to install Zend Core for i5/OS directly from Windows. Now if that doesn’t scare you, nothing will.

    For some time now, Zend has been working on the upcoming version 2.5 release of Zend Core, as well as the version of that environment designed specifically for the System i, called Zend Core for i5/OS. At the ZendCon user conference three weeks ago, Zend discussed some of the general new features coming to the new release of Zend Core. More recently, Zend shared with us some of the new features coming to Zend Core for i5/OS version 2.5, which the company expects to ship in November.

    For starters, if you’re using the MySQL database with Zend Core for i5/OS, you will no longer need to install MySQL separately, as the database will be installed at the same time as Core for i5/OS, making installation more straightforward for System i users. Simplified installation of MySQL with Core for i5/OS will be a welcome change for any System i users who have struggled to install and deploy MySQL, which usually runs under the i5 operating system’s AIX PASE runtime environment. Official support for MySQL on System i didn’t exist until August, when IBM and MySQL started shipping MySQL Enterprise for i5/OS, a new package of software and support services that System i customers can purchase through standard sales channels.

    Also, System i users will, for the first time, be able to connect their PHP applications running on System i servers to a SQL Server database running under Windows (which is the only operating system SQL Server runs on, of course). This feature has been in high-demand among System i shops, which tend to also be big users of Windows applications and, therefore, the SQL Server databases that serve them data. It will be at least one more release before support for SQL Server with Zend Core for i5/OS will be a regularly supported offering. With the upcoming 2.5 release, SQL Server support will be available as a feature or a preview, according to Jim Dillard, the Zend executive who manages the alliance with IBM.

    System i-Windows integrations will also be boosted thanks to the new capability to install Core for i5/OS on System i servers using their Windows application deployment tools. This new capability is part of a broader push by Zend to improve the deployment and ongoing management (i.e., patching) of PHP applications and the underlying stack, including databases and Web servers.

    There is also some news regarding Zend Platform for System i. Zend Platform, you will remember, builds on the basic PHP development and runtime capabilities already delivered with Zend Core and Zend Studio by giving System i developers access to additional tools to fine-tune their PHP applications for maximum performance, such as the detection and resolution of performance problems and runtime errors. Following the recent user conference, Zend decided that it would be best to extend the evaluation period for Zend Platform for System i 3.X until December 25. This was the recommendation offered by the joint Zend-COMMON advisory panel that was formed recently. Testers whose Zend Platform 3.X evaluation period has already expired are encouraged to ask for an extension by contacting Zend at www.zend.com/helpdesk/newticket.php?pid=196&redirect_http=1.

    Zend is also working on an update to Zend Studio that will eventually make PHP a supported language inside the Eclipse development framework. Support for Zend Studio as an Eclipse plug-in (via a new product called Zend Studio for Eclipse) will further simplify life for System i programmers who already do most of their development in WebSphere Development Studio Client (WDSc). Zend Studio for Eclipse will also simplify development of HTML by introducing support for drag-and-drop development of HTML. Developers will benefit by gaining what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) functionality.

    A beta release of Zend Studio for Eclipse that supports i5/OS is available now. The beta doesn’t plug in to Eclipse, and can only be used as a stand-alone tool at the moment. However, it will function as an Eclipse plug-in when the product becomes generally availability during the first quarter of 2008, according to Dillard.

    RELATED STORIES

    Zend Puts Out New Release of Commercial-Grade PHP

    Zend Core for i5/OS Ships for OS/400 V5R3

    PHP on i5/OS: A Whole New Stack

    IBM Details MySQL on System i Offering

    System i PHP Drive Going Strong, Zend Says



                         Post this story to del.icio.us
                   Post this story to Digg
        Post this story to Slashdot

    Share this:

    • Reddit
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Tags:

    Sponsored by
    ARCAD Software

    Embrace VS Code for IBM i Development

    The IBM i development landscape is evolving with modern tools that enhance efficiency and collaboration. Ready to make the move to VS Code for IBM i?

    Watch this webinar where we showcase how VS Code can serve as a powerful editor for native IBM i code and explore the essential extensions that make it possible.

    In this session, you’ll discover:

    • How ARCAD’s integration with VS Code provides deep metadata insights, allowing developers to assess the impact of their changes upfront.
    • The role of Git in enabling seamless collaboration between developers using tools like SEU, RDi, and VS Code.
    • Powerful extensions for code quality, security, impact analysis, smart build, and automated RPG conversion to Free Form.
    • How non-IBM i developers can now contribute to IBM i projects without prior knowledge of its specifics, while ensuring full control over their changes.

    The future of IBM i development is here. Let ARCAD be your guide!

    Watch the replay now!

    Share this:

    • Reddit
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Sponsored Links

    SafeData:  The iSeries HA Solution that’s Guaranteed
    COMMON:  Join us at the annual 2008 conference, March 30 - April 3, in Nashville, Tennessee
    NowWhatJobs.net:  NowWhatJobs.net is the resource for job transitions after age 40

    IT Jungle Store Top Book Picks

    The System i RPG & RPG IV Tutorial and Lab Exercises: List Price, $59.95
    The System i Pocket RPG & RPG IV Guide: List Price, $69.95
    The iSeries Pocket Database Guide: List Price, $59.00
    The iSeries Pocket Developers' Guide: List Price, $59.00
    The iSeries Pocket SQL Guide: List Price, $59.00
    The iSeries Pocket Query Guide: List Price, $49.00
    The iSeries Pocket WebFacing Primer: List Price, $39.00
    Migrating to WebSphere Express for iSeries: List Price, $49.00
    iSeries Express Web Implementer's Guide: List Price, $59.00
    Getting Started with WebSphere Development Studio for iSeries: List Price, $79.95
    Getting Started With WebSphere Development Studio Client for iSeries: List Price, $89.00
    Getting Started with WebSphere Express for iSeries: List Price, $49.00
    WebFacing Application Design and Development Guide: List Price, $55.00
    Can the AS/400 Survive IBM?: List Price, $49.00
    The All-Everything Machine: List Price, $29.95
    Chip Wars: List Price, $29.95

    Symantec Survey Says DR Planning and Testing Are Inadequate Use PHP to Bring i5/OS Resources to the Web

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Volume 7, Number 41 -- October 30, 2007
THIS ISSUE SPONSORED BY:

Bytware
Aldon
Vision Solutions
COMMON
Bug Busters Software Engineering

Table of Contents

  • Zend Plans Treats, Tricks for System i Programmers
  • Mantis Bug Tracker Ported to i5/OS
  • mrc Goes Web 2.0 with m-Power
  • IBM Updates Disk and Tape, Buys Storage Software Developer
  • Stations Casinos Taps Original for Data Obfuscation and Testing
  • PowerTech Looks at PCI and System i
  • Livestock Management Solution Offered by Lawson
  • Revenues Decline at NetManage As It Announces Expansion Into China
  • netCustomer Delivers Regulatory Updates for J.D. Edwards, PeopleSoft
  • Abacus Expands System i Services

Content archive

  • The Four Hundred
  • Four Hundred Stuff
  • Four Hundred Guru

Recent Posts

  • POWERUp 2025 –Your Source For IBM i 7.6 Information
  • Maxava Consulting Services Does More Than HA/DR Project Management – A Lot More
  • Guru: Creating An SQL Stored Procedure That Returns A Result Set
  • As I See It: At Any Cost
  • IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 27, Number 19
  • IBM Unveils Manzan, A New Open Source Event Monitor For IBM i
  • Say Goodbye To Downtime: Update Your Database Without Taking Your Business Offline
  • i-Rays Brings Observability To IBM i Performance Problems
  • Another Non-TR “Technology Refresh” Happens With IBM i TR6
  • IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 27, Number 18

Subscribe

To get news from IT Jungle sent to your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter.

Pages

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Contributors
  • Four Hundred Monitor
  • IBM i PTF Guide
  • Media Kit
  • Subscribe

Search

Copyright © 2025 IT Jungle