IFSPOP–Another (And A Better) IFS Interface
August 7, 2013 Hey, Ted
|
Note: The code accompanying this article is available for download here. I read your article, Another IFS Interface, and I agree with you that IBM‘s green-screen solutions leave a lot to be desired. I got so fed up with WRKLNK, and the even more obtuse WRKFLR, that I wrote my own solution. It’s nothing fancy, but it is a lot better than what exists. It’s a green-screen solution written in RPG. I modeled it after POP, one of my favorite tools, from the System/36 days. The idea, like POP of old, is that if there is something you want to do with an IFS object, you could write your own code to be included in IFSPOP. I have found it to be useful in that I don’t have to flip over to System i Navigator in order to poke around in the IFS. The main program, IFSPOPR, is a simple load-all subfile that can handle up to 9999 entries. (I should update it, but work keeps getting in the way. I wrote IFSPOP on a budget of zero dollars in my spare time.) Since it is extendable, I ask anyone who develops an additional option to IFSPOP to send it to you to for “re-distribution.” That could help make it more popular and usable. Most of the options I wrote for IFSPOP just do the basics and are good as examples on how to write extension programs. Since I am not very good at dealing with the IFS, I’m sure someone else can improve on these programs. The printing function is the one program that really shows what can be done with IFSPOP. Attached is a save file for version 6.1. The source is also included in the library. To run, add library IPSPOP to the library list and enter the command IFSPOP. –Mark Keck I remember POP. It was a big help to me on the S/36, and what’s more, it was cheap. It had to be, because I was working for a small private college in those days and we didn’t have any money. Here’s an example of the IFSPOP screen:
(Click graphic to enlarge.) I have enjoyed using IFSPOP in my shop. I was intrigued that I could add my own user options. I’ll use option OD (hexadecimal dump) to illustrate how that’s done. Write a program called IFSPOPSOD to run the OD function.
H DEBUG OPTION(*SRCSTMT:*NODEBUGIO) DFTACTGRP(*YES)
*__________________________________________________
*
D FILENAME S 376
D CMD S 512
D CMDLEN S 15P 5
*_________________________________________________
*
C *ENTRY PLIST
C PARM FILENAME
*
C EVAL CMD = 'QSH CMD(''od -t
cx ''''' +
C %trim(filename) +
C ''''' | Rfile -w /
qsys.lib/qsysprt.file'')'
C EVAL CMDLEN = %len(%trim(CMD))
C CALL(E) 'QCMDEXC'
C PARM CMD
C PARM CMDLEN
*
C EVAL *INLR = *ON
Add option OD, with a description of Hex dump, to database table (physical file) IFSPOPRO. IFSPOP reads this file to build the legend of options. Many thanks to Mark Keck for the IFSPOP utility. RELATED STORY
|
