Help/Systems Makes ABSTRACT Accessible Within RDP

April 3, 2012 Alex Woodie

The ABSTRACT suite of cross-reference and documentation tools is now accessible from within the IBM i platform’s main development tool, Rational Developer for Power Systems (RDP). The new feature, which was included with the ABSTRACT version 10.27 released by Help/Systems last week, will make it easier for IBM i programmers to foresee the impact their changes may have on other programs without leaving the RDP environment.

ABSTRACT is a powerful utility that provides IBM i programmers with critical information about their applications. The software builds an IBM i-resident database of system objects and procedures, and through this database, the software can track the usage of objects and fields and the relationship between objects. The software also performs file analysis and generates application flowcharts as part of new development or application modernization projects.

For years, SEQUEL Software (formerly ASC) has provided a plug-in that allows ABSTRACT to function within the WebSphere Development Studio, the predecessor to today’s RDP. The company also provides a 5250 green-screen interface and an IBM Navigator for i (formerly iSeries Navigator) interface.

With last week’s release of ABSTRACT version 10.27, SEQUEL Software now delivers the tool as a plug-in for the modern RDP development environment. This enables developers to access ABSTRACT’s powerful cross-reference, impact analysis, and documentation functions–such as tracking, documenting, and managing IBM i objects–within the IDE they use on a daily basis.

Developers can now access the cross-reference capabilities of SEQUEL Software’s ABSTRACT from within the RDP development tool from IBM.

Users will be able to access ABSTRACT functions from two locations. First, ABSTRACT functions will appear as right-click options within the Remote Systems Explorer (RSE) component of RDP. They will also be accessible as a tabbed panel in the bottom view section of the RSE.

RDP doesn’t include any cross-reference or impact analysis capabilities out of the box. But by installing the ABTRACT plug-in, users can get critical features that enable them to diagnose, document, and analyze the impact of application modification and enhancement.

ABSTRACT 10.27 interfaces with IBM RDP 8.0 (and higher) to supply additional tools to the RDP environment.

The new plug-in for RDP will be discussed in an April 26 webinar hosted by SEQUEL Software (part of Help/Systems), titled “Application Development Control Starts with the Right Tools.” For more information or to register for the webinar, see www.sequel-software.com.