As programming languages go, CL is not glamorous. Nevertheless, it is practical and effective, and it has some nice features. One of my favorite features is the ability to extend the CL language by creating my own commands. I have used this feature many times to great advantage over the years, and I am amazed that so many programmers have never written a command. In this article I discuss advantages of creating commands and give an example of how to do so.

I have noticed that many shops use the CALL command exclusively to start execution of a program. CALL

Several CL commands–Create User Profile (CRTUSRPRF) is a good example–have two parameters that control the destination of printed output. Where is the need for both print device and output queue? Can you explain the role of these parameters in determining the destination of output?

-Tim

I know of no need to use both print device and output queue (“outq”) parameters. I have always managed fine with outq’s only. The System/38, one of the predecessors of the AS/400, used outq’s exclusively. I understand that IBM added the print device option to support software that had been developed for the AS/400’s other

When I’m ready to perform a significant software or hardware upgrade, I use a series of techniques to cut upgrade time, avoid mistakes, and avoid delays. This week, I’ll review six of those techniques in the hope that you can use some of them to make your next Power i upgrade go easier.

Keeping the Upgrade from Slowing Down

I’ve always found that you can never increase Power i upgrade speed, you can only stop an upgrade from slowing down. In no particular order, these six tips can help you reduce the amount of waiting time in the Power i