SQL’s SET OPTION statement is a powerful way to control the parameters of the DB2 execution environment in which an SQL program runs. Using it properly will allow SQL code to execute consistently between different environments–including those thorny differences that often arise between green screen and client/server environments. Read on to find out why this statement is essential to embedded SQL programs and persistent stored modules (SQL based triggers, procedures and functions).

First of all, SET OPTION is a statement that is evaluated at “compile time.” It never actually gets executed. Therefore SET OPTION can only be specified once in

Dear Professional:

One of the things I don’t like about the Integrated File System (IFS) is its directory-based structure of untyped files. I consider the library system of strongly typed objects a much more robust architecture. Nevertheless, the IFS is reality and I have to deal with it. Here’s a short and simple tip for reading those ugly, almost indecipherable PATH and CLASSPATH variables we have to put up with.

The PATH and CLASSPATH variables contain lists of directories, separated with colon characters. They function like library lists, in that the system searches the lists when looking for certain things.

In the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Congress changed Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the United States so that starting this year (2007) DST begins three weeks earlier than it did last year, on the second Sunday of March. Conversely, 2007 will also see Daylight Saving Time end one week later than last year, on the first Sunday in November. This week, I’ll talk about how this change affects i5 shops.

The new DST starting and ending dates are causing some minor concerns for system i5 shops because, like the rest of the computing world, i5/OS needs to be patched