Note: The code accompanying this article is available for download here.

My family and I are preparing to celebrate Christmas. I’m enjoying the lights, the carols, and the decorations. I feel festive. I feel like doing something just for fun. Thus, the two programs I wrote for today’s Four Hundred Guru are of no practical value of which I’m aware, but goodness, did I have fun writing them!

Consider the following text file, the contents of which is a maze.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IB             I         I I I         I
IIIIIIIIIIIIII I IIIIIII I I   II IIIIII
II             I I       I I 

Merry Christmas, intelligent i professional! Let’s end the year with a few little tips, including two unusual ways to use OPNQRYF’s %ABSVAL function from reader Victor Pisman. May 2009 be the best year ever for all of us.

–Ted

Run Qshell from CL Procedures

Q: Do you have a simple example of using Qshell with a script? I think I can muddle through setting up the script. I am unsure of how to call it from a CL procedure.

A: You can use the dot utility to run a script that you’ve created in the IFS. This command

To finish out 2008, let’s look ahead to some upcoming end of service dates that can affect shops running i5/OS V5R3 in 2009 and shops that are still using AnyNet to connect older twinax-based printers and other devices to System i and Power i machines. If you’re in these categories, you should be aware of the following issues.

A New Year, A New i5/OS Upgrade?

If any of your partitions are running i5/OS V5R3, be aware that IBM will discontinue support for i5/OS V5R3 on April 30, 2009. Of course, this doesn’t mean that your software will no longer work.