• Use Query/400 to Find IFS Files in BRMS

  July 10, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Hey, Joe:

  We’re using Backup Recovery and Media Services/400 (BRMS/400) for backup, and I find locating a tape that has the correct version of an Integrated File System (IFS) file that I’m looking for is a real hassle. Do you know of any shortcuts to locate a list of BRMS tapes that were used to backup a particular IFS file?

  — Bernie

  This was a hassle for me, too, particularly when I needed to restore Domino databases from a BRMS backup and it wasn’t readily apparent which tape in a backup set contained my file. However, a reader recently clued

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• Delete Badly-Named OS/400 IFS Files, Take Two

  July 10, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Dear Readers:

  In the May 15, 2002 issue of the Midrange Guru, I explained how to use an FTP client to delete an IFS file with an improper name . Recently, it occurred to me that there’s an easier way. In fact, there are two easier ways and I’d like to share them with you.

  To recap the problem, sometimes client programs create IFS files with names that make OS/400 choke when you try to delete, rename, or otherwise access such files.

  However, you may still be able to access these files with wildcards. You can use the question

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• Determining Whether a User Is Already Signed On, Take Three

  June 28, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Hey, Ted:

  When it comes to determining whether a user was signed on to more than one session, I’d do it a little differently .

  I’d try to allocate the user’s message queue.

  That would eliminate a data area in the mix.

  — Tim

  Several people wrote in with the same suggestion, Tim.

  Most objected to creating the data area, saying it was unnecessary.

  Here is the code to do it your way:

  DCL        VAR(&FIRSTSESSN) TYPE(*LGL) VALUE('1')         
  DCL        VAR(&MSGQ) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)                 
  DCL        VAR(&MSGQLIB) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(10)              
                                                             
  RTVUSRPRF  USRPRF(*CURRENT) MSGQ(&MSGQ) MSGQLIB(&MSGQLIB) 
  ALCOBJ     OBJ((&MSGQLIB/&MSGQ *MSGQ *EXCL)) WAIT(0)      
  MONMSG     MSGID(CPF1002 CPF1085) EXEC(DO)                
     CHGVAR     VAR(&FIRSTSESSN) 

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• Easy Subfile Windowing

  June 28, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Hey, Ted:

  I have a subfile application that requires more than 80 columns to display all the necessary information.

  I don’t want the information folded to a second line but would like to window left and right, as the Display Physical File Member (DSPPFM) command does.

  It would be better if I could lock into place the far-left side of a screen to allow a selection field, even when panning left or right.

  Can this be done easily with a subfile?

  — David

  Yes, David. You only need to think of building subfiles in a way that you’re probably not

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• Distinct File and Record Names with SQL

  June 28, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Hey, Ted:

  When I create a physical file using the SQL CREATE TABLE command, the system gives the same name to the file and record format.

  This means that I have to remember to rename the record format in every RPG program I write that defines the file in an F spec. Is there a way to make SQL give the record format some other name?

  — Dan

  I know of one way.

  Let’s say you want to create a file called MYFILE in library MYLIB and name the record format MYREC.

  Run the following SQL commands in an interactive

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• Searching Message Text

  June 26, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Hey, Ted:

  I read your article on how to search message text in the June 14 Midrange Guru, OS/4010 Edition.

  As it happens, we have a utility that does just what Bill wants. Because we are really good guys, we are making our utility available as a free download without any time limitations via our Web site, www.clover.co.uk .

  What’s more, you even get the source!

  Just visit our Web site, click on ‘downloads’ on the home page, and follow the instructions from there.

  — Jack Hardman

  Clover Business Associates Ltd, Batley, West Yorkshire, England

  Sponsored By WORKSRIGHT SOFTWARE

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• Connection Pooling with Tomcat

  June 26, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Hey, David:

  First of all, let me thank you for a very good article in the February 14 issue of Midrange Guru, OS/400 Edition (see “Installing and Configuring Tomcat on iSeries“). Your article helped me to understand quite a few things.

  I would like to ask you a question about the following statement you made: “Tomcat does provide a mechanism to pool connections….” Could you please explain what that mechanism is and how it could be accessed?

  At my workplace, we installed Tomcat and are trying to begin development. We have to deal with AS/400 databases,

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• Service Program Catch-22

  June 26, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Hey, Ted:

  We have stumbled upon a situation that we do not know how to resolve. We are trying to organize our RPG subprocedures by functional area. For example, all of our string-handling subprocedures go into one service program, while all of our date-handling subprocedures go into another. Other types of subprocedures go into other service programs.

  There are two service programs that reference each other. It’s as if a string-handling subprocedure uses a date-handling routine, while a date-handling routine uses a string-handling subprocedure. (That’s not the real situation, but I’ll use it as an illustration.)

  The problem is that

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• RPG II

  June 21, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Hey, Ted:

  I have several clients that still run RPG II
  code in the S/36EE and the code runs fine.

  I don’t believe in conversion for conversion

  sake. [See the article, “One Way to Ease Conversion of RPG II Programs,” Midrange Guru, OS/400 Edition, April 5, 2002.] When an old program needs more than minor modification, I’ll convert it to RPG IV (first to RPG III, then to RPG IV). Sometimes the code is ugly, but I clean it up and add new and improved logic. I’ve read a lot of your stuff, so I know you’re

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• Determining Whether a User Is Already Signed On, Take Two

  June 21, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Hey, Ted:

  I am writing in reference to the first question and answer that was published in the May 31 “Odds and Ends” column. A reader asked the following: “Is it possible for an initial program to determine if the user who is running it is already signed on with another session?”

  The technique that you described for setting an object lock is common, and it was probably adequate for the situation portrayed in the original question. However, the object-lock technique doesn’t tell you anything except ‘This object is/is not locked right now.’ Conceivably, locks can be established by users

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