• DB2 For i XMLTABLE, Part 1: Convert XML to Tabular Data

  June 13, 2012 Michael Sansoterra

  DB2 for i 7.1 brought many new features including the ability to compose and decompose XML data. However, decomposing an XML document in DB2 for i 7.1 requires quite a few steps and creates, sometimes unwanted, permanent objects. Further, for all of the XML processing features, one lacking feature is the ability to easily and dynamically shred XML. Fortunately, that missing feature is now present with the technology refresh 4 update, which adds the XMLTABLE table function to the SQL developer’s arsenal. In this article, part 1 of my series on DB2 for i, we will look at how

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• The New Basics

  June 13, 2012 Jon Paris

  Every time I teach some of the more recent additions to RPG, such as XML parsing or Open Access, I find that I need to include some “remedial” education on some of the D-spec enhancements that have been made to the language over recent releases. Most of these enhancements came into the language many years ago, but if you had no immediate need for them, they may have passed you by. After all, even the most avid reader of this newsletter has probably forgotten most of what they read here 10 years ago if they didn’t use it. And yes,

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• Windows 8 Expectations Grow Higher Among Small Businesses: Survey

  June 12, 2012 Alex Woodie

  The capability to use the same Windows OS across multiple devices, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones, is bolstering expectations by small businesses in advance of Windows 8 release later this year, according to a recent survey by the easy-button people at Staples. Staples says that a recent survey conducted as part of its Small Business Index showed that 70 percent of small business owners who were aware of Windows 8 have plans to upgrade to the new OS, which is expected to ship in October. The survey was conducted online in May and included a randomly selected sample of 501

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• IBM Delivers New Mobile Security Tools

  June 12, 2012 Alex Woodie

  IBM last week unveiled new software designed to help companies build security into their mobile client interfaces by detecting security vulnerabilities during the development process. The rapid consumerization of mobile devices, as epitomized with the “bring your own device” (BYOD) movement, has created an urgent need on the part of corporations to secure their applications when accessed on mobile devices, according to IBM. While security has improved on the PC, thanks to concerted efforts by Microsoft, few today are aware of the security risks of mobile devices and mobile apps. The mad rush to develop and consume apps on

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• IBS Hires Former RedPrairie Executive as New CEO

  June 12, 2012 Alex Woodie

  IBM i ERP software maker International Business Systems last month selected Doug Braun as its new CEO. Braun, a former RedPrairie executive, will be tasked with overseeing the rebuilding process at IBS. Braun will be counted on to help turn things around at IBS, which has seen better days. The Swedish software vendor has shed more than half its workforce since 2007 and has less than half the revenues in had in 2007, according to its recently issued 2011 annual report. The vendor, which specializes in manufacturing and distribution ERP for IBM i and Windows, is in the midst

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• IntelliChief Signs New Customers, Partner

  June 12, 2012 Alex Woodie

  IntelliChief recently announced the signing of two new customers, including Joy Cone Company and Titan International, to contracts for document management software. The Massachusetts company also signed Desert Spring Consultants to a new partnership deal. Joy Cone is the largest ice cream cone company in North America. The Flagstaff, Arizona, company was founded in 1918, and today makes more than 1.5 billion cones every year, ranging from cake cups to waffle bowls to gluten free sugar cones. Recently Joy Cone sought a solution to automate several processes in its Infor ERP XA (MAPICS) application, and to work toward the elimination

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• ARCAD Bolsters ALM Integration with Third Party Tools

  June 12, 2012 Alex Woodie

  ARCAD Software is exposing more of its application lifecycle management (ALM) suite to third-party products, including Microsoft .NET, IBM Rational Team Concert, the popular JIRA bug tracker, and even Rocket Aldon, with version 8.15 of its suite, which was recently released. The most visible component of the ARCAD suite of ALM tools is probably Skipper, the software configuration management (SCM) component that provides change management and version control for IBM i and open systems environments. But the French company’s ALM suite goes way beyond SCM, and includes a variety of other modules, including customer request tracking (Customer), build management

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• Zend Readies Framework 2.0, Pushes ‘Smart Start’ for IBM i

  June 12, 2012 Alex Woodie

  Zend Technologies last week released a fourth beta of its new Zend Framework 2.0, which the company expects to be generally available towards the end of the summer. The company is also starting to push Zend Smart Start for IBM i, a training and consulting offering that typically ends with the customer getting its own custom PHP app running on IBM i. The Zend Smart Start for IBM i program is a consulting engagement designed to get IBM i shops up and running with PHP in very quick fashion. As part of the program, one of Zend’s PHP-on-IBM i experts

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• Rational Team Concert Now Supports Dependency Builds for IBM i

  June 12, 2012 Alex Woodie

  IBM‘s new Rational Team Concert (RTC) version 4 will save IBM i developers time by allowing them to use the dependency build feature of the RTC product. In addition to a new release of RTC, IBM unveiled version 4 releases of Rational Quality Manager, Rational Requirements Composer, and its Collaborative Lifecycle Management (CLM) suite at last week’s annual Collaborate conference. RTC is an application lifecycle management (ALM) tool that allows teams of developers to work together more efficiently. The product, which IBM first unveiled three and a half years ago, offers source code tracking for RPG, COBOL, Java,

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• Red Oak Delivers 5250 Emulator for iPad

  June 12, 2012 Alex Woodie

  Red Oak Software last month unveiled Legacy Mobile 1.0, a new terminal emulator offering that allows users to access 5250 and 3270 applications from the comfort of their Apple tablet. Separate versions–one for 5250 and another for 3270–are available for download from the Apple iTunes app store for the cost equivalent of about five grande mocha frappuccinos. But that’s a small price to pay for the opportunity to impress friends and colleagues by accessing retro green screen i OS apps from iOS. In case you haven’t noticed, the iPad has taken over the computer world. Apple sold 15.4 million iPads

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