iSeries (AS/400) ILE Fundamentals

Introduction

The Integrated Language Environment (ILE) is a programming technique to allow the modular development of applications on the iSeries. Whilst it is not a pure object oriented environment, it does apply many of the techniques of object orientation, thus providing a gradual transition towards the eventual deployment of Java. Both RPGIV and CL participate in ILE programming.

What you will learn

On completion of this course, you will be able to:

• State the features and benefits of moving to ILE as a programming model.
• Define the differences between OPM and ILE.
• Create modules and service programs.
• Define and maintain service program binder language.
• Use activation groups for ILE programs.
• Use binding directories to aid program creation.
• Use bindable APIs.
• Use prototyping and sub-procedures.

Who should attend

RPGIV programmers who are already writing in RPGIV and who will use ILE as the programming model to create re-usable program modules.

Pre-requisites

Delegates must be already writing in RPGIV. This experience may be gained by attending the iSeries ADVANCED RPGIV PROGRAMMING course, followed by several weeks hands on development. Experienced RPG/400 programmers must attend the iSeries RPGIV CROSSOVER course prior to this course. Although this course is often scheduled to follow the RPGIV Crossover course, we strongly recommend an interval between the RPGIV Crossover course and the ILE RPG Programming course to gain further hands on RPGIV programming skills.

Course content

• Introduction to ILE.
• What is ILE?
• Modularity.
• History of ILE.
• Strategies for program creation.
• The display program command.
• The display module command.
• Programming with modules.
• Modules.
• Debug information.
• Program entry procedures.
• Exports.
• Nomain modules.
• The CRTRPGMOD and CRTPGM commands.
• Maintaining ILE programs.
• Updating a program.
• Changes to the program status data structure.
• CL modules.
• Calling procedures using the CALLPRC command.
• The CRTCLMOD command.
• Differences between OPM CL and ILE CL.
• Creating a bound CL program using CRTBNDCL.
• Service programs.
• Service program exports.
• Binder language and binder language commands.
• Retrieving binder source.
• The CRTSRVPGM command.
• Binding to a service program.
• The update service program command.
• Service program activation.
• Binding directories.
• The CRTBNDDIR command.
• Other binding directory commands.
• Working with and using binding directories.
• Program activation.
• Defining and using activation groups.
• Lifetime of an activation group.
• Deleting activation groups.
• Scoping of resources.
• The C function library.
• Error handling.
• The MONITOR opcode

Materials

A course manual with supporting documentation is provided. The course includes a series of practical sessions to create ILE RPGIV and ILE CL program modules and service programs, and to bind these together as a single executable program.

Schedule