Flexible Input, Dazzling Output with IBM i

Link your IBM i system to the modern business server world! This book presents easier and more flexible ways to get data into your IBM i system, along with rather surprising methods to export and present the vital business data it contains. You’ll learn how to automate file transfers, seamlessly connect PC applications with your RPG programs, and much more. Input operations will become more flexible and user-proof, with self-correcting import processes and direct file transfers that require a minimum of user intervention. Also learn novel ways to present information: your DB2 data will look great on program-generated spreadsheets and browser-based, interactive charts. All the solutions presented are based on existing open-source tools or were created from scratch by the author. The full source code, plus sample programs that are easy to understand and adapt, are provided with the book. Readers can integrate these input/output methods into their own applications, providing flexible, integrated, and modern solutions—all from RPG ILE programs, without having to increase the application landscape complexity with new servers and programming languages.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Flexible Input
Chapter 1: Automate Data Transfers Using FTP
Chapter 2: Automate FTP in “Real Life” via LotusScript
Chapter 3: Transfer a PC Text File to an IBM i Physical File in One or Two Easy Steps
Chapter 4: Get Real-Time Integration Between Your PC Application and IBM i
Chapter 5: Import CSV Files with File Correcting
Chapter 6: Send Email from an RPG Program

Part 2: Dazzling Output
Chapter 7: Easily Transform Legacy Printouts into Excel Files
Chapter 8: Generate Professional Charts in Real T ime
Chapter 9: BLOBs Keep PDF, XLS, and Other Reports Safe in DB2

Part 3: Going Global
Chapter 10: GPS-Enable Your Database!
Chapter 11: Using GeoNames Web Services to Collect Geo-Related Data