21st Century RPG: /Free, ILE, and MVC

IBM i professionals are known for their dedication to the i. But while the platform has evolved, not all i programmers' skills have kept pace. Perhaps you still code in fixed-format RPG. Or maybe you are just getting started with RPG. Whether you're an IBM i programmer who has not yet made the leap to modern coding with free-format RPG, ILE, and the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern, or you need more practice with these technologies, you will benefit from this book.

Author David Shirey's aim in 21st Century RPG: /Free, ILE, and MVC is simple: to help programmers who have been left behind in the IBM i's evolution, so they can use newer coding methods to boost productivity, modernize applications, and upgrade their skills. Shirey uses a friendly, humorous teaching style to explain the concepts, along with plenty of code examples and exercises that let readers practice what they've learned. The book is structured so that whether you're running the latest IBM i OS or an older version, you will learn ways to improve your coding and applications.

Upon reading this book, you will:

• Be familiar with ILE RPG, free-format RPG, and MVC
• Know the differences between free-format and fixed-format RPG
• Understand the key elements of ILE: programs, service programs, procedures, sub-procedures, and modules
• Become comfortable with free-format coding
• Learn how to create, compile, and call ILE programs using free-format
• Learn the benefits of working with MVC and how to use it in an ILE and free-format RPG program
• Gain insight into Web programming with RPG