IBM System i APIs at Work

This is a monster of a book written by a giant of an expert. In this 700 page book, API expert Bruce Vining puts the definitive API resource in your hands. While APIs are powerful tools used to solve business problems, the amount of detail needed to implement them is more than the business programmer usually knows. You may be familiar with the use of APIs, but are you taking full advantage of them in your application coding? This second edition of the previously bestselling first edition is your guide to making sense, and effectively mastering, the APIs available with System i.

Author Bruce Vining is a member of the Rochester Design Control Group in IBM, where he is responsible for the design and implementation of all System i APIs. Who better to explain a wide variety of APIs, including list APIs, APIs that work with user spaces, APIs to retrieve system values, job and job queue information APIs, APIs to work with data queues, APIs for error handling and message handling, spool file APIs, and many more? Each chapter is full of real business-world examples that you can modify and use in your own environment.

In recent years, the business world has realized the impact information systems have on business effectiveness. As a result, programmers like yourself are now expected to use high-level encryption to store sensitive information, write interfaces between Microsoft Windows and System i RPG applications, and integrate business applications with the Web. Let this book show you how you can use APIs to do all this and more. You will come to realize that APIs are one of the most powerful tools in your programming toolbox. And with this book on your desk, you'll be able to make the most out of them.

New in this edition:

• New chapters covering topics such as exit point concepts-Integrated File System-date and time-cryptographic services-TCP/IP-and more
• In-depth coverage of sorting-character data conversion-and user application information APIs
• Fully updated code on previous APIs to bring them up to newer standards
• Changes to the APIs since the previous edition
• Modernized RPG code to demonstrate current coding style
• An appendix with COBOL examples and implementation-including API equivalents for RPG support of memory management-bit testing-edit words-and more
• Check Your Knowledge tasks at the conclusion of each chapter with solutions provided in RPG and COBOL