Application development is a key part of IBM® i businesses. The IBM i operating system is a modern, robust platform to create and develop applications. The RPG language has been around for a long time, but is still being transformed into a modern business language. This IBM Redbooks® publication is focused on helping the IBM i development community understand the modern RPG language. The world of application development has been rapidly changing over the past years. The good news is that IBM i has been changing right along with it, and has made significant changes to the RPG language. This book is intended to help developers understand what modern RPG looks like and how to move from older versions of RPG to a newer, modern version. Additionally, it covers the basics of Integrated Language Environment® (ILE), interfacing with many other languages, and the best tools for doing development on IBM i. Using modern tools, methodologies, and languages are key to continuing to stay relevant in today's world. Being able to find the right talent for your company is key to your continued success. Using the guidelines and principles in this book can help set you up to find that talent today and into the future. This publication is the result of work that was done by IBM, industry experts, business partners, and some of the original authors of the first edition of this book. This information is important not only for developers, but also business decision makers (CIO for example) to understand that the IBM i is not an 'old' system. IBM i has modern languages and tools. It is a matter of what you choose to do with the IBM i that defines its age.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication provides an introduction to the IBM POWER® processor architecture. It describes the IBM POWER processor and IBM Power SystemsTM servers, highlighting the advantages and benefits of IBM Power Systems servers, IBM AIX®, IBM i, and Linux on Power. This publication showcases typical business scenarios that are powered by Power Systems servers. It provides an introduction to the artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that IBM Watson® services enable, and how these AI capabilities can be augmented in existing applications by using an agile approach to embed intelligence into every operational process. For each use case, the business benefits of adding Watson services are detailed. This publication gives an overview about each Watson service, and how each one is commonly used in real business scenarios. It gives an introduction to the Watson API explorer, which you can use to try the application programming interfaces (APIs) and their capabilities. The Watson services are positioned against the machine learning capabilities of IBM PowerAI. In this publication, you have a guide about how to set up a development environment on Power Systems servers, a sample code implementation of one of the business cases, and a description of preferred practices to move any application that you develop into production. This publication is intended for technical professionals who are interested in learning about or implementing IBM Watson services on AIX, IBM i, and Linux.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication is focused on melding industry preferred practices with the unique needs of the IBM i community and providing a holistic view of modernization. This book covers key trends for application structure, user interface, data access, and the database. Modernization is a broad term when applied to applications. It is more than a single event. It is a sequence of actions. But even more, it is a process of rethinking how to approach the creation and maintenance of applications. There are tangible deliveries when it comes to modernization, the most notable being a modern user interface (UI), such as a web browser or being able to access applications from a mobile device. The UI, however, is only the beginning. There are many more aspects to modernization. Using modern tools and methodologies can significantly improve productivity and reduce long-term cost while positioning applications for the next decade. It is time to put the past away. Tools and methodologies have undergone significant transformation, improving functionality, usability, and productivity. This is true of the plethora of IBM tools and the wealth of tools available from many Independent Solution Providers (ISVs). This publication is the result of work that was done by IBM, industry experts, and by representatives from many of the ISV Tool Providers. Some of their tools are referenced in the book. In addition to reviewing technologies based on context, there is an explanation of why modernization is important and a description of the business benefits of investing in modernization. This critical information is key for line-of-business executives who want to understand the benefits of a modernization project. This book is appropriate for CIOs, architects, developers, and business leaders. Related information Making the Case for Modernization, IBM Systems Magazine

What could be more important than upgrading your RPG skills? Traditional fixed-format style RPG IV programmers everywhere are embracing the increased productivity, better readability, and easier program maintenance that comes with the free-format style of programming in RPG IV. This book, a "how-to" guide and the first of its kind, will provide you with concise and thorough information on this powerful new way of coding RPG IV. Though free-format information is available in IBM manuals, it is not separated from everything else, thereby requiring hours of tedious research to track down the information you need. With this book, your search is over. Free-Format RPG IV is the "one-stop" resource that will save you time and frustration. In it, you'll find everything you need to know to write RPG IV in the free-format style. Author Jim Martin not only teaches rules and syntax, but also explains how this new style of coding has the potential to improve overall programmer productivity—from initial development through maintenance. He methodically covers the "how to" involved in free-format RPG IV, including many style issues, such as named indicators and built-in functions. He also addresses input and output, program flow, data manipulation, and math operations. There is even a chapter on prototyping and APIs. Free-Format RPG IV is the definitive guide on the topic and just what you need to get started with this exciting, powerful style of programming. With Free-Format RPG IV you will: - Learn not only the "how-to," but also the "why" of free-format RPG IV - Acquire essential, free-format style tips to help you write good, maintainable code - Find complete-program solutions for specific problems, including associated display and printer files - Discover how upgrading your RPG skills to free-format can take your programming career to the next level.

Focusing strictly on teaching free-format RPG programming methods, this book will help programmers wishing to upgrade their skills This how-to guide offers a concise and thorough introduction to the increased productivity, better readability, and easier program maintenance that comes with the free-format style of programming in RPG IV. Although free-format information is available in IBM manuals, it is not separated from everything else, requiring hours of tedious research to track down the information needed. This book provides everything you need to know to write RPG IV in the free-format style. Author Jim Martin not only teaches rules and syntax, but also explains how this modern style of coding has the potential to improve overall programmer productivity--from initial development through maintenance. He methodically covers the many style issues, such as named indicators and built-in functions, and addresses topics including input and output, program flow, data manipulation, math operations, prototyping, and APIs. This third edition is updated to V7.1 of the IBM i operating system on IBM Power machines. An added chapter explains the new free-format H, F, D, and P specifications introduced by IBM in Technology Refresh 7, and programming examples throughout the book are updated to reflect the new specifications.

The biggest challenge facing many game programmers is completing their game. Most game projects fizzle out, overwhelmed by the complexity of their own code. Game Programming Patterns tackles that exact problem. Based on years of experience in shipped AAA titles, this book collects proven patterns to untangle and optimize your game, organized as independent recipes so you can pick just the patterns you need. You will learn how to write a robust game loop, how to organize your entities using components, and take advantage of the CPUs cache to improve your performance. You'll dive deep into how scripting engines encode behavior, how quadtrees and other spatial partitions optimize your engine, and how other classic design patterns can be used in games.

This guide teaches programmers who have been left behind in the IBM i's evolution to code more productively and modernize their business applications. Shirey uses a casual, humorous teaching style to explain the concepts, along with plenty of code examples. Readers will gain confidence in areas that may be new to them and use the provided examples to practice what they've learned. The manual is structured so that whether they are using the latest IBM i technology or an older version, readers will learn methods to improve coding and applications, as well as become comfortable with writing programs using ILE RPG, free-format RPG, and Model-View-Controller (MVC).