May 10, 2007
Howdy folks! As you can see, System iNetwork Programming Tips now has a new look and feel. You'll also notice that the article titles are now prefixed by the access level, they're either "Free" or "Pro/ProVIP."
Let us know what you think! At the bottom of every e-mail newsletter, there's a section that describes how to send questions, comments or feedback.
Also, please let me know if there are any topics you'd like to see covered in future issues of this newsletter, and I'll do my best to put them on the agenda. As always, I want to make this a newsletter that covers the topics that will help you the most in your job!
— Scott Klement, System iNetwork Programming Tips Editor.
April 26, 2007
Hi folks,
Starting next month, the schedule for this newsletter will be changing. It will now be published only on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month.
Starting in June, a new newsletter named RPG Coder will be published on the first and third Thursday of each month, so that it alternates with this one. RPG Coder will be edited by Bob Cozzi. As a subscriber to this newsletter, you will be automatically subscribed to Bob's newsletter as well (though, after the fact, you'll be able to unsubscribe from the two newsletters independently if you wish).
Why are we doing this? Because I'm exhausted! I need to cut down on the amount of work I do. I'm currently averaging around 70 hours of work each week. I have a regular full-time job as a programmer, plus the writing and editing of this newsletter, plus my technical editor duties for System iNEWS magazine, and speaking engagements. I enjoy all of these things, and I don't want to give any of them up, so I decided to slow down a little on the newsletter.
With that in mind, the next issue of this newsletter will be published on May 10th.
I hope to meet some of you next week at the COMMON conference in Anaheim! I'll be giving eight different talks throughout the week, so be sure to stop by and see what I have to say.
April 12, 2007
Every year, we conduct a survey of our readers, which helps us understand what sort of topics we need to cover in our newsletters, System iNEWS magazine, and other System iNetwork publications. It'd be a great big help to me and the rest of the editorial staff if you could take a few minutes to fill out the survey at the following link:
http://www.systeminetwork.com/surveys/readersurvey2007/
If you're like me, you probably get calls from two or three market research firms every day asking you to fill out a survey, and this survey may seem like just one more. Please, let me assure you that this survey is a big help to the editorial staff -- it is not just another marketing tool! I use it personally to aid me in deciding what to cover over the coming months, so please take a few minutes and fill it out!
As an extra incentive, System iNetwork is giving away yet another Nintendo Wii (which I'm not eligible to win. You can't hear me, but I'm weeping piteously), an Apple iPod, or a Bose SoundDock. Check out the link above for details.
March 08, 2007
I was at a friend's house the other day, and he showed me his Nintendo Wii. It's a really innovative and fun video gaming system. The controllers work by moving them around, so if you play baseball, you swing the controller like a baseball bat. If you play billiards, you thrust the controller forward like a cue stick.
You can even design your own Mii, which is what they call the little people you see playing the video games on the TV screen. With some help from an artistic friend (I'm not very artistic, myself), we created a Mii that looked just like me! We also created one that (I kid you not) looked exactly like pop singer Michael Jackson. It's hilarious to watch yourself play tennis with Michael Jackson.
You can win a Nintendo Wii! The System iNetwork is currently conducting a Shop Profile survey. If you help us out and fill in the survey, you'll earn a chance to win the Nintendo Wii. I think that's a great prize. (I wish I could win it! Unfortunately, I'm not eligible because of the work I do for the System iNetwork. <sigh>)
By the way, it really helps us out to understand your shop's environment, challenges, etc. We need that sort of information to keep providing you with quality material. So, please take the time to enter the survey. We would really appreciate it. If you don't want the Wii, feel free to send it to me! <grin>
The deadline for this survey is March 31, 2007. More details are at:
http://www.systeminetwork.com/surveys/shopprofile2007/
February 15, 2007
Hello!
If you're a fan of the Redbook Who Knew You Could Do That with RPG IV? A Sorcerer's Guide to System Access and More, you might be interested to know how progress is coming on the sequel. The authors have posted a diary at the following link:
http://www.systemideveloper.com/redbookdiary.html
The same folks (Paris, Gantner, and Tuohy) have also joined forces with Skip Marchesani to create a new conference that focuses on teaching RPG and DB2 knowledge. The best part is, they've asked me to speak at their conference! I'm really looking forward to it. It'll be in Las Vegas next month. If you're looking for that sort of training, you might want to check it out at the following link:
http://www.systemideveloper.com/conferences.html
If you'll be there, please come over and say "hi." I'd enjoy meeting some more of the readers of this newsletter, plus I'd love to hear your thoughts on what we should cover in future articles.
December 14, 2006
This will be the last issue of System iNetwork Programming Tips for 2006. I'll be taking the rest of the year off to spend with my family. (I hope they still remember me. I've been so busy, I've hardly seen them!) The next issue of this newsletter will be sent out on January 11, 2007.
If you have any ideas for topics (related to System i programming, of course) that you'd like to see published in this newsletter in 2007, please send me an e-mail message at programmingtips@SystemiNetwork.com.
On behalf of everyone involved in the production of this newsletter, I wish you happy holidays and hope you have a great new year!
November 16, 2006
Next week Thursday (November 23, 2006) is the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. On behalf of everyone involved with System iNetwork Programming Tips, we'd like to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving!
In observance of the holiday, there will be no newsletter next Thursday. We'll be back on November 30.
October 19, 2006
Hi there!
Have you seen this new System iPortal? The team behind System iNetwork has put together this site that links you to all the forums, blogs, wikis, article archives, white papers, webcasts, and podcasts from all the System i-related sites on the Internet.
My favorite feature is the search function. You can search for articles on any topic, and it searches everywhere, not just one site! It searches IT Jungle, System iNetwork, Midrange.com, and MC Press Online, all at once.
The next time you're trying to find any System i-related information, give System iPortal a try:
http://www.SystemiPortal.com
August 24, 2006
Effective August 21, 2006, this newsletter's name changed from Club Tech iSeries Programming Tips to System iNetwork Programming Tips.
As you most likely know, IBM changed the name of our beloved platform. Previously, the line of computers was referred to as IBM eServer iSeries, and the current generation was known as IBM eServer iSeries i5. Starting this spring, the family changed to IBM System i, and the current generation changed to IBM System i5.
To keep with the times, we wanted to change the name of the newsletter to replace the term "iSeries" with a newer term. While we were at it, I thought it'd be a good idea to eliminate the name "Club Tech" and replace it with "System iNetwork" to make it clear that we are a part of that network.
August 17, 2006
The iSeries Network has, in the past, released an iSeries Starter Kit that describes the setup and day-to-day operations involved in running an AS/400, iSeries, or i5 system. This is nothing new; the Starter Kit has been available to iSeries Network members for a long time.
What is new, however, is that the Starter Kit is now a wiki! You can not only learn from it, but you can also help provide revisions so that it's as useful as possible.
The Starter Kit wiki is available to all iSeries Network members. Check it out at http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/wiki/.
August 10, 2006
Help us fill the December 2006 issue of iSeries NEWS with hot tips on programming (RPG, CL, Java, Cobol, SQL, etc.). We'll give you $60 for each tip accepted for publication and $120 if yours is the hottest tip in its category. The deadline is coming up quick: August 14, 2006! Contact Vicki Hamende (vhamende@pentontech.com) for guidelines.
July 20, 2006
When it comes to iSeries programming, everyone has favorite tips and tricks. We'd like to assemble a list of the absolute best ones for the December issue of iSeries NEWS magazine.
The tips should be about iSeries programming (RPG, CL, Java, Cobol, SQL, etc.) and must be submitted by the deadline of August 14, 2006. In return, we'll pay you $60 for each tip that we publish, and $120 if yours is judged the hottest one in its category!
So help us fill the December 2006 issue with tips! To participate, or ask questions, please send e-mail to Vicki Hamende (vhamende@pentontech.com) . I can't wait to get my December issue to see what you come up with!
April 20, 2006
The staff of the iSeries Network needs your help! We need to know what you like and dislike about what we're doing. We need to know what topics are important to you.
Please take a few minutes to fill out the following survey. It'll help us out tremendously!
http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/surveys/isnreadersurvey2006/
If you fill out the survey, you'll be given the chance (at your option) to enter a drawing for a FREE 1 GB iPod Nano! Click the link above for details.
March 23, 2006
Hello everyone! I'll be speaking next week at the COMMON Spring Conference in Minneapolis. As always, I'd enjoy meeting more of the people who read my newsletter! If you'll be there, please check out one of my sessions, and say "Hi."
Here are the sessions that I'll be giving:
32MA 500125 XML from RPG Using Free Tools
33MA 500124 Web Services from RPG Using HTTPAPI
44MI 403547 Accessing the Integrated File System (IFS) from RPG IV
46ME 500131 Getting Started with APIs from RPG
Hope to see you there!
December 15, 2005
This is the last 2005 issue of Club Tech iSeries Programming Tips. On behalf of the editorial team who brings you this newsletter, I'd like to wish you the happiest of holidays.
We'll be back on January 12, 2006. If you have any suggestions for what you'd like to see in this newsletter in the coming year, please e-mail me at sklement@iseriesnetwork.com
Thanks!
November 17, 2005
Club Tech iSeries Programming Tips will take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday. We'll be back on December 8th. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
October 13, 2005
You have only until October 14 to take part in our 2005 Application Development Survey. It's vital that we have your input, because this survey's results will guide the topics that the iSeries Network covers in the future. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey before time runs out!
As an added bonus, filling out the survey enters you in a drawing where you could win an iPod 2 GB nano.
http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/surveys/appdev2005/
Not to pressure you or anything, but if you don't fill out the survey, I'm going to kill a cute, fluffy little bunny. This is your last chance to save the bunny's life!
September 22, 2005
iSeries NEWS is conducting an Application Development survey to help us understand the needs of our customer base. The results of this survey will have an impact not only on the magazine, but also on this newsletter.
When you fill out this survey, you'll have the option to be entered into a drawing for a free iPod 2gb nano!
For more details, and to fill out the survey, please go to the following link:
http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/surveys/appdev2005
August 25, 2005
From September 26-28th, I will once again be speaking at RPG World. If you need to "catch up" on your RPG skills, this would be a great place to do it. If you see me, please stop by and say "hi", since I love to hear from my readers.
If you do register, you can get a $100 discount because you're a loyal reader of my newsletter. Use discount code ISN5 when registering.
July 28, 2005
In this issue of Club Tech iSeries Programming Tips, as well as other recent ones, I've provided information about how to get work done using CGIDEV2.
Unfortunately, CGIDEV2 is currently in the midst of a crisis. For more information, check out the article entitled CGIDEV2: Caught on the Cusp of Life and Death which can be found at the following link:
http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/article.cfm?id=51277
July 21, 2005
What kinds of challenges do programmers in your shop face? Are there aspects of iSeries programming that I could cover that would help you? If so, please send me an e-mail with suggestions for new topics.
Or, even better, if you're interested in writing some programming tips articles, please let me know. I'm always looking for people who are willing to contribute!
I can be reached at sklement@iseriesnetwork.com
June 09, 2005
Paul Conte will be the editor of this week's newsletter.
I've recently become the father of a baby boy, Alexander Scott Klement, who was born at 7 lbs, 12 oz on May 18th.
Since I've been very busy helping with the baby, as well as helping my wife with her recovery, Paul has generously agreed to step in to help out with this week's newsletter. Thanks, Paul!
April 21, 2005
We at the iSeries Network are very proud to have a blog called iSpeak where our technical editors, myself included, share our insights about all things iSeries.
If you haven't had a chance to check it out, please do! You can find it at the following link:
http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/isnblogs/ispeak/
April 14, 2005
I'm pleased to announce that Club Tech iSeries Programming Tips is now available in HTML format!
As a convienience to our readers, everyone's subscription has been updated so that they will receive the HTML version. The plain text format is still be supported, however, and if you'd like to receive that, you can update your subscription preferences at the following link:
https://secure.pentontech.com/news400/f3/index.cfm?fuseaction=subscribe.login