Master ILE RPG data structures: dcl-ds syntax, qualified data structures with dot notation, LIKEDS for cloning a structure, template data structures, data structure arrays with DIM, external DB2 data structures using EXTNAME and LIKEREC, and passing data structures to subprocedures by reference and value.
Understand the IBM i PASE runtime in depth: AIX binary compatibility, how PASE differs from QShell, managing environment variables, PASE process lifecycle, shared library loading with LD_LIBRARY_PATH, yum package management, and how PASE integrates with the ILE job structure and activation groups on IBM i in 2026.
Set up a modern IBM i development environment in 2026: install the Code for IBM i VS Code extension, edit RPG and CL source with syntax highlighting and inline errors, integrate Git for source control, define custom build actions, and use GitHub Copilot and IBM Merlin for AI-assisted RPG coding.
A complete guide to IBM i work management in 2026: create custom subsystem descriptions, configure routing entries and class objects, manage job queue priorities, diagnose multi-threaded jobs, and analyse performance with WRKACTJOB and Collection Services.
Learn how to integrate IBM i with Microsoft Azure in 2026 using the Azure Python and Node.js SDKs in PASE. Stream DB2 for i data to Azure Event Hubs, offload to Blob Storage, exchange messages via Service Bus, and sync data to Azure SQL for Power BI reporting.
A comprehensive guide to DB2 for i JSON and XML functions in 2026: extracting scalars with JSON_VALUE, shredding arrays with JSON_TABLE, constructing responses with JSON_OBJECT and JSON_ARRAYAGG, producing JSON with FOR JSON, parsing XML with XMLTABLE, and building a complete REST payload processor stored procedure.
A deep dive into the IBM i ILE binding model: how modules, programs, service programs, and binding directories relate, how CRTPGM and CRTSRVPGM work, the difference between *NEW, *CALLER, and named activation groups, and how to design reusable service programs for production IBM i systems in 2026.
Master IBM i CL exception handling in 2026: message file architecture, CRTMSGF and ADDMSGD to define messages, SNDPGMMSG for escape and informational messages, MONMSG for structured exception catching, RCVMSG to retrieve message data, and a complete CL error handling programme template with DB2 audit logging.
A practical guide to IBM i security hardening in 2026: QSECURITY levels 10–50, auditing user profiles with QSYS2.USER_INFO, removing excessive special authorities, object authority management, enabling QAUDJRN, hardening network services, and applying Row and Column Access Control in DB2 for i.
A comprehensive guide to DB2 for i SQL stored procedures and user-defined functions in 2026: CREATE PROCEDURE syntax, IN/OUT parameters, cursor loops, calling from RPG and Node.js, scalar and table UDFs, and external stored procedures backed by ILE RPG programs.