Scott Forstie’s Wish

At a recent Code for i Fridays meeting, DB2 for i Business Architect Scott Forstie shared with the group:

“My wish is that every new database file is an SQL table.”

Scott was recommending that new tables always be built using SQL/DDL* rather than DDS. He had several good reasons, but to share the top two:

• SQL follows industry standards. Such standards provide “innate and real value.” Even the accessibility to new IBM i practitioners (who may know SQL) is of value.
• Because SQL tables adhere to standards, they do not allow violation of data type rules. DDS-based Physical Files do not have that protection. Much of the value of IBM i systems rests in the data; therefore, “the quality of the data in database files is paramount.” SQL tables help ensure this quality. The issue was on Scott’s mind because he had just helped a client whose numeric columns contained character data.

Scott then emphasized his wording: “NEW database files.” As a business architect, Scott places business principles first: modernize, but do not disrupt business. Start with the next table. Set your standards, use SQL tables, employ descriptive table and column naming, and create proper indexes to prevent performance issues.

* The subset of SQL used for creating tables is known as Data Definition Language (DDL). You may see the terms SQL and DDL used interchangeably.

For IBM’s documentation on how to build tables using SQL, see: CREATE TABLE on IBM i.

Our next free meeting about VS Code for IBM i is Friday, May 30, 2025.