Tag Archive for: IBMiOSS

Alan Seiden

Moving to IBM i 7.6? An SDA Alternative with VS Code and IBM Bob

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Display File DDS Edit LogoHave you been holding off on IBM i 7.6 because your developers need Screen Design Aid (SDA)? IBM removed SDA in 7.6, but there is another way to maintain your DDS display files.

Christian Larsen’s free and open source Display File DDS Edit extension lets you visually edit and preview display files in VS Code and IBM Bob. For shops that depend on SDA, the extension can remove an obstacle to upgrading.

Christian joined us at our September 25, 2026, Code for i Fridays meeting to demonstrate the editor and answer questions. We have posted the video of Christian’s demonstration, with his permission.

Working with your display files

As you edit DDS, the extension shows a preview of your screen. You can drag fields into position, add fields and constants, and see how indicator settings affect the display.

Screen Preview

Christian’s demonstration covers tasks familiar to SDA users, including:

  • Moving and adding fields
  • Working with indicators and function keys
  • Resolving referenced fields
  • Overlaying records
  • Designing windows
  • Supporting multiple display sizes

Preparing for IBM i 7.6

If SDA is on your list of reasons to stay on an older release, take a look at VS Code, Code for i, and this extension. You can keep maintaining your existing DDS screens using VS Code or IBM Bob.

Getting started

Install Display File DDS Edit from the Visual Studio Marketplace. In VS Code, open a DDS display file, and look for DSPF STRUCTURE in Explorer. From there, you can navigate the file and access editing options. The Marketplace page also links to documentation and a place to report issues or request enhancements.

Thank you to Christian for sharing his work and taking questions from the group.

For more demonstrations and discussions like this one, join us for Code for i Fridays. Bring a question, share something you’ve learned, or just listen. Sign up to receive meeting invitations and recording links.

Alan Seiden

What’s New with Mapepire Database Connector for IBM i

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Since its release by IBM two years ago, the open-source Db2 for IBM i connector known as Mapepire has become a trusted part of our ecosystem.  In 2025, we wrote about Seiden Group professional support for Mapepire and answered common questions. Since then, the project has continued to advance and prove itself. Here’s what’s new.

Recent Mapepire news and updates

Seiden Group experience on projects using Mapepire

  • Implemented multiple Node.js API projects using Mapepire to access data and stored procedures (SQL and RPG)
  • Load/speed testing showed excellent throughput
  • Used Mapepire as the connector for the MCP Server and AI agents we developed
  • Developed projects in multiple languages (Node/JavaScript, PHP, Python, etc.) using Mapepire for database access

Mapepire’s proven benefits

  • Simpler deployment of applications — no driver needed
  • Easier to secure, Mapepire requires only a single open port, which is configurable, rather than multiple host server ports
  • No license needed
  • Open source means no surprises from release to release
  • No vendor lock-in

Your partner for IBM i support and Mapepire

  • Seiden Group can help you reach your goals for modern development on IBM i.
  • We support Mapepire at every stage – development up through production as well as break/fix support and the creation of new client language libraries.
  • Contact us to learn more.
Alan Seiden

Safer npm installation is on the way for Node.js (and all JavaScript)

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JavaScript’s package manager, npm, has been in the news lately for allowing supply-chain risks. By default, npm trusts a module’s install scripts, running them automatically. In a recent compromise of Red Hat npm packages, attackers used malicious install scripts to spread a credential-stealing worm.

Some packages do need to run installation scripts. The odbc module, for example, uses node-gyp during installation to compile the driver. On IBM i and other platforms, that compile step may be necessary.

npm’s response

Starting with npm 11.16.0, npm will warn about install scripts that have not been explicitly approved. In npm 12, unapproved scripts are expected to be blocked by default.

If you try to install a package with install scripts under npm 11.6.0, you will receive a warning such as this:

For legitimate packages that need install scripts, the fix is to run npm approve-scripts. For example:

After approval, npm will remember that the package should be allowed to run its install script:

In our case, approving odbc is appropriate because its installation runs node-gyp, which is needed to compile the ODBC driver.

We suggest updating npm now and reviewing any warnings before npm 12 makes this behavior more strict.

To upgrade npm to the latest version:

Thank you to IBM’s Korinne Adler for alerting us to this change.

For more open source support and security help

Contact us for professional open source support and security guidance.

Alan Seiden

Mapepire Q&A

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A friend in the IBM i vendor community asked me about Mapepire popularity and security. He had read about Seiden Group’s support for the Mapepire Db2 for i driver. I have provided his questions and edited versions of my answers below.

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Alan Seiden

Easy Job Scheduling and Queuing with Seiden PHP+ on IBM i

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Seiden PHP+Using a job queue or scheduler to run PHP scripts helps ensure that PHP-based processes are run successfully and on time.

To make it easy for Seiden PHP+ users to schedule jobs, we provide job scheduler or queue functionality and support with our Seiden PHP+ SmartSupport.

Benefits include the ability to:

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Alan Seiden

Physical File GREP (PFGREP): Fast IBM i Source Code Search

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pfgrep: Fast search for IBM i PFsOur 2023 article on searching source physical file members using the QShell grep command showed grep’s potential. In practice, while we found QShell grep to be flexible, we also experienced slow performance and occasional errors.

Now, our own Calvin Buckley has built an improved grep command called pfgrep to search traditional IBM i source physical file members. Quick and reliable, pfgrep is also free and open source.

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Richard Schoen

New QSHONI Commands: Integrate Python, PHP, Java with CL & RPG

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QSHONI integration for IBM i RPG, CL and open sourceA few years ago I introduced you to my QShell on i utility – QSHONI. QSHONI makes it easy for traditional CL, RPG, and COBOL programs to call Python utilities and other QShell/PASE utility programs (PHP, Node, Java, etc.) and directly use their output. QSHONI opened up a whole new world of integrations to open-source apps from traditional IBM i applications.

I keep thinking I will run out of interesting things to add to the library, but the ideas keep on flowing.

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Alan Seiden

What’s in Your ODBC Driver? A 2024 Update

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ODBC with Db2 for IBM iSince IBM announced Yum support for installing the IBM i Db2 ODBC driver, as documented in our 2022 tutorial, users can update their driver more easily.

To help users determine what’s changed, IBM maintains a list of fixes and enhancements for each IBM i ODBC driver release.

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Alan Seiden

Which PHP Versions Get Critical Security Updates?

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PHPAlthough there are many reasons—including performance—to update to newer PHP releases, the number one reason is to avoid losing security updates.

Each version of PHP (7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, etc.) has three years of support before it is considered end of life. For two years, it gets bug fixes and all security fixes. In the third year, it gets only critical security fixes. After that, nothing!

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Alan Seiden

Node.js v20 and Other Updated Packages Require New IBM i Repositories

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IBM i open source for businessAs we mentioned in our article on installing ODBC via yum, the latest IBM i open source packages require new repositories.

A notable example is Node.js v20. When we hear users say, “I don’t see Node.js v20 listed in available packages, and yum returns ‘No package nodejs20 available‘,” the reason invariably is that the new repositories, ibmi-base and ibmi-release, have not been installed.

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