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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Richard Schoen

Call/Parm Your Open Source Apps from RPG and CL with QSHCALL

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QSHONI integration for IBM i RPG, CL and open sourceA few years back I created the QShell on IBM i (QshOni) project to allow QShell/PASE (open source) apps to be more easily integrated and used with traditional IBM i job streams written in RPG and CL. Since then, many developers have adopted QshOni to utilize their open source apps in conjunction with their classic traditional apps.

Recently I added several new commands to QshOni to make living the PASE life even easier for RPG developers. Today’s focus will be on the QSHCALL command.

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Amy Lantz

IBM i API Examples Using RPG, Node.js, PHP, and Python

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The Toronto User Group recently invited Alan to speak with them about how to implement secure, flexible APIs to connect IBM i applications to other systems.

Using several real-world code examples written in various free tools and languages—including RPG, PHP, Python, and Node.js—Alan demonstrated how others send and receive data safely using their favorite language paired with IBM i business logic. This video contains the details.

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Amy Lantz

What’s New in Open Source on IBM i

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Open source on IBM i is moving fast these days. Alan recently shared his favorite updates to IBM i open source—focusing on improved security, performance, and ease of programming—at a Summit Lunch & Learn hosted by Paul Tuohy.

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Richard Schoen

curl Your RPG Apps with QSHCURL

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curlIn this post we’ll take a closer look at how IBM i developers can use the QSHCURL command to easily reach out from CL or RPG and talk to internet-based services and APIs, then consume the resulting data, without a lot of extra effort.

First we’ll provide a short curl intro, and then we’ll look at an example of how to use the PASE-based curl command with an RPG program.

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Amy Lantz

Tips for Fast, Reliable Open Source on IBM i

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Open source continues to gain traction in IBM i shops, and for good reason. It excels at delivering new interfaces and functionality for RPG and COBOL applications, plus it broadens the talent pool for your development team.

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Alan Seiden

Encrypting IBM i ODBC Connections from Linux with TLS/SSL

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ODBC with Db2 for IBM i

ODBC connections between Linux and IBM i should be encrypted to keep their Db2 data safe in transit.

To encrypt ODBC data, IBM recommends the industry-standard TLS encryption protocol (the successor to SSL).

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Calvin Buckley

ODBC Connection Strings for IBM i Db2

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ODBC with Db2 for IBM iAs ODBC gains popularity for IBM i database access, developers of web applications and APIs need information on defining ODBC database connections. This article demonstrates tips and techniques for effectively using ODBC connection strings in all programming environments, including popular languages such as PHP, Python, and Node.js.

For an example of how connection strings are used in a program, see How to Query IBM i Data with PHP and PDO_ODBC.

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Amy Lantz

VS Code for IBM i: A Resource Guide

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UPDATED 2/10/2025

Code for IBM iVS Code for IBM i offers an alternative to RDi, the fee-based graphical IDE for IBM i, and SEU, the native green-screen IDE. It’s faster than RDi and easier to learn than either RDi or SEU. It supports development in RPGLE, COBOL, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Node.js, etc. Liam Allan’s Code for IBM i 2024 review updates us on the state of the open source project.

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Calvin Buckley

How Update-Alternatives Manages Multiple Versions of Python, Node.js, and other Open Source Packages

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parallel versionsAfter a friend installed Python 3.9 side-by-side with Python 3.6, he asked, “I noticed that the newer version, Python 3.9, became the default on my IBM i system. How did the default version get set?” We explained how IBM used the update-alternatives program to set the default version of Python and other open source software packages.

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