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These files contain useful product information about new function delivered with the Version 2.0 Refresh. Some of this information is not contained in the product documentation. A list of the files and a brief summary of their contents is shown in the table below. The files in their entirety follow the table. BIDI.TXT - Bi-directional language attribute conversion DATAJOIN.TXT - VisualGen interfaces with DataJoiner DBCS400.TXT - OS/400 DBCS Support ERADINT.TXT - Using VisualGen with TeamConnection EZEUSRID.TXT - EZEUSRID can now be set in the Test General Preferences Profile EZExCCS.TXT - DLL has been replaced FILEIO.TXT - File I/O options available from WorkGroup Services GUINEWS.TXT - Describes new function available in GUI definition HINTS400.TXT - OS/400 Performance Hints and Tips IBMCOBOL.TXT - VisualGen generates VisualAge COBOL for OS/2 ITFFONT.TXT - Support added for Simplified Chinese fonts from ITF ITFGUI.TXT - ITF and GUI runtime consistencies MSGHELPS.TXT - Easier access to message helps is provided PN78808.TXT - EZERRUN_SRV_LUW environment variable REFFP6.TXT - What is the Refresh verses what is FixPack 6? RESOURCE.TXT - CICS OS/2 resource table entries for 32-bit CICS SAMPLE.TXT - Sample utility for establishing build environments SQLID.TXT - Implicit SET CURRENT SQLID function TABLE.TXT - Filling a VG table with data TCNEEDS.TXT - Level of TeamConnection needed to work with Library MSLs *********************************************************************** bidi.txt Bidirectional Attribute Conversion in VisualGen ----------------------------------------------- 1.0 BIDIRECTIONAL LANGUAGE ATTRIBUTE CONVERSION ________________________________________________ Arabic and Hebrew are bidirectional (BIDI) languages in which national language characters are displayed right to left and Latin characters are displayed left to right. BIDI language attributes describe the way in which different types of characters (national language, Latin, numeric, and special characters) are stored and displayed in character string variables. VisualGen(*) supports conversion of BIDI character strings from one attribute specification to another. This conversion is supported on OS/2(*) and AIX(*) systems. BIDI attribute conversion can be performed in conjunction with or independently of code-page character conversion or numeric item data format conversion. You can convert the character strings in a record using an EZECONV special function call from the test facility and generated C++(1) applications, or you can request that character string parameters be converted on client/server calls to remote server applications from test facility, GUI clients, and generated C++ applications. To request BIDI attribute conversion, the developer: o Defines a conversion table that contains source and target BIDI attribute specifications in addition to code page and system type information o Specifies the conversion table name on the EZECONV call or on the CONTABLE option for the generation linkage table entry that defines how a server application is called. 1.1 DEFINING CONVERSION TABLES FOR BIDIRECTIONAL ATTRIBUTES ____________________________________________________________ To build a conversion table with BIDI attribute specifications, use the EZEBLDBF.EXE utility shipped with VisualGen Developer. Use the following command to create a conversion table: EZEBLDBF tname ct st csbcscp ssbcscp cBIDI sbidi where: TNAME Output file name with a file extension of CTB. CT Client (source) system type AI ASCII Intel(2), (Windows(3), OS/2) AX ASCII UNIX(4) (AIX) E EBCDIC ST Server (target) system type AI ASCII Intel (Windows, OS/2) AX ASCII Unix (AIX) E EBCDIC CSBCSCP Client (source) system code page number. The code page number is a 1- to 4-digit number of a code page for a conversion table that is to be used to perform conver- sion on an OS/2 system, or the AIX code page name of a table to be used on an AIX system. SSBCSCP Server (target) system code page number. The code page number is a 1- to 4-digit number of a code page for a conversion table that is to be used to perform conver- sion on an OS/2 system, or the AIX code page name of a table to be used on an AIX system. CBIDI Client (source) BIDI attributes (8-digit hexadecimal number) A description of each digit in the BIDI attribute string, starting from the left, follows: DIGIT: DESCRIPTION: 1 Text manipulation. This attribute does not affect BIDI string conversion. Set the value to 8. 2 Text type 0 - Visual 1 - Implicit 3 Window orientation. This attribute does not affect BIDI string conversion. 0 - Left to right 1 - Right to left 4 Text orientation 0 - Left to right 1 - Right to left 2 - Contextual 5 Numerals 0 - Nominal 1 - Passthru 2 - National 3 - Contextual 6 Symmetric swapping 0 - Off 1 - On 7-8 Character shape 00 - Display shaped 01 - Save shaped 10 - Nominal 11 - Initial 12 - middle 13 - final 14 - isolated SBIDI Server (target) BIDI attributes (8-digit hexadecimal number) See the previous option, cbidi, for a description of each digit in the BIDI attribute string. The system types control the conversion of the numeric item format. The code page numbers control code page translation for character items when conversion is performed. The BIDI attributes control BIDI attribute conversion for character items. The following command builds a conversion table that supports Arabic ASCII-to-EBCDIC conversion with BIDI attribute conversion for an OS/2 client calling an MVS server: EZEBLDBF CNAE1ARA AI E 864 420 81110000 80110000 The following command builds a conversion table that supports BIDI attribute conversion on OS/2. Code page and numeric items conver- sions are not performed because the same system type and code page is specified for both source and target systems. EZEBLDBF CNAA1ARA AI AI 864 864 81110000 80112000 1.2 USING CONVERSION TABLES WITH EZECONV _________________________________________ The following example illustrates how to code the EZECONV special function in an application: MOVE "CNAA1ARA" TO CONVTAB; CALL EZECONV MYRECORD,'L',CONVTAB; EZECONV converts the data items in record MYRECORD from local (client) format to remote (server) format as specified in conversion table CNAA1ARA.CTB. To convert in the opposite direction, specify 'R' instead of 'L' on the EZECONV call. 1.3 USING CONVERSION TABLES ON CALLS TO SERVER APPLICATIONS ____________________________________________________________ The following example illustrates a call to application MYSERVER as coded in a client application. Two parameter records are passed on the call. CALL MYSERVER MYRECORD1, MYRECORD2 A linkage table entry for MYSERVER indicates to test, generation, and workgroup services that MYSERVER is a remote server application. The CONTABLE option on the entry specifies the conversion table to use to convert the data in the parameter records on the call. The data is converted from local (client) to remote (server) format before the server is called, and again from remote to local format after the server returns. The following example of a linkage table entry specifies that MYSERVER is a remote application called using the CICS client ECI middleware. Parameter conversion is done as specified in conversion table CNAE1ARA. :calllink applname=MYSERVER linktype=REMOTE remotecomtype=CICSCLIENT contable=CNAE1ARA. This example is applicable for the following client/server middleware as well: CICS OS/2 ECI (remotecomtype=CICS) CICS Client ECI on OS/2 (remotecomtype=CICSCLIENT) CICS/6000 DPL (remotecomtype=CICS) Client Access/400 (remotecomtype=CA400) APPC to IMS servers (remotecomtype=APPCIMS) Refer to the description of linkage tables in the "Developing VisualGen Client/Server Applications" manual for more information on linkage specification. 1.4 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS USING CLIENT/SERVER MIDDLEWARE __________________________________________________________ VisualGen client/server middleware contains licensed code format conversion routines that do not support BIDI languages or attribute conversion. VisualGen middleware is used when you specify one of the following values for the remotecomtype option in the linkage table: VG, LU2, APPC, NPIPE, TCPIP. However, by following these guidelines, you can use VisualGen middle- ware with BIDI conversion for test facility and C++ clients on OS/2 calling OS/2, MVS, or AIX servers: o Specify English code page numbers (437 for OS/2; 850 for AIX; 037 for MVS systems) in the DNA.INI file and routing tables to let the middleware convert the server name. o Specify the conversion table name in the CONTABLE option in the linkage table. The parameter data is converted on the client system from local (client) to remote (server) format before the server is called, and again from remote to local format after the server returns. --------------- (*) Trademark of IBM. (1) Trademark of American Telephone & Telegraph Company. (2) Trademark of Intel Corporation. (3) Trademark of Microsoft Corporation. (4) UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Limited. *********************************************************************** datajoin.txt Open Database Support --------------------- DataJoiner is an IBM product that provides access to third party databases and the ability to join unlike tables. It resides on a RISC/6000 machine. It accepts SQL/6000 requests and directs the requests to the appropriate system and database, intercepts the response and returns to the requesting module as if the request had been completely processed on the original machine. VisualGen V2.0 interfaces to DataJoiner to gain access to third party data- bases such as ORACLE and SYBASE. *********************************************************************** dbcs400.txt OS/400 DBCS Support ------------------- The VisualGen DBCS data type is now enabled for the OS/400 target environment. Customers can now define VisualGen applications that contain DBCS data item definitions (pure DBCS graphic type), and generate these applications for the OS/400 target environment. Previously, double byte customers were restricted to SBCS or MIXED data types for the OS/400 target environment. Customers will be able to define DBCS data types in records, maps, and print maps. Customers will also be able to associate DBCS data items in SQL records to the graphic data type in SQL table columns. In addition, customers will be able to create 400 database files that contain DBCS fields from DDS that VisualGen generates for the OS/400 target environment. Customers must use either the VisualGen V2.0 Refresh or VisualGen V2.0 Fix Pack 6 in order to get MIXED and DBCS data type support. Double byte customers who use this version of VisualGen can only generate for OS/400 V3R6, because the design of the MIXED and DBCS support requires the graphic COBOL datatype which is not avail- able until RISC V3R6. Non-double byte customers will be able to generate for OS/400 V3R1. *********************************************************************** eradint.txt LIBRARY INTEGRATION FUNCTIONS AVAILABLE WITH V2.0 REFRESH _________________________________________________________ The following library integration functions are available with the V2.0 Refresh: o Enablement of the VisualGen Developer and VisualGen Generator products to the TeamConnection product for purposes of versioning, change control, and config- uration management of VisualGen application compo- nents. VisualGen members defined in Developer Version 2.0 may be stored in and managed by TeamConnection, which provides versioning and change control. In the VisualGen Generator Version 2.0 product, VisualGen application, GUI application, table, and map group members may be generated using the config- uration management (also known as build) facility of TeamConnection. The outputs of generation are placed under TeamConnection versioning and change control, and are prepared for execution by the configuration management facilities of TeamConnection. o Option of using a common data definition for multiple global data items. When you save a global data item in the TeamConnection database, the global data item's data characteristics are stored in a way that allows them to be shared by other global data items. A change to the shared data characteristics then changes the data characteristics of all global data items sharing them. When other announced IBM data definition products become available, data definitions they store in the TeamConnection database can be used by VisualGen Developer instead of having to redundantly define them in VisualGen Developer, or vice versa. In par- ticular, definitions of data elements used in concep- tual data modeling, physical database definition, and higher level language data structure definition can be used in the specification of VisualGen global data items. Data characteristics of global data items specified in VisualGen Developer are stored in the TeamConnection database for use by other tools enabled to TeamConnection. TEAMCONNECTION ENABLEMENT o A new MSL type is defined that is associated with a TeamConnection version rather than with an OS/2 sub- directory on a High Performance File System (HPFS) drive. VisualGen members are directly stored as objects within a specified version rather than as files of the OS/2 subdirectory. The TeamConnection parameters defining a TeamConnection version are used to specify the "location" of the new MSL type. Internal MSL member services are enhanced so that VisualGen definition, test, and generation facilities use the same interface to access members stored in TeamConnection as is used to access members stored as OS/2 files. However, the implementation of the interface used within MSL member services will depend on the type of MSL being accessed. Since in the TeamConnection versioning mechanism, all objects for a release are logically (but not neces- sarily physically) contained in a version for that release, it is not necessary to concatenate TeamConnection versions. Thus, the new MSL type cannot be contained in a named MSL concatenation sequence. Since TeamConnection MSLs cannot be concatenated, the Advance utility/command would not be applicable to a TeamConnection MSLs members. The promotion facili- ties of TeamConnection would be used to perform the same function. o VisualGen applications, GUI applications, tables, and map group members can be generated within the config- uration management framework of TeamConnection. This means that these members may be built (generated) in a manner consistent with the way that 3GL source pro- grams can be built (compiled and linked). When invoked as part of a TeamConnection build, VisualGen Generator Version 2.0 informs TeamConnection of all inputs used for the generation, of all of the outputs produced, and of what further processing is required for each of the outputs produced. TeamConnection uses this information to prepare the outputs for execution and to determine whether changes have been made that cause a previous build to become out of sync. This has the following consequences: 1. A developer can use the build function of TeamConnection to cause generation of VisualGen applications, GUI applications, tables, and map group members if those members or the members on which they are dependent have changed since last built. The build function will also cause the outputs of generation to be placed under TeamConnection control, and to be prepared as necessary for execution using TeamConnection build facilities for those outputs. (The build can also be started from the generator user interface as it is in the current product.) The mechanism for preparation of the outputs is the same as if they were directly produced within TeamConnection by the developer, rather than the VisualGen mechanisms for preparing the generated outputs for execution. Thus when preparation of the outputs of generation must be performed on a remote machine from where TeamConnection is running, TeamConnection takes care of sending the data required to the remote machine and of placing the outputs of the preparation under TeamConnection control. There will not be any TeamConnection remote build support for AIX, VSE or AS/400 until after the first release of TeamConnection, so the current VisualGen mechanism of preparation is used for these target execution environments. This mech- anism does not provide the capability for placing the outputs of preparation under TeamConnection control. However, the outputs of generation are placed under TeamConnection control for all envi- ronments. For a preparation request, they are extracted from TeamConnection, then VisualGen facilities are used to send them to the prepara- tion environment and start the preparation tasks. 2. A developer may group VisualGen applications, GUI applications, tables, map groups and other non-VisualGen components (for example, all the VisualGen applications and COBOL source programs for a particular system) and build that group. Groups may be nested within other groups. When a build request is received for a group, only those components of the group that changed, or had dependencies that changed, will actually get built. A TEMPORARY RESTRICTION ON SAVING PARTS LINKED TO MULTIPLE VERSIONS TeamConnection provides functions that cause a part to have the same data in more than one version. These func- tions are: o Part link o Work area refresh o Add workarea to driver o Integrate work area o Link Releases In VisualGen Developer, on the General Preferences Profile, the Break Links Variable has been set on and cannot be changed. The result of this is that all links to multiple versions will be broken when a member is interactively saved, renamed, changed, or deleted. This restriction is temporary and will be removed in a future fixpack. DATA INTEGRATION When TeamConnection is used for management of VisualGen members, global data items are stored using the format specified by the TeamConnection database. The TeamConnection database defines formats for the specifi- cation of data elements that will be used to define rela- tional and hierarchical databases and hierarchical data access paths, once data definition tools enabled to TeamConnection are available. VisualGen defines parts of the TeamConnection database for extensions to these specifications that are particular to VisualGen. Since the generic portions of the TeamConnection database are shared by the data definition tools and VisualGen, equiv- alent data definitions will not have to be redundantly specified and controlled/tracked for data definitions meeting VisualGen constraints. When other tools change these definitions, the changes will be picked up by VisualGen Developer and will be recognized as changes when determining whether a previous build needs to be redone. DOCUMENTATION OF NEW FUNCTION _____________________________ Documentation of how to use the new functions is included in the online helps and in the "Generating VisualGen Applications" and "Commands and Utilities" online books. You will also need to make considerable use of TeamConnection interfaces and commands that are docu- mented in the "TeamConnection Users Guide". TEAMCONNECTION USERS GUIDE The "TeamConnection Users Guide" should be read by TeamConnection administrators for details on: o Setting up the TeamConnection environment - family server, build servers, clients o Creating - Users - Authorization and notification lists - Releases, drivers, workareas - Drivers - Development process - Builders o Moving parts through development phases The "TeamConnection Users Guide" should be read by devel- opers for details on: o Creating workareas o Freezing workareas o Linking parts o Processing defects and features o Building parts and subsystems GENERATING VISUALGEN APPLICATIONS BOOK The "Generating VisualGen Applications" book has new sections on using the build function of TeamConnection. These new sections must be read by anyone who generates or prepares applications in TeamConnection. KEY INDICES FOR HELPS CONCERNING TEAMCONNECTION ENABLEMENT 1. library MSL 2. library MSLs, working with 3. New MSL 4. Library MSL Component of General Preferences Profile 5. importing into a library MSL 6. locking/unlocking a member (use help search) KEY INDICES FOR HELPS CONCERNING GENERATION WITHIN TEAMCONNECTION BUILD 1. validate library member 2. generate library member 3. Default options file for validate library member 4. Default options file for generate library member 5. Options file for validate library member 6. Options file for generate library member 7. Library search mask specification KEY INDICES FOR HELPS CONCERNING SHARING DATA DEFINITIONS 1. global data items and shared data elements, working with 2. Data Item with Association 3. Change member association (Data Item) 4. Copy member 5. Delete member 6. Rename member *********************************************************************** ezeusrid.txt EZEUSRID added to the Test General Preferences Profile ------------------------------------------------------ EZEUSRID is now on the Test General Preferences Profile dialog. Specifying EZEUSRID there will allow you to have it initialized in ITF for the test run. See the help for Test General Preferences Profile for more information. *********************************************************************** ezexccs.txt EZExCCS.DLL has been replaced ----------------------------- The EZExCCS.DLL has gone away. This DLL needed to be available to CICS OS/2 for ITF to do ECI calls to CICS OS/2. This DLL is now called EZE2ECI.DLL. *********************************************************************** fileio.txt File I/O Options for Native OS/2 and CICS/6000 Applications ----------------------------------------------------------- The WorkGroup Services for OS/2 and AIX provide support for file I/O in the native OS/2 and CICS/6000 environments. The following file I/O is supported: Native OS/2 - Btrieve files with serial, relative, or indexed records - VSAM2 files with serial, relative, or indexed records CICS/6000 - Temporary Storage with serial or relative records - Transient Data Queues with serial records - VSAM files with serial, relative, or indexed records Access to these files is through the normal VisualGen process options. *********************************************************************** guinews.txt What's new in VisualGen GUI since Version 2.0 --------------------------------------------- This document is intended for advanced GUI users. It attempts to explain some of the new GUI features that have been added between Version 2.0 (available in July) and the Version 2.0 Refresh (or Fix Pack 6). Most of these new functions are covered in the online helps. You can get to the online helps for these new features and other parts on the palette by selecting the Parts Palette link from the General help for the GUI definition window. 1. Container Details View This is a new visual part on the GUI palette in the lists category. It's a very functional matrix control similar to a spreadsheet and is designed to replace the old Table part with the following additional functions: - Support of data packets (or pages of data) - Multiple row and column selection - Various selection modes including Extended and Cell Single select - Horizontal scrolling and anchored scrolling support (locked columns) - Control over scrolling and feedback about scroll events - Notification of user input conversion errors Note that doing a quickform on an array item from a record will now create a Container Details View instead of a Table part. If you wish to still use the old Table part, you can drop a Table part and rebuild its columns using the connec- tion to the rows attribute. 2. Object Factory This is a new non-visual part on the GUI palette in the models category. It allows you to manufacture object instances at runtime. This can be especially useful for manufacturing predefined GUI applications on the fly. It means that you can choose at runtime what GUI application to invoke without having to hardcode your GUI application flow statically. Please refer to the helps for recommended usage advice. Some other classes that may be useful to manufacture are: Point (Coordinate used by container details and tables) Rectangle (The initWidgetSize attribute of a window is one of these) AbtPushButtonView (Push button part) Note that currently there is no way to add visual parts to another visual part (such as a window or a menu) at runtime, so manufacturing push buttons in the hopes that they can be added to a menu on the fly is still not supported. Example - multiple details views: A very typical GUI application presents a list of records from a database and allows you to double click on an item and edit it using a details GUI. If you wanted to open details GUIs on multiple records at the same time, you had to create several copies of the GUI on the free form surface with different part names for each since each copy would translate into one instance of the window at runtime. This way you could have as many details GUIs up as you had created on the free form surface. Here's how this can be done with the Object Factory: - Drop an Object Factory part onto the free form surface of the list GUI. - Bring up the settings for the Object Factory and type in the name of the details GUI in the instance class field. - Tearoff the instance attribute of the Object Factory. - Connect the defaultActionRequested event from the list to the new action of the Object Factory. - Connect any data you need to the promoted details item of the instance tear off. Use an event to action connection if possible since you don't want the data to be refreshed. - You might want to add this instance of the details GUI to an OrderedCollection so you can manage it or close it when you're closing the list window. Parent GUI and Logical Unit of Work considerations GUIs that are on the free form surface of another GUI are considered child GUIs of the GUI that invoked them. When a top level GUI closes it closes all of its descendants. GUIs that are manufactured using the Object Factory have no parent and are considered top level GUIs. Since the inheritsCommunicationsSession setting is based on the parentage relationship, GUIs that were manufactured using Object Factory would have always had to create their own communications session. For that reason, the definition of inheritsCommunicationsSession was extended to apply to GUIs that where manufactured using Object Factory. That means that they will use the communications session of the GUI that is the parent of the Object Factory part even though they don't really have a parent of their own from which to inherit the session. Note that you are responsible for closing the manufactured GUIs by sending them a closeWidget action if you want them to go away when the GUI that manufactured them goes away. 3. Asynchronous processing There is a new action that logic member parts (Callable Function, Process and Statement Group) support. This action is called executeDeferred: and it allows you to implement a polling loop so you can periodically check the availability of resources such as a message queue or the status of a server. You can find documentation for this function under the Actions link for each of the above parts in the Logic Member Parts category on the palette. Example - Invoke a credit check while entering transaction information Say you want to update the account of a certain customer. You'd like to enter the customer name, retrieve the information about this customer from the database, and while this information is being retrieved, you'd like to key in the amount of the transaction. Previously, this all had to happen serially which meant you had to wait until you got the account information and then you could enter the transaction amount. Here's how you'd do it asynchronously using this new function: - Get the customer ID - Invoke a logic member to create an MQ message to do a credit check - Invoke a statement group using the executeDeferred: with a 5000 interval (5 seconds) to check to see if there is a message that arrived for you on the message queue. - In the statement group, you check the message queue and if the message hasn't arrived, you invoke the statement group again using a perform request structure (please refer to GUI documentation on how to use this function) with the statement group and the executeDeferred: as the action. The argument would still be 5000 to indicate a 5 second interval. - You'll be free to continue entering your transaction infor- mation but you should gray out your OK button so that you can't commit the data until the credit check has returned. - The statement group will wake up every 5 seconds to see if a message has been received. If not, it can schedule itself to run again. When the message is received, the statement group can ungray the OK push button by using a flag or a perform request structure. 4. Visibility attribute for GUI visual parts You can now set the visible state of a window or any other visual part prior to the window being created. The name of the visibility attribute is mappedWhenManaged (this is the X/MOTIF name) and it is available on all visual parts. Prior to this change, you could invoke the hide and show actions after the window was created but that was all the control you had. You also get notifications when the window is getting ready to be hidden or shown and when it has completed being hidden or shown. These notification events are called aboutToUnmapWidget, aboutToMapWidget, unmappedWidget and mappedWidget respectively. Example - Performance tip for re-opening complex GUIs Complex GUIs take a while to open. This is due to the fact that a lot of parts have to be created and connected properly. However, some of the time is spent on creating the various Operating System GUI controls that represent all the visual parts on the GUI. When you do a closeWidget action on the GUI, these OS controls are destroyed and will need to be created again the next time the GUI is opened. You still need an event that would clear the data in the GUI so the next time it comes up it has fresh data. This used to be the aboutToCloseWidget event if you had done a closeWidget on the GUI. However, due to the performance hit associated with using that mechanism, you can choose to use the hide and show actions instead of closeWidget and openWidget. The aboutToUnmapWidget notification can be used in place of the aboutToCloseWidget processing you've done before to clear out the data. The aboutToMapWidget event should then be used to do any startup setting of the data which would have been done during aboutToOpenWidget. 5. Message boxes with translated button labels The message:title:iconType:buttonType: action on GUI members now uses the standard operating system message box which should handle proper NLS translation of the push button labels. The message:title:iconType:buttonType:helpFile:helpTopic: action still uses a non-translated dialog box, so avoid using it if you need the buttons to be translated. 6. GUI runtime connection trace facility You can now turn on a connection trace in the GUI runtime envi- ronment. The output of this trace is equivalent to what you'd see in the test facility Trace Monitor window if you turned on the GUI connections filter. The GUI runtime connection trace output goes to the TSCRIPT.LOG file which is usually found in the directory pointed to by your EZERTEMP environment variable. Turn on the connection trace by typing the following command at an OS/2 command prompt after the GUI runtime environment is running: EZE2RUN PROFILE ON Turn off the trace using: EZE2RUN PROFILE OFF You should exercise good judgement on when you want to start and stop tracing since you're likely to get more entries than you care to look at. That's all for now but be on the lookout for more information on new GUI functions and advanced techniques coming soon. *********************************************************************** hints400.txt OS/400 Performance Hints and Tips --------------------------------- This file describes how to reduce the amount of memory required by Client Access/400 Optimized for OS/2 and still allow the Distributed Program Call APIs to function such as when VisualGen VisualGen uses it during VG/Client runtime. When these recommend- ations are applied, VisualGen Clients and Client Access/400 run well on an OS/2 16meg 486/33 system. 1. Modify CONFIG.SYS - Remove or REM out the following lines: (Note the // are comments describing the function of these lines. They do not appear in CONFIG.SYS) - CALL=F:\CAOS2\PRPP2.EXE F:\CAOS2 // Update locked file processor - RUN=F:\CAOS2\DMISL.EXE // DMI Service Layer - IFS=F:\CAOS2\CWBBS.IFS // Network drive file system - DEVICE=F:\CAOS2\CWBNPRDR.SYS // Network printer redirector - IFS=F:\CAOS2\CWBNPFS.IFS // Network printer file system - RUN=F:\CAOS2\CWBDAEMN.EXE // Network daemon - IFS=F:\CAOS2\EHNSFL0.DLL // V2 network drive file system - DEVICE=F:\CAOS2\EHNPCPDD.SYS // DOS/Windows comm support - DEVICE=F:\CAOS2\EHNPCVDD.SYS // DOS/Windows comm support - It is highly recommended to add the following statement: SET RESTARTOBJECTS=STARTUPFOLDERSONLY - You'll need to reboot after step 1. 2. Modify CASERV.CMD file located in the CAOS2 directory - Remove or REM out the following lines: (Note the // are comments describing the function of these lines. They do not appear in CASERV.CMD) - CWBLOG.EXE START // Service history logging - STARTRTR.EXE /G // 16-bit router - VDMSERV.EXE /Z // DOS/Windows box communication server - CWBBSTRT.EXE // Network drives daemon - DETACH CWBMGD.EXE // Client Management daemon 3. Stop CM Attach Manager - Go to the Client Access Folder -> Client Access/400 Components folder -> Communications Manager -> Subsystem Management. Select APPC attach Manager, select Service from the action bar, select Stop Normal - Deactivate unneeded links to other systems 4. Other possible changes - Remove any unnecessary device drivers from CONFIG.SYS - Use LAPS or MPTS configuration to remove unneeded protocol stacks. DPC only requires 802.2 for SNA connections. - Remove DOS/Windows box device drivers from CONFIG.SYS, if DOS or Windows support is not required. You can also re- move this by using OS/2 selective install feature. Also, Also, you can set PROTECTONLY=YES. This will return about a 1M to OS/2 instead of reserving it for DOS applications. rem // DOS stuff not needed if PROTECTONLY=YES... PROTECTONLY=YES rem SHELL=D:\OS2\MDOS\COMMAND.COM D:\OS2\MDOS /P rem FCBS=16,8 RMSIZE=0 rem DEVICE=D:\OS2\MDOS\VW32S.SYS rem DEVICE=D:\OS2\MDOS\VWIN.SYS rem DEVICE=D:\OS2\MDOS\VW32S.SYS rem DEVICE=D:\OS2\MDOS\VVGA.SYS rem DEVICE=D:\OS2\MDOS\VXGA.SYS - Preallocate the SWAP file: The initial size of the OS/2 swap file can be set in the CONFIG.SYS file. It has a default of 2048. Depending on the amount of memory on your system and the number of appli- cations you normally run, the final size of the swap file will be considerably larger. Setting the initial size so that it is relatively close to the final setting prevents resizing the swap file. Action: Find the swap file entry in your CONFIG.SYS file SWAPPATH=d:\OS2\SYSTEM 2048 2048 and change it to your final setting, for example SWAPPATH=d:\OS2\SYSTEM 2048 16048 - Minimize some OS/2 settings: (Note the // are comments describing the function of these lines they do not appear in CONFIG.SYS) IFS=D:\OS2\HPFS.IFS /CACHE:64 //minimize disk cache to 64K BUFFERS=30 //minimize file buffers rem DISKCACHE=D,LW //DISKCACHE is a FAT only setting rem BASEDEV=IBM1FLPY.ADD //not needed on PS/2 micro channel PC - Remove or REM Network protocols and device drivers that aren't needed. For example... rem // NetBios rem DEVICE=D:\IBMCOM\PROTOCOL\NETBEUI.OS2 rem DEVICE=D:\IBMCOM\PROTOCOL\NETBIOS.OS2 rem // Lan Requester rem DEVICE=D:\IBMLAN\NETPROG\RDRHELP.200 rem IFS=D:\IBMLAN\NETPROG\NETWKSTA.200 /I:D:\IBMLAN /N rem RUN=D:\IBMLAN\NETPROG\LSDAEMON.EXE rem // CID install rem DEVICE=E:\ODDCS\SRVIFS.SYS rem IFS=E:\ODDCS\SRVIFSC.IFS * rem // TCP/IP rem RUN=E:\TCPIP\BIN\CNTRL.EXE rem IFS=E:\TCPIP\BIN\NFS200.IFS rem DEVICE=E:\TCPIP\BIN\VDOSTCP.VDD rem DEVICE=E:\TCPIP\BIN\VDOSTCP.SYS rem RUN=E:\TCPIP\BIN\VDOSCTL.EXE rem DEVICE=E:\TCPIP\BIN\SNACKETS.SYS rem DEVICE=E:\TCPIP\BIN\SXIFNDIS.SYS - You'll need to reboot after step 4 changes are applied. - There's a good book available called Performance Plus Version 3, which describes performance tuning for OS/2 Warp. It is available as an IBM publication via SLSS, pub order number SR28-4641-01. - For additional VisualGen performance tuning information refer Performance Techniques in the "Designing and Developing VisualGen Applications" manual. *********************************************************************** ibmcobol.txt Generation of VisualAge COBOL for OS/2 -------------------------------------- VisualGen now provides the option of generating VisualAge COBOL for OS/2 instead of MicroFocus COBOL for execution in the CICS OS/2 environment. VisualAge COBOL is 32-bit COBOL and therefore provides performance improvements over the 16-bit MicroFocus COBOL. 32-bit COBOL will run with 32-bit CICS for OS/2 when it becomes available. *********************************************************************** itffont.txt ITF support added for Simplified Chinese fonts ---------------------------------------------- In the past, the Interactive Test Facility (ITF) default DBCS monospaced font was always Mincho. However, on certain DBCS systems, the Mincho font is not available. This was especially a problem for VisualGen support of Simplified Chinese. So, ITF has been enhanced to read the EZERFIXEDFONT environment variable on DBCS machines when determining what monospaced font to use. If the environment variable is not set, then Mincho is still assumed to be the default DBCS font. VisualGen Developer editors already used the EZERFIXEDFONT envi- ronment variable to specify the face name of a monospaced font. This enhancement added ITF to the list of places that this envi- ronment variable is used within VisualGen. If the user sets the EZERFIXEDFONT variable correctly to the face name of a monospaced font (on Simplified Chinese systems, it should be set to the DBCS equivalent of 'SONGTI1' font), then ITF will allow the user to choose between several sizes of that font on the Test Monitor font pull-down and the Set Testpoints dialog font pull-down. Thus, DBCS characters will be displayed appropriately. This environment variable is intended to be used when the default font is not installed on the machine. It is not intended to over- ride the default with a preferred font. *********************************************************************** itfgui.txt ITF/GUI runtime consistency --------------------------- In order to make ITF and GUI runtimes consistent, control of the execution in ITF has changed. Break on event entry and the use Alt SysRq has been added. See the help for controlling the test run for further detail on the new options. *********************************************************************** msghelps.txt Easier Access to Message Helps ------------------------------ You can now get to the online help for any EZE, CSO, or FCE message, without needing to have the message actually be issued. To do this, select Help from the menu bar, and then select Help contents. Scroll to the bottom of the help contents, and you will see an entry for each of the message prefixes. Just click on the '+' to expand the full list of messages. This function is available from any Definition panel that has a monochrome product icon in the upper left corner. It is NOT avail- able from ITF, GUI definition, or the generation notebook. *********************************************************************** pn78808.txt APAR PN78808 - EZERRUN_SRV_LUW environment variable --------------------------------------------------- PN78808 adds support for dropping the VisualGen middleware communications connection via the EZERRUN_SRV_LUW environment variable. This environment variable is only applicable to remote client/server calls via the VisualGen middleware (remotecomtype = VG,APPC,TCPIP, or NPIPE). USAGE: Set the environment variable EZERRUN_SRV_LUW=1 prior to starting GUI Runtime, ITF, or Workgroup Services application. RESULTS: IMMEDIATELY after EVERY remote call using the VisualGen middleware, a COMMIT is issued and the communications connection is terminated. The commit takes place before returning control to the client application. Therefore, NO ROLLBACK capability is possible from the client. Do not use with UPDATE processing or with client unit of work control. *********************************************************************** readme.txt These files contain useful product information about new function delivered with the Version 2.0 Refresh. Some of this information is not contained in the product documentation. A list of the files and a brief summary of their contents follows: BIDI.TXT - Bi-directional language attribute conversion DATAJOIN.TXT - VisualGen interfaces with DataJoiner DBCS400.TXT - OS/400 DBCS Support ERADINT.TXT - Using VisualGen with TeamConnection EZEUSRID.TXT - EZEUSRID can now be set in the Test General Preferences Profile EZExCCS.TXT - DLL has been replaced FILEIO.TXT - File I/O options available from WorkGroup Services GUINEWS.TXT - Describes new function available in GUI definition HINTS400.TXT - OS/400 Performance Hints and Tips IBMCOBOL.TXT - VisualGen generates VisualAge COBOL for OS/2 ITFFONT.TXT - Support added for Simplified Chinese fonts from ITF ITFGUI.TXT - ITF and GUI runtime consistencies MSGHELPS.TXT - Easier access to message helps is provided PN78808.TXT - EZERRUN_SRV_LUW environment variable REFFP6.TXT - What is the Refresh verses what is FixPack 6? SAMPLE.TXT - Sample utility for establishing build environments SQLID.TXT - Implicit SET CURRENT SQLID function TABLE.TXT - Filling a VG table with data TCNEEDS.TXT - Level of TeamConnection needed to work with Library MSLs *********************************************************************** reffp6.txt What is the Refresh verses what is Fix Pack 6? ---------------------------------------------- The function delivered via this media is being delivered to customers in two different ways. Those customers who have already purchased VisualGen V2.0 are receiving Fix Pack 6. New purchases of VisualGen V2.0 are fulfilled with the VisualGen V2.0 Refresh. What is the difference? The only difference is the delivery mechanism. The resulting functional content of the product is identical. Customers receiving the V2.0 Refresh CD do not have any need to install Fix Pack 6. Customers installing Fix Pack 6 do not have any need to obtain the V2.0 Refresh CD. Future fix packs, beginning with fix pack 7 will be able to be applied to your copy of the product indep- endent of which of these mechanisms you used to obtain your copy. *********************************************************************** resource.txt CICS OS/2 resource table entries for 32-bit CICS ------------------------------------------------ CICS OS/2 resource table entries vary between 16-bit CICS and 32-bit CICS. Therefore, an update is required to the "Installation Guide for VisualGen WorkGroup Services for OS/2" manual. Chapter 5 contains a section called "Preparing to Import VisualGen Work- Group Services for OS/2 Table Entries". That section should be replaced with the following. Note that there are only minor changes. The changes are flagged with the vertical bar (|). Preparing to Import VisualGen Workgroup Services for OS/2 Table Enries CICS OS/2 reads and writes import and export files from the file resource FAAAEFIE, which is an entry in the file control table (FCT). To import the CICS OS/2 resource table entries for VisualGen Workgroup Services for OS/2, do the following: 1. Back up the contents of the current import file by doing the following: a. Switch to or start an OS/2 window or and OS/2 full screen. b. Change directories to your CICS data directory. c. Copy the file by entering the following command at the OS/2 command prompt: COPY FAAAEFIE.BTR FAAAEFIE.BAK Where FAAAEFIE.BAK can be any name you choose. 2. Replace the contents of the current import file with the file containing the VisualGen Workgroup Services for OS/2 | resource table entries by typing one of the following commands at the OS/2 command prompt: | For 16-bit CICS versions: COPY C:\VGWGS2\ELAEXOS2.BTR FAAAEFIE.BTR | For 32-bit CICS versions: | COPY C:\VGWGS2\ELAEX300.BTR FAAAEFIE.BTR *********************************************************************** sample.txt Sample Utility for establishing build environments -------------------------------------------------- The sample utility, ezebdenv.cmd, can be used to establish build environments for a list of members. This allows you to create build environments from a batch command without going through the Generation user interface for each member. ezebdenv.cmd is installed in the samples directory of the VisualGen Developer product. Type ezebdenv without any arguments for syntax and more information. *********************************************************************** sqlid.txt Set Current SQL ID function --------------------------- In order to aid in defining, testing and generating applications with unqualified table names, the set current sqlid function has been added. Before each test run, application validation, applic- ation generation, SQL record retrieve or compare a 'SET CURRENT SQLID' statement will be issued against the database to set the current ID being used. This in turn will set the implicit qualifier. This statement is currently only honored by DB2 MVS. If the data- base you are connected to does not allow the SET CURRENT SQLID statement, you will receive an informational message telling you that it is not supported. The ID used in the SET CURRENT SQLID statement comes from either the Database Preferences Profile or the environment variable EZERSQLID (also displayed on the Database Preferences Profile). Note that if your DB2 system does not allow the SET CURRENT SQLID function, you can also set the table qualifier by connecting with a userid and password, if the DB2 system allows it. For more information see the help for the Database Preferences Profile. *********************************************************************** table.txt Filling with data a VG table ---------------------------- There are two types of table contents. Definition contents and runtime contents. The definition contents can only be modified through the table definition facility. The runtime contents work differently between ITF and GUI run- time. In ITF, a copy is created for each application and the contents are not visible by another application. In GUI runtime, the contents are shared between all the running GUI applications. This means that any change you make in one GUI application will show up in another. However, no signalling will happen so you won't automatically see the new contents of the data in another application unless you force the window to refresh the display from the table contents. *********************************************************************** tcneeds.txt TeamConnection pre-req for Library MSLs --------------------------------------- In order for Library MSLs to work properly within VisualGen, Fix package 1 of TeamConnection must be applied.