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@nicklitten
Why Every AS400 Shop Should Consider SQL Database Modernization
As I like to tell IBM i clients: the goal isn’t to get rid of the AS/400 database. It’s to discover that you’ve actually been running one of the world’s best SQL databases all along. The Advantages of Modernizing an Old AS/400 Database to Modern SQL If you are still rocking physical files defined in DDS on your Power Systems box, you are not alone. Many of us have inherited these trusty old…
What's New with IBM-i BOB v2.0?
IBM i BOB v2.0 was released June 24, 2026 – just one day before my birthday! Coincidence? I don’t think so 😉 IBM BOB TWO is a major rebuild of IBM’s AI-powered development partner. It focuses on speed, agentic capabilities, and better enterprise workflows, with a dedicated Premium Package for i that brings IBM i-specific goodies. Core Architecture & Performance Upgrades Single unified Agent…
Source Orbit is Dead! Long live TOBi!
I was just happily working away and VSCODE (and IBM BOB) popped up this message: “YIKES!!!” I thought. Yes. I do still think in 100 year old English language style… By Jove! But don’t worry, a quick search and I found this to ease my fears: Status of Source Orbit and TOBi Source Orbit is no longer actively developed – its GitHub repository was archived on March 26, 2026, and the maintainer…
When is SQLCODE not SQLCODE?
If you have ever written a tidy little subprocedure that does some embedded SQL, then checked SQLCODE afterwards only to find it stubbornly sitting at zero even though the statement clearly failed, you have probably met this gotcha. Today we are going to answer three questions that trip up plenty of IBM i developers: What actually is SQLCODE? Can we define it again inside a subprocedure? Is a…
From Meh to Magic: A Sortable, Searchable Subfile on IBM i
SQLRPGLE – A Sortable Subfile with Column Headings and Search using RTNCSRLOC If you have been following the subfile series, you will know we already have a solid working example in the SORTSFLBOB program. Now it is time to add the finishing touches that make it feel properly modern. Let’s go with the assumption that our users are demanding! They want to click a column heading and have the data…
IBM BOB vs VSCODE AI - "Fix This RPG Program For Me"
Code Modernization, Upgrading, Refactoring with an AI Coding Companion – Which to use? I have been playing with a little experiment this week and I thought I would share the results while they are still fresh. The star of the show is a classic little RPGLE subfile program I wrote years ago, it’s languished in a dusty corner of my old hard drive for a few years. This is a column sortable subfile…
Node.js Security on IBM i: Don’t Twist Your Melon (But Do Pay Attention)
A subscriber left a great comment on one of my recent vlogs. They’re worried that all this Node.js stuff IBM is encouraging means we’re opening up security holes. npm had that supply chain mess with Red Hat back in 2024, and now hundreds of packages with their own dependencies are sitting on our systems. Is IBM i suddenly less secure? Are we giving attackers a bigger target in what used to be a…
IBM-i Password Expiration Monitoring
The 3am Wake-Up Call You Didn’t Need: Service Account Password Expiration If your web services or overnight batch jobs have ever thrown a wobbly because a password decided to expire at the worst possible moment, you are not alone. On IBM i systems, password expiration is one of those security features that works brilliantly for normal interactive users and can become a right pain for everything…
Install Mapepire on IBM i to Unlock Modern Database Connectivity
Mapepire on My IBM i System: Finally Database Connections That Dont Make Me Want to Scream into the Void! Picture this: you are building a slick modern app and you just want it to chat nicely with Db2 for i without wrestling ancient ODBC drivers or wrestling with client libraries that feel older than your first green screen. Enter Mapepire the open source superhero that runs a super light daemon…
So, what exactly is IBM-i Mapepire?
Mapepire, a type of pit viper native to South America, boasts a logo that’s arguably the best creation from Big Blue since the original IBM emblem. As for how to say it, IBM-i Mapepire GitHub says Mapepire is pronounced ‘mapəpɪə’ or ‘MAH-pup-ee’ which seems nonsense to me! I’ve been pronouncing this as Mape (like Vape) Pire (like Fire) in my head while I am writing this. Let’s see if I can…
Rogue Rules Files are Twisting My Melon Man!
TOBi Builder MAKEi Fails with BLEUUURGH Error Code – A Quick Debugging Tale Hey there, fellow IBM i programmers. Today we’re diving into a real-world head-scratcher I hit while working with TOBi (the IBM i Object Builder) and its MAKEi component. If you’ve ever tried to compile from your local source copies and instead of the usual nice “X programs compiled, Y failed” summary, you got a…
10 (MORE) Essential IBM i Commands
New to the IBM-i platform? Read on…Experienced IBM-i Admin? Don’t bother! If you are Older, Experienced, Gray Haired and Grumpy on the IBM-i platform, like me, then stop reading now because this stuff is for beginners. If you know your way around the IBM-i command line, you will definitely know each of these commands in details, so I suggest you go and enjoy a nice cup of tea in the garden…
Debugging RPG with IBM BOB
DISCLAIMER: This is not my usual style of programming video. It’s long format, lots of me muttering at the camera while trying to fix some RPG code. I started recording with no idea if it would work or not. Spoiler – it did in the end. Also featuring an AI generated video, a growling version of me with fantastically lunatic hair. If you are a new programmer, or maybe considering a career in IBM-i…
IBM i ACS 5250 - It's time to talk about Blurry Fonts
Why do IBM i ACS 5250 characters suddenly look like they’re auditioning for a modern art exhibit whenever Font Scaling is enabled? If you fire up Access Client Solutions on a modern high resolution monitor and find yourself squinting at blurry text in your 5250 sessions, you are not alone. Those crisp green screens that used to look razor sharp suddenly turn into a fuzzy watercolor painting.…
IBM BOB vs VS Code: Is Using AI the Future of IBM i Development?
I think we all know that AI the Future of IBM i Development? Well, I reckon AI is absolutely going to be a big part of the future for IBM i development, but it is not going to wave a magic wand over decades of fixed-format RPG and turn everything into shiny free-format perfection overnight. Tools like IBM BOB are already showing real promise by helping us refactor legacy code, explain what that…
More Beginner IBM i Commands to Add to Your Toolkit
Hey there, esteemed IBM i beginners and learners! If you have already powered through my earlier post over at https://www.nicklitten.com/10-essential-ibm-i-commands-every-beginner-must-master/ then you are probably feeling pretty comfortable at the green screen by now. Excellent work! Today, as a direct follow-up, I am going to whip through ten more everyday commands that every new IBM i…
RPG Compiler Directives on IBM i
Hey there, fellow IBM i RPG Nerds. I was revisiting a couple of old posts about source code commenting and compile directives and it got me thinking about these marvelous, often overlooked features of IBM-i source code. Today, let’s dive into RPG compiler directives! If you have ever stared at a mile-long compiler listing wondering why it looks like it was formatted by a sleep-deprived robot,…