Information Systems:IBM i open-source development conventions - Revision history

Norwinu at 21:09, 15 March 2021

2021-03-15T21:09:32Z

Norwinu: Norwinu moved page Information Systems:Developer's Guide (Official) to Information Systems:IBM i open-source development conventions

2018-06-07T15:51:48Z

Norwinu moved page Information Systems:Developer's Guide (Official) to Information Systems:IBM i open-source development conventions

Norwinu at 15:49, 7 June 2018

2018-06-07T15:49:51Z

Norwinu at 20:41, 12 January 2018

2018-01-12T20:41:28Z

Norwinu: /* Principles */

2018-01-11T18:47:27Z

Principles

Norwinu: /* Principles */

2018-01-11T18:39:57Z

Principles

Norwinu: /* Naming conventions */

2018-01-11T18:39:05Z

Naming conventions

Norwinu: /* Naming conventions */

2018-01-11T18:37:49Z

Naming conventions

Norwinu: /* Data Libraries */

2018-01-11T18:22:29Z

Data Libraries

Norwinu: /* Data Libraries */

2018-01-11T18:21:45Z

Data Libraries

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:09, 15 March 2021
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		+	{{quote\|This setup has been deprecated. InfoNext has been migrated to uwdoss (Linux).}}
	'''Audience: ''' For developers programming on/for this system (IBM i), or for technical staff wanting to understand the development guidelines that were used to make the modern extensions that exist on the system.		'''Audience: ''' For developers programming on/for this system (IBM i), or for technical staff wanting to understand the development guidelines that were used to make the modern extensions that exist on the system.

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 * Schemas/libraries and tables can be created using the Schemas app in IBM i Access Client Solutions. This has proven to be faster and more error-proof compared to creating through raw SQL statements or Navigator. Creating and managing tables/fields through a GUI also allows for greater consistency.
 * In naming fields and tables, underscores are used in filenames and instead of camel casing.
 [[Category: Programming/Development]]

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 * Schemas/libraries and tables can be created using the Schemas app in IBM i Access Client Solutions. This has proven to be faster and more error-proof compared to creating through raw SQL statements or Navigator. Creating and managing tables/fields through a GUI also allows for greater consistency.
 * In naming fields and tables, underscores are used in filenames and instead of camel casing.
 [[Category: Programming/Development]]

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 * Django is the web framework used to make the front end of these new programs.
 * Python and Django together can thus be regarded as the development platform for making new ERP extensions, in place of RPG/DDS (green screen interactive programs/extensions) and PML/RPG/CL (i.e. current Infonet programs).
-* "Python-Django" is used to make web apps. Python (without Django) can and will also be used to make batch/scheduled programs (with no user interface). This replaces what was formerly done through RPG/CL.
+* There is Python-Django, and there is also just Python. Python (without Django) is also be used to make batch/scheduled programs (with no user interface). This replaces what was formerly done through RPG/CL.
-* Command-line interactive Python programs will not be made (at least not for general use e.g. maybe some admin utilities). Developing such programs is not part of the modernization strategy, and generally does not make sense for the company, since we are trying to replace green-screen. Whenever a business need calls for an interactive program/extension, Django will be used to make the front-end of said program, and the resulting app will be interacted with through the web.
+* Command-line interactive Python programs will not be made (at least not for general use e.g. maybe some admin utilities). Developing such programs is not part of the modernization strategy, and generally does not make sense for the company, since we are trying to replace green-screen / terminal-based usage with web interaction. Whenever a business need calls for an interactive program/extension, Django will be used to make the front-end of said program, and the resulting app will be interacted with through the web.
-* Since Python-Django creates web applications, newly developed extensions can be regarded as 'extending' Infonet. However, as will be explained, this 'extending' of Infonet merely refers to presentation. There are two separate technologies driving programs of both platforms.
+* Since Python-Django creates web applications, newly developed extensions can be regarded as 'extending' what we currently know as Infonet. However, as will be explained, this 'extending' of Infonet merely refers to presentation. There are two separate technologies driving programs of either type.
-* Infonet (or more accurately, the entire collection of WebSmart programs we consider the company intranet site), will not be replaced. It will continue to run and be maintained using WebSmart. Addition of functionality will have to be assessed by a steering committee to determine whether it is a major enough change to warrant rewriting the program in Python-Django vs. making the changes in WebSmart.
+* Infonet (or more accurately, the entire collection of WebSmart programs we consider the company intranet site), will not be replaced. It will continue to run and be maintained using WebSmart. Addition of functionality will have to be assessed by a steering committee to determine whether it is a large enough change to warrant rewriting the program in Python-Django vs. making the changes in WebSmart.
-* Infonext (abbr. INX) is the proposed name for referring to the collection of new Python/Django programs/extensions that will be added to Infonet. The term will mostly be used internally to begin with, so as to not cause confusion amongst users.
+* Infonext (abbr. INX) is the proposed name for referring to the collection of new Python/Django programs/extensions that will be added to Infonet. The term will mostly be used internally to begin with, so as to not cause confusion amongst end users.
-* Despite being programmed differently (Infonet in WebSmart PML/RPG and Infonext in Python/Django), the users will interact with the intranet site the same way. The concept of a web front-end (HTML/CSS/Javascript), which is common to both platforms, is what enables presenting it all as a unified site to the end user.
+* Despite being programmed differently (Infonet in WebSmart PML/RPG and Infonext in Python/Django), the users will interact with the intranet site the same way. The concept of the web browser being a front-end (HTML/CSS/Javascript), which is common to both platforms and development methods, is what enables presenting it all as a unified site to the end user.
-* Python/Django apps will not be web-served using the built-in IBM i HTTP server (Apache), the same way WebSmart is currently hosted. This is for performance/compatibility reasons. Instead, an alternative web server will be used and Infonext programs will be accessed through this server that will run on a different port.
+* Python/Django apps will not be served using the built-in IBM i HTTP server (Apache), the way WebSmart (Infonet, Web Orders) is currently hosted. This is for reasons of performance/compatibility of Python on Apache (mod_wsgi). Instead, an alternative web server will be used and Infonext programs will be accessed through this server that will run on a different port.
-* IBM i HTTP Server / Apache will be used as a reverse proxy, so it can route requests (by URL path e.g. /carrierint) to either Infonet or Infonext programs.
+* IBM i HTTP Server / Apache will be used as a reverse proxy, so it can route requests by URL path (e.g. <code>/infonext/carrierint.py</code>, <code>/infonet/in_stksts.pgm</code>) to either Infonet or Infonext programs.
 ===Programming Environment===

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 ==Principles==
-* Python on IBM i is used to develop '''new''' business programs/software. Prior to this (pre-2018), the RPG language was used. WebSmart PML (ProGen Markup Language) and CL (Control Language) were also used to support solutions that were primarily RPG-based.
+* Python on IBM i is being used to develop '''new''' business programs/software. Prior to this (pre-2018), the RPG language was used. WebSmart PML (ProGen Markup Language) and CL (Control Language) were also used to support solutions that were primarily RPG-based.
 * Django is the web framework used to make the front end of these new programs.
 * Python and Django together can thus be regarded as the development platform for making new ERP extensions, in place of RPG/DDS (green screen interactive programs/extensions) and PML/RPG/CL (i.e. current Infonet programs).

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 * Through SQL, IBM i allows you to get past the 10-character limit by having a SQL name (or just column name / field name), and a system name. In fact, if mostly interacting with files through SQL, the system name is mostly invisible and can be ignored. This is to the extent that if the system name is not specified when creating a column/field or table, the system will just generate one for you (a truncated and number-padded, fixed 10-character version of the SQL name provided).
 * Despite the previous statement, in respect to the ILE side of IBM i, system names are still being set manually (to be more meaningful than auto-generated ones). For example, for the table HCDB_ROUTE_AP, the system name '''HCDBROUTAP''' is more meaningful than the auto-generated '''HCDBR00001'''.
 * It is thus a convention to create meaningful table and field names, with length being a lower priority.
-* In naming fields and tables, underscores are used in filenames and instead of camel casing
+* In naming fields and tables, underscores are used in filenames and instead of camel casing.
 [[Category: Programming/Development]]

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 ===Naming conventions===
 * The 10-character limit is pervasive with regards to naming things on the i (objects, fields etc.)
-* Through SQL, IBM i allows you to get past the 10-character limit by having a SQL name (or just column name / field name), and a system name. In fact, if mostly interacting with files through SQL, you
+* Through SQL, IBM i allows you to get past the 10-character limit by having a SQL name (or just column name / field name), and a system name. In fact, if mostly interacting with files through SQL, the system name is mostly invisible and can be ignored. This is to the extent that if the system name is not specified when creating a column/field or table, the system will just generate one for you (a truncated and number-padded, fixed 10-character version of the SQL name provided).
 [[Category: Programming/Development]]

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 * The UWDX_D library will house data (tables) that is less directly involved with Infonet.
 * These two libraries parallel the current conventions where we have WEBPRDD for data used in WebSmart programs and UWDASWPRDD for general extensions data.
-* Historically, there would also be a ''LIBRARYNAME'''P''''' library and a ''LIBRARYNAME'''S''''' library to go along with the data library (e.g. UWDASWPRD'''D''', UWDASWPRD'''P''', UWDASWPRD'''S'''. This is because RPG source code exists as members in a source file object, that in turn needs to be in a library. The RPG program compiled from the source would also need to go into a library, hence the P and the S. In Python, the source and program exist as a single .py file on the IFS, so the aforementioned libraries are not necessary and the convention will not be carried forward.
+* Historically, there would also be a ''LIBRARYNAME'''P''''' library and a ''LIBRARYNAME'''S''''' library to go along with the data library (e.g. UWDASWPRD'''D''', UWDASWPRD'''P''', UWDASWPRD'''S'''. This is because RPG source code exists as members in a source file object, that in turn needs to be in a library. The RPG program compiled from the source would also need to go into a library, hence the P and the S libraries. In Python, the source and program exist as a single .py file on the IFS, so the aforementioned libraries are not necessary and the convention will not be carried forward.
 ===Naming conventions===