IBM i fans only - tips and tricks to start RPG free format programming with simple examples

Each IBMi User Knows They Run the Most Efficient System. All Others Just Have Too Much Money. Let's take a moment to ponder this thought-provoking and slightly provocative motto: Each IBMi user knows they run the most efficient system. All others just have too much money. I can't take credit for this line—I read it somewhere a while ago, and unfortunately, I don’t know who the original author is. Nonetheless, it's a statement that resonates with many of us in the IBM i community.  But is this motto still relevant today? With advancements in technology and the rise of various competing platforms, some might argue that the landscape has changed. Others might say that IBM i remains unparalleled in terms of reliability, efficiency, and total cost of ownership. So, why not take a 5-minute break, grab a coffee, and let's discuss this! Why IBM i Users Swear by It IBM i has long been known for its rock-solid stability, security, and seamless integration capabilities. Many busin...

In RPG, we often need to manage strings, split them into substrings, and manipulate them efficiently. The %SPLIT BIF is a powerful and useful tool to handle this task.   But what exactly is %SPLIT? 🤔   %SPLIT divides a string into multiple parts using a specified delimiter. It can return an array of values based on the delimiter you choose, making it easier to handle complex data or composite strings.   Here’s a practical code example to understand it better:     **FREE Dcl-s stringa    Varchar(100) Inz('apple,banana,orange'); Dcl-s array      Varchar(20) Dim(10); Dcl-s delimiter Varchar(1) Inz(','); Dcl-s i          Int(10); // Index for the loop // ***************************************************** // PGM start // ***************************************************** array = %Split(stringa : delimiter); *inlr = *on; For i = 1 to %Elem(array); ...