EASYCOM enables AS/400 native programs calling, CL or RPG programs or stored procedures.
To perform this, EASYCOM needs these programs description stored on AS/400 in YPROCHDR and YPROCPARMS files in EASYCOM library.
Programs description and data queues are built by DTAQ-RPC constructor. The basic principle is to specify all parameters, types and uses (input, output, input/output) required to call the program.
The first screen displays the existing procedures (stored on AS/400) and enables to create, modify, or delete them. The descriptions can be saved in a PC text file in view of a later transfer to another AS/400.
A new name is assigned to the procedure. It does not need to match with the associated program name.
A native AS/400 program (CL, RPG, COBOL, C etc.) is associated to the procedure.
The library may be omitted or replaced by *LIBL.
The description is a free text, which will be seen when client workstations browse through the procedures.
Each program calling type and size parameters are described.
Each parameter may be considered as a database table field.
Each parameter can be considered as a field in a database table.
It therefore has a name, by which it can be referred to by the application.
Parameters designed to provide values for the called program are considered as input parameters (IN).
Parameters designed to receive a value on returning from the call are considered as output parameters (OUT).
Parameters that are modified by the program are both input and output (IN/OUT) parameters.
By default, all the parameters in an AS/400 program are both input and output. The logic of the program can change this property.
If a calling parameter of the program is a structure (DS: Data Structure), each field of the DS has to be described individually.
For the first field only, the box to be ticked is: This field is a parameter or the 1st Field.
The type of parameter expected by the AS/400 program must be specified exactly :
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CHAR : |
Character data type. |
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BIN2 : |
16-bit numeric data type. |
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BIN4 : |
32-bit numeric data type. |
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PACK : |
Condensed numeric data type (DECIMAL). This is the format in which CL handles numerical data (CL *DEC type). |
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ZONED : |
Extended numeric data type (NUMERIC). |
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DATE : |
AS/400 date in the yyyy-mm-dd format. |
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TIME : |
Time in hh:mm:ss format. |
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FLOAT : |
Numeric value in single-precision floating point. |
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DOUBLE : |
Numeric value in double-precision floating point. |
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TIMESTP : |
Elapsed time field. |
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GRAPHIC : |
Character type data, not to be converted. |
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EXTERNAL DS : |
A structure described by an external data structure, i.e. a physical file. |
