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October 15, 2018 Refresh
Our October 15, 2018 refresh of the tools (R69) has hit the streets. This refresh supports IBM i releases 7.2 and 7.3 and, as usual, contains new tools as well as enhancements and fixes.
Check out our latest release notes for full details.
Complete documentation for all our tools is on our web site. Always check for tools that can help you before starting a new project. We may have something that will lighten your load. Good places to start are our category page or searching our index page.
Call 507-258-5182 or email support@taatool.com to order your refresh. We can either email you a download link or ship it to you on CD.
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Why do we call this a "refresh"?
We do a simultaneous updates of the tools across all of the underlying supported releases of the IBM i Operating System. To call this a release or version would confuse it with the VRM numbering of the underlying OS, since we refresh the tools far more often. You could consider this our parallel to IBM's Technical Refreshes for IBM i, but our refreshes apply to multiple VRMs of the IBM i OS.
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New Tools
We have 3 new tools in this refresh that will make your life easier.
FNDMSGID
The Find Message ID command searches all message files on the system for the specified message id.
When a message is issued, it is often important to determine which product issued it to debug a problem. This can be nearly impossible with the many large message files on a system. FNDMSGID allows a user to determine which message file a message resides in, thus helping to determine the product or feature reporting an error, or where to update a message for changes.
SCNALLDSTL
The Scan All Distribution Lists command scans all distribution lists on a system for the requested entry, and creates a database file for review.
SCNALLDSTL is an important tool for both maintenance and security review of distribution lists. When a user changes roles or leaves an organization, SCNALLDSTL can identify which distribution lists need to be updated to reflect the change. Even more importantly, SCNALLDSTL can help insure a user is not on sensitive distribution lists which they should not be part of. Distribution list maintenance is crucial to a well run organization and now SCNALLDSTL can help.
ADDDSTLE2
The Add Distribution List Entry 2 command easily adds a user to the same distribution lists to which another user belongs. This tool will be a favorite to ease onboarding of new users to an organization. ADDDSTLE2 is sure to save time and frustration for many.
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Feature Tools - Convert
The TAA Productivity Tools contain over 175 tools that start with CVT.
Are you using them?
You should.
The convert tools provide you information about your system that can otherwise be difficult to obtain. These tools boost productivity by quickly delivering results that you need.
The convert tools come in two flavors. The first is used to convert a list of items obtained from the system into a database file. These can then be queried with SQL or processed with a custom program without the need to understand system APIs. They can also be sent to other users for review, copied to CSV, or fed into programs for processing. The second type converts one system or user supplied value to another format.
Here are just a few of the first flavor to check out:
CVTALLSPCA - Convert All Special Authorities
This is a great audit tool to check whether users have appropriate authorities on the system. The Convert All Special Authorities command creates an outfile of all the special authorities held by one or more users.
Multiple records are written for each user profile selected: one record for the user, one for the user's group profile (if any), one for each supplemental group profile, and a summary record combining all the special authority information. One summary record would be written for each user who has any special authority either directly specified for or inherited.
CVTQHST – Convert QHST File to Normal Data Base File
This command is a great convenience tool. QHST files contain important system logging information, but their format is difficult to process directly. CVTQHST converts one or all of the QHST* files in QSYS to an externally described data base file which can be easily viewed and queried. This can be an invaluable tool for examining recent events on the system.
CVTIFS – Convert IFS
CVTIFS converts IFS entry attribute information to a database file. Queries can then be written over the database file to provide valuable analysis such as size, age, and usage information.
You can specify a certain directory, or *IFS can be specified to start the listing from the root directory, skipping system paths such as /QYS.LIB, or IFSLST may be entered to convert a list of IFS objects/directories using the IFSLST tool. An omit list can also be specified to exclude certain directories from the conversion.
Below are just a few examples of the second flavor that can make your CL programming tasks much simpler.
CVTFRMHEX / CVTHEX – Hex conversion tools
Convert From Hex converts a hex variable to a byte variable. Conversely, Convert Hex converts a field’s content to a hex string. These tools are quick fixes to sticky programmer conversion problems.
CVTDAYN – Convert Day N
This returns a date N days away from a specified date. Special values of *TODAY, *DAY1, *DAY2, ..., up to *DAY60 are supported, or a specific number of days can be entered. The greatest future date can also be specified. This tool allows a programmer to make a prompt where a day in the future can be specified within certain boundaries.
CVTTIMSTM – Convert Time Stamp
This converts a time stamp to a data structure. Individual fields of the data structure contain the various components of the timestamp, such as year, day, hour, etc. Other fields in the structure contain the date and time in various formats. An invaluable tool for simplifying any programming where timestamps need to be manipulated.
There are many, many more such tools. All are documented on our web site's tool index. Check it out!
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IBM's support for IBM i 7.1 ended in April
Refresh 68, released in April, was our last refresh targeted at IBM i 7.1. We will continue to provide fixes as needed for the tools on 7.1 until April 30, 2021.
If you are still on 7.1 (or earlier!) you should be making plans to upgrade now. Here at TAA Tools we've partnered with iTech Solutions Group to perform our own upgrades. Fill out this quick form if you are interested in getting a quote.
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Tools In This Newsletter
Click on the tool name to get the full documentation.
FNDMSGID - Retrieve Job Output Queue
SCNALLDSTL - Scan All Distribution Lists
ADDDSTLE2 - Add Distribution List Entry 2
CVTALLSPCA - Convert All Special Authorities
CVTQHST - Convert QHST
CVTIFS - Convert IFS
CVTHEX - Convert Hex
CVTFRMHEX - Convert From Hex
CVTDAYN - Convert Day N
CVTTIMSTM - Convert Time Stamp
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