Informix 4GL and EGL: IBM Software Group / DB2 Information Management

IBM Software Group / DB2 Information Management
Informix 4GL and EGL
Jerry Keesee, Director of the Informix lab

S. Venkatesh Gopal, Development, Informix R&D
© 2005 IBM Corporation

IBM Software Group / DB2 Information
Management
Disclosure Information
 PLANS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR

CANCELLATION WITHOUT NOTICE
2 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Management
Agenda
 Informix 4GL Today

 Why EGL?
 Overview of some EGL capabilities
 4GL / EGL Syntax Comparison
 JSF & EGL – Web Application Development
Overview
 Conversion of 4GL to EGL

Management
Current I4GL Development/Runtime Environment
 A well established development environment.

 Can be deployed as either pseudo-code (P code) or C
code applications
– P code primarily is used for development – debugger works with P
code only
– most develop with P code and deploy with C code
 Connectivity to Informix database servers only
– unless an Informix Gateway server is added
 Small disk/memory footprint delivers very good runtime
performance
 Wide platform coverage.

Management
Primary Requirements for I4GL
 Provide application database connectivity to IDS & DB2
 Provide a modern integrated development environment
 Provide the capability to create modern applications with:

– graphical user interfaces
– and character-based user interfaces
 Maintain and grow user base

– enhancements should “fit” existing users
– and be compelling for new ones…

Management
EGL
 A language as easy as I4GL to use and develop with.

 Provides an industry standard IDE (Rational Application developer)
for developing EGL, Java, Web and COBOL applications.
 Provides an enriched set of the same capabilities.
– Text user interface (Curses based).
– Calls to “C” functions.
– SQL (embedded, dynamic and more).
– Interactive debugging capability.
– Powerful reporting capability.
– Command line based application development.
– Data types (all of I4GL and some more in addition).

Management
EGL .....
 In addition to the I4GL feature set provides

– Development and runtime capabilities for Windows platforms.
– More general programming capabilities.
– Web Application development and deployment.
• Same business logic can be shared in both deployments.
– Multiple Database connectivity.
• Uses JDBC and allows to connect to any DB.
– Service Oriented Architecture (Web Services).
– MQ Access.
– File I/O
– Provides for COBOL generation options (deployable in i-Series and z-
Series).
– Calling out Java code from EGL.
– and more…

Management
EGL (similarities to I4GL).
 Lots of similarities.
– Basic statements and looping constructs are similar.
– SQL statements are similar to 4GL (prepare, execute,
open, get (fetch), close and for each).
– Text user interface similar (with a more general
programming model) to I4GL with extended capabilities.
– Reporting framework provides for a wider set of output
formats (PDF, Text, XML, CSV, HTML).
– A highly interactive and visual debugging environment
based on the Eclipse framework.

Management
Examples (Comparing I4GL to EGL).

DEFINE INTVAL INTEGER INTVAL INT;
DEFINE myRecord RECORD

Record myRecordType
intval INTEGER,
intval int;
floatval FLOAT,
decimalval DECIMAL floatval float;
END RECORD decimalval decimal;
End
myRecord myRecordType;
myotherRecord myRecordType;
LET intval = 10
LET myrecord.intval = 10
intval = 10;
myRecord.intval = 10;
CALL funcName(param1,param2)
funcName(param1,param2);

Management
Examples (Comparing I4GL to EGL).

while(i < 10) while(i < 10)
let i = i + 1 i = i+1;
end while End
case (i) case(i)

when 10 when (10)
… …
when 20 when (20)
… …
otherwise otherwise
… …
End case end

Management
Examples (SQL in I4GL compared to EGL)
insert into mytable (code, quantity) execute #sql{

values (‘abc’, 10)
insert into mytable(code,quantity)
values('abc',10)};
prepare stmtid from "select fname,lname prepare stmtid from "select fname,lname
from customer where customer_num=10" from customer where customer_num=10";
declare secondSet cursor for select open secondSet

fname,lname from customer with
#sql{select fname,lname from customer };
open secondSet
get next from secondSet into
fetch secondset into fname,lname; fname,lname;

Management
Some Infrastructure differences…
 EGL being IDE based requires knowledge of Eclipse

Workspace paradigms.
 Everything exists in a workspace
– Workspace has projects.
• Projects have packages.
– Packages have files.
– Files can be either EGL source files, EGL programs or EGL libraries.
 A program is equivalent to a I4GL file having the main

function.
 A library is equivalent to any I4GL modules that provides
functions for use by other I4GL modules or I4GL globals
file.

Management
Informix 4GL Today EGL Today

DATABASE stats PACKAGE PlayerStatsApplication;
import InfxDbSchema.sports.stats.*;
GLOBALS
PROGRAM player_main
DEFINE player_bats RECORD LIKE informix.atbats.* use player_ba;
DEFINE batting_ave RECORD LIKE informix.battingaverage.*
END GLOBALS player_bats rec_like_informix_atbats;
batting_ave rec_like_informix_battingaverage;
------------------------------------------
MAIN FUNCTION main()
------------------------------------------ BA DECIMAL (4,3);
DEFINE BA DECIMAL (4,3)
DECLARE curs_at_bats cursor for select * from informix.atbats PREPARE $_STMT_curs_at_bats FROM "select * from informix.atbats";
OPEN curs_at_bats open curs_at_bats with $_STMT_curs_at_bats;
WHILE (SQLCA.SQLCODE = 0)
WHILE (SQLCODE = 0)
FETCH curs_at_bats into player_bats.*
IF (SQLCA.SQLCODE = 100) THEN get next from curs_at_bats into player_bats.lname, player_bats.atbats,
player_bats.hits, player_bats.walks;
EXIT WHILE IF (SQLCODE = 100)
END IF EXIT WHILE;
CALL compute_BA(player_bats.atbats, player_bats.hits) RETURNING BA END
BA = compute_BA(player_bats.atbats, player_bats.hits);
INSERT INTO informix.battingaverage VALUES (player_bats.lname, BA);
END WHILE execute #sql{INSERT INTO informix.battingaverage VALUES (:player_bats.lname, :BA) };
END //WHILE
COMMIT WORK commit() ;
CLOSE curs_at_bats CLOSE curs_at_bats;
END MAIN END // FUNCTION
END // PROGRAM
FUNCTION compute_BA(at_bats, hits) PACKAGE PlayerStatsApplication;

DEFINE at_bats INTEGER
DEFINE hits INTEGER LIBRARY player_ba
DEFINE BA DECIMAL (4,3)
FUNCTION compute_BA(at_bats INT IN, hits INT IN) returns (DECIMAL (4,3))
LET BA = hits/at_bats BA DECIMAL (4,3);
RETURN BA BA = hits/at_bats;
END FUNCTION
IDS RETURN( BA);
END // FUNCTION
END // LIBRARY

Management
Compiling and running applications.
 Set up the compilation options in the build

descriptor.
 Generate to Java
 Run the application.
 Take the generate Java and deploy it to any other
machine with the runtime libraries.
 If you have created a web application, deploy the
web archives to the test server or any J2EE server
from within the IDE.

Management
Some extended capabilities…

Management
Integrated development environment
 An industry standard IDE

 Based on the Eclipse framework
 Provides for different development perspectives
– EGL
– EGL/Web
– Java and more.
 Context Sensitive editor
 Debugging capability (Interpretive debugger).
 Page designer for JSPs and page handlers.
 Code Assist (using Ctrl + Space)

Management
Records
 Different types…
– Basic Records
– SQL Records
– Serial Records
– Indexed Records
– MQ Records.
 Record type identifies the I/O that can be done
 Same statements are used for different Record types
 No I/O with Basic records.

Management
Records
Operation Serial SQL Indexed MQ

insert record at end send record to
add of file
Insert record insert record at key
queue
close close file close file close file close queue
delete current delete current

delete n/a
record record
n/a
record based on record based on

get (key) n/a
key key
n/a
get next get next record get next record get next record get next message
get previous n/a get previous record get previous record n/a
replace current replace current

replace n/a
record record
n/a

Management
Records (SQL Records)
 Record definition
Record CustomerRecord type SQLRecord {tableNames=("customer") }
customer_num int {column=customer_num};
fname char(15) {column = fname};
lname char(15) {column = lname};
company char(20) {column = company};
address1 char(20) {column = address1};
address2 char(20) {column = address2};
city char(15) {column = city};
state char(2) {column = state};
zipcode char(5) {column = zipcode};
phone char(18) {column = phone};
end
 A default SQL statement is generated for every SQLRecord
 The SQL column information can be extracted using the IDE.

Management
SQL Records (example)

mycustomer CustomerRecord;
myCustomerArray customerRecord[];
open resultSet for mycustomer;
try
while(sqlcode = 0)
get next from resultSet;

//mycustomer.customer_num has the value.
if(sqlcode = 100)
exit while;
end
end
onException
End
get myCustomerArray;

Management
File I/O using Records
 Create a serialRecord.
Record FileRecord type serialRecord {filename="customer"}
customer_num num(10);
fname char(15);
lname char(15);
End
 Create a Resource Association.
 Write your code.
myfilerecord FileRecord;
myfilerecord.customer_num = 100;
myfilerecord.fname = “John”;
myfilerecord.lname = “Doe”;
add myfilerecord;

Management
Message Queue Access
 Easy MQ handling.
– Create Record definitions.
Record myMQRecord type MQRecord { queueName = "mqRA" }
fname char(10);
lname char(10);
End
– Create a Resource Association between the queueName attribute and the MQ system.
– Write your code.
mqr myMQRecord;
mqr.fname="Venkatesh";
mqr.lname="Gopal";
add mqr;
get mqr;
– Take full advantage using a package called “MQReusableParts”, a part of your
standard distribution.

Management
Web Development with EGL.

Sun PetStore Reference Application:
Hand-Coded WebSphere Studio

in Java IDE MDD Competitor JSF & EGL*
507.5 Hours 330 Hours 55 Hours
*Internal Study

Management
Web Development using JSF

 JSF is a J2EE Web UI / programming framework
 User interface component model - Set of standard
widgets
 Specification allows creation of custom UI components
 Event handlers to process client-driven events
 Actions to call business logic
 Validation framework to allow server side validation
 Internationalization/Localization

Management
How do JSF and EGL fit together?

Controller Model
JSF
Request EGL
Servlet
(Faces Servlet)
Invokes EGL
Response
JSP
(View) EGL

Management
How do JSF and EGL fit together?
 A perspective (EGL Web) that allows users to create a view (JSP)

containing standard controls and widgets.
 Easy Drag and Drop to bind the data components to presentation
items in the view.
 Automatic creation of a page handler that implements the controller
– Has an onPageLoad function, which is invoked the first time the web
page is rendered.
– A set of event handlers, each of which is invoked in response to a
specific user action (like clicking on a button or a link).
– Validation functions to validate web-page input fields.
 Page handler can call other EGL library functions that implement the
actual business logic.
 Data can be passed between pages using simple EGL statements.

Management
Taking your applications from 4GL to EGL

Management
What is the Conversion Strategy?
 Goal is to convert an I4GL application to the equivalent EGL application that

uses:
– the same display device
– the same database server
– I4GL TUI applications will be converted to EGL TUI applications
 Convert, on a program-by-program basis, using the conversion utilities:
– provided as part of the IDE
– also available from the command line
 Separate conversion passes required for:
– database metadata extraction
– shared libraries (C code or combination of C and I4GL code)
– I4GL source code
 Automated conversion should convert most 4GL source code
– but, some 4GL programs may require manual intervention

Management
Conversion Assumptions
 I4GL code is “legal”

– it will compile with I4GL 7.32 compiler
– conversion will not “fix” invalid I4GL code
 Multiple passes are required
 Functions that can not be resolved during conversion
are assumed to be C code functions
– if function is later found to be an I4GL function, re-conversion would
be required
 C code functions do not use undocumented I4GL
internal functions

Management
How is this Going to be Done?
 WebSphere Studio conversion plug-in

– runs within the EGL development environment (Windows or
Linux)
• I4GL source directories can be mounted from current environments
• or copied to the EGL development environment
– GUI wizard collects information about I4GL source environment:
• I4GL source and EGL destination directories
• I4GL source files (.4gl, .per, .c, .so, message files, etc)
• database connection information
• locale information
– generates configuration XML files
– invokes the conversion utility
• displays conversion log upon completion

Management
How is this Going to be Done?
 Command line conversion utility

– Java program can be run in current I4GL build environments
• perhaps via current makefiles
– requires XML configuration file describing current 4GL
environment:
• could be generated using the IDE plugin
• or generated via shell script
– generates EGL conversion “projects” containing
• database meta data
• makefiles to re-link C code with new EGL stack library
• EGL source files
• report designs and other reporting artifacts

Management
Conversion Artifacts
 Configuration file
– XML file generated from interaction with conversion wizard
– contains required conversion project information
 Manifest file
– XML file generated during conversion of shared libraries
– contains declaration and usage information about each of the functions
(C and I4GL) used in the shared library
– used to resolve function declarations in dependent I4GL shared libraries
– required for subsequent I4GL source code conversions
 Log file
– contains warnings and errors
– status of each source file
– summary of conversion

Management
Order of Conversion is Important!
 Database metadata
– conversion creates EGL packages for each database used in the
project
– schema metadata will become a separate EGL project which can
be referenced by other EGL projects
 Shared libraries
– conversion generates Manifest file and makefile
 I4GL source files
– .4gl files
– .per (form) files
– message files

Management
Pre-Conversion Tasks
 Identify & locate all the components of the 4GL
application to be converted
– (.4gl, .per, message files, shared libraries)
 Identify connection information for each database used
 Start Informix database instances
 Mount/copy source code to EGL development machine,
if required
 Determine destination directory for converted EGL
source code & conversion artifacts
 Identify “Client” locale – used to convert message files

Management
Conversion Utility Processing
 Map all I4GL constructs into equivalent EGL constructs

 Convert existing “.4gl” source files into “.egl” source files
 Convert existing “.per” form specification files into “.egl” TUI specification files
– No special file extensions for EGL form definitions
 Migrate existing I4GL error message files into EGL error messages
 Convert existing I4GL reporting logic into equivalent EGL reporting logic
 Generate a “makefile” that will be used to link the C shared libraries to the
converted EGL project
– makefile will have targets for different operating systems
 Report all warnings and errors
 Generate log file to indicate the status of conversion
 Create default EGL build descriptor file for the project

Management
Conversion tool within the IDE….

Management
Conversion tool…

Management
Conversion tool….

Management
Conversion tool (artifacts)…

Management
Conversion tool (conversion log).

Management
Post-Conversion Tasks
 Review log file

 Fix identified problems
– on the 4GL side and re-convert or
– in the new EGL file
– shared libraries may have to be re-converted if functions cannot be
resolved
 Open the project in the IDE
 Verify EGL packages and source files
 View/update EGL build descriptor file
 “Generate” Java code for the project
– fix problems in the EGL code
 Set runtime properties from existing environment variables
 Launch new EGL project

Management
Conversion Limitations
 Database connections cannot be shared between

EGL and C code
 C code cannot call EGL functions
 Default values set in syscolval table are not
accessed
 I4GL Dynamic Arrays (7.32 release) will not be
converted in initial release

Management
Typical I4GL Program … Becomes Typical EGL Program
form.per BL BL
BL C functions
main.4gl BL
c_code.so
inventory.4gl
catalog.4gl
Text
IDS
Reports
I4GL to EGL Conversion
C functions
Text
Reports c_code.so
SchemaLib.egl
BL BL
BL
main.egl BL
form.egl inventory.egl
catalog.egl

Management
Now What Can You Do With It …
Use your I4GL Use your I4GL
Business Business Logic
Logic in EGL in whatever
Webmain.egl
Web Services comes next!!!
Webinventory.egl
Use your I4GL
Business
Logic with
Message
Queues
HTML
DB2 IDS Output
XML
Output
PDF
Output
C functions
Text
c_code.so
SchemaLib.egl Reports
BL BL
BL
main.egl BL
inventory.egl
catalog.egl

Management
EGL Releases…
 6.0 ega 12/3/2004, GA 1/7

 fix001 ega 12/20/2004 (first release for Informix)
 ifix003 ega 2/28/2005 (Release with conversion
tool available through Rational updater).
 6.0.0.1 ega 4/8/2005 (Conversion tool available
through Rational updater)

Management
EGL information
 EGL site
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/products/egl/
 EGL downloads
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/egldoc.html

Management
http://www.ibm.com/software/data/informix

Management

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IBM Software Group / DB2 Information Management

Informix 4GL and EGL

Jerry Keesee, Director of the Informix lab

© 2005 IBM Corporation

 PLANS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR

2 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

 Informix 4GL Today

3 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Current I4GL Development/Runtime Environment

 A well established development environment.

4 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Primary Requirements for I4GL

 Provide application database connectivity to IDS & DB2

 Provide a modern integrated development environment

 Provide the capability to create modern applications with:

 Maintain and grow user base

5 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

 A language as easy as I4GL to use and develop with.

6 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

 In addition to the I4GL feature set provides

7 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

EGL (similarities to I4GL).

8 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Examples (Comparing I4GL to EGL).

DEFINE myRecord RECORD

9 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Examples (Comparing I4GL to EGL).

case (i) case(i)

10 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Examples (SQL in I4GL compared to EGL)

insert into mytable (code, quantity) execute #sql{

declare secondSet cursor for select open secondSet

11 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Some Infrastructure differences…

 EGL being IDE based requires knowledge of Eclipse

 A program is equivalent to a I4GL file having the main

12 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Informix 4GL Today EGL Today

FUNCTION compute_BA(at_bats, hits) PACKAGE PlayerStatsApplication;

13 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Compiling and running applications.

 Set up the compilation options in the build

14 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Some extended capabilities…

15 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Integrated development environment

 An industry standard IDE

16 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

17 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Operation Serial SQL Indexed MQ

close close file close file close file close queue

delete current delete current

record based on record based on

replace current replace current

18 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

Records (SQL Records)

19 © 2005 IBM Corporation February 2, 2005

SQL Records (example)

get next from resultSet;