That's Cool!
RPG-XML Suite Tips & Tricks for Developers
RPG-XML Suite is utilized by companies around the world in a wide variety of ways. This month we’re taking a look at the specific example of offering XML to a Java customer maintenance application running on the desktop. See how it’s done!

RPG-XML Suite version 1.30
The latest version of RPG-XML Suite was released in June and included the following note-worthy features:

• Library list manipulation API's have been added (i.e. RXS_addLibLE, RXS_libLEExists, RXS_rmvLibLE). The most common use of these is when offering a web service from your System i which allows you to add data libraries to your library list so you don't have to keep them in the CGI library (i.e. MYRXS).
• Additional enhancements were made to the RPG-XML Suite Template Engine allowing the ability to retrieve buffered XML contents and use them on the modified RXS_getUri API. This eliminates the need to use IFS files. The XML composing, transmitting and parsing can now be entirely done in memory!
• The Web Service Tester desktop application was modified and now saves responses to a stream file - retaining URLs that have been accessed for ease of future retrieval.

Yet another XML tip…
When developing your XML standards you may feel a growing excitement within your stomach to make the XML tags especially long simply because you can. After all, we can only have DB fields that are 10 long so why not indulge, right?

For example, the following XML simply represents a customer number in your database.

<ProductionInventoryCustomerNumber> 1234567 </ProductionInventoryCustomerNumber>

The above took 71 bytes to define a 7 byte customer number – ouch! The same could have been written as follows and still retain the full meaning of the data:

<ProdInvCustNbr>1234567</ProdInvCustNbr> Now that’s much better!

We cut the bytes in half - down to 33! After seeing that one might be saying, "Mr. Krengeltech Developer - we shouldn't be using XML in the first place if we are trying to conserve on space". It’s true that XML consumes more bandwidth than more traditional methods, but we still get to practice scrutiny against that excitement we felt earlier. Our general recommendation to the web service community is that XML doesn't have to use spelled out words to fill the void it was meant for. Besides, there are other ways to resurrect that initial excitement mentioned above - like spinning around in your office chair 100 times and then quickly getting up in an attempt to try and run across the office without running into anything. <grin>

Did you know...
Did you know that you can offer SOAP based web services with RPG-XML Suite that .NET or Java developers can easily consume with a couple clicks of a button? It's true! See how it's done by viewing this specific example http://rpg-xml.com/downloads/calcprice_example.html. Email an RPG-XML Suite Developer at support@krengeltech.com with questions you may have!

That XML project…
Do you have specs for an XML project you need to implement within your company or your client’s company? If so, Krengeltech can review them and provide a recommended approach to facilitate the necessary XML communications to/from the System i. Contact sales@krengeltech.com or call 800-KRENGEL to discuss your project details today!