Hidden Gems in RDi

Speaker: Susan Gantner

Professional Low-code and Embedded

Analytics for IBM i Developers
Speakers:
Eugene King & Andrew Vaiciunas
Sponsored by:

See more Summit Lunch & Learn webinars at

SystemiDeveloper.com/LunchLearn
As a long-time RDi user, Susan will cover some of her favorite RDi features - many of which are often overlooked by new - and
even experienced - RDi users.
A few examples include:
• How RDi answers the question "Where am I?",
• Why Object Table can be your best friend
• Under-utilized RPG editor navigation features
• Favorite keyboard shortcuts

If you're an RDi user, join Susan to see if you may have missed something useful.

If you're not an RDi user, you may find some reasons to give it a try.

Together with my partner Jon Paris, I devote my time to educating developers on techniques and technologies to extend and
modernize their applications and development environments. Together Jon and I have authored hundreds of technical articles
for TechChannel (formerly IBM Systems Magazine), IT Jungle's Guru column and other publications.

The easiest way to find our articles is to use our Authory web site authory.com/JonParisAndSusanGantner/

In addition to my work with Partner400, I am also a founding member of the System i Developer (SiD) education consortium -
originators of the highly successful RPG & Db2 Summit. More on SiD's offerings at SystemiDeveloper.com

Feel free to contact me at: Susan @ SystemiDeveloper.com

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 2

Appetizer: Little Things Mean a Lot
My picks: Small RDi goodies that are often overlooked
• Edit/Browse toggle & icons
• Zoom In/Out on code
• Style for control blocks
• Where Am I?
• Outline: Better than ever
• Code navigation - Making round trips
• A few favorite keyboard shortcuts

Stay tuned for the dessert course later (part 2)

• A look at some larger under-utilized RDi features
✦ Snippets
✦ Object Table
✦ PDM perspective

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 3

Toggle Edit/Browse
A quick way to "occasionally" open a member for browse (or vice versa)
• Open as normal for edit, then toggle to browse mode
• Ctrl-Shift-G shortcut key toggles between modes
✦ Also in Source pulldown menu and from Context (right click) menu in editor
✦ If changes already exist edit, prompt to save changes before switching to browse
3 possible icons in editor tab
• Open for browse
• Open for edit and locked
• Open for edit but not currently locked (unusual situation)
Also a new preference to automatically re-lock open members at startup

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 4

2 Ways to Answer: "Where Am I?"
Shows the procedure or subroutine where editor is positioned
1. At bottom of editor window
✦ To enable/disable it, use ILE RPG Parser Preferences
2. In Outline view - i.e., sync Editor selection in Outline
✦ To enable/disable it, use View Menu in Outline

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 5

Zoom In/Out: Quick Editor Font Change
Quick font change in editor (Ctrl +, Ctrl -)
• Mac users: substitute command for Ctrl
•

Ctrl +

Ctrl -

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 6

Style for End of Control Block (RPGLE)
It's on the ILE RPG > Key Behavior page
• Choose your favorite option
• Mine is EndXx (today, anyway)
Tip: Get to this page quickly using Outline view menu > Preferences

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 7

Outline enhancements for RPG
Additional cross-reference detail for files
• Indicates the operation on a line of code
✦ Such as READ, OPEN, %EOF, EXFMT, etc.
• Enhanced icon distinguishes EXPORTed procedures from internal ones

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 8

A Useful Outline for CL at last!
Parameters, variables, subroutines included
• With live cross-reference info ala the RPGLE outline
• Preference: “Update Outline view when text is changed in the editor”
✦ On the CL preference page under IBM i Parser
- Tip: Outline View menu > Preferences works for CL, too!
✦ After turning the preference on, you will need to refresh the Outline once

Outline
Refresh
button

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 9

Editor Navigation Shortcuts
Don't settle for a one-way trip
• Round-trips get you back where you came from
For example:
• To jump to the top or bottom of your source
✦ e.g, to see the H spec/Ctl-Opt or O specs
• Ctrl-Home (top) and Ctrl-End (bottom)
- On Mac: fn - cmd - ← (top), fn - cmd - → (bottom)
• Alt-Q takes you back where you started, completing the round trip
- On Mac: option - Q to go back

My favorite round-trip feature is coming up ...

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 10

Most Under-Utilized Navigation Feature?

Navigation via F3, then Alt - ←

Also works for other
definitions, such as:
- Procedures
- Internal Variables

Jump to here using F3 on EXSR

Return to EXSR using
Alt + ←
(Mac: cmd + option + ←)

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 11

Less Well Known Keyboard Shortcuts
• Ctrl-D Duplicate the current line (Mac: cmd-D)
• Ctrl-Shift-D Search by Change Date
• Alt-L - Select entire current line (Mac: option-L)
✦ Alt-L again to select a block
- Good for Copy/paste of blocks, comment out blocks, etc.
• Ctrl-/ Comment (current line or selected block)
✦ Ctrl-\ Uncomment
✦ Mac: cmd-/ and cmd-\
• Alt-F7 Shift left or Alt-F8 Shift right (Mac: option-F7 or F8)
✦ Try this after selecting a block of free-form logic to shift indentation
• Alt-C Copy (or Alt-M Move) selected code below current line
✦ After selecting 1 line or a block of lines using Alt-L
✦ On Mac: replace Alt with option

Download a Keyboard Shortcut Cheat Sheet @

systemideveloper.com/pages/downloads/RDiShortCuts/
© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 12
 Hidden Gems in RDi
Speaker: Susan Gantner

Professional Low-code and Embedded

Analytics for IBM i Developers
Speakers:
Eugene King & Andrew Vaiciunas
Sponsored by:

See more Summit Lunch & Learn webinars at

SystemiDeveloper.com/LunchLearn
© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 13
Welcome to the Dessert Course
Some not-so-little things that are often overlooked
• Snippets for RPG
• RDi's enhanced Object Table
• The new PDM Perspective

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 14

Snippets
Keep often-used bits of code handy
• May be used anywhere in the program
• May contain substitution variables
Great for standard blocks like:
• Program skeletons, subprocedure skeletons, comment blocks
Snippets view is not shown by default
• Use Window -> Show View -> Other
✦ Then open up the Basic folder and select Snippets
• View will appear but may be empty (except for JSP folder)
✦ Use context (right click) menu option Customize ... to create your own
RPG group and add your snippets (more on next chart)

Right click >

Customize

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 15

 Creating a Snippet
Best to code snippet in editor - then copy/paste here

Get to this dialog

from "Customize" in
Snippets view.

Substitution
variables
New > Category to create
RPG group
New > Item to create new
snippet in a group

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 16

Using a Snippet
Position cursor in edit window at desired insertion point
• Tip: Position in column 1 if not completely free-format code
Double-click desired snippet in Snippets window
• Prompt dialog will appear requesting values for substitution variables (if any)
• The code will be inserted at cursor position

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 17

Object Table
Not new - but many RDi users ignored this feature
• Recent enhancements make it far more useful

Many associate Object Table with the new PDM Perspective

• But it can be used with any perspective - even RSE
✦ It's too valuable to overlook
• If you don't see Object Table
✦ Use Window pulldown menu > Show View > Object Table

Speaking of PDM Perspective ...

• I once thought it was only for RDI newbies
• I now appreciate the simpler interface
✦ and I choose it much of the time over RSE

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 18

Exploring RDi's Object Table
It's not just for the new PDM perspective
• Use the dialog box to create lists of Libraries, Objects and Members
✦ Use of * wildcards for names at all levels

• Use Subset button for lightning-fast filtering of existing table content

• Give lists (aka filters) a name to recall them in later sessions
✦ These filters are also available in RSE tree view

• Browser-like Back & Forward buttons

Click on column
heading to sort list
Tip: From view menu
Select Show Columns > All
for Date/Size Info
Option = PDM options or Customize via Preferences
or RDi User Actions

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 19

Object Table - Create, Save & Use Filters
"Quick Filters" is a handy PDM-like way to create filters
• You can name & save them for use in Remote Systems Explorer
✦ Or, of course, to populate Object Table again later

- Then perhaps subset it or modify it

• Quick Filter dialog can be on right or left side

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 20

PDM Perspective: Easier Start for Newbies
Now the default perspective for any new RDi workspaces
• Previously, new workspaces defaulted to Remote Systems Explorer
• Now the default is switched to PDM
✦ Of course you can easily open Remote Systems and it will "remember" that
New Connection view & menu
• A simplified method to create a basic connection
New button to launch 5250 emulator (not on Mac)
• On toolbars in the Object Table and Library List views

Get here from:

Connections Menu >
New IBM i Connection

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 21

PDM Perspective

Simpler Interface - Object Table

replaces most functionality of
Remote Systems view

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 22

Library List View
How to manage your Library List for your current RDi session
• In PDM Perspective, find it in a tab next to "Outline"
Changes here apply to current session only
• Use settings button to get to properties page to change your
default RDi LIBL settings
Settings
Button

Launch
5250 Emulator

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 23

Be the Change: IBM Ideas Portal
Many enhancements shown here were submitted by users like you
• RDi has had more ideas submitted than any other category
✦ Between this new Ideas portal and the predecessor RFE program
Can't think of a new idea of your own?
• No problem - every idea submitted needs support to get IBM's attention
• Check out RDi ideas submitted by others & vote for your favorites
• This link gets you to the Power systems page, filtered for RDi Ideas
• ibm-power-systems.ideas.ibm.com/ideas/?category=7078984193866872978

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 24

For More about Recent RDi Enhancements

Watch a video demo of some of my fave (early) V9.6 features:

• www.screencast.com/t/wYON0QhkT

Read my 12-part series on V9.6 for IT Jungle's Guru newsletter:

• And other RDi articles can be found here:
✦ authory.com/JonParisAndSusanGantner?collection=RDi

Check out Steve Ferrell's RDi Video YouTube Channel

• Currently > 40 short (< 2 minutes) how-to videos
✦ youtube.com/channel/UCgRaZomxectRLAhKKOPdc5A

A complete list of RDi enhancements in releases for

the last several years is available here:
ibm.biz/rdi_fix_list

© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 25

Learn More about RDi
Free RDi-related downloads
• My "RDi Keyboard Shortcuts" card
✦ Download here: systemideveloper.com/pages/downloads/RDiShortCuts/
• Custom RDi classes for developers: Contact @ Partner400.com

Online Communities
• www.midrange.com - list name WDSCI-L
✦ Mailing lists and mailing list archives
✦ Also an RDi FAQ wiki
• RDi Hub - ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-rational-developer-i-hub
• IBM Community - filtered for RDi topics
✦ community.ibm.com/community/user/search?executeSearch=true&SearchTerm=RDi

Questions?
• Email me: susan@SystemiDeveloper.com
© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 26
 Hidden Gems in RDi
Speaker: Susan Gantner

Professional Low-code and Embedded

Analytics for IBM i Developers
Speakers:
Eugene King & Andrew Vaiciunas
Sponsored by:

See more Summit Lunch & Learn webinars at

SystemiDeveloper.com/LunchLearn
© Copyright Partner400, 2023. Page 27