It's been way too long since our last blog post and we're sincerely sorry. We got stuck in an extensive process moving off of our previous blogging platform. Who would've thought migration could be such a hassle?  Fortunately, we're now completely settled into our new home here at blog.profoundlogic.com—and we're excited to get back on track with IBM i Pulse, your favorite (and likely only) IBM i news roundup!

2016 Predictions for IBM i: Cautious Optimism
by Alex Woodie

• "Could 2016 be the year that the IBM i re-awakens? 2016 is going to be a very important year in the life of IBM i."
• "At a macro level, I would expect the installed base to remain about the same. It's hard to see revenue at the IBM level increasing very much, just because the price/performance curve runs against them."
• "IBM should really provide a seamless, push-button migration from 5250 green screen technology to web browser based clients. But they probably won't."

Source: http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh011116-story02.html

Finding IBM i: A Game Of 40 Questions
by Dan Burger

• "The IBM i is sometimes referred to as IBM's best-kept secret. Unfortunately, that keeps many IT professionals, who are only marginally familiar with the system, on the dark side of the moon clutching their misinformed opinions."
• "It turns out 94 percent believe IBM i ROI beats all other servers. OK, there's a loyalty bias that could be interpreted as see no evil, but, regardless, 94 percent is a very high satisfaction rating."

Source: http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh011116-story01.html

Throw Away Old Summary Query Techniques
by Ted Holt

• "Let me show you two ways we used to have to write summary queries and two new ways that are better..."
• "I used to use such methods years ago, when SQL was less powerful, but I don't use them now and I don't recommend them to you."

Source: http://www.itjungle.com/fhg/fhg011216-story02.html

RPG Academy: /FREE Your Code - It's /FREE, But It Has Rules
by Rafael Victoria-Pereira

• "For the compiler to correctly validate and compile your code, there are a few rules that you have to follow, just like the fixed positions that you already know.
  • Your statements can span multiple lines, but only one statement, no matter how short, is allowed per line. This is especially helpful when calling functions with long parameter lists or with nesting functions.
  • To help the compiler figure out where your instruction ends, you must end it with the semicolon (;) character.
  • ..."

Source: http://www.mcpressonline.com/rpg/rpg-academy-/free-your-code-it-s-/free-but-it-has-rules.html

Navigating the Options for Mobile Application Development
by Peter Helgren

• "The boss has just rushed into your office and said, "We need a mobile app for our salespeople to use, and we need it soon!" And before you can ask her just what she means by "mobile app" and what, exactly, the salespeople need, she's gone."
• "A little research and you find that you have basically three options:
  1. Create native mobile apps
  2. Create hybrid apps
  3. Create responsive web apps"

Source: http://www.mcpressonline.com/wireless-/-mobile/navigating-the-options-for-mobile-application-development.html

And that's about it for this week's IBM i Pulse. We plan to produce a lot more content for the iModernize Blog in 2016 so be sure to subscribe!