IBM Enterprise PL/I for z/OS highlights

Handle big data requirements with 64-bit support

The compiler now supports 64-bit applications with the LP(64) option. This means that all the storage limitations of 32-bit applications are lifted: your application can now acquire and manipulate more than 2G of total storage, and individual structures and arrays can now be larger than 2G in size. Moreover, you can exploit the removal of these data limits while using all the PL/I statements and functions as in your existing 32-bit applications.

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Increased productivity and modernization with XML

The compiler now provides new and enhanced built-in functions, pseudovariables, and subroutines to improve programmer productivity. A new XMLCONTENT attribute is introduced to generate tagless XML text.

Improved middleware support for Db2

The compiler now improves middleware functionality with additional SQL support for Db2® applications. The SQL preprocessor now parses the DEFINE ALIAS, DEFINE ORDINAL, and DEFINE STRUCTURE statements.

Enhanced performance and increased functionality with JSON

The compiler now further exploits the vector facility features and provides Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) date-time built-in functions. You can also handle JSON data by using the new JSON attributes JSONNAME and JSONOMIT now.

Strengthened SMF tracking support

The compiler now provides a new level of z/OS System Management Facilities (SMF) tracking support that allows you, when you have implemented sub-capacity tracking, to reduce your administrative reporting overhead.

Compatible with PL/I programs and Java components

The compiler can receive, manipulate, and send Java data without any translation, because it supports the IEEE decimal floating point standard. To further improve Java interoperability, the compiler now provides a thread-safe PL/I library and multithreading statements (ATTACH, WAIT, DETACH) as part of the PL/I language supported. Moreover, PL/I fully supports null-terminated strings and UTF-8 now.

Easier migration

The Enterprise PL/I for z/OS® Compiler and Runtime Migration Guide provides you with all helpful information you might need to move your existing OS PL/I V2 and PL/I for MVS™ applications to the new runtime environment. Migrating to the new compiler allows your existing applications to take advantage of the many new functions available in Enterprise PL/I for z/OS and to enjoy the many performance benefits provided by the new compiler.

Workstation-based development

Rational Developer for z Systems® provides an interactive, workstation-based environment to help you create, maintain, and reuse applications. Rational Developer for z Systems includes support for traditional development using PL/I, but also has the ability to generate web services interfaces from PL/I constructs to ease creation of web services from existing PL/I applications.

PL/I across platforms

Enterprise PL/I for z/OS is part of a family of compatible compilers, application development tools, and maintenance tools. Along with Enterprise PL/I for z/OS, IBM offers PL/I compilers for multiple platforms as well as IBM File Manager, IBM Fault Analyzer, and Debug Tool. The recommended workstation-based development environment is Rational Developer for z Systems.

Reduces CPU usage on IBM z14™

IBM Enterprise PL/I for z/OS V5.2 reduces CPU usage of decimal compute intensive applications by up to 40%, and on average by 10% on z14 over the same applications built with Enterprise PL/I for z/OS V5.1 on z14. This significant reduction in CPU usage is achieved through improvements in optimization and compiler exploitation of the new Vector Packed Decimal facility and ARCH(12) compiler option.

Technical details

Software requirements

IBM Enterprise PL/I for z/OS®, V5.2 runs in conjunction with the supported releases of the following programs and their subsequent releases or their equivalents. For more information on the programs listed that require program temporary fixes (PTFs), refer to the Program Directory.

    Hardware requirements

    Enterprise PL/I for z/OS®, V5.2 runs on the following IBM Z® servers:

    • IBM z14™
    • IBM z13® or IBM z13s™
    • IBM zEnterprise® EC12 (zEC12)
    • IBM zEnterprise BC12 (zBC12)
    • IBM zEnterprise 196 (z196)
    • IBM zEnterprise 114 (z114)

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