What's new in Rational Programming Patterns

The following new capabilities are introduced in Rational Programming Patterns Version 9.6.1.

Generation enhancements

An enhanced generation is available for Programs, Screens, Servers, Folders, and Communication Monitors. It automatically applies to the instances that are created directly in Rational Programming Patterns 9.6.1 or that are migrated from Pacbase with the 9.6.1 migration process. If the code was generated or migrated before version 9.6.1, the upgrade to the new generation version is proposed. The upgraded generation includes the following enhancements:
  • The SP Macros that were associated with Screens or Servers for the relative insertions are no longer used. They are removed from the -CP Lines and from the Design Explorer view.
  • All the relative subfunctions can now be inserted with the function and subfunction creation wizard directly in the PDP COBOL editor or the Generated Code Structure view of Screens or Business Components.
  • The COBOL annotations for the relative insertions (@BEFORE, @AFTER, @REPLACE, or @ATTACH) are displayed before the subfunction declaration line in the COBOL code.
  • The -900 lines are automatically managed.
  • A subfunction that contains dependent subfunctions with generated code can be deleted.
  • The subfunction tags for relative subfunctions are displayed as specific code instead of Macro code.

Enhanced function and subfunction creation wizard

  • The wizard contains a With generation checkbox to generate the code after modifications. A new generation automatically starts after relative insertions are added.
  • The selection lists for the insertions relative to Data Elements or Segments now only display the instances that are called in the Screen or Business Component.
  • The execution condition is now editable in the wizard.

Usability enhancements

  • A zoom function is available in the Design Explorer view to quickly locate instances.
  • The -CP Lines tab includes a search function to find parameter values.
  • A new preference can be selected to forbid the move or deletion of an instance if this instance is used (through its super references or subreferences) locally or on the server.
  • When a Macro is renamed, the new name is recognized in the design files where it is called but also in the .cbl files and associated metadata files, in the lower hierarchy of the projects in the design build path.
  • A sentence is available at the beginning of complex tabs such as the -CD Lines or –CE Lines to explain the purpose of the tab.
  • A label is associated with each project.

Design editors enhancements

  • The –CP Lines tab contains a new column for the line numbers.
  • The record code of Tables now follows the coding rules of Segments. The value 00 is still invalid.
  • When a -GG, -GO, or -GE line is created, its default value is * (comment).
  • The line number in the table of the -CP Lines is editable.
  • A CSV export is available from the Level, Address, and Length tab of Segments, and from the –CP Lines and –CD Lines tabs of Programs.
  • In the -CD Lines of a Program, if a Data Structure is replaced by another Data Structure, the change applies to the selected Segments if the corresponding selected Segments exist in the new Data Structure. If some corresponding Segments do not exist, they are ignored in the -CD Lines.

Enhanced Generated Code Structure view

  • The level and the execution condition of functions are subfunctions are displayed in new columns.
  • The view toolbar contains a button to show or hide the Macro detail lines and another button to synchronize the display with the PDP COBOL editor.
  • A tooltip in the Type column displays the relative position of Macro subfunctions.

Enhanced controls upon deliver and promotion operations

  • The new precondition RPP - Prevent multiple design files update controls that each of the change sets that are about to be delivered contains only one design file.
  • The new precondition RPP - The generated file and the design file used to produce it, must be delivered in the same change set controls that each of the change sets that are about to be delivered contains both the generated file and the design file that was used to produce it, if this design file was modified.
  • The new precondition RPP - Prohibit project diagram update that the structure of the projects diagram in the design build path was not modified.
  • For the preconditions RPP - Prevent Data Element override, RPP - Prevent Meta Entity override, and RPP - Prevent design artifact override, components can be selected inside the hierarchy of projects. In these components, the overrides are still possible.
  • The precondition RPP - Prevent generated file inconsistency no longer verifies that each of the change sets that are about to be delivered contains one generated file maximum. This verification is now run by a new precondition named RPP - Prevent multiple generated files update.
  • The preconditions RPP - Prohibit generated files delivery if design files contributors are missing and RPP - Prevent unresolved design references are now also server preconditions because they also apply upon work items promotion.
  • A new follow-up action can be selected to automatically scan the delivered design files.

Enhanced quality control

  • A new custom quality rule is available to limit the size of code lines.
  • A new rule named Duplicate sort keys in Segment with control breaks in Program is now available.

Other enhancements

  • The Generation Manager view now manages resynchronization requests. To limit the number of the required regenerations, non-functional design modifications can be excluded from the calculation of the desynchronization between the design and the generated code.
  • The web client has been completed for all the pattern types.
Parent topic: Overview of IBM Rational Programming Patterns
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