Skip to Main Content
IBM Power Ideas Portal


This portal is to open public enhancement requests against IBM Power Systems products, including IBM i. To view all of your ideas submitted to IBM, create and manage groups of Ideas, or create an idea explicitly set to be either visible by all (public) or visible only to you and IBM (private), use the IBM Unified Ideas Portal (https://ideas.ibm.com).


Shape the future of IBM!

We invite you to shape the future of IBM, including product roadmaps, by submitting ideas that matter to you the most. Here's how it works:

Search existing ideas

Start by searching and reviewing ideas and requests to enhance a product or service. Take a look at ideas others have posted, and add a comment, vote, or subscribe to updates on them if they matter to you. If you can't find what you are looking for,

Post your ideas
  1. Post an idea.

  2. Get feedback from the IBM team and other customers to refine your idea.

  3. Follow the idea through the IBM Ideas process.


Specific links you will want to bookmark for future use

Welcome to the IBM Ideas Portal (https://www.ibm.com/ideas) - Use this site to find out additional information and details about the IBM Ideas process and statuses.

IBM Unified Ideas Portal (https://ideas.ibm.com) - Use this site to view all of your ideas, create new ideas for any IBM product, or search for ideas across all of IBM.

ideasibm@us.ibm.com - Use this email to suggest enhancements to the Ideas process or request help from IBM for submitting your Ideas.

Status Future consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Core OS
Created by Guest
Created on Mar 27, 2021
Merged idea
This idea has been merged into another idea. To comment or vote on this idea, please visit IBMI-I-2557 Provide a GET SQL OBJECT TYPE for IBM i Objects API.

Support SQL Type ("SQL Object Type") as an Object Attribute Merged

With the pervasiveness of SQL on IBM i and the fact that most public-visible new release features are simply SQL enhancements, the SQL Type of an object is becoming more and more important to application development. As of this point in time, *DTAARA, *FILE, *PGM, and *SRVPGM objects can have an SQL Type associated with them. Currently, only *FILE objects expose the SQL Type to the developer or end-user and developer. For example, we need to use the QUSRMBRD API to get the *FILE's SQL Type but QUSROBJD does not expose this attribute for other objects, but it should.
If SQL is to fluid to incorporate into the rest of the interfaces that expose object properties, then a new QUSRSQLA (Retrieve SQL Object Attributes) API is longer overdue. With this API as SQL evolves on the system, it can be enhanced to support/return the information needed, while things like QUSROBJD and QGY* remain unchanged.


Use Case:

Using system interfaces like WRKOBJPDM, WRKOBJ, QUSROBJD, or 3rd Party tools like SQL iQuery, COZTOOLS, TAATOOLS, etc. provide virtually no way to view the SQL attribute of Sequence, FUNCTION, PROCEDURE of an object that is also an "SQL Object".
Today, the only interface is via the OBJECT_STATISTICS SQL UDTF which requires the end-user to use SQL to get this information--this severely limits the ability to build tool that list and process objects, find where-used references with SQL context, and provide a full solution to IBM i customers.
Tomorrow, when User Spaces or Independent Indexes and perhaps even Data Queues also are utilized by SQL as an "SQL Object" how will those objects be seemlessly integrated into such existing tools if no SQL Type attribute is accessible through a lower-level interface?


Idea priority High
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Nov 29, 2021

    IBM agrees that returning the SQL type for an object is useful information to return on an API interface.
    This request is very similar to RFE 152023 (Provide a GET SQL OBJECT TYPE for IBM i Objects API)
    This RFE is being answered as a duplicate of RFE 152023

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jun 8, 2021

    The CAAC has reviewed this requirement and recommends that IBM view this as a medium priority requirement that should be addressed. There are other ways to get at the SQL objects, but only via SQL. Having an *SQL type could be a good thing.

    Background: The COMMON Americas Advisory Council (CAAC) members have a broad range of experience in working with small and medium-sized IBM i customers. CAAC has a key role in working with IBM i development to help assess the value and impact of individual RFEs on the broader IBM i community, and has therefore reviewed your RFE.

    For more information about CAAC, see www.common.org/caac

    Nancy Uthke-Schmucki - CAAC Program Manager

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Apr 7, 2021

    Thank you for submitting this request. Moving to under consideration for further review.