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.

Add a new idea Subscribe
Status Not under consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Languages - RPG
Created by Guest
Created on May 5, 2022

RELATED IDEAS

Support DEC keyword to declare Decimal variables

There is a need to support the DEC keyword when defining decimal variables in RPG IV. It would match both SQL and all other HLL on the system. I understand perhaps the implementation of FIXNBR(*INPUTPACKED) contributed to the decision to use Packed() to define Decimal variables, but RPG also has supported the %DEC built-in function to dynamically cast numeric, date, and character to Decimal for a long time.
Idea priority Urgent
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     May 26, 2022

    The "internal format matters" to the IBM enginers but not to the RPG developer when it comes to declarations. I would say maybe 3 people still think of Dec in the way you describe and of those 3, 3 have retired years ago.

    There is no reazon that DEC, ZONED, and that other legacy one, cannot coexist. The response to this RFE seems more stuborn than reasoned to me.

  • Admin
    Sabine Jordan
    Reply
    |     May 24, 2022

    The CEAC has reviewed this requirement and recommends that IBM view this as a MEDIUM priority requirement that should be addressed. Having a solution to meet this need seems like a good idea. However, we have voted medium as we would like IBM to focus on other prioriries at this time.

    Background: The COMMON Europe Advisory Council (CEAC) members have a broad range of experience in working with small and medium-sized IBM i customers. CEAC has a crucial 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.

    To find out how CEAC help to shape the future of IBM i, see CEAC @ ibm.biz/BdYSYj and the article "The Five Hottest IBM i RFEs Of The Quarter" at ibm.biz/BdYSZT

    Sabine Jordan + Sara Andres – CEAC Program Manager, IBM

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     May 20, 2022
    BM does not intend to provide a solution to this request, so it is being closed.

    The %DEC built-in function does indeed return a "decimal" value, because the internal format does not matter for an operand of an expression. But for definitions, RPG supports three types of decimal variables: Packed, Zoned, BinDec, and the internal format does matter.

    - IBM Power Systems Development

By clicking the "Post Comment" or "Submit Idea" button, you are agreeing to the IBM Ideas Portal Terms of Use.
Do not place IBM confidential, company confidential, or personal information into any field.