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 Delivered
Workspace IBM i
Categories Languages - RPG
Created by Guest
Created on Aug 16, 2016

Add new BIFs %max() and %min()

While I can easily create sub-procedures to handle these functions, I can't create a single max or min sub-procedure to handle all numerical combinations, or a true variable numbers of parameters. Please add %min(1: 2: ... : n), and %max(1: 2: ... :n);


Use Case:

Expression simplification.


Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Feb 16, 2018

    Note that another RFE has been opened to address the issue of the minimum or maximum value of an array.

    https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rfe/execute?use_case=viewRfe&CR_ID=116540

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Mar 30, 2017

    PTFs are available for 7.2 and 7.3 to provide support for %MAX and %MIN built-in functions.

    The enhancement is available for 7.2 target release *CURRENT, and for 7.3 target releases *CURRENT and *PRV.

    For 7.2, either get DB2 PTF group SF99702 Level 16, or get PTF SI63821.

    For 7.3, either get DB2 PTF group SF99702 Level 4, or get PTF SI63822 for target release *CURRENT and PTF SI63964 for target release *PRV.

    For more information, see the following page in the RPG Cafe wiki: http://ibm.biz/spring_2017_rpg_enhancements

    A comment in the RFE requested that %MAX and %MIN support arrays. However, to fully support arrays, including getting the maximum or minimum value in a data structure array (the maximum or minimum of dsarray(*).subfield), the syntax would have to be quite different from the syntax for getting the minimum of a list of values. So that IBM feels that a different set of built-in functions, such as %MAXARR and %MINARR, should be used for arrays. Another RFE would be needed to provide this support for arrays.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Feb 14, 2017

    IBM intends to provide a solution for a future release, and also to provide PTFs for 7.2 and 7.3 timed with a future Technology Refresh. However, IBM's plans may change and no commitment is made that a solution will be provided.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jan 12, 2017

    IBM will use this request as input to planning but no commitment is made or implied. This request will be updated in the future if IBM implements it. IBM will use votes and comments from others in the community to help prioritize this request.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Oct 28, 2016

    IBM has received the requirement and is evaluating it. IBM will provide a response after evaluation is complete.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Aug 23, 2016

    There needs to be support for the same thing when using an array as an argument.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Aug 17, 2016

    Creating a new RFE based on Community RFE #93114 in product IBM i.