Rational Developer for System z

Release 7.1 Features

The following functions were features and enhancements for Release 7.1

File Manager Integration

File Manager Integration is a new tool offering that provides the Formatted Data Editor to the IBM® Rational® Developer for System z® version 7.1 product. The Formatted Data Editor provides editing access to sequential data sets, PDS members, and KSDS and ESDS VSAM clusters based on a data structure stored within COBOL copybooks, PL/I includes, or IBM File Manager Templates.

The Formatted Data Editor takes the data structure(s) available in the copybook, include, or template, and applies them to the records of the data sets, providing a field type-sensitive edit session. The functionality added by Rational Developer for System z File Manager has been made available through an integration effort with IBM File Manager.

Fault Analyzer Integration

Fault Analyzer Integration for Rational Developer for System z version 7.1 is a new tool offering that helps you to work with fault entry files (real-time abend analysis reports) from Rational Developer for System z while also taking advantage of usability features available within the environment. Key features include:
  • An interface to fault history files and views from the Rational Developer for System z environment.
  • Ability to work with multiple fault history files and views from multiple systems.
  • Ability to browse fault entries created during real-time analysis of abending programs.
  • A browser for browsing the dump storage associated with a fault entry.
  • Source listing of abending program on demand using side files (LANGX files).

Integrated Development Environment for System z (IDE)

Integrated Development Environment for System z (IDE) has been improved to include the following:
  • Ability to import and export z/OS® projects for sharing project properties and resources.
  • Syntax checking and content assistance for CICS® programs that is specific to the CICS level in use at your installation.
  • Ability to provide compile options specific to the level of CICS TXSeries installed on your workstation.
  • Ability to add JCL system variables to project or resource properties.
  • Ability to save and reuse z/OS search queries.
  • New filtering capability to show/hide parts of COBOL programs in the outline view.
  • Publication of System z IDE resource API.
  • Performance enhancements for job monitor, refresh, COBOL syntax error feedback, System z LPEX Editor, logging capabilities, error messages.

BMS Editor

The BMS Editor enables you to create and modify BMS map sets. You can add and arrange fields and maps within a new or existing map set. The display and preview modes provide robust viewing tools, including a filtering option to show specific map combinations. A source mode permits direct edit of the set file code. The map set wizard helps you generate and configure new BMS map set files. An export wizard enables you to create a JavaServer Faces (JSF) Web page for each map, within an existing dynamic Web project. The BMS Editor is improved to provide the following:
  • The Array tool enables you create a vertical or horizontal array structure, consisting of a single, repeating field or a set of fields. The generated source code is annotated to indicate the presence of such fields.
  • Symbolic maps can now be generated without assembly of the BMS macros. The resulting symbolic maps (or copybooks) are not limited to the keywords supported by the BMS Macro language.

MFS Editor

The MFS Editor enables you to create and modify MFS Message and format files. The MFS Editor provides a wizard for easily generating new MFS Format definitions as well as new MFS Message files. In addition, an editor for visually and textually modifying existing MFS source files is also included.

The MFS Editor adds support for the MFS COPY keyword. If the MFS source contains the COPY keyword followed by the file name, the MFS Editor will dynamically fetch the statements to be copied, such that the Editor can open the MFS file.

Common Access Repository Manager (CARMA)

CARMA provides a unified interface and set of services for accessing 390-based source code management (SCM) tools, as well as a generic graphical user interface (GUI) client that you can use as a framework for creation of custom SCM GUIs.

CARMA has been enhanced in version 7.1 to include support of fields that display relevant data on CARMA members as well as support for versioning. In addition, support for gathering information on RAM's and Ram Instances as well as performing custom actions against those items has been included.

Integration with SCLM Developer Toolkit

The IBM SCLM Developer Toolkit is an Eclipse based plug-in application that provides software configuration management (SCM) services for Eclipse-based development environments. This product integrates with the Eclipse repository provider model to provide a standardized interface to SCM operations, using SCLM. In this way an Eclipse based developer can manage source code operations and build processes using this plug-in in SCLM.

The SCLM Developer Toolkit is improved to include the following:
  • The handling of checked-out files has been extended to support syntax checking and dependency refresh.
  • The SCLM Developer Toolkit LPEX editor enables you to use several Interactive System Productivity Facility (ISPF) commands in addition to those provided by the LPEX editor.
  • You can now display and work with multiple projects that can reside on different z/OS systems in the SCLM View.
  • Batch output is now displayed in an editor allowing you to use editor commands to easily locate data within the batch job.
  • Operations logs are now color coded to help you find relevant information, automatically scroll to the first highlighted message, and double clicking in the tree node opens the log in the default editor.
  • Several new options have been added to the SCLM Preferences to help you customize your user preferences.
  • SCLM Operations logs were previously written to disk and never purged. This can build up an enormous number of files. Now you can specify how many operations logs should be retained or for what period of time they should be retained.
  • SCLM Developer Toolkit now supports SQLJ as a project type to allow you to add SQLj projects to SCLM.
  • Build and promote jobs that access different levels of the SCLM hierarchy are now able to use different job cards. These job cards are also remembered by the SCLM Developer Toolkit between uses.
  • The logging and messaging for batch build processing has been improved to provide clearer error message reporting. This will make it easier for you to debug build errors.

Enterprise Service Tools

As in the last release, Enterprise Service Tools contains tools for creating three types of projects:
  • Single-service projects allow you to create a Web service that invokes a single existing CICS application. There are four types of single-service projects, each for a different CICS runtime environment:
    • Web service for CICS project
    • SOAP for CICS projects
    • IMS™ SOAP Gateway project
    • Batch, TSO, USS project
  • Service flow projects allow you to create a comprehensive Web service capable of collecting and processing data from multiple CICS® applications or from other Web services
  • Database application projects allow you to create a Web-enabled application that accesses a z/OS® DB2® database.
Developing and running single-service applications
The resources for developing and running single-service projects have the following new features:
  • New capabilities:
    • In a single-service project that uses the bottom-up development scenario and compiled conversion, the generated Web service code can now initialize particular fields of the input structure passed to the existing application to default values that you specify. This initialization is available not only for fields in the input structure that you have included in the data structure received by the Web service but also for fields that you have excluded from the data structure received by the Web service.

    • In a single-service project that uses the Web Services for CICS runtime, the bottom-up development scenario, and interpretive conversion, you can now select which fields in the application input structure you want to appear in the Web services input structure, and similarly which fields in the application output structure you want to appear in the Web services output structure. This feature was already supported for compiled conversion.

    • Use of Enterprise PL/I for z/OS is now supported in the bottom-up scenario for the Web Services for CICS runtime (interpretive conversion only) and for the Batch, TSO, USS, and IMS SOAP Gateway runtimes (compiled conversion only).

    • In a single-service project that uses the bottom-up development scenario and compiled conversion, limited support is now provided for XML namespace prefixes and default namespace declarations.

    • The batch processor tool when used for the bottom-up development scenario can now log any syntax errors found during processing of the source files to an XML file that you specify.

    • A WSBind file viewer is now available for viewing the contents of WSBind files.

    • In a single-service project that uses the bottom-up development scenario and compiled conversion, the maximum size of the inbound XML message and the outbound XML message can now be up to 32MB each, when you select version 3.4 of the Enterprise COBOL compiler. (Versions 3.1 through 3.4 can be selected)

    • In a single-service project that uses the bottom-up development scenario and compiled or interpretive conversion, the generation of a one-way Web service is now supported. A one-way Web service is a Web service that receives a message but does not return a response.

    • In a single-service project that uses the IMS SOAP Gateway runtime, the meet-in-middle development scenario, and compiled conversion, the completed Web service can now invoke an outbound Web service using the IMS SOAP Gateway.

    • Support for WSDL 2.0 and SOAP 1.2:
      • In a single-service project that uses either the COBOL language or the PL/I language and that uses the Web Services for CICS runtime, the bottom-up scenario, and interpretive conversion, the bottom-up wizard can now generate the WSDL file either in WSDL 1.0 format or in WSDL 2.0 format, and can also generate the WSDL file either in SOAP 1.1 format, in SOAP 1.2 format, or in both SOAP 1.1 and SOAP 1.2 formats.
      • In a single-service project that uses the COBOL language only and that uses the Web Services for CICS runtime, the top-down scenario, and interpretive conversion, the top-down wizard can now detect and correctly process WSDL 2.0 in the WSDL file and generate the proper driver source code file and WSBind file.
  • Features that improve usability:
    • For a single-service project that uses the bottom-up development scenario and compiled conversion, the Enterprise Service Tools can extract the comments from the COBOL source file containing the input data structure and the output data structure that you specify to be used for input and output by the Web service, and can include these comments as annotations in the WSDL file and in the two XSD files created for the Web services.

    • For a single-service project that uses the bottom-up development scenario and either compiled or interpretive conversion, the Enterprise Service Tools Wizard Launchpad can be launched from a COBOL file in a MVS™ partitioned data set on a remote z/OS system shown in the Remote Systems view of the workbench. Output files can be generated either on the remote z/OS system or in local directories on the workstation.

    • In previous versions of the meet-in-middle development scenario, the tools did not allow automatic combining of the Request and Reply message processing and the act of combining of the two processes required manual coding. Now, for the meet-in-middle development scenario you can have the Generate Conversion Code wizard automatically generate both the inbound converter and the outbound converter, and, in case of CICS Web services runtime, the WSBind file that contains conversion setup for both Request and Reply message processing.

Developing and running service flows
The resources for developing and running service-flow projects have the following new features:
  • New capabilities:
    • Runtime source code files, JCLs, and other files can be generated either for V3.2 or for V3.1 of the IBM CICS Service Flow Runtime for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS.

    • A service flow can invoke a nonterminal application using the LINK command with the CHANNEL option (in addition to the already existing support for using the LINK command with the COMMAREA option). (CICS 3.2 only)

    • A service flow can use the Link3270 Bridge mechanism to interact with terminal applications that communicate through basic data transmission commands (such as SEND, RECEIVE, and CONVERSE) in addition to the already existing support for applications which use Basic Mapping Support (BMS). (CICS 3.2 only)

    • A service flow can use a non-default CICS transaction name to invoke a nonterminal application (using either the LINK with CHANNEL option or the LINK with COMMAREA option) or to invoke a Web service. This feature helps you to assign different access rights to different invocations of the same nonterminal application or Web service. (CICS 3.2 only)

    • Web service files can be generated in various WSDL formats (WSDL 1.1 or WSDL 2.0) and in various SOAP formats (SOAP 1.1, SOAP 1.2, or both). Support for WSDL 2.0 and SOAP 1.2 is limited to the level of support provided by the CICS Web Services Assistant in IBM CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V3.2. (CICS 3.2 only)

    • In the Generate Runtime Code wizard you can select options to have the wizard automatically perform the following tasks on the remote z/OS system to which the wizard has copied its generated files:
      • The wizard can automatically submit to z/OS the generated JCL files, including the compile JCLs, the resource definition JCLs, and (for CICS 3.1 only) the property file update JCL.
      • If you have configured a CICS system definition for a remote CICS region using the CICS resource definition editor, then the wizard can automatically perform the following tasks in the CICS region that you select:
        • Install into CICS the Program, Transaction, and ProcessType resources.
        • Do pipeline scans for pipelines and directories that you select.
        • Scan the service flow pickup directory for updates to service flow properties files (by means of a request to the installed Service Flow Runtime). (CICS 3.2 only)
    • The Service Flow Programming Interface (SFPI) helps you to write a custom importer to convert your existing data structures and invocation information into the message artifacts and operation artifacts used in service flow projects. (The standard importers for service flow projects can import COBOL data, PL/I data, WSDL definitions, BMS information, and Host Access Transformation Services screens.)

    • In the generation properties editor, an option called "Skip Receives" helps you to handle the situation in which a terminal application transmits more than one screen to the terminal, without waiting for the terminal to send input

  • Features that improve maintainability or performance:
    • Every WebSphere® MQ invocation now results in a call to a single generic MQ adapter server in the Service Flow Runtime, rather than the creation of a separate MQ server adapter for each MQ invocation. This economy results in fewer source code files, JCL files, and resource definitions for you to manage. (CICS 3.2 only)
    • You can now rename the following types of files or artifacts without breaking any of the existing connections between the renamed resource and other files or artifacts in the service flow: operations files (*.wsdl), mapping files (*.seqmap), ESQL files (*.esql), message files (*.mxsd), individual messages in a message file, and parts of messages.

    • The Generate Runtime Code wizard creates a service flow properties file (a binary file with an extension of .sfp) instead of a Property File Update JCL file, when the target runtime is CICS 3.2. Using the service flow properties file, the Service Flow Runtime manages flows using a CICS transaction that helps users to enable and disable flows and monitor flow use counts. (CICS 3.2 only)

    • In the Generate Runtime Code wizard, an option called "Have SFR manage resource definition creation" makes the task of defining resources on the remote z/OS system simpler and quicker during service flow development. This feature is intended for use only during service flow development. (CICS 3.2 only)

    • The error message information and log information for the Generate Runtime Code wizard has been expanded. Each error has an error number, a message text, an explanation, and a description of the action that the user should take.

    • In the CICS trace output, more trace information is generated when a service flow invokes an application or Web service, making it easier to track such events.

  • Features that improve usability:
    • The following screen descriptors are now supported in FEPI service flows by the CICS Service Flow Runtime: Number of Fields, Number of Input Fields, and Fields Checksum. (CICS 3.2 only)
    • In the New Generation Properties wizard, you can set an option to have the wizard initialize the new generation properties to the same values as an existing set of generation properties for the same flow. This feature is very useful for initializing a second set of generation properties for an invoked flow to the same values as the first set of generation properties for the same invoked flow.

    • In the flow mapping editor, you can add messages to mapping routines either by dragging an individual message to the Target pane or the Source pane of the editor, or by selecting multiple messages from a list of all the messages in a selected message file.

    • In the flow editor, you can now use the Create a Conditional Statement wizard to easily create an ESQL conditional statement for a While node. (This wizard is already available for use with a Switch node.)

    • You can link the EST Project Explorer view to the currently open editors, so that selecting an editor (and therefore making it topmost) automatically causes the resource that is being edited to become selected in the EST Project Explorer view. Similarly, selecting a resource in the EST Project Explorer that is being edited automatically causes that editor to become the selected (topmost) editor in the editor area.

    • In the EST Project Explorer you can add a new message element to any existing message or to a message group within an existing message, without having to open the message with a message definition editor.

    • The following usability features are available when you create one or more connections to remote z/OS systems in the Remote Systems view of the IBM Rational Developer for System z:
      • In the generation properties editor of the Enterprise Service Tools, when you are setting the generation properties for the invocation of an outbound Web service, you can specify the location of the WSBind file or the WSDL file of the outbound Web service by browsing and selecting from a hierarchical tree view of the USS directory of one or multiple remote z/OS systems.

      • In the Generate Runtime Code wizard of the Enterprise Service Tools, when you select the option for the wizard to copy its output files to one or multiple remote z/OS systems, you can browse and drag a location from one of multiple remote z/OS systems (including both MVS data sets and USS directories, represented in a tree view) for each output file that is to be copied.

    • The following usability features are available when you create system definitions for remote CICS regions in the CICS resource definition editor of the IBM Rational Developer for System z:
      • In the generation properties editor of the Enterprise Service Tools, when you are setting the generation properties for the invocation of an outbound Web service, you can select the location of the WSBind file or the WSDL file of the outbound Web service from a list of all the existing pickup directories in the remote CICS region.

      • Similarly, in the Generate Runtime Code wizard of the Enterprise Service Tools, when you have selected the option for the wizard to copy its output files to one or multiple remote z/OS systems, and you are creating output files for a Web service, you can select the location of the WSBind file or the WSDL file for the new Web service from a list of all the existing pickup directories in the remote CICS region.

    • In the main menu of the workbench the following selections make it easier to create a new service flow container or to open a hidden view:
      • You can select File > New to start a wizard to create a new container (such as a project, a flow, or a message file).
      • You can select Window > Show View to open a hidden view.
    • In the host editor, the editor reloads the current screen descriptions and performs screen recognition again for the currently displayed application screen, whenever an event occurs that might affect screen recognition (including whenever a screen description is saved in the screen message editor, or whenever a screen message file is deleted, or whenever a new screen message is created by importing a BMS file).

System z Database Application Generator

The System z Database Application Generator is a wizard that helps CICS developers to easily create new Web-enabled COBOL applications that can access z/OS DB2® databases. The wizard automatically generates JSF Web pages and COBOL application programs from user-defined data.

The System z Database Application Generator enables you to use an existing DB schema to rapidly create a z/OS data access layer and accompanying Web client. In addition, you can work directly from a UML model. This helps you to transform UML models to COBOL which can then be used to provide a z/OS data access layer over a relational database (i.e., DB2). CRUD operations are also provided. Finally, the System z Database Application Generator offers a JSF Web client that can be used to invoke generated COBOL programs using Web service calls.

New COBOL code templates have been added to provide default comments for new parts of COBOL files (such as divisions). The templates also provide the ability to set the default text of COBOL parts. The New COBOL Program wizard includes the following:
  • Code templates.
  • Optional insertion of features.
  • Local or remote creation of programs.
  • New Preferences options that enable you to define, modify, and insert slices of code during program creation.
  • The System z Database Application Generator Project can generate DB2 v9.1 database applications.

Host integration enhancements

Rational Developer for System z Version 7.1.0 provides Host Access Transformation Services (HATS) rich client feature support that helps you to install HATS rich client applications into the Rational Developer for System z workspace. With this feature you can transform access to existing host applications using HATS rich client feature support.

More Information

You can find more information about additional features to help you develop and transform z/OS applications by selecting First Steps from the Welcome Experience and viewing z/OS application topics or by selecting Web Resources and selecting applicable topics. You should see the Welcome Experience when you first start the product. If you have been working in the product and the Welcome Experience is not currently displayed, select Help > Welcome.


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