Rational Business Developer Extension, Version 7.0 Release Notes

© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2000, 2007. All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

Contents

1.0 About this release
   1.1 New in this release
2.0 Installation information
   2.1 Hardware requirements
   2.2 Software requirements
3.0 Known problems and limitations
   3.1 EGL COBOL generation for iSerires requires APAR SE26597
   3.2 Jasper report performance
   3.3 GOTO statements are not allowed
   3.4 Unsupported EGL Web service parameter types
   3.5 iSeriesc Web service client parameter restriction
   3.6 Java Web service client WAR file issue
   3.7 CICS Web service and Web service clients with time and timestamp parameters
   3.8 Rational Business Developer Extension, Version 7.0 is not compatible with Rational Application Developer, Version 7.0.0.2 or Rational Software Architect, Version 7.0.0.2
4.0 Rational support
5.0 Notices

1.0 About this release

This file is available in the following national languages:

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The latest version of this document is available at http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/rationalsdp/v7/rbd/70/docs/readme/readme.html.

IBM® Rational® Business Developer is designed to meet the needs of business oriented developers, providing a comprehensive development environment for the IBM Rational Enterprise Generation Language (EGL). EGL is a simplified high level programming language that promotes the rapid development of applications by helping developers focus on business problems instead of complex software technologies.

IBM Rational Business Developer provides tools to define, test and debug EGL applications and services, along with a generation engine that transforms the EGL source into Java or COBOL code optimized for deployment across various supported platforms

1.1 New in this release

This section describes enhancements to the Rational Enterprise Generation Language (EGL) function contained in the Rational Business Developer product.

Services

Service support is enhanced significantly in this version. EGL can create all the parts you need to access a service directly from a WSDL file. Conversely, you can code a service in EGL and generate it to be deployed on a Java or CICS® platform.

Editor

The EGL code editor has been enhanced to allow you to collapse sections of your code and reorganize import statements.

Model-Driven Development

You can create EGL code from UML models, allowing you to plan your application before creating starter code. You specify parameters describing what the EGL code should look like and then apply those parameters to the UML model or elements within the model.

Console UI

EGL support for character-based interfaces is enhanced with support for rich-client widgets. When you run your Console UI applications in Rich Client Platform (RCP) mode, the user interface supports mouse actions and enhanced keyboard functionality. Also, you can add graphical user interface elements like buttons and combo boxes to your Console UI applications.

Language enhancements

This version of EGL introduces a Boolean primitive type, as well as the ExternalType part, which makes it easier for you to use non-EGL code within your EGL code.

2.0 Installation information

For information about installing Rational Business Developer Extension, Version 7.0, including hardware and software requirements, see the Rational Business Developer Extension Installation Guide (install.html) which can be viewed from the installation launchpad.   This file is also stored in the documentation directory on the first product CD.

The latest version of the Rational Business Developer Extension Installation Guide is available at http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/rationalsdp/v7/rbd/70/docs/install_instruction/install.html

Important: Ensure that you enable your license after you install the product.

2.1 Hardware requirements

For information about hardware requirements for installing Rational Business Developer Extension, see the Installation Guide.

2.2 Software requirements

For information about software requirements for installing Rational Business Developer Extension, see the Installation Guide.

Important: If you purchased IBM Rational Business Developer (Rational Business Developer Extension and a limited licensed copy of Rational Application Developer), then when you install Rational Application Developer you should clear all Rational Application Developer features selected by default and install only the following features:

Any additional features of Rational Application Developer that you install will expire at the end of the 60 day trial period; this might interfere with your use of the licensed features. For example, when you run the product you will get dialog windows telling you that features have expired. To stop the dialog windows, you must uninstall the expired features with the Modify Packages wizard in Installation Manager.

3.0 Known problems and limitations

3.1 EGL COBOL generation for iSerires requires APAR SE26597

In order to compile EGL COBOL generated applications on iSeries, the iSeries computer must have APAR SE26597 installed (for version 5.3 use PTF SI23518; for version 5.4 use PTF SI23523) on the COBOL compiler.

3.2 Jasper report performance

In some cases the performance and layout of I4GL reports is not as expected when this type of project is migrated to use EGL Console User Interface.

3.3 GOTO statements are not allowed

If an application being converted from Informix® 4GL to EGL contains GOTO statements, then when you try to generate it you will get an error message similar to this:

 IWN.VAL.4282.e 12/0 The GOTO statement is not supported for target system WIN.  

3.4 Unsupported EGL Web service parameter types

Listed here are the unsupported parameter types for the following platforms:

3.5 iSeriesc Web service client parameter restriction

Hex(2) arrays inside structured records are not supported in iSeriesc Web service clients. 

3.6 Java Web service client WAR file issue

A runtime exception will occur when an EGL Web service client is deployed to WebSphere Application Server unless the EAR deployment descriptor is manually modified.  By default, the WAR file for the Web project in the EAR has its classloader mode set to PARENT_FIRST.  EGL Web Service clients must run under classloader mode PARENT_LAST. 

To change the classloader mode:

  1. Open the EAR file's deployment descriptor.
  2. Select the "Deployment" tab, and then select the "Application" group. 
  3. Click on the EAR in the tree and make sure that "WAR classloader policy" is set to "MODULE". 
  4. Click on the WAR files that container EGL Web Service clients, and then change the "classloader mode" to "PARENT_LAST".

Also we have found that our deployed Web services to WebSphere Application Server require a classloader mode of PARENT_FIRST.  This means that at this time, we do not support Web Service clients and Web Services to be in the same Web project.

3.7 CICS Web service and Web service clients with time and timestamp parameters

Java and ISeriesc Web service and Web service clients automatically convert EGL time and Timestamp data types to and from GMT to the SOAP messages that are sent to and received from Web services.  CICS Web service and Web service clients do not support conversion to and from GMT.  This causes a problem when EGL Web services and EGL Web service clients are running on different platforms. 

The work around is to send Time and Timestamp data as String data and convert them back to Time and Timestamp data in the service logic.

3.8 Rational Business Developer Extension, Version 7.0 is not compatible with Rational Application Developer, Version 7.0.0.2 or Rational Software Architect, Version 7.0.0.2

Rational Business Developer Extension, Version 7.0 is not currently compatible with the version 7.0.0.2 release of Rational Application Developer or Rational Software Architect. If you already installed version 7.0.0.2 of Rational Application Developer or Rational Software Architect, then you must revert to an earlier version before you install Rational Business Developer Extension, Version 7.0.

4.0 Rational support

IBM Rational Software Support provides you with technical assistance.

For contact information and guidelines or reference materials that you will need when you require support, read the IBM Software Support Handbook at http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/guides/handbook.html.

For FAQs, lists of known problems and fixes, and other support information, visit the product support page for Rational Business Developer Extension at www-306.ibm.com/software/awdtools/developer/business/support/index.html.

For product news, events, and other information, visit the product home page for Rational Business Developer Extension at www-306.ibm.com/software/awdtools/developer/business/.

Before you contact IBM Rational Software Support, gather the background information that you will need to describe your problem. When describing a problem to an IBM software support specialist, be as specific as possible and include all relevant background information so that the specialist can help you solve the problem efficiently. To save time, know the answers to these questions:

5.0 Notices

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2000, 2007. All rights reserved.

Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

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IBM may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter described in this document. The furnishing of this document does not grant you any license to these patents. You can send license inquiries, in writing, to:


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