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db2ibm-midrange

AS/400 End User - run keystrokes automatically


I'm a novice with AS/400. I have a bit of coding experience and know that there's always an access to the backend if you're clever enough. But developers in my organisation said that it's hard to communicate with the server and make it run things remotely.

So I'm wondering if you anyone's got any ideas how I can schedule a simple task. I login to the "Personal Communication", which is the client app. Then I go to a certain menu, ie I543, enter a parameter "1". And Press "ENTER" to run a report which have a file output.

I know there is that "Macro" function within Personal Communication. But that relies on send keys which does not work on a locked screen, nor do I want to activate it manually, which really defies the point of automation.

I was hoping I can schedule a simple call command somehow to activate some kind of procedure. Just need to know if possible and where to start looking? Thanks.


Solution

  • Last millennium's AS/400 and today's IBM i both have a basic job scheduler built in.

    From a command line WRKJOBSCDE.

    You need to find out what happens when you select menu I543 option 1. Assuming it's a simple CALL MYRPT or SBMJOB CMD(CALL MYRPT) then adding a scheduled job to run the report is easy.

    However, you probably don't have the authority to do so. Nor should your developers necessarily be able to do so. Your system administrator is the right person. In a small shop, that might be the guy doing development. In a large one, it's another person or team.

    But your developers should have at least pointed you toward the admin and the job scheduler.