ACS Access Client Solution: FAQ & HowTo (EN)

Update January, 05 – 2020

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Introduction

This is not intended to be a guide to the IBM ACS Access Client Solution product … but simply a collection of FAQs, special things, interesting and maybe even already known.

It’s an ongoing guide so we invite you to suggest other tricks, methods or interesting things using the comments part below.

Data transfer (.dtf) and conversion with ACS

You can convert to the new .dtfx format from the old .dtf format using the following menu sequeza from an ACS 5250 emulation session:

Actions – Data Transfer From (or to) IBM i
Actions – Data Transfer Migration
Enter the .dtf file and convert it to a .dtfx format that is compatible with ACS

iACS-FAQ002: SQL Script – SQL0952 Error 10

Working with SQL from the ACS SQL-Script function is absolutely more convenient than STRSQL, we have no doubt. As it is, in effect, a batch job, it may present some problems when the SQL statement requires a response to a message and in STRSQL enviroment it’s not a problem.

Let’s take as an example the classic query message when we try to drop a column from a table: CPA32B2 The modification of the MYTABLE file can cause the loss of data (C I) … How do we respond from SQL-Script to ACS?

The answer is … let’s respond to the system with the default answer (ADDRPYLE) and setting the JOB for the automatic answer (CHGJOB INQMSGRPY(*SYSRPYL)) … let’s see an example:

-- Let's create an example table
create table qtemp.mytable
 ( field1 char(15) not null default '',
   field2 char(50) not null default '',
   field3 decimal(21, 4) not null default 0);

-- Inserto some records
 insert into qtemp.mytable
  (field1, field2, field3)
  values('A', 'AA', 1),
        ('B', 'BB', 2);
-- If we try to drop a column we get an error
--- Message: [SQL0952] Processing of the SQL statement ended.  Reason code 10.
---  10 -- A cancel reply to an inquiry message was received.   
  alter table qtemp.mytable
  drop column field1;       

-- Now we can add a default reply to the message and set our job for "auto-answer"
 CL: ADDRPYLE SEQNBR(1500) MSGID(CPA32B2) RPY('I');             
 CL: CHGJOB INQMSGRPY(*SYSRPYL);
 alter table qtemp.mytable
  drop column field1;      
--  Ok

iACS-FAQ003: Abbinare i files .HOD ad ACS

When you install ACS there’s no automatic association from .hod file and IBM i ACS. No problems, in this Jesse Gorzinski video you can see how to do it.

Configuring File Association for IBM i Access Client Solutions

iACS-FAQ004: Autocomplete (Assistant) and ACS “Run Script SQL”

From ACS version 1.1.8.3 (December 2019) we have a great SQL Assistant … an Autocomplete function better than F4 function on STRSQL. I just record a Youtube video, only in Italian, I’m sorry : “ACS 1.1.8.3 SQL Script Assistant ! (Video)“

iACS-FAQ005: Reinstall ACS and select components

When you reinstall a new ACS version the installation script didn’t ask for components but update only components previously installed.

If you need different component you have to run the installation script with /Reset parameter

If you are on Windows… from the Prompt run a command like this, changing version 32/64 and installation type single/alluser:

C:\[folder]\IBMiAccess_v1r1\Windows_Application\\install_acs_64_allusers.js /Reset

Or you can build a link to the script and change the destination with “/reset” parameter at the end, as you can see in the image.

iACS-FAQ006: ACS Customization and deployment

If you need to customize ACS installation for your company’s users have a look at this guide:

IBM i Access Client Solutions : Customization and deployment made easy

iACS-FAQ007: Create XLS with ACS Data Transfer Tool Plugin in batch-mode from IBM i !

We all know we can use ACS Data Transfer Tool to export file and SQL result from IBM i to our PC/Mac … but not everyone knows that we can call the ACS Jar (acsbundle.jar) directly from IBM i and do greats tuffs in a batch job …. Have a look at this good example by Scott Forstie: create and send an XLSX file from IBM

https://gist.github.com/forstie/2deda50658106461f650cd71917feff9

iACS-FAQ008: IBM ACS: Check for updates

Every time we get a new IBM ACS version we can find a lot of new interesting features for our daily job.

With the last 1.1.8.3 version (2019, December) we have the ACS core runtime as a system PTF and let our device check for updates directly from our central system:

First of all we need to install the PTF for our IBM i OS version:

V7R4M0 SI71900
V7R3M0 SI71934
V7R2M0 SI71935

Those PTFs will install a zip file with the last version of ACS Runtime (in this IFS directory /QIBM/proddata/Access/ACS/Base

Now we have to add this propriety to every single device on our network in the “acsConfig.properties” file

– com.ibm.iaccess.CheckUpdateSystem=system_name

OK, now we can click on the “Check for updates” option of the ACS help menu (?)