Premium packagesIBM Bob Premium Package for i
Skills
Use IBM i specific skills to achieve consistent results for specialized tasks.
IBM Bob Premium Package for i extends Bob's built-in skills with a comprehensive set of skills covering RPG, CL, DDS, COBOL for i, Db2 for i & SQL, IBM i IWS, and unit testing. For a general introduction to how skills work in Bob, see Skills.
These skills are available to specific modes and are automatically loaded by Bob when relevant to the active conversation.
RPG
| Name | Description | Available in |
|---|---|---|
rpg-primer-basics | Covers RPG language fundamentals across RPG II, RPG III, RPG/400, RPGLE, and ILE RPG variants. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-free-format-fundamentals | Covers modern free-format RPGLE syntax, programming patterns, and best practices. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-opm-understanding | Explains OPM RPG architecture, program model differences, and migration considerations. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-ile-understanding | Explains ILE concepts including binding, activation groups, service programs, and procedure calls. | IBM i Developer |
rpgle-specs | Comprehensive column-by-column reference for all RPGLE fixed-form specification types (H, F, D, I, C, O). | IBM i Developer |
rpg-legacy-specs | Explains legacy RPG (RPG II, RPG III, RPG36, RPG38) fixed-form specification types and column positioning. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-data-structures | Covers RPG data structure types including templates, externally described DS, program status DS, and file information DS. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-procedures-functions | Covers RPG subprocedures, prototypes, parameter passing, exports, and service programs. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-file-operations | Covers RPG record-level access operation codes, file declarations, error handling, and RLA best practices. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-indicators | Covers RPG indicator types and replacement patterns using boolean variables. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-cycle-explained | Explains the RPG program cycle, control breaks, and when to avoid the cycle in modern code. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-embedded-sql | Covers embedded SQL including cursor operations, host variables, and compilation differences. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-sql-cursor | Covers SQL cursor declaration, scrollable cursors, and multi-row processing in SQLRPGLE. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-fixed-to-free | Converts fixed-form RPGLE to fully free-form syntax including I-spec & O-spec modernization. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-pgmdb-conversion | Modernizes RPG I-specs and O-specs to free-format RPGLE for program-described database files. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-ospec-conversion | Converts program-described printer file O-specs to externally defined printer files. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-opm-to-ile | Converts OPM RPG programs to ILE RPGLE, covering CVTRPGSRC, activation groups, and binding. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-refactor-legacy | Refactors RPG code by replacing GOTO, converting subroutines to subprocedures, and improving code structure. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-rla-to-sql | Converts RLA file operations to embedded SQL for improved performance and flexibility. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
rpg-code-review | Performs RPG code quality analysis identifying technical debt, performance issues, and modernization opportunities. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-debugging-techniques | Covers RPG debugging using STRDBG, breakpoints, watch expressions, and service entry points. | IBM i Developer |
rpg-api | Covers calling IBM i system APIs from RPG including prototypes, parameter passing, data type mapping, error handling, and common API usage patterns. | IBM i Developer |
CL
| Name | Description | Available in |
|---|---|---|
cl-primer-basics | Covers CL fundamentals including command naming conventions, parameter syntax, and common commands. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
cl-programming | Covers CL programming including variables, conditional logic, error handling, and program structure. | IBM i Developer |
cl-best-practices | Covers CL best practices such as MONMSG usage, parameter validation, logging strategies, and coding standards. | IBM i Developer |
clle-api | Covers calling IBM i system APIs from ILE CL including CALL PGM/PARM patterns, DCL VAR type mapping, QUSEC error code handling, and common API usage patterns. | IBM i Developer |
DDS
| Name | Description | Available in |
|---|---|---|
dds-primer-basics | Covers DDS fundamentals for explaining and generating new DDS definitions. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
dds-physical-files | Covers DDS physical file (PF) field specifications, key definitions, and record formats. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
dds-logical-files | Covers DDS logical file (LF) join specifications, select & omit logic, and derived fields. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
dds-display-files | Covers DDS display file (DSPF) record formats, indicators, subfiles, screen design, and interactive programming patterns. | IBM i Developer |
dds-printer-files | Covers DDS printer file (PRTF) record formats, spacing & skipping, field positioning, system fields, edit codes, and report design patterns. | IBM i Developer |
COBOL for i
| Name | Description | Available in |
|---|---|---|
cobol-primer-basics | Covers COBOL for i fundamentals including program structure, the four divisions, common verbs, and coding standards for both ILE and OPM COBOL. | IBM i Developer |
cobol-data-division | Covers the COBOL Data Division including level numbers, picture clauses, working-storage, local-storage, linkage section, and data type patterns. | IBM i Developer |
cobol-procedure-division | Covers the COBOL Procedure Division including verbs, conditional logic, perform loops, file I/O statements, and call interfaces. | IBM i Developer |
cobol-ile-understanding | Covers ILE COBOL concepts including activation groups, binding, service program integration, and ILE-specific compiler directives. | IBM i Developer |
cobol-ile-intrinsic-functions | Covers ILE COBOL intrinsic functions for string handling, arithmetic, date and time manipulation, and type conversion. | IBM i Developer |
cobol-opm-understanding | Covers OPM COBOL program model, differences from ILE COBOL, and migration considerations. | IBM i Developer |
cobol-file-io | Covers COBOL file I/O including sequential, indexed, and relative file operations, file control entries, and record handling. | IBM i Developer |
Db2 for i & SQL
| Name | Description | Available in |
|---|---|---|
db2-sql-primer | Covers foundational SQL for Db2 for i including CRUD, joins, aggregates, stored procedures, and UDFs. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
db2-stored-procedures | Covers creating and managing SQL stored procedures on using SQL PL, parameter modes (IN/OUT/INOUT), control structures, cursors, and error handling. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
db2-functions-udfs | Covers SQL UDFs, external UDFs, table functions, sourced functions, and function design best practices. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
db2-sql-debugging | Interprets SQL errors (SQLCODE/SQLSTATE), provides resolution strategies, and covers diagnostic techniques. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
db2-dds-understanding | Covers legacy DDS database files including physical files, logical files, and keyed access paths. | IBM i Database |
db2-dds-to-ddl | Converts legacy DDS files to SQL DDL, covering tables, views, and migration strategies. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
db2-ddl-generation | Covers DDL syntax, column definitions, constraints (PK, FK, CHECK, UNIQUE), data types, and indexes. | IBM i Database |
db2-ccsid-encoding | Resolves CCSID and character encoding issues including common conversion problems and multi-language data. | IBM i Developer, IBM i Database |
db2-sql-performance-analysis | Covers SQL Plan Cache analysis, Visual Explain interpretation, and Index Advisor recommendations. | IBM i Database |
db2-sql-find-performance-data | Finds existing SQL performance data on an IBM i system including plan cache snapshots and database monitors. | IBM i Database |
db2-sql-optimization | Covers query rewriting, join ordering, predicate pushdown, index utilization, and optimizer hints. | IBM i Database |
db2-index-strategy | Covers index types (binary radix, EVI), syntax for creating indexes, index selection, and maintenance. | IBM i Database |
db2-security-best-practices | Covers authority models, deny-by-default, adopted authority, SQL privileges, and audit journal analysis. | IBM i Database |
db2-journaling-commitment | Covers journal setup, commitment control levels, transaction boundaries, and recovery procedures. | IBM i Database |
db2-temporal-tables | Covers implementation of temporal tables for time-based data tracking, historical queries, and automatic versioning. | IBM i Database |
db2-system-catalog | Covers how to use Db2 for i system catalogs for metadata discovery and database analysis. | IBM i Database |
db2-services-catalog | Covers discovery and exploration of IBM i SQL Services. Helps answer which services are available, what columns or parameters a service exposes, and how to use a specific service. | IBM i Database |
IBM i IWS
| Name | Description | Available in |
|---|---|---|
iws-admin | Covers IBM i Integrated Web Services (IWS) administration including server operations, service operations, server configuration, and backup. | IBM i Developer |
iws-server-ops | Covers listing, creating, deleting, starting, and stopping IWS servers using the appropriate QShell scripts. | IBM i Developer |
iws-server-config | Covers getting and setting IWS server properties. | IBM i Developer |
iws-service-ops | Covers listing, installing, uninstalling, starting, stopping, and configuring individual IWS web services, including PCML guidance for REST and SOAP deployments. | IBM i Developer |
iws-backup | Covers saving and restoring IWS servers and services to and from IFS save files. | IBM i Developer |
Unit Testing
| Name | Description | Available in |
|---|---|---|
rpgunit-testing | Covers RPGUnit test suite structure, test case naming, setup/teardown, assertion APIs, and test configuration. | IBM i Developer |
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