What's new in the EGL 6.0 iFix

Note: EGL provides services to help you convert old code to code that works with the EGL 6.0 iFix:
  • If you used a pre-6.0 version of EGL to create a Web application that is based on JavaServer Faces, do as follows in the workbench--
    1. Click Help > Rational Help
    2. In the Search text box of the help system, type at least the initial characters in this string: Migrating JavaServer Faces resources in a Web project
    3. Click GO
    4. Click Migrating JavaServer Faces resources in a Web project and follow the directions in that topic
  • For other details on migrating code from EGL 6.0 or from an earlier version, see Migrating EGL code to the EGL 6.0 iFix.
  • If you are migrating code from Informix® 4GL or from VisualAge® Generator, see Sources of additional information on EGL.
The version 6.0 iFix represents a significant upgrade to the EGL language:
  • Introduces the EGL report handler, which contains customized functions that are invoked at different times during execution of a JasperReports design file. The data returned from each function is included in your output report, which can be rendered in PDF, XML, text, or HTML format. The technology is an improvement on the reporting capability that was available in Informix 4GL.
  • Introduces the EGL console UI, which is a technology for creating a character-based interface that allows an immediate, keystroke-driven interaction between the user and an EGL-generated Java™ program. The technology is an improvement on the dynamic user interface that was available in Informix 4GL.
  • Provides new flexibility for code development--
    • Allows you to declare new types of variables:
      • A reference variable, which does not contain business data but points to such data.
      • A variable that contains or refers to a large quantity of data; specifically, to a binary large object (BLOB) or a character large object (CLOB).
      • A string variable, which refers to a Unicode string whose length varies at run time.
      • An ANY-typed variable, which can contain business data of any primitive type.
    • Allows you to include function invocations in expressions.
    • Allows you to reference a record without having development-time knowledge of the size or other characteristics of the record or of the fields in that record. Each field can itself refer to a record.
    • Expands support for dynamic arrays, which can now have multiple dimensions.
    • Introduces two new kinds of data collections:
      • A dictionary, which is composed of a set of key-and-value entries. You can add, delete, and retrieve entries at runtime, and the value in a given entry can be of any type.
      • An arrayDictionary, which is composed of a set of one-dimensional arrays, each of any type. You access the content of an arrayDictionary by retrieving the same-numbered elements across all the arrays.
    • Expands the number of system functions for various purposes:
      • To improve datetime processing, runtime message handling, and retrieval of user-defined Java runtime properties.
      • To support the new functionality related to reports, console UI, BLOB, and CLOB.
    • Provides better support for exception handling, for data initialization, and for DLL access.
  • Provides a new wizard to create EGL report handlers.
  • Allows you to customize a Web-page template for use with the Data Parts and Pages wizard, which quickly provides a Web application for accessing a single relational database.
  • Allows you to create code that reflects the runtime behavior of Informix 4GL in relation to null processing and database commits.

Related concepts
EGL-to-EGL migration
Sources of additional information on EGL
What's new in EGL version 6.0

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