09Nov2024

Organized Chaos with AppSheets

Not sure if it's any good compared to writing a real app, but I've thrown together a data collection app for Unbridled Sanctuary using Google AppSheets so their audit logs can be queried from a real database. So far aside from some odditties and "we do it this way here", AppSheets isn't bad but we'll see how it does once the data starts collecting. User authentication will be the death of me, even here though.

31Oct2024

Happy Halloween!
My second favourite holiday! This Halloween hasn't been going as expected, but here we are. I was running some tests with Db2 and they went surprisingly well! Then I helped a client unstick their TimeTrex which was great, till we found out TimeTrex community was being discontinued. At least there's time to party while they figure out their next product. It was nice to get off the mainframe for a bit, but z/OS and s390x are addicting.

24Oct2024

PHP, REXX, Qt, oh my!
When I set this webpage up, I was interested in PHP so most everything you read here was generated from PHP. PHP isn't available for the s370 architecture, so now that I have everything running through vintage mainframes... Why not rebuild in (b)REXX! The vintage mainframes are pretty snappy on modern hardware thanks to Hercules so I've debated trying to link a modern Qt app to a VSAM backed service. We'll see if MVSBANK gets a mobile app!

21Oct2024

Mastodon, MVS, and Moving?

Things have been a bit crazy lately, but I'm still around. The reason for this blog function was because Facebook was feeling too corporate to be social, and Mastodon has seemingly filled that void better than any single blog could (for me). I'd like to try to make a better effort documenting things here. Most of my time has been taken by MVS and helping my partner move. I've recently (within the past few months) accepted a position working with MVS and z/OS while helping my partner move into a new house. MVS and Unix are very different operating systems fundamentally, and both have strengths and weaknesses. It's amazing how such a small OS (The main memory of the entire emulated mainframe is 16MB) can still process data in 2024. If only there was a 3270 client for 9Front....