Top 12 RPG Programmer Skills to Put on Your Resume

In a competitive job market, RPG (Report Program Generator) programmers need to show a sharp, modern skill mix on their resumes. Technical depth, problem-solving grit, and the ability to collaborate without friction. Blend all three, and your profile starts to glow in the eyes of teams building and maintaining serious IBM i applications.

RPG Programmer Skills

1. RPG IV
2. SQLRPGLE
3. DB2
4. CLLE
5. IBM iSeries
6. Free Format RPG
7. Embedded SQL
8. ILE Concepts
9. Service Programs
10. RPGLE Subfiles
11. Web Services
12. RDi (Rational Developer for i)

1. RPG IV

RPG IV (RPGLE, ILE RPG) is a high-level language on IBM i (formerly AS/400, iSeries), built for business applications. It supports modular design, modern syntax, service programs, and clean integration with the database. Solid, fast, reliable—tailored for enterprise workloads.

Why It's Important

RPG IV brings modern constructs, the Integrated Language Environment, and stronger file and data handling. You write less boilerplate, get better structure, and deliver maintainable applications that run for years with confidence.

How to Improve RPG IV Skills

Sharpening RPG IV means chasing improvements steadily and applying them in real code.

1. Stay updated: Track new language enhancements and refresh old habits. New opcodes, new BIFs, new compiler features—use them.

2. Write modern RPG: Go all free-format. Embrace procedures, prototypes, and service programs. Communities like RPGPGM.COM share patterns and clear examples.

3. Fold in SQL: Use embedded SQL to simplify data access and unlock the optimizer’s power. Master cursors, prepared statements, and set-based logic.

4. Deepen ILE: Learn modules, binder language, and activation groups. When to split, when to bind, how to reuse.

5. Get good at debugging: Step through code in RDi, trace variables, and build consistent error handling with MONITOR/ON-ERROR and status codes.

6. Explore APIs: Call system APIs, HTTP services, and open-source libraries. Scott Klement’s materials and community examples are gold.

7. Join the crowd: Midrange forums and user groups keep you sharp and honest. Share, ask, iterate.

It’s a long game. Learn, apply, refactor, repeat.

How to Display RPG IV Skills on Your Resume

2. SQLRPGLE

SQLRPGLE blends RPG with SQL so you can issue queries and DML directly inside RPG code on IBM i. Fewer manual reads, smarter filtering, cleaner logic. The database does the heavy lifting, as it should.

Why It's Important

It fuses application logic with powerful database operations. You get performance, clarity, and flexibility—ideal for modernizing legacy code without ripping everything apart.

How to Improve SQLRPGLE Skills

1. Use cursors deliberately: Open late, close early, and keep scope tight. Less churn, fewer surprises.

2. Optimize queries: Select only what you need, filter early, and ensure the right indexes exist. Let the optimizer shine.

3. Lean on prepared statements: Compile once, reuse often. Especially for loops and batch logic.

4. Push work into SQL: Functions, common table expressions, and stored procedures can simplify RPG and boost speed.

5. Modularize: Separate data access procedures from business logic. Small, focused procedures win.

6. Handle errors properly: Check SQLSTATE and SQLCODE, log context, fail gracefully.

7. Refactor regularly: Rewrite clunky READ loops as set-based SQL. Smaller codebase, bigger gains.

Keep iterating. The database rewards careful craftsmanship.

How to Display SQLRPGLE Skills on Your Resume

3. DB2

DB2 on IBM i is Db2 for i—the integrated relational database. Tight with the OS, optimized for transactional workloads, and approachable via SQL from RPG.

Why It's Important

It’s the backbone. Data integrity, security, performance—Db2 for i underpins mission-critical apps and keeps them steady under pressure.

How to Improve DB2 Skills

1. Index strategy: Build and maintain indexes that match your access patterns. Eliminate dead weight.

2. Query tuning: Choose the right join methods, use CTEs wisely, and avoid wildcard chaos. Always measure.

3. Visualize plans: Use explain tools to see what the optimizer is really doing. Then adjust.

4. Limit rows: FETCH FIRST or pagination reduces I/O and speeds screens.

5. Maintain stats: Keep statistics fresh so the optimizer can make smart choices.

6. Commitment control: Wrap changes in transactions thoughtfully. Integrity without drag.

7. Right-size configuration: Tune memory pools, queries, and job settings for your workload profile.

8. Use built-in functions: Push computation into Db2 when appropriate. Less app code, more speed.

9. Think in sets: Replace row-by-row loops with set-based operations. Big wins, instantly.

10. Keep learning: New releases of IBM i add database features. Adopt them.

Focus on real workloads. Your users will feel the difference.

How to Display DB2 Skills on Your Resume

4. CLLE

CLLE is the ILE variant of IBM i Control Language (CL). It’s the glue—scripting jobs, controlling environments, orchestrating programs and system tasks with structure and clarity.

Why It's Important

It gives RPG programmers precise control over jobs, parameters, and runtime environments. Automation gets cleaner. Operations get predictable.

How to Improve CLLE Skills

1. Nail the fundamentals: Master command syntax, variables, loops, and conditions. Small scripts first, then bigger flows.

2. Leverage ILE: Use modules and service programs from CL and coordinate activation groups with intent.

3. Refactor: Break monolithic scripts into reusable procedures. Fewer side effects, more reuse.

4. Study examples: Read production-grade CL. Patterns stick faster than theory.

5. Stay current: New commands and parameters appear over time. Adopt what simplifies your work.

6. Debug with purpose: Step through jobs, trace variables, and log decisions. Faster fixes, sturdier scripts.

7. Engage the community: Forums and user groups are rich with practical tricks and gotchas.

CL that reads cleanly today will save you hours next quarter.

How to Display CLLE Skills on Your Resume

5. IBM iSeries

Often called IBM i today (on Power Systems), formerly iSeries and AS/400. It’s an integrated platform—OS, database, security, and tooling aligned. For RPG programmers, this is home base.

Why It's Important

Stability, backward compatibility, and tight integration. RPG runs natively, Db2 sits right there, and the system is built for business continuity.

How to Improve IBM iSeries Skills

1. Modernize RPG: Free-format everything. Replace outdated opcodes with BIFs and procedures. Cut noise.

2. Prefer SQL where it helps: For complex queries and batch updates, SQL outpaces native I/O. Use it.

3. Use performance tools: Analyze jobs with PDI and Navigator for i. Measure before you tweak.

4. Embrace APIs: System APIs, HTTP APIs, message queues—connect your applications to the world.

5. Keep learning: Track IBM i technology updates and user group sessions. Small improvements add up.

The platform evolves. Meet it halfway.

How to Display IBM iSeries Skills on Your Resume

6. Free Format RPG

Free-format RPG lifts the old column restrictions and lets your code breathe. Readable, expressive, modern. With all-free declarations now standard on supported releases, it’s the default style.

Why It's Important

Clarity reduces defects. Longer names, flexible layout, and modern opcodes make onboarding easier and maintenance faster.

How to Improve Free Format RPG Skills

1. Master the syntax: Declarations, prototypes, procedures—get fluent so you think in free-format.

2. Exploit BIFs: Built-in functions trim code and cut clutter. Use them confidently.

3. Retire legacy opcodes: Migrate to modern equivalents. Cleaner semantics, fewer quirks.

4. Modularize: Build procedures and service programs you can trust and reuse.

5. Work with data structures: Map records elegantly, reshape data cleanly, and reduce copy-paste.

6. Track new features: IBM i technology refreshes often add RPG niceties. Adopt early.

7. Organize and comment: Name well, group logically, explain intent. Future you will be grateful.

8. Practice relentlessly: Rewrite older routines in free-format. Learn by doing.

9. Tap communities: Examples and reviews from peers accelerate growth.

10. Consider training: Short, focused courses can spike your productivity fast.

Readable code isn’t a luxury. It’s speed, today and tomorrow.

How to Display Free Format RPG Skills on Your Resume

7. Embedded SQL

Embedded SQL lets RPG programs talk to Db2 directly from source. Query, update, join—right where the logic lives. Less ceremony, more results.

Why It's Important

Data work sits closer to the logic that needs it. You get fewer moving parts, boosted throughput, and cleaner data access patterns.

How to Improve Embedded SQL Skills

1. Prepare statements: Reuse compiled SQL for repeated work. It’s faster and tidier.

2. Tune queries: Trim columns, index for predicates, avoid function-wrapped columns in WHERE when possible.

3. Batch operations: Group inserts and updates to slash round trips.

4. Use cursors carefully: Necessary sometimes; costly if abused. Streamline fetches.

5. Monitor plans: Review plan cache or explain data. Hunt for slow spots, then fix them.

6. Be mindful with functions: Scalar functions inside SELECTs can be expensive. Use judiciously.

Good SQL turns a sluggish app spry. Keep trimming.

How to Display Embedded SQL Skills on Your Resume

8. ILE Concepts

ILE (Integrated Language Environment) brings modular design to IBM i. Mix languages, bind modules, share service programs, control activation groups. Strong architecture, fewer tangles.

Why It's Important

Modularity means reusability, testability, and easier maintenance. You adjust one part without rattling the rest.

How to Improve ILE Concepts Skills

1. Think in components: Break applications into modules and service programs that do one thing well.

2. Build service programs: Craft clean APIs, control exports via binder language, and document procedures.

3. Manage activation groups: Use them intentionally for isolation, performance, and cleanup.

4. Leverage binding directories: Centralize binding rules for consistency and sane builds.

5. Practice with small projects: Assemble components, bind, deploy, iterate. Muscle memory matters.

6. Learn from peers: Code reviews and forums surface patterns and pitfalls quickly.

7. Push advanced topics: Exception handling, pointers, performance tuning—level up when the basics feel natural.

Design like you’ll live with this code for years. Because you probably will.

How to Display ILE Concepts Skills on Your Resume

9. Service Programs

Service programs package related procedures into reusable libraries. You get versioning, stable interfaces, and a cleaner mental model.

Why It's Important

They unlock code reuse and simplify maintenance. Fix once, ship everywhere. Structure spreads, entropy shrinks.

How to Improve Service Programs Skills

1. Design small and sharp: Group highly related procedures. Avoid kitchen-sink libraries.

2. Use ILE effectively: Bind modules cleanly, set exports precisely, and document intent in binder source.

3. Plan for errors: Consistent exception handling and return conventions reduce chaos.

4. Adopt binding directories: Standardize builds and simplify dependencies.

5. Chase performance: Tighten I/O, streamline data structures, and profile hot spots.

6. Write it down: Keep headers, comments, and simple standards so others can extend without breaking.

7. Keep pace with language updates: New RPG and ILE features often make older patterns simpler.

Great service programs feel invisible. They just work.

How to Display Service Programs Skills on Your Resume

10. RPGLE Subfiles

Subfiles power interactive lists—scrollable records, selectable items, tidy screens. A staple for traditional IBM i UIs that still need to fly.

Why It's Important

They make data-heavy screens responsive and usable. Users move fast, the app keeps up.

How to Improve RPGLE Subfiles Skills

1. Drive with SQL: Replace manual read loops with set-based fetches. Cleaner code, fewer bugs.

2. Use data structures: Map subfile records to DS to simplify moves and formatting.

3. Modularize logic: Separate load, display, and action handling into procedures.

4. Handle errors cleanly: MONITOR/ON-ERROR and consistent messages keep the UI stable.

5. Load smartly: Page-at-a-time for large sets. Don’t flood the buffer.

6. Reduce indicators: Prefer named fields and newer opcodes over opaque indicator flips.

7. Split UI and business logic: Keep display files and processing code decoupled.

8. Track updates: Language tweaks often help simplify subfile handling. Adopt them.

9. Document tricky flows: Future maintainers will thank you when options pile up.

10. Refactor periodically: Retire brittle patterns and trim dead branches.

Comfortable subfiles make legacy screens feel fresh.

How to Display RPGLE Subfiles Skills on Your Resume

11. Web Services

Web services let RPG applications talk across systems. REST with JSON is the norm; SOAP still lives in some corners. On IBM i, you can call outbound APIs or expose your own endpoints.

Why It's Important

Integration expands what your RPG apps can do—payments, shipping, analytics, you name it. Interoperability becomes a feature, not a hurdle.

How to Improve Web Services Skills

1. Favor JSON for speed: Lightweight payloads and straightforward parsing simplify the path.

2. Cache wisely: Cut repeat calls with sensible cache rules. Faster responses, fewer costs.

3. Secure everything: TLS everywhere, strict authentication, and least-privilege access. Rotate credentials.

4. Document and validate: Describe contracts (OpenAPI/WSDL) and validate payloads. Avoid drift.

5. Design for errors: Clear status codes, structured error payloads, and robust retries with backoff.

6. Automate builds: CI/CD pipelines with tests reduce breakage and smooth releases. Jenkins or similar.

7. Use modern RPG features: Leverage newer BIFs, data types, and procedures for HTTP handling and JSON parsing.

8. Consider middleware where it fits: API gateways or app servers can centralize security and routing.

9. Keep learning: Standards shift; stay tuned to community discussions and platform updates.

Great integrations feel boring. That’s a compliment.

How to Display Web Services Skills on Your Resume

12. RDi (Rational Developer for i)

RDi is the IBM i IDE for RPG, COBOL, and more. Code, debug, refactor, and manage objects in a modern UI. Remote System Explorer, LPEX editor, outline views, and integration with Git—your daily toolkit.

Why It's Important

You work faster and safer. Better navigation, stronger refactoring, breakpoints that behave, and tooling that scales with the codebase.

How to Improve RDi (Rational Developer for i) Skills

1. Learn the shortcuts: Keybindings shave minutes that add up to hours.

2. Customize the workspace: Perspectives and views tuned to your flow keep context switches low.

3. Master LPEX: Snippets, formatting, and content assist make editing feel light.

4. Refactor ruthlessly: Rename, extract procedures, and organize members to tame complexity.

5. Add plugins when helpful: Extend cautiously. Only what improves your day-to-day.

6. Stay current: Update RDi to pick up performance, language, and debugger improvements.

7. Join the community: Conferences, forums, and user groups surface techniques you won’t find alone.

Invest in your editor. It pays you back every day.

How to Display RDi (Rational Developer for i) Skills on Your Resume