In this issue...

Join us October 27-29 in Sacramento, CA, for the 2026 Synergy DevPartner Conference, featuring three days of learning, connection, and celebration.

Dive deep into technical sessions, roll up your sleeves in hands-on workshops, and connect face to face with developers who care about the same challenges you do. You’ll also hear from Microsoft’s Scott Hanselman in a keynote that’s sure to spark fresh thinking and lively conversation. Check out our Agenda. 

We hope you can join us—and the DBL community—for this informative and inspiring experience! 

Important New Synergy Release

SDI Update

Our latest SDI release, version 2026.02.1098, is now available for download in the Synergex Resource Center. This version includes improved support for Visual Studio 2026, along with updates to the compiler, increased IntelliSense stability, and debugger improvements. Read more.

We’re excited to introduce DBL Talks, a new educational video podcast series designed to help DBL developers build stronger, more effective applications.

DBL Talks explores key DBL concepts through focused, code-driven discussions. Each episode walks through real examples, explains the “why” behind the syntax, and shows how the pieces fit together. The goal is simple: make it easier for developers to understand how DBL works under the hood and how to use it effectively in real-world applications.

We’ll periodically release new episodes, each focused on a specific topic. You can watch DBL Talks Episode 1: I/O Basics on YouTube.

Even in today’s modern world, legacy applications are all around us, powering critical infrastructure we rely on in our daily lives. These applications are in turn driven by legacy code that continues to be actively maintained and developed. In this article, we’ll look at some lessons learned from maintaining legacy applications, while highlighting some of the tools we’ve found useful in this work.

Synergex will end support for Synergy/DE 12.1 on April 1, 2026. After this date, version 12.1 will no longer receive fixes or security updates.

If you’re using Synergy/DE 12.1 or an earlier version, we strongly recommend updating to the current long-term support (LTS) release, Synergy/DE 12.3, which will be supported through at least March 2028.

Per our Release Strategy, LTS versions are supported for a minimum of four years (four years after their release OR one year after the next LTS version ships, whichever is later). Version 12.1 was released April 1, 2022, and 12.3 launched on March 18, 2024, establishing April 1, 2026, as end-of-support for 12.1.

If you have any questions or need assistance upgrading, please contact your account manager or Developer Support at support@synergex.com.

There are fundamental differences in how file and record locking are implemented on OpenVMS and Unix/Linux systems. These differences can affect applications that rely on OpenVMS-style locking.

File locking

• On OpenVMS, when a file is opened in exclusive mode (SHARE:0), the lock is enforced at the operating system level through RMS. The operating system prevents any other program from opening the file. Locking is mandatory and enforced globally, regardless of what program attempts access.
• On Unix/Linux, file locking is implemented using POSIX advisory locking. Advisory locks are cooperative.

Record locking

• On OpenVMS, record locks are per-channel (RMS-managed). A record locked on one channel is seen as locked on another channel within the same process.
• On Unix/Linux, record locks are per process, not per file descriptor. A record locked on one channel does not block access from another channel within the same process. Locks only block other processes.

Industry News & Articles

• Visual Studio 2026 Is Here: Faster, Smarter, and a Hit with Early Adopters
• Quality Starts with Process: Addressing Common Gaps in Software Testing
• Manage Knowledge, Not Code
• Unit Testing SQL Queries Across Multiple Database Platforms
• AI Needs Less Magic and More Engineering
• The Rise of Diskless Kafka: Rethinking Brokers, Storage, and the Kafka Protocol
• The Hidden Costs of a ‘Just Fix It’ Approach
• .NET 11 Preview 1 Is Now Available!

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