RE: E-Commerce

Ahhh... the head honchos love the buzzwords don't you.  e-anything, that's
my motto.  :)

Anyhow, some answers to your questions.

> 1.What is the major difference between the approach to 
> traditional projects
> and these web based projects? 

There really is not different at the base level.  You're inputting from the
browswer, and outputting to the browser.  All using RPG as your CGI
programs.  I actually find CGI programming easier since I don't have to
worry about level checks for screens or printer DDS.  

> 2. What is the kind of orientation  required for a set of 
> people who have
> only worked on RPG III, CL  etc. The kind of training, R&D  
> etc. required.
> 

The basics would include HTML, JavaScript (NOT Java!  Javascript is simple
stuff embedded in your HTML), RPGIV with a dash of light ILE.  It doesn't
hurt to be comfortable with calling a few APIs and understanding standard
input and output.  

It may also help to be comfortable with other web stuff like stylesheets,
Server Side Includes, both fairly easy to figure out.

To tell you the truth, if your data is on the AS/400, and your machine can
handle the load from the internet, there's not better choice in my opinion.


If you were to keep the data on the AS/400 and mirror it between an NT web
server, you will soon find that this is more work that learning how to
program CGI with RPG or even Net.Data (and SQL-based scripting language that
does CGI).  

I wish you would have asked this question 2 months from now.  I have a book
on the subject coming out early 2000.  It starts at basic HTML, goes to
Javascript, setting up the HTTP server, and finally RPG/CGI programming.  It
the meantime, you can view a few of the articles that I've written for
Midrange Computing on this subject at:

http://www.midrangecomputing.com/people/stone/.  Just click on any of the
titles in the "Also by this Author" section.  There are a couple that are
downloadable in PDF format.  The source for all of the articles is available
for download from there as well.

Hope this helps.

Bradley V. Stone
BVS/Tools
http://www.bvstools.com



> Cheers
> Vijosh
> 
> Email : <vijosha@alfuttaim.co.ae>
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