Re: RPGILE programmers and the future of iSeries

From: Jerry Draper
If we are all going to retire at the same moment will the iSeries
go poof?

<humor>

I know I shouldn't be spreading rumors, but I hear that Barbara Morris is working on a couple of new ROA handlers. One to handle any interface with any client (browser, tablet, phone, terminal, audio response system, whatever). The other handler will interface with Watson. So any question in the world may be answered within a simple program loop.

dow true;
 read anyclient question;
 write watson question;
 read watson answer;
 write anyclient answer;
enddo;

So we can all retire, because any question in the world will be answered by one RPG program, and only one RPG programmer will be needed to maintain it.

</humor>

Humor aside, yes I have participated in several debates about the future of the platform where the argument about RPG programmers retiring en masse, or just plain getting old and losing their relevance, as rationale for migrating systems to other platforms.

Although my initial response was intended to be humorous, I think there is a small but significant element of truth in the idea that the IBM i platform will continue to adapt to new and emerging interfaces and continue to remain relevant.

-Nathan