RE: RPG is Dead? Say it aint so!

Aaron, after watching your video I can see you as an underwear switcher
:-)

Seriously though, I don't see IBM ever putting together a GUI targeted
specifically at the iSeries folks. I was at an event in Releigh a few
weeks ago where they were discussing putting some sort of canned common
interface together for all the platforms that we could write to. The
overwhelming concensus from the vendors at the event, including me was:
"There's no way in today's multi-platform world that we will write
applications to a proprietary GUI. Web browser apps are the way to go
for most new business app dev."

I think in reality the iSeries has three very viable GUI environments
already that build skills that work with the iSeries and allow
developers to re-use existing RPG code:

1.) HTML - All environments whether PHP, JSP, ASP.Net or RPG support
HTTP and HTML. They can all interact with the database or existing RPG
code as well. For better or worse once Al Gore invented the Internet
:-) , we're stuck with HTML and its variants being the great equalizer
when writing web applications. In my opinion all iSeries developers need
to know HTML.

2.) RCP - RCP uses the Eclipse framework to allow applications to have a
consistent look and feel. I have not put a lot of time into
investigating how to use RCP, but in theory this would allow you to
create a consistent GUI environment for your applications. This fits the
methodology that was being described by IBM in Raleigh.

3.) .Net - My favorite GUI environment for the iSeries is .Net. You can
write all kinds of cool GUI desktop applications in .Net very quickly
that can interact with the database, RPG programs and web services. The
new buzzword for these types of applications is "smart clients". In
reality, Windows is here to stay as the desktop dominator, so ignoring
.Net for GUI apps would be silly in my opinion since it's such a
powerful toolset today and Visual Studio 2005 Express is FREE so cost
isn't an issue.

The best part about any of these scenarios is that the iSeries RPG
developers can get involved in the development process and learn these
new technologies to complement their existing skills if they are willing
to step out of the box and do it.

It's up to us as iSeries developers to preserve our own careers and I
believe you can do it while still wearing the same pair of underwear :-)

Regards,
Richard Schoen
RJS Software Systems Inc.
"Get the information you need. Now!"
Email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Web Site: http://www.rjssoftware.com
Tel: (952) 898-3038
Fax: (952) 898-1781
Toll Free: (888) RJSSOFT


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message: 5
date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:59:38 -0500
from: "albartell" <albartell@xxxxxxxxx>
subject: RE: RPG is Dead? Say it aint so!

I disagree with you on this point, and the following response isn't
really
directed at you but the whole of IBM that hasn't given RPG developers,
their
mainstay on the System i5, what they need to be successful. IBM has
most of
their success when they create proprietary and intimately integrated
solutions. That is why we all love RPG/DB2400/i5OS so much right? And
that
is one reason why so many started, and have stayed with, the System i5
for
so long - right? RPG developers have life pretty good except for the
uphill
non-GUI battle we continually fight. If IBM were to develop a native
GUI
that displayed in a proprietary thick client I think it would take off
like
wildfire. Note that all of the code would still reside and run on the
server so deployment wouldn't be an issue. Close on the heals of that
would
be a browser component that would play the same role (and in all
actuality
they would just be downloading IBM's thin client similar to what we all
do
with Flash/Flex/JavaFX/etc). [I am going to stop there on my idea's for
a
GUI front for brevities sake]


Younger developers (35 and under) often switch platforms/languages like
underwear - whatever feels the most comfortable at the time they will
wear -
I know, I have been an underwear switcher :-). Imagine if IBM were to
offer
great looking application development for the enterprise that was
_really
easy_ to create? This is what we have today with RPG/DB2400/i5OS minus
the
good looks. They would not only pull from the younger developer pools
but
would also get people from huge enterprises running mainframes to
convert
over simply because it makes solid business sense.

Open source technologies that have many fingers in the pie (i.e. IBM has
to
share with Sun, BEA, Eclipse, Apache, etc) has only slowed IBM down.
They
aren't allowed to develop at their fastest pace because they have to
wait
for standards groups and the like. Sure they are represented nicely in
those groups, but it still slows them down.

IBM could do a lot for application development on the System i5 if they
introduced a native GUI vs. all of this platform independence
Java/EGL/WAS
jeeeeunk! [I actually like Java, but it wasn't meant for business
development on the System i5 IMO] Whenever I hear George Farr talk
about
RPG I am cheering big time while he lists potential things coming in
RPG,
and then he starts talking platform independence and EGL... (hearts
sinks to
toes) - it's the vendors he is listening to, not the homegrown software
folks that make up the majority of their market share.

Thoughts?
Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com