Re: WDSC 4.0 bundling

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Craig,

My guess on the way it is currently bundled has to do with most of us
wouldn't have known what to install to get the features we need so they
just made it install everything.  I think this is something that will get
worked out over time.  For example, they could at least make installing VA
RPG a separate option since it is clearly a standalone item.

I wouldn't give up on WDSc just yet.  I personally find RSE more
productive than the old CPO, and it has some nice integrated options such
as browsing record formats or displaying object descriptions.  It lauches
the Code editor pretty smoothly so you are not sacrificing a lot for using
it.

In general, I would say that the memory and CPU requirements for WDSc are
unlikely to make any huge leaps in the near future.  The big caveat there,
however, is that is also depends on the projects you are working on.  If
you have a 1,000+ file JSP/Java project you need more horsepower because
of all of the "features" it provides when you are changing a file.  If you
are just using RSE and working with iSeries objects the it shouldn't
matter how many objects you are dealing with since the IDE becomes more of
a "Client/Server" application and less is done on your PC.  As Buck
pointed out, if you get into big WebFacing projects, your requirements go
up quickly.

LPEX is the name of the editor component in Code/400.  That core editor
was rewritten in Java and made an Eclipse plugin called the LPEX editor.
>From an editor standpoint, the two therefore are very similar, although I
believe none of the REXX macros in Code/400 can be used in the Eclipse
version.  What the Eclipse version lacks is some of the extra things that
were added to the editor in Code/400 like the program verifier.  These
will hopefully be ported to plugins soon and you will not need to launch
the external Code/400 editor any more unless you rely on any REXX macros
that cannot be ported to Eclipse.

As I have already hinted, RSE is meant to replace CPO, which just leaves
the screen/report design component and I guess the debugger as things that
need to be ported to the Eclipse framework.  I hope these items get
ported, but I would rather see some editor enhancements first such as more
wizards and smart guides and refactoring would be great.

Hope this helps.

Mark



On 08/30/2002 01:05:02 PM wdsci-l-admin wrote:

> I agree with Mark and Buck in their comments about bundling.  Although I
> have been ultimately impressed with the integration and new tools being
> developed, I am still baffled why they would not give us the choice of
only
> installing the components we want.  I think they did that with the WDT.
I
> understand RAM and disk space is cheap, this is a work-in-process, and
> upgrades are being made available after certain time periods.  It is
just
> that with any huge software you expect to have the choice of installing
the
> components you want, even test software.  I don't know of any
significant
> fixes to CODE/400 to justify upgrading PC's except maybe better help
> search.  I still think making help available online like the information
> center would cut down on the RAM but I am not the designer.  Even with
> cheap disk space, I know I would not have upgraded my PC if I had to pay
> for it myself.  I guess I would be one of those pennypinchers.  :)  I do
> have a new and fast PC now though and I am sure I am not using any of
the
> extra RAM and disk space because I don't use WSSDa (except for help
search)
> and I sure don't see any major differences in CODE/400.  I thought the
LPEX
> editor was only for lpx programs.  I didn't bother with it right away
> because it didn't have syntax checking.  Now that I know the LPEX editor
> might be the next CODE/400, I will try to do some of my coding with the
> LPEX editor in WSSDa since I have WDSC.  I am assuming that when the
LPEX
> editor is all tested out, they will point all the links from PDM and
> wherever else to the LPEX editor.  Is this the pinnacle of hardware
> upgrades or can we expect more in the future due to a potential
increasing
> demand on RAM and disk space?
>
> Thanks,
> Craig Strong
>
> ** Mark wrote:
> Buck,
>
> >
> > Hi Mark!
> > I agree with everything in your note but in the interest of brevity
> snipped
> > much of it out.
> >
> > The big problem is the bundling.  As positioned, it is to be all
things
> to
> > all developers.
> >
> > Green screen people think of WDSc as the follow on to Code.  Java
people
> > think of it as the follow on to VAJ.  It is at the same time both, and
> > neither, being a work in progress.  Until it is complete, no faction
> (web,
> > 5250, Java only) will be satisfied with a collection of parts being
sold
> as
> > an integrated development environment.
> > --buck
>
> I guess I just tend to look at it more optimistically.  VAJ was
originally
> a tool for developing "fat-client" Java applications, and they later
tried
> to make it into a tool for developing Java-server applications.  For
those
> of us that only want to do the latter, WDSc is already much better than
> the old combination of VAJ and WebSphere Studio.
>
> As for Code/400, I think it will be a part of the package for quite some
> time simply because there is a lot of code there to rewrite.
>
> I do agree, and have said for some time, that IBM should be more
"upfront"
> about who this package is aimed at.  As I stated previously, in my
opinion
> it mainly exists today for those of us that are doing web development
with
> the iSeries.  While there will be some people doing traditional 5250
> development that like it, most will be unhappy until they add more
> features and polish.
>
> Mark
>
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