Re: Welcome

COBOL/400 programmers are a minority in North America but a majority 
everywhere else.  RPG rules on this continent because it has always been 
marketed and adapted as the language of choice.  However, most 
installations elsewhere are ports from mainframes thus the preponderance of 
COBOL.

One of the leading AS/400 trade magazines, "News/400'" had a regular 
columnist declaring that IBM should stop further RPG development since he 
sees the future in JAVA.  This prompted a massive write-in of nay-sayers 
(mostly RPG programmers, of course) and the columnist made it clear that he 
was asking IBM to stop development; not for a cessation of RPG development 
(read as use of RPG for development).

I've worked in three software houses so far and it's been a while since 
I've been in a one-horse town.  In my opinion, each language has its 
strengths and weaknesses.  Tools versus craftsmen... yada-yada bit.

The only breed that gets culled consist of those who refuse to learn 
anything new.  Even just staying within the COBOL domain the future will 
probably include the adoption/adaption of the upcoming OO (object-oriented) 
extensions.

At 12:04 pm 27-10-1999 +0100, you, Chris.Chambers@v2music.com wrote:
>OK let's get a general ball rolling:
>
>What future for COBOL programmers on the AS400? We hear a lot about JAVA 
>and C++
>lately so are we a dying breed? How long can we expect to be in gainful
>employemnt - what about cross training to RPG - and if there are any 
>programmers
>who have both skills what are the merits of RPG over COBOL and vice-versa.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Bob Larkin <blarkin@wt.net> on 27/10/99 07:47:56
>
>Please respond to COBOL400-L@midrange.com
>
>To:   COBOL400-L <COBOL400-L@midrange.com>
>cc:    (bcc: Chris Chambers/London/V2 Music)
>Subject:  Welcome
>
>
>
>
>Welcome to our new users. I can't believe it has been so quite here.
>Doesn't anyone have anything to discuss?
>Bob
>
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smime.p7s