Re: EGL: Integration or Migration?

[Pete Helgren <Pete@xxxxxxxxxx>]

"For your company, would it be more important that IBM focus on 
providing tools that allow EGL to act as a thin interface to your 
existing ILE, or are you more interested in using EGL to write brand new 
platform-independent applications?"

In my case, and I am an "odd duck" on the list in this respect, we will 
focus on platform-independent applications. There are a few custom 
applications I expect will leverage some of the underlying RPG on i but 
not much.  The package we do most of our custom integration work for is 
OPM RPG with very little ILE.

I am impressed with the integration though.  The tutorial in the 
workshop had us write an app that hits the IBM i in DFW.  I took the 
source code and compiled it and ran it on my little 270 with no 
problems.  In both cases the returned data was almost instantaneous.

I had responded to Nathan on the WEB400 list that I usually develop a 
solution to a problem without giving the tool much thought.  I then 
choose the best tool for the job.  However, EGL opened up a couple of 
more possibilities for me so I may be *influenced* by EGL but not 
hidebound by it.  I may just consider a *less* platform independent 
approach because of what EGL and ILE RPG can do for me.

Pete


Joe Pluta wrote:
> One of the hazy issues hanging over the head of the EGL language is its 
> long-term goal.  Is EGL intended to be a replacement for RPG, or a 
> complement to it?  Like many things, I think it depends upon whom you 
> talk to at IBM.  One of the mistakes I've made in the past is to 
> consider IBM as a monolithic entity with consistent goals, but that's 
> far from the truth.  In reality, there are factions inside of IBM just 
> as there are in any large corporation, and sometimes the left hand and 
> the right hand aren't quite in sync.
>
> Personally, I can tell you that the EGL team has made significant 
> investment in making sure that EGL works with the IBM i, and 
> specifically with existing ILE code.  The biggest example of that is the 
> persistent connection, which allows us to take advantage of all the 
> power of the ILE environment while still presenting multiple interfaces 
> to the outside world.
>
> But I think it's important that we talk about this.  For your company, 
> would it be more important that IBM focus on providing tools that allow 
> EGL to act as a thin interface to your existing ILE, or are you more 
> interested in using EGL to write brand new platform-independent 
> applications?
>
> Or is it a little bit of both?
>
> Joe
>