Re: EGL: Integration or Migration?

"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