Re: EGL and RPG - The Fastest Path to the Future

john e wrote:

If we really want to focus on business instead of technology, then why not leverage the real potential of the AS/400, i.e. a completely server centric approach within a simple, but powerful, and predictable environment, where the *complete* program is running on the server. And which communicates with the user via a 5250-like architecture. I.e. all code that is relevant (the application code) resides *and* runs on the server (the host). And the program uses an underlying architecture to present a modern user interface (a GUI that is).

John, this would be fine in the era when all processing was done on a single machine. And even then, we had issues with things like EDI and remote order entry. Unfortunately, since the 80s, IT has been about integration with the rest of the organization and with other organizations. Web applications are required, networking is required, multiple inputs devices are required.

Take a simple case: warehouse barcode scanners. Web-enabled scanners outnumber 5250 scanners by a wide margin, and are generally less expensive, because vendors don't want to have to support the 5250 data stream in addition to HTTP. That's just the reality of the world. So you can either accept the wider world of networking and figure out how best to interface with it, or you can close yourself off and become "the box in the corner". Me, I'd prefer that the i was the central server in the entire organization, rather than just the repository of legacy business rules.

But using EGL (or any other web technology) we are moving to client/server, the application is split up on the server and the client using completely different technologies.

No, the application it split up into tiers: database, business logic, application control and user interface. This is the way it should be, because it means I can add a new user interface without changing the rest of the application. That's where EGL shines!

Now we move (like the rest of the world) to "browser" based computing, which definitely has not emerged because it is so much better than host centric computing. It is simply more "cool", but not better.

No, we move to the browser because it allows every business to talk to every other business, and opens up those businesses to a huge market of consumers. The browser is here because it allows easy access by everyone.

Anyway, the browser is going to stay. You can either program for it or not. I choose to program for it. But I would rather use a language that allows me to easily integrate RPG, use SQL as needed, and use advanced technologies such as JSF and rich client without having to worry about the technical details.

Joe