Re: IBM's AS/400 toolbox for JAVA

Thanks to all for those pointing out very good points and insight etc.

At 10:43 AM 3/27/99 -0500, you wrote:
>>Currently, my favorite mechanism is simple data
>>queueing to/from an RPG server program on the AS/400.  Clean, no hassles
>and
>>fast.  I write my user interface using Swing classes [with Java], and
>everything runs
>>wonderfully.
>>
>>Where's the bang for the buck with ADO?
>
>Kishor Patel has already provided a great answer to this group:
>"Choosing between OLE DB and JAVA Tool box?  Life long question.  What is
>your ultimate goal?  How much MONEY you have right now and for maintenance?
>Is your solution very dynamic ?  Is it a throw away application in a year?
>Decision is very difficult, but has to be made right now for business
>solutions."
>
>I agree completely with Kishor. OLE DB/ADO versus Java and the Toolbox isn't
>an either/or question. It's a "which is best in what situation" question.
>Clearly, IBM's trajectory is aimed squarely at Java and the OLE DB stuff
>represents a token effort, at best, to throw Windows a bone.  For me, the
>big payoff with OLE DB today is its nice integration with MS Office
>products. You can write really cool, seamless transfers (both up and down)
>in Excel and Access--transfers that reveal other methods for the beer cans
>and copper they really are (for an Access upload/download example, email
>me).
>
>For more line-of-business application development though, the OLE DB-VB
>connection breaks down. It is poorly documented, has poor examples, has
>other silly limitations (such as requiring two conversations to do indexed
>access). Forget the Web, browsers and applets, even for Windows-host
>application development, Java (you pick, Inprise, IBM, Symantec, et al) and
>the Java Toolbox make a strong combination and gives VB a solid run for its
>money. Until Swing, Java interfaces were a pitiful joke and didn't compete
>with VB. But Swing levels the playing field and you can do amazing things
>with Swing and the Toolbox.
>
>The days are forever gone when you curl up in the corner with your favorite
>language and wrap a career around it. Any rational shop today should be
>exploring both options, Java and the Toolbox and VB and Project Lightning.
>Using both where they are best and for what they can teach.
>
>rp
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>
>>Joe the Uninformed
>>
>>
>>+---
>>| This is the JAVA/400 Mailing List!
>>| To submit a new message, send your mail to JAVA400-L@midrange.com.
>>| To subscribe to this list send email to JAVA400-L-SUB@midrange.com.
>>| To unsubscribe from this list send email to JAVA400-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
>>| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator:
>david@midrange.com
>>+---
>
>+---
>| This is the JAVA/400 Mailing List!
>| To submit a new message, send your mail to JAVA400-L@midrange.com.
>| To subscribe to this list send email to JAVA400-L-SUB@midrange.com.
>| To unsubscribe from this list send email to JAVA400-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
>| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
>+---
>

+---
| This is the JAVA/400 Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to JAVA400-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to JAVA400-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to JAVA400-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---