RE: Aaron Bartell's RPG/Java comparison

Let's try the following metaphor: Things need to be done around the house.
We have a toolbox to use to fix things around the house. There isn't just
one tool in the toolbox there are several. When a nail need to be used, we
use a hammer. When it's a screw, we use a screwdriver. Could we have used
the hammer on the screw? By all means. Is it the best tool for the job, no.
Same with programming languages. No one language is best. Each has it's
advantages and disadvantages. That being said (and having coded in both Java
and RPG) let me say that Java has PLENTY of downside. RPG has some downside.
RPG is much stronger on database. Java is stronger (currently) on GUI and
the like. (We'll skip the OOP discussion for now, there's lots to be said on
both sides.) RPG will sooner be a capable GUI language than Java will be a
database language. That isn't an idle threat, it's a statement of direction
from IBM. Should we hava Java in our toolbox? Sure. Should we have RPG in
our toolbox? ABSOLUTELY!

'nuff said.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kalman Shor
IBM Certified Specialist - AS/400 RPG IV Developer
e400 Systems, Inc.
414 Crown Street
Brooklyn, NY 11225
Phone: 718-735-2500
Toll free: 866 - iSeries
Fax: 718-735-5220
Website: www.e400systems.com
_____________________________________

AS/400 development in RPG, Java,
WebSphere and Domino

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-java400-l@midrange.com
[mailto:owner-java400-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of James H. H. Lampert
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 9:36 PM
To: JAVA400-L@midrange.com
Subject: Re: Aaron Bartell's RPG/Java comparison


Fellow Programmers:

The only advantages I see in RPG are (1) its ability to "ride around an
entire file on its logic cycle" (pun intended), and (2) ease of issuing
external calls where the name is not known at compile time.

Other than that, I can think of quite a few things other than "report
program generator" for the letters RPG to stand for, none of them
complimentary.

--
James H. H. Lampert
Professional Dilettante
http://www.hb.quik.com/jamesl
Have you visited http://www.thehungersite.com today?
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