RE: VRPG And/Or Java

John,

I've heard George mention that they (i.e., the Torolab) were going to 
consider targeting ByteCode with all the ILE compilers. If the AS/400(e) 
can support that stuff, and still give us the performance we need, then 
great. If it can't don't every consider it. I suppose a V4R2 initial test 
release could be planned by now, but probably V4R4 before we see something 
real.  So the answer I'd advocate is, "it depends".

If anybody wants Java, then perhaps a CVTRPGJAVA command is what's needed. 
Will it work with database? Will it work with packed decimal data? Will 
there be a CHAIN operation? If not, then don't bother... And of course, 
will there be subfile support? Subfile support is, of course, a DDS issue, 
not an RPG issue, but we often combine the two. Will there be a CVTDDSJAVA 
command as well? Batch-mode RPG to Java doesn't thrill me too much...

As for VA/RPG, I suppose that stuff could generate Java code, but I still 
wish it were an RPG IV-based language (i.e., built-in functions and 
procedure-based instead of custom opcodes) then maybe I'd look at it...

What really seems strange, however, is that the value of running RPG code 
on other platforms is about as useful as... (insert your own slang here...) 
I mean, why spend all this time trying to get RPG platform independent, 
when we want it on the AS/400 and we want a GUI on the AS/400. We may want 
to "play" with RPG at home, and yes, something like the ASNA product could 
be good enough for that, but come on, Do I really need to run my Accounting 
package on my USRobitics PalmPilot? Not likely. But what I do need is to be 
able to give my users a drop-down selection listbox for a list of states. 
Right now I have to monkey around with a pop-up window, and so on and so 
on...

To me there has been two issues that we keep hitting IBM over the head 
with.

1. Let the people know!  Meaning that they need to advertise the AS/400 so 
that, in the words of one of the midrange magazine editors "I can mention 
it at parties and people will know what I'm talking about."  It seems that 
with the AS/400e models, they are going to do this one. Great!

2. Put full graphical user interface support in RPG and DDS for PC 
connected workstations or the newer NetPC things.  Allow me to code for 
such things in DDS (or something else) and RPG.

I mean, it is 1997 isn't it? While text-mode application do have their 
merits, they are NOT the only applications in the world.


So to re-answer your question, I suppose the ByteCode thing would be 
interesting, but a CVTRPGJAVA would be even more interesting. Particularly 
if they get that to work.

Bob Cozzi


On Monday, August 25, 1997 10:22 AM, James W. Kilgore 
[SMTP:qappdsn@ibm.net] wrote:
> John Carr wrote:
> >
>
> > If there was a discussion about VA/RPG(Visual RPG) and Java Which of 
the
> > next two choices(or both)would people be in favor of.
> >
> > 1. VA/RPG being able to generate Java Byte Code.
> > 2. A conversion product that would take RPG code and generate Java 
source.
> >
> My personal preference would be to have a conversion utility which would
> create Java source.
>
> This would allow a programmer to write code in a familiar fashion (RPG,
> VA/RPG) and then where appropriate, program by program, Java source
> could be generated then tweaked.
>
> The same went for client/server applications, a preference to products
> which generated tweekable VB code to run on the PC rather than screen
> scrapers.
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