RE: IBM pushing Java

Hello Colin,

Wouldn't it depend on the quality of the current programmers?  Don't they 
understand the business and 
therefore have some value to the business regardless of the programming 
language?  Can't programmers (at least 
those with some talent) learn a new language fairly quickly?  They won't become 
experts overnight but they 
already know how to program -- they just need to learn a new syntax.  The trick 
with Java, Smalltalk, Eiffel, 
et al, is the OO component.  That takes some time to learn properly and the 
best way is to hire a mentor to 
assist with the design and help train your people in the process. However, if 
the programmer's are simply RPG 
hacks with no real interest in software (its just a job that pays them more 
than they can get eleswhere and 
puts a roof over their head, food on the table, and keeps the kids in school) 
then I think they should be 
replaced.

I can accept that a move from RPG to Java shouldn't be undertaken lightly 
(support reasons, etc) but that 
argument doesn't hold water for RPG IV.  The languages are similar enough that 
any competent RPG III/400 
programmer should be able to modify an RPG IV program with minimal pain.  They 
can get the reference manual 
and look up things they don't understand.  Initially they'll be a liitle slower 
but they should learn and get 
faster.

As Joel said earlier programmers are being required to be multi-lingual 
(program languages at least) and I too 
think that is A GOOD THING.

I keep seeing ads in the local paper for 'RPG programmer with 5 years 
experience, must know <insert business 
requirement du jour>, blah, blah, blah' when I think they should be asking for 
'Programmer with 5 years 
experience in <business requirement>.  RPG an advantage'.  Spot the difference? 
 Which add is likely to net 
the highest quality candidates?  Hmm.

Ahh, the more you know, the more the bastards ask you to do!

Regards,
Simon Coulter.

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//--- forwarded letter -------------------------------------------------------
> X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.0.1459.44)
> Date: Tue, 23 Mar 99 16:24:48 +0000
> From: "Colin Williams" <Williamsc@technocrats.co.uk>
> To: "'MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com'" <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
> Reply-To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
> Subject: RE: IBM pushing Java

> 
> My point exactly, software development companies can't change
> applications overnight, it takes a lot of planning (look at all the man
> hours that went into Y2K changes, for example!), and resources. Would
> any company that had decided to go from RPG to JAVA retrain all there
> existing staff, or would they just go out and hire JAVA experts from the
> marketplace, and retrain them to AS/400? 
> 
> If individual employees are changing the odd program here and there from
> RPG to JAVA in their companies applications, what happens if those
> developers leave the company to take up a well paid job developing new
> JAVA apps with someone else, and leave there old company with these JAVA
> apps and no - one to support them. I'm just trying to say that things
> like this need planning and consultation, and just jumping in and
> changing your companies code off your own back could be risky.
> 

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