RE: Web apps on the AS/400 -- MIDRANGE-L

John, I've spent a lot of time on this particular question.  In general, I
try to be fair and tell people that certain solutions are better for certain
situations, and each one has its own place.  For example, when I give my
presentations at COMMON, I stress the fact that there are occasions where
screen scrapers are the right solution.

But I'll be honest here.  I'm tired of being PC (Programmatically Correct).
I haven't spent nearly 25 years developing code to sit back now and waffle,
especially when the answers are clear cut.  So here it is:

1. The AS/400 is the best midrange machine on the planet.  Period.
2. RPG and DB2/400 beat any other combination for business rules
development.
3. OO is the best technology to develop tag-based UI.
4. Java is the best commercially available OO language.
5. JavaServer Pages are the best browser-based development solution.

These are my opinions, certainly, but I have coded millions of lines of code
over the years.  I have written operating systems, development tools,
shrinkwrapped packages and custom applications.  I've used ten different
hardware platforms, eight different operating systems (that's NOT counting
variants) and over a dozen languages, three of which I wrote myself.

Tell me how procedural code is better than OO for designing widgets.  And
then have the code to back it up.  Show me another commercially viable OO
language that runs on as many platforms as Java.  Explain to me how CGI is a
better UI model than JSP.  It can't be done.  My list, while surely based on
opinion, is awfully hard to contest in fact.

Now, I don't dispute the fact that there are times when the best is the
enemy of the good.  Like I said, screen scrapers have their place: namely,
when you've lost the source to an application but need to get it on the web.
Similarly, CGI-RPG has a place: in shops that refuse to learn Java, or are
running their machine at 99+% CPU already.  But like screen scraping,
CGI-RPG is a dead-end technique that adds nothing to your technological
toolbox - as they used to say at Digital, it's "a bag on the side of the
box".  And I'm tired of seeing it promoted as anything but a bandaid and a
shortcut.

Sure, use CGI-RPG to learn the browser.  Use screen scrapers for tactical
solutions.  Heck, get FrontPage and put up a website.  It doesn't hurt.  But
don't expect me to sit here and say with a straight face that CGI-RPG or
screen scrapers are an architecturally sound approach for any sort of
strategic development.  In my oh so obviously not very darned humble
opinion, they simply aren't.

<grumble>

And ONE of these days I'll stop beating around the bush and say what I
mean... <grin>


> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
> [mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of jpcarr@TREDEGAR.COM
> Sent: Friday, March 16, 2001 8:04 PM
> To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
> Subject: RE: Web apps on the AS/400
>
>
>
> Joe Pluta said
> >I won't write CGI-RPG, Brad.  It's a strategically unsound architecture,
> in my opinion, and I choose not to pursue >it.  There's nothing
> CGI-RPG can
> provide that I can't get through servlets or JavaServer Pages.
> >My opinion stands.
>
>
>
> Joe
>
> Net.Data,   RPG-CGI,   Java   each have their strengths and weaknesses
> depending on the Application needed,  The shop it will run in,  and the
> current skill set of the staff that will develop and maintain the code.
>
> No right answer,  No one solution that fits all.
>
> Servlets, and JSP's  in a shop that has pressing deadlines and let's say
> "not state of the art" skill sets  may not be a good  "Tactical"  solution
> if all they want is some existing reports etc in the browser.
>
> Stategically ?  Net.Data and CGI is not the end all and be all.   however
> for a shop that just within the last 6months learned RPGIV and can read a
> data base file and format the output like is shown on Easy400.com or in
> Brad's eRPG book,  CGI may  be a good way to get ... lets say
> "Comfortable"
> with the Browser,  HTTP server,  etc.
>
> Set and Setting(which shop, which skillset, which budget, what trainging,
> etc)  have a big effect when considering a "Tactical" solution to help you
> on your way to learn new stuff.
>
> End-all-be-all ?   Java seems this season's pick for that.   ( there have
> been many seasons though).
> Should people learn it?  You Bet !   Can they be putting up some simple
> stuff in the mean time  with Net.data or RPG-CGI and get a level
> of comfort
> with the browser interface ?   You Bet !
>
> Just my opinion
>
> John Carr
>

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