RE: what is Java bytecodes? was a contentious ILE vs CLI debate.

["McCallion, Martin" <martin.mccallion@xxxxxxxxx>]

> >> Basically, the question is, what does Java bytecodes 
> provide in terms of
> the
> >> inter language use of classes?  That is, can the Java 
> bytecodes generated
> by
> >> the compiling of code in one language be referenced at the 
> source code
> level
> >> by a programmer in another language.

Well, you can call Java classes from RPG: there is a source-level
interface.

> What I am interested in is mixing Java and RPG  without the need of a
> cumbersome interface barrier.

I haven't done it, (calling Java from RPG) but from what I've seen of
it, the interface appears to be just an extension of the RPG procedure
interface (PR and PI specs, basically).

> So what prevents the RPG compiler from translating RPG to 
> Java ByteCodes?

Probably just that IBM hasn't seen a cost/benefit-justifiable business
reason for doing so; but perhaps Hans could comment on this?

> Esp if VisualAge RPG possibly does.  The thinking being that 
> if RPG can
> translate to ByteCodes, then the programmer can also natively 
> reference Java
> classes contained in the Java ByteCode stream emitted by the 
> compiling of
> Java code.

Well, as I said above, the (RPG) programmer _can_ reference Java
classes; the fact that what you call by doing so is bytecode rather than
'conventional' OS/400 objects is neither here nor there, really.  Even
if RPG could compile to bytecode natively, there would still have to be
a syntax for calling Java classes.  And it would probably be the syntax
we already have.

Cheers,

Martin.

-- 
Martin McCallion
Senior Technical Consultant
Misys Wholesale Banking Systems
1 St George's Road, London, SW19 4DR, UK
T +44 (0)20 8486 1951
F +44 (0) 20 8947 3373
martin.mccallion@xxxxxxxxx
www.misys.com

This email and any attachments have been scanned for known viruses using
multiple scanners. We believe that this email and any attachments are
virus free, however the recipient must take full responsibility for
virus checking. This email message is intended for the named recipient
only. It may be privileged and/or confidential. If you are not the
intended named recipient of this email then you should not copy it or
use it for any purpose, nor disclose its contents to any other person.
You should contact the Misys Banking and Securities Division as shown
below so that we can take appropriate action at no cost to yourself. 

Misys Banking and Securities Division, 1 St George's Road, Wimbledon,
London, SW19 4DR, England. Email: banking.postmaster@xxxxxxxxxx Tel: +44
(0) 20 8879 1188 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8947 3373