Re: VisualAge RPG for AS/400?

[Booth Martin <booth@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I hear you Trevor.  These changes are needed in many of the old legacy 
applications, no question about it.

As Jon said, I am sure you took advantage of all the design choices that 
improved performance.  I am curious though.   What is the interface? 
Browser? Visual Basic?

Also, as you say, the application was not so much replaced as it was 
transformed.  As you look back on it do you have a feel for how much 
transformation could have been made if you'd opted to transform, but use 
green screen?  Would the advantages still have been 5 to 1?

Am I reading between the lines here?  Are you saying the development 
time with the tools was also much faster than green screen development?



Trevor Perry wrote:
> Booth,
>
> It was an ~automation~ of a data entry function. We removed the typing and 
> entered the data for the user. We filled in data they used to look up or 
> calculate. We added drop-down lists or radio buttons where choices had to be 
> made. We enhanced the process by adding some order entry checks that were 
> being done manually. We removed codes and turned them into English. We kept 
> a log of the entire process so they could see the decisions that were made. 
> We turned the order entry process from data ENTRY into a selection and check 
> process.
>
> My point was that where data entry cannot be replaced, it can be 
> transformed. The graphical user interface and application integration tools 
> where how it was done in this case. Green screen tools could not have.
>
> Trevor
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Booth Martin"
> Subject: Re: VisualAge RPG for AS/400?
>
>
> > If performance changed by 5 times then is it possible that the green
> > screen version was just plain badly done?  Or, are there a lot of
> > business rules that are no longer relevant or needed with the gui
> > interface?  I mean, 5 times is a huge change.  That is too big a change
> > to be just mouse vs. keyboard, isn't it?
> >
> > Trevor Perry wrote:
> > > Why are we still entering data into a dumb terminal in the 21st century?
> > >
> > > I used a GUI tool to automate a green screen order entry function. Green
> > > screen terminals were previously used to enter orders, and the fastest 
> > > clerk
> > > could get 80 orders a day. Now that it is automated and GUI, and he can 
> > > do
> > > over 400 a day.
> > >
> > > In this case, the users did not ~want~ to replace their green screen 
> > > entry.
> > > In a short time, however, they became familiar with the new interface, 
> > > and
> > > now they do not ~want~ to replace their GUI order entry. This was a 
> > > business
> > > decision made by management, and they were rewarded.
> > >
> > > So, should we allow programmers to keep using SEU and PDM because they 
> > > just
> > > don't ~want~ to use RSE??
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Jon Paris"
> > > Subject: RE: VisualAge RPG for AS/400?
> > >
> > > > > > Why does a data entry clerk need the internet or anything BUT a green
> > > > screen, dumb terminal to enter the data???
> > > >
> > > > Let's assume for the moment that they _don't_ need anything else.  It is
> > > > still irrelevant.  It is what they _want_ that matters, not what they
> > > > need.
> > > > And even if the users don't want it - their management still do.  And 
> > > > they
> > > > are the ones who make the decisions.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The replacement by cruddy Windows/Oracle/nameYourPoison "solutions" of
> > > > large
> > > > numbers of iSeries around the world should be enough for all of us to 
> > > > take
> > > > that as a given.  I know of one case where a system that allowed a 5250
> > > > operator to process 10 - 15 orders an hour was replaced by an Oracle 
> > > > based
> > > > solution.  Even after tripling the hardware beyond the original spec for
> > > > the
> > > > iSeries replacement, they could still only manage 4 - 5 orders an hour.
> > > > But
> > > > they are still using it - the 5250s are gone.  Does it make sense?  No.
> > > > But
> > > > nobody ever said it had to!
> > > >
> > > > Jon Paris
> > > > Partner400
> > --
> > -----------------------------------
> > Booth Martin
> > http://martinvt.com
> > -----------------------------------
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