RE: IBM i "Open I/O" Architecture

I agree with Jon on it being good that IBM is even looking at this and what it means to RPG. But since we are talking concept here and thinking the overall general design of the development environment where some code is externalized from the RPG application (DSPF, PRTF, DDMF, DB Files, etc) would the concept of Open I/O be a better fit if it was also externalized? Have a object type of HTML which might just be a pointer to an IFS stream file with possibly the dynamic data defined in XML and the rest is just HTML. Then any compiler that references that object would pull in the XML from the stream file and present it to RPG/COBOL/etc just like DSPF fields. Application code is just the same as talking to a DSPF with reads and writes but the client is a browser instead of a 5250 session. Then throw in an object type of IPHONE, PDA, ANDROID, ORACLE, MYSQL, MSSQL....

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jon Paris
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 11:17 AM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: IBM i "Open I/O" Architecture

Nathan,

Everyone who knows any of the real details behind the Open I/O
proposal is under non-disclosure. We'll have to be patient a while
longer before IBM do any real open-kimono on it.

That said, no harm in saying the kind of things you personally would
like to see!

When it comes to display files etc. you have to realize that the
buffer built by RPG has no knowledge of field positions on the screen,
attribute bytes (unless you put them in the stream) or anything except
the raw data and the indicators. So any "driver" that needed knowledge
of that would have to directly interrogate the DDS/Display file once
it gained control and use that information - it simply isn't present
in what RPG sends out.

Me - I'm excited by the prospects, if for no other reason that it is a
recognition by IBM that RPG needs to move forward to survive/thrive
and they can't do it all. Hopefully we'll see some open-source
initiatives in addition to vendor activity. As Ian said in his
presentation, the ISVs, Large User Group folks and other people who
have been disclosed have been enthusiastic about it - my one fear is
that IBM will over-engineer it.


Jon Paris

www.Partner400.com
www.SystemiDeveloper.com