Re: New Opcodes - %SETCELL

[boldt@xxxxxxxxxx]

Jeff wrote:
>Here's one opinion (and I don't even know if it's mine).  Maybe we
>AS/400 people are too pragmatic.  We like programming, but we're
>business people first and programmers second.  Maybe the Unix/Perl/C++
>people are programmers first and foremost.  They will do something in
>programming just to see if it can be done.  They will spend half their
>evenings regularly just 'hacking' around and discover stuff
>(serendipity) and then share it with everyone.  We think more about the
>business first and simply do what needs to be done from a business
>perspective.  Or maybe we're too selfish to share. <g>  Maybe the Unix
>world has to share to survive. <g>
>
>Now don't anybody get offended, that's not my intent.  I'm not
>suggesting that either group is more/less intelligent, or more/less
>capable, or more/less driven, or more/less selfish.  Different
>personalities within information technology may just gravitate to
>different platforms.  We don't all have the same level of
>bit-twiddle-itis. <g>

Well, maybe I am an idealistic socialist!  After all, I come from
a long line of left-wingers, some of whom were persecuted for their
political beliefs.

And maybe I am crazy too!  Yesterday, when I got home after work, I
started bashing away at a Perl program, and except for a half hour
to eat and do the dishes, I was at it until 10PM.  At 9, my wife
asked me, "I thought you were tired and wanted to relax."  I told
her that I *was* relaxing!

I'm a relative newcomer to the Linux world.  For a long time, I had
seen the writing on the wall with respect to OS/2, and I knew that
I'd have to move, likely to Linux.  About 15 months ago, I reached
the breaking point and installed Linux on my home computer.  My
first reaction was "What is this junk?", but I persevered.  A month
later, KDE reached it's 1.0 release, and that made using Linux much
more pleasant.  Gradually, I learned more and more about it, and
now I'm quite comfortable in that environment. For most of the past
15 months, I've never had so much fun with a computer!  It's been a
great eye-opening experience.

Sure, many of the key figures in the Linux world are idealists, but
there are also many savvy businessmen. Look at RedHat for instance.
There are ways to write free, open-source software and still make
money (in some cases lots of money!).  I agree that the ways people
approach writing software in the Linux world may not apply in the
AS/400 world, and here, we have to approach the issue of code
sharing differently.  Others have already suggested approaches that
are more appropriate.  But, whatever we can share, via whatever
means (either through "demonstration" code or through commercial
service programs) can only benefit the community.

As you know, many pundits have predicted that Java means the
eventual death of RPG.  But I disagree.  I think RPG has a long
life ahead of it.  But my experiences with Linux have shown me that
there's great potential there, and if anything can kill RPG, the
threat is from that direction, in my opinion.

I don't want to sound like a doomsayer.  As I said, I believe RPG
will survive.  But in my opinion, if we want the community to grow
and thrive, we need to learn some lessons from our neighbors.

Cheers!  Hans

Hans Boldt, ILE RPG Development, IBM Toronto Lab, boldt@ca.ibm.com


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