RPG on NT & Unix ??

[John P Carr <jpcarr@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey I was forwarded this snippet by someone and thought ya'll would 
like to read it.

John Carr

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OVER THE PAST YEAR, Java Virtual Machine on the AS/400 has become a
   reality, opening the platform to potentially thousands of new
   applications. Now, one tool vendor is twisting the equation
   around--offering a "RPG Virtual Machine" that will enable other platforms
   to run AS/400 applications. That's how CrossWorks Inc. (Minneapolis) is
   positioning the latest version of its Cross400 compiler and development
   tool suite. To smooth the transition even further, CrossWorks also
   announced it has added a utility that automatically generates a Windows
   interface once the RPG application is recompiled¬ "The primary audience
   for the tool is ISVs looking to quickly deliver Windows NT or Unix
   versions of their products," says David Schindler, VP of business
   development for CrossWorks. "As Windows NT servers and networks
   proliferate at end-user companies, ISVs will be under heavy demand to
   deliver such porting." Similar capabilities are offered through
California
   Software Inc. (Santa Ana, Calif.) and Aldon Computer Group (Oakland,
   Calif.) products.
 
    With the RPG Virtual Machine installed on a PC server or Unix box,
   "We're bringing the Java model to RPG. RPG applications can run
   unmodified," says Schindler. "They're complied into a binary object. The
   RPG Virtual Machine sits above the machine interface level on all
   platforms, because a separate release for each operating system would be
   required." RPG applications will essentially run unmodified on Windows NT
   and Unix systems, he states adding, "This makes RPG no different than
C++,
   Fortran, COBOL, or Java."
 
    While there has been a lot of attention on Java as a cross-platform
   language, Java applications tend to be more inefficient than RPG,
   Schindler explains. "The issue is performance with Java. It's a
relatively
   slow language. Sun envisioned Java to be compatible at the binary level
on
   all platforms, but the object cannot be optimized for all platforms."
 
    Essentially, the only change to the application when it is
   replatformed is in the user interface, which only comprises five to ten
   percent of the total code, he adds. CrossWorks' automatic GUI transforms
   traditional green-screen application interfaces into a Windows-like
   interface with no modification needed to the underlying code. The tool
   automatically reads the applications DDS specs at run-time and transforms
   them into graphical formats.
 
    CrossWorks also has included a utility for users that want graphical
   capabilities above and beyond what is capable within DDS or RPG. The new
   Menu Builder enables users to graphically redesign their menus by
creating
   a short script file.
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