RE: Using % type functions/using RPG IV

[Jon.Paris@xxxxxxxxxx]

Joel, did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning - you seem
particularly grumpy.


>> Do you really think JDE is the "exception"



I didn't say exception - I said exceptions (plural).  Nor did I say anything
about  "going backwards from platform independence to RPG" - I may not have been
as clear as I could have been (serves me right for hurrying so that I could get
back to doing "real" work <bg>)  When I said "Even these are reconsidering" I
was talking about earlier decisions that many vendors had made not to upgrade
their RPG products but to focus only on the new multi-platform stuff. I was not
implying that they were abandoning their new versions. Of course Baan and SAP
will not produce an RPG version - there is zero reason to do so. Of course JDE
will not throw away their new GUI version _but_ they are still releasing changes
to the RPG one because they have found that many customers will not or cannot
switch. They have now announced an end date for support, which is good news for
users of that code since they can convert to RPG IV and live in peace.



The other problem with your perspective is that (as far as I know) none of the
packages you're talking about allow the in-house programmers to modify the code
anyway (although some have a case-type tool) so talking about these products in
this context is just plain daft.  We were discussing inhibitors to people moving
to RPG IV - if I don't receive source from my vendor then there is no inhibitor!



 If there are no significant BPs producing new versions in RPG then those that
are paying to have me teach their staff are obviously wasting their time and
money - perhaps I should tell them?  There are still a number of players in the
market who have to (or chose to) supply their end users with source code.  In
the majority of cases the customers want RPG, often with a Java "twist".  I
guess you could call them "niche" players - everyone except Lawson, JDE, Baan,
and SAP are these days aren't they? But the folks in the health care, banking,
distribution, and other areas still sell al lot of software.



Anyway - this debate has been done to death and I've got work to do


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