Re: Poll: e-RPG

As I have stated previously on this list,   I have bought and read the
book.   I said before that I thought Brad did all of us RPG people a
service by writing it.   By and large us RPG people are kinda ignorant of
the browser, how it works, how it thinks,  etc.  To me the real value of
the book was to de-mystify the interface.   I now understand how the HTTP
server works, is configured and secured.     I now understand HTML, and
JavaScript better(I bought three or four books on them).

I have configured the HTTP server,  Created an Instance, and have written
numerous Intranet programs at my site using CGI-RPG.     One program,  a P
& L report program I wrote 8 years ago,   I merely changed the WRITE
statements to the printer file to calls to the API to write it to the
Browser !!    I would not even want to think about doing the program over
again(Price per LB, Fixed costs, variable costs, contributions to margin ,
by division, product, etc)  in an other language.    The report is now
available to people who would NEVER sign on to the Green Screen(upper
management)   In short,   they LOVE it !  So if you didn't understand the
significance to the previous sentences,   Let me state it.   The company
leveraged an existing asset(the existing P & L report program)  and made it
available faster to more people directly !!  (also yesterday,   I took an
Actual vs Budget report and had it on the web in 3 hours!)    The finance
department says that I have saved them -   GET THIS -  3 man weeks a year !
They will no longer run,  print and distribute the P & L report manually.
People will now bring it up on the browser.   If they want a print,   they
will just click FILE,  PRINT and do it them selves.   Oh ya,  I just don't
put up reports,  I have done a lot of "Subfile" type stuff by reading the
DB file and putting it in a HTML table.

Let me also say that I will learn Java.   I will do other things besides
CGI-RPG in the browser.    BUT,   my fear and ignorance was over came by
doing it first in a language that I understand well.      I know where
CGI-RPG limitations are.   I know (now) the things that I could do in Java
better.   But I would not have known them as quickly if I didn't read
Brad's book.

For the first time since this e - #$%@  started  I am starting to
understand the browser as well as I understand the 5250 interface.    That
is no small feat.

BTW as I said earlier,   the users now have 5-10 web pages up with valuable
information(in their eyes most importantly)   while I am learning this new
interface.
With REAL-TIME production,  sales and financial data.    Not static HTML
pages of company procedures that no one ever reads.

You can't beat that with a stick!

Does CGI-RPG slow people down from learning Java, Websphere, Net.Data,
EJB's,  etc?    No.   It if anything it speeds up that learning.  By
knowing CGI-RPG  you have eliminated a few unknowns and dispelled some
ignorance.   That is goodness.

So do I like the book and CGI-RPG ?   You might conclude that.

Respectfully
John Carr


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