RE: Future of AS/400 ??????????????:(:

I would have to agree with Gail's comments.. It is all upto what training
that you can provide your in-house programming staff. My company has begun
web based programming using the AS/400 and RPG.. Everyone says, including
IBM, that that is not the correct way of doing this or that. You should use
Domino or Java. Well, if you are an RPG staff, you need to start somewhere.
I believe that it is important for your internal people learn "web"
programming. That includes learning HTML, JavaScript and how to write
detached programs. Also, as a pure RPG environment, we had little
experience with SQL. Yeah, we could do simple queries and update data
files, but we have taken it up a notch to learn more on SQL.

If you can get training or bring in an external consultant to train your
programmers on web programming, the only thing that you will have do to
move into RPG web programming is either read a couple of books on the
subject, or buy a tool that can greatly assist in creating your web pages.
Learning these techniques will assist you in deciding if you want to invest
in learning Java and servlets, or using Domino, or that the RPG-CGI is just
fine.

Michael Franchino
Custom Systems Corporation
(973) 383-7808 X214 (Phone)
(973) 383-6398 (Fax)


                                                                                
                                       
                    gcrane@johansonmf                                           
                                       
                    g.com                    To:     RPG400-L@midrange.com      
                                       
                    Sent by:                 cc:                                
                                       
                    owner-rpg400-l@mi        Subject:     RE: Future of AS/400 
??????????????:(:                       
                    drange.com                                                  
                                       
                                                                                
                                       
                                                                                
                                       
                    01/14/01 10:02 AM                                           
                                       
                    Please respond to                                           
                                       
                    RPG400-L                                                    
                                       
                                                                                
                                       
                                                                                
                                       





I don't feel you were abrupt.  You said it like it really is.  Thank you.
I
also agree that EVERY IS Manager owes and has the responsibility of
providing
the best training for their people as possible and then allow them to use
what
they have learned.    What it all boils down to is MONEY and TIME.
Definitely
business is changing and WEB development is going into the next
stage......getting to backend data.  That is where the RPG is going to come
into
play.   Data integrity gets into a higher level now that we are visible
from the
outside world.  That puts more heat on our programmers to MAKE SURE it
updates
correctly and does not give you divide by zero errors, testing more
important,
etc.  The outside world would think your company is nuts if stuff is not
top
notch.   In our company, the focus is in building WEB interfaces for
customers
and reps, not developing new business applications in RPG.    We are only a
very
small shop  so if the internet applications is the focus for us, you know
for
sure what it is for the big shops.  I don't believe RPG or the 400 is going
away
completely, it just won't be the Big Cheese any more but just another spoke
in
the wheel.  That in itself is demoralizing.  Who ever thought email would
be
more important than order entry & invoicing!  Times are changing and we all
will
change with it.

Off my soapbox now.
Gail Crane





"Richard Jackson" <richardjackson@richardjackson.net> on 01/13/2001
11:32:23 AM

Please respond to RPG400-L@midrange.com

To:   RPG400-L@midrange.com
cc:    (bcc: Gail L Crane/Johanson/JMC)

Subject:  RE: Future of AS/400 ??????????????:(:



Suppose that you have an AS/400 and that you wanted to sell your company's
products on a web site.  There are lots of ways to to that but suppose that
you want to use internal hardware and staff resources.  I believe that you
might have difficulty finding RPG programmers that know how to get a web
site working on an AS/400.  You will either employ contractors or hire new
people who know how to do this.  Neither of these choices meets the
original
requirement for internal staff.  When they can get the site up, RPG is not
the language of choice for creating web pages or generating HTML - CGI,
Perl, and Java are much more common.  Most of the people who know how to
create excellent web sites know those languages and know how to work in a
Unix plus Windows environment - Unix for the Apache web host and CGI
environment and Windows for the browser.  Your RPG programmers are still
providing data to the DHTML apps but they aren't in the web business at
all.
So, I think that you will get your site up but, due to the limitations of
internet time, your RPG people won't participate very much.  I think that
you can figure out what that will mean for your staff morale.

Of course you want us to stay current on everything.  Some of us want to do
that too.  But programmers live with changing requirements, deadlines, and
develop robust and enduring cynicism.  You have your role to play - INSIST
that your people are trained and that they get to use the new stuff.  Those
that do not keep up are out.  If you fail to do that, you will get what I
described above.  If you keep your people trained, you will have the
internal resources to do the job yourself.  It will cost you money but you
will keep the best people and they will be very valuable to you.

I have reread this note a couple of times and it feels sort of abrupt and
missing something important.  I regret the abruptness, I can't figure out
how to remove it easily.  Perhaps I am lazy this morning.  If I knew what
was missing I would add it.  Sorry.

Richard Jackson

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-rpg400-l@midrange.com [mailto:owner-rpg400-l@midrange.com]On
Behalf Of gcrane@johansonmfg.com
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2001 4:47 AM
To: RPG400-L@midrange.com
Subject: Re: Future fo AS/400??????????????:(:




I am an IS Manager....not technically literate.  What I want to know
is.....

What can you do with RPG that you can NOT do with other languages?

 What can you do with other language that RPG can NOT do?

When I speak to my technical people I am looking for business solutions and
trying to make the best LONG TERM investment for my company.  If I have
technical staff that is not understanding other competing technologies and
which
is best for the job at hand, than I certainly do not feel confident that my
long
term investment in that person (machine, language) is a good shot nor do I
feel
secure in advising my boss (the President) of the best direction for the
company.  Get my drift.  I need and look for people who are self-educating
themselves continually on various technologies.  They don't have to be
experts
but they have to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each and what
it
can
or can't do for our company.  They we try to put the best tool to the job.

I love the AS400 box and everything it has afforded for me and my company.
NT
is being pushed by every vendor.  Besides NT and Java, CGI, etc. is also
the
high push by internal people in my company for Lotus Notes solutions.  Is
anyone
keeping current with Lotus script?   So, I as manager and other managers
have to
make some hard decisions that impact you guys.  We NEED you to be literate
in a
variety of things and give us you unbiased opinions.  That is the only way
ALL
of us survive.





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