RE: New RPG programmers

Joe,

Not entirely true........

I agree that WDSc is price heavy for someone wanting to learn
RPG.  For that matter, ASNA's AVR is also pricey.  This isn't
a knock on the products as I do use both daily and, while I
might work for a large financial institution, I personally
forked over the monies for AVR.  Why?  Because I WANTED to
extend my RPG skills to the Windows arena.  Key word, wanted.

I question if individuals would learn RPG simply because they
"wanted" to.  Of course this lack of "want" is simply because
they don't understand the language and the arena it plays in.

Now, if I "wanted" to learn RPG, I wouldn't buy WDSc.  To pricey.
I probably wouldn't buy AVR either as its ActiveX support can
confuse a beginner (i.e. this isn't native to RPG).  There's
also the price issue.

Now, WDSc and AVR might be the big (best?) players on the RPG
team but there are others that are more price competitive.  One
that comes to mind is from Trident.  Now I've never used the
product so I can not atest to its functionality and/or native
RPG features but, if I "wanted" to learn RPG, I'm not limited
to IBM and ASNA.  I actually took this approach 15+ years ago
when I personnaly purchased a product called Native/400.  Company
has long since disappeared but my objective in purchasing the
product was to strengthen my RPG skills (without having to go
to the office to use a terminal).

>From my vantage point, the question is why would anyone "want"
to learn RPG.  How is easy as there a vendors, authors and
"lists" for the interested.  But why?  What's the market for
the RPG skill set?  This is where I think the future of the
RPG language lays.  It's great that companies like ASNA, IBM,
California Software and Trident have enabled RPG on other
platforms.  It's also encouraging that enhancements continue
to be made to a "dead" language.  But what's the market?  It
can't be limited to use iSeries professionals.  Why?  Because
we're already there.  We know of RPG.  We use RPG.  We rely
on RPG.  For someone who doesn't know iSeries, what do they
know of RPG?  The current generation does not know of RPG as
a "Report Program Generator".  Never mind the fact that it's
name doesn't adequately depict the full scope of the language,
nut we can't change that.

Perhaps the time has come to better market or advertise (?) the
robustness of the latest iteration of the language.

Just my humble view.....

MichaelR  
     
 

  

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Joe Pluta
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 8:37 PM
To: 'RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries'
Subject: RE: New RPG programmers


> From: Tom Liotta
> 
> Jon:
> 
> I'm not sure where you got that impression; I said "...I don't
currently
> foresee myself buying WDSC compilers and tools anyway". Now, I suppose
> that _could_ be taken to mean that I don't foresee it 'because I
already
> have them'; but that wouldn't be true. I don't foresee it actually
because
> they cost more than I want to pay just for my own personal use.

I think Jon's point is that if you are developing for the iSeries, you
have access to the tools.  The WDS licensed program includes unlimited
licenses to WDSC, so if you are working on an iSeries, you should be
able to ask the owner nicely for a copy of WDSC.

OTOH, I see the point that if you DON'T have an iSeries, WDSC is not
cheap.  So for someone who isn't already on the iSeries, there really
isn't an "entry level" RPG.

Joe

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