Re: Converting RPG to RPGLE

On 10/25/06, Jon Paris <Jon.Paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Not getting at you specifically Bob but ...

 >> If it isn't broken, don't fix it,

Sorry - I don't agree and frankly think that this philosophy is doing more
to kill the platform than anything IBM has or hasn't done in terms of
marketing.

VB3 program probably weren't broken when moved to VB4, 5, 6 ... But how many
VB3 programs are out there today?  VB4 came out _after_ RPG IV!

The problem is two fold.  First of all programs are just about always broken
- they need maintenance.  I believe that by keeping them in RPG400 the
maintenance takes longer than it need and the programmer is forced to use
"old fashioned" methods to solve their programming problems.  Secondly when
the user asks for enhancements the decision has to be made as to whether to
do it in the old way or convert and do it the new way.  Often the decision
is that "it's not broken" so they do it the old way.  Another opportunity
missed.  Another possibility that the new CIO will look at the Apps and
describe them as old-fashioned green-screen rubbish.  Another nail in the
coffin.

If my programs are in RPG IV them adding new features, plugging in things
like Excel spreadsheet creation, adapting them for web, etc. etc. become
easier.

I think this is blame the victim talk. Programmers switched to VB6 and
then VB.NET because they were writing new applications to take
advantage of ever faster hardware and language/OS software with a lot
more features. My guess is the VB3 code was not upgraded, it was
replaced with applications written in the newer languages.  The same
AS400 shops that embraced the cutting edge S/38 technology morphed
into places that shun change? I doubt that.  I think it is that with
the 38 and 400 you could write a better application, so people did
that. If green screen is reworked instead of being discarded, if the
i5 is priced like the p5, if RPG and ILE are improved, then shops will
write new applications.

-Steve