RE: Why keep "old" code (Was RPG III)

Our policy on switching from RPG III to RPG IV is like so.  We do not
have a project to convert each RPG III program over to RPG IV.  However,
if we have to modify a program that is written in RPG III we are to
convert it over to RPG IV first then make our modifications.  

 
Joel B. Harvell
Food Lion, LLC
(704) 633-8250 x2709
jbharvell@xxxxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bob Cozzi
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 10:07 AM
To: 'RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries'
Subject: RE: Why keep "old" code (Was RPG III) 

Kevin,

You've hit the nail on the head.

Moving to RPG IV and now to /free is similar to moving U.S. Broadcasters
to
install HD transmitters and equipment. Certainly HD is "better" but you
can't
expect everyone to switch over to HD, overnight. Things take time.

The thing we do wrong in this market space, in my opinion, is we
passively
vilify those how are not moving the next thing. Often that next thing
isn't even
available for a few years, and if "you" don't embrace it right now when
"I"
have, well, you're a dinosaur. 

It is one thing to evangelize a technology that is available to the many
today;
I applaud that. Fortunately /free is now "available" to most. But to
keep
telling me how great its going to be tomorrow, and in the course of
doing so,
implying how wrong I am that I used what was available to me--well that
just
alienates people/customers. 
After all, if using fixed-format RPG IV was wrong when it was all that
was
"available" (i.e., it was the standard) then what's to make me believe
the new
/free is going to be any different. As soon as I move to /free is there
going to
be /Really_Really_Free syntax?

When Microsoft replaces DDE with OLE and OLE with OLE 2 and OLE 2 with
.Net and
.Net with whatever it is called today, they say "OLE was a great tool
for its
time, but .Net is more powerful, you should consider using .Net for your
new
applications."

Now suppose they did this instead: ".Net is announced, it'll be out in 2
years,
you suck if you have applications written in OLE."  How strong of a
desire will
I have to embrace .Net if they said that. 

Hence were are where we are in this market.

-Bob Cozzi
www.i5PodCast.com
Ask your manager to watch i5 TV



-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Monahan, Kevin
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 8:14 AM
To: 'rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: Why keep "old" code (Was RPG III) 

Mostly playing devil's advocate here.....
Many packages out there (we happen to use JDA, which is a mix of RPG III
and
RPG IV) were written a few years ago and never updated by the supplier.
We
have made modifications to their base code, in some cases pretty
extensively.  
Now some might say, chuck the software and buy something from a company
that
is keeping up with the times.  If you have a few spare millions of
dollars
around, that's great, but otherwise its not feasible.  

Yes, we could make these mods in RPG IV or /Free, but we haven't taken
the
time (poor excuse # 1).  Some of us write in RPG IV, some even use
/Free,
and some of us are getting our arms around SQLRPG, but with most of our
projects being "reactive" and need to be done/fixed/implemented
yesterday,
we do the job in the quickest way possible.  

It's a slow change to get to the newer stuff, and the business expense
to
re-write stuff just to bring it up to a modern method of doing something
that already works, just isn't justifiable.  

That being said, we (the programmers, or at least some of us) are slowly
pushing the envelope.  We are soon to start a project to get us off 9600
baud modem connection to some external partners and move to SFTP!  We're
moving into the '90's!  As for the argument that we should leave and go
find
a shop that does the new stuff, that is also not easy, at least not in
the
Boston area, and I for one have no desire to leave New England.  

I'm sure I'll get some heat for this, but there are some instances where
"if
it ain't broke don't fix it" does have some (small) merit.  


Thanks, 

Kevin Monahan  
Sr Programmer/Analyst 
Casual Male Retail Group 
781-828-9300  x2785 


-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx] 
 
That's what I especially like about being a one-man shop: There was 
absolutely no argument, discussion, politics, or whatever about ditching

the RPG III programs (converting to IV) and writing all new stuff in 
IV.  The excuses that I hear for not programming in IV are as lame as 
excuses get.


I "attended" a webcast yesterday by Susan Gantner on /free format.  One 
of Susan's arguments for using /free was that it looks more like 
"modern" languages like Java and C, which the few kids coming out of 
college IT courses are used to.  Besides not being able to code /free 
III code, a similar argument applies here: Managers are holding back 
(deliberately?) their programming staff and, just as bad, harming their 
companies because they can't/don't take advantage of better methods and 
available technology. 


But I try to keep an open mind.  I'd certainly be willing to hear of any

reasonable excuse for sticking with III.  And "It's company policy or 
mandate" doesn't cut it.


                 * Jerry C. Adams