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

I look at it like this.  We are increasingly seeing new applications
being moved to/developed in .NET with a requirement for the iSeries
group to provide data for the new database required to support the
application.  Most of the time this happens using an FTP process and
duplicates data and/or processing already develop for the iSeries. 

What I have been trying to sell is the updating of our system
(unsupported vendor package) so that instead of providing FTP services
to other groups we can provide hooks (web services, stored procedures,
etc.) to any outside group.  In other words, leverage the proven
business logic developed over the last ten years instead of starting
from scratch with each new system.  In order to take advantage of the
advances in RPG over that time that will allow us to modularize and
modernize the application we have to move from RPGIII to RPG ILE.  It
doesn't matter if it's fixed format or free form, although I much prefer
the readability of free form, it's the functionality that matters.

The two obstacles I see to this here are the time involved to do
regression testing on the core pieces and the narrow I/O functionality
of the new applications database.  Yes, it's quick to do the conversion
but getting the business and QA department to sign off on it is another
story.  To date, every new purchased application is designed using the
model that it stands alone with it's own database.  I don't believe
there is a concept of a corporate database outside each applications
world much less the thought of using data from another system via a real
time interface.  So we have 'puddles' of data already on the iSeries on
multiple servers, each one supporting a different application.

Just my $.02.

Rick

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of J M Plank
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 11:39 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: Why keep "old" code (Was RPG III)

I totally agree with you for in-house created source, but
would you really want to do that for modified source from a
vendor's package?  Especially since that member could have up
to 4 updates in a year.  In this case, it is easier to not
convert this to RPG IV and pull in the appropriate changes
when there is an update.  Now, if we would happen to go off
maintenance with this particular vendor (a remote
possibility), then I'd agree that each time we touch the code
it should be converted.

Mark Plank
Group Dekko

On 2/9/07, jstevens@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <jstevens@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Yes, I understand, but I still agree with the argument of -

every time

you touch a new source member - just convert it to RPG IV.  I mean
that takes
- no time at all.  Do that at-least.  Then maybe also

convert to /Free

- but that's not as  important as converting at lease to RPG IV.

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