Re: Jon Paris says that PHP not Easier to Learn than Java

<chuckle>

See? I was the model of restraint. <grin>

Seriously, of all the languages we're discussing, EGL belongs here more than any other. Certainly it's easier for RPG and COBOL programmers to learn than either PHP or Java - or any of the C syntax languages, for that matter. Heck, a programmer who understands ILE RPG ought to be able to read EGL without any other training.

It's entirely procedural, with libraries that act just like service programs. Perfect for traditional modularization as RPG programmers know and love it.

It's data-centric, using the concept of a record (NOT an object or a structure or whatever - an actual record), and it understands the concept of a CALL with bidirectional parameters. And of course, as you note it knows what a decimal number is. Certainly anybody who says that PHP is easier for RPG programmers would have to then extend that logic to say that EGL is even easier.

But I wanted to avoid that argument because people might miss the more important point; the anti-EGL bias on these lists is even worse than the the anti-Java bias and I'm afraid it would overshadow my initial point, which is that it just doesn't make sense to promote a dynamically typed language for business application development. Especially if you're going to harp on the LDA as being a bad programming technique. :)

Joe

There's all sorts of dumb, and it cuts across all languages... We use a
purchased service program to calculate sales tax... The APIs and
databases all make extensive use of float type. I was (am still)
stunned by this.

Joe, I was waiting to hear you point out how EGL contrasts to these
PHP/Java comparisons. EGL adopts non-OO methodologies, allowing RPG or
COBOL developers to code using their standard design patterns. EGL also
provides DECIMAL types and math libraries...

-Eric DeLong