Re: Is RPG dying

[John McKay <jmckay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

While I regard RPG as a very efficient and cost-effective language  
(short learning curve, low development hours, good development 
visibility),  I see a number of factors which restrict its popularity.

First, unlike other languages, it is restricted to one platform.  (I 
remember someone had a Windows PC version out in the 80's but it never 
caught on).

Secondly, it is weak when developing user-interfaces, GUI's.  RPG is 
essentially a server language.  Given that  nowadays most AS400 screens 
are on Windows or UNIX operating systems, I think IBM missed a point by 
not making it easier to access the full memory capability of Windows and 
Unix for user interfaces embedded in the RPG code.   For example, 
instead of WORKSTN on the F specs, WNDWGUI or UNIXGUI.  Mind you, if 
some smart person could write a routine and link it as a SPECIAL device 
... I concede that you can use HTML on the green screen,  but I have 
never seen it used effectively

Thirdly, as another contributor has already stated, RPG is a  procedural 
language, as opposed to OO.  OO and UML are the current and future 
trends in software development.

 RPG is not dying but it is becoming a niche language.  One thing we 
learnt from Y2K work was the amount of legacy code that exists in the 
background.  This will exist and work well into the future., but also 
will be changed project by project slowly over the years to come.

Regards,
John McKay  mba

On 16/02/2012 21:16, sjl wrote:
> Gerald -
> Are you saying that I have been working on a dying platform since I began in
> this field in 1981?  ;-)
> - sjl
>
>
> Gerald wrote:
> I've been hearing that since 1982. I didn't listen then (and I'm glad I
> didn't) and am not about to start now.