Re: RPG - Software Architecture / Best practices

I use the browser for presentation, RPG with CGIDEV2 for the bussines
and the DB2 with referencial integrity and triggers for the data. Works
great.

V5.4 with SEU will do, but the monolitic programs will have to be split. That is not so hard, because you can do a function at a time, probably
very little part of the monolitic program is realy used, and for the
rest you can go back to the old program until you have all necesary
functions in the new program.
This is easy if the old program has a good database design.

Charles MARTIN wrote:

Hi everybody,

My name is Charles Martin.
I am a french software architect, in dotnet mainly.
I am not used to program in RPG, but I am working in it.

I have been asked to help RPG programmers to work in a different way, using best practices, design patterns, etc.
I am looking for advices, which could help me to get in the right direction.

Here is the context :

· 6 rpg programmers

o They are used to work using one monolithic program, doing

· Environment:

o IBM i v5r4

§ Seems tough to migrate to a new version, because we don't have anymore the sources of some programs and can't be compiled in the new environment (not sure about that).

o SEU

§ I will try to get RDp in the future (http://www-01.ibm.com/software/rational/products/rdp/)


What I would like to achieve is :

· Use a layered architecture (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multitier_architecture)

o Presentation Layer

o Business Layer

o Data Layer

· Do TDD (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test-driven_development)

o And later, BDD (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavior_driven_development)


I am doing a Proof of Concept with my colleagues, using the "Service programs" to do the layering.
That would be a good start.
I could not find something similar on the net.
Does that seems a good idea to you, the RPG experts ?
How would you do that ?

Best Regards,
Charles Martin