RE: [SYSTEM21] Aurora

[Garry Clarke <garry@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

If there was so little to it, why the big fuss over Aurora?

Quote "3. Its easy. We used a standard IBM conversion command to convert our
source from RPG/400 to RPG/ILE. This converted our source and all we then
needed to do was to recompile the code. For all our applications, consisting
of millions of lines of code, this took no more than a few days."

Makes me wonder





-----Original Message-----
From: system21-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:system21-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Michelle Hobbs
Sent: 06 June 2003 16:13
To: SYSTEM21@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [SYSTEM21] Aurora


The following is being posted to provide additional clarification of the
RPG/ILE conversion process.  It is an extraction from a System21 Aurora Q&A
document that will be available on AnswerLink in its entirety in the near
future.

Regards,

Michelle Hobbs
Geac Enterprise Solutions


        We have become aware of some concerns being expressed regarding the
complexity of the conversion of RPG/400 to RPG/ILE in System21 Aurora. This
concern particularly relates to the impact on customizations or custom code,
and a resulting increase in the cost of upgrade to our customers. We believe
these concerns are unfounded for a number of reasons:

        1. Customers do not have to convert their custom code to RPG/ILE.
         
        OPM programs may call ILE and vice versa.  So if they have custom
programs which call standard or vice versa then they do not have to convert
the custom programs to ILE even if the standard ones have been converted.  
          
        2. Having said this, we recommend that they do convert so that they
can share in the undoubted benefits of RPG/ILE.

        The benefits which we have discovered are: 

                - it is more up-to-date than RPG/400.  

                - the resulting source code is clearer, easier to read, and
therefore easier to support.

                - it provides the benefit of a modular approach. Such an
approach allows reuse of modules, intensive testing of modules allowing
greater resilience, and the ability to change modules without disruption to
other parts of the system. Of course if customers convert to RPG/ILE they
can develop their own modules AND use the ones delivered with the product.

                - with RPG/ILE we can make use of activation groups. These
provide greater control of job characteristics for particular applications
within a job. This has particular advantages for custom applications
operating within a standard job.

                - better Java integration. This integration is much improved
with the use of RPG/ILE at V5R1. This is increasingly important as the core
ERP system is extended to the web and other systems. This is as true of
custom function as it is of standard. 

        3. Its easy. 

        We used a standard IBM conversion command to convert our source from
RPG/400 to RPG/ILE. This converted our source and all we then needed to do
was to recompile the code. For all our applications, consisting of millions
of lines of code, this took no more than a few days.

        4. The resulting code is easy for any RPG/400 programmer to
understand 

        All our programmers prefer RPG/ILE to RPG/400. RPG/ILE has been
around for a long time, and if you recruit an RPG programmer he is likely to
be more familiar with RPG/ILE than RPG/400.    

        5. Our reviews of  early adopter projects suggest that System21
Aurora uplifts of custom code are no more costly than previous uplifts.

        6. We must remember that System21 Aurora extends the function of the
product over previous releases, both in terms of the function delivered, and
also the capability to configure solutions provided by process.connect. We
expect this to reduce the amount of customizations that customers require
after the upgrade.  Even if the custom work continues, the extra
productivity of RPG/ILE should quickly repay any costs incurred as a result
of its introduction.



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