Re: What this COBOL programmer likes (and doesn't)

Kelly,

Nice post, I am sure the WDSC team appreciates it.  Some comments on your 
problems:

1)  Performance.  Your PC is definitely on the low-end, hopefully you can 
get an update some day soon.  If WDSC is truly increasing your 
productivity seems like you could convince your management, especially if 
you are developing browser interfaces.  You could get an very nice PC for 
$599 or so, that is pretty cheap to get browser interfaces for your 
company as a result.

Are you using WDSC 5.1?  I imagine you are, but if you are not it is 
significantly faster that previous releases.

2)  Debugging. 

Take a look at Visual Debugger for Windows if you get a chance.  There is 
a free trial.

http://www.softlanding.com/visual-debugger/index.htm

It is a separate Windows app but we do have a plug-in for WDSC to launch 
it with some "context".

3)  Tools.

Not going to help you, but our TurnOver for WebSphere Studio product 
provides access to Hawkeye's X-Ref from our plug-in.  Along with ASC's 
Abstract and Databorough's X-Analysis we interface to all of them in our 
back-end so we are able to provide the info in our plugins.

Also, there are a number of free database plugins that are pretty decent. 
I like one called JFaceDBC. 

http://jfacedbc.sourceforge.net/

There are a number of free plugins listed at this web site.

http://www.eclipse-plugins.info/eclipse/index.jsp

Hope this helps

Mark







wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote on 01/09/2004 03:50:33 PM:

> I've only been a programmer for about 2 years and I've only been using 
WDSCi
> for about 4 months. Programmers with more experience using COBOL or 
WDSCi
> may have different opinions than I do.
> 
> Here's what I like:
> 
> 1. I like the price. WDSCi requires no additional licensing fees. If 
this
> were not so, I probably would
>     not have been given the opportunity my managers to evaluate it. 
> 
> 2.  I like coding with WDSCi because of the: 
> 
>    a. LPEX Editor.  The LPEX editor uses language sensitive
> color-coding of source 
>       code instead of the solid green color of source code in SEU.
> The LPEX editor
>       is easily resized to show more source code than can be shown
> in the SEU 
>           editor.  The LPEX editor allows line by line scrolling
> instead of half-page 
>           scrolling in the SEU editor. The LPEX editor can use
> both SEU editing codes 
>           (e.g., D, DD, C, CC, M, MM, I) and common text editing
> functions (e.g., Cut, 
>           Copy, Paste, Delete, Select). The LPEX editor allows
> customization of key 
>           actions. 
> 
>    b. Outline View. The Outline View is essentially a navigation tree
> for program 
>                 structure. You can navigate program structure like you
> navigate directory 
>                 structure using Microsoft Explore.  For example, click 
on
> COBOL procedure 
>                 section 3200 in the Outline, and the LPEX editor is
> positioned to section 3200. 
> 
>    c. Compilation Messages. Messages from compiles appear below the
> source code. 
>                 This lets me view the compilation messages and the 
source
> code at the same time. 
>                 I can click on a compilation error message and I am
> positioned in the LPEX editor 
>                 to the offending line of source code.
> 
> d. Offline Editing. I can download source to my PC or laptop and modify 
it
> offline.
>     I can later push the modified code back to the iSeries.
> 
>     e. Preferences. I can customize workspaces, perspectives, views, and
> tools to 
>                satisfy my needs and preferences. 
> 
> 3. I like the WDSCi interface development tools.
> 
>    a. Code Designer. Although Code Designer is not technically part of
> WDSCi, it 
>                 comes bundled with WDSCi and is easily launched from 
WDSCi.
> I think this
>                 tool is superior to SDA.
> 
>    b. Webfacing Tool. The Webfacing tool lets me rapidly develop Web
> interfaces 
>                 for COBOL applications with few or no changes to source
> code. No Web 
>                 development skills are necessary, though my HTML and CSS
> skills allow me
>                 to make more advanced customizations of the Web 
interfaces.
> 
> 
> Here's what I don't like:
> 
> 1. Performance can be annoyingly slow on some occasions. I'm use a 1GHz 
CPU
> with 
>     500 MB RAM, so WDSCi performance is annoyingly slow on some 
occasions.
> The 
>     annoyances mostly occur during start-up and during object resolution
> when bringing
>     an object down from the iSeries. I still find myself using Access 
for
> Windows to do 
>     quick and easy tasks, or investigative tasks where I may want to 
browse
> or switch 
>     quickly between many source members.  However, to be fair, I get 
along
> pretty good
>     most of the time, and things may get better as I grow more 
accustomed to
> WDSCi.
>     More RAM might also help. 
> 
> 2. I don't think debugging is friendly. I still open a session of Access 
for
> Windows and use 
>     ISDB to debug COBOL OPM programs.  There may be some advantages to
> debugging in 
>     WDSCi compared to ISDB, but I haven't found the process of getting
> started with WDSCi 
>     debugging to be intuitive.  Make it simpler and I'd probably switch.
> 
> 3. I still need Access for Windows for some tools. Although some vendors 
are
> starting to offer plug-ins
>     for development tools I use often (e.g., DBU), other development 
tools
> (e.g., Hawkeye) do not yet
>     have plug-ins.  I still use Access for Windows for some tools. Of
> course, this will probably lessen 
>     as WDSCi becomes more widely used. 
> 
> Hope this helps.
> Thanks,
> Kelly
> 
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