RE: [WDSCI-L] (no subject)

[Vern Hamberg <vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike

There are tools in WDSC to do just what you want, and they do not require 
changes to the back-end RPG (or COBOL, if you had it) code. One of these is 
called the Web Interaction Wizard. Here is a bit from the help text on this:

You can create a Web interaction with the iSeries Web Interaction wizard in 
several ways:

-- Use the iSeries Web Interaction wizard to generate the JSP files that 
are used as the input and output pages for your Web application. The wizard 
adds iSeries Web components (fields and controls), to the JSP files, and 
generates the iSeries run-time classes used to communicate with your 
business processes.

-- Create the JSP files that you want to use as the input and output pages 
for your Web application, and then use the iSeries Web Interaction wizard 
to add coding within the JSP files and to generate the iSeries run-time 
classes used to communicate with your business processes.

There is also a Program Call wizard when you add a new Program Call Bean. 
And this can also be used in a Web Service.

If you have WDSC, go to the Help->Help Contents. From the browser that 
comes up, click on the "Developer" item on the left. Then open up "Web 
applications", then "iSeries Web applications" and dig around.

Really, you do not NEED to learn RPG to do this. The only thing these 
things need is the interface, i.e., what are the arguments the program 
expects. If you are the only one doing this, you might need to learn how to 
read RPG to get the parameters. These have to be added manually in both the 
Program Call & Web interaction wizards.

Anyway, others have done this more. Take a good look at this help text.

Other options exist that can automate this and get you a nice Web 
look-and-feel. WebFacing is presented by IBM but might not work on a large 
project - some on this list can tell you stories. Another possibility is 
HATS (Host Access Transformation Service, I think), which lets you generate 
Java-based Web pages from existing iSeries applications. Finally, do check 
out www.plutabrothers.com for another solution - that's Joe's company, and 
they have a nice product. Joe is also very active on this list, so take 
advantage of his knowledge.

I hope you know we are not all iSeries bigots (I come pretty close <g>) and 
are not out to say one should not use Java - it has its place. And so do 
the so-called "old" apps you have in RPG - they probably are the best thing 
for what they do.

I'm glad to see that this is not a rewrite of all the back-end code. And I 
hope you can find some of WDSC's resources useful in simplifying the process.

Vern

At 08:38 AM 9/9/2004, you wrote:

> Thanks a lot for your concerns Joe. I really appreciate it. Well, one 
> thing I wanted to let you know is that we wont be starting everything from 
> "scratch" if I am understanding correctly as to what you are pointing 
> towards. Large part of our AS400 shop will still stay in RPG but we will 
> be using Java mostly on the intranet and internet side for the outside 
> world. I will be needing to take some/lots of applications in RPG and make 
> Java versions of it so that I can make them work as servlets and JSP 
> pages. May be I could easily convert them into Java beans and call those 
> beans from JSP pages. In order to do this I will be needing to understand 
> RPG and may be write my own RPG modifications to suit my needs and that is 
> why I want to learn RPG so desperately. Thanks again. Please let me know 
> what you think, Joe. I am very open to any kind of suggestions.
>
> Mike.
>
> > From: "Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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> > Subject: RE: [WDSCI-L] (no subject)
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> >
> > > From: Mike Troxclaire
> > >
> > > I need to understand RPG so that when those programs
> > > get converted into Java I need to understand the Logic behind those
> > RPG
> > > programs so as to make sure that no garbage is coming out into Java
> > > classes.
> >
> > Mike, please, please, PLEASE ask the powers that be in your company to
> > contact someone about this business decision.  I for one would be
> > perfectly happy to just chat with them about the reasons for staying
> > with RPG as opposed to rewriting everything in Java.
> >
> > Aaron's company is currently implementing a Java interface to their
> > business logic, as are other companies.  They are finding it far more
> > productive to leverage their existing code rather than trying to rewrite
> > the entire system from scratch.
> >
> > Please, let your bosses know there are alternatives!
> >
> > Joe
> >
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