Re: WDSC Futures -- WDSCI-L

wdsci-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

   7. Re: WDSC Futures (AGlauser@xxxxxxxxxxxx)

Tom Liotta wrote on 28/03/2007 22:46:30:
albartell wrote:
But reading between the lines and knowing that CODE won't besupported/tested on future Windows OSes is the same as taking it awayin my mind.
Just to see what we're talking about here, does anybody have a guesswhen a "future Windows OS" might show up?
How about now?  I don't think CoDE is supported on Vista.


Adam:

I'm not quite convinced. I won't be until I know what circumstancesstop CODE from running on Vista.


If I search this page:

http://www-306.ibm.com/common/ssi/fcgi-bin/ssialias?infotype=an&subtype=ca&appname=Demonstration&htmlfid=897/ENUS207-030#@2h@62@
 or
http://tinyurl.com/2fd7eh

...for [vista], I don't find it listed. That page is "IBM WebSphereDevelopment Studio Client V7.0 delivers enhanced modernizationtools, ClearCase integration, and improved RPG support for System i-- IBM United States Software Announcement 207-030 -- February 27,2007". Apparently, WDSC V7.0 itself wasn't even totally clear aboutVista.

Not just CODE, but all of WDSC V7.0. If CODE isn't supported onVista, well, apparently neither was any of WDSC V7.0 at time ofannouncement.

Okay, we all know it's ridiculous thinking there's a disconnectbetween Vista and WDSC; and there are enough statements from IBMthat make any concern over WDSC and Vista essentially moot. Vistacannot rationally be ignored for WDSC. I'm _only_ pointing out thatit's early in the Vista life-cycle and that the releases of Vistaand WDSC for GA were very close; and, of course, IBM can bepersuaded to bend in one direction or another. CODE works on Vista,so the practical result is that the _next_ Windows OS _might_ be aproblem.


Now, the specific statements for CODE seem to be:

"This means there will be no future enhancements made to thesetools, they will not be updated to work with new releases of i5/OS,and they will not be ported to run on future versions of the Windowsoperating system. Customers using these tools should migrate to usethe equivalent function in the Remote System Explorer and iSeriesIntegrated Debugger."


Then the paragraph after that:

"The CODE tools will continue to be supported until DevelopmentStudio Client V7.0 reaches end of service."

That is, CODE will be supported throughout WDSC V7.0 life cycle. But(at least at this time) it won't be "ported" to any Windows OSsbeyond WinXP. (I'm not certain it was ever "ported" to WinXP.)Further, if some new i5/OS release is somehow so radically differentfrom V5R4 that CODE doesn't work with it, then CODE is (probably)dead from that point on.

So far, there doesn't seem to be a reasonably similar set ofstatements for VARPG. IBM's statements indicate intention to addresswhatever issues arise or even create/release a replacement product.


But, VARPG currently requires CODE as the editor.

The first thing that that all suggests is that VARPG editor callswill bring up a different editor. WDSC allows a choice of editor atsome points, so I don't see that as impossible.

And WDSC V7.0 has the tech-preview of the beginnings of a CODEDesigner replacement.

With (1) an editor change and (2) a decent WDSC "DSPF Designer",plus the general indication that current VARPG developers will havea forward path, I don't yet see a problem.

CODE _does_ run on Vista even if IBM support is up in the air. (Attimes, better than WDSC V7.0.) VARPG is not gone nor is there yet astatement from IBM that it won't be supported on 'future' WindowsOSs. CODE will be supported through the life of WDSC V7.0.

It just seems to me that it's too early to panic. Some of the postshave given the feeling that it's time to dump the tools and possiblyeven dump the whole platform.


It is _NOT_ too early for everyone to yell at IBM about it.

Of course, I was using VARPG many years ago and wondered why therewere so few other users. That's probably part of IBM's problem --they have a hard time justifying continuing product life when so fewuse the product, or at least don't speak up about it. They've issuedstatements about CODE and will probably be interested in the reaction.

But as long as CODE keeps working, as long as Windows and i5/OSdon't change so much that CODE _can't_ work, what's there for IBM todo with it?

I sure don't plan on stopping my use of it just because IBM has toldme it won't be updated. I'm actually going to be looking forward tosee what IBM is putting their effort into. And if it starts lookingdecent, I won't feel badly about shutting CODE down for the last time.

Maybe it'll even get better when we find out that the replacement isiCODE/5.


Tom Liotta