Re: RPG Next Gen (was IBM is so confusing!)

[Jon Paris <jon.paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I was reminded by Michael's post that I hadn't tried the RPG Next Gen tool for a while - and since IBM are still ignoring us Mac users I was hoping it had advanced to the point where I could use it. So I downloaded it and installed it.

As you say it installs easily and quickly. I configured a connection and was very impressed by the speed with which it returned the library list and the object list for my main library. Quite how a tool that uses the Java toolkit can apparently produce results in about half the time it takes IBM's custom code I don't understand - but the speed is certainly appreciated on large lists. Sadly - for me - that is as far as the good bits went - with two notable exceptions - there is a comment block toggle (IBM please note) and spool access is built in (no SoftLanding plug-in needed).

But unless I'm really missing something, none of the major features that rely on day in and day out in RDP are there. You can't tab from field to field in D-specs or in DDS etc. and there is no F4 prompt to make up for that. There's no language help. Outline view only shows subprocedures - and I _live_ in outline view. I also make extensive use of filtering in the source view and that doesn't seem to be available - and neither is ctrl-Space on a variable to get it definition and ..

Don't get me wrong - it is a really nice piece of work, and maybe if I had never used anything but SEU I could live with it - but it is a long way from being a replacement for RDP and people should not be misled into thinking that it is. 

I do intend to keep it on my machine for quick fixes when I don't want to mess with RDP and windows - I may even try to contribute to the project in some way - but I'll probably be retiring before it reaches a point where I can throw out RDP (or whatever name IBM have given it by then ;-).


Jon Paris

www.Partner400.com
www.SystemiDeveloper.com



On Jan 31, 2011, at 1:00 PM, wdsci-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Wow! RPGNEXTGEN is so sleek and fast!! Downloaded and installed in a minute with no admin authority needed!!!!!!!!!
> Does that mean I can put it on a usb key and work at home without a connection?
>
>
> > And it has some nice features even RDP doesn't.
> What are they? Aren't we allowed to mention it on this list?