Re: Disturbing rumour -- WDSCI-L

Peter, one of the benefits of VS Code is that it has a large user base. A
potential barrier to developers accepting the i is a need to learn a new
IDE (namely RDi); VS Code may address that problem. But quantifying the
value of "familiarity" will be tough. In the world of requirements, this
would be a "non-functional" requirement, more like an attribute or property.

You might be able to crowd-source pros and cons; eventually such a list
might be edited and summarized. I'd want to see a feature
name/description, what it does, a comparable function on the other IDE, and
how it works better or worse on a given IDE. Such a list would be a
terrific learning tool too.

On Wed, Mar 25, 2026 at 11:47 PM Peter Colpaert <peter.colpaert@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Being the geek I am, I of course gave VSCode with the IBM i extensions a
go.

It works but it does miss some of the nicer things in RDi (*cough iSphere).

Maybe someone with more insight in VSCode could write a side-by-side
comparison of all features of RDi and the counterpart in VSCode (or an
indication that it's not possible over there)?

Peter
--

Peter Colpaert

Peter.Colpaert@xxxxxxxxx

Op wo 25 mrt 2026 om 18:14 schreef Charles Wilt <charles.wilt@xxxxxxxxx>:

It wouldn't surprise me to see IBM drop RDi in favor of enhancing the VS
Code extensions...

CODE/400 gave way to the Eclipse based WDSC/RDi. At the time (2001) VC
Code didn't exist, Eclipse made sense.

Today though, VS Code is much more popular than Eclipse even for Java
development (according to Gemini).

IBM's dumped a lot of money into the VS Code ecosystem, Project Bob uses

a

fork of VS Code.

It doesn't really make sense to keep to IDEs around. Granted MS has VS

and

VS Code, but for C# (and Windows) that possibly makes sense.

Just my reading of the tea leaves...

Charles

On Wed, Mar 25, 2026 at 10:31 AM x y <xy6581@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Ah--IBM is raising SEU from the dead? Perhaps the variable for "RDI
version" defined as packed(5:4).

After everything IBM Has invested in RDi--which is small on the grand

scale

but significant in our world--abandoning it would be lunacy and a

betrayal

to the IBM'ers and Fortrans (a new name for Steve and his team; feel

free

to adopt it). But then consider the platform's name changes and we'll

talk

about lunacy again over unicorn steaks. The end of RDi would signal

the

imminent end of the i as we know it--or the Rational product line is
getting spun off/sold or killed.

Should IBM want out of the dev tools business, the alternative is
committing to VS Code...or Visual Studio in all its substantial glory

and

capabilities. However, dev tools can be strategic products when they

help

customers' cloud adoption plans and simplify managing the unholy stew

of

cloud and on-premises applications. My $0.02 is that IBM won't give up

on

Rational.

Developing something comparable to RDi, *ab initio,* would take years

and

cost $100 million or more. It would have to be cross-platform--the i
market is nowhere big enough. I don't see how a project of that scale

and

impact could remain a secret...and it would be an extraordinarily bad
decision for IBM to undertake such a project in secret, i.e., without
community participation.

On Wed, Mar 25, 2026 at 7:14 AM Peter Colpaert <

peter.colpaert@xxxxxxxxx

wrote:

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your reply. If I understand correctly, you "cannot confirm

nor

deny" a release after 9.9.

I guess the future will tell ;-)

Best regards,

Peter
--

Peter Colpaert

Peter.Colpaert@xxxxxxxxx

Op wo 25 mrt 2026 om 15:00 schreef Steve Ferrell via WDSCI-L <
wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

Hi Peter,

IBM doesn't allow us to discuss future releases, until THEY

announce

them,

so I cannot confirm a new release. (I did get reminded of this

after

replying to your question in January of 22.)

We did release 9.8 or 9.9 since your last inquiry.

And I can confirm that the Eclipse team is STILL updating Eclipse,

and

in

2025 has found a way to use the P2 update site to upgrade runtimes,
allowing users to upgrade using the update process.

Hope this helps!

Steve Ferrell
Team Lead Software Engineer - RDi
Fortra

-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L <wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of

Peter

Colpaert
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 4:07 AM
To: Rational Developer for IBM i <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] Disturbing rumour

External: Pause and review the sender's email address, any URLs

before

clicking links, opening attachments, or following requests. When in

doubt,

contact the Service Desk.

Hi group,

I could be beating a dead horse, but I got the same message from my
manager today (he got it from our system support firm): RDi 9.9 is

rumoured

to be the last release.

So I'm asking again if there is any truth in this.

Thanks!

Peter

(disclaimer: no actual horse is dead or has been beaten)
--

Peter Colpaert

Peter.Colpaert@xxxxxxxxx

Op di 18 jan 2022 om 13:09 schreef Peter Colpaert <
peter.colpaert@xxxxxxxxx

:

Hi Steve,

I was assuming (and of course hoping) that too, but this group

for

me

is the closest thing to the proverbial horse's mouth so I thought

I'd

drop the question here.

Thanks for the assurance.

Peter
--

Peter Colpaert

Peter.Colpaert@xxxxxxxxx

Op di 18 jan. 2022 om 12:41 schreef Steve Ferrell via WDSCI-L <
wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

Hi Peter,

I can assure you that Rational Developer for the i (RDi) will

NOT

be

phased out, and will include V7R5 updates.

Steve Ferrell
w. http://www.helpsystems.com/

-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L <wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of

Peter

Colpaert
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2022 3:43 AM
To: Rational Developer for IBM i <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [WDSCI-L] Disturbing rumour

External: Pause and review the sender's email address, any URLs
before clicking links, opening attachments, or following

requests.

When in doubt, contact the Service Desk.

Hi group,

one of our technical contacts mentioned (to my manager)

something

that surprised me and essentially sent some shivers down my

spine.

He claimed that Rational Developer for i will be phased out when

V7R5

of the OS is released. It would be replaced by "Something Else

*(r)*

TM".

Is there any truth in this or is it just that: a rumour?

Thanks for anyone who can shed some light on this.

Best regards,

Peter
--

Peter Colpaert

Peter.Colpaert@xxxxxxxxx
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