Re: Disturbing rumour -- WDSCI-L

I don't how much IBM is truly supporting the Code for i project.

It's sort of a mishmash of Liams Code for i and other people's open-source contributions and some IBM glue as well.

Liam still technically owns the Code for i repo I believe.

For me personally I use SEU, RDI and VS Code depending on the customent I am working with.

I also use things like Notepad++ as well that are part of my "Work with IBM i" PDM replacement.

I think using RDI or VS Code is probably considered modern practice.

VS Code is still a little more bleeding edge than leading edge. But it's gotten much better over past few years.

Regards,
Richard Schoen
Web: http://www.richardschoen.net
Email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

----------------------------------------------------------------------

message: 1
date: Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:07:06 -0400
from: John Yeung <gallium.arsenide@xxxxxxxxx>
subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] Disturbing rumour

On Thu, Mar 26, 2026 at 11:50?AM Eric Simpson <esimpson@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

One thing I would add is that RDi has always been very customer driven.

So, if there is functionality you want in RDi, please open an Idea for it or vote on other Ideas that you like.
https://ibm-power-systems.ideas.ibm.com/ideas?category=707898419386687
2978

And I would add that VS Code 4i is, and has always been, at least as customer-driven as RDi.

Early adopters got a chance to meaningfully shape the development of the project, through direct contact with Liam. Though he's been reassigned, the project is still actively maintained and developed, and you can give suggestions, feedback, and bug reports on GitHub.

https://github.com/codefori/vscode-ibmi/issues

John Y.

------------------------------

message: 2
date: Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:52:53 -0500
from: Justin Taylor <jtaylor.0ab@xxxxxxxxx>
subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] Disturbing rumour

I don't imagine RDi is going away anytime soon. However, the IBM announcement that their copilot will never be brought to RDi bodes ill for RDi's long-term future. Of course, RDi will likely carry on for a decade or two.

On Wed, Mar 25, 2026 at 11:31?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.