Re: Re: Re: XML, RPG, Web Services, Joe = Holy Warwas -> RE: Re: Modify the IE Browser

> This community and the Perl/Python community are two
> complete different animals.  Each with the good points,
> each with the bad.  They're not even comparable.

I completely agree that they are two different animals.  That was the point
of my post: that if we broaden our horizons, more choices can make for
better decisions.  In that light, I think it is fair to compare those of us
breaking into the web world with people who have been there for quite some
time.

I want to stress again that I am in no way saying that RPG is absolutely
worthless for web stuff.  What I am trying to say is that I might be cutting
my own wrists if I ignore all the other solutions available to me.  RPG is
absolutely one of those possible solutions in a universe of possibilities,
but it is not the ONLY one.  My point was that limiting my
design/architecture to ONLY include what my RPG team can do is
self-limiting.

Once you've decided that for your situation, RPG is the better way to
proceed for web stuff; by all means go for it!  Nathan said "If people use
RPG to implement Web interfaces, more power to them.  I say RPG is more than
up to the task.  Let's not be stopped by imaginary barriers!"  He's right.
I want to add that an imaginary barrier may well be 'But we only know RPG.'

Shannon said "I've personally written web and web-type apps in RPG-CGI,
Perl, Java (tomcat, servlets, jsp, etc..) and VB and .Net....and by
far....for an AS/400 programmer who has never had the time, opportunity or
motivation to learn another language,  RPG-CGI is by FAR! the easiest way to
go."  Well, you may have said it all there.  I have personally discovered
that learning other languages has made my RPG better.  That by just looking
around to see how other programmers do stuff has made my own programming
(any language) better.  And that the better my programming gets, the better
solutions I can offer my employer and our customers.  And there sure are
plenty of iSeries programmers who haven't actively acquired familiarity with
other languages, for a bunch of reasons.

For example, there's a whole wonderful world available to us iSeries folks
who are at ease with both CL and RPG.  The folks who are only comfortable
with RPG can't touch that.  If you don't believe me, look at the number of
times we've answered the same question regarding parameters passed by an RPG
program to a submitted job via QCMDEXC.  Because their world ends at the RPG
boundary, they have cut themselves off from the most flexible and elegant
solution available - write a command.  The two together are a better
solution than RPG alone.

Once more, differently: Advocating learning more about the rest of the
programming universe is NOT a slam on the part I know and love - RPG.  All I
am saying is that as programmers we should not artificially limit ourselves
to RPG-only solutions.  As I said earlier, put the RPG solution along with
the other language solutions in the management blender and choose what is
best for you and your situation.

  --buck