Net.Data is a great tool to web enable applications written on the IBM i system. The drawback is that it is no longer being enhanced.
Use caution with the direct program call interface. It probably won't work when calling a program on a remote system. I'd wrap all your RPG programs in SQL stored procedures and call those using the SQL interface instead. It's more reliable, allows more functionality (ex. return a result set) and allows you to easily expose your RPG programs to other platforms.
Thanks,
Todd
-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ala, Michael
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 3:45 PM
To: web400@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Web Enabling Applications
Does anybody still use net.data we use it here and perform Direct calls to much of our existing Business Logic
It comes with the iseries, works well, and has a short learning curve
-----Original Message-----
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On Behalf Of web400-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 2:36 PM
To: web400@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: WEB400 Digest, Vol 10, Issue 181
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Web Enabling Applications (Scott Klement)
2. Re: Web Enabling Applications (Allen, Todd)
3. Re: Web Enabling Applications (Bob P. Roche)
4. Re: Web Enabling Applications (Jim Cooper)
5. Re: Web Enabling Applications: Development Shoot-off ? (Paul Holm)
6. Re: Web Enabling Applications: Development Shoot-off ?
(Jim Cooper)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
message: 1
date: Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:26:36 -0600
from: Scott Klement <web400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
subject: Re: [WEB400] Web Enabling Applications
Michael,
<vendor response>
Please give our product a try. You can download a 30 day free trial by registering here:
http://www.profoundui.com
We'd be happy to give you an introductory demo of the product (over a "Goto Meeting" session. If that interests you, please contact our sales department.
http://www.profoundlogic.com/contact.rpgsp
</vendor response>
On a more personal note... what I've always wanted for RPG was a "native GUI", and of course, we've been trying to get IBM to do something about that for a long time, to no avail.
Recently, I left my job at Klement's Sausage company, and accepted a position with Profound Logic. The reason I wanted to work for Profound was that their ProfoundUI product does almost _exactly_ what I've always wanted in a native GUI. It has an easy to use screen designer where you drag/drop stuff to design your screen, and you don't need to understand the underlying technology to do so. It's brilliant.
Profound UI uses a web browser as a way of rendering this native UI. So you might call it "web enabling", since it's all done with web technologies.
But, despite that it all uses open web technologies, the paradigm for a native GUI is a bit different from that of a traditional web page.
Native GUI is perfect for in-house applications, or really, business logic in general. The native GUI approach is much more "application like", more like you would have if you designed a native Windows program, or native iPhone app, or native Android... except without being locked into any of these environments -- it runs entirely on IBM i, and just uses the browser to render the screens.
To me, this makes it ideal for in-house applications. Where it's less-than-ideal is when you want something to be picked up by Google and other search engines. (Though, our company also sells a product for that type of app called RPGsp..)
It does, indeed, use JSON under the covers.
So, to me it sounds like a great fit for you. I hope you'll download the trial and give it a try and see if it would be a good fit.
On 12/7/2012 10:55 AM, Michael Ryan wrote:
Ok...wide ranging topic I'm sure, but it's Friday. Here's what I'm
looking
for...opinions, solutions, ideas regarding web enabling (browser
access) to
i applications. A couple of points: The logic on the i will be written
(re-written) to be accessed by a procedure call. I'm pretty sure I
want the
returned data to be in JSON format. I'm obviously concerned about
security
and session state. This application would be for in-house users, not
the
public.
I'm thinking three main middleware paths - PHP, CGI, and vendor
proprietary...others?
Some products/frameworks that I know of are easy CGIDEV2, Renaissance,
Zend, powerEXT..others?
Feel free to contact me off list if desired. I look forward to the
comments.
Thanks!
------------------------------
message: 2
date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 19:06:29 +0000
from: "Allen, Todd" <Todd.Allen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
subject: Re: [WEB400] Web Enabling Applications
I may be in the minority here but I'd shy away from using CGIDEV2 for any sort of web development. I say minority on this list only. The percentage of all web developers that have used or heard of CGIDEV2 is probably less than .001%. We've found that RPG developers are hard to find. RPG developers that have web experience are even harder to find.
If JSON is a requirement then I'd also be concerned about processing JSON data with RPG. There are plenty of libraries out there for JSON processing but I don't know if you'll find one for RPG.
You could stand up a Linux server running an Apache web server with PHP and connect to your SQL stored procedures on the i fairly easily. There are JSON functions built in to the PHP language. You did not mention Java so I assume that is not an option.
A big consideration for you is the expertise in your organization. That may help drive your decision. If you have access to a lot of RPG developers then CGIDEV2 may be worth a look but keep an eye on the future. That's my biggest hesitation with CGIDEV2.
Thanks,
Todd
-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Michael Ryan
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 11:55 AM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: [WEB400] Web Enabling Applications
Ok...wide ranging topic I'm sure, but it's Friday. Here's what I'm looking for...opinions, solutions, ideas regarding web enabling (browser
access) to i applications. A couple of points: The logic on the i will be written
(re-written) to be accessed by a procedure call. I'm pretty sure I want the returned data to be in JSON format. I'm obviously concerned about security and session state. This application would be for in-house users, not the public.
I'm thinking three main middleware paths - PHP, CGI, and vendor proprietary...others?
Some products/frameworks that I know of are easy CGIDEV2, Renaissance, Zend, powerEXT..others?
Feel free to contact me off list if desired. I look forward to the comments.
Thanks!
For More Than 80 Years?Delivering Solutions That Exceed Expectations.
This communication and any transmitted documents are intended to be confidential. If there is a problem with this transmission, please contact the sender. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited.
------------------------------
message: 3
date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 13:27:15 -0600
from: "Bob P. Roche" <BRoche@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
subject: Re: [WEB400] Web Enabling Applications
Or you could run PHP directly on your i.
From:
"Allen, Todd" <Todd.Allen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To:
Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries <web400@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Date:
12/07/2012 01:06 PM
Subject:
Re: [WEB400] Web Enabling Applications
Sent by:
web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
I may be in the minority here but I'd shy away from using CGIDEV2 for
any
sort of web development. I say minority on this list only. The
percentage of all web developers that have used or heard of CGIDEV2 is
probably less than .001%. We've found that RPG developers are hard to
find. RPG developers that have web experience are even harder to find.
If
JSON is a requirement then I'd also be concerned about processing JSON
data with RPG. There are plenty of libraries out there for JSON
processing but I don't know if you'll find one for RPG.
You could stand up a Linux server running an Apache web server with PHP
and connect to your SQL stored procedures on the i fairly easily. There
are JSON functions built in to the PHP language. You did not mention
Java
so I assume that is not an option.
A big consideration for you is the expertise in your organization. That
may help drive your decision. If you have access to a lot of RPG
developers then CGIDEV2 may be worth a look but keep an eye on the
future.
That's my biggest hesitation with CGIDEV2.
Thanks,
Todd
-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On
Behalf Of Michael Ryan
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 11:55 AM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: [WEB400] Web Enabling Applications
Ok...wide ranging topic I'm sure, but it's Friday. Here's what I'm
looking
for...opinions, solutions, ideas regarding web enabling (browser access)
to i applications. A couple of points: The logic on the i will be
written
(re-written) to be accessed by a procedure call. I'm pretty sure I want
the returned data to be in JSON format. I'm obviously concerned about
security and session state. This application would be for in-house
users,
not the public.
I'm thinking three main middleware paths - PHP, CGI, and vendor
proprietary...others?
Some products/frameworks that I know of are easy CGIDEV2, Renaissance,
Zend, powerEXT..others?
Feel free to contact me off list if desired. I look forward to the
comments.
Thanks!
For More Than 80 Years?Delivering Solutions That Exceed Expectations.
This communication and any transmitted documents are intended to be
confidential. If there is a problem with this transmission, please
contact
the sender. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient,
or the employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended
recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution
or
copying of this communication is strictly prohibited.
midrange.com
