Re: Web Enabling Applications -- WEB400

Functions in CGISRVPGM2 are not called from the Apache server, it is bound to your RPG program and makes it easier to write web pages.

Of course it requires RPG expertise - it was first written in 1996 or so, to give RPG developers - note, already-existing developers - to be able to write to the web easily. This it does well. The other solutions suggested here of other languages simply did not exist then.

It has been updated over the years, for what it is worth. The current distribution is 5 or 6 times larger than the older ones. Some of that is tutorials, but there is more functionality all the time.

It is basically an SDK.

On 12/7/2012 4:16 PM, Allen, Todd wrote:

I don't think I misunderstood CGIDEV2. It's possible I misused some terms so I apologize for any confusion. CGIDEV2 is a server side application/program that runs on the IBM i platform. Correct? It is configured to be called from the Apache web server and utilizes RPG program calls. Correct? Therefore you need an IBM i system to run it and RPG experience to maintain/develop web applications that use it. But thanks for the correction.

Thanks,
Todd

-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Henrik Rützou
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 5:10 PM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Web Enabling Applications

Jim,

no Todd has misunderstand what CGIDEV2 is, it has never been an server side application/framework, it is a service program that extends the RPG program with HTTP capabilities - exactly as it is done i C++ or JAVA by including classes with methods.

On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 11:04 PM, Jim Cooper <Jim.Cooper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

I think Todd is saying the same thing I was saying. If you generate
your Web application with client-side technologies (HTML5, JavaScript,
jQuery, etc), and make requests to a server-side program (RPG on IBM
i) for JSON data, the application is much more portable since the user
interface is not being generated by a server-side application. The
function of the server-side program (RPG) is to provide the data in
JSON. Much cleaner as well.

Jim Cooper
Program Coordinator
Lambton College
jim.cooper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
519-542-7751 ext. 3219

________________________________________
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] on
behalf of Allen, Todd [Todd.Allen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 4:40 PM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Web Enabling Applications

We're talking about 2 different things - jQuery is a client-side
Javascript library while CGIDEV2 is a server-side application.
Javascript libraries can be used with any server application,
obviously. You also lose all portability that way in that only an IBM
i system can run your server-side app. Using PHP allows the
flexibility to put your web server on most any platform. (The back
end stays on the IBM i.) That may not be a concern now but it may be in the future.

Can you create web applications with CGIDEV2? Sure, but I would think
long and hard before going down that road.

Thanks,
Todd

-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Vernon Hamberg
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 3:06 PM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Web Enabling Applications

Allen

there's no reason you can't use things like jquery when using CGIDEV2
- the latter is just a way to externalize HTML, similar to how it is
done with DSPFs.

I'm converting to use CGIDEV2 in one of our products. I see it as very
similar in concept to tags as used in PHP or Java.

Again, doesn't JQUery have plugins for JSON?

Just as I said to someone who said about this facelifted interface - I
didn't know you could do that on the iSeries. I said, HTML is just
text
- you can do anything!

Same with CGIDEV2 - it's just a streamlined way to put out the text
that comprises HTML.

Just the humble opinion of a newbie to CGIDEV2 and lovin' it!

Regards
Vern

On 12/7/2012 1:06 PM, Allen, Todd wrote:

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!

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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.