Re: Web Enabling Applications

[Scott Klement <web400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Todd,

What I've discovered is that RPG is simply a better language for writing 
business rules and business logic than the others.

I agree with your assessment that it's often hard to find qualified RPG 
developers.  That's not to say that it's hard to find RPG developers -- 
but rather than most RPG developers on the job market have out-of-date 
skills, so are not "qualified."  The reasons for this vary, but it's 
mostly because too many businesses have this idea that RPG and IBM i are 
not capable (Which is completely untrue) and therefore delegate modern 
tasks to other platforms.  This becomes self-fulfilling, because the 
RPGers don't get real life work experience with modern work.

To combat that, you have to start somewhere...   and one approach that 
has worked well for several shops that I've talked to is to hire PHP or 
C programmers, and then TEACH them RPG.  Many of them, once they get 
past the learning curve, are REALLY impressed by the RPG and IBM i 
environment.  The integrated platform with integrated database is a 
positive boon for them.  Being able to write business logic and database 
logic in RPG is something they enjoy, because it makes their job easier 
than attempting the same thing in languages like PHP or C. (Especially C!)

And they bring a fresh viewpoint to old shops, and their experience with 
modern development techniques comes along with them -- and the results 
are great.

So please don't be dismayed when you can't find RPG programmers... just 
hire a PHP or C programmer, and teach them.  I think you'll be pleased 
with that.

However -- and this is a mistake I've seen too many times -- don't try 
to thrust them into old-fashioned ways of doing things, that will turn 
them off.  Give them Rational Developer, not SEU/PDM.   Have them learn 
and write apps in Free format code, with subprocedures and other modular 
techniques, and SQL for file access.  Don't start them off with legacy 
stuff, or it will discourage them.  (Though, probably down the road, 
they'll have to learn the legacy stuff to maintain older applications -- 
but don't start them there, or they'll get turned off of the platform.)

-SK


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.