RE: Re: Resort back to RPG? -- WEB400

Joe,

A few comments on your challenge. I have worked with all of the major
MRP systems written in RPG. I have also written custom MRP applications

in both RPG and Java. Where RPG is a great fit for iSeries business
applications, it is a poor fit for process control hardware and does
not
integrate well with other platforms or databases. Java is very flexible

and fits well.

About a year ago, I wrote a production scheduling system using Java
that talked to four different databases and several operating systems.

It was used in a 24x7x364 environment. Some of the requirements
included the ability to manage shipments, inventory, warehouse
movement, and input from process control devices located throughout
the plant. Java was not used for every part, it was just the glue that

pulled everything together.

In that system you could find OO RPGIV as well as some procedural
Java. From experience, I can tell you that programming that
type of logic in Java was much easier. Based on my experience I would
reverse your conclusion and say that just because J2EE is not right
does
not mean that Java is not right.

David Morris

>>> joepluta@PlutaBrothers.com 07/14/02 01:48PM >>>

...Java for business logic has the same problem.  The very nature of
OO
programming (the fact that your hierarchies can really only be
extended, not
changed) means that business rules don't map well to OO practices.  In
addition, data-driven decision making (which is the bulk of all
business
logic) doesn't fit nicely into the idea of an object, since it requires
a
hugely complex hierarchy.

Because of that, procedural programming is a better fit, and there is
no
better procedural languuge than RPG.

If you don't agree with me on these points, feel free to comment, but
please
take into account my test case for business logic: if you can program
an OO
MRP generation, including coproducts and byproducts, dependent and
independent demand, batch balancing, and all the other features we
require
in ERP systems, amd it runs as fast as it does in RPG, then you've
reached a
point where perhaps OO can be used for business programming (BTW, SQL
still
fails this particular benchmark)

If, however, you do agree with me, then the obvious conclusion is not
only
that Java is the wrong choice for business logic, but then by extension
that
J2EE is wrong for business application development.  The J2EE bandwagon
is
one that I predict will fall by the wayside pretty quickly as people
realize
that they may be able to program web services, but that nobody else
will use
them, because nobody will agree on the definitions of the underlying
business objects...


But that's just me.

Joe