RE: Re: Recommendations ondevelopmentlanguage/environmentfor webpresentation layer

Joe,

Good to "hear" from you.  I was hoping you'd chime in.   And I didn't
think you'd go for "one size fits all" vis-a-vis JSP.  Now, to get too
it:

A couple of things...  1) I haven't seen a query tool yet that allows
you to create screens and logic like you find in an application
development environment but maybe you know of one/some.  If so, let me
know. 

2) My need is to be able to create a controlled access environment, in
the beginning, to my data warehouse/data mart and operational data store
via screens that allow the user to put in certain data items they'd like
to query on and, in my application, I do the call to stored procedures
on the iSeries or other methodologies of static SQL access to DB2/400. 
These "controlled" queries will, no doubt, be required to expand in
number and scope over time so I need to build on where I start, if
possible.    When I get this work environment properly "seasoned" and
trained accessing this new environment, I'll allow them to use data
analysis tools like MicroStrategy's tool set or Cognos or the like.  
These tools for those that know how to work with the Warehouse and
reduce the chance of the number of folks creating queries "that eat
Cleveland".  Again, so far, for the 1st stage of my approach, I have not
seen a query tool that provides the control and application
development-like environment of which I write.   But, I'm open to
suggestions and new ways.

As you might have heard me say on the Midrange Forum, I"ve worked with
.ASP and DB2/400 and found it OK but am looking for the best "bang for
my buck" when it comes to creating the first stage of my project for the
simple prototype and the more sophisticated.  From my limited view of
web development, it appears like the following is the case for web
development environments/languages:

- HTML, etc.,  the very beginning of working with a web environment -
early man web development
- Add  JavaScript - allows some more logic development along with HTML
- Use .ASP, etc., for a little more sophistication but still seems to
operate like one big scripting language using HTML, CSS, etc., to create
its screens
- Use Java and you get a full blown development environment like what
you find using RPG, COBOL, PL/I, C,  etc.   It seems like Microsoft
tries to compete here with .NET but it seems that Java is the most
robust and has the longest track record.

Having said that and if I'm somewhat correct in my assessment of the
web application development world, as you go from top to bottom of that
list, development gets more difficult as it gives you more and if one
wishes to develop as fast as possible, application development tools
that can  shorten the life cycle would be of create advantage. 
 
So, it seems that Java is the way for me to go, perhaps using the
WebSphere tools that came with the iSeries Enterprise Edition.  
Thoughts?

Thanks,

Dave


>>> joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 8/4/2005 10:09:13 >>>
Dave, I waited to answer because I wanted to get a better sense of
what
you wanted.  Despite what Pete said, I don't make a blanket
recommendation of JSP for everything <g>.  There are a number of query
tools that are quite powerful, and if they meet your needs they're
easier to implement than a from-scratch JSP/servlet solution.

However, you've already recognized that query tools, no matter how
sophisticated, usually fall short in the business logic arena, and you
seem to be implying that you need a little more than that.  If that's
indeed the case, then I do indeed recommend a simple, thin-veneer JSP
approach.  The JSP layer is very thin, little more than a display file
in HTML, and all of your business logic is written in RPG.  I've got
clients using this sort of architecture right now to great advantage.
It's easy to write, easy to maintain, extremely good looking and very,
very fast.

Joe


> From: Dave Odom
> 
> Thanks for the info.  From what I've seen so far it appears their
> products are more query/reporting tools than an application
development
> tools.  And, again, I wish to create applications that allow only
> precise access to particular account records at a time, not a group
of
> records as a query/reporting tool provides.