Re: IBM i in the cloud (was social media) -- WEB400

I get my AARP card this coming February. I've been coding for 10 years using OPM COBOL and CL on the IBM i. I had no problems following the PHP classes I took from Zend last year, or creating proof-of-concept web pages using PHP on the IBMi. I admit a preference for structured programming rather than OOP with PHP. That's probably due to age and experience. But PHP allows both.

I think the most intimidating aspect of PHP for my IBMi colleagues is understanding web servers. They get the scripting language fairly easily. They just don't have any idea how web servers work. Even so, once a PHP web server is set up, IBMi programmers used to OPM COBOL coding and having no background in PHP/web servers can be coding simple hello world scripts in an hour with a good tutorial.

Kelly Cookson
Senior Programmer/Analyst
Dot Foods, Inc.
217-773-4486 x12676
www.dotfoods.com

-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mike Pavlak
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 3:44 PM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] IBM i in the cloud (was social media)

Fair enough! I was 39 when I started looking at PHP so I should confine my arrogance to the topic I am familiar with. My point is that it is relatively easy to set up an environment and learn MOST of the language on a dinky little PC. You donât really need VM Ware and all that. A cheap book from Amazon can get you started quickly and easily. All you need is a PC. Once you learn a bit about the language moving to the IBM i is just a matter of learning a few different functions that reflect the dialect of SQL that we all know of as DB2. The book that I used back in the day and has been updated since is the Sam's Manual called Teach Yourself MySQL, Apache and PHP, All in one. http://www.amazon.com/Sams-Teach-Yourself-MySQL-Apache/dp/067232976X/ref=sr_1_1

Some of things I like about this book is the low cost, easy read, small chapters and the CD in the back. This CD contains all of the programs necessary to install a working PHP stack so you can get started. Or you can load Zend Server CE on your PC for free and use that. Also on the CD are the code samples found in the book. This way you can play with PHP and not turn this into a typing exercise.

My point is that there are SEVERAL books on how to get started with a given technology that require nothing more than your PC and time. I have found that hardware is the least of my troubles these days. Time is the greater challenge. Whatever you can do to speed the learning curve is truly up to you!

Hope this helps and I apologize for over complicating the previous post. But like the Nike ad says: Just Do It!

Regards,

Mike

mike.p@xxxxxxxx Cell: (408)679-1011 Office: (630)928-1476

Zend Server for IBM i avilable at http://www.zend.com/en/products/server/zend-server-5-new-ibmi

-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Henrik RÃtzou
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 3:26 PM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] IBM i in the cloud (was social media)

Mike,

are you talking to a midth fifty/sixty RPG programmer - the average Iseries
and average skilled programmer, now ?

Or are you talking to yourselve ?

On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 8:59 PM, Mike Pavlak <mike.p@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

Most open source languages are also available cross platform. Java, PHP,
Ruby, Perl, etc. My recommendation is to get a free distro of VM Ware
Server, install a Linux or Windows image on your PC and get busy. Or maybe
you have an old PC. If not, head to your local electronics recycling bin
and make a withdrawal! The languages are the same and 90% of what you need
to learn is the language. Most of us know DB2 and general databases.
Learning MySQL would not hurt any of us! When you are ready for the IBM i
particulars, go to iDevCloud and finish it all off.

I learned PHP on the street, like a lot of PHP developers. Started on
Linux, Windows and THEN IBM i. I didn't whine because I did not have IBM i
LPAR or a dedicated system. You don't need much to learn this stuff. Need
any coaching? Just give me a shout!

Regards,

Mike

mike.p@xxxxxxxx Cell: (408)679-1011 Office: (630)928-1476

Zend Server for IBM i avilable at
http://www.zend.com/en/products/server/zend-server-5-new-ibmi

-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Schmidt, Mihael
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 8:26 AM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] IBM i in the cloud (was social media)

If you are doing open source development and also have a full time job,
most of the time you don't have 2 or 4 weeks in a row to work on your open
source dev. It is more like here an hour and there an hour and then perhaps
a week or so with no time for os dev at all. Time to work on os dev can not
be planned.

Mihael

-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Aaron Bartell
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 2:37 PM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] IBM i in the cloud (was social media)

The VLP is allowed to do open source, but I get your point. Also, if you
have the right "coupon code" you can get it for 4 weeks at a time vs. 2
weeks. Back when I was using it more heavily that really came in handy.

Nathan's idea of a coop for a machine is actually a really good one to get
the price/month down - provided somebody is willing to host it on an
internet connection that has a decent pipe. If you split an entry level
520
(or 720 now, I believe) 5 ways, you would come to about $50/party
(including
paying for the internet).

That situation can work, and is a good starting point, but after having
done
it for 4yrs with one sitting in my basement, I would be willing to pay an
extra $20/month just to have somebody keep it up to date with PTFs and
such.
That's why I am holding my breath for iDevCloud.com as I know Jim and
Larry
are continually working with IBM to come up with further offerings.

Aaron Bartell
www.MowYourLawn.com/blog <http://www.mowyourlawn.com/blog>
www.OpenRPGUI.com <http://www.openrpgui.com/>
www.SoftwareSavesLives.com <http://www.softwaresaveslives.com/>

On Tue, Nov 16, 2010 at 1:21 AM, Schmidt, Mihael <
Mihael.Schmidt@xxxxxxxxxxx

wrote:

Where does the open source developer fit into this?

IBM i Academic Initiative - nope
IBM Virtual Loaner Program - nope
IBM ISV Development Lease Program - nope
iDevCloud.com - nope (I am not _paying_ 50 bucks for helping the

community

with free software)

No wonder we don't have an open source RPG community. It never had any
chance to start/grow at all.

Regards

Mihael

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