Thanks Joe,
I have to agree that a framework is a more productive environment which is why I need to begin this journey.
I've just been in need of a little prompting.
In fact, I rewrote the IBM Net.data forum (when it was ditched some years ago) as a PHP website, using a text editor in CPAN, before Zend ever became a buzz.
I used Zend Core when first available on V5R3, but mainly to prove I could write "Hello World'. I haven't touched it since, probably because, when used as a procedural scripted language, the "keep it simple" deployment of web pages looks pretty much the same in PHP as Net.data and they ain't broke yet.
But, now that times are tougher, the priority is being able to demonstrate to the business that a web app can be delivered and maintained with as little effort as possible offering a good ROI.
That's where I see RBD 8 entering the play.
I'm pleased that Websphere appears to ride along with it, and while I must have missed picking up on any discussion on RDPi (whatever that is), I might give that a go as well.
Here's to short learning curves.
Thanks, Peter
-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Joe Pluta
Sent: Monday, 22 November 2010 4:09 p.m.
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Great new Rich UI features in RBD 8
On 11/21/2010 7:03 PM, Peter Connell wrote:
Joe,
I'm quite conversant with the "underlying technologies" you mention and fairly good with Apache.
But I guess I'm one of those older guys who learnt and still gravitate toward cutting all code via a text editor or SEU. I can use Excel when I have to.
Attempting to roll out software that requires client installation and licensing costs per seat in an organization that administers a form for everything has always put me off.
I fear that first I may have to find/install/learn an "Eclipse" framework, then find/install/learn a "Websfear" framework before being able to do "easy" rich GUI stuff with EGL.
In such a small shop I'm the someone who is expected to understand "what's in there" when things don't work.
It would be nice if it was all just easy, right, and I bet it's not free.
But I may be prepared to give RDB 8 a go if I am able to explain some well defined steps to getting started, which I hope is what you were suggesting you may produce.
BTW. I found RDB 8 on the download section of the RDB website and it's not small, of course, so IBM's suggestion to expedite this with their Download Manager seemed like a good idea.
Then I rediscovered that, unfortunately, installing anything on a PC is difficult in a company that jealously guards admin rights and has a firewall that can confound subsequent connections.
Nothing is ever "easy".
I thank you for the time and expertise you provide.
Cheers, Peter
You have to learn to install and use Rational products, Peter, otherwise
this whole exercise is moot. We are past the days when you can use a
text editor to create modern UI code. Even the PHP folks will tell you
that. You CAN write code in PHP. You can't do it productively.
As to the bits about Rational vs SEU: First, ADTS (that is, PDM and SEU)
are no longer free. As of V6R1, you have to pay individual seat
licenses for these tools. Not only that, but SEU is dead. There will
be no more development in SEU. It won't even support new keywords.
They've already done that with SDA (try modifying the WDWTITLE keyword
in SDA).
As to the installation of the tools, it's about as simple as it can
get. There is no framework to install, it's part of the package. RBD
comes with a WebSphere Test Environment integral to the package. You
install RBD and you're done - you can immediately start building and
testing EGL code. RDPi is the same - you download and install the
package and you're immediately able to use it to write RPG code.
To get the two to work together you simply ... INSTALL THEM TOGETHER!
Really, it is that easy.
I'll try to put something together, but I highly recommend you try to
get past your internal admin folks and get at least one of the products
installed. RDPi would be my recommendation, because the move to GUI
will occur while you're doing something familiar, but that's just me.
Joe
midrange.com
