Re: Offer to access IBM i (at version 7) to produce Open -- WEB400

"graphical menu system typeframework to build on"

Not sure what that means. About 8 years ago we built a web based menuing system that could launch 5250 apps and web apps (PHP, Java and RPG-CGI) within a tabbed browser environment. Is that what you mean ? Or are you talking about a development environment.

#1 reason to adopt a os/hw platform is business applications. Ease of use comes second, development environment third (IMHO). But it IS a chicken or egg kind of thing...

Pete Helgren
Value Added Software, Inc
www.asaap.com
www.opensource4i.com

On 12/3/2010 3:39 PM, Ricky Thompson wrote:

What would be cool is if you could get a group of developers maybe 20
or 30 to decide on a common project and see where it leads. The IBM i
needs major attention in my opinion for a graphical menu system type
framework to build on. And a set of API's that are easy to use to
help the developers build it. I know all this can be done with 3rd
party products but very few are OpenSource.

message: 1

date: Fri, 26 Nov 2010 09:56:41 -0600

from: Jim Oberholtzer<midrangel@xxxxxxxxxx>

subject: [WEB400] Offer to access IBM i (at version 7) to produce Open

Source software and API examples

Cross posted on Midrange-L and Web400 Mailing lists with permission from

David:

Larry Bolhuis and I have discussed the recent conversation regarding open source and IBM i access etc that started the*[WEB400] IBM i in the cloud (was social media)* discussion. One of the questions raised was, why should I pay for a system to give away code? So, while we don't agree with the premise that other open source endeavors are without hardware/OS/Development tool costs (Please do not devolve this offer into a discussion of relative costs/benefits of various systems/platforms), we would agree that ordinarily the cost of entry for an IBM i system for an individual developer might be a bit steep. So, we are offering the following:

Use an iDevCloud shared partition for 90 days /_free_/. During that 90 days the developer taking advantage of the offer would be expected to:

1. Post 3 wiki articles on Midrange.com with original working

examples (not out of the IBM documentation) of how to use an API.

The example may not duplicate an API that is already done, and it

must work. May be in RPG, CL, COBOL, or JAVA. We would like these

to be submitted monthly.

2. Post one open source program that:

* Is original

* Runs on IBM i

* Works!

* Performs a non trivial task

* May be written in RPG, CL, COBOL, JAVA or PHP ( for the

purposes of this offer PHP is included as long as it

accesses DB/2 and/or MySQL where the data engine is DB/2 or

other IBM i functions, a data queue maybe?) .

3. Must be active (meaning posted something) on Midrange.com (any

list) subscriber for at least 30 days. Exceptions to this

requirement may be granted on a case by case basis.

4. All the code must be licensed as Free Open Source Software from

one of the licenses listed athttp://www.opensource.org/licenses.

You may pick the specific license.

5. When your Wiki submissions and programs are complete, send and

email with the specifics to the iDevCloud Help Desk.

You can see the basics of the shared partition at www.idevcloud.com<http://www.idevcloud.com>

Limited to first 20 people. Larry and I are the final determiners if the code posted matches the requirements, but we will be taking the advice of several experts (who may identify themselves if they wish).

In order to get started, send an email tohelpdesk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:helpdesk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>. We will need your name and contact information as well as a valid email address that you will consistently respond to. You must get started prior to December 31, 2010.

--

Jim Oberholtzer

Co-owner of iDevCloud.com

*Thank You!*

The iDevcloud Team.

www.iDevCloud.com