Jack1955…
Glad to hear that you weren’t bugged
![[worm] [worm] [worm]](/data/assets/smilies/worm.gif)
by my comments! Posting to a forum isn’t the best way to communicate feelings.
I would agree with you that the whole reason for having programmers is to serve the customer or user. (…unless it’s a hobby, then you don’t have to please anyone but yourself). But I think in order to do that programs have to be well designed, well written, checked for bugs as thoroughly as possible and be easy to modify and debug. And, of course, they should be well documented.
One of the way to do that is to code in a language that’s up to the task. Unfortunately, RPG has not always been up to the task. (I don’t think anyone would code an interactive application in RPG II if they didn’t absolutely have to). But the (relatively) recent changes in the language have made it possible to modularize functions and isolate data that is unique to those functions. That (plus a lot of other things) makes it
possible to write programs that will serve the user.
(The MOVE issue really becomes a non-issue because, while it would be nice if IBM just supplied the functions, you can write them yourself if you have a mind to).
Anyone can write bad code and no language, technique or approach is going to prevent it.
I think the "let's move to <fill in your pet visual language>, that'll fix all of our problems" comes more from the "Green Screen, BAD!
![[vader] [vader] [vader]](/data/assets/smilies/vader.gif)
... GUI, GOOD!
![[angel] [angel] [angel]](/data/assets/smilies/angel.gif)
" mentality. For some reason people think if you can click, drag, or drop it, it must be modern and state of the art. Some GUI apps are very well done (now if there were only a stable OS to support them). But there are some Green Screen apps that are just as well done. Sadly, the opposite is also true.
So I don't think language and platform are primary (although whatever one picks it should have stable OS, reliable hardware and solid database). It’s the thought (or lack of thought) that goes into designing, coding and implementing an app that’s primary. A perfectly coded program based on a bad design is going to be a nightmare… Even on an iSeries.
Joseph R. Cattano
IS/Tech Support
Goldman Associates of NY