If you really want to write a web application using RPG as a back end, I highly suggest my new book WDSC: Step by Step. It walks you through literally every step required to create a simple application with a JSP front end and an RPG back end. <p>Once that's done, it's pretty simple to put an HTML tag in the header of your JSP that will force the browser to reload the page every "N" seconds. <p>Joe <p>Eclipse: Step by Step and WDSC: Step by Step are both available at the MC Store: <a href="http://www.mc-store.com/joepluta.html">http://www.mc-store.com/joepluta.html</a>.

Joe, <p>Thanks for the book reference. <p>I believe that I may have a problem using your reference book (& correct me I'm wrong), my machine is currently on V4R2 ! <p>I have plans to migrate to V5rx in the next 6 months or so but as of this moment, I am stuck with 4.2. <p>is there something that I could use for v4R2 ? <p>Also, it's not necessarily mandatory that there be an RPG back-end to this application...I'm not averse to writing the whole thing in Java or whatever, if that's the only way around the WDSC component. <p>Thanks, <BR>
Martin

I really don't know how far back-release WDSC will work. The problem is that at V4R2, not much of anything works, and what does work doesn't work very well. I was under the impression that you were going to use WebSphere (that's the only way you would be able to use Java). <p>If you're not going to use WebSphere, then your two options are Net.Data and RPG-CGI. Again, I have no idea how well either option works on V4R2. <p>A V4R2 machine is unlikely to be a good candidate for any sort of web application, so if web applications are a priority, maybe you can use that as a bit of leverage to get the upgrade moving as quickly as possible. <p>Joe

Joe, <p>Thanks for the info. <p>The upgrade will be several months at best & I'd like to get started on something in the meantime. <p>Would RPG-CGI or net.data work on V5Rx ? <p>Also, do you know of any books on RPG-CGI/Net.Data ? <p>Thanks a bunch. <BR>
Martin

You might want to try out PHP to front-end that application of yours. I won't go into the Java vs. PHP debate, but when you're looking at options to write your app in...well, PHP should be on the list in my humble opinion.

Thanks, bugoff !! <p>What is PHP, exactly ?

Is PHP available on the AS/400 now? Also, the poster was running 4.2. <p> rd

PHP is a major web development scripting language that runs as a plugin to Apache for example. Who knows what IBM allows to happen on the AS/400 in competition with their proprietary Websphere, however. <p> rd

Assuming PHP works on v4.2, where can I get it & how much do it cost ?

It's free, open source. Apache was available on AS/400 but PHP plugin for it was not. Don't know if that has changed recently. <p> rd

PHP currently cannot run directly on the iSeries. It has to run in the PASE or a Linux partition. Using the PASE might work for V4R5 but has not been tested in the redbook describing this. They recommend V5R1 or newer. <p>See Appendix A of this redbook: <p><a href="http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/Redbooks.nsf/RedbookAbstracts/SG246716.html">http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/Redbooks.nsf/RedbookAbstracts/SG246716.html</a>

Here's hoping somebody can point me in the right direction. <p>I am hoping to right a browser (IE 5.x+) application that will display some data from our iSeries & autorefresh at some predefined interval. <p>I am hoping to use existing RPG programs to perform the business logic to select the data & then hand that off to the "web app". <p>If it'd be better to write something from scratch in Java or .NET or whatever, I'm open to learning something new, certainly. <p>TIA, <BR>
Martin