1. The Future of Application Modernization

It's time to rethink how we develop applications. Written by David Shirey "Application modernization" is a pseudo marketing term that is often used when we talk about the future of legacy systems. It pops up a lot these days, and that's fine becaus

2. Does Your Shop Participate in Code Reviews?

Produce better code and exchange knowledge with code reviews. Written by Tom Snyder One of the most typical obstacles with the adoption of modern programming techniques in RPG shops is the fact that everyone is at a different level of knowledge in

3. Technology Focus: Tools for Building New IBM i Apps

If you don't buy your business applications, you have to build them. If you have to build them, your development staff could benefit from some of these tools. Written by John Ghrist Although application software vendors are getting better at custom

4. Power i Forecast: SOA

While the promised benefits of a service-oriented architecture are becoming increasingly clear, converting legacy systems over to SOA continues to pose challenges. Written by Chris Smith We asked a number of industry leaders what their views are of

5. Agile Programming: Building Applications Your Users Are Sure to Like

Discover Scrum and learn how to deliver build better, higher-quality applications. Written by Marty Acks Agile programming has gained significant momentum recently by changing the way in which organizations develop software. When I was first introd

6. The Top 10 Job Scheduling Challenges and How to Solve Them

It's likely additional resources won't become available to oversee Power Systems operations, so "work smarter, not harder" may be the catchword of the day—in short, automation. Written by Martin Norman Editor's note: This article introduces the w

7. Extending EGL to Integrate Other Technologies

By allowing you to extend EGL to embrace new technologies, IBM has provided the ultimate business programming language and ensured that EGL won't lag behind the technology curve. Written by Joe Pluta Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from D

8. A Fresh Approach to SCM

Combine the merits of open-source software configuration management (SCM) tools and i5/OS native utilities. Written by Junlei Li For decades, in i5/OS (aka OS/400, iSeries, or IBM i), there has been a lack of free, powerful, and easy-to-use softwar

9. Overcoming the Challenges of Mixed RPG and .NET Development

Can Windows and IBM i live in application development harmony? Written by David Brault Editor's note: This article is an extract from the white paper titled "Using Microsoft .NET to Build Scalable Enterprise IBM i Applications" available free at the

10. Discover the Enormous Potential of Business Mashups

Mashups offer enormous potential for new business functionality by consolidating disparate information into a single interface and streamlining the manner in which enterprise data and applications are used. Written by David Brault Editor's Note: This

11. Designing a Sound Application Architecture Built for the Future

Build a stable and agile software foundation in a dynamic IBM i and Microsoft world. By David Brault Editor's note: This article provides a summary insight into the white paper The Eight Pillars of An Enterprise Application Architecture. The

12. The Unglamorous Science of Software Maintenance

Big gains can be realized by focusing on what RPG programmers actually do. By Steve Kilner For the past few decades, while software development has traveled through a long list of new languages and methodologies, a lesser-known journey has been

13. Keep a Tight Hold on Project Scope

How can you keep "scope creep" and "feature creep" under control? By Colleen Garton Editor's note: This article is an excerpt from Fundamentals of Technology Project Management published by MC Press.   As managers, project management might be on

14. The System Integration Challenge: Eliminating Project Breakdowns

With proper planning, you can ensure a smooth system integration project. By Marty Acks So, your next big project is to integrate one of your existing systems with another system of which you may or may not have in-depth knowledge. In today'

15. SOA in 2008

 Service-Oriented Architecture is more than a buzzword. By Joe Pluta I've been writing about Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) for some time now. I did a complete review of the state of the technology in an article I wrote back in Novem

16. SOA Governance: Better Now Than Never

An ungoverned SOA project can lead to unintended consequences, reversing the cycle and causing SOA to add cost and disrupt processes. By Alex Nubla The year was 2004. John was a CTO for an IBM ISV that piloted a supply chain application. The company

17. Performance Testing: Best Practices

Why do so many applications perform so poorly? And what can be done to change that? Testing applications for performance and scalability has become an afterthought in the software development community. According to Forrester Research, nearly 85 p

18. Revisiting Algorithms and Data Structures

Let's take both a practical and theoretical look at three of today's most primitive data structures.   Weren't algorithms and data structures and their relatives your favorite engineering-related courses? For many of us, probab

19. Revisiting Algorithms and Data Structures

Let's take both a practical and theoretical look at three of today's most primitive data structures.   Weren't algorithms and data structures and their relatives your favorite engineering-related courses? For many of us, probab

20. Build Upon the Strengths of Your Legacy Systems

"Legacy" isn't a dirty word. Your System i applications still have a long life ahead of them.

21. Play Time = Productive Time?

Have you ever toyed with the idea of using CGIDEV2 to generate XML documents?

22. Best Practices: Cross-Platform Documentation

Documentation is a very necessary evil, and as systems become more complex, consistent documentation becomes even more important.

23. Legacy Maintenance: Evaluating and Documenting Business Rules in Legacy Code

Have you ever seen a project plan with "a miracle occurs here" in the middle? Extracting business rules is tough, but you can start with documentation.

24. Package Solution Integration: Modifying Package Solutions for the System i

It's one thing to modify (or "refactor") your own code, but how do you modify code that was written by someone else?

25. Using New Tools to Maintain Legacy Apps

Application development tools evolve, so it makes sense to regularly review the state of the art and see if it can be applied to existing systems.

26. Cross-Platform Development and Integration: Working with Microsoft Vista Idiosyncrasies

For Microsoft executives, it's a tough call: security versus convenience. But from the perspective of a humble developer of application software for Windows, there is, at the least, a significant get-acquainted period for Vista.

27. Debunking ESB (Enterprise Service Bus)

To stay competitive today, businesses need to be agile and responsive.

28. Application Architectures

As we get more options for development, it's time to review the fundamentals of designing an application.

29. Modernization Is Not Just for Applications Anymore

Use this technology checklist for modernizing your development environment.

30. How to Get Out from Under an Obsolete Legacy Technology

No, no, no. We're not talking about abandoning the System i. We're talking about taking full advantage of it.

31. Scrum

We're talking about agile software development here, not Australian sports.

32. The System i Roadmap to SOA

A successful SOA implementation is a carefully designed step-by-step process.

33. Legacy Applications: Does SOA Mean "Save Our Assets?"

Legacy applications are not going away any time soon.

34. Ten Considerations for Application Design and Development

During my years as a programmer, I've compiled one of the most complete mistake handbooks in the industry. When a new mistake comes out, I'm among the first to make it. Here are some of the conclusions I've been compelled to draw.

35. Source Code Management on iSeries: Surprisingly Fluid

Using code control is significantly more cost-effective than not using it.

36. Choosing the Right Application Development Tools

It's time to start writing Web applicationsbut with what?

37. FAQ on SOA

What is SOA really, and what can it do for you?

38. Selecting a Programming Language for Your Next Application

This selection can become either your best friend or your worst enemy.

39. Product Lifecycle Management

Software systems are born, live for a while, and then cease to exist. What can you do to manage the process and mitigate product lifecycle risks?

40. The iSeries Modernization Challenge

Establishing the best approach has left ISVs and developers befuddled.

41. iSockets for Web Services

Easily call CGI and Web services from within RPG IV with iSockets and the XML-INTO opcode.

42. Evolution and Modernization of Legacy Systems

Give your users the new application they've been demanding, without abandoning your current systems.

43. Design iSeries Applications with Translation in Mind

That code you're writing right now may someday need to be translated into German or Japanese or Arabic.

44. Execute Remote Stored Procedures from the iSeries

Use SQL and Java to run remote jobs on other database platforms from the comfort of your iSeries.

45. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)

Does SOA finally provide the Universal Translator we've been looking for, or at least a step in that direction?

46. Outsourcing: The Facts of the Matter

Maybe outsourcing isn't all bad.

47. UML: Modeling in the OO System

Take a look at today's graphical tools for designing object-oriented systems.

48. Eclipse: Not Just Another IDE

Eclipse may be the last IDE you will ever need.

49. My Own Private QAQQINI

The QAQQINI file can be used to boost query performance.

50. Return of the BLOB

Use SQL to exchange data with the OS/400 IFS using datalinks and BLOBs.