15
Tue, Oct
6 New Articles

The Demise of SEU?

General
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

By now, you’re probably aware that IBM has created a new package offering for their many development tools. What used to be a series of unrelated tools—VisualAge for Java (VAJ)—Professional Edition, Visual RPG, Code/400, and SEU—is now being packaged as a single offering. In addition to the standard tools, IBM is including in this package the Enterprise Toolkit/400 (ET/400) for VAJ (which was previously available only as part of the $2,500 Enterprise Edition of VAJ), the Affinity/400, and a new Web-facing tool. All of these are designed to help you very rapidly Web-enable your applications. The release of all these development tools in a single offering is only phase one of a three-phase plan from IBM.

Phase two, which should be announced in early 2001, will see IBM adding the RPG, COBOL, C, and C++ compilers to the phase one grouping. In addition, IBM will be offering a new “common” integrated development environment (IDE) from which the developer will be able to launch any of these tools. That is, from a single IDE parent, you will be able to launch an SEU session where you can edit RPG or COBOL, launch a new VAJ or Visual RPG session, and so on. This should make application development much smoother as well as assist in familiarizing your programming staff with the other development tools that are available to them. For example, if you are an RPG programmer who has never been exposed to programming tools such as VAJ, CODE/400, or C++, it should be fairly easy to find a few hours a week to experiment with the other development tools and learn how to use them. This approach to a common development environment will also take advantage of some new features of RPG coming in the next release of OS/400 (according to IBM, the biggest enhancement to RPG since RPG IV!).

In phase three, IBM has plans to rewrite all the development tools and package them into a single IDE. That is, regardless of whether you are editing a Visual Age for Java source member, a C++ source member, or an RPG IV source member, you’ll be working from the same interface. This is a major step toward application homogenization,
which—in my opinion, anyway—is the best way to resolve all of the time-wasting issues of which language is best. With a single development environment, picking the right tool for the right job will be a piece of cake.

For example, if you are writing legacy or core types of applications such as a bill of materials (BOM) program for a manufacturing company, you can switch to the RPG workbench in the IDE and develop your app. If you then need to create a front-end reporting tool for the BOM program and you want to present it to the user in a browser, just switch to the VAJ workbench and create the GUI. Now, combining the data from the


RPG BOM with the VAJ GUI is trivial, since both projects were developed from the same platform and share the same set of objects. What’s even better, developing applications for other platforms, such as Windows NT and Linux, will be easier for AS/400 programmers, too, since they will be working with tools that are designed with cross-platform development in mind.

I don’t know about you, but to me, all of this sounds very cool and exciting. However, this also means some major changes are coming down the road for your shop. If you haven’t caught on yet, SEU, that old and faithful source editor that programmers have grown to know and love, is no longer going to be enhanced. In fact, I’m not even sure if it will continue to be supported by the time phase three rolls around, and that, potentially, means change for your shop. It used to be that when you hired someone new and inexperienced in the AS/400 world, you’d set him down with an experienced AS/400 programmer who would then teach him all the mysteries of SEU, RPG, DDS, CL, and so on. With the phase three version of the development tool set, there aren’t going to be many “old hands” around who are experienced in the new tools. In fact, most “old timers” will be learning right alongside the new kids.

So, what does this mean for programmers and IS managers? For the programmer, it means that you should start learning about the new IBM development environment coming your way and how to use it. You’ll still be able to use your RPG and COBOL skills, but the way you go about creating traditional applications is going to change.

As an IS manager, you are going to have to find the time to get your staff trained in the use of these new development tools. This means sending them to classes conducted by IBM Business Partners and other groups that provide the training your staff will need to quickly come up to speed on these new tools. This also means that the best way to ease both you and your staff into the new application paradigm will be by following the phased approach offered by IBM. Purchase the phase one grouping of tools, which lets you buy all the visual and traditional application-development tool sets for one very low price. When phase two, with its single launch platform for each of the individual tools, becomes available, purchase it also. This will allow your staff to experiment with all the tools from a single, easy-to-use platform. By the time the phase three products become available, you’ll find that the experience you’ve gained from the previous packages will put you in good standing for the single IDE interface.

Great things are in the works for AS/400 development, and great changes are coming for your shop. While change is never easy, you can minimize the potential hardships coming your way by preparing for them now. Once you get past the initial learning curve, you’ll find that you are in a whole new arena of application development—one that lets you and your developers speak to the entire wired world.


SHANNON ODONNELL
Shannon O'Donnell has held a variety of positions, most of them as a consultant, in dozens of industries. This breadth of experience gives him insight into multiple aspects of how the AS/400 is used in the real world. Shannon continues to work as a consultant. He is an IBM Certified Professional--AS/400 RPG Programmer and the author of an industry-leading certification test for RPG IV programmers available from ReviewNet.net.
 
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: