Rational Open Access: RPG Edition, formerly known as RPG Open Access, is a valuable tool in any modernization initiative. Let’s start exploring it in this TechTip.
By Rafael Victória-Pereira
There have always been quite a few UI modernization tools, some created by IBM, such as the old HATS, and others—many others—created by vendors. Until IBM created RPG Open Access, each tool followed more or less the same theoretical principles, but had its particular implementation. However, Rational Open Access (ROA), RPG Open Access’s newish name, was created to simplify the way an IBM i–based backend and a “modern” frontend can coexist and work together seamlessly. According to IBM: Rational Open Access: RPG Edition provides a way for RPG programmers to use the simple and well-understood RPG I/O model to access resources and devices that are not directly supported by RPG. Open Access opens up RPG's file I/O capabilities, allowing anyone to write innovative I/O handlers to access other devices and resources such as: