This PowerUp blog post was written by Brian Lannoye, a programmer at Masters Gallery Foods Inc., in Plymouth, Wis. He’s been working there as a programmer on the IBM i platform since June 2010.
I recently had a conversation with my former ILE instructor, Jim Buck, and somewhere between subprocedures and sailboats we got onto the subject of schools (or lack thereof) teaching for the IBM i. Currently, 96 schools worldwide teach at least one course related to the IBM i platform, and of those only 44 are in the U.S., according to Peter Glass, program manager for Power Systems Academic Initiative.
In addition, many new ILE developers are not in their 20s. They are 35 to 45. They lose their job or change careers in their mid 30s, like me for instance, and are re-trained for the IBM platform. Some believe that our platform is on a slow decline to extinction. Let’s assume that’s true. What can the ILE developer do about it?
Everyone on this platform has a responsibility—a duty—to keep it alive and strong. To grow, not just maintain. To maintain something is just another way of saying you are delaying its inevitable demise. We have a unique platform that performs faster, is more reliable and easier to maintain than others. But like anybody, sometimes we can be slow to embrace change.
Build on IBM i’s Strong Heritage
Trevor Perry, an independent consultant who spoke at the iBelieve NY event last month, was quoted by IT Jungle as saying, "We (the IBM i community) have a very strong heritage, and sometimes people get our heritage confused with our future." In that same article Timothy Prickett-Morgan goes on to say, “We all need to learn new things that are part of the IBM i platform and make sure they actually get used solving real business problems. It is difficult, and frustrating. But it needs to be done.”
Is he right?
You bet he’s right! How many of you reading this refuse to use a microwave because the stovetop is good enough? How many of you are still driving the 1988 car of the year, the Pontiac Grand Prix, because those new cars have way too much technology? So why should we shut our minds to the latest and greatest IBM has to offer?
RPGLE has been around for nearly a decade. Why is it when I search for a solution on the Web, all I get is punch card RPG examples? I guarantee no 20-plus year old is going to be inspired by that. When they see a service program, the i equivalent of a .dll being used by four different programs, they will be more likely to see what we’re all about.
The same goes for the user interface. Who’s developing apps with a modern front end? Even on the green screen, where can we as developers improve the user experience? Programs shouldn’t be rigid and difficult to figure out. They should be intuitive. They should be designed for the novice and expert alike. If I have to read a manual every time I want to perform a task on an application, chances are I’m not going to use that app. On the other hand, once I understand the basics, I want to move on and start learning the shortcuts. The Windows world has been doing this for years, and there is no reason we can’t as well.
Bottom line is, even if you are a 64-year-old ILE developer who plans to retire next year, don’t ever give up. Make it a point to experiment. Try something new every day. What’s the saying? Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone? Coding in fixed? Try converting some of it to /free. Using SEU? Try Rational Developer for Power once a week. Building a work file? Try some SQL instead. Rational offers a great free SQL editor and database explorer called Data Studio. I’ve been using it since I started at Masters Gallery.
Still using subroutines? Try converting one to a local procedure. Add parameters to it, or have it return a value. Then convert it into a separate module, and bind it with the program. Get on the blogs and discussion boards and ask questions. Share your thoughts about what works for you and what doesn’t. By doing these things, you may help or inspire a new ILE developer.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Rome would have never happened if a whole lot of people didn’t take the steps necessary to grow.
Recently, me and my 3 RPG-AS/400 developers have been recently reorganized within our PC Web Development group who number 26. The PC Web manager met with me to discuss transitioning our skills away from RPG to their standard of .Net in order to move off the AS/400. Over the past 15 years I have been trying to argue for the modernization of our apps on our AS/400 with my previous boss who recently retired. Now I am stuck and totally exposed because of the this lack of action. No matter what benefits I argue about our system and the advantages it has over Windows, they do not find it believable and a developer should only worry about developing and not worry about the platform. On top of that, the PC manager argues we are a risk because there are hardly any RPG-AS/400 developers in the market place versus .Net in the event we leave service. It's hard to argue the last point because when you do a job search for AS/400 opportunities you find very little. The only alternative is to find someone willing to learn like I did when I left college.
In the end, I am not sure how I can change this course other than hope the transition itself it too time consuming and costly.
Posted by: Joe | October 24, 2012 at 05:47 PM
Learn .Net like the back of your hand Joe. Make a note on how it compares to RPG/DB2. That way if you ever have to make a decision on what to use for your IT Dept, you’ll know all the pros and cons.
You confirm my point. The single biggest road block to doing more with the ILE is simply the lack of willingness to do more with the ILE, and your case is a perfect example of that.
As far as finding more RPGLE develpers, that door swings both ways. A .Net developer shouldn’t have much trouble transitioning to an RPGLE shop. Especially if the developers there practice /free style RPG, procedures, service programs etc.. Good Post.
Posted by: Brian Lannoye | October 26, 2012 at 03:51 PM