02
Sat, Nov
2 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. Programming
  4. Programming - Other
  5. Development Tools
  6. Weep Not, Loyal Users. All Things Must Perish, Even Remarkable Tools Like WDSc

Weep Not, Loyal Users. All Things Must Perish, Even Remarkable Tools Like WDSc

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

"But out of the gloom springs the holy

And beautiful Fountain of Tears."

--O'Shaughnessy

 

I have a handkerchief in my pocket just in case someone wants to cry. The fact that IBM will stop marketing Websphere Development Studio Client (WDSc) and WDSc Advanced Edition (WDSc AE) and end support for these products altogether in just two years could cause a few tears to be shed.

 

Yet there's no need to weep, gentle readers, as the products have been rolled into the new Rational Developer for System i (RDi) and Rational Developer for System i for SOA Construction (RDi SOA). Most, if not all, of the features of WDSc AE have been rolled into RDi, which will sell for one sixth the price that WDSc currently sells for, according to IBM. Do you have to formally stop marketing a product when another you offer is more complete and far less expensive? No, because anyone who can add two plus two can figure out, "Oh, this is a much better deal!"

 

RDi is an Eclipse-based IDE for traditional i5/OS development. It has edit, compile, and debug for RPG, COBOL, C, and C++ and virtually all the capabilities formally found only in WDSc AE. RDi includes Application Diagram, screen designer technology preview phase 2, single sign-on functionality for Web applications using Enterprise Identity Mapping (EIM), an IBM i5/OS program call Java Platform 2, Enterprise Edition Connector (J2C), and integration with IBM Rational ClearCase Software for System i. Woo hoo!

 

Tools for Web development, however, will be included in RDi SOA. This bundle will include the basic RDi package as well as Rational Business Developer and be a complete solution for modern Web development and use of Web services. With it, developers "can rapidly extend existing RPG and COBOL applications to a Web or SOA environment," according to IBM.

Rational Developer for System i

In RDi, which is V7.1, there are a few enhancements to Application Diagram as it exists in WDSc today. These include functional zoom, the display of program calls, and CL support. With functional zoom, source member representations can be graphically expanded to see the call graph for subroutines and subprocedures for that source member.

 

As far as program calls go, the previous release of application diagram showed only bound procedure and subroutine calls. In this version, the Application Diagram is updated to also show program calls for ILE RPG, ILE COBOL, and CL source.

 

Regarding CL support, Application Diagram now scans CL source members and adds their information to the generated diagram.

 

There are also enhancements to i5/OS program call J2C connector, single sign-on using EIM for Web applications, screen designer technology preview phase 1, and ClearCase and RDi integration for System i. These are enumerated in detail on the IBM Web site in the article "Rational Developer for System i."

Rational Developer for System i for SOA Construction

RDi SOA is scheduled for release sometime during the first quarter (or before the end of March, which happens to be when COMMON is being held in Nashville, Tennessee.) As we've said, it combines RDi with IBM Rational Business Developer. What we didn't say is that it is a work in progress. The software development bundle promises to help developers extend existing RPG and COBOL applications to a Web or SOA environment. The objective is to help reduce time to market and risk by taking advantage of existing RPG assets. The idea is to transition to a services-based approach to deliver key business functions. The developer will want to to present core RPG transactions and any mission-critical applications as "services" while providing for the development of new, ad hoc services.

 

To do this, existing applications must be diagrammed with Application Diagram. However, if the i5/OS application contains non-ILE RPG and COBOL, Application Diagram probably won't be nimble enough to handle it. In that case, a third-party tool, such as those from Databorough (an IBM Rational Business Partner), including X-Analysis and X-Migrate, might be needed. Once the service programs have been identified, RDi SOA has wizards that will create the Web services. The Web Service wizard creates a Web service to call one or more RPG or COBOL server programs or service program procedures that are running on the operating system. According to IBM, the Web Service wizard "works in the context of a Web Project and allows for creation, deployment, testing, generation of a proxy, and publication to a Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) registry of Web services."

 

RDi SOA also includes a Program Call wizard that generates a Program Call Markup Language (PCML) file and JavaBeans technology to call any i5/OS program or service program procedure, such as one written in ILE RPG. When calling an i5/OS program or service program procedure from a Java application, the wizard prompts for information about program or service program objects, along with the parameters for the objects, and then creates the JavaBeans and PCML file to handle the call.

 

RDi SOA includes a number of other tools, including ones for Web development, a Web Interaction wizard, and Page Designer. Included with RDi SOA is a complete Eclipse integrated development environment for the EGL language. IBM describes EGL as, "an easy-to-learn modern language designed to shield i5/OS application programmers from the (hassles) of Web and SOA middleware. It has been designed to help accelerate development of sophisticated Web applications and service-oriented solutions. It lets developers leverage the strengths of J2EE technologies without having to learn their intricacies. RDi SOA comes with a rich set of Eclipse-based capabilities, including EGL source-level debugging, powerful smart editing, visual construction, graphical navigation, and automated generation of Create/Read/Update/Delete (CRUD) applications from United Modeling Language (UML) models or data schemas."

 

Why RDi SOA is a work in progress is because the ink on the box of the initial release won't be dry before enhancements are well underway. According to Linda Cole, IBM manager of Rational Enterprise Modernization, in her article on RDi SOA, these enhancements will include the following:

•·        EGL support for accessing data queues and data areas

•·        Ability to create portlets in EGL

•·        Message queuing (MQ) support through EGL language abstractions

•·        Invocation of ILE procedures

•·        Ability to create Web applications for deployment to the i5/OS Integrated Application Server (included in V6R1)

•·        JSF enhancements, such as AJAX, type ahead, and security

•·        IDE productivity enhancements, such as formatting, dynamic error markers, and debugger hot swapping

•·        Improved Web services development

•·        Ability to invoke EGL programs from Java tools

 

So there is a lot to look forward to in RDi and RDi SOA...enough, hopefully, so that those loyal to WDSc in its present form won't need my handkerchief now or even two years from now when it's officially "killed."

Chris Smith

Chris Smith was the Senior News Editor at MC Press Online from 2007 to 2012 and was responsible for the news content on the company's Web site. Chris has been writing about the IBM midrange industry since 1992 when he signed on with Duke Communications as West Coast Editor of News 3X/400. With a bachelor's from the University of California at Berkeley, where he majored in English and minored in Journalism, and a master's in Journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Chris later studied computer programming and AS/400 operations at Long Beach City College. An award-winning writer with two Maggie Awards, four business books, and a collection of poetry to his credit, Chris began his newspaper career as a reporter in northern California, later worked as night city editor for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, and went on to edit a national cable television trade magazine. He was Communications Manager for McDonnell Douglas Corp. in Long Beach, Calif., before it merged with Boeing, and oversaw implementation of the company's first IBM desktop publishing system there. An editor for MC Press Online since 2007, Chris has authored some 300 articles on a broad range of topics surrounding the IBM midrange platform that have appeared in the company's eight industry-leading newsletters. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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: