29
Fri, Nov
0 New Articles

The Midrange Manager: Components and Extensions

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

Ever since IBM shipped the Integrated Development Environment (ILE), they suggested that third-party developers would prosper by creating "libraries" of extensions to the RPG language. To date, there have been a few success stories, but nothing remotely similar to what IBM predicted.

As I see it, the reason that there have been few major success stories in that market space is primarily because barriers to market are numerous to say the least. Certainly, if a package of tools, utilities, extensions, or packages (call them what you may) that enhanced RPG or improved programmer productivity were available, people would support it, right?

On other platforms, there is a huge commercial market for these kinds of tools. In fact, one software distributor, Programmers Paradise, makes millions of dollars annually on reselling what seem to be simple tools, utilities, and extensions (called "add-ons") for the non-OS/400 marketplace (i.e., Windows, Linux, and Mac). These add-ons and tools can cut down on weeks or months of programming time.

For example, assume you are creating an application for Windows and would like to include a spreadsheet within your application that can read and display Microsoft Excel documents. You can spend hours attempting to get Excel integrated into your application and then require your end-users to have Excel installed, or you could attempt to write a spreadsheet component yourself. Good luck with that!

Or you could simply spend a few hundred dollars on a spreadsheet component from one of the vendors that offers them and then install that component into your application. So rather than spend months building your own component or weeks integrating Excel, you have your application up and working in a few hours.

Because the components you license are also licensed by thousands of others, the market can afford to create and maintain components of much higher quality than could be created in-house. In addition, by licensing third-party components, you encourage the vendor(s) to create new components that you or others may need in the future. It all comes down to deciding if you are in the tool/component building business or applications software business.

This relates to the iSeries market in obvious ways. As I said at the outset, there are few iSeries software companies in this segment of the market. In the days of System/38, there were vendors working hard on these kinds of products, but most have gone their own way. Today, most software vendors have fully integrated packages that cost thousands of dollars. Not a bad deal for the platform. In fact, since many companies are replacing their legacy applications with contemporary applications, this is good news for application software vendors. But what about legacy applications?

I define legacy applications as applications that have already been installed and implemented. Age does not matter. Should in-house applications programmers have the kinds of tools they need to get things done more quickly, or should they be expected to reinvent the wheel every time a new configuration or component structure is required?

Suppose, for example, you require an extension to an application that allows an order to generate an XML document and a transaction from an order (for whatever reason). How many days will it take before your application developer will be able to get that kind of code up and running? How efficient will that code be, how flexible will the design be to allow it to be used by other programs, and what else could the developer have been working on instead of building the XML conversion tool? These are all important questions.

Now, suppose that a third party or two specializes in components or add-ons to RPG and OS/400 application development and sells an XML conversion add-on. Is it worth your time and effort to investigate the component and perhaps license it vs. building it in-house? Let's compare these two methods and see which one looks better on paper.

The "Make" Scenario

A typical application developer would probably take about three weeks (a very good one maybe eight days to two weeks) to build the code for an XML component. The component would probably be unique to the original application to which it was designed. This would require it to be enhanced/modified each time a similar function needed to be implemented in a new application.

So if a programmer earns about $1,200 per week (I'm using rough numbers based on Midwestern averages and rounding), at the two-week mark, the component would cost you at least $2,400 plus overhead and at the three-week mark it would cost you $3,600 plus overhead. This does not, of course, account for the lost time that could have been used to maintain or create your business applications. If you have great programmers who could create this XML component in eight days, you're probably paying them more than $1,200 per week, so the cost may be similar.

The "Buy" Scenario

Suppose an XML component could be licensed from a vendor for $2,995 along with the customary 15% annual software subscription (maintenance contract). Over a two-year period, the package would cost between $3,450 and $3,900, depending on how the maintenance licensing is structured.

What's the Difference?

To do a comparison, consider that typical employees cost an extra 15% beyond their salary (for overhead) and use the high-end licensing fees with software maintenance for at least two years. You end up with about a $240 difference. This means the cost is the roughly the same to make or buy something like an XML component.

So if pricing is the same, then you need to look at quality. Often vendors will include other useful (and not-so-useful) components, tools, utilities, etc. in their packages. For example, perhaps the vendor includes a method to convert a database file to an XML document and copy it from the native OS/400 database to an IFS file.

In the world of components and add-ons, a vendor may include anywhere from a handful to a dozen or more useful items in the same package, for the same licensing fee. And it is here where the economics begin to weigh in on the side of buy vs. make.

Taking into account all of the costs to your company--including the lost development time--and the extra features you'll find in most packages, purchasing a component package can be a real value. Finally, consider this. If your out-of-pocket costs are roughly equal in the make vs. buy scenario, then you have already paid for an additional year or two of software enhancements. So any new features, components, or tools added to the package you've licensed should be yours automatically--no additional out-of-pocket expenses. Suddenly the market for OS/400 components and add-ins makes sense. But will any more people enter the market? To answer that question, all you have to do is ask, "How do you want to spend your money?"

BOB COZZI

Bob Cozzi is a programmer/consultant, writer/author, and software developer. His popular RPG xTools add-on subprocedure library for RPG IV is fast becoming a standard with RPG developers. His book The Modern RPG Language has been the most widely used RPG programming book for more than a decade. He, along with others, speaks at and produces the highly popular RPG World conference for RPG programmers.


MC Press books written by Robert Cozzi available now on the MC Press Bookstore.

RPG TnT RPG TnT
Get this jam-packed resource of quick, easy-to-implement RPG tips!
List Price $65.00

Now On Sale

The Modern RPG IV Language The Modern RPG IV Language
Cozzi on everything RPG! What more could you want?
List Price $99.95

Now On Sale

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: