All resulting application components, including all tables and data elements, are brand new, removing ANY S2E references. All components and source are NEW, with not a single line of code or element of the original product remaining. The best example of the results from this approach can be found at
This workshop is intended to provide the IBM i professional, specifically the RPG programmer, with an overview of the newest capabilities which have been provided in the RPGILE language and elsewhere in IBM i to allow for vastly improved productivity, agility and performance for the development of systems.
In addition this workshop will provide methods and techniques to allow for the gradual low-risk modernization of existing applications to take advantage of all the developments and advancements of the IBM i platform, the DB2 database and the RPGILE language.
The following sections briefly outline the topics to be covered during the approximately 48 hours that the workshop will last. From experience of this type of workshop, it is not really possible to say which topic/s will be covered in which session. This depends largely on the feedback and involvement of the students attending, as we tailor every workshop based on the actual coding and design practices in use at the particular installation.
As the workshop is designed to build progressively from one session to another it is essential that the successful applicant be committed to the full workshop. As there will also be requirements for additional exercises and additional reading outside the workshop sessions it would be advisable to provide for about 3 hours of time between sessions to accommodate this “homework”.
With the maturing of programming models and the need for absolute AGILITY in the business environment, it has become of paramount importance to separate the database layer (Model), the User Interface/User Experience (View) and business unique logic (Controller), to facilitate very rapid response to maintenance requests.
In old style heritage applications, all three these elements were present in large, monolithic programs, which made maintenance quite complex, slow and error prone. This approach also caused business unique functionality, which very often provided competitive advantage, to be “lost” in the code, due the sheer size of these programs. These programs, although providing tremendous functionality, have become extremely difficult to maintain.
Another fundamental consideration is that single instances of discrete functionality should be available for re-use. In heritage applications a lot of duplication of core business rules occurred (for example, VAT calculations, handling fee calculations, etc.), simply due to constraints in early programming models. Identifying all these occurrences and maintaining them cohesively is extremely time consuming and error prone.
Separating the database functions, leveraging latest database technology (data validations, constraints, triggers), from delivery channels (UI/UX) and encapsulating business unique rules delivers a highly AGILE application, whilst unleashing the “hidden” value of the investment in heritage systems.
As a result of this separation and encapsulation process, IT development teams can become dramatically more responsive to business changes, supporting their business in becoming more AGILE and competitive.
It is very important to understand that with the AO technology and Roadmap we believe that two initiatives hold incredible promise for the platform: ROA (Rational Open Access for RPG) and the OA Metadata Open Standard.
By enriching the underlying Metadata, attributes such as standard icons, behaviour, URL’s, fonts, colours, etc. can be gradually added to the Metadata and gradually populated throughout the database and be dynamically used to improve the UI/UX, including reporting, etc. Again this provides for dramatic improvement in productivity, facilitating a much more AGILE delivery platform.
The AO Product and Roadmap facilitates the leveraging of the Open Access philosophy.
AOO delivers a native device-agnostic user interface (also known as “delivery channel”) with dynamic, adaptive multi-channel user interface or micro services rendering. This enables easy support of rich, thin (or fat) user interfaces on mobile devices, browsers and potentially any future disruptive technology. Developers can then rapidly (but gradually) convert entire green screen applications for improved end user productivity, focusing on maximum ROI achievement.
Through native database modernization, it is possible to implement a solution with minimum disruption using a low-risk, gradual, iterative process to ensure no loss of business continuity and to support parallel databases during the process. This iterative, gradual and non-disruptive process allows implementation without the use of surrogates, without Level ID changes (in Phase 1) or necessarily access to source code (for maximum ROI and value, you will need the source code if you want to completely modernize your application). This can be achieved with minimal risk or down time.
The final result is a modern application architecture with a clear separation between the database, the user interface and business unique application logic. This means that companies can reclaim their agility, regain their competitive advantage and respond more rapidly to changes in the business environment.
