04
Mon, Nov
6 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. Programming
  4. Programming - Other
  5. Development Tools
  6. IBM Announces Rational Business Developer V8.0.1

IBM Announces Rational Business Developer V8.0.1

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

EGL, now open source, continues to gain ground at IBM and is central to many newly enhanced Rational development tools.

If it were common knowledge that applications written in EGL ran two, three, four times as fast as those written natively in RPG or COBOL, or even Java, wouldn't programmers be just a little more interested in trying EGL for their next development project? But what happens when you, as a programmer, spend a lot of time writing an application—and it turns out to be a dog? Well, you look bad. And people think—"They sure put the wrong person on that job!" And then your boss starts to look bad, and he or she says—"Why the heck did you let me buy into that rapid application development myth anyway?"

 

And you must admit: What difference does it make how fast you finish something if, when it's all done, the product causes you to fail to meet your service level agreements? Well, there have been reports of that with applications written in EGL, unfortunately, but it's not EGL so much as developers not using best practices when first cranking up the Rational IDEs that allow them to whip out those EGL applications. Did you ever try to bake cake when you were 6? Came out kind of funny, right? Forget-about-it, because everything takes practice. Besides, once the POWER7 technology starts making its way through the business fabric, the word "slow" will drop from the IT vocabulary.

 

The fact is EGL hasn't really caught on as fast as some people expected it would. The other fact is that EGL, now open source, is catching on—it's just taking awhile. It seems that people have to cycle through the PHP fad for a few years and get a handle on its limitations before tackling the big jobs. Everyone is focused on maintaining their legacy applications, taking them to the Web, and extending what they have. At some point, however, someone is going to say, you know what? There are these tools over here (at Rational) that would allow us to redevelop the entire application from scratch and run it on any platform we want—or every platform, including Windows. And we're not talking about .NET. These Rational tools will crank out COBOL, Java, JavaScript, RPG—you name it. Develop once, write many. Windows, .NET--plooah. You want something that is going to scale, right? You can try it in PHP—Facebook is—but maybe you're wanting to ride your bicycle at 60 miles on the freeway, too.

 

So where is all this going? Well, it's my way of introducing the latest release of Rational Business Developer V8.0.1, which was announced last Tuesday and will be generally available December 3.

 

Now most AS/400 folks are interested in what used to be called WebSphere Development Studio Client, or WDSC. WDSC ain't no more.  It morphed into Rational Developer for i. Well, guess what? RDi has morphed into Rational Developer for Power Systems Software, or RD Power for short.

 

In RD Power, you got your support for Java, Java Enterprise Edition, C/C++ on AIX, COBOL on AIX, RPG, COBOL, C/C++, CL, and DDS on IBM i, and C/C++ on Linux. Then you got your studio bundles that include development tools and a compiler for C/C++ on AIX, COBOL on AIX, and C/C++ on Linux, new Power tools packages for AIX and IBM i that include Java and Java EE for developing portal, Web/Web 2.0, Web services and SOA applications. And new in version 8.0 is a Linux client for all features, C/C++ development tools for Linux, and enhanced debug, COBOL, and C/C++ development capabilities.

 

But I digress!

 

IBM Rational Business Developer (RBD) V8 is what we're serving up this week, and it's all new—a major release. RBD is a rapid development workbench for delivering cross-platform Web, Web 2.0, and service-oriented applications. According to IBM, it's a "powerful, flexible, extensible Eclipse-based workbench for EGL." The release is built on a new level of Eclipse, V3.6, and includes a whole new set of capabilities designed to improve developer productivity and be easier to use. Much effort went into improving the core user interface technology, Rich UI, with major improvements to the visual editor and a richer set of new widgets. IBM has added new capabilities to the debug and test facility as well as to generation and deployment.

 

The idea behind RBD is to give a business the ability to be more flexible and responsive than it has been in the past when it took forever to develop an application. It's also about reducing costs by improving developer productivity and giving developers a way to reuse existing legacy assets that still work. EGL code in RDB compiles into Java, JavaScript, or COBOL, though special Rational Application Developer licensing is required when you start outputting such things as Java for J2EE applications, so, once again, IBM has figured out a way to charge you a little more than you would really like to pay, but it's all good because they keep those new releases coming, and someone must pay for them—and that would be you, err rather your boss. But…but, if you can do the job in half the time, then someone has now saved a bunch of money.

 

So the RBD team set out to keep you working in the Rich UI visual editor design view rather than have to dive into the source view for UI development, give you a bunch more widgets, improve the look and feel of the resultant applications, and accelerate common tasks such as build and bind UI data forms from data records.

 

Among the new capabilities of RBD V8 straight from the announcement are:

Improved usability when developing Web 2.0 UIs with Rich UI visual editor

  • Improved visual feedback as user is dropping new widgets and moving existing widgets
  • Introduction of new grid-oriented layout widget, which allows for more precise placement of widgets
  • Improved performance when adding new widgets and changing widget settings
  • Use of Mozilla-based browser for visual editor canvas, which improves performance and decreases memory usage

New tools for quickly creating UI forms and grids

  • New wizard creates UI data-entry forms and data grids from existing record definitions

Enhanced widgets and support for Dojo Toolkit 1.5

  • Improved data grid widget supports sorting, pagination, selection, row-checking, column-level customization, support for cell editing, and more
  • Support for building modern, rich Web 2.0 UIs with widgets from the open source Dojo Toolkit, including date/time pickers, graphs, currency, and other input widgets (with built-in validation), tab and accordion containers, tree views, and more
  • Improved application styling with new Claro widget theme

New tools to simplify integration of existing RESTful Web services

  • New wizard creates EGL records from existing XML, JSON, or XML schema
  • New support for calling XML-based Web services from EGL services deployed to Java environments
  • Support for serialization of EGL records to and from XML in code deployed to Java environments

Improved generation and deployment capabilities

  • Enhanced support to generate the same EGL part to multiple languages
  • Code generation now occurs on save for both Java and JavaScript targets (can be enabled for COBOL)
  • Generation of debug code occurs automatically: Rich UI developers are no longer required to switch between workspace development and deployment mode
  • Improved usability of build descriptor debug and target configuration panels.

Improved Web services development support

  • Services can be tested without deploying to an application server
  • Support for automatic deployment and configuration of services invoked from the Rich UI (referred to as dedicated services)

Enhancements to integrated debugger and test facility

  • New option to enable suspension on first line of initial program, first line of called program, or first line of transferred-to programs
  • Support for creating a breakpoint on a line with a condition, where execution only stops if the condition evaluates to true
  • Support for creating a global breakpoint (not on a specific line) with a condition, where execution only stops if the condition evaluates to true
  • Automatic prompting for database and remote system credentials during debug if no credentials have been specified previously or if the specified credentials are invalid

Other enhancements

  • Text reporting support added to EGL-generated COBOL applications

 

So, is a Rational tool in your future? You can evaluate most of them for a time for free, and if you haven't download EGL Community Edition—which is totally free—it's a great way to get started with EGL.

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: