
The Completely Different World of Python with IBM i - rbanffy
http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/ibmi/developer/general/different-world-python
======
nickpsecurity
This is a great move. AS/400, now IBM i, is a workhorse known for going
practically years without any serious problems and good overall architecture
(for its time lol). You set them up, code your apps, launch the stuff, and
they just keep going and going and going.

Now, they've added to their all-in-one, largely-self-managing system the
Python language with its easy maintenance, reliability, and productivity. Fits
right in. Adding Python is always a smart move. The combo of IBM i and Python
will be great for that community that's been stuck with IBM's crap software so
far. Might get more of them on the other side, too, as they explore _fun_
programming. :)

~~~
j1o1h1n
From the job ad earlier:

> Some P/A's will take a rotating weekly shift to monitor the nightly job
> process to ensure no program errors interfere with the completion of any
> jobs running off hours.

~~~
nickpsecurity
Meaning _that_ deployment totally sucks lol. The companies I've worked at
pretty much forget they're there minus one person or so that looks into
periodic maintenance, etc. Usually the people who use specific, legacy apps on
it know it's there because it greets them with an AS/400 banner. Otherwise,
most people don't know it's there because it handles backend stuff, it doesn't
crash necessitating tech support, and nobody shows up to work on it. It's
just... there.

Basically, what cloud and SOA's are trying to achieve these days. Not there
yet, but at least they're innovating. And some use interfaces and languages
that aren't horrible. :)

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wpaladin
"You’ll find not only the usual date and time type operations but also
functions for zipping files, processing XML, handling CSVs, and sending and
receiving emails."

Oh dear god. This level of isolation is probably the worst outcome of being
locked into a completely proprietary ecosystem.

------
cag_ii
There's a better informed article on this topic on the same site here:

[http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/ibmi/developer/general/python-i...](http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/ibmi/developer/general/python-
intro/)

------
baxter001
Wow that was an adventure, on the negative side I've now stared at RPG source
code.

So many winding passages in enterprise computing, so many people wandering
around them.

------
k_sze
Aren't they _very_ late to the game? Why even port PHP in the first place? PHP
is even more brain damaged than C/C++ and it should not be supported at all if
you want to sell your platform on _security_. In contrast, Python has real
documentation, has proper module organization, and is popular for scientific
computing. IBM has seriously been living in a cave. No wonder they are
failing.

------
JonFParis
Since the commenting to individual posts is not available then anyone who is
interested can read some of my responses here:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10200586](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10200586).

Please feel free to comment further.

------
EToS
Hello IBM, welcome to Python!

------
herge
"Using OPO (Other People’s Objects)"

Oh boy! Who is Jon Paris, and what is this article? It's as if somebody was
writing about python circa 1997.

~~~
0x0
Very odd. It's like somebody's been hiding in a cave since 1995 and just
discovered python, object-oriented programming and HTTP.

~~~
pjc50
He's previously been writing RPG for the AS/400\. That's pretty much exactly
like living in a cave since 1975.

~~~
akhilcacharya
People write for the AS/400 in 2015?

What?

~~~
pjc50
Yes. Check your local job listings.

Why? Never underestimate the inertia of a working legacy system.

~~~
jhallenworld
I did just that, check it out: "Position is in a well-lighted office
environment"

[http://jobview.local-jobs.monster.com/Programmer-Analyst-
Job...](http://jobview.local-jobs.monster.com/Programmer-Analyst-Job-Andover-
MA-US-153495020.aspx?ch=NEWSBOSWO&jobPosition=1)

Zwicker & Associates - a debt. collection agency.

