Java for RPG Programmers

The role of Java™ continues to grow, as does the importance of learning this critical language. RPG certainly won’t disappear any time soon, but more and more businesses are including the Web in their application mix…and that means more Java. As a result, wise RPG programmers will want to add Java to their programming toolkit. And while learning Java might seem daunting at first, with the right help it’s easier than you think.

Written by System i™ experts Phil Coulthard and George Farr, this book teaches Java from an RPG programmer’s perspective. Phil and George have been immersed in IBM® RPG development at the IBM Toronto laboratory for years. But they are also key developers in the IBM Java platform and tools. This gives them the perfect combination of skills and expertise to explain the practical use of Java for System i development.

Whether describing a term, a concept, or a side-by-side code example, their carefully constructed path through Java from an RPG point of view is the perfect solution for RPG programmers, who sometimes struggle with object-oriented programming concepts. Join the authors as they explore the Java language step by step: syntax, structured operations, data types, string manipulation, database access, and more. This book will gently—yet comprehensively—teach you the Java language and core Java-supplied functionality. Best of all, you’ll learn Java by comparing it to the language you know best: RPG.

As a programmer or development manager who wants to stay on the cutting edge of your career, you should learn to use and understand Java and its promise. If you are an architect, it is even more important to know Java, particularly when and where to use it. Or perhaps more importantly...when not use it.

You already mastered RPG. Leverage that investment and learn Java today!

With Java for RPG Programmers, Third Edition, you will:
   • Understand the various roles of Java in today’s applications
   • Learn the core Java language
   • Discover how to use the Java Development Kit (JDK)
   • Master the basics of object-oriented (OO) programming
   • Explore Java applications, applets, servlets, JavaBeans™, Enterprise JavaBeans™,
   • as well as Java Swing for graphical user interfaces



Phil Coulthard is the lead architect for AS/400 application development projects at the IBM Toronto Laboratory. He has worked as a developer, team leader, manager, and general advocate of AS/400 application developments since 1986.

George N. Farr is IBM's technical development manager for RPG IV as well as VisualAge for RPG products. He has held the position of developer, team leader, and development manager and has been an AS/400 planner and architect since 1985.

More About the Authors:

George Farr
Phil Coulthard