IBM i Global

IBM i 

A space for professionals working with IBM’s integrated OS for Power systems to exchange ideas, ask questions, and share expertise on topics like RPG and COBOL development, application modernization, open source integration, system administration, and business continuity.


#Power


#IBMi
#Power
#Operatingsystems
#Servers
 View Only

  • 1.  Merlin

    Posted 03/24/25 12:22 PM

    According to the Fortra Survey at https://www.fortra.com/resources/guides/ibm-i-marketplace-survey-results/initiatives  under application development tools Merlin is used by 2% of IBM i shops.  While RDi and Visual Studio Code are neck and neck at 54% and 53%.

    So, does one attend the IBM i Guided Tour on Merlin on Wednesday or not?


    ------------------------------
    Robert Berendt IBMChampion
    Business Systems Analyst, Lead
    Dekko
    Fort Wayne
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Merlin

    Posted 03/25/25 09:31 AM

    If we subscribed to the notion that adoption equates with quality, we'd be in the wrong industry. :)



    ------------------------------
    Steven Riedmueller
    Certified IBM i Admin
    Speaker, Mentor, and Advocate
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Merlin

    Posted 03/25/25 05:14 PM

    From the survey, 77% are still using SEU/PDM. 

    For some of them, Merlin might be the correct choice or it might be RDi or VSCode.  Hopefully, they see the options they have and they try one.  On Wednesday, I'll show Merlin so they can learn about that option. 



    ------------------------------
    Eric Simpson
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Merlin

    Posted 03/25/25 05:28 PM

    There was enough discussion over on the midrange-l list that I've decided to sit in on this.



    ------------------------------
    Robert Berendt IBMChampion
    Business Systems Analyst, Lead
    Dekko
    Fort Wayne
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Merlin

    Posted 03/26/25 12:59 PM

    I think the survey can be misleading in cases like this.  For example, I know many people who use RDi or Code for i who also use PDM because it is much easier to use for some tasks than Code for i and even RTDi in some cases. Few of those people are using SEU but they will from time to time for a quick edit of (say) a CL member. The way the question is posed in the survey inflates the usage level I think.



    ------------------------------
    Jon Paris
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Merlin

    Posted 03/27/25 07:13 AM
    Edited by ac 03/27/25 07:13 AM

    Agreed. There is no mutual exclusion between tools. You use a screwdriver, or scapel, when needed.

    This isn't even a discussion in *nix world or a problem... one can use nano, emacs, vi, or visual tools... nobody sees problem there.

    So to SEU or not SEU is a false dichotomy.

    The problematic thing is that, according to the data above, SEU is still hit a lot ... so the big question is why the vendor IBM EOS'ed it in terms of evolution... cmon... at list fix syntax checking for **FREE members.

    And going to sources from members to IFS stream as "better" solution is going back in time. More open and compatible, yes, better, no.

    If even source should should be stored in even more structured DB format, allowing a lot of structured metadata per line of code, contextual to it, to aid even external revision/audit tools.

    --ft



    ------------------------------
    --ft
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Merlin

    Posted 03/27/25 11:59 AM
    I agree about the false dichotomy, but don't agree with you about updating SEU.  It would cost a lot of $s to implement it and for what?  The hard core SEU users are still using fixed format which it does well.

    Remember the survey doesn't really tell you much about SEU usage as it is bundled with PDM.  I still use PDM a bit but don't use SEU at all.




    Original Message


Related Content