> -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Clifford McNeill > Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 2:26 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Mainframe Fresher > > ==> 'we will need to increase our MSU cap. Which will have > __every__ major vendor lining up with hands out for upgrade > fees and increased license fees because our increase in MSU > usage is obviously to run their code more.' > Isn't this the root of the problem with mainframes? Just too > darn expensive. > > ==> 'but Windows and Linux development is much faster due to > superior IDEs. ' > Or is it less testing? > > Cliff McNeill
It is true that our change control on z/OS is much tighter than on Windows. And we seem to go through more testing at the unit test stage. But typing COBOL code in ISPF is literally slower for me than typing Java code in Netbeans. Due in part to Netbean's intelligent auto-completion. When I start typing a variable name, about 80%+ of the time, Netbeans has a "in line" suggestion which I can select with a simple press of the ENTER key. ISPF has no smarts at all like this. RDz may, I don't know. Part of this is due to the more intelligent integration of the Java compiler with Netbeans. I've never had anything even vaguely similar to this on the mainframe. With Netbeans, I instantly know when I've misspelled something. With ISPF, I don't generally know until I do a compile. Which takes a while around here to due to the CPU constraints. Of course, what is needed is a good COBOL IDE on Windows for our programmers. One which knows COBOL syntax and can at least catch some variable name misspellings instantly. This would be far too costly to implement on the mainframe, even if possible. -- John McKown Systems Engineer IV IT Administrative Services Group HealthMarkets(r) 9151 Boulevard 26 * N. Richland Hills * TX 76010 (817) 255-3225 phone * [email protected] * www.HealthMarkets.com Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message may contain confidential or proprietary information. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. HealthMarkets(r) is the brand name for products underwritten and issued by the insurance subsidiaries of HealthMarkets, Inc. -The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company(r), Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of TennesseeSM and The MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company.SM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
