I am not the client. I guess the client makes its decisions based on a variety of factors. I have many skills that are valuable to the client, and I would guess that "best language for the application in the opinion of a guy on IBMMAIN" (as opposed to "demonstrably adequate language") is not high on the client's list of factors.
I think you are engaging in "engineer-ism" (there may be a better word?). Python may well be the best language for the job, for some values of best. Rexx is a perfectly adequate language for the job. "Integrating a new developer" would be for the client what "implementing a new language environment" would be for me. Charles -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of David Crayford Sent: Monday, June 20, 2022 9:58 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Some UNIX file usage questions I take it you must be the client? I can't fathom any client who would be stupid enough to allow a vendor to write code in their language of choice due to their personal skill set. That's technical debt. On 20/06/2022 11:34 pm, Charles Mills wrote: > Aww David, I respect you more than that reply. > > Of course I could learn to write Hello World in Python more quickly than I > can write this sentence. But what I alluded to is that past experience > teaches me that getting from Hello World to a working system on z/OS is many > days of agony. > > Charles > > > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of David Crayford > Sent: Sunday, June 19, 2022 9:32 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Some UNIX file usage questions > > You could have learned Python in the time it took you to write this email. > > On 20/06/2022 1:15 am, Charles Mills wrote: >>> Why not use Python? Good question. >> 1. I can undoubtedly do it perfectly satisfactorily, and almost certainly >> more quickly, in Rexx (because of the learning curve). I would have trouble >> justifying billing the client for my Python learning time when there is >> little benefit (that I know of -- correct me if I am wrong) for the client >> who is paying the bills. >> >> Why not, then, learn Python on my own time? Don't I want to learn Python? >> Yes I do, but there are only so many hours in a day, and there are other >> things I want to learn more than I do Python. For example, I would rather >> spend the time learning to make the Roman-Jewish fried artichokes that are >> in the current Cooks Illustrated. Learning Python is just not very high on >> my bucket list. It's there, but probably not high enough to ever rise to the >> top. >> >> 2. I know exactly how to execute a Started Task written in Rexx, and I know >> most of the gotchas. In my experience, THAT is the problem with the "new >> tools" on z/OS. What would I have to do to execute a Started Task written in >> Python? What are the gotchas? Heck, what do I have to do to set up any >> Python environment at all? That is the time-consuming issue, and it holds >> about zero personal gratification for me. I could probably learn the Python >> language pretty readily, and it would be one more notch in my belt. Solving >> the probable gotchas of getting Python to actually do productive work on >> z/OS -- not so much. >> .... >> Not for me, and probably not for the "report" (I am flattering the >> requirement calling it a report -- maybe call it an "alert") that the client >> wants. And again, a learning curve that is difficult to justify. >> >> So I think I will write it in Rexx, with perhaps a little bit of Assembler. > Does your client REALLY want to maintain assembler code? Our company > policy is not to use assembler for new code due to lack of available > skills which will only get worse. > > >> Charles >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On >> Behalf Of David Crayford >> Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2022 11:43 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: Some UNIX file usage questions >> >> On 19/06/2022 1:33 am, Paul Gilmartin wrote: >>> On Sat, 18 Jun 2022 09:51:45 -0700, Charles Mills wrote: >>>> ... >>>> I picture writing the started task in Rexx, so I would have to write to a >>>> DD >>>> name allocated to the UNIX file (either dynamically or with JCL), not with >>>> "native" C fopen(), fwrite(), etc. Does that change any of the answers? >>>> >>> Why? In Rexx you can "address SYASCALL write ..." instead. >> Why REXX? Is it a case of knowing the banjo so you play Stairway to >> Heaven in the style of Earl Schruggs? >> >> Why not use IBMs z/OS Python? You can then use SQLite instead of a file >> which will significantly simplify writing reports. In fact, it would >> trivial to serve those >> reports as a REST API and put a nice WebUI on top using a simple >> template that supports data tables. >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, >> send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
