For Immediate Release

BCD Launches FREE* RPG / DDS to Web Conversion Tool -- RDW

Convert RPGIII, RPG400 and ILE RPG to WebSmart (CGI or JAVA), and DDS to HTML to produce Web applications that run on or off the iSeries.

Chicago , IL , October 18, 2004: Business Computer Design International, Inc. (BCD), a leading provider of software solutions focused on Web and IBM iSeries has announced the beta of a remarkable new RPG to Web code conversion tool as an add-on to their i5, iSeries and AS/400 web development and deployment tool, ProGen WebSmart. Also announced is a FREE offer.

BCD’s new RPG/DDS to Web conversion component (known as 'RDW') converts RPG/400 and ILE RPG code and display file DDS to HTML, CSS, PML, and JavaScript. PML is WebSmart's highly productive programming language that produces web applications deployed as native iSeries CGIs or Java Servlets. BCD's tool is the only one available today that lets developers select the output appropriate for i5, iSeries and AS/400, UNIX, Linux, or Windows servers.

A New Product Class

WebSmart was previously classified as a Web development tool and server environment. To create i5, iSeries and AS/400 resident Web programs, developers would select application templates and extend them using PML or HTML.

"RDW (the RPG/DDS to PML/HTML) conversion component puts WebSmart in a whole new product category for web development and deployment," says Eric Figura, BCD's director of marketing and sales. "WebSmart is the only iSeries-Web development tool that lets you create new web applications, extend existing RPG applications or convert RPG applications to the web as CGI or Java. WebSmart not only converts source, but also incorporates the resulting converted code into a world class IDE where it can be fully managed utilizing the WebSmart built in Change Management tool, syntax checking, HTML editing, and numerous other tools. The converted code produces web applications as native iSeries ILE objects, or as Java servlets. This approach offers a productive migration path for some or all of an organizations legacy RPG application code" Figura adds.

"Nearly all offerings that claim to convert RPG source code to Java, have no supporting development IDE specifically designed to maintain the converted programs. Consequently, people who select those tools are relegated to a world of line-at-a-time coding for code they did not write. We feel maintaining the converted or newly created programs in WebSmart's IDE significantly increases the speed of development, management and over all productivity."

The RDW allows developers to migrate entire legacy business applications from green-screen to web applications with minimal effort compared to writing from scratch. It can improve productivity when incorporating discrete units of business and programming logic into existing programs too. As an example, a developer can convert a complex pricing routine from RPG to PML and encapsulate the resulting code in the IDE for use in any WebSmart program.

Click, Convert, Use, Re-Use

The new RDW is easy to use.

• First select the menu option to convert RPG from within the WebSmart IDE.
• Next you are prompted to select a source file and the IDE retrieves a list of RPG members and displays them to the user. It also prompts for the source file for any associated display file DDS.
• Once you've made your selection, the IDE displays the converted PML and HTML.
• From there, the user can select all or part of the converted code for use in a WebSmart application.
• Once the code is inside the IDE, developers can fine-tune the HTML to have a commercial-quality web page appearance.

According to Figura, "The resulting WebSmart applications consist of 100% compiled objects and use a deployment model that is analogous to the most popular web application implementations such as JSP, ASP and Coldfusion." He further observes that "Other offerings claim to interpret source or intercept data streams on the fly -- essentially the model used for rudimentary screen-scraping solutions and web-facing. In contrast , the RDW component of WebSmart eliminates the need for web-facing because source conversion takes place only as part of an initial conversion and development process," he says.

High Conversion Rate

Tests conducted at both BCD and beta sites demonstrate that users can expect a 70 to 90% conversion success rate for RPG code and 95% for display file DDS depending on the features of the RPG language used in the original code. Comments are included in the PML code where the converter is unable to translate the code.

Special Launch Offer

The RDW conversion component is sold as an add-on module to ProGen WebSmart. The average license fee, based on model/processor number and average $9,000. As a special promotion, BCD will include the RDW to organizations who have WebSmart or license it by July 31, 2005 for FREE*. *Only the annual software maintenance fee will be billed.

A license for the ProGen WebSmart Interactive Development Environment (IDE) for unlimited developers ranges between $5,500 and $11,000. The Web Application Server (WAS) for unlimited end-users runs $5,000 to $10,500 based on the model and processor.

To evaluate WebSmart visit http://www.bcdsoftware.com. For an evaluation copy on CD or any questions please call BCD at (630) 986 0800, or email BCD at sales@bcdsoftware.com.

###

About BCD

In the past 25 years, BCD has sold over 30,000+ copies of its software products to 10,000+ sites in the IBM Midrange community. Along the way BCD has won 35+ industry awards, including 15 for the best Web and iSeries development tools. Today, WebSmart, Nexus Portal, Catapult and ProGen Plus are among BCD's most widely used products all are available on a free evaluation basis.

*RDW is FREE with the purchase of WebSmart IDE.