WellSky Engineering recently hosted its fourth annual Dev Days at WellSky world headquarters in Overland Park, KS. Engineers had the opportunity to experience firsthand the exciting intersection of AI and the IBM i, examining how AI can unlock new possibilities for development practices and streamlining workflows. These sessions collectively highlighted IBM's commitment to evolving the IBM i platform to meet the demands of modern development and performance optimization. During the first day, among over 30 presentations and workshops, the following topics were discussed:

  • AI and the future of the IBM i platform
  • API Enable Databases with IWS
  • SQL for Modernization: No RPG Required

AI and the future of the IBM i platform

The IBM i platform has long been a reliable workhorse for businesses, but in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, modernization is key to staying competitive.  

One of the most groundbreaking developments discussed was the application of AI, specifically large language models (LLMs), to RPG development. While IBM has no plans to translate RPG to Java like they did with COBOL on the z platform, they are heavily investing in AI-assisted tools to empower RPG developers.

Here's what IBM is working on:

  • Code Explanation: An LLM trained on RPG documentation and code examples will be able to analyze and explain existing RPG code, making it easier for new developers to understand legacy applications and for experienced developers to quickly grasp unfamiliar code.
  • Code Generation: The LLM will be able to generate modern, free-format RPG code based on English descriptions, streamlining the development process and reducing the need for boilerplate code.
  • Automated Testing: The AI tool will be capable of automatically generating test programs for RPG code, ensuring higher quality and reducing the time spent on manual testing.
  • Legacy Code Modernization: While not a primary focus, IBM is exploring the possibility of using the LLM to transform older, fixed-format RPG code into modern, free-format RPG, further simplifying modernization efforts.

This AI-powered RPG toolkit is currently under development, with a tentative timeline for release in 2025. However, there are already some publicly available LLMs with basic RPG capabilities that WellSky is interested in experimenting with today.

API-Enabling Databases with IWS

Another key topic was the use of APIs to unlock the power of WellSky’s IBM i databases. Integrated Web Services (IWS), a feature built into the IBM i operating system, provides a powerful and easy-to-use mechanism for creating REST APIs that expose data to external applications and services.

Here are some of the benefits of using IWS:

  • Data Abstraction: Decouple data from applications, making it easier to modernize and maintain both independently.
  • Enhanced Security: Control access to data by exposing only specific tables and columns through APIs, rather than opening the entire database.
  • Simplified Data Pipelines: Easily share data with other applications and services, both on and off the IBM i platform, using standard REST protocols.
  • Modernization and Scalability: APIs are a cornerstone of modern application development, enabling developers to build more flexible, scalable, and cloud-ready solutions.

IWS has been significantly enhanced in recent releases, making it easier than ever to create and manage APIs. The presentation included a live demonstration of how to quickly create a REST API for accessing data from an IBM i database using SQL and IWS.

SQL for Modernization: No RPG Required

The final presentation focused on the power of SQL for modernizing IBM i applications. While RPG remains a core language for the platform, SQL offers a more data-centric approach that can simplify development, improve performance, and enhance maintainability.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

  • Data-Centric Thinking: Shift focus from processing individual records to thinking about the data and leveraging SQL's powerful set-based operations.
  • Leveraging SQL's Strengths: Take advantage of SQL's capabilities for joining tables, filtering data, and performing complex calculations, reducing the need for cumbersome RPG logic.
  • Commitment Control and Transactions: Utilize SQL's transaction management features to ensure data integrity and simplify error handling.

The presentation highlighted a real-world example where a complex EDI processing application was rewritten using SQL, resulting in a significant reduction in code size and a dramatic improvement in performance.

While not all applications are suitable for a complete rewrite in SQL, there are many scenarios where SQL can be used to replace or augment RPG logic, leading to more efficient and maintainable solutions.

Conclusion

The sessions highlighted the exciting potential for modernizing the IBM i platform using AI, APIs, and SQL. Developers were provided with hands-on knowledge and practical tools, empowering them to enhance their skills and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. By embracing these technologies, developers can unlock new possibilities for WellSky’s applications, improve day to day productivity, and ensure that the solutions hosted on dedicated IBM i systems continue to remain a valuable asset for years to come.

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