Accelerate Feature Delivery with Open Source

Top Technology Trends for IBM i Professionals: Part II

Imagine the power of enhancing your existing applications with exciting new features, all without the need to start from scratch. Open-source modules offer a compelling solution, accelerating your development process while meeting maintenance demands. With countless open-source modules available, many under free licenses like MIT, you can augment your IBM i applications with innovative capabilities, all while saving time and resources.

These modules are rigorously vetted by global security experts and widely adopted, ensuring reliability and safety. For instance, consider a company we recently assisted in seamlessly integrating DB2 payroll data into government PDF forms. They automated the entire process by harnessing an open-source module, embedding DB2 data directly into PDF documents. Now, they use this module for various communications, such as custom order acknowledgments and delivery updates, showcasing the real-world benefits of open-source integration.

Many organizations seek to streamline transaction processing via APIs with business partners. Open-source Software Development Kits (SDKs) from partners like Salesforce, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft provide pre-built solutions for API access, handling authentication, and data formatting. These SDKs save significant programming time and benefit from ongoing vendor maintenance.

However, one challenge IBM i users often encounter is integrating modules typically written in languages like JavaScript, Python, C#, Java, or C++. Eradani Connect provides a solution by enabling RPG to call modules from any language seamlessly. This integration opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to tap into diverse open-source resources directly within your RPG applications.

Resources

Explore open-source modules and SDKs on platforms like NPMJS.COM, PyPI, GitHub, and specific vendor sites. These resources provide detailed descriptions, usage guidelines, download statistics, and licensing information for each module. Once you find a suitable module, you can simply download it and integrate it into your application.

If you’re considering integrating open source into your application strategy, we’re here to help. With extensive experience across various industries, we’ve empowered IBM i customers to leverage open source effectively. Contact us to explore how open source can enhance your application development