A True Beleiver, about to turn Heretic!

[Andy Jewell]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I fear I am going to need the cosiness of python-list for mental stability 
over the next 6 months.  The *worst* part is that, in a way, Python itself is 
to blame!

A harsh accusation, I hear you cry.  Not so: read my story and commiserate 
with me...

I've been working for the same company for about 4 years now, doing mostly 
network admin on Novell, Win NT 4 and recently Win 2000.  We have about 
350-ish Win XP workstations, spread around a rather large industrial site 
(about 3km x 1.5km).

So, I've used Python since about late 1999 as an admin aid (and leg-saver): 
I've written quite a few utilities to such things as spidering our LAN and 
remotely reconfiguring JetDirect boxes, or remotely altering the Windows 
registry to enable dynamic IP addresses a la DHCP, shifting gigabytes of user 
data incrementally between the 'old' Novell system and the 'new' windows one 
and so on.

This has been noticed.  Now, instead of simply stating a problem and the 
desired resolution, team members now often ask 'Andy - can you write a 
[python] script to do that?'.  My reply, usually of course, is 'Yes'.  They 
normally get their script pretty quickly too, depending on what new modules I 
have to grok!  Comments from my team-leader like 'Seems quite powerful, this 
Python...' crop up fairly often now.  I just grin...

So a week or so ago, I was called to an impromptu meeting.  I was told that 
our 'developer' contractor will be leaving soon, as the long-running project 
he's working on is drawing to a close.  Although he'll be leaving, the system 
he currently maintains will still need a custodian, not so much for 
development, but for maintenance and 'the odd tweak'.

The application is written in RPG.  Three dialects - RPG IV, RPG/400 and RPG 
ILE.  It's business-critical and runs on an AS/400.  It's also nearly 10 
years old and a lot of it was written using a now disused CASE tool.

After casing the job out, I came up with two pages of 'objections' - I voiced 
them to my line manager, saying 'What's the reward?'.  A bit flustered, he 
said they hadn't thought of that...

On a subsequent meeting, I was informed that they beleive 'I'm the man for the 
job' - due, in part, to my exploits with Python.

I've since pinned them down to a pay review (with no guarantees) and about 5 
courses.  I've been programming with various languages for longer than I care 
to relate, because it makes me feel 'old', so I'm sure I can get my head 
round it, but, after Python it's going to feel like cleaning toilets!

Although Python runs on the AS/400, and I've fiddled idly with it recently, 
it's not practical to 'rewrite' this app, and if I suggested it, I'd be 
laughed in the face.  For my sanity, though, I reckon I'll be employing 
Python to do various 'scripting' tasks on this system, soon!

So, with the next line of Python magic that you cast, please spare a thought 
for the Python Neophyte who got bitten on the ass by the language that time 
forgot, all because of his Pythonic piety.

Out of interest, are there any reformed RPG'ers out in Pythonia?

Have a good weekend, Pythonistas.

-andyj