A True Beleiver, about to turn Heretic!

[John Roth]

"Andy Jewell" <andy at wild-flower.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mailman.1044041160.4935.python-list at python.org...
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

Funny you should ask. Someone at ObjectMentor just posted
a question on, I believe, the Yahoo "testdrivendevelopment"
mailing list about COBOL and RPG. It should still be in the last
couple of dozen messages...

Lotsa luck...

John Roth