RPG Development Services: Solving the Maintainer Knowledge Gap

This approach focuses limited time on the knowledge that matters most. It also gives the incoming developer practical experience with the system while the person who understands it best is still available. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is RPG Worth Learning in 2026? 

For developers working in IBM i application development, RPG can still be worth learning. Free-form RPG is accessible to developers with procedural programming experience, and the platform has a published roadmap. The more difficult skill to replace, however, is not knowledge of the language itself. It is knowledge of the business applications built with it.  

Should We Convert Fixed-Format RPG to Free-Form? 

When a program is already being changed, converting the relevant code to free-form can improve readability and make future maintenance easier. 

A full conversion of an entire estate is a different decision. If it does not deliver a functional improvement, it can consume significant time and budget without addressing the organization's immediate knowledge risk. In many cases, converting the programs that are already being touched is the more practical approach. 

Can Automated Tools Rewrite RPG Into Java or C#? 

Automated tools can generate code that compiles. That does not automatically make the resulting application maintainable. 

A translated application can retain the structure of the original code while losing the conventions and context that made the original understandable. Developers may then end up maintaining unfamiliar code in an unfamiliar structure. 

Automation is often more useful for analyzing and documenting an existing RPG environment than for producing the final replacement application. For many iSeries application development projects, understanding the existing system should come before deciding how to replace it. 

How Do We Keep an iSeries RPG Programmer We Already Have?