Who This Book Is For

This book was written primarily for intermediate to advanced mainframe programmers who are seeking guidance toward converting/reforming ^[8] to the "other side." Additionally, those seeking to remain on the mainframe and extend their technological reach across platforms will also find this book very valuable .

Although most (if not all) of the discussion in this book speaks as though your decision to leave the mainframe is imminent, I do realize that there are still production applications to be maintained . After all, you do want to leverage your assets, and you will not complete a successful transition overnight.

My quandary is that I have seen what it is like on the other side and the grass is greener. Once you are bitten by .NET, it will be difficult to approach your legacy mainframe development with the same zeal and enthusiasm as before. My guess is that once you immerse yourself into .NET, you will find it more and more difficult to mentally switch back and forth from one platform to the other. Eventually, you will choose one platform over the other, and this book that you are holding in your hands will serve as your guide to make this choice a lot less confusing.

The ideal reader is someone who is already proficient in any of the following:

• Batch COBOL programming language

• Interactive online CICS screen development

• Batch or online COBOL database programming using DB2

The only other requirement is that you are genuinely interested in learning about the .NET Framework and .NET development tools. You should be prepared to commit and prioritize to allow for dedicated study and practice time.

Note  

Reforming from the mainframe COBOL-oriented world is a significant accomplishment. A successful transition over to the .NET world requires that you embrace this new technology wholeheartedly. You will need to work hard, and the reward will reflect the amount of effort that you invest into this endeavor. Buying this book is one big step in the right direction. ^[9]

I've been there. I even straddled the fence (between the mainframe and the "PC") for a while. Eventually, I crossed over and proceeded to pursue the PC technologies with a relentless hunger and passion. When I first crossed over, I compared the new PC wilderness I entered to the "wild, wild West." I ended up wasting a lot of time and money trying to figure out what to learn first. I just needed some direction and a productive perspective. This book will be your time-saving guide. With guidance, your programming background will provide the foundation that will really make the big difference. I will go as far as saying that my mainframe foundation has better prepared me for this latest transition opportunity: the .NET transition. As a former mainframe programmer, that is your advantage as well.

Allow me to remind you (as I reminisce) that we mainframe programmers were groomed in an environment that has matured and continues to advance to this day ”an environment that recognized the value of time- tested methodologies, standards, and disciplines. We took for granted that the old-timers were always there to serve as our mentors and that we could always pick up an IBM tome/manual for the "last word" on resolving a best practice debate. We looked at security mostly as something that kept us from accidentally editing production files, not something that protected us from faceless viruses.

The world has changed. The .NET Framework and VS .NET is part of that change . . . and so are you.

Chris Richardson
[e-mail]

^[8] Converting, reforming, transitioning ”it's all the same. You get the point.

^[9] I know, I know, a shameless plug.