LANSA Launches LongRange University
November 15, 2012 Alex Woodie
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LANSA last week announced LongRange University, a series of free online videos aimed at helping customers learn how to make the most effective use of LongRange, the IBM i-based mobile application development tool that it launched earlier this year. LongRange enables IBM i developers to use their RPG, COBOL, and CL skills to develop mobile applications that run natively on iOS and Android. The software–which consists of a server component for IBM i, a development studio that lives in Windows, and a mobile client device–works by transforming DDS display files residing in IBM i programs into graphical displays that are tailored to smartphone and tablets. With LongRange University, LANSA is hoping to make it easier for customers to get up and running with the software, and to start turning out mobile apps from their IBM i server. The curriculum consists of a series of online videos designed to familiarize LongRange users with the product. LANSA already has nine videos available for viewing on the LongRange University website at www.longrangeuniv.com. The videos start out with a “100-level” introduction to the product, followed by four “200-level” videos geared at installing and configuring the various LongRange components, and finishing up with four “300-level” videos covering more advanced uses and other topics. Some of the videos are split into Apple iOS and Android OS versions. LongRange launched earlier this year with the capability to generate ObjectiveC mobile clients for iOS devices, and apparently it added support for generating Java-based Android clients at some point during the year. LANSA says the classes are free to be watched by anybody, whether or not they purchased a license to LongRange. LANSA is quite bullish on its LongRange product set, which also includes a version called LongRange for LANSA, which wasn’t formally announced. “The combination of LongRange University with LongRange technology is unique from the perspective that it allows RPG and COBOL developers to become native app developers within hours or days,” says LANSA Americas president Steve Gapp in a press release. “Given the inherent complexity and skills normally required for native app development, it’s quite astounding that LongRange allows developers to build sleek, fully functioning native Apple or Android mobile applications in a short time frame using existing IBM i development skills,” Gapp concludes. RELATED STORY LANSA Moves into Native Mobile App Development This article was corrected. LANSA did not say that the LongRange University videos are free to be watched by customers who purchased LongRange software. In fact the videos can be watched by anybody.
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