I can't think of a better title for this, but since I hope this becomes an ongoing series of posts, I want to make sure I stick a number in there. Maybe I should have made this one Number 0, because it's going to be sort of an introductory post, but that's okay.
This blog series will be based on things I find as I'm writing RUI applications. It will range from little things like tips for formatting (using a class to right-adjust grid columns) to major RUI topics such as how to implement services in a modular architecture (the answer is Delegates, but the devil is in the details).
Because of the book, I've already got a list of topics on hand. In fact, as I write the blog posts you'll get more glimpses into the book writing process. But I can give you a few quick previews. For example, I'm becoming pretty proficient at formatting Grids. This is important stuff for those of us in the i community; the Grid is the replacement for the subfile and it's crucial to being able to build applications quickly.
Another thing that comes into play is the fact that all the HTML for a RUI page is generated at runtime. Because of that, it's difficult to see the actual HTML which in turn makes it hard to diagnose CSS issues. I've figured out a way around that. I hope to make a generalized widget available soon, but I will at the very least post some example code. The trick is outerHTML...
Anyway, I'll be back posting more. Let me know if there are areas you need addressed.
Joe
EGL and i : September 2008
Previous NextRUI-TNG? 
No, seriously, what I mean is this is the next generation of posts on the RUI topic. A month ago I wrote that some exciting stuff was in the works, and now I can tell you about it. This will actually be a short blog entry - I just want to let you know what's coming.
Briefly, I'm writing a book. The book is going to be about using RDi SOA to build EGL Rich UI applications with the i. EGL Rich UI is the "formal" term for RUI, and if you haven't played with it yet, you should get yourself down to the alphaWorks site and get a copy (and yes I know the page says EGL Rich Web Support, but I have it on good authority that EGL Rich UI is the official name).
The book will show how to build a Rich UI interface using EGL and then connect that to a business logic back end written in RPG. Every step of the way will be written and debugged using Rational tooling.
And those of you who read my blog will get an inside look into the process of writing a book. It may inspire some of you to try your own hand at it. Those of you with clearer heads will run screaming...
Anyway, that's the short version. This ought to be an interesting project...
