Glossary

Eradani Assist

Eradani Assist is a Visual Studio Code plugin that writes IBM i integration code from a plain English description. Eradani announced it on September 16, 2024, and it produces standard, editable RPG and JavaScript that runs with the Eradani Connect integration hub.

Made byEradani, Dublin, California
Runs asVisual Studio Code plugin
AnnouncedSeptember 16, 2024
Status at announcementBeta

What Eradani Assist does

You type what you want an integration to do, in plain English. Assist writes the code for it. It works inside Visual Studio Code, the editor many IBM i teams already use, and what it hands back is ordinary RPG and JavaScript you can read and change yourself.

What code it writes for you

  • Sign-in and security code, so the integration can prove who it is
  • Routing code, so each message goes to the right place
  • Data transformation code, turning IBM i data into JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) or Extensible Markup Language (XML) and back
  • Comma delimited file handling, in both directions

Which part does AI write?

Eradani splits the job by language

CodeWho writes itWhy
JavaScriptPublicly accessible large language modelsGeneral AI models already write JavaScript well.
RPGEradani's own code generatorsGeneral AI models still handle RPG poorly.

Reported by IT Jungle on October 9, 2024.

How it fits with Eradani Connect

Assist writes the code. Eradani Connect runs it. Connect is Eradani's integration hub, the part that actually talks to your IBM i system and to the outside service. Think of Assist as the person who drafts the letter and Connect as the mail carrier.

Through Connect, the code Assist writes can reach:

  • Event brokers
  • Electronic data interchange (EDI) feeds to trading partners
  • REST application programming interfaces (APIs)
  • SOAP APIs
  • FTP and SFTP file servers

What to check before you buy

Eradani called Assist a beta at announcement, and its product page does not give a general availability date, so ask the vendor where it stands today. The no lock-in claim is Eradani's own: CEO Dan Magid said you get the advantages of low-code tools without the limitations and the vendor lock-in. The generated RPG and JavaScript really is standard code you can edit, but Eradani Connect is still a vendor product you keep paying for.

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