RPG is a programming language for business applications. Originally an initialism for Report Program Generator. Its latest incarnation is RPG IV (aka ILE RPG) on IBM's iSeries servers; it inherits the iSeries Integrated Language Environment’s OOP features such as prototyped functions and procedures, static and dynamic binding, access to C routine libraries, dynamic link libraries, and fully recursive and re-entrant modular code.

An ILE Program is an OS/400 object that combines one or more modules. Modules cannot be run until they are bound into programs. A program must have a program entry procedure. The CL compiler generates a program entry procedure in each module it creates. An OPM CL program is the object that results from compiling source using the CRTCLPGM command.

Control language (CL) is the primary interface to the operating system and can be used at the same time by users at different work stations. A single control language statement is called a command. Commands can be entered in the following ways:

• Individually from a work station.
• As part of batch jobs.
• As source statements to create a CL program or procedure.

Commands can be entered individually from any command line or the Command Entry display.

To simplify the use of CL, all the commands use a consistent syntax. In addition, the operating system provides prompting support for all commands, default values for most command parameters, and validity checking to ensure that a command is entered correctly before the function is performed. Thus, CL provides a single, flexible interface to many different system functions that can be used by different system users.

In 1988, IBM announced the AS/400. The OS/400 operating system also contained a built-in RDMS, however, IBM offered Structured Query Language (SQL) as an alternative to DDS for creating databases. In addition, SQL Data Manipulation Language (DML) statements were made available as an ad hoc query language tool. These statements could also be embedded and compiled within high level language (HLL) programs.

Visual Basic (VB) is an event driven programming language and associated development environment from Microsoft. VB has been replaced by Visual Basic .NET. The older version of VB was derived heavily from BASIC and enables rapid application development (RAD) of graphical user interface (GUI) applications, access to databases using DAO, RDO, or ADO, and creation of ActiveX controls and objects.

Microsoft Visual Studio is Microsoft's flagship software development product for computer programmers. It centers on an integrated development environment which lets programmers create standalone applications, web sites, web applications, and web services that run on any platforms supported by Microsoft's .NET Framework. Supported platforms include Microsoft Windows servers and workstations, PocketPC, Smartphones, and World Wide Web browsers.

ASP.NET is a set of web application development technologies marketed by Microsoft. Programmers can use it to build dynamic web sites, web applications and XML web services. It is part of Microsoft's .NET platform and is the successor to Microsoft's Active Server Pages (ASP) technology.