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Which is the better platform to migrate from PL/i
1) RPGLE
Or
2) Java

Hello

I think it depends on the kind of applications you have in PL/I, as well as which database you are using.

Is this on IBM i?
Are they business applications?

If that is the case, I suggest RPG is better, since it is native on IBM i, and it is designed to work directly with the relational database on IBM i, or with embedded SQL.

Java is a general-purpose language - it can be used for business applications an IBM i, but it is not going to be as easy to use as RPG is.

Regards
Vern

What flavor of ice cream is better?

1) Vanilla
Or
2) Chocolate

The difference between programming languages is largely a matter of opinion. There are different strengths and weaknesses to each.

Personally I would never choose Java... it's one of my least favorite programming languages, and uses a lot of system resources. But a lot of people like it, it's among the most popular languages in the world, and is cross-platform.

RPG on the other hand is much more efficient for writing business and database applications. It is much faster and uses fewer resources than Java, and integrates completely with IBM i. But, RPG is not cross-platform and is not nearly as mainstream as Java.

If being cross-platform or mainstream was important to me, however, I'd pick something else such as Python or JavaScript (don't confuse the similarity between the names, Java and JavaScript are NOT alike.) I prefer mint ice cream over either Vanilla or Chocolate, too. But again, that's just my opinion... other people would choose differently.

Whenever you ask "is X better or Y better" it is almost never a productive discussion unless you are explicit about the criteria by which you are judging what "better" means.