RE: Rats!

I definitely agree that in-line RPG is hard to read. That's why I prefer 
reading COBOL. But RPG folks can now point to free format RPG (which allows you 
to indent code the same as in COBOL) and to the WebSphere Development Studio 
Client (which allows you to see an indented view of in-line RPG legacy code). 
So the argument for the clarity of COBOL over RPG is diminishing.

COBOL as a language has been around before RPG (I would guess), but isn't RPG 
and COBOL about the same age on the AS/400 and iSeries? 

I kind of think both have pretty much always been there on the iSeries. RPG 
just gets upgraded more frequently than COBOL--in part because IBM is not 
limited by ANSI standards when changing RPG. That's why RPG keeps getting 
features like prototyping while COBOL does not.

Kelly

-----Original Message-----
From: cobol400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:cobol400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Dias, Armando
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 8:03 AM
To: qsrvbas@xxxxxxxxxxxx; cobol400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [COBOL400-L] Rats!


Tom Lollita and the public 

I was an RPG programmer in the old days when demand for RPG programmers
on the System 34, 36, 38 was at a premium.

My company invested in AS400 and I lost the job because the management
was greedy and said that my experience in AS400 was inadequate.  
The person that they hired was afterwards sent to IBM for training on
AS400 operations, CL language, etc.
So you see, it is not because of experience but personal friendship
ability.

Thereby I was hired as a COBOL programmer until now.  

I joined this list as I can see that COBOL is still a respected
language, despite the fact that it is as old as your grandfather!!!!!

I can still see many interesting questions posted on this list not
mainly by the American public but by OVERSEAS programmers.  The reason
is that COBOL is still widely used overseas.  On the AS400, programmers
still like and love to write COBOL programs as opposed to the cryptic
RPG programs.  I am NOT implying that RPG is no good!!!!!  

Therefore this list may NOT appeal to the American public where
technology is far ahead than  other countries.

RPG is practically hated overseas.  80% of programmers which I talked to
when I was in Portugal, Spain, France, Hong Kong and even England told
me that they hate RPG because of its cryptic coding (remember the
indicators that blows your mind!!!)  and they all prefer COBOL (the
COBOL 4000), the object Oriented COBOL language, Visual Basic etc. vs.
cryptic languages like RPG, or ASSEMBLY. 

Therefore I don't think you should DISCOURAGE people from opening this
list as I can see that this is still popular - again NOT for programmers
in the United States, but OVERSEAS!!!!!

GO OVERSEAS AND SEE AND CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF!!!!!!  And CALL ME
WHEN YOU FIND SOMETHING DIFFERENT



Armando G. Dias

Information Systems Engineer
Unviersity of Maryland Baltimore
603 West Lombard Street
Baltimore, Md. 21201
 

(410) 706-1664

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