Re: AS/400 RPG Certification Test

There is some arguement for knowing some of this stuff instead of just looking 
it up.  Many of use read the new manuals 
right away.  Jumping to the sections 'what is new for this release'.  It's when 
I have to show someone with a few years
experience in RPG what the SETLL operation code is that I think certification 
would provide a higher level of confidence
in the programmer.  Does the RPG certification require renewal like the CCP 
does, (unless you were grandfathered)?  I work with some sharp people but there 
is always someone that would not do something new if you pointed a gun to their 
head.

I am starting to do all my new stuff in ILERPG but have yet to figure out how 
to do a procedure.  God knows I want to.
Purchased the ATS courses but they stop short of procedures.  I mention this 
for two reasons.  One, maybe the RPG 
certification is the challenge I need to get up to snuff.  Two, any 
recomendations as to how to learn procedures, activation
groups and what not?  The new op codes, eval, record layouts, 'D' specs, etc 
were pretty simple to figure out.




peteh@inwave.com on 09/02/98 10:36:52 PM
Please respond to MIDRANGE-L@MIDRANGE.COM@Internet
To:     MIDRANGE-L@MIDRANGE.COM@Internet
cc:      
Subject:        Re: AS/400 RPG Certification Test

At 08:56 09/02/98 -0500, Richard Baird wrote:
>Ken,
>
>I took the test, got a 92. (woohoo)


I suppose at some level these tests are fine, but I really question their value 
for anything but the lowest skill level. I write several different languages, 
and currently two different dialects of RPG. It' just not possible to keep it 
all 100% straight. For the more esoteric things (which indicators do what for 
TESTN? How do you find the system name for an SQL table? What the ~@!# is the 
op code for rollback this week?), I look it up in the manual. Life's too short 
to worry about this crap. You'd have to be an idiot savant. I think it's much 
more important to know how to quickly find that obscure bit of info than it is 
to be able to recite it on command. A good programmer can quickly shift gears 
and adapt to whatever environment is at hand. I'll always prefer someone who 
can think over someone who can only recite.

Pete Hall
peteh@inwave.com 
http://www.inwave.com/~peteh/

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