RE: X-Spec (was: "RPG isn't cool") -- MIDRANGE-L

Rob --

Coupla points:

RPG/free did NOT require a PC; there was (is) an AS/400 (and System/36)
version. No PC necessary. Just FYI.

My point is NOT to resurrect RPG/free The Precompiler; I would, rather,
point to RPG/free as an EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT implementation of free-format
RPG. NOT just C-specs, but the ENTIRE LANGUAGE.

And if *I* found it easy to learn and use ... then ANY person with at least
a room-temperature IQ can use it. I'm an idiot, believe me (and the chior
chimes in with a resounding "AMEN!").

Start with the RPG/free syntax and move onward and upward.

Peace,

-- Don Schenck
www.SchenckTech.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Berendt [mailto:rob@dekko.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 1999 2:57 PM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject: Re: X-Spec (was: "RPG isn't cool")


At first I was aghast that you were comptemplating dropping certain RPG 
op codes like DOWxx and IFxx.  But then I realized that you were planning 
on leaving the IF and the DOW codes, just using the format found in ILE 
versus previous levels of RPG.  Free format this way would be okay.  It 
would be nice to have more room to do the eval operations.  I format my 
CL using ideas gleaned from News/400, (and place thumbtacks on chairs of 
those who 'prompt' it and screw it up).  You bring up some valid concerns 
with the MOVEs and the arithmetic operations.  The ADD was nice for the 
implied factor 1 is the result field but I pretty much use the eval
statement 
now.

Biggest problem I had with the old rpg/free is that the code development 
was done on the PC and it didn't have the locks on it like SEU.  Also what 
if the developer has it on their PC for days and you need to make a change?

And for a quick change would I have to download it to a PC?  What about 
IBM's release upgrades - how fast would enhancements be implemented?  
Yadda, yadda, yadda.  That version of RPG/free is dead in my book.  
Anyone who preaches about it is preaching only to the choir since no one 
would go that way with the new CF spec.  Or if they just had to tie up 
their time by going GUI they could use CODE/400.  Let's move on and push 
the new ILE RPG.

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