RE: Why MI? (Was: MI programmers list? Interested?)

Depends on how the code is written. There are certain functions in service
programs that perform a specific function that might be better written in
"C". Any use of "C" should be very localized and encapsulated as a function
in a service program and generally I think that a lot of service programs
are not low level programmer maintained. The model I use is of the builder
and consumer.

You have a few builders who build the tools and a great many consumers who
use them. If built properly, the consumers should not need to know anything
about how the function is coded or what language it is written in. It should
transparent. 

That is exactly what ILE development and service programs offer and who says
you have to build them yourself. As AS/400 programmers become more tools
oriented, we may begin to see function libraries like the rest of the world
uses. I know people are working on developing web sites with standard
functions available. The thing that is holding everything back is the slow
adoption of ILE RPG and the continued use of the RPG III programming model
even within RPG IV or ILE RPG programs.

My opinions only. Thanks. 

-----Original Message-----
From: boothm@earth.goddard.edu [mailto:boothm@earth.goddard.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 1999 12:01 PM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject: RE: Why MI? (Was: MI programmers list? Interested?)


Isn't this quest for MI and C really beyond the scope of most RPG shops? 
Isn't the goal of RPG the idea of having a sustainable and understandable 
body of coherant code?  Once one wanders into the esoteric solutions 
hasn't one destroyed a shop's code base?  I believe there's a place for 
that coding but it isn't the vast majority of business application shops 
is it? 

To be truthful it bothers me to see people reaching out for complex 
solutions to trivial problems, and as a result leave a shop with code that 
is difficult to maintain and never really understood by anyone.  It is a 
little bit like tweaking case tool code; once done, the nightmare haunts 
forever.






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Subject:        RE: Why MI? (Was: MI programmers list? Interested?)

I think a lot more people COULD have a C compiler if they bothered to
make a case for one. Put it in the
education/e-commerce/whatever-you-can-think-of budget. If you're going
to take the time to educate yourself you may as well do it wisely. MI is
part of the OPM model - it has no future. There are no programmer guides
or MI-in-a-week manuals. A lot of the "useful" things that you used to
be able to do have either been walled off at level 40 or been granted
API access. I think a lot of the interest from those wanting to know
more about MI comes from the perceived thrill of dabbling in the occult
when the reality is a lot more arcane and mundane.

TrailBlazer Systems, Inc.
http://www.softwarejungle.com
AS/400 E-Commerce Solutions

Chaos, panic, & disorder - my work here is done.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:          Colin Williams [SMTP:Williamsc@technocrats.co.uk]
> Sent:          Tuesday, November 09, 1999 7:08 AM
> To:            'MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com'
> Subject:               RE: Why MI? (Was: MI programmers list? 
Interested?)
> 
> Would I be right in saying that for 99.9% of the people on this list,
> a
> C compiler is just not an option?
> 
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: boldt@ca.ibm.com [mailto:boldt@ca.ibm.com]
> >Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 1999 1:49 PM
> >To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
> >Subject: Re: Why MI? (Was: MI programmers list? Interested?)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Jim wrote:
> >>I think the problem is, most of us don't have a C compiler on the
> >>box.  I know I don't, nor do any of the other 2 AS/400's we're
> >>using.  It comes down to you use what you have, whether it's
> >>best or not.  If I had a C compiler I would use it.  I don't have
> it,
> >>so I'm not going to.
> >
> >I've always believed in using the appropriate tool for
> >the task at hand.  To me, for most of the reasons people
> >use MI, C is the more appropriate tool.
> >
> >To me, MI is a relic of the S/38 CISC architecture.
> >Certainly, at least a few people thought it was a good
> >idea at the time (late 1970's), but it has been superceded
> >by more current technology.  In the S/38 and CISC AS/400's,
> >it was the closest thing we had to an assembler language.
> >In the current RISC machines, the "assembly language" is C.
> >
> >I can certainly understand using MI when C is not available.
> >But I just don't want to encourage it.

> >
> >Cheers!  Hans
> >
> >Hans Boldt, ILE RPG Development, IBM Toronto Lab, boldt@ca.ibm.com
> >
> >
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