Re: SBMDBJOB as MAKE

>What I use SBMDBJOB for is as a pseudo "make" function. 
> ...
>I should add that this has become less useful to me since I started using a 
>utility written by Henrik Krebs that allows me to embed these commands into 
>my RPG/CL/DDS source...
>
>Buck Calabro

Yes, there are a few ways of skinning that cat on the AS/400.  I've always
preferred methods that limit the number of objects (source members, data
areas, whatever) that have to be kept in sync - the "embedded commands and
subsystem routing entry preprocessor" approach can work nearly invisibly.

Getting back to the "missing shell feature" (interpreting a list of
commands entered as one string): 

It always seemed to me to be a waste of time to create a source member for
a simple sequence of two or three commands, particularly if you're only
going to use it once. I find creating the source member also interrupts my
thinking about the problem I am working on.

I've never used it for compiles but I have used it for ad-hoc batch jobs
with various irregular file situations (using a file not in the library
list, for example: "ovrdbf .. ovrscope(*JOB); call mypgm" ). I have used it
interactively quite often also.  

I have also used it in another "missing shell feature" - a "FOR" command,
in the spirit of UNIX's and/or DOS's FOR. Some examples - running a sales
report for some branches: FOR branch IN(B1 B2 B3 B4) DO('call salesrpt
parm(branch)' : runs the salesrpt program for each specified branch.   If
there is a file BRANCH with field BRCODE:  FOR brcode IN(*FILE)
FILE(branch) DO('call salesrpt parm(BRCODE)'). - reads the file and calls
salesrpt for each record.   ).

Greg van Paassen

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