Re: Named Indicators...

I used to be able to read punch cards, but that was like ... wow, 25 years ago?
I'm not actually that old, people, I started working on computers when I was 10.

I hated punch cards and dropping decks and waiting in line to give them to the
operator.  I guess they were a necessary evil though.

Regards,

Jim Langston

Douglas Handy wrote:

> Jim.,
>
> >Regardless, when I first ran across *INK? I was totally confused.  It took me
> >some time to realize they were just *IN?? renamed.  And I did have to take my
> >shoes off to figure out what *INKL was, and I had some trouble because, as I
> >know now, some are skipped (I've heard *INKI and *INKO, are they both)?
>
> They are not really renamed versions of *INxx.  They are separate
> indicators which are not part of the *IN array of *IN01 thru *IN24.
>
> They started life in RPG II on the S/32, which did not even have
> WORKSTN files.  Or DDS.  Or an INFDS.  But if you used a KEYBORD
> device file with KEY/SET operations, you needed to use the Kx
> indicators to allow a command key to be pressed (you could enable up
> to three at a time).
>
> The S/34 and S/36 (which did have WORKSTN files) used the same
> indicators, since the *IN array and *INxx syntax are not supported.
> Nor did the INFDS on the S/34/36 give you the AID byte, although you
> could test the *STATUS field for 00000, 00002, or the specific status
> codes for roll up/down, print, etc.
>
> Those of us who spent many years on the S/32/34/36 got to know them
> very well. But I'll be the first to admit I don't think they belong in
> a new RPG III program or RPG IV.  My personal preference is to use the
> AID byte in the INFDS, with a /COPY member to bring in a standard list
> of named constants for the key names.
>
> BTW, only the letter O was skipped, and KI was Cmd9.  KA-KI were easy
> to remember if you had previously been proficient at reading 80-column
> punched cards, since you had to know what digit punches corresponded
> to letters depending on the zone punches in a given column...
>
> Doug
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