Re: Is this the Free-Format that we asked for?

Folks,

Could we _POSSIBLY_ have made this any worse?  We've combined the GOTO wars 
with the free format wars, general RPG technique wars, the language wars, and 
a hint of the IBM and alternate platform wars.  All the things that both 
divide and unite us in one basket.  How special.  Perhaps we could throw 
abortion, God, politics, and the meaning of life into the mix.  Certainly a 
treat for all.

There seem to be two _MAIN_ issues here.  The semi-colon terminator and the 
GOTO statement.

First, the terminator DOES simplify compiler coding, thus bringing free-form 
RPG to market far faster than it would have appeared if written without it.  
A compiler parses source lines and, if you'd like to see PRM take longer to 
run than it does now (if that were humanly possible), have IBM leave them out 
of the first release.  Free-form RPG would catch on like an already burnt out 
match immersed in water in the latter instance.  Not only that, but 
terminators allow us normal folks to at least make out the code of you insane 
"free-formers" that like to see how many statements you can type on one line.

Finally, the GOTO issue.  IMO, IBM's carrying forward of worthless crap like 
_THIS_ statement is part of the reason that newer methods haven't caught on.  
I _HEAR_ "judicious use" and "only when necessary", but in the field I _SEE_ 
GOTO used "whenever I'm too lazy to write decent code", "I don't understand 
what this code is doing", and (in my best Cartman voice) "my fragile little 
mind cannot keep track of all these END statements".

I'll reissue a challenge that I first made nearly five years ago during the 
early GOTO wars on MIDRANGE-L -- before there even _WAS_ an RPG400-L.  Show 
me ONE SINGLE piece of _USEFUL_ business application code that absolutely 
requires a GOTO, and I'll recant my anti-GOTO stance.  Otherwise, quit 
whining about GOTO and upgrade your code to eliminate it.

Regards,

Dean Asmussen
Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
E-mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

"My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. 
 What am I doing wrong?" -- Charles M. Schulz
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