RE: Comparing objects

Primarily *pgm objects with no source (compiled with crtbndrpg or crtbndcl
which uses qtemp for the modules and then discards them).

I have a change management system that recompiles programs (for file
level-checking purposes) in all levels of development (development,
integration, qa, production) whenever a file structure change is being made
and promoted up through those same environments.

So, we might end up with a recompiled version of a program in both
production and qa, for example,  which might be just two copies of the same
program or it might be recompiled versions of the original program in
production and another version of that same program that is being tested at
the qa level.  In other words, the program in qa might be significantly
different from the one in production, but because both got recompiled on the
same date and close to the same time, it is hard to tell that just looking
at the object description.

Within the change management system we use there are ways to keep up with
the different versions, but as a double-check, I would like to have a
surefire method to compare any two copies of an object and tell if they are
just duplicates or if they are truly different objects.  What I'm looking
for is something like file signatures or something else that would tell me
if the internal structure of the program is different.  i.e. If I had just
taken a line of code and moved it from line 100 to line 1000 with no other
changes to the program, the size in bytes might (or probably would?) be the
same, but somehow I need to be able to tell that there were significant
changes to the object without being able to see the source.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Geert Van Landeghem [SMTP:gvl@reynderseti.be]
> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 6:35 AM
> To:   'rpg400-l@midrange.com'
> Subject:      RE: Comparing objects
>
> What kind of objects do you want to compare?
> Compilable object (*MODULE, *FILE, ...) or all kind
> of objects? You could start by having a look
> at the QUSROBJD api which allows you to retrieve
> a lot of information about a given object.
> If you want to compare compilable objects you
> could use above api to compare creation date, source
> last change date etc. I'm also using CMPPFM to compare
> the sources of two given 'compilable' objects.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Geert Van Landeghem
> Reynders Etiketten N.V
> *   +32-(0)3/460.32.81
> * +32-(0)3/455.18.83
> M      +32-0477/75.95.33
> *   gvl@reynderseti.be
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Smith, Nelson [mailto:NSmith@lincare.com]
> Sent: vrijdag 8 maart 2002 22:47
> To: 'rpg400-l@midrange.com'
> Subject: Comparing objects
>
>
> Is there an API that could tell me if two copies of an object were created
> as duplicates or not?  Is there anything else that is unique to a
> "version"
> of an object?  The number of bytes would probably be a close indicator,
> but
> I'm afraid to trust just that.
>
> Nelson Smith, CDP, CCP
> IBM Certified Specialist
> AS400 RPG IV Programmer
> (727) 431-8243
> (800) 284-2006
>
>
>
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