RE: IFS in RPG

Jim,

Keep in mind that the files in the root file system (which is what most people 
think of when you say IFS) are stream files. They have no concept of a record 
(granted, you can make your own up, but why not use a database for that type of 
information in the first place). All they are is a collection of bits.

The prototypes for basic operations only take up about a dozen lines and 
another 30 lines or so for constants for the open() API. You could easily put 
them in a separate file to copy in so you only do this once and likely will 
never have to touch them again.

The open() API does take several lines to populate the fields for the various 
flags and the file name but how's that worse than defining a key list and 
populating it? Writing to a stream file takes one line plus whatever you put in 
for error handling (which you need to do with the native database methods 
anyway) and a close is one line plus error handling. So it is it more lines of 
code? In most cases yes, but not that much more and the bulk of it can be in a 
separate file that you include in the source.

If you really need to do the type of access to a stream file that setll type 
operations imply, wouldn't it be better in most cases to just put it in the 
database?

Matt

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Langston [mailto:jlangston@celsinc.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 4:13 PM
To: 'rpg400-l@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: IFS in RPG


To be fair, Hans, I can code in Native RPG IV a *lot* faster than coding to an 
API in RPG.

If I want to read a records from a DB2 file I code an F spec, a setll, a 
read(e), and a not eof()

If I want to read from an IFS file I have to write a Prototype for the file 
open, prototype for the file read, prototype for the file eof, prototype for 
the file close, then I can actually write my program.

True, I can design these once and put them in a library and link to that, but 
now I have more maintenance issues, etc...

So, 4 lines of file I/O code native .vs., what, 25-30 lines of code to write to 
APIs?

Understand, I'm not saying that Rochester should drop everything and write 
native RPG IFS file I/O <g>, I'm just saying there is a point for native RPG 
file I/O

Regards,

Jim Langston
Programmer/Analyst
NT Administrator
Cels Enterprises, Inc.
(310) 838-2103 x604