RE: CL pgm and pointer variables

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-admin@midrange.com [mailto:rpg400-l-admin@midrange.com]On
Behalf Of DeLong, Eric
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 3:28 PM
To: 'rpg400-l@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: CL pgm and pointer variables

>How would you enter a pointer value into a command entry field?  Why?!??

In a cl variable of type *PTR.  A command is a parameter organinzing front
end to a program.  If the program parameter is a pointer, then the command
parm also has to be a pointer.


>All that aside, can you tell me WHAT would be better about CL if it
>supported pointers.

CL is intended to stich together a set of application programs written in
various languages; as an interface between the appl programs and the system.
If the appl pgms can use pointers as parameters and if the underlying system
supports pointers, why should CL not support pointers.  How else can CL do
its complete job without pointer support?

Its a rhetorical question.  I understand the advantage of "modern" languages
like Java that dont use pointers.  But why force everyone to program in a
pointerless fashion by deliberately withholding features that are needed to
make the most of pointer style programming?

Steve Richter