Visual RPG vs. Other Visual languages

 >> After 20+ years of RPG coding, I learned something just last week from
Mike Cravitz that I had never seen in any other example code before.  That
was the ability to stick constants (the D-specs) right in the middle of
procedure parameters or ds specifications.

Well this used to work in DSs with RPG/400 - but it doesn't (or shouldn't)
work with RPG IV.  Maybe Barbara can comment, but this seems to be a
compiler bug.  This is what the manual says:

"Definitions of data structures, prototypes, and procedure interfaces end
with the first definition specification with non-blanks in positions 24-25,
or with the first specification that is not a definition specification."

I just did a quick check using the CODE verifier for V5R2 and sure enough a
constant in the middle of a DS does indeed "work".  I say "work" because
although the Ds is sized correctly (which surprised me) the constant appears
from the xref to be handled correctly - however - any attempt to reference
it results in a "not defined" error.  In other words it works as long as you
don't use the constant!  To my mind it _should_ issue a "subfield not in DS"
error for the first field after the const.


Jon Paris
Partner400