Re: Adoption of new RPG techniques

[rick.baird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

James,

none of the things you mention have anything to do with the difference
between fixed and free.

> mydatastruct.myfield

I would never use such a thing in factor 1, nor would I ever need to.  In
fact, I can't think of the last time I used anything but a keylist or a
reserved word in factor 1.

> Though not really due to fixed format but related, some bifs could
> benefit to a similar relaxing of format, like %editc.  It might be nice
> to have user selected editing via a method like:
> characterfield = %editc(numericfield:get_user_edit_pref(parm))

the ability to use multiple lines on extended factor 2 negates this
advantage.
I personally like to separate my extended factor 2 bifs and subproc calls
to more than one line:

c           eval      characterfield =
c                        %editc(numericfield:
c                        get_user_edit_pref(parm))

- especially if I'm mixing and embedding bifs - I want to separate them -
%scan and %replace combos for instance.

I'm with Joe on this one.  My experience makes /free harder to follow than
fixed.  I don't have a particular problem with free format languages, but
my bread and butter is rpg, and I can write very readable code using it.  I
just don't see any advantage to switching.  Like he said, it's just change
for change sake.

I can read and debug a /free program if I come across one.  and if it helps
get more java / c weenies on the platform, more power to it.  I won't be
switching unless something REALLY COOL comes along that is available to
/free format only.  And it'd better be REALLY REALLY COOL.

rick