× The internal search function is temporarily non-functional. The current search engine is no longer viable and we are researching alternatives.
As a stop gap measure, we are using Google's custom search engine service.
If you know of an easy to use, open source, search engine ... please contact support@midrange.com.


  1.  Home
  2. RPG400-L
  3. October 2004

RE: /free vs Fixed (was: RPGIII to get a facelift?)

I agree. Every language has its odd syntax and delimiters. That's like
cobol programmers complaining about the period.

Thanks,

Mark

Mark D. Walter
Senior Programmer/Analyst
CCX, Inc.
mwalter@xxxxxxxxxx
http://www.ccxinc.com


|---------+----------------------------->
|         |           rob@xxxxxxxxx     |
|         |           Sent by:          |
|         |           rpg400-l-bounces@m|
|         |           idrange.com       |
|         |                             |
|         |                             |
|         |           10/29/2004 09:40  |
|         |           AM                |
|         |           Please respond to |
|         |           RPG programming on|
|         |           the AS400 /       |
|         |           iSeries           |
|---------+----------------------------->
  
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  |                                                                             
                                                 |
  |       To:       RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries 
<rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>                                               |
  |       cc:                                                                   
                                                 |
  |       Subject:  RE: /free vs Fixed (was: RPGIII to get a facelift?)         
                                                 |
  
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|




I don't have a problem with the semicolon either.  Anyone not using /free
mainly because of the semicolon is being petty.  And cutting their nose
off to spite their face.

Rob Berendt
--
Group Dekko Services, LLC
Dept 01.073
PO Box 2000
Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com





CWilt@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent by: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
10/29/2004 07:48 AM
Please respond to
RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


To
rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
cc

Fax to

Subject
RE: /free vs Fixed (was: RPGIII to get a facelift?)






I don't have a problem with the semicolon.  Granted, it's not consistent
with other languages and yes I do forget one here and there, but I don't
see
it as a big deal.

I think you have a very valid point on the multiple chain syntaxes.

Charles Wilt
iSeries Systems Administrator / Programmer
Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America
ph: 513-573-4343
fax: 513-398-1121


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Cozzi [mailto:cozzi@xxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 7:49 PM
> To: 'RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries'
> Subject: RE: /free vs Fixed (was: RPGIII to get a facelift?)
>
>
> The /free syntax is just too troubling for me. And this is
> coming from a 12+
> year C and C++ programmers (in addition to all the flavors of RPG).
>
> I could live with the /free and /end-free in the code; those
> things are the
> least of my concerns. The damn inconsistency with other
> languages and within
> itself is what bothers me most about the /free syntax.
> For example, I can't say this:
>
>   if  (A = B)
>     For I = 1 to %size(Custname) by 1;
>     //  blah, blah, blah,
>     Endfor;
>   else
>     //  do something else here.
>   endif;
>
> Instead I have to code this:
>
>   If (A=B);
>     for I = 1 to %size(Custname) by 1;
>     //  blah, blah, blah,
>     endfor;
>   else;
>     //  do something else here.
>   endif;
>
> Where's the issue?  The semicolon on the IF and the ELSE statements.
> I can get used to entering /Free and /end-free once, but when
> you code 10
> million IF statements in your lifetime and for 9,999,995 of
> them you forget
> to enter the ; and have to recompile, it gets to be bothersome.
>
> Then there's the very extensions to the opcodes in free
> format that I'm
> beginning to dislike a lot. Take the CHAIN opcode. I love the
> ad hoc keylist
> idea. It is a wonderful feature, but then, instead of
> allowing us to simply
> use data structures as keylists or allow us to declare key
> lists on D specs,
> they added that "opcode parameter keyword" thing.  So now we have 3
> different free format syntaxes for the CHAIN opcode. That in
> addition to the
> fixed format CHAIN syntax.
>
> Rules for CHAIN in Free Format:
>  If you use a KEYLIST, then just the keylist name is specified.
>  If you use an ad hoc keylist, enclose the fields in parentheses.
>  If you want to use data structure subfields are key fields,
> specify the
> data structure name and enclose it in a %KDS() parameter keyword.
>
> If the free format syntax is so much better, why all the
> extra syntaxes "if
> this, then do this, else do that" I mean just try teaching this to
> students... They many get turned off to /FREE immediately
> even though they
> love the ad hoc keylist capability.
>
> If data structures did not fit the ad hoc keylist model, that
> is allow them
> to simply be enclose in parens, then data structures should
> not have been
> allowed. In stead, keylists should have been allowed on the D spec and
> specified as usual (with no parens) then if you only want to
> use a partial
> keylist (a subset of the fields in the keylist) enclose the keylist in
> parens and specify the number of fields to use as the 2nd
> value, like thisL
>   Chain myKeyList  CustMast;
>   Chain (myKyelist: 2) custmast:
> In fact,
>   Chain (myKeyList) Custmast;
> Should also work today, but it does not (as far as I remember).
>
> For those who say, "I already have a data structure created
> that has the
> keyfields I need, why not allow %KDS?" I say, why not this instead:
>
> D  MyKeyList          KL             LIKEDS(MyKeyDS)
>
>
> -Bob
>
>
--
This is the RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries (RPG400-L) mailing list
To post a message email: RPG400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
or email: RPG400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.


--
This is the RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries (RPG400-L) mailing list
To post a message email: RPG400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
or email: RPG400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This thread ...
Replies:
Follow On AppleNews
Return to Archive home page | Return to MIDRANGE.COM home page

This mailing list archive is Copyright 1997-2024 by midrange.com and David Gibbs as a compilation work. Use of the archive is restricted to research of a business or technical nature. Any other uses are prohibited. Full details are available on our policy page. If you have questions about this, please contact [javascript protected email address].

Operating expenses for this site are earned using the Amazon Associate program and Google Adsense.