RE: Subprocedure Question

I read your article on embedding file I/O in service program.  Very
impressive.  

How would you deal with Paul's comment...

"If you use service programs you will be sharing that file between
programs. The file would be opened once in the service program.  If two
programs use that file (service program) but one program calls the other
program.  The second program called from the first could do something
with the file (SETLL, READ, CLOSE) that interferes with the first
program."

Isa

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Joel Cochran
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2005 9:07 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: Subprocedure Question

On Thu, 2005-09-01 at 17:38, Joel Fritz wrote:
> It's just my opinion, but I don't see much benefit in externalizing
file
> I/O in RPG.  You have to hard code the file name and/or record format
> name.  It's true you may not have to recompile as many programs when
you
> change a file, but there is the effort involved in creating the I/O
> routines. The key is how often files are changed vs the effort
necessary
> to create the I/O modules.

I suppose now would be as good a time as any to mention that I have a
free, open-source tool that will create most (if not all, depending on
your desired sophistication level) of the externalizing I/O routines for
any physical file.  You may download the tool at http://www.rpgbeans.com
(it does require the also-free but not open-source "xRPG Core Library"
from http://www.rpgnext.com).

And if you are interested in Encapsulation using RPG and Service
programs, check out these two articles:

http://www.midrangeserver.com/fhg/fhg072104-story01.html
http://www.itjungle.com/fhg/fhg011205-story01.html

And for good measure, a link to the rest of my articles (should help
with questions about binding directories, service programs, and such)

http://www.rpgnext.com/tutorials.php

HTH,

Joel Cochran
http://www.rpgnext.com