Re: RPG enhancements (was RE: free-format move *USA date value to 6-digit numeric in YMDformat)

While I agree that RPG IV is much better for coding than RPG III was, I 
have to agree with Bob on this point.  From the standpoint of a developer 
within an organization (I used to be with that sold software) that 
produces software for the iSeries (or I5 or whatever they decide to call 
it today)  the changes to the language in between patch fixes is 
untolerable.  Regardless that V5RM3 can do some new fancy stuff, the fact 
is, unless all your clients are up to par (laughable at best) you can't 
use the new features anyway.  So what's the point?  Or you make the 
mistake of using a new feature, only to have some client call at 2 AM in 
the morning, completely pissed off because their nightly update just 
failed because of some new fancy piece of code you decided to throw into 
one of the programs figuring that everyone would be able to use it, cause 
in order for your client to be using your version 6.0 software, they have 
to be on a minimum of V5RM0, but the code you just used was introduced in 
V5RM2.  Been there, got the stupid hat for it, not to mention the kick in 
the b**** for doing it.  If you are going to enhance a coding language, do 
it on a base release.  Not point releases.  That's just plain dumb.  It 
would be like adding features to a car halfway thru the year.  Example, GM 
decides that halfway thru a model year they are going to change engines 
(and they have done this especially when phasing out engines in the 
cavaliers a few years back).  Now you have the nightmare of calling up for 
parts, making sure you got the right one cause you tell them you have a 
2005 Cavalier with a 4 cylinder.  Problem is you've got the 2.4 litre, and 
they think you have the ecotech 2.2.  You strip it down to replace the 
part, but guess what.  You got the wrong one.  Dumb dumb dumb.  I was a 
mechanic in a past life, sorry for the vent lol.

Ron Power
Programmer
Information Services
City Of St. John's, NL
P.O. Box 908
St. John's, NL
A1C 5M2
709-576-8132
rpower@xxxxxxxxxx
http://www.stjohns.ca/
___________________________________________________________________________
Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. - 
Sir Winston Churchill




Robert Cozzi <cozzi@xxxxxxxxx> 
Sent by: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
2005/12/29 10:50 AM
Please respond to
RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


To
RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
cc

Subject
Re: RPG enhancements (was RE: free-format move *USA date value to 6-digit 
numeric in YMDformat)






James,
Did you read my post? I don't understand how anyone would be able to come 
up
with your conclusions from my comments.

-Bob


On 12/28/05 5:07 PM, "James Rich" <james@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On Wed, 28 Dec 2005, Bob Cozzi wrote:
> 
>> If all this java, java, java,  write-once run anywhere crap is true 
(which I
>> do not believe in by the way) then why not make the compiler an 
independent
>> thing that could be ported to say OS/400 V5R1 or Linux or FreeBSD or 
AIX?
>> 
>> The bottom line is we used RPG III for years and years ( a decade? ) 
before
>> any enhancements were introduced except for ANDxx and ORxx. Oh and I 
think
>> they stuck an ENDIF in there too. So why do we need enhancements on 
each and
>> every release? Is this a U.S. Government "use it or loose it" 
mentality?
>> In my view, IBM is making RPG IV harder and harder to learn use, and in
>> which to develop products. This can only add up to only one outcome...
> 
> It seems that you would rather return to "the good old days" of RPG III.
> Is this true?  In my opinion, RPG III is a *horrible* language.  It
> doesn't matter that many long lasting programs have been written with 
it,
> RPG III is still a horrible language.  The miniscule feature set and
> rotten syntax of RPG III limited what could be done with it and forced
> awful coding practices on developers.
> 
> I think the statement the RPG IV is harder to develop products with is
> absolutely ridiculous unless the application consists of nothing more 
than
> reading a primary file and writing a report.  In fact, many applications
> are *impossible* to create with RPG III.  I'm not talking about fancy
> graphics that are simply wasteful, I'm talking about real, useful
> applications that people need to get stuff done.  Applications that save
> money, time, and effort - not just in their development but also in 
their
> use.
> 
> I certainly hope there aren't any more decades where the only 
enhancements
> to the primary language used on the iSeries is "ANDxx ORxx ENDIF".  Good
> grief, those aren't enhancements, those are required syntax for sensible
> coding.
> 
> James Rich
> 
> It's not the software that's free; it's you.
> - billyskank on Groklaw