RE: IFS files and VARPG

 >> I just don't think RPG needs F-spec support for stream files simply
because VARPG has it.

It may surprise you but I agree completely with you.  There are many other
things I would rather they spend their money on.  If they were to support
IFS directly, I would much rather they enable external definitions for use
with SPECIAL files and then enable IFS access via IBM supplied SPECIAL file
programs.  That would allow the capability to be surfaced in a simpler (for
an RPGer) fashion than using the raw APIs.

 >>  a larger project such as native support for XML, HTML ....

Well you won't have to wait long for the XML bit ..

 >> when they could have simply provided extensive documentation and
prototype copy source for using open(), etc.

Well we thought the Redbook was a step in the right direction but ...
Frankly it wasn't (and isn't) enough to make it easy for folks who have
never written anything but RPG.  Just think about it - in RPG all you do is
code a simple F-spec and a read opcode and that's it.  No field definitions
to code, one simple BIF to check (%EOF), no buffers to unpack, no null/cr/lf
type termination to worry about, etc.  Don't look at it from a C programmers
perspective, look at it from an RPG/CL programmers point of view.  No amount
of documentation can make "simple" such alien concepts.

I've been teaching RPGers the Unix APIs for years now - I don't think I do a
bad job, but still probably less that 40% or so "get it".


Jon Paris
Partner400

www.Partner400.com
www.RPGWorld.com