RE: Chalk one up for "The Cycle"

For certain programs the cycle is the easiest. What are the alternatives
besides messy code, when you have to code several layers of breaks to
produce a report that is broken down by different categories, groups,
etc.

In Crystal Reports for example, you just create it via point and click.

Is there a non cycle method that is not so messy?

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alan Shore
Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2007 10:43 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: Chalk one up for "The Cycle"

I came into RPG after MANY years of COBOL programming. I eventually came
across a program that used the cycle.
The file was defined BUT NO READ of the !@#$%^& file.
Talk about exasperation.
No documentation within the program.
And as I was the only person working on the AS/400, there was no-one
else
to ask
It took me awhile before I noticed THAT P on the file definition.

Please everyone - please bear in mind, the answers are always easy for
the
person who already knows the answer.



Alan Shore

NBTY, Inc
(631) 244-2000 ext. 5019
AShore@xxxxxxxx
"If you're going through Hell, keep going" - Winston Churchill

rpg400-l-bounces+alanshore=nbty.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote on 04/26/2007
10:34:28 AM:

I do not understand the difficulty in learning the Cycle? People

write

as if it is tough to understand. To my mind it essentially is a means
of doing the housekeeping for you. Just let the system open and close
files, read records, keep track of level breaks, and do the multi-file
processing. There's no need to create the same hamster wheel over and
over. Where is the complexity that scares everyone?



Raby, Steve wrote:

<snip>
What difference does it matter if it's the cycle or sql if the

next person in line to have a go at the

program doesn't understand the full function of RPG? Let's say he

used SQL, and the next programmer has no experience in SQL.
Wouldn't that waste just as much time as an SQL savy person who has
no clue about the cycle trying to modify a cycle program?<Snip>

But of course we should only learn new new things, not old new

things. <tic>

<Snip>
If you can't figure out the cycle, then pass the program to

someone that can figure it

out, or learn it so next time you know about it. It amazes me

sometimes

the lack of gumption to learn something new. Even if you don't like

it,

you should learn it in case you have to work with it.<snip>

Hear hear.

Steve

--
---------------------------------
Booth Martin
http://www.Martinvt.com
---------------------------------

--
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.