RE: Called routines sending values back to the calling program

Thanks to all who responded. Your comments enabled us understand about
"passed by reference" parameters which removed a great deal of anxiety.

Thanks again.

Roy Luce
Systems Plus ? Midwest

Direct: 847-540-9635
800-913-PLUS (7587)
Cell: 847-910-0884
Email: rluce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Charles Wilt
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 6:23 PM
To: RPG programming on the IBM i / System i
Subject: Re: Called routines sending values back to the calling program

Note that having a parameter "passed by reference" means that the
called program can simply change the value of the parameter and when
it returns, the calling program will see the new value.

On the iSeries, all program parameters are passed by reference.

For your application, if the number generator is called by ILE
routines, consider writing the number generator as an ILE procedure
that returns a value and sticking it in a service program. This will
allow code like so:

myRandNbr = GenerateRandomNumber(inputParm1:InputParm2);

If you dealing with OPM programs, then you're code will look something like
so
CALL GENRNDM
PARM InputParm1
PARM InputParm2
PARM myRandNbr


HTH,
Charles


On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 7:03 PM, James H. H. Lampert
<jamesl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In an application system there are multiple requirements to generate a
random number.  The data to drive the generation process is located in
several different files; the logic by which this number is generated is
closely guarded.  It is for these reasons we want to create a callable
routine that returns the random number.  The random number generator will

be

called from at least 6 different application programs.

If you make it a separate program, then the parameters are all passed by
reference, and you should be able to get the values back through the
parameters.

If you make it an ILE function, then you can have a return value, or
pass your numbers back through parameters, or both.

--
JHHL
--
This is the RPG programming on the IBM i / System i (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.