Re: Convert from free to fixed

Well, if you plan using Linoma's tool (yes it does a good job) in the
future that might be another reason to not mix free and fixed code in one
source. I don't recall what it was, but we ran into conversion problems when
we converted such mixed sources. It was not difficult to fix, but we had to
make workarounds for it.

Regards,
Arco Simonse

2010/9/28 Jeff Young <cooljeff913@xxxxxxxxx>

Gary,
As far as a tool to convert from Fixed form to Free Form, try Linoma.
I do not know what the lowest release that they support, but the tool is
inexpensive and works great.


Jeff Young
Sr. Programmer Analyst
IBM -e(logo) server Certified Systems Exper - iSeries Technical Solutions
V5R2
IBM Certified Specialist- e(logo) server i5Series Technical Solutions
Designer V5R3
IBM Certified Specialist- e(logo)server i5Series Technical
Solutions Implementer V5R3









________________________________
From: Gary Kuznitz <docfxit@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: RPG programming on the IBM i / System i <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tue, September 28, 2010 4:52:52 PM
Subject: Re: Convert from free to fixed

It's nice to hear some people on this list are smart enough to realize
there are

situations in this world that are beyond our control. And then there are
other
people

who are too immature to think that everyone else in the world has the same
latitude and

time to do things the exact same way they choose to do it.

I have a number of reasons why I choose not to write in /free code.
Yes I did say "choose".
Reason number one is I am running on v4r4. Yes /free is available. I
tried
it. I can't

stand it. There are too many obstacles in v4r4. Most everything available
in
/free was

introduced after v5r1.
Reason number two. I don't see any advantage to go in and out of /free in
v4r4
trying

to figure out what is available and what isn't available.
Reason number three. I don't have the time to learn the latest and
greatest
that IBM

decides to make available today. I can't run it on this box. I'm too busy
trying to keep

up with the demands of the company. I'm sure there must be someone out
there
that

can understand being in a time crunch. If I had any extra time it would be
dedicated to

converting a new System I that is sitting here turned off because I haven't
had
the

time to figure out how to upgrade to it. And before the people on this
list
that aren't

very smart decide to make stupid comments I'll add a little for you to
think
about. This

box running v4r4 is a 150. v4r4 is the highest OS you can run on a 150.
The
box that

was purchased is a 520 with v5r3. If I remember correctly the lowest OS
that
will run

on the box is v5r1 but if I load v5r1 I will loose the add-ons that came
with
the pre-
load. In IBM's infiniant wisdom they didn't make an upgrade path between
the
two

unless the company wanted to purchase another box just to make the
conversion.
And

to top it off when the box was purchased an IBM conversion specialist
promised
to show

me exactly how to make the jump (because he knew it had to be possible) and
then

latter figured out he didn't know how and couldn't help me. So to sum it
up: If
I had

the time I would certainly be working on the hardware conversion before I
spent
the

time to work on learning /free.
Reason number three. All the tools to convert code to /free and helpers to
write in

/free are only available starting in v5r1. I am not anxious to code
without
some tools.
Reason number four. Most of the code here was written with a code
generator
that

some hot shot from the company that it was purchased from thought was the
greatest

thing since sliced bread. This company never purchased the code
generator.
Most of

everything required here deals with modifying the old code. When every I
have a
need

to touch a program that is still in RPG III I run it through a converter
and
then test

the heck out of it. When I go to the new box I don't know if I'll still be
able
to find a

converter to go from RPG III directly to /free.

It's super that a lot of you have the time, The resources and the latitude
to
play with

/free. I'd like to assure you all that when I have the resources and the
time I
too will

learn /free.

Gary Kuznitz

On 28 Sep 2010 at 12:38, sjl (sjl <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>) commented about
Re:
Convert from free to fixed:

Steve, Vern, et al -

Gary Kuznitz wrote:
"Hi Steve, I don't program in /free.
I need to convert a program that was
written in free to fixed format. "

I stand by what I wrote previously. From the statement above, it appears

to

that it is Gary's /preference/ to NOT code /free code, not that it was a
shop standard.

- sjl




Stephen Needles wrote:
I think that Gary is not the one you should fire...
it seems that Gary is just following the shop's standards.
The failing is the shop's management, they need to allow Gary to broaden
his skillset.

So, sjl, if Gary worked in "your" shop...perhaps it would be you that
should be fired. :-)
I think the quotes that follow many of Birgitta's posts sums it up

best...

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." (Derek Bok)
"What is worse than training your staff and losing them? Not training

them

and keeping them!"


I wrote:
If Gary Kuznitz worked in /my/ shop, he'd be fired. Yesterday.
- sjl


David wrote:
Would someone please say why one would want to do this?


Roger wrote:

It hurts just to look at it in fixed format.......
=

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