Re: Define field as an indicator in D-specs

False... :)

The RPG reference is quite clear

if <indicator expression>

"The operations controlled by the IF operation are performed when the
expression in the indicator-expression operand is true."

Since an indicator by itself is a valid indicator-expression,
myInd = *ON;
if myInd;
dsply 'on=true';
endif;

*ON does indeed mean true. For that matter this works:

if '1';
dsply '1=true';
endif;

I do find it interesting that this doesn't compile:
if *ON;
dsply '*on=true';
endif;

The idea that true=1 and false = 0 is pretty much universal. (Well
technically it's really false = 0 and true = not false. But true = 1 is
pretty common since binary bits are either on = 1 or off = 0)

Charles




On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 1:35 PM, Monnier, Gary <Gary.Monnier@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:

Frankly *ON and *OFF do not equate to true and false except by your
design. They just mean '1' and '0'. You can make this mean anything you
want. Barbara's comment about making them constants was a good one. Many
shops use this technique.

One big issue with many developers for as long as I've been around is
assuming everyone will understand their logic. With some developers their
thinking is quite clear. With others you feel like you have to take a trip
around the world and back then unwind a ball of twine to figure out what
they did.

I suspect IBM will add them eventually. RPG gets more and more like other
languages all the time.

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Englander, Douglas
Sent: Friday, December 06, 2013 10:16 AM
To: rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Define field as an indicator in D-specs


I'm not confused. I don't understand why someone would want to write more
code than they have to.

If people steeped in other languages can't figure out what is meant by *ON
and *OFF, then we, as developers, have bigger issues.

Maybe we should ask IBM to include *TRUE and *FALSE as additional ways to
signify *ON and *OFF.

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