Re: HTML and PDF Reports

Hi David,

This brings up the question of how often do you need to debug the generated code? RPG is a code generator, but I don't look at the W-code or whatever it produces very often, much less debug it. If there are problems with the generated code, isn't that somewhat of a problem with the generator/language?

*Peter Dow* /
Dow Software Services, Inc.
909 793-9050
pdow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:pdow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> /

David Gibbs wrote:

Joe Pluta wrote:

This is an argument you're going to have to decide for yourself. The program generates both Java code and JSF, so it's eminently debuggable.

Maybe true ... but being able to debug the code is just the first part of solving a problem ... you have to UNDERSTAND the code that you are debugging.

There's also an EGL-level debugger.

I was not aware of that. I would have to see how the debugger works to make a final judgment.

You're not basing this on using the tool, just on... what? Your experience with other tools?

In general, yes. But my point is: If you write in EGL (or any code generator), and all don't understand the code that is being generated, solving problems in the code is going to be difficult at best ... impossible at worst.

EGL emits JSF and Java and JavaScript. It's ugly, sure, but it's debuggable.

Ugly code is hard to debug. Programs that are hard to debug are expensive to maintain even if they were cheap to write.

If you haven't actually used EGL, then your arguments are theoretical.

Granted. I am making generalizations.

david