Re: [C400-L] GENCSRC

["Simon Coulter" <shc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Phil,

You wrote:
>"Note:
>#pragma mapinc will be phased out in future releases. It
>is recommended that you use the GENCSRC utility"

Appendix B in the ILE C/C++ Programmer's Guide explains this.  BUT!!!!

The real issue is why is this support being removed?  #pragma mapinc is a
useful and natural way for AS/400 C programmers to use externally described
files.  However, in the effort to reduce costs by using a common AIX/OS/400
C++ compiler we on the AS/400 side lose functionality.

Providing a tool to generate an include file based on a database file is not
an acceptable alternative.

The advantage to #pragma mapinc is that the file definition comes from the
database at compile time.  GENCSRC requires that I as the programmer
remember to re-generate the include file when the database file changes.
Using yet another tool (e.g., make, to hide the generation of the include
file is simply a kludge).  Thus AS/400 programmers move back a step simply
because other platforms don't have externally described files. Bah!

We should be complaining to IBM about this approach.

Regards,
Simon Coulter.
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